Prologue
Arya sipped a mojito and relaxed on the bar stool. As crazy as it seemed, Arya felt better than she had in a long time. Scheming was what Arya had been raised to do, and it felt good to get back in the saddle. Arya had spent the past six months planning her entrance to Division. From there she would destroy it.
Arya was an assassin, trained from birth by the former director of the CIA to kill for her country. Arya's existence was not documented so that she would not be subjected to any rules and could do whatever was necessary to protect the United States.
After realizing that what she was doing was wrong, Arya fled to France where she met Carlos. She began to fall in love with him until she discovered who he truly was. Carlos was a notorious Columbian drug trafficker and arms dealer. He was also a sadistic monster. He kept Arya locked away in his house for the next two years. Finally, Arya escaped but was recaptured by a frenemy of Carlos, Hassan Waleed, who had planned to sell her back to Carlos.
When Waleed was picked up by the CIA, Arya was taken into protective custody. In order to avoid suspicion, Arya lied about her childhood but told the truth about what happened with her and Carlos. Even with Arya's help, the CIA failed to apprehend Carlos but was able to destroy his criminal network. Arya then found out about the existence of Division from the former director of the CIA who was also the father of an operative involved in Arya's rescue.
Arya had suspected that after she ran away from the government, the CIA director had continued his work to create private assassins. After some persuasion, the former CIA director Henry Wilcox told Arya all about Division: an unofficial government group made up of former convicts who were then taught to kill. Wilcox also inadvertently told Arya how to destroy it.
Percy, the man who was appointed by Wilcox to head Division, had a clever insurance system which made him untouchable. Every mission that Division ever ran was recorded. If the public ever got ahold of the truth about their government and the people who did its dirty work, the country would fall into chaos. There was another organization to oversee Division and supposedly keep it from becoming corrupt, but Percy was really in control.
Confident that those in the government who knew about Division would never betray it for fear of the consequences, Percy began to take on new missions from anyone who was willing to pay. The original plan for Division to be an agency for the people had been corrupted by Percy.
Division was only partially a governmental agency. It ran operations on behalf of the U.S. government, but the real objective was to assist foreign powers in order to control them. By being hired to perform illegal tasks for other nations, Percy then had those countries under his thumb. They owed him, and Percy was a man who would call in his debts.
In a matter of time, Percy would be able to place people loyal to him in seats of power. There would be puppet governments all over the world, with Percy pulling the strings, unless someone stopped him.
Wilcox had grudgingly allowed Arya access to all of the files that he possessed, including the ones that pertained to Division. Arya was able to piece together Percy's plan without alerting Wilcox to her true intentions of destroying Division. Wilcox assumed that Arya had combed through all of his files in order to ensure that there was no paperwork about her so that Arya could disappear and restart her life without fear of being discovered.
Arya had agreed to keep in touch with three of the CIA agents who had saved her: Annie, Auggie, and Jai. Annie was a compassionate, headstrong field agent. Auggie was blind and worked with the technological aspects of the CIA. Arya had instantly felt a connection to Auggie from the moment she met him. Auggie was also the only one besides Wilcox who knew the whole truth about Arya. Jai was Wilcox's son, and Arya had gotten close to Jai in order to meet with Wilcox. Jai was a good man and a stellar agent. Arya regretted that she had manipulated his feelings.
As promised, Arya sent Annie, Auggie, and Jai weekly emails so that they would know she was alright. Carlos was still at large, and Arya knew that the agents worried about her. The problem lay in that Arya's name was in the CIA database. She knew that if Division was considering her as a candidate for their training program, they would want her history. There was no way Division would accept her if they knew that she was so closely tied to the CIA.
Division's existence depended on its secrecy. The recruits who were chosen to be part of Division had to be invisible, and Arya's CIA connection would raise a red flag. That was why Arya had come to Florida.
Max was a skilled yet paranoid computer technician who was used frequently by Wilcox to run black ops back when Wilcox was still in charge of the CIA. Arya had completed many missions with Max and was able to track him down.
