Perilous
Chapter Three
Cammie POV
And that is where things got interesting.
As we flew overhead, approaching another airfield, I stood and walked over to look out the window and admired the architecture and parks.
Suddenly Zach was leaning next to me. "You seem surprised."
"Not surprised just...unexpectedly amazed, I guess."
When he raised an eyebrow, I just shrugged and said, "I don't get out much."
He nodded in understanding. "Well, princess, you're gonna see some things today."
I stood up straight. "Don't call me princess."
Zach smirked. "Yes ma'am."
I went back to watching outside the window but soon we were approaching a large skyscraper. It was one of the largest buildings in the city and all of its windows were tinted. I spotted at least 50 security cameras and knew there were at least 30 others posted in areas on the surrounding blocks and probably 20 more hidden to the eye. There were plenty of security guards and I made note of any possible exits, just in case. There was a large landing pad on top of the building, and that's where we were headed.
The pilot landed and Zach thanked him. He left his things on the plane to be collected later. Not long after, we jumped out of the plane and entered an elevator.
Seconds before the doors opened, he said, "Welcome, whatever your name is, to CIA headquarters in Washington D.C."
It wasn't as crowded as I expected it to be.
The level we'd appeared on? It had a desk at the front of the room where a secretary, I'm assuming, sat. There were doors on both sides of the room, each of them reading a different name. Offices, I was assuming. Besides those, any doors we passed as he led me to wherever he was leading me, weren't labeled. Slightly odd, but when I asked Zach he said that most of them were just briefing rooms or conference rooms- apparently anything else was located in the sublevels. All the other floors were just offices and such.
We walked for a couple of minutes, agents waving at Zach then studying me. All I ever did was give them a cold stare known to make wolves whimper. Literally.
Zach led me to another elevator and slipping a keycard into a slot, he pressed one of the red buttons inside of a compartment that revealed itself.
"Sublevels?" I asked.
"Yes ma'am." He replied with a smirk.
The elevator moved down insanely fast, I only just managed to keep my feet grounded. It eventually stopped, but before the doors opened, a small microphone slid out of the wall as an automated voice said, "Voice recognition. Please state your name."
"Zachary Goode." He said, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
"No way in hell." I narrowed my eyes and stepped forward, wrapping my hand around the plastic holding the mic to the wall. Seconds later, it snapped underneath my grip.
Zach turned his head. "And she broke the mic."
Rolling his eyes, he pressed the "Emergency Exit" button and the doors slid open.
As we stepped out, a man with dark black hair and amber eyes, a strong build and arms full of medical supplies ran forward.
"You pushed emergency exit but I see no major injuries. Why?" The man asked.
Zach looked at me with a slight smirk. "Crazy lady over here broke the microphone for security."
I smiled at the "crazy" part. "Ooh yay! You noticed!"
Zach shook his head and I dropped my smile. "But seriously, call me crazy and I will show you crazy."
"Okay, she's scary and injured. Come with me." The dark-haired man led me over to a room that looked like a small hospital. Infirmary, I guessed.
"You," Zach pointed at me, then at the man. "Meet one of the members on my team."
"I'm Nicholas Cross, Agent Nick Cross at your service." He introduced himself as he told me to unzip my top so that he could tend my cuts and bruises. After I unzipped it, he began to clean my cuts and bandage them.
I opened my mouth but he answered me before I could ask. "Yes, my father owns that huge tech company. And yes, you have probably seen me on the covers of magazines alongside my fiance, Macey McHenry. Yes, I am one of the most famous men in America. No, we do not typically acknowledge it. In the spy world, besides being in the top 10 agents, I'm just Nick."
I smiled a bit in amusement with a nod. "Alright then, Nick."
He smiled back, pleased. "Right, and you are?"
"They call me Nightshade and Devil's Cherry. Yes, I'm that assassin that's been working for