Chapter 5
Caricature snapped his head down to look at the Dominator file lying on top his open messenger bag. He looked at Redheart, glaring. “What did you do?”
She stepped back as he advanced angrily into the hallway. Caricature hissed, “Did you think you could just put your hooves on something like that?”
“You don’t tell me anything.” Redheart was able to keep a tremble out of her voice, but couldn’t manage to portray confidence. “I just wanted to know what it is I’m working for.”
The stallion opened his mouth, but a female voice interupted. “It’s your fault for leaving it with her. Good thing it was enchanted to be unreadable to anypony without clearance.”
The rage on Caricature’s face didn’t drop, but he held his tongue. The yellow mare in the hotel room stepped out. While her words had hurt him, she gave the nurse a look that was almost as unpleasant as his. “Redheart, is it? I was just hearing how you were good at your job. Shame.”
Caricature glanced between the two mares. Each of them had made him look bad to the other and he knew it. He gathered up the file from the floor and slipped the strap of the bag into its usual place around his neck.
The pony went back into her room and shut the door. Caricature turned to Redheart. “Just when I was thinking of trusting you with more information…”
She looked away. His words hurt, but so did the feeling of her own stupidity. Caricature wouldn’t leave something so valuable just lying around. It had been too easy to be true, and her eagerness to learn about Dominator had gotten her in hot water.
“I just want out,” she muttered.
“Too late for that. You know too much. On top of that, it’s pretty obvious you don’t care for procedures. We couldn’t depend on you to keep your mouth shut.”
“That’s a little unfair,” she shot back. “Sure, I screwed up right in front of whoever that was, but it’s not like I have a history of it. I made one mistake. You even said I’m usually good at the job.”
Caricature gritted his teeth. “You aren’t just entitled to second chances. All those dead ponies? They didn’t get one.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do?” Redheart demanded. “I don’t want to work for you. You don’t want me to either, but you’re afraid of letting me go with what I might know.
“There’s always the option of federal prison,” he said acidly. “Go home while we decide what to do with you. Don’t make any stupid, hasty decisions, though. We’ll be watching.”
Redheart turned and walked away. She could almost feel Caricature’s eyes boring holes in the back of her head.
She almost went out the front entrance, but stopped. Caricature hadn’t been so domineering of the mare in the hotel room. Perhaps if there was some way to talk to her directly.
Going over Caricature’s head would only infuriate him further, but what if it got results? What if Redheart was able to find somepony who was more willing to accommodate her?
She thought that the clerk at the front desk would be unwilling to give out the information of customers, but decided that it was worth a shot. After taking a moment to compose a story, she approached. “Pardon me, I met a pony earlier. We talked for a while at the café, and I found out that we both like crafting. She asked me to stop by her room, but she isn’t there. I wanted to give her some of my favorite yarn. Do you think I could have her home address so I could send it to her?”
Happily, the clerk was sympathetic. Redheart gave him the room number and he matched it to the mare in question. He wrote out her name and address on a slip of paper.
The nurse left for the train station. She would have to track down this pony later. At the moment, following Caricature’s advice and returning to Ponyville sounded like a good idea.
+
Redheart thought about sleeping. She wasn’t usually able to doze off while the train cars clattered over the rails, but with dozens of ponies with her she felt confident that an attempt wouldn’t be made on her life. There was a sad thought. She felt safer in public than she did in her own bed.
A stallion in a dapper hat and coat came into the car from another. He had a finance magazine and settled into a seat across from Redheart to read it. She realized it was Rapier, and by the look of it, he was in disguise.
He looked at her, holding Redheart’s gaze long enough to let her know that he recognized her, too. He then pointedly looked away, going back to reading the magazine.
She sat still for a moment. Why didn’t he say hello? What was with his outfit? Was he trying to stay covert to give somepony watching him the slip? Was somepony watching her?
Rapier remained stoic all the way to Ponyville, a silence that Redheart returned in kind. At the station, she got up slowly, watching out of the corner of her eye and waiting to see what he what he would do. As she stepped into the aisle, he shoved forward, brushing against Redheart and the pony in front of her.
