Wow! It really has been a long time, I am back now. Am sure most of you have forgotten about the Agent so let's go back to the start...
For those of you who do remember, it's worth reading again. I have polished the story up a little, will post chapters regularly so we'll get to the new stuff soon, I promise :)
The Agent
"Pull the god damn trigger, do it now!" I blinked, watching my target - my finger shaky on the trigger.
"Why do you want her dead?" A question I've never bothered to ask before. I was given assignments, I eliminated targets – I never asked questions, always doing as I was told but this girl was different - She was a lot younger than the others.
"Do not ask questions, I said shoot!" I was never one to disobey orders. I closed my eyes briefly wishing the buzzing sound in my ear would stop, that my fingers would stop shaking. I was restless, this wasn't good. I studied the girl for a second before pulling the trigger.
Instant chaos followed, I watched as security guards gathered around her, I was wasting time I didn't have, I set my watch - I had exactly two minutes to get to the getaway car. Picking up my riffle I backed away from the ledge and made a quick run for the exit.
I was there, at the agreed upon meeting spot. I looked around, I was alone. There was no sign of a car, I swore loudly. I could hear the sirens coming closer and closer, coming for me. I ducked away into a darkened alley way. Surely this wasn't happening?
"Where's the driver?" I spoke anxiously into my mouth piece. There was no reply, even the buzzing sound was gone.
"Where is the fucking driver?" Hot tears were streaming down my cheeks. This was the ultimate betrayal. I was shaking, I wasa mess. I was completely alone. I was truly lost.
I was about to chuck my headset when I heard the buzzing sound in my ear once again.
"You missed, you never miss." I immediately recognized the voice, it was Aiden.
"I want to know why there is a hit out on her?" It really was that simple.
"That does not concern you Ash – Agent."
"I just need to know!"
"Agent, your services have been terminated." His voice was cold as he spoke, there was no time to argue – the line went dead. I knew what this meant, I had 48 hours to run – to run for dear life because they were coming for me. I knew too much, the 49th hour would see me dead – if I was lucky enough to live that long.
I threw the wire into the closest dumpster, catching my reflection in a cracked window. I couldn't walk the streets looking like this. I looked like a killer, a cold blooded killer. I had blood on my hands, literally. I took a moment to unzip my hoodie, my top was laced with blood – some mine, some belonging to the guards I had to eliminate to get to the roof top.
My mind went to thoughts of the girl, a Miss Spencer Carlin. I missed, I knew I missed – I couldn't kill her, on the last second I aimed above her head hitting a glass sign. Glass splatter would hurt her a lot less than a single bullet through the skull.
I was so unsure of what to do, the only world I had ever known was now gone. The agency picked me up off the streets when I was twelve years old, they fed and sheltered me and finally when I was not much older than that they trained me, moulding me into the person they wanted me to become.
I was not capable of thinking on my own, I was so afraid - I was feeling an emotion, something I was not used to. I stopped feeling, I stopped experiencing any form of emotion the moment I killed my first target. The only thing I was fully aware of was that I couldn't stay where I was. I needed to get away, out of the country as soon as possible it was the only chance of survival I had available.
My apartment was a few blocks away, I needed to get there and pack up, hopefully before the Agency got there.
-
I was too late, I knew this the instant I walked down the corridor towards my apartment, the door was ajar. The hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I ran inside, instantly stopping in my tracks, it was empty. Almost everything was gone, it was all happening in slow motion. I knew before entering my bedroom that the most important thing I needed to secure my freedom was missing too - my passport. I was truly screwed.
I knew I was safe in my apartment for the time being, everything important was gone. Only odds and ends were left behind, I needed a shower badly, I needed to clear my head.
Entering the bathroom, I undressed and climbed into the shower switching the hot water on. The warmth felt good against my skin, red marks started to appear but I didn't care. By now I was so used to pain, I cleaned myself up and wrapped a towel around myself.
Drawing the curtains in my bedroom, I welcomed the darkness. I slumped down onto my bed and switched on the television. I needed to know what happened to the girl.
Images of Spencer flashed on the screen, she was taken to the local hospital, her injuries minor. She was heavily guarded the news anchor announced, I watched as her family walked up to the steps leading to the hospital. Her parents holding hands while her brothers followed. They looked like your average suburban family, I found myself wondering what it would feel like to have a family, people who loved and cared for me. I thought I had that with the Agency, now I realized that it was just a fake sense of security. I was nothing to them, I didn't want to think about this.
I knew something was happening to me, I just wasn't sure what it was - these past two weeks since agreeing to terminate the girl memories had been coming back, flash backs - simple hazy blurs appearing at random times. My past was a mystery to me and I was starting to question myself, starting to question the agency. I was only 22 years old and already killed 8687 targets and at the moment the only thing I was certain about was that I would not live to see 23.
I was startled out of my thoughts by a phone ringing, a phone I didn't know I owned. I answered, my voice shaky. I knew I was in trouble the moment I heard the voice on the other end, it was the head of operations. He only called if there was bad news. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the worst.
"What went wrong, Agent?"
