Texas

Bella's POV

20th June

I'd spent the last two days with Victoria and Caitlin, drilling the plan of the first mission into her head. It was nothing too much. A simple data theft. No violence or killing would be needed; not unless things go South quickly. The target, Mr Carl Simpson. A CEO in a prospering information trading company. For three months, other agents had tracked his movements and tried to get close to him. There were unsuccessful in tapping his phone. And his phone was the key into the company. He lived in a quiet suburb outside Dallas, his office in the city. Every Wednesday and Friday, after finishing work at eight and on his drive home, he would stop at a bar, have a few drinks before returning home.

Caitlin and I would be posing as sisters, travelling around the country, living a free spirit life. We were booked in to play an hour of music in the bar, it being live night. That gave us our cover for being there, being close. If Mr Simpson turned up at the usual 8:20. He'd see the last ten minutes of our set from his regular seat at the bar. We would then take a table and Caitlin would go up to the bar, beside him. She'd engage him in conversation and attempt to distract him long enough to access his phone. I would observe from the table, and I would only intervene if necessary. It was a good starting point for Caitlin. From there, she, and the other recruits, would advance through a hierarchy of missions. Ones that would include interrogating targets, seducing them, having sex with them, and killing. Caitlin had practically shot herself in the foot for excelling in almost every field of training. She was the new me. She'd be picked for the missions no one wanted. The missions that were the most violent or emotional.

Sitting in the blacked-out car with Caitlin beside me, I flicked through the case file. Caitlin was fidgeting, clearly terrified, but she hid it reasonably well. Her leg was quivering slightly though. I grabbed her knee with my hand.

"Take a breath. Nothing is going to happen."

"Sorry."

I watched her take in a deep breath and let it out, her back relaxing against seat. The car pulled to a stop and the engine shut off. Closing my folder, I tucked it under my arm as I lifted out my blindfold. Before I secured mine, I ensured Caitlin fixed hers first. My sight taken, the doors of the car were opened, both of us being escorted out. I walked steadily, my hand on the arm of an Agent. I could hear Caitlin's stumbling feet, her fear of the unknown obvious. We were led up a small staircase and into an aeroplane. I'd been here many times before, the blindfold wasn't to scare or confuse, it was to keep us in the dark. They couldn't let us see anything outside. Or we'd be able to work out where in the world we were, and that may encourage us to escape. At least that's what happened last time.

I was sat in a comfortable chair and I pulled off the blindfolded. Caitlin was led in behind me, pushed down into the seat across from mine. Her form was stiff, scared. Our guards left the plane, closing the door behind them.

"You can take it off now, Caitlin."

She ripped the black material from her eyes and blinked rapidly, taking in the new environment. I leaned back in the chair, opening the file again.

"Breathe, we're alone now."

"Where are we?"

"On a plane headed for Dallas."

"But where's the plane?"

"I don't know."

Closing the file, I placed it to the table between Caitlin and me. I leaned forward and folded my hands together.

"If you knew where we are, you would be able to figure out where the facility is. And if you know that, you maybe tempted to leave, or tell someone. So they keep the location secret. You know we'll be on this plane for three hours. That doesn't mean it takes three hours to get to Dallas. We could already be in Texas and just be flying in a circle. Just take a breath, calm down, and enjoy the next three hours of peace."

"But…"

"Caitlin. It's okay. This is all normal. You'll get used to it. You may want to focus more on being fully prepared for the mission than where you are now. You need to know the plan inside and out, and every contingency. So you have a choice to either relax, or focus. I'm choosing to focus right now. It's been a long time since I've led a mission; I have just as much to prove as you."

She quieted after that, sitting back, her eyes wandering around the plane. The engines started up, and the pilot announced our preparation for take-off. Three hours passed with Caitlin and me practicing the songs we'd sing, me playing the guitar, and both of us singing. We also reread the mission file, committing it to her memory, and we talked through 'what if' scenarios so that she was prepared for almost anything that could be thrown at us. I wasn't expecting much to go wrong. I was anticipating reluctancy from Mr Simpson. That would be something Caitlin would have to bring under her control.

