“I hate him, I hate him, I hate him, I hate him” Cece repeated over and over to herself as she sat in the taxi on her way to headquarters. “I hate him, he is nothing to me, I hate the way his dark hair flops messily on his forehead, I hate the way he laughs at my jokes, I hate the way he smells, and I hate the way he kisses me. I hate him.” She turns to the window and draws a face on the window then a huge X through it as if to cross him out and wipe away her emotions.
The taxi stops and she steps out walking slowly up to the doors of the big building ahead of her. She pushes at the door but it doesn’t swing open. Her arms are relaxed and she knows the door won’t open because she hasn’t entered that four digit word. She hasn’t entered it because entering it into that fateful black box would mean that there was no going back.
Although she was pretending if she thought there was going back now. At least 4 security cameras were trained on the pretty little dark haired girl standing in front of the big door her hand hovering over the little black box an her eyes squeezed closed. If anyone had been watching the tape closely and if any of those people were experienced lip readers then they would see that the girls mouth opened slightly and her lips formed the words I hate him.
Cece entered the password her fingers hesitating on the first letter and then flying to finish the password as if she wanted to just get it over with. The door clicked and she flinched as if someone had hit her except there was no one to hit her only the click of a door unlocking.
Now if anyone had been watching the cameras they would have seen quite clearly the look on her face as she entered the password however they wouldn’t have seen the code she entered, they wouldn’t have seen how many digits she entered, they wouldn’t even know if she really had entered a code.
That’s how good she was.
Cece walked across the shiny tiles of the entrance floor, her heels clicking loudly in the oppressive silence.
“I can do this” she whispered to herself clenching her hands in to fists and then relaxing them again.
On the outside Cecelia Montgomery looked calm cool and collected, the ultimate IT. She was good, really good and her IT status was well known. She was that girl who got those jobs. But our definition of IT is probably different to yours.
Cece pushed open the conference room door and took her place at the black table that stood in the center of the room.
A glass of ice water lay on the table in front of her and she set down the bag she had been holding next to it. She was alone in the room and the silence seemed to drag on for years as she sat in that chair clicking her heel softly against the thick heavy carpet.
Two minutes later two more young women Cece’s age walked in, they glanced at her and smiled then sat down. No one talked, no one moved.

Two more women came in and took their places and now only one seat stood empty.
The last women entered, she was older than the other women probably in her late twenties.
“Good afternoon” she said smiling at the women around her, her gaze resting the longest on Cece’s head. She was the youngest IT girl but she was good at what she did. A frown settled on the older lady’s forehead, she was worried that her youngest IT girl may have slipped up.
“Cecelia”
Cece looked at the older lady and nodded.
“We are here to discuss cases you shall start, please report.”
Cece opened her mouth closed it and then opened it again “It is going well Ms. Jen” she said addressing the older woman “the subject has been identified as dangerous and I’m using her brother as a source.” She stumbled over the word ‘using’.
“and have you got your source to get you evidence?”
“No Ms.”
“in which case please talk to him tonight” She looked at the younger girl sternly before turning her attention to the next girl. As each girl reported Cece sat waiting her hands shaking slightly.
“Cecelia” Cece jumped the girl next to her was calling her name.
“Yes? Sorry”
“Miss Jen wants to hear the rules”
Cece turned to face Miss Jen “Rule number one: always Identify all components of the case before getting involved in it. Number two: always allow your source to think he is willingly giving you your proof” Her voice shook slightly but she took a deep breath and continued “Rule number 3: never directly befriend your subject, always use your source. Rule number 4: never leave in the middle of the job, always tie the ends.” She paused.
“Rule number 5 Cecelia” Ms. Jen’s gaze hardened.
Cece licked her lips and her hand shook visibly she knocked a folder to the floor but no one moved to pick it up no one blinked. Everyone stared at Cecelia Montgomery one of the six IT girls who couldn’t say the fifth rule.
“Rule number 5” Cece blinked and licked her lips “Rule number 5” she repeated softly “never fall for your source” And that is why Cece’s hand shook and that is why she could barley murmur those fateful words.
Anyone who knows about the Society knows they exist to solve cases and that they are the best of the best because they are trained from school. Most importantly they are all women, who can control men. You would also know that this life wasn’t forced on Cece, she could have left in 9th grade when she first signed up for it at school, back when it was just a club that taught you cool things. She could have got out of it in junior year when they were introduced to what the Society really was. She could have chosen not to sign on for the real deal during college and most importantly she could have chosen a different case.
Except she was good, she never fell for her source and she never turned down a case.
Daniel was an exception he had fallen for her just like every other guy, but this time she had fallen right back for him.
“Thank you Cecelia” Ms. Jen said crisply and if she sensed the problems Cece was facing she took no notice.
“Dismissed” she stood to go “oh and Cecelia don’t forget your folder” she gestured to the folder lying on the floor by Cece’s chair.
She swept out of the room leaving the 5 girls to go their own ways.
The other 4 girls walked out together chatting and glancing at Cece. Cece left alone.
Now if you happen to have access to the IT societies security camera tapes, and you were watching the next few minutes of them you would see Cece disappear into a bathroom and five minutes later your eye would wander, you would look back and find that the security camera was showing the same picture of the bathroom door and if you checked all the cameras you would find that Cece was not to be found. However if your eye hadn’t wandered you would notice that the cameras all went black for a fraction of a second and then flicked on again. If you watched the tapes the whole day you would see nothing except another black flash. You wouldn’t see Cece leave through a back door, that camera would show an empty hall, you wouldn’t see her round the corner and walk to the woods, you wouldn’t see her because she was that good.
No one would see Cece again, because she was good.
But she had broke the critical rule, she didn’t hate him.
Which is why Cece disappeared.
A few years later a young English girl would appear, happily married to an ordinary guy, they would live in London. They would appear normal and they would be happy. No one would trace the young English girl back to Cecelia Montgomery, the IT girl, and no one would trace her husband back to Daniel Strauss.

She was good.