"Nothing," I was biting my lip, I could taste blood.
"The girl lived, and now your life is about to be taken. Is it worth it?" I gulped.
"Please don't do this." Such feeble words coming from me.
"I am willing to give you one last chance Agent, you have exactly an hour. If the girl is not dead by then we'll send someone else for the girl, and then we'll come for you."
"I'll do it!" I jumped up, gathering whatever clothes was left behind off the floor. My life was hell - a complete mess but I was alive, I was breathing I liked it that way.
"An hour," and then he hung up.
-
Four guarded men stood in the hospital lobby and two placed outside her private room, there was no sign of her family anywhere. Getting past the guards in the lobby proved to be easy, to the unsuspecting eye I looked like a visitor. It was the guards outside her door I was worried about.
For once luck was on my side in the form of a nurse pushing a trolley. Going undetected I snuck up behind her, quickly grabbing her in a choke hold and dragging her into a nearby room. I didn't want to hurt her but she bit down into the hand I was covering her mouth with, drawing instant blood. I was tired of blood spillage today, I knocked her unconscious with the only remaining gun I had in my possession.
As quickly as possible I bandaged up my hand, using the supplies in the room and then I undressed her, slipping on the nurses uniform after. The bandage was already stained red, I was worried about drawing attention to myself but glancing at my watch I knew I didn't have much time left. I needed to do this and fast, I left the room making my way down the corridor.
The guards looked out of shape, I studied them as I pushed the trolley closer and closer towards them. I could feel sweat forming on my forehead. I paused outside her door, I could take them on. I smiled at myself, this was going to be easy.
"Can we help you?" The stockier of the two asked.
I noticed a Doctor and a nurse at the bottom of the corridor, I couldn't mess this up. I nodded,
"I need to prepare the girl for the Doctors visit." I could not think of anything else to say.
They both nodded and moved out of the way, not bothering to search me before going in. I found myself wondering if they really were security? They were useless, they were handing Spencer to me on a tray.
Pale blue eyes were staring at me, watching as I entered. Her head was bandaged and there were a few scrapes on her skin but she looked fine, alive.
"Could you bring the jug of water closer to me please, I'm thirsty." I stared at her, my hand clutching the gun I had hidden tighter. I looked at my watch, I had 23 minutes left. I moved towards the jug and poured her a glass of water, handing it to her.
She was about to die, I was about to kill her but by a bullet - maybe, I was not here to kill her with kindness. I watched her take a sip of water before coming to my senses, I had a job to do and this time I would not fail. Turning around I quickly pushed one of the chairs in front of the door preventing anyone from entering.
"What are you doing?" Her pale blue eyes now showing fear.
I did not answer, instead I took out my gun and pointed it at her. I waited for her to scream, to call for help. Instead she started to pray, I was caught off guard. Of all the things, I was not expecting this. I moved closer to her, the gun now right against her forehead brushing against her skin. She started praying even louder, her eyes finding mine. A single tear was making it's way down her cheek. I tasted something salty, I moved my free hand up to my own face, my skin was wet. A tear, tears. I had more than her, I was failing again.
I lowered the gun, and took a step away from her, admitting defeat.
"We need to get you out of here, you're not safe."
She looked so unsure, puzzled. "You're not going to kill me?"
I shook my head, "No, but they're going to send someone who will. We must hurry." I rushed to the window, examining the fire escape. I was momentarily amazed by the lack of security in this hospital, it would be so easy for anyone to get inside this room.
Opening the window I turned to her, she was now out of the bed, standing close to me just staring, confused.
I climbed out, waiting for her to follow but she paused.
"I should scream, the guards will come and get you."
There was no time to be doing this, time really was running out.
I lifted my gun to her, "I might not be able to kill you but I can get violent now climb out the window!"
"It was you wasn't it? You tried to kill me earlier?"
I was getting so frustrated with her, "YES! but I didn't kill you now did I? Fuck, we're running out of time please just come with me. I promise I'm not going to hurt you... again." She nodded, climbing out of the window. She only had on a hospital gown, I watched as goose flesh formed. It was cold out, I removed my jacket handing it to her.
Without a word she put the jacket on and we both climbed to the bottom. I had a car parked around the corner, my getaway car. She was hesitant, I had to motion for her to walk faster. I was not good with human contact, with talking. Aiden was the only person I'd converse with on a regular basis and that was mostly about targets and weaponry.
She was watching me from the corner of her eye as we walked, I could tell she had lots of questions but was working up the courage to ask them. I was hoping she wouldn't because I had no idea how I would answer her, I didn't have any answers. I was as lost as what she was.
The alarm on my watch went off, time was up. We were in front of my car when we heard it, an explosion. We both turned to where it came from, the hospital. Her room to be exact, was now up in flames. People around us were running and screaming, I faced a very pale looking Spencer. She was about to pass out, I moved to her, steading her and helping her inside the car. I moved to the drivers side, climbing in.
I took a moment to pause, to take everything in. We were on the run now, together. I put my keys in the ignition and started to drive, where to I just didn't know...