When the plane landed at a private landing strip, I unlocked the door and pushed it open. Taking in a deep breath of fresh air, I enjoyed the feeling of the sun beating down on my face. The last time I'd seen the sun was when I was in Forks. And even then the sun's appearances were few and far between.

An old, rusting Ford sat on the tarmac. Our transportation. A man pulled a small staircase over before holding his hand out. I plonked down the steps and took the key from his palm. Opening the drivers door, I climbed in. Caitlin then appeared from the plane. I gave her a moment to take in the outdoor environment before I honked the horn. She looked scared for a moment and then ran down the steps and around to the other side of the car. When she was sat beside me, her door closed, I started the engine.

"You ready?"

She breathed in, held it, and nodded as she let it.

"Yes."

Pulling away from the plane, we were finally alone for the first time. But they were listening. We had our earpieces in before disembarking the aircraft. That didn't stop me from tearing away in the car and attempt to escape. If I did, they'd kill my Dad and probably the Cullens too. I had to wait until the perfect moment to make my escape. And I had to take Caitlin and the other recruits with me. In the last month, I had learnt that there were six classes of recruits other than the nine girls I'd been working with. They were the Upper Class. But there were another thirty girls that were fifteen or sixteen, they were Class A. Then there were Classes B, C, D, E and F. The girls in F were as young as five. And each class had between thirty and fifty recruits. It would be impossible to get them all out alive by myself. I just had to stay put and hope Zander and the others were coming for me. I knew they were.

On the drive into Dallas, Victoria and Dean ran through the mission one last time. By the time Dean had finished questioning Caitlin, we had arrived at the bar. There was just one small parking lot round the back reserved for staff. But we'd been given permission to park in it seeing as we were performing. Cutting the engine, I pulled my hair out of its ponytail, letting it fall down my back. I climbed out of the car, glancing back out to the road. With my guitar case over my shoulder, I led Caitlin into the front entrance of the bar. It was nearly half seven, we had an hour before Mr Simpson would arrive. An hour for Caitlin to get her head in the right place.

I spoke to the man behind the bar, and he gave us our instructions on setting up and then getting paid after. There was another man already performing, a light crowd sitting around the bar. They enjoyed the music, some applauding when the man finished, a respectful audience. As the man packed away his guitar, Caitlin and I prepared. We moved to the back of the room to grab two stools.

"Any cameras?"

"No."

"How many people?"

"17, including the two staff."

"Exits?"

"Main door at the front. And one through the kitchen to the staff parking lot."

I had to test her observations of the room, ensuring she was paying attention. We lifted the stools into the middle of the stage and shifted the microphones up. The man behind the bar brought us two bottles of cold water.

The familiar, but ghostly, thrill of a mission ran through me. As much as I hated it, I enjoyed the deception, I enjoyed the pure excitement of getting to be my true self. And this was my true self. Issy was who I was born to be. Bella was the act. She was who I wanted to be, but who I was never meant to be. The feeling of being invincible, of knowing I was capable of anything, was euphoric. And I'd missed it.

Strumming the guitar, my lips turned up. In this life, there are only a few times where I feel real happiness. But I felt safe, calm, and I could enjoy these next minutes before the real work began. Beside me, as she started singing, I could feel Caitlin relaxing, easing into the character. We both were having fun, genuinely laughing and smiling for the first time in a long time.

But the fun came to an end when Mr Simpson walked into the bar. He didn't look in our direction, going straight for his regular seat at the bar. Whilst I showed no reaction to his entrance, I noticed Caitlin stiffen. Despite no CCTV cameras being inside the bar, the ones out on the street had shown his arrival to Victoria, Dean, and the other recruits, who sat observing from the facility.

"His car is parked across the street, you have forty minutes before he'll leave."

