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Eileen watched the airstrip grow smaller and smaller as the plane steadily climbed higher, and as it did there was one thing she knew for absolute certain: she was never answering any online surveys for money again.
Earlier, Luisa had explained to her that that was how Rose - that was what the taller woman had introduced herself but Eileen knew for certain that wasn’t her real name – had found her; through an online survey.
Eileen had no memory of answering a survey which would indicate she had any aptitude for letting someone use her face for a ton of money, but here they were.
She wasn’t sure how it all worked, and Rose had made it very clear she didn’t need to, she just needed to pass a bunch of medical exams for her and then she would get the money and be let go. She was looking forward to that, being around the other two women, and especially around Rose, was nerve-wracking.
Ever since she’d met them a month ago and agreed to do this, Rose had not let her out of her sight. And being in Rose’s sights was a terrifying thing for absolutely everyone on the planet except a single person; she had seen Rose go from icy and threatening to warm and attentive in an instant at Luisa’s touch.
Eileen liked Luisa, was pretty sure Luisa was the only reason she was currently still breathing. She always came between her and Rose, when the latter was doing her best and scariest impression of a movie villain, offering a soft smile and telling Rose to behave.
Eileen could not figure them out. She was usually quite good at reading people, but she could not for the life of her figure out what had brought Rose and Luisa together; they were almost polar opposites.
First, she thought Luisa might be in a similar situation as her; that Rose had kidnapped and brainwashed her or something. But after spending about a week in their presence she realized that wasn’t the case. Rose was by far the most imposing and powerful person she had ever met but she couldn’t say the same about Luisa and yet somehow Rose seemed to defer to her. And whoever got Rose to give up a bit of her expertly wielded power was by far the more powerful person.
Her train of thought was interrupted by Luisa dropping into the large armchair in front of her.
‘Hi, do you need anything?’ Luisa asked, sunny smile firmly in place. ‘Sleep mask? Pillow? Blanket? Earbuds?’
‘I’m alright, thank you,’ Eileen nodded. Watching as Rose stepped out of the cockpit, scanned the cabin and immediately made her way over to Luisa.
Luisa saw her looking and turned in her seat to see what had grabbed her attention.
‘We’re well on our way. We’ll be in Miami on a few hours,’ Rose said, perching on the arm of Luisa’s chair, throwing an arm around the back of it almost possessively. She didn’t know why Rose bothered; Luisa was attractive but Eileen wasn’t suicidal. And besides, Luisa was clearly smitten with Rose.
‘Okay,’ Luisa smiled, reaching up to pull Rose into a kiss, Rose seemingly softening a little as she did so. ‘You go take your seat, I’ll be right there.’
Rose shot a glare at Eileen as she got up but retreated to the front of the plane anyway.
‘Don’t mind her,’ Luisa waved dismissively. ‘She’s just nervous.’
Eileen would be nervous too if she was flying to a city where pretty much every law enforcement agency was looking for her.
‘She hates flying,’ Luisa explained. ‘Fear of heights.’
Eileen almost laughed at someone like Rose having such a common fear.
‘I just wanted to let you know we’re very grateful that you’re doing this for us. I know Rose is never going to say it but she is too. Thank you.’
Eileen wasn’t sure how to reply to that. You’re welcome seemed like too much of a lie, and Luisa seemed too sincere to tell her she was only in it for the money and because she was completely terrified of Rose. So she just nodded.
‘Got to go,’ Luisa said as Rose started to nervously tap her heel on the floor of the plane. ‘Enjoy the flight.’
Eileen watched her take Rose’s hand in her own as she sat down next to her, whispering something into her ear, making Rose smile.
About ten minutes into the 4-hour flight Eileen wished she had taken Luisa up on her earplugs offer when soft moans and whimpers made her way unimpeded into her ear canal.
It wasn’t the first time this had happened and Eileen still wasn’t certain if they got off on doing it in front of her or if they simply couldn’t help themselves and forgot she was there in the first place.
She groaned and leaned back in her chair, trying to block out the noises of pleasure coming from the front of the plane. Once again wishing she had never taken that damn survey.
Even after weeks, it would never fail to unnerve her when Rose wore the mask. It was like staring into a mirror, only the image didn’t wave back when she did and instead scowled and threatened her.