Although Max lived in Miami his skin was pale because he was rarely in the sun. Max spent most of his time in his apartment or in his computer repair store beneath it. Getting Max to meet her at the bar was no easy feat, but Arya felt safer outside. The fact that Max had a crush on Arya helped things considerably.
With his T-shirt hanging off his lanky frame in addition to his baby face, Max could have easily passed for a teenager. He walked cautiously down the sidewalk, his out of style sandals flapping against the concrete. Max walked up to the bar but didn't see Arya even though he was only a few feet away from her.
"It's amazing how someone so smart can be so oblivious." Arya said, a smile taking the sting out of her words.
Max jumped but relaxed once he realized it was Arya.
"Long time no see." he said. "What can I do for you?"
"I need you to hit the CIA with a targeted virus." she said, getting right to the point.
"Are you crazy?" he cried. "I don't get involved with government hacks anymore."
"I guess you're not good enough." Arya sighed. "I'll just have to find someone better."
It was the oldest trick in the book, but appealing to men's egos always worked. She dropped a ten dollar bill on the bar and picked up her purse as if to leave.
"Wait." said Max resignedly. "I'll do it, but it's gonna cost you."
"How much do you want?" asked Arya.
"I don't want money." said Max. "I want a date."
Arya raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."
Max shook his head.
"Please." he said, looking at her with irresistible puppy dog eyes.
"Fine. Let's start with your end of the deal first."
Max and Arya walked the few blocks to Max's computer repair shop. His friends, many of whom were also his employees, gaped as Arya walked through the door.
"Why do I feel like I'm the first woman to ever set foot in your nerd hut?" she asked.
"Well, . . ." Max began. He paused. "Why don't we go to my office?"
They entered the cramped, cluttered closet that Max called an office. A majority of the space was taken up by a large oak desk.
"You can have the chair." said Max, gesturing to the single rickety chair behind the desk.
"Good to know that chivalry is still alive." said Arya.
"I know," said Max confidently, "that your sarcastic, tough girl attitude is really just a cover for the fact that you like me."
It was true. Over the years, Arya had come to feel towards Max like a big sister feels toward her little brother: annoyed by him but equally protective of him. Not that Arya would ever admit it. Feelings were a liability in her line of work, and it was simpler to pretend not to care.
"I need you to engineer a virus that will target specific files in the CIA central database as well as files on the hard drives of any individual CIA computers. These documents need to be completely erased."
"What are the files about?" asked Max. "I'll need keywords, something to direct the virus."
"Go for everything pertaining to Carlos Mañoso, le chacal, or Arya Bellaré. That should cover it."
Max gave Arya a look.
"I thought that I was such a big shot back when I was a teenager because the government was trying to get me to work for them. After a while, I realized that the business wasn't for me. I left about four years ago. When I did, I was contacted by a man who offered me a lot of money to sell out the U.S. government. I turned him down and things started to get ugly. Lucky for me, Uncle Sam still had me under surveillance. A team came in to either rescue me or to shoot me before I could talk, and the guy ran. I'm pretty sure he was Mañoso. Really scary dude. How did you get mixed up with him?"
"It's not important." said Arya quickly. "It just needs to look like he was the one who erased the files, not me."
"What was the third name, Arya Bellaré?"
"That's right." she replied.
Suddenly, it dawned on Max.
"Arya Bellaré, that's you, isn't it?"
She said nothing.
"It is you."
"Check my passports and you'll find a variety of names." she said. "It means nothing. Just hope for your sake that I don't catch you using that name in public."
Max's finger flew furiously across the keyboard. Arya didn't even pretend to understand what he was doing. Technology had always been her weak point, and Max was in a class of his own when it came to computers. The monitor issued a series of beeps.
"There. It's done."
"I'll make you a deal." proclaimed Arya. "Do one more thing for me and I'll be the sexiest date you've ever had. Your geek squad will be blown away."
"Sure." replied Max. "Anything. And my friends aren't geeks, they're just technologically proficient."
"I need you to find someone for me."
"Done. Will you be a Russian model?"
"If I must."
"Score!" exclaimed Max, pumping his fist.
"I suppose I'll need to get something suitable to wear."
