After dinner, Amy couldn't go to sleep. She told herself she had probably drank too much tea, and the caffeine was keeping her stimulated. In her spare time, she researched some of the older underground routes with her laptop.
Most computers wouldn't have the information, but her laptop was different. It was linked to the Cahill's base, letting her access their information as well. She researched several different routes that might let them sneak into the Vesper's headquarters without being caught so bluntly. She did not want a rerun of that.
Finally, she found an old sewage system that wasn't used anymore. The starting point was just a block or two away from their hotel, and the ending point was right by the headquarters in a back alley. It sounded almost perfect. But because it was so old and misused, she knew she had to examine it to see if it was sealed or guarded.
She kept telling herself she should get some sleep before doing this, but her mind didn't want to rest. It wanted to get this mission over with. The thought of capturing and killing another person - even if this person was a Vesper, and their leader, no less - seemed inhumane. But she had to constantly remind herself that they had killed so many more of their people.
Restless, she got up and pulled on her sneakers. It wasn't that late - it was only around eleven at night - and the city was still alive. It wouldn't be that dangerous. Also, the entrance was near their hotel. She kept telling herself these facts as she made her way there.
She pulled her jacket closer to her. It wasn't that cold, but it was her fear that kept her scared. It was dark, of course, and this area was a bit off from the tourist area, so there weren't as many people. She could easily be mugged and killed if she wasn't cautious and on her feet.
In the moonlight, she spotted the entrance. It was a hole in the ground, really, sealed with a thick, silver plate. She tried to move it subtly with her feet so she wouldn't look suspicious. It didn't move.
She scowled. It was bolted down that meant. That just complicated things. Also, she had no idea if there were Vesper agents waiting down there to see if anyone would find that passage.
Turning around to head back, she was met with a dark figure. Her heart started to pound in her chest. She had fought tons of times before, but each time, she was still racked with nerves, scared for her life.
"H-Hello?" she stammered, hoping it was just a lost tourist or a friendly resident. But from their stature, it seemed otherwise.
The shadow didn't reply.
"I-I was just lost. I'm h-heading back to my hotel. I don't mean any t-trouble," she said, her voice strong though wavering between her words.
"It's you again," the person finally said. "Only you have such an infuriating stutter."
Amy blinked. It was -
"You?" she asked incredulously. How many times would she run into this annoying, cocky jerk in this city? After seeing him near the Vesper headquarters, she knew he had to be a Vesper though - the enemy.
"You're an incredibly suspicious character," he said, without acknowledging her comment. "First, I find you and your friend snooping around the headquarters -"
"We were lost," she said quietly.
He ignored her, agitated that she interrupted him. "Now, I find you looming near one of the passage ways to the headquarters. Either you have a terrible sense of direction, or you're not who you say you are."
"I'm just a student," she said, her voice stronger than she thought it could be.
"A stupidly curious one," he said, rolling his eyes, although she couldn't see it. "I should kill you right now."
She gulped. "N-No... I really am just a student," she said, her voice very soft and quiet now. She was terrified of losing her life. And she knew that if he killed her, he would go after Dan, which scared her even more.
"Dan?" he asked, surprised. "Who's that?"
She blinked, not noticing she had said her brother's name out loud. "Uh, my boyfriend," she lied quickly.
"You're lying," he commented. "You reacted too quickly and too nervously. And you cringed as you said the words, as if they disgusted you."
They did, but she wouldn't admit that. "He r-really is," she insisted.
"When will you realize I can sense lies from a mile away," he drawled, his hands in his pockets.
"F-Fine," she muttered. "Dan's my brother. I'm just worried that he'd miss me if you killed me." That couldn't possibly hurt her mission. He still didn't know that Tim was Dan.
He was silent for a moment. "You have a brother?"
She nodded.
He was quiet once more, as if thinking.
Suddenly, the thought that he might be Ian sparked in Amy's mind. "D-Do you have a sibling?" she asked timidly. Surely if he was Ian, he'd remember he had a sister.
"No," he snapped, almost too fast. "I'm an only child. It's better that way. I get the attention and the training."
She didn't reply. "C-Can I go?" she whispered, the night sky becoming darker.
He glared at her, and although she couldn't see it, she felt it. "If I see you anywhere near any of the passage ways or anything, I won't hesitate to kill you, coincidence or not. Understand?"
"Y-Yes," she said, trying to act confused, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.
"Go," he finally snapped.
She stumbled away from him, her heart rate racing. His voice... suddenly, she wasn't all to skeptic that he might be Ian. His voice was exactly like his.
A/N: Thanks for reading. Please point out any mistakes.