The young woman groaned in exhaustion, standing up to stretch her back. Bre had been cleaning litter boxes all day. Fleetingly she wondered if her nose would ever recover from the combined stench of bleach and cat feces. Getting back on her hands and knees, she began scrubbing feverishly at the gray-blue side, determined to get every last speck off. It had been this determination that kept her going during her time in the United States Air Force. Of course, that was before she left. Dishonorable discharge. For something she didn't even do, but that was because her commanding officer didn't think a woman could be a pilot. To this day she hated- no, hate was a strong word- disliked Captain Blake.
"Bre, there's someone here to talk to you." Her boss stepped into the room, wrinkling his nose in distaste. Why had he bothered to open a animal shelter in the first place?
She leaped up in shock. Nobody ever came to talk to her. "Me?" She managed to squeak out. Nothing hardly ever rattled her, but she had been here for four and a half years and nobody has visited her. "Who is it?"
"I don't know everything, Bre. It's four people, from some organization. TKR, I think they call it. But they won't be in for a few minutes, so continue working." He glanced at the larger pile of litter boxes. "Are those the clean ones, or the dirty ones?"
"The clean ones, sir."
"Good work, keep it up." With that, he stepped outside. The two men and women had been watching the interaction.
"Do ya really think that she's the one to replace Kyle temporarily?" Erica asked, somewhat snootily. She smacked on a piece of gum, staring in through the small window.
"She has some good qualifications. She was even in the USAF for two years, before she got dishonorably discharged." Jenny said, clearing her throat.
This caught Duke's attention. "Discharged for what?"
"Stealing, bribery, and apparently she worked as a spy for some Russian high up." Jenny said before continuing, "I cleared everything with Kyle. He said that if all went well, we could bring her back to Sky One."
"Oooh, a thief and a spy. How do we know she won't turn on us?" Erica raised a eyebrow, almost glaring at Bre, although there was a certain gleam of respect now for this other woman.
Trek, who had remained silent up until now, broke in. "We don't. We just have to watch her for a little while."
"Alright, let's go in and talk to her." Duke suggested, and they all nodded, filing silently into the room; Jenny first, then Trek, Erica, and Duke.
"Attention!" Duke shouted, and automatically Bre snapped up like lightning, spinning around to face them and her right arm going up in a salute. She stood like a statue, only her eyes revealing that she was surprised. "So..." He mused, stepping closer to her. "You must be Bre Larson. Charged on accounts of thievery, bribery, and accusations of being a spy."
"Yes, sir. Request permission to speak, sir." Bre's heart was beating fast. Why? That case had been closed a year ago!
"Permission granted." Duke had only intended to play this for a moment, but she had continued it, so he went along with it. Maybe she really did think he was a part of the military or something.
"I was wrongly accused, sir. My commanding officer, Captain Blake, held a preconceived misconception of women not being able to be pilots, and he made up those lies to have me discharged, sir." She managed to say all that and managed to sound smart.
Trek shared a glance with Erica and mouthed one word: 'Wow.' Erica nodded in response, then she turned towards Bre and stalked towards her.
"So you're saying that you have never stolen anything, or bribed anyone, or been a spy?"
"No, ma'am, I was saying that I had not done anything even remotely similar during my time in the Air Force, particularly when I was under the command of Captain Blake."
"Really..." She narrowed her eyes.
"Alright, you're coming with us." Jenny declared. Bre looked panicked.
"My boss said that I was supposed to finish cleaning, ma'am." She spluttered out.
"He's not your boss anymore." Duke said, stepping even closer to her challengingly.
"Let's put her in Dante." Jenny stated, and Duke nodded, taking ahold of her arm and leading her to the door.
"Alright! I can only give so much respect!" Bre spat, punching Duke in the face. He let go of her arm, and grabbed onto his face. Jenny launched herself at Bre, but Bre sent her sliding into some water and Jenny fell.
"Don't you dare touch me." Erica warned, but Bre didn't heed the warning and sent her onto the floor next to Jenny, who was scrabbling to get up, but kept falling down. "You brat!" Erica snarled. Trek leaped onto Bre's back, trying to bring her down, but she twisted their fall so he landed on the floor, and she sprang up, kicking Duke in the shin. He cried out in agony, falling to the floor and grabbing his shin.
Trek made a wild grab for one of Bre's legs, and succeeded, yanking her down with them where everyone but Duke leaped on her, pinning her down.
Together they managed to get up, and they dragged a subdued Bre outside and shoved her into the passenger seat of Dante, slamming it shut. The four operatives stood around, panting and staring at each other. Trek broke the silence. "Wow, she knows how to fight."
Jenny patted Dante's hood and said, "Alright Dante, take her to Sky One."
"I don't take orders from you, I take orders from Kyle." The silver Ford Expedition said grumpily, but took off to Sky One anyways. The others got in their own vehicles, wondering if they had bitten off more than they could chew.