After Max finished the second part of his job for Arya, he went to chat with his friends and to help some customers in the store. Arya headed over to a nearby boutique to pick out a dress. Why not? she mused as she spotted a shiny, strapless number. She could indulge Max for an evening, and Arya could use some fun herself. After tomorrow she wouldn't be having any fun for a long time.
At a few minutes to seven, Arya headed back to Max's to change. She donned the shimmery dress and a pair of sky high stilettos that she couldn't resist buying. Stepping out of the tiny bathroom, Arya smirked as Max's jaw dropped.
"You think for such a small amount of fabric this dress would cost less." she said dryly.
"I can't wait for everyone to see this. They'll never believe it."
"Never believe what?"
"That I could get a girl so far out of my league."
"Please, Max. I'm sure you have all the ladies chasing after you. And if it makes you happy, my name is Katerina." She put on a Russian accent. "I am a model."
Max offered his arm. "Shall we?"
Max's friends were waiting as they walked into the bar. The lights from the stage lit up Arya's dress which hugged her curves in all the right places. Arya and Max joined the table.
"This is my friend Katerina."
"Pleased to meet you." she said with a smile.
The group talked and laughed over the rock music being played by the band. For Max's sake, Arya danced with him and laughed at his corny jokes. When the pitcher of beer ran low, Max volunteered to grab another round of drinks. Arya went with him.
They approached the bar and Max waited for the bartender while Arya headed closer to the stage to check out the band. She couldn't believe herself. She should be reviewing her mission, yet here she was wasting time at the bar. This would be a onetime only experience. Arya could not allow her focus to waiver again.
Arya felt a hand slide down her butt.
"Buy you a drink?" slurred a voice in her ear.
"Get lost." she snapped.
The guy was in his early twenties wearing jeans that were way too tight and a confident smirk.
"Don't be like that baby." he crooned. "Just one drink."
"Get your hand off my ass before I break it." she hissed, not wanting to make a scene.
"What?" he said in surprise, not expecting her reaction.
"I'd explain it to you, but I don't have any crayons."
"Are you threatening me?"
Arya grabbed his wrist, twisting it painfully, and shoved him out of her way.
"Keep your hands to yourself." she spat.
Max realized what was going on and rushed over.
"Are you alright?" Max asked.
"I'm fine." she sighed. "Let's get out of here."
"Not so fast, sugar." leered the drunken man. "Is this loser your boyfriend?"
"Come on Max." said Arya, ignoring the man.
She turned to leave, and the man punched Max in the face. Max went down hard, blood streaming from his nose. Arya pivoted, sending the point of her stiletto into the man's groin. He doubled over in pain. Arya leaned over him. For all anyone knew she was just helping to support her very drunk friend.
"What's your name?" she whispered.
"John." he groaned.
"Well, John, I want you to listen to me very carefully. The world would be a better place if you weren't able to have children, but I'm going to give you one more chance. If you value your manhood, you will leave and never set foot in here again. And if I find out that you've laid a finger on my friend here, you'll lose a lot more than your manhood. You'll lose your life."
Clutching his groin, John stumbled out of the bar. Arya told Max's friends that Max got a bloody nose and that she would take him home. Carefully, Arya picked up Max from the floor and carried him back to the apartment. She cleaned the blood from his face and changed his ruined shirt.
She set his nose in place and applied gauze and tape so that it would set properly. John had broken Max's nose, but he seemed to have gotten a concussion when he fell. Arya gave him some Tylenol for the pain.
"Thanks." said Max groggily.
"This is why you don't want to go out with me." said Arya. "The people around me just end up getting hurt. I have to leave. I'm going to be gone for a while, so don't try to contact me. I've never been good at goodbyes. Stay safe."
"Bye." murmured Max, already half asleep.
Even though people who had suffered concussions should be kept awake, Arya figured that Max would be fine in the morning. Arya drove her rental car to the airport and caught a flight to California. There was only one more thing left to do.
Author's Note: For those of you already familiar with the story, I'm sorry for the recap. Also, this chapter turned out way longer than I expected. The rest of the chapters will probably be shorter.
Please review and tell me what you think so far!