The People Under the Stairs

"Oh my goodness, I can't believe that just happened! Joey, that was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Thank you!"

Charlie rushed over to hug her roommate and looked both taken aback and genuinely hurt to find herself being pushed away.

"What? What have I done?"

"At what point were you going to tell me you were Russian? After I'm arrested for treason?"

Charlie briefly made the kind of expression someone who almost never fucked up might make when they realised they had just fucked up, then quickly composed herself. She pressed one finger to her lips. and gestured for Joey to follow her. He rolled his eyes, but reluctantly did as he was asked.

She led him to a small hatch under the staircase which she opened and invited him to climb into. Once Joey had done that, Charlie squeezed in next to him. There was barely enough room for one person in there, let alone two. Their bodies were pushed tightly up against each other, and Joey could feel Charlie's breath on his face. If he had wanted to kiss her, he barely needed to move. It was telling of their relationship that this wasn't the first time he had been mad at her whilst also trying to hide an erection.

"Sorry, it's a little cramped in here" Charlie apologised to Joey with a remarkable sense of understatement "It's the only place in this apartment that isn't being monitored. When I'm outside I always have to be wired up, so if you and I ever need to talk in private, this is the only place we have"

"Okay, then talk, while I can still feel my legs"

"So I was born in Russia, but I'm an American citizen. I left Moscow when I was eight, after my family..." Charlie paused sadly for a moment "We really don't have time for my origin story, but I don't work for Russia, or America or any other country for that matter"

"So who do you work for? You ask so much from me, and seem to think I'll do anything you want just because you're pretty, charming and have a gun. I need to at least have some clue what I'm helping you with"

"That's fair. Although I don't get called charming very often" Charlie smiled slightly "There's only so much I can say. You have no idea how much shit I could get into for us talking like this at all. I'll tell you as much as I can, and everything I say will be true, but it won't be anywhere near the whole picture, just enough to hopefully give you some reassurance. Deal?"

"Okay, deal"

"Joey, as you might have noticed, the world is completely broken"

"I can't argue with that" he admitted.

"And the reason is that just about every government is so fucking self interested they don't have time to worry about what happens to the people they are supposed be serving. I'll give you a perfect example, that article Kayleigh submitted but you typed up on the environment"

"Shit Charlie, how do you always know everything? It hasn't even been published yet"

"That doesn't matter right now. The point is, it isn't going to work"

"What do you mean, it was my words, so people will have to believe it"

"Yeah, and don't get me wrong, you did a good thing. I'm sure recycling will go up in the DC area which is great, but what you said won't have any impact on the politicians who read it, and I'm guessing that's what you were both aiming for"

"What? You think they're somehow immune to my powers?"

"No, I'm saying they will believe every word, they just won't care" Charlie clarified "Why stop the entire fucking planet from dying in a hundred years time when they can line their pockets now? And it's not just that, it's everything, you only have to switch on the news to see that. We have to start doing things differently, to put the power back into the hands of the people, not a bunch of elitist psychopaths who've devoted their lives to taking it all for themselves and holding onto it at all costs"

"That sounds an awful lot like communism, Charlie"

"I can promise you it isn't. And my people aren't whack jobs. And there are a lot more of us than you think, all over the world, some of whom are extremely influential and brilliant. I'm just a tiny cog in the wheel, but you can be so much more than that. I'm pretty sure we both have the same ideals, and this isn't really that different to what you and Kayleigh are trying to do. My methods may not be as pretty as hers, but they are way more effective"

Joey regarded Charlie for a moment. He had never seen her anything close to as passionate as this, it actually reminded him of Kayleigh when she got on her soapbox. He also had to acknowledge she had made herself extremely **** to even have this conversation - it was plain to see there was nowhere to hide a camera or microphone in such a confined space. He could make Charlie believe anything he wanted right now, and nobody would be able to help her. If she was a Russian spy, this would be a huge and unnecessary risk for her to take.

"It all still sounds pretty sketchy"

"I know, and I realise you have absolutely no reason to trust me, but that's what I'm going to ask you to do. And I will warn you now, there will be times when I will push that trust to the limit, because sometimes I have to do secret things, and shitty things, but I promise it's all for the greater good, and I also promise I'll never do anything shitty to you, even if they tell me to"

Charlie both looked and sounded like she meant that, and Joey wanted to believe her so badly that he found himself putting his doubts to the side, for now at least.

"Okay, I'll trust you, unless you give me a good reason not to"

"Thank you" Charlie actually seemed touched as she placed her hand on Joey's arm, and the pair looked into each other eyes for longer than might be considered normal in a platonic relationship, especially while they were huddled up so closely together.

"Okay, we'd best get out of here before the bots pick up the on discrepancy" Charlie spoke eventually "I don't know about you, but I could use another beer"