Severed Identities by Purpura Lipstick
Prologue by Purpura Lipstick
Author's Notes:

Thought I would post and get a general idea. This is the beginning of the story that my muse has been playing around with for a few months. Let me know what you think.

Nine people sat around a table shrouded in the darkness of the room. Their purpose, to discuss the lives of two people who knew too much. They all sat at a long table, no one next to each other, no one too close to another. The room was large and sparsely decorated. They all knew the building they were in, they all knew the room they were in during the light of the day. Each had been in there several times in meetings of many kinds. But tonight, the darkness covered the room and it's usual decor. Nobody said names, nobody could see each other.

They had each entered separately and though they might know each other in an every day capacity, nobody knew who had been recruited to this meeting of great importance. It was better that way, to not know the players involved. It would be less likely for them to give anything away in the off chance they ran into each other. It was imperative that they did not.

“You have all been brought here because you are the best,” One of the nine spoke, the voice altered so that no one could tell what their real voice sounded like. It was impossible to say whether the person was a man or a woman even.

“What is the mission?” This voice was slightly deeper than the first but still, their sex could not be determined.

A picture of two people appeared on a screen at the back of the room where no one sat. All the heads turned in that direction. One was a man with sandy blond hair, a square jaw, blue eyes smiling at the petite brunette woman next to him. The woman had brown eyes and probably had some Hispanic background in her family tree. They looked happy together, but this was a meeting to keep those two who were obviously very much in love far apart.

“In front of each of you there is a brown envelope outlining the details of the mission and which of the two you will be assigned.” The first voice continued. “Your back story has been provided and the memories of those two have been altered and each of your roles have been integrated.”

Nobody moved to open the packets, they understood that it would be inappropriate to read them in that room where identities were unknown.

“I cannot stress enough how important it is that these two are not allowed to remember anything of their past life. In each packet is a number to contact on the phone you have been given. Call this only in an emergency, if the situation cannot be contained, The Cleaners will be dispensed.” The first voice still spoke.

“If they are such a threat,” another disguised voice spoke up. “Why not have The Cleaners take care of them now?”

“They can still prove useful to our cause.” The first voice simply stated. Each person was on a need to know basis and most of them did not need to know that bigger picture, not yet anyway.

One at a time, each remembering to grab their brown envelopes, they stood and left the room. None of them together, each of them several minutes a part. Their missions would start almost immediately and they would need time to learn their roles and learn them well.



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