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“I’ll be fine,” I insisted. I had to be.
*
The next morning, I went downstairs at the appointed time and stood on the sidewalk. I didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary. If either side had any kind of aerial surveillance on me, it was good enough that even I didn’t see it. Although I’d told Owen that it was risky because it might give us away, I felt rather uneasy about the idea of just heading off somewhere with these people without anyone knowing exactly where I was.
At precisely ten, a black limo pulled up in front of me. Its windows were so dark that I couldn’t tell who—if anyone—was inside. The rear passenger door opened, and the recruiter appeared in the doorway, leaning forward so that her face showed. “Hello, Katie,” she said. “Good, you’re punctual. Please get in.”
It was do-or-die time. With a deep breath, I entered the limousine.
Six
It wasn’t the kind of stretch limo rented by kids going to the prom or used by movie stars. It was more of a classy businessperson’s ride—a little bigger than a regular luxury sedan, with two rows of seats facing each other. The recruiter was seated with her back to the driver, and she motioned for me to take the forward-facing seat. As soon as I was settled, she tapped on the partition between her and the driver’s compartment, and the car moved out into traffic.
At least, I felt motion. I couldn’t see what was happening. The windows weren’t just tinted. They were blacked-out. Even the partition was opaque. Basically, I was in a more luxurious version of a cargo van, which made me nervous. Was this a high-class kidnapping?
“It’s probably a little early for champagne,” the recruiter said with a smile. “But how about some coffee?” She studied me for a moment. “Let’s see… a cappuccino? No, I’ve got it, a mocha.”
A mug appeared in her hand, and she leaned over to give it to me. I’d been planning to refuse, but the smell of the coffee and chocolate was enticing, and it was topped by a swirl of whipped cream and chocolate shavings. What mortal could resist?
I froze with the mug halfway to my mouth. Maybe that was the point, to make it irresistible. It was also a little unsettling just how well she knew what would be irresistible to me. She smiled wryly and said, “I suppose I can see why you might be leery. This is all rather odd—picking you up in a limo for a job interview, the blacked-out windows, and then I hand you the perfect drink. But I assure you, we mean you no harm.”
“Isn’t that what you’d say even if you meant me harm?” I asked. “I mean, you wouldn’t say, ‘W
e’re planning to drug you and dump your body in the East River,’ even if that’s what you had planned.”
Her smile wasn’t all that reassuring. “If we were going to just dump you in the river, this isn’t how we’d go about it. We wouldn’t waste good chocolate on you if that were the case.” The way she said it suggested that this wasn’t purely hypothetical.
I supposed she had a point, and I was already in without a net, so I took a sip of the mocha, hoping I wasn’t giving myself an embarrassing whipped-cream mustache. It was really good, I had to admit.
The car ran smoothly enough that it was hard to notice anything other than stops, starts, and turns. The sound from outside seemed muffled, as well. I’d thought about trying to mentally track the car’s movements so I’d know where we were going, but I soon gave that up as impossible.
“Do you have any questions for me?” the recruiter asked.
“You mean, other than where are we going and why all the secrecy? I guess we could start with what job you’re offering me, exactly. You talked about using my magical immunity, but how?”
“Eventually, you’d be something like an aide de camp to one of our rising executives—like a personal assistant, but not doing much administrative work. You wouldn’t be typing memos or answering the phones. You’d be his eyes and ears to make sure magic isn’t being misused. You might also help with research and in planning.”
If it weren’t a job with a potentially evil secret society, it actually sounded right up my alley. But there seemed to be a catch. “You said ‘eventually,’” I pointed out.
“We don’t just throw anyone in the deep end and see if they sink or swim,” she replied. “There will be several candidates starting on more minor assignments so we can determine the best fit for the ultimate position.”
“So, it’s not guaranteed that I’ll end up with the job you’re offering me?”
“There is some competition for the position, yes,” she said. “You’ll need to prove yourself.”
I’d been reading up on infiltrating the mob, and that made me nervous. What, exactly, would proving myself entail?
She laughed. “But don’t worry, you won’t be asked to whack anyone.”
Had my thoughts been that obvious on my face, or could she read them? I was in big trouble if these people had ESP that worked on me. Then again, would we be going through this exercise if they could read my mind? They’d already know I couldn’t be trusted. I concentrated hard on thinking, I’m trying to infiltrate you to spy on you for MSI, then waited for a reaction.
Either she didn’t pick up on it or she was faking not picking up on it so she could draw me deeper into a trap. “The candidates who aren’t selected aren’t totally out of luck, though,” she said, continuing conversationally. “If you’ve proved competent and loyal, you may be considered for the next executive who needs a right-hand person, and without having to go through the entire process all over again.”
“It sounds like you take the vetting process very seriously.”
“We consider ourselves to be hiring for life. This isn’t just a job. It’s truly a career, and it’s better for us and for the employee that we get the best fit possible. We want our people to be in the ideal place for their personalities and talents so they’ll be happy, and we believe in promoting from within.”
That certainly sounded good. Or you could give it a more sinister spin and consider it just a nicer way of saying that the only way to leave was in a coffin. “What are the opportunities for advancement for someone in my position?” I asked, as though this was a normal job interview.