Dean's hard voice came through our earpieces and Caitlin looked to me. I gave her a soft smile, reassuring her. We continued our performance, our voices gently singing the melody of 'Poetry by Dead Men' by Sara Bareilles. The final chord hung in the air, some of the customers turning to smile and applaud.

"Thank you."

My speaking voice drew Mr Simpson's attention, his head turning to look at the stage. His grey eyes glanced Caitlin up and down before his eyes looked over me. They lingered a second longer as I ran my hand through my hair, brushing out of my face. Standing, I put my guitar away in it's case, lifting it over my shoulder. I placed my hand to Caitlin's shoulder and gently nudged her forward.

"Ask for drinks. No alcohol, we don't need the attention."

She shuffled her feet forwards, her breathing heavy as she approached the bar. Her movement caught the eye of Mr Simpson, who looked up from where he sat. His eyes didn't stay on Caitlin before moving to me as I walked towards the door. I left the bar, going round to the parking lot to place my guitar away. It gave Caitlin the chance to make the first introduction to Carl. But his lingering eye told me all I needed to know. He wasn't interested in Caitlin, but he was in me. I knew I could finish this mission up pretty quick. What would that do though? This was about Caitlin learning and finding her own feet.

"Hi."

"That was really good. It's not often we get real talent in here."

Listening to Caitlin at the bar through my earpiece, I unlocked the old car, lifting my guitar into the trunk.

"Thanks. Can I get a Fanta and glass of water?"

"Sure. Are you sticking around here for a bit?"

"Yeah. Is that okay?"

"Of course. Drinks are on the house, part of the deal performing here."

"Great."

Silence fell for a second, the bar staff must have turned away to get the drinks. I didn't hear Caitlin move; she was sticking to the plan. She was fighting through her fear.

"You new to this area?"

Mr Simpson was hooked.

"Me? No. We're just passing through."

I opened the front door of the bar again, waving to Caitlin as I headed for a booth across from the bar. Carl glanced over his shoulder when she signalled her hand back to me. I slid into the booth, lifting the food menu in pretence. The bar guy placed two glasses in front of Caitlin but turned away at a couple needed serving. Caitlin took a sip of the water before lifting both glasses.

"She your sister?"

"Yeah."

"She doesn't look much like you."

"We have different Mom's."

"Who's older?"

"Meg is. Only a couple months though. She never lets me forget it."

"Yeah, I know how that feels."

Placing the glasses back down, Caitlin slid onto the bar stool, leaning forward a little.

"Brother or sister?"

"Half-sister."

"I love Meg, but is it just me, or are older sister's the worst? A brother would be more protective, but a sister is just bossy."

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. My lips turned up as I glanced up. Caitlin was a natural. Drawing in the otherwise solitary man. Relaxed and more comfortable, Mr Simpson had placed his phone into his jacket pocket. If Caitlin played it right, it would be easy for her to fish it out unnoticed. Then, all she had to do was press it against the device in her pocket for three minutes to steal all its information.

"You look like you've survived your sister's reign though. What's the secret?"

"Find something that makes you better than them."

"Easier said then done. Meg's the best at everything."

"You're a young, pretty girl, you might just need someone to help you find that thing. I know a few people that would be happy to help."

I know his kind. Mr Simpson was the sort of pig that thought he could take anything he set his eyes upon. And whilst his eyes had landed on me at the start of the night, they'd shifted to Caitlin's naïve eyes. This had been something to expect though. Caitlin had to prove she could handle him without outright saying no.

"Really? What sort of thing do you think I'd be good at?"

His eyes raked her body and he leaned towards her.

"That depends on what you like?"

Sitting up straighter, Caitlin blinked innocently, pretending to have missed the true meaning of his question.

"I mean, I've just graduated High School, so I don't really know. I like athletics, but Meg's a better track runner than me."

Bowing my head, I spoke quietly for her to hear me through the earpiece.

"Tell him I have better stamina."

"…She has better stamina. I like tech. I was part of the robotics club my Sophomore year. I guess I'd like to find a job in that industry."