“Sorry,” he grunted, in the manner of somepony who was not really apologetic at all. Rapier disappeared into the crowd, hurrying away from the train. Redheart waited her turn to disembark. After stepping down on the platform, she turned towards home. She thought for a moment about stopping by the market, but decided that it could wait.
In her apartment, she made a careful walkthrough to guarantee that she was alone. Then, she took out the envelope Rapier had slipped into her pocket.
I was sent to keep an eye on you. I don’t know what you did, but the order comes from somepony who sounds important. I wasn’t told what threats we’re dealing with, but I do have a way to make it a little easier to protect you.
The enclosed necklace is a tracking device. It doesn’t do anything else, I promise. Try not to lose it – it’s secret Guard stuff.
A thin pewter chain was at the bottom of the envelope. It was rather plain, but Redheart didn’t mind. She put it on.
This new development left her with even more questions than before. It seemed unlikely that Caricature would assign her a protection detail, and even if he had, she doubted it would be somepony from the Royal Guard. That reminded her, what government agency did Caricature work for?
She sat down, idly toying with her needlepoint work. She wanted to speak with Rapier. Perhaps he knew something, or maybe she could tell him something that he could follow up on and bring her more information. It was frustrating to have a friendly ear, but it didn’t belong to the group she wanted to know about.
The problem was, Rapier might be watching her without Caricature’s knowledge. In fact, given the disguise, that was probably the case. She couldn’t risk contacting him.
Redheart sighed. Maybe she could send a letter to the address she had gotten from the hotel and get results. No, she wanted information quicker than that. She might have to visit the mare.
The nurse touched her new necklace. She wouldn’t be able to wear it at work, instead having to leave it in a locker while on duty. The hospital prohibited loose jewelry, which for some reason didn’t include doctors wearing stethoscopes around their necks. One more thing to relish about finally saving up enough money to go to medical school.
Just focus on that. Make a goal, and figure out how to get there. Planning ahead would help, but with the way things kept changing and getting more complicated, it might be a useless act. Redheart desperately wished for something stable to cling to.
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Reading chapter 4, look down at recent comments.
"There's a new chapter due in 5 hours."
Posted 4 hours and 59 minutes ago.
Reading chapter 4, look down at recent comments.
"There's a new chapter due in 5 hours."
Posted 4 hours and 59 minutes ago.
1546538>>1546544
lol
New Chapter!
Aww, I feel bad for poor Redheart. I hope things turn out well for her in the end. Hope she gets into med school.
1546600
Let's put it this way:
There's no tragedy tag on this story, but things are going to get worse before they get better.
1546605 At least they get better.
Besides, it's not like this could make me sadder than that story I read where she died in the end...
She's one of my favourite ponies
Well, my predictions weren't true i guess...
By the way... This fic is VERY similar to the Movie "Cypher" with lucy Liu and other actors..
Cypher : Story is about A dude who agrees to become a spy for a company which does mind erasing/ mind controlling stuff and our hero is sent to spy on a few conventions and record some stuff...He soon realises that all other persons in the conventions are all spies from the same facility as his...In reality, he was being Brainwashed by them like all the other "spies" from the company...He joins Suncorp, the main concurrent of his previous company...He is sent to spy the other spy "facility" ... At the end, he Realises that HE is the Inventor of the Mind/Brain controlling/erasing Technology and that he gave it to them...
He is helped by A girl which is his Girlfriend, but he didn't knew it...
1546965 I've never seen that movie, but your description reminds me of another movie, Paycheck.
1546626
There are a few meanings of "federal", including "pertaining to the national government level (as opposed to state, provincial, county, city, or town)". There is no reason Equestria can't have federal prison if Equestria is being treated as a nation (rather than the name of the planet, which some fics do).
1549376
The use of the word federal does not necessitate a federation.
1549376>>1549380 I just used "Federal" as in "inherently more serious than local prison"
1547069
you should...Badass movie!
Oh oh I just realized who the Dominator is.
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