A much needed story for my soul.
All my life, I've been interested in combat, weaponry, and most importantly, stealth. I've been fascinated with the espionage agency in the city, and even when I see one of their issued supply trucks out delivering goods, I can't help thinking about me in that position. Me, as a delivery driver for weapons, or, for anything. Delivery, desk, or even a medic agent. Anything close to a spy, I love it. I dream it. I live it. Getting a job there has been a lifelong dream, one and only.
My family however has other ideas.
A cashier, a shop assistant, or even management. They want nothing to do with C.H.R.O.M.E, the agency, and I don't know why. Every time I mention anything remotely close to it, I get yelled at, scolded. They say it's unsafe. I mean, of course it is. They deal with weapons and dangerous missions. I'd probably believe my family more if their reasoning was believable.
Little did they know, I was good friends with an agent there. I had little to no friends and the agent (who I cannot name) knew my family. He was one hundred percent willing to train me when I was old enough. Back then, you had to be 18 to even think about applying, but, the agent got me in. I was only 16 when I started with side jobs. Everyone was so welcoming, even the Head. He told me that if I wanted to begin working with side jobs, I could. I agreed without hesitation. A so called "official" letter was sent to my parents saying I had found a job at a store a bit out of town, and they were thrilled I had found something. I had to be discreet about it though. Before I bought my first car, my parents would drive me to that store, and when they left, an agent waiting there undercover would drive me to the agency.
My first job assigned was easy, but full of trust. All I had to do was unbox and make sure that the correct number of shipment weaponry was sent. I was to open, count, then label the quantity on the list. An agent would then check my math, work, and count, and after a few weeks, I was trusted enough to not be looked over. My second job along with that of which I was taught was a bit harder. I had to help one other agent look over and inspect each aircraft or vehicles' report before and after each mission. So if it were low on gas, we would fill it up. If it had any damage it didn't have before a mission, we would get it fixed. We'd have to inspect and make sure each aircraft was loaded and ready for each flight as well. The trickiest part of this was being able to get to each aircraft and vehicle in time. If not, things could get bad. I was always determined to do the very best. In about a month, I could afford my own car, and I would drive it there myself after school. My cars' VIN and license was registered there so they'd know who was coming onto the property. All was good. I loved it there. Until one day.
My family found out how much money I had in the bank, and it was definitely too much to have in just a few months. Also, my father had called the store I was supposedly working at, and they had no clue who I even was. Let's just say, they weren't happy. I had to sit through again, another lecture.
"You have no idea how much you are in trouble right now, young man." My father scolded firmly.
"Frankly, the agents at C.H.R.O.M.E have treated me so much nicer than you have ever been." I snapped. It hurt to say, but it was the truth.
"Excuse me, misiter," my mother yelled. "you have no idea who you're dealing with here!"
"No, you don't!" I was standing now, fully prepared to fight for my friends back at the agency. "I'm 18 in a few days and when that happens, you cannot do anything about it."
"When you turn 18 you'll be kicked out faster than you can take a breath." my father blurted.
By this time, my younger sister had come in from her nap, rubbing her eyes. I didn't want to fight anymore in front of her so I left. I just left. I took my Deville and headed straight for the agency. Maybe talking to a few agents would help clear my mind. And it did. As an early birthday present, one of the agency's best agents took me to the firing range to try a few shots. According to him, I was a natural. I had a brilliant time.
The time came where I turned 18. I immediately (I had everything packed beforehand) left my house and went straight to the agency. They allowed me to stay there until I found an apartment close by or such. as I had finished unpacking my Deville into a free room where I would stay, my Deville was taken to be armed. Everyone's vehicle was done so. I was taken to be trained, and I was excited. Remember the agent that told me I was a natural? Well, according to the Head, I was.
I finished my schooling at the agency itself and went on my first recon mission with another agent to see how I did. I did great. Though it would be a bit before I went alone, obviously.
I began to get full pay when I finished schooling and I was working on saving up for a newer model Cadillac. I loved my golden Deville, but I needed something faster and stronger for missions (it wasn't actually gold). I already had missiles, guns, bombs, and a tracker in my car now.
One thing I will never forget about, is the time I fell in love. Her name was Maddie.
Now I know you are all freaking out now. I mentioned a girl, whatever. Well, she was a new incoming agent, and she came when I was much older. I was in my early 20's when she arrived, we were paired together. We both knew right away that we liked each other, though we kept our minds on our work. We both knew relationships are dangerous, but there were times, I admit, where we sometimes didn't pay attention to our work. But we were very mature with what we did. She was the first girl who had fallen for me, and the first girl I had fallen for. She was everything to me. Was.
The simplest of missions took her from me. A recon mission. All we had to do was gather information and come back. We were supposed to split up and then report back to the rendezvous point at the jet agent. The first thing we do is upload our information right away so it is not lost by an unexpected attack. That's not how it exactly happened to us.
We had what we needed. I radioed the jet agent that we were heading back. Since we split up, we would be arriving from different directions and to keep a look out. However, as I was on my way, I got a fearful radio signal that Maddie had thought she was being followed. I didn't want to return back to the jet without her. The jet agent firmly told me to arrive. To keep going. She had confirmed the chase and begun to get attacked. I wanted to help her so desperately. The jet agent told me to return immediately. That if she got caught, to leave her and send out rescue agents. I refused. The only thing that got me to return to the point was Maddie telling me directly to return to the jet.
"Get back to the jet and turn in your report. I will be okay, Cooper!"
