Chapter two

Opportunistic Advantages

"My name is Cheyenne. I've been assigned the Agent name Colorado for Project Freelancer. I actually prefer it to my own name. Most call me Colorado, sometimes C.C. is an appropriate nickname.

This is my first data log entry per the counselor's request. This is an assignment I've been given to monitor my own cognitive health as well as be able to report in confidentiality the practices I will be taking on as the counselor's part time assistant. I will be assisting with evaluating the team and be available for the team whenever he is indisposed.

I was recruited into Project Freelancer with Agents Alaska, and Louisiana. Today is our first day of training, but first we have to go through some runs with the existing members of this team. I can report on that later on, but I wanted to go ahead and knock out this first entry.

Colorado out."

End data log entry one.

Many years ago, on Earth…

My life was just one big coincidence after another. This haphazard string of random events chaotically thrown at one another than magically made sense when they aligned.

It's some god damned miracle I made it to college with the way everything else in my life was heading. 21 years old and not an alcoholic, awesome. I feel like I am doing well for myself.

I was trudging my way to class in one of the larger buildings, dreading the slide show about the early periods of art in history. Not that I hated art, I just hated I had to recap all this shit from high school when I wanted a better degree. I saw a man standing by one of the directory signs, looking at the opposite direction of it, appearing a bit lost, or as if he was looking for something. I stopped and approached him slightly.

"Can I help you?" I inquired. The man made my petite demeanor glaringly obvious with his height and his military uniform did nothing to alleviate this. He very much had an air of superiority around him.

"How kind of you to ask. I'm actually looking for a student. Perhaps you know her?" He answered with a thick southern drawl.

"Uh. Maybe? What's her name?" I replied shifting my bag on my shoulder. My messenger bag tended to weigh me down. I felt a little uneasy now that there is this older man looking for a girl my age on this campus. I instantly regretted stopping.

"The young lady's name is Cheyenne Whittaker." He answered. I froze. He pulled out an ID with an older photo of me, my black hair was being dyed blonde at the time the photo was taken.

"Um. You're speaking to her." I said, gulping and also regretting this answer as well.

"Oh." He said sounding slightly confused. "You dyed your hair." He innocently remarked.

"Yeah, I had a blonde phase." I answered. "You were looking for me why?" I asked concerned. "I have class in 45 minutes." I tried to excused. He waved his hand.

"I just wanted to talk. Some small chit chat. I have a feeling you want to hear what I have to say. He said.

"Who are you?" I finally gained enough sense to ask.

"My name is Leonard Church, come on sweetie let's go get some coffee and have a small discussion." He offered.

Present Day

I clicked off my data log recorder and rubbed my eyes. I realized how tired I was now. I stowed my rifle and recorder in my locker and locked it up. Last thing I needed was Aiden or J.L. getting into my stuff and never letting me live that down as well as my co-exisiting habit.

I headed back to my cot and collapsed fully clothed. I closed my eyes and was relieved I didn't have to trick myself into going to sleep. I conked right out and dove into a crazy subconscious world.

Many years ago…

I held my mocha close to me, keeping it's heat close by. I was letting what Dr. Church just explained to me sit and sink in.

"So, what you are saying is, that you not only acquired my records from the school, but also through my father's military records and through the history you found I was a viable candidate for...Project Freelancer?" I whispered the last two words.

"That is correct." He nodded, not at all ashamed of the borderline stalking he did to find me to have this conversation.

"What the hell even qualifies me?" I asked.

"I believe you and I both have answers to that question. The immense training your father enrolled you in, you're skills as a fighter, as well as according to your transcripts, we have something right up your alley as a job with us." He answered smoothly. "Also, you're disposition is rather cohesive to making a choice right now."

"My disposition?"

"You're young, Your only commitment is school. I have alternatives you might see as more desirable." He replied. I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm listening." I responded. "I want to know what you know. I'm genuinely intrigued."

"You're unwed and live with a dead-beat boyfriend, your classes that you do not require for your degree are grating at your wits end, I have a way to train you for a profession in psychology that you have wanted, no cost." He slid me a piece of paper that was folded over. I unfolded the tiny paper and looked at one large number. "That is currently what you owe in loans to the education industry. I can pay that off for you." He said. I froze as I folded that back over and sat up right. "You're working two jobs now and that deadbeat boyfriend isn't doing anything for those bills."

"How did you learn this shit?" I mumbled. The only person I told the stuff about Joe to was my guidance counselor I had been seeing on campus, that he had been wearing my patience and that I was contemplating splitting. What lengths has this man gone to? "So, educational substitution, on the job training, pay off my student loans, what wouldn't you do to recruit me?" I chuckled a little bit. I felt his gaze grow befuddled. "Dr. Church I'm well aware that you used unconventional methods of retrieving this information about me. I have a feeling you know something about my brother and that I am not him nor will I follow in his or my father's mistaken military footsteps, but you had to make some more logic in asking me to join this top secret militia you have formulated. You also clearly had to go to other sources for information about my personal life that you could not gather from the two jobs on paper and school. The only thing is, even as we speak I realize I only have..." I paused to check my watch. "Ten minutes before the worst class I have this semester starts and you had conveniently placed yourself on the way to that classroom, caught me in the middle of a tumultuous time of my life, and you want to pretend this is a coincidence?" I smiled. I got him. "This is no coincidence you were found on my path to the class I despise most, offering me such information based bribes, and I have only one question for us today." I summarized as I took the last sip of my mocha.

"What's that Ms. Whittaker?"

"Which one of us is more desperate here, you for going to such great lengths to ensure I would say yes, or me who is saying yes to this ridiculous contract?" I said crossing my arms smirking.

Thank you Mercurio! I appreciate the review! :D Sorry guys about the lag on getting the next chapter up, I have had a long week, exams and very little sleep and whatnot. I hope you guys enjoyed this one, I have the next chapter physically written I just have to find the energy to transcribe! Review if you have a moment! Thanks again!
~Sahara