"Are you planning on going to College?"

"Not this year. I want to travel, but I need to find work to do as I travel so that I can afford it."

"Where do you want to travel?"

"The plan is Europe. Australia sounds good too. There's a big backpacker culture there."

"Italy is nice. My wife goes to Milan to shop one week every year."

"You're married? I bet you have two great private school kids too. Must be nice."

I immediately knew Caitlin had phrased that poorly. I knew what her intention had been, she was just trying to keep things casual. But the way she spoke made Mr Simpson suspicious. He instantly shut down from her, leaning away and swigging back his glass of whiskey. If we were going to complete this mission, I'd have to do it. So I shifted out of the booth, making my way over to the pair.

"Jane? What's going on?"

She let out a small breath and smiled up at me.

"Sorry Meg, this is… Sorry, I didn't get your name."

"Carl…"

"Carl, this is my sister Meg. We just got talking."

"Nice to meet you Carl."

He grinned up at me, his eyes lingering on my chest. At least he'd relaxed a little.

"It's nice to meet you too, Meg, your sister has told me a lot about you already. But I'm afraid I have to be heading home now."

Stepping between Mr Simpson and Caitlin, I leaned into his ear.

"Wait thirty seconds then meet me in the bathroom. You can go home after."

I moved back, placing my hand to Caitlin's side. Mr Simpson's eyes had widened slightly, and he stared up at me. With him completely distracted, I slipped my hand into her pocket, switching my phone with the cloning device.

"I'm just going to use the restroom, I'll be back in a minute. It was nice to meet you, Carl."

Turning around, I made my way to the back corner of the bar. There was a door leading to a small hallway with two doors on either side. I hadn't seen anyone come down to the bathrooms in the last five minutes, so I knew they were empty. I'd only have a couple seconds to relay the new plan to Victoria and Dean, Caitlin biding Mr Simpson goodbye.

"I'll slip the device into his jacket pocket before he takes it off, then when he puts it back on, I'll take it back."

"You have to go through with this, Agent."

"I know."

The door opened, Mr Simpson hurrying in. I moved around him, sliding the bolt shut.

"I've seen you looking at me since you walked in. Plenty of men have used my sister to get to me."

"I wouldn't say I used your sister to get to you. She's pretty enough herself."

I leaned back against the basins as he stood in front of me. He pushed his body against mine, his hard crotch pressing into my hip. Running my hands around his sides, I dropped the device into his pocket that held his phone.

"She doesn't know how to have fun like I do."

His lips turned up into an excited smirk. Grabbing my sides, he crashed his lips to mine. I let him. I let him pull at my pants. I let him drop his own. I let him fuck me hard. My fake pants spurred him on, pretending to enjoy what we were doing. I knew everyone was listening through my earpiece, but I didn't care. I was doing my job.

It didn't take long. He came within a few minutes and I faked an orgasm at the same time. He let out a long breath and pulled his pants back up, staring at me.

"How long are you staying in town?"

"We're leaving tomorrow."

"Shame. I would have liked to see you again. Maybe you could give me a private performance before you go."

Chuckling lightly, I shook my head and jumped down from the basin.

"Sorry. I don't do that. I just like to have some fun every now and then."

"As do I."

With both our clothes affixed in place, I unbolted the door.

"Maybe I'll see you around next time I'm in town."

"Sure. Goodnight, Meg."

"Goodnight Carl."

As I walked back over to Caitlin at the bar, Mr Simpson headed for the door. Caitlin gave me a sorry smile, looking up at me.

"I did what I had to do."

We sat for another fifteen minutes, finishing up our drinks before we got back in the old car and drove to the airfield. Since I'd returned from the bathroom, Caitlin's mood had been very low. She blamed herself, and rightly so, for what I had to do. But it was all part of the learning curve. The other recruits had to be aware of what it can take to complete a mission. And they'd have to be just as prepared to do the same as I was. Only then could they be great Agents. They still had a long way to go though.