Breath in. Breath out.
She was so close, she could feel it. Her hands shook as she turned the corner. She raised her hand, holding onto the gun like her life depended on it, which in this case it did.
3, 2, 1...
She took the shot.
The lights came up and she collapsed to the floor as a few people came in to replace the scarcrow she had just shot. A training exercise.
"Good work, Katherine. Much better than yesterday." Sinclair commented as he helped the young girl to her feet. "Yeah, well it's not getting any easier." Kate sighed, her dark hair fell in front of her face. 22 years old, she'd never killed anyone in her life. She hadn't even been this far away from home before. She thought she was signing up for something different, she thought she'd be sitting behind a desk or something. Sinclair said Camp X had something more for her. But did she really want something more? "It's not an easy thing to do. But you'll learn." Sinclair told her. Kate leaned against the wall and put her head in her hands. "Ho do we know I'm going to be able to do this when it's a real person?" She asked, more unsure of herself than ever. "We'll we're about to find out. I'm sending you to France with one of our teams." He took notice of the terrified look on Kate's face. "They'll look after you, I promise." He said calmly. Kate nodded and let out a sigh before gesturing for Sinclair to lead the way.
In a room on the other side of the camp 5 agents sat in anticipation of a new arrival. "New and young, I don't like that combination." Neil said. "I'm sure she's got assets. Sinclair wouldn't put her on the team if she didn't." Aurora said calmly. Neil rolled his eyes and looked out the window. Harry was trying to fix an old radio, Tom watched him. Aurora sat next to Alfred and watched the door patiently, eager for another female agent. A few minutes passed and Sinclair walked into the room with Kate at his heel. "Team, this is Katherine Avery. She'll be joining you on your next mission." He said. "You can just call me Kate." She smiled at the others as she took note of their demeanors. "Neil Mackay, former cop from London." Sinclair gestured to Neil who was leaning against the wall by the widow. Neil nodded at her. He looked gruff and intimidating but she saw a softness behind his eyes. "Alfred Graves, he has senthstysia and remebers everything he sees." Sinclair said. Alfred shook her hand and Kate smiled. He seemed timid, but determined. "Tom Cummings, our American Ad man." Tom gave her a charming smile. He was persuasive and handsome, a deadly combination. "Aurora Luft, your commanding officer." Aurora stood up and greeted Kate. Her energy was warm and inviting, she had kind eyes, but there was hurt behind them. "And Harry James, Radio transmitter and explosives extrodinaire." Harry looked up from his radio and his eyes locked on Kate. He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Hi." He said quietly. Kate smiled, he was cute, dorky. Young, but strong. "Lovely to meet you all." Kate said, a friendly smile still on her face, she tried not show her anxiousness. "What's so special about you then." Neil said with a condescending tone. "Neil." Aurora turned to him and gave him a look. Kate moved closer to him, "No it's alright. I get it, I'm new, you don't trust me yet. But in the few moments that we've spent together I know more about you than just your name." She said with a sort of sassy smile. Neil stood up straight and looked her in the eyes. "Alright. Let's hear it then." He said. "You used to be a cop so you know how to fight, this isn't your first rodeo. You're tough, you like to intimidate people, that's why you only acknowledged me with a nod when I came in. But when you look closer, there's a softness behind your eyes, you've lost someone you love. And that's why you're here. To fight for people who can't fight for themselves. So no one else has to feel the loss that you've felt." Kate crossed her arms to mimic his stance. Everyone stood in awe and watched the two stare at eachother. "How much did you tell her." Neil asked Sinclair without braking eye contact with Kate. "Only what you heard me tell her. Kate's an analyst and a writer with a background in psychology, she can read people and draw intel based on what she sees." Sinclair said. "There's always a story. You've just gotta look for it." Kate commented. There was a pause. "Cute trick, but don't think for a second that you know me." Neil said to her before turning and walking away. "Sorry about him. He's just, you know." Harry said hoping she wouldn't take it personally. Kate shook her head and smiled. "Some people don't take well to it at first. He'll come around." She said. Harry smiled back at her. "I'll let you all get acquainted. You'll get your mission in the morning." Sinclair nodded before leaving the room.