That sentence will forever haunt me as it was the last sentence I ever heard from her. The rescue agents came too late and she had been killed.
I knew relationships were dangerous but I never knew they would affect me in such a way. I let it get the best of me, but I vowed to never search for another girl again and to keep an alert mind. So no other girl will get pulled in because of me.
I began to be more focused in my work. There were nights I had not slept and nights I had stayed at the agency past midnight. Family. The dreaded word crossed my mind over and over. I had received an email that said nothing but "family". No subject, and a very weird and unknown address. I didn't recognize it. I informed the Head and he only said to keep an eye on it. A virus or a change my password. Yet nothing worked. I received a similar one a few days later. But this time it read "yours". I knew my family was onto me. I just knew it. But since I was older, that meant my younger sister was too. I worried about what my parents had told her. The thing was, they knew I worked here at the agency. But there was never an effort to follow me from here to my house. I had gotten a newer car, but there was no difference. They knew I liked Cadillacs. It baffled me. What were they waiting for? Were they going to attack me? Planning an attack? Planning a murder? Attack the agency? I had no idea. But I made sure the Head knew and understood. He listened intently, knowing full well I was concerned and that I knew my family best. That only I knew what we were dealing with. However, he had told me something during a conference I had never imagined before. Something that will stick with me forever.
"There was once an Agent named Connor who died here." To this day, I know not a Connor. I was never told who he was.
"Classified." I was told. I had just always deemed this Connor to be a friend of my family's, and when he died, they became upset. Time had soon gone on and nothing else strange happened. No more emails, or even any calls. I soon forgot.
It was this time, however, when the Head was killed. Yes, killed. Murdered at his own house. Reports say at two in the morning. There were absolutely no leads. No guns, no weapons at all found, no prints, and nothing disturbed. Just a bullet through the head. House cameras and surveillance didn't even capture anything.
When the Head of the agency dies, gets fired, or resigns, it's up to their boss who gets hired. Basically the government or whoever. And they try to look for the youngest and most caring, but also strict, brave, and leading. I think you can guess who they chose.
When you're Head, you have millions of responsibilities on your shoulders. You have to be in charge of everything, and when I say everything, I mean it. You have to assign missions, you have to take inventory (like I did for my first job). You have to insure every vehicle and aircraft. But I'm not just talking about every agency issued vehicle and aircraft, it also goes for any personal vehicle used for work or is equipped with any type of weaponry or agency technology. The only thing taken from you is the ability to go on actual missions. Your vehicles weapons are changed, sometimes along with the design. It's mandatory a surveillance system is equipped in both your house and vehicle, and it's required you wear a bullet proof vest when going anywhere outside. They take extreme caution when a Head is selected to make sure they are one hundred percent safe. I mean, it's fine by me. I agreed to it anyhow. I have no idea why they chose me, but if they think I can do it, then I believe I can. My only concern was my life ending the same way the last one's did. I still had a gut feeling my family had something to do with it. I just know it.
I was much, much older now. Now, I was in my late 20's. This was the time I rebelled against the agency and joined in on a mission, but only because it was urgent. Extremely urgent. So urgent, that if I hadn't come, I would have lost so many agents.
I was another mission against the entire agency's enemy, Professor Zündapp. If I hadn't been there at the burning oil rig to cause a distraction, everyone would have been killed. I was almost killed in the process, but I'd rather die than have twenty to thirty agents die.
"Get out right now. I have rescue copters at the far helipads." I mass radioed to the agents there. I myself was among the burning oil and embers, the rig just about to topple over. I had the Professor at gun point. I was distracting him from going after my agents.
"Do you really zink zis will make a difference?" Zündapp asked. I didn't answer. Not only was I trying to make him afraid of me by not showing fear, but I was also trying to figure out how I was going to escape while everyone boarded the helicopters.
"Holding me here will not do anyzing to help your agents."
"You have no idea what it's doing to help my agents." I snapped. "Those who follow you would be nothing without you."
"'Those who follow me'? I think you have info wrong my friend." He only smiled.
I could feel the ground underneath me crumbling.
"Do you know what it is doing for you?"
His question made me freeze. What did he mean? My question was answered almost immediately by a hard object pointed directly in the middle of my back. I knew it was a gun. I had also forgotten to put on my bullet proof vest in all the rush. I swore under my breath but kept my eyes locked on the Professor. The smile he had plastered on his face almost made me shudder.
Unfortunately, things went too fast for me. Before I knew it, a pain almost unbearable pierced me in my chest. Zündapp in a split second dodged when the blast went off. His movement caught me off guard and almost immediately I shot my own gun at him and only managed to get his leg. The ceiling above began to collapse down and only then did I feel the intense heat scorch my skin along with the burning pain in my chest. I had felt nothing like this before and as I collapsed to my knees, Zündapp and the other unknown person escaped.
My entire body shuddered again as I felt a large amount of liquid push its way painfully up my throat. I coughed and gagged as the strong taste of iron pushed forcefully up my throat and onto the hot, crumbling ground. I felt more things shudder and collapse around me, but then I heard faint static through my radio. I found myself falling onto my back as I heard a faint voice through the radio. However, I was losing energy fast and I couldn't even find the strength to lift my arm to respond. Before I knew it, everything went black.
I don't remember much that happened after that incident. According to one agent, I was rescued shortly after I fainted from blood loss. Next thing I knew, I was in a hospital bed among the agency and I slowly recovered. I still have the scar.
I still have no idea where my family is. They must have moved from the house shortly after I left permanently. I am fine though. I am okay. As long as my family doesn't find me, I know I am safe.