They had arrived at the hotel late last night, Rose had worn a different disguise then so there wouldn’t be two identical people walking around at the same time, raising questions they didn’t want raised.
Today it was time for the first test of the disguise, and it had the two other women moving around the room nervously.
Eileen sat on the couch in the corner, just watching them argue silently.
‘You promised,’ Luisa said, putting her hands on her hips as she stopped Rose dead in her tracks back to the bedroom.
‘That doesn’t mean it isn’t still a stupid idea,’ Rose hissed. ‘God, I forgot how uncomfortable these were,’ she said as she ran a hand through her fake blonde hair.
‘He’s my brother, Rose. And I love him and want a relationship with him and my nephew and nieces. None of which I have ever seen.’
‘Look where I am, Luisa!’ Rose said, her voice gaining in volume as she spread her hands at her side. ‘This is literally the very last place on earth I should be. And yet here I am, so we’ll meet your brother. But I am allowed to think this is a stupidly risky idea.’
‘Says the woman who put the keys to her kingdom in a brooch that she lost not once, but twice…’ Luisa murmured under her breath.
‘I didn’t think you would steal it!’ Rose said trough gritted teeth.
‘Well, I didn’t think you would lock me in a mental institution!’ Luisa retorted.
Eileen was once again wondering how the hell these two women were still together. She knew Rose was a highly dangerous mastermind criminal and Luisa was probably the closest thing humans could be to sunshine. After the weeks she spent with them there had a couple of spats like these, and lots of insane crimes had come up.
You murdered my father.
You married my father.
You locked me up in a mental institution.
You ran an illegal plastic surgery ring out of my family’s hotel.
You let me think you were dead.
You kidnapped me.
You murdered people for money.
And while Luisa loved bringing these up to get what she wanted, Eileen knew they weren’t enough of a reason for her to leave.
So here she was, watching Luisa and her own evil twin argue about the plan they had spent over a month on.
‘Just, stop talking,’ Rose sighed, gathering Luisa up in her arms and kissing the top of her head.
‘Sorry, this is just stressful,’ Luisa sighed, melting into Rose.
‘I know, but we’ll be okay.’ She kissed Luisa tenderly. Eileen once again feeling she was intruding. But Rose trusted her about as far as she could throw her, so she was in the room with them constantly.
‘I mean, look at me,’ Rose continued, spreading her arms at her side. ‘There is no way Rafael will think this is me.’
Eileen felt like she should be at least a little offended by that, but Rose was right. The only similarity between them was their height, and even then Rose was about an inch taller. Their facial structures were so different no one would be able to convincingly make Rose look like her, but somehow Rose had managed. Finally there was the question of their differing physiques which Rose had solved by wearing baggy clothing.
Their looks were one thing, but Rose had even managed to perfectly copy her voice. And not just alter her own pitch to match her electronically, actually copy her speech pattern which Eileen found very eerie as Rose had not spent that much time around her, yet she was capable of an exact imitation.
In the end, when Rose wore the mask, the difference between them fell down to the pink streaks in Rose’s blonde hair. Which Luisa had put there so she could quickly differentiate between the two of them when Rose was wearing her mask.
Luisa rested her head on Rose’s shoulder still tucked safely into her embrace. ‘We should go, Rafael will be up by now but not yet have left for work.’
‘It’s ten AM, he should be there already.’
‘This is not the time to question my brother’s work ethic, babe,’ Luisa said, dragging Rose towards the door.
‘We’ll be back soon,’ Rose warned as she turned towards Eileen at the last moment. ‘Don’t make any noise. And most importantly, don’t leave.’
‘You got it, boss.’ She gave Rose a thumbs-up, blaming her nerves almost entirely for the uncharacteristic behavior.
Rose sent one last death glare her way before slipping through the door.
Eileen let out a deep breath, feeling like she could finally breathe again now Rose was out of the room.
It is worth it, she reminded herself. Just a couple more days and you’ll have a million dollars and a plane to wherever is furthest away from these two. She would do the medical tests and get the hell out of dodge, never to return.
Needing a way to pass the time she picked up a book from the bookcase pressed to the wall. She tried to focus but her nerves prevented her from reading a single line. If Luisa’s brother didn’t take the bait she would become superfluous to the situation, and she knew what Rose did with people who were no longer of use to her.
