THREE
Ryan had just bought two cups of coffee from Starbucks as Evelyn stood beside T’challa outside the interrogation room. He handed one to her and she smiled at him. “He is your friend?” T’challa asked. She took a sip and sighed in happiness, “Coworker.”
He nodded and turned to look at Klaue who had been making kissing noises towards them. He laughed hysterically as he looked in their direction, “I can see you,” he spoke and laughed again. Evelyn balled her fist. She really wanted to punch him. “I will go now and talk to him,” she spoke as she placed the cup on a table. “And after that, you can talk to him. Cool?” T’challa didn’t reply but narrowed his eyes at her, making it difficult for her to maintain the eye contact. But then he smiled and nodded, “After your questioning, we will take him back to Wakanda with us.”
Evelyn groaned internally, “Your Highness,” she started but she was cut off by Ryan who stepped towards T’challa. “Hey man, he’s in our custody now,” he spoke as if he and T'challa had been friends for a very long time. She grimaced when she noticed Okoye stiffening. “I am doing you a favor just letting you stay here,” he said clapping the king on his shoulder. Okoye smiled and spoke directly to T’challa in their language and it almost sounded like an inside joke between them. But it was clear she didn’t like the way Ryan had touched her king. Evelyn looked at her, remembering the way she had fought in the casino. She decided to interfere, “Okay, we will see what to do after the questioning. But right now, I am going in.”
Before she entered the room, she stepped closer to Ryan and glared at him with everything she had, “Behave.”
Klaue smiled at her sickeningly when she entered and it made her stomach turn. “You look pretty chipper for someone who has been captured,” she spoke as she took a seat. He laughed, “It’s nice to see your government being fooled from time to time.”
Evelyn leaned forward and regarded him coldly, “I don’t think you understand your situation here. So let me explain it to you. You are handcuffed to a table right now. And outside is a man who wants to puncture every goddamn artery in your body. The only person stopping him from doing that is me. Now tell me, how did you manage to get your hands on a weapon like that?”
Klaue laughed again, his voice hoarse, “Do you really think that the man outside will wait for you before making his move? They are Wakandans. They are savages. You don’t know them like I do.” Evelyn rolled her eyes, “I think I know them enough.”
“No, little girl,” he leaned back and her eyes fell on the tattoos on his arms. She looked up at him and saw a sinister smile on his face. “You have no idea what they are capable of. My weapon is nothing compared to what they use. The vibranium I stole was just the tip of the iceberg. You have no idea how much they have and they use it for everything. They even stitch vibranium into their clothing.”
Evelyn swallowed. She knew what he was getting at. She had already seen the vibranium mesh in T’challa’s suit. But the way Klaue spoke of Wakanda, it seemed like there was a lot more to the country and its king than they had let on. But she couldn’t let him see that he had successfully planted a seed of doubt in her head. He was already a smug bastard.
She narrowed her eyes at him as she stood, “Don’t think you can talk your way around this Klaue,” Invisible tendrils of her power reached out and wrapped around his neck as she squeezed it and Klaue began choking. She didn’t use much force, her purpose was to scare him, not kill him. She let go after a few moments, causing Klaue to cough and heave. “You are one of the enhanced,” he panted. She smirked and left.
“Your Highness,” Evelyn gave T’challa a tight smile, “May I please have a word with you?” He noticed the tension in her voice and nodded. They walked to a corner and she gave him an icy look. “Who are you people exactly?” she asked.
“You know who I am.”
She sighed, “I know you are keeping secrets but there is a lot more going on here and I need to know what exactly I am dealing with right now. I have helped you in the past. Will you please show me the same courtesy?”
Her big green eyes pleaded with him and T’challa toyed with the idea of showing her Wakanda. He was sure her eyes would widen further in awe when she would see his country. But he cleared his throat. She was American Intelligence and he couldn’t take such a risk, whatever his heart might say.
“You would listen to a criminal who has just been arrested and question me?” he asked, arching his eyebrows at her and stepped closer to her. Evelyn saw the disappointment in his eyes and felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She tried to suppress it. He could be very manipulative but she needed to show him that she could resist it, resist him. She wasn’t about to be fooled. He could use every ounce of his charm but it wouldn’t work on her.
“T’challa,” she was cut off as Nakia entered the room. She was about to warn them of something but it was too late. An explosion had broken the wall of the room where Klaue was being held. There was a lot of firing and it seemed like all of it was happening in slow motion.
A bullet was directed right towards T’challa and all Evelyn could think was that he was about to get shot. She couldn’t really have that now, could she? Her hand moved in front of her as she gave a psychic push to his body. He fell far from where he was standing but then a searing pain in her back had her falling down on her knees. Evelyn cried out in pain as she tried to balance herself on her arms. From the corner of her eyes, she saw T’challa run out towards the alley where the explosion had taken place. “T’challa, wait,” she tried to call out to him but her voice came out as a mere whisper. Soon her vision became blurry and she gave up trying to stay awake.