Her emerald orbs are darting in all directions now, like she’s trying to track a fly that’s buzzing around her. But still she sits, all delicate.
“Well, I don’t know about that,” I say. “But I’m here. I came to see you. To make sure you’re okay.”
Her eyes snap to me in an instant, her brow furrowing with an immediate, unjustified hatred. “And who the fuck are you? Heretic! What the fuck are you doing here?” She spits out the words with venom, saliva forming on her lips.
I’m starting to think this maybe wasn’t such a good idea.
So, I’m assuming the patience and understanding route probably isn’t going to get me anywhere. I’ll try another approach.
“Okay, Ruby, tone down the psycho — I’m better at it than you. And a helluva lot better at hiding it. I’m here to offer you a job. Do you know what I mean by that? When I say job?”
Her face relaxes, but the frown stays. I think more from confusion than anger, though. She tilts her head alternatively left and right, like a dog trying to understand its master’s command.
I sigh. “Look, I’ve only got a few minutes with you because, for some reason, the guards here seem to be scared of you. Why is that, do you think?”
A smile slowly creeps across her face and reaches her eyes, which light up with a fiendish glee. She stands, not bothering to shimmy her dress down. It’s ridden up a little, revealing most of her thighs. She walks casually toward me, up on her toes, placing one foot exaggeratedly in front of the other, like a ballerina, until she’s mere inches from the window.
She strokes her hand up and down the glass, playfully, before turning around and reaching behind her, grabbing the zipper near the base of her neck, and pulling it down all the way to the top of her ass.
I shift in my seat, feeling a little uncomfortable all of a sudden. “Hey, what are you doing? Don’t be doing that, now. Come on.”
She slips the dress off one shoulder, then the other… slowly, like she’s putting on a show. She shakes her hips as she ushers it down her body.
She’s naked underneath.
I quickly look to the floor, putting my head in my hand. “Oh, sweet Jesus…”
I’m a man, like any other — in some ways, at least. Ruby is an attractive woman, and she’s now naked in front of me. I don’t want to see her like that but there’s really nowhere else to look — the window runs pretty much the full width of the wall and almost floor to ceiling.
This is weird. Like, really, really, weird.
Josh would be loving this. Not only for the gratuitous nudity, but also for my obvious discomfort.
She steps out of the dress and walks back toward her chair, stopping just in front of it. She puts her arms out to the sides, moving them slowly up and over her head as she bends her knees and arches her back, stretching. She stands up straight and turns around.
I jump in my seat. “Fuck me!”
Her, frankly, incredible body is covered from throat to groin in a network of scars. Self-inflicted wounds in the shape of a thousand pentagrams tattoo her chest and stomach. The freshly healed cuts are a deep red.
“This is how I keep my demons locked inside,” she says seductively. “It stops them coming out to play. Do you like my demons?”
I shrug, squirming in my seat. “Ah… not really, no. It’s a little bizarre, if I’m honest.”
She frowns. “You do not like me? You do not want me? Why are you here? The people who come here always like me… always want me. They cheer for me, beg me for more… And they visit me. Late at night when they think I’m asleep, they visit. They try to unlock my door with their key. Try to let my demons out. But I don’t let them come out. No, no, no… They stay locked behind my door. Yes they do.” She pauses to giggle like a little girl, putting one hand to her mouth. “Their keys aren’t big enough to open my door. But I don’t tell them they’re wasting their time. It’s fun watching them try.”
I shake my head and smile, which gradually gives way to a laugh.
Sonofabitch.
It’s the eyes. They never lie. And Ruby DeSouza’s eyes are no different. I’m not saying she isn’t a little… out there… but this — it’s an act. A very elaborate, very clever act. I don’t know the reason behind it. But I know it’s all for show. She had me — hook, line, and sinker — right until the double entendre about the guards interfering with her at night. I could see her struggling to keep a straight face. Her eyes betrayed her.
I stand and applaud.
She stops, frozen in place and naked, staring at me, genuinely confused.
“Very good,” I say. “You should be an actress. Now put your fucking clothes on, sit your ass down, and listen to what I have to say.”
She doesn’t move for a moment, frowning at me. Eventually, she gives in, moving quickly over to her dress and putting it back on. “Who are you?”
Her voice sounds drastically different now. More down to earth. More… sane.
“I’m Adrian Hell.”
Her mouth drops open with shock. “Get the fuck outta here! Really?”
I smile and nod.
“No shit! What are you doing here? And, hey, how did you know I was faking it?”
I shrug. “You’re good, don’t get me wrong. And the whole naked thing — nice touch. Very nice touch… But I could see it in your eyes, trying not to laugh. You couldn’t quite stay in character.”
“Damn it… ” She sighs as she zips her dress back up. “So what do you want?”
I must admit, as far as she’s concerned at least, I feel much better about potentially having her on board. I think her natural talent for deception probably makes her a formidable killer. And she’s definitely crazy enough to want in.
“I’m here to offer you a job. But thanks to your little striptease, I only have about thirty seconds left to give you my sales pitch before the guard comes back.”
She shrugs. “So make it quick.”
“Okay… how would you feel about earning twenty million dollars to help me assassinate the president of the United States?”
She raises an eyebrow. “Are you serious?”
“Deadly.”
“Huh… Okay, I’m in — sounds kinda fun.”
I shake my head and smile. She didn’t even hesitate.
“There’s just one thing. I’m kinda incarcerated here for,” she pauses to look at her wrist, even though she’s not wearing a watch, “oh, the rest of my life! It was a nice idea at the time, but I didn’t think it through, I’ll admit. If you want my help, you’ll have to bust me out of here first.”
I hear the door open outside the room. I don’t have much time…
“I’m guessing that’s not going to be as easy as it sounds?”
She shakes her head.
Damn it.
“Okay, sit tight. I’ll think of something.”
Great… now I just need to think of something!
The door to the room opens and the guard appears. “Okay, time’s up. Let’s go.”
“Can I not just have a couple more minutes with her?”
“I’m afraid not. Too much excitement sets her off.”
I glance sideways at her, suppressing a smile. She winks at me.
“Yeah… I can imagine.”
I walk over to the door, pausing in front of the guard. He’s about my height — similar build and shape. A bit younger than me. He’s on edge, his body language is tense.
I look past him, over his shoulder, at Ruby, who’s sitting patiently in her chair, watching me.
I’ve never been one to really plan things. And, if I was being brutally honest with myself, my track record of improvising in the heat of the moment is poor at best.