Futures Part Thirteen

fiction
Futures Part Twelve

Madame T turned to greet her new potential client.

"Oh hell no. Turn right around and leave. I'm in compliance with everything and I will not be harassed."

"What?"

"Come on. You're from the Home Office. I can see the markings in your aura."

"I thought you couldn't read auras."

"Clearly I trained on them after the last time. It was a hard lesson to learn but one I took to heart. And if this is a spot check go back and report that I spotted the tag right away and there is no need to keep checking on me."

"Do they check on you a lot?"

"They? You mean we."

"Technically we, sure. But, no, I mean they."

Madame T narrowed her eyes, "Oh they don't know you're here do they? You're doing something on your own."

"I had some questions that weren't answered in your file. I decided to come ask them face to face."

"So there wouldn't be a paper trail."

"Something like that."

"Exactly like that. Okay, you've peaked my curiosity a little let me put a sign up and we can go in the back and talk."

Madame T flipped her sign from "If the Spirits Move You. Come On In" to "I'm Not Ghosting You, Come Back Later"

"So you want to know about the reading?"

"How did you know that's why I was here?"

"Why else would you be here? Nothing else has ever happened to me that would show up as interesting in a Home Office file."

"True. Everything else in your file was pretty routine. Your education, your accreditation, your licenses."

"The reading. The revocation of my regional licenses. My relocation. My check ins. I know what's there."

"Except the reading isn't there. Not really. They refer to it as the unauthorized incident. Then the relocation happens. I was hoping you might tell me what you actually saw."

"No. I'm afraid I won't do that."

"You can't do that?"

"No, I said I won't do that. I shouldn't have done the reading, that was my fault. And I will not tell anyone what I saw. I didn't even tell the Home Office exactly what I saw."

"Then why did they relocate you?"

"Because they were afraid she'd come back and I'd tell her."

"But they knew you'd seen something."

"Honestly? I think they guessed. I think my reaction, rushing her out of the shop like I did gave me away."

"Not what you saw? There wasn't some..."

"Ripple in the force? Oh come on, child, you know it doesn't work that way. They had someone watching her, probably since birth or shortly thereafter. As soon as one of their farseers knew what she was, and when she happened to come in to my shop they came for me. Moved me out of New Orleans, revoked my license to practice East of the Mississippi and Las Vegas then let me go on my way."

"Why not completely?"

"I don't think they were worried about her finding me here in San Francisco. Keep me away from where she might return looking for me, keep me out of DC where she lives, and out of Vegas where she might visit for a convention."

"So you know where she is? Did you see that?"

"Yes, very mysteriously on the news."

"Oh, that's true. I guess she's a fairly outspoken Senator."

"She is. People are saying her next campaign will be for President."

"People have been saying that since she was in the House of Representatives."

"Sure, but now they're serious. I saw an attack ad the other day that had her face in it. They are laying the groundwork now to prevent it."

"Yeah, I saw that too."

Madame T looked closer, "Oh shit, you're involved with her."

"No. I mean, years ago. Sort of."

"Oh the Home Office sent you to babysit."

"After your encounter they decided they needed someone a little closer to her."

"And you got a little too close."

"That's what they said."

"And so someone else is there now?"

"I would guess there have been a few people since I left, just like there were people before me. Or maybe now they are close but not too close. I don't know. What I'd like to know why she's so important to them. Why are they watching her so closely and..."

"And?"

"And, I think, and I don't know for sure, I've never been able to find anything that would prove it, though I have had to be really cautious about looking, but..."

"You think they've been trying to prevent her from following her path?"

"I do. I think they have been trying all along to steer her away."

"And you want to know if you should be helping them or helping her?"

"Yeah."

"Well I'm sorry you came all this way. I can't help you with that. I won't tell you what I saw. You're going to have to figure out your next moves by yourself. And just as a heads up, I'm probably going to file a report with the Home Office that you came by just incase this is a test. I can't risk having my entire livelihood snatched away."

"I understand. You have to do what you have to do."

"I do. Sarah."

Jayde smiled and nodded. Madame T knew she wasn't Sarah but the masking spell was good enough that she would be able to pass any questioning the Home Office put her under. And since Sarah's whereabouts were known to them she wouldn't get in any trouble either. Someone there might figure out it was her, but probably not. Jayde hadn't given them any reason to think she wasn't completely dedicated to her work. And she was pretty certain she hadn't told Madame T anything that directly tied back to her either.

She left San Francisco under a different false identity than she arrived under and with no answers to the questions that had bothered her for so many years. Who was Olivia and why did they care?