She tapped her fingers on her leg and listening carefully for any signal that something had gone wrong. The absence of screaming and police sirens comforting her somewhat but she couldn’t completely relax until Rose and Luisa returned, when she would also not be able to relax because well, Rose would be there.
She froze up when the lock on the door clicked, pressing herself flat against the wall in the bedroom in case the person entering wasn’t Rose or Luisa.
‘Only if you believe death is finite?’ Luisa said. ‘Really, Rose?’
‘What? He brought it up.’
‘You’re hopeless,’ Luisa sighed.
‘Eileen!’ Rose yelled.
‘Jup, I’m here,’ Eileen said as she exited the bedroom.
‘Not for long,’ Rose muttered under her breath as she sat down next to Luisa. ‘We’ll do the medical exams tomorrow and then you’re out of our lives for good. Got it?’
Eileen nodded; there was nothing she wanted more.
She spent the next day being poked and prodded by an army of doctors to make sure she was who she said she was, and by thus by extent, who Rose was.
Luisa’s brother was watching them like a hawk from behind the glass screen, apparently not trusting anything he hadn’t seen with his own eyes.
He probably knew what Rose was capable of better than she did so Eileen didn’t blame him. It wouldn’t be enough, though. She was the genuine article, and as soon as the results came back clear Rafael would have no other choice than to believe Rose’s story.
She seriously doubted anyone could outsmart Rose once she had set her mind to something. The woman was frighteningly clever and ruthless, always twelve steps ahead of everyone. So no, no matter how closely Rafael observed her undergoing blood and MRI tests, he would not catch on to Rose’s plan. It was too insane, which made it ingenious.
As she walked out of the hospital she awkwardly linked her hand with Luisa’s. They were supposed to appear in love after all and Rafael was still watching.
Luisa tenderly stroked over the Band-Aid on Eileen’s arm which hid the small pinprick of a needle.
‘Thank you for doing this,’ she smiled.
Eileen cleared her throat before replying. Trying to imagine what Rose, as her would say, Rafael still within earshot. ‘If it allows us to be together, I would do anything.’
Luisa beamed and pressed up on her toes to press a soft kiss to her cheek.
Eileen smiled softly to herself at the received affection, grateful Rose had stayed at the hotel today. Not sure what Rose would have done if she had seen, but she figured the red dot of a sniper riffle appearing on her forehead was not too far off.
Once in the car, Luisa asked the car’s voice activation to call Rose.
‘Hi babe,’ Luisa said cheerily as she pulled out of the parking lot.
‘Hi honey,’ Rose said, momentarily tender.
‘It all went great. Rafael cannot logically hold any more suspicions as he saw Eileen give blood and the lab tech label it and send it off.’
‘Logic never stopped Rafael before,’ Rose sighed.
Eileen getting the feeling of hatred between Rose and Rafael was more than mutual. Luisa stuck in the middle of their feud.
Luisa ignored Rose’s barb and continued along happily about all the things they could do now.
Meanwhile Eileen’s mind was already in South America. Some place where neither Rose or the American government could find her.
Later that night she took a deep breath of the fresh ocean air, ten minutes ago Rose had transferred the million into her account and all but told her to get lost.
Eileen didn’t need to be told twice and packed her bags, leaving the room and Rose behind as soon as possible.
Luisa had hugged her upon her departure, Rose standing back a ways, her trademark glare firmly in place, but the threat she delivered as Eileen stepped into the hallway wasn’t as harsh, more of a firm suggestion than a threat.
Eileen had intended to leave immediately, but the beach called to her. The waves always had a calming effect on her, and she needed a moment to put all of this madness behind her.
She fiddled with the shells on her bracelet, watching the waves roll in. She had just planned to get up when someone approached her, her heart momentarily seized in her chest but the man just offered her a drink and did not seem to recognize her. Feeling like she had more than deserved it and craving some human interaction, Eileen accepted.
Deciding it was really time to leave now, she bade the stranger goodnight and walked off the beach.
‘Hey,’ a voice slurred, immediately putting Eileen on high alert. ‘Didn’t I just see you in the lobby?’
He was obviously drunk but Eileen couldn’t take the risk; Rose’s threat still echoing in her ears. Mindlessly she grabbed a piece of steel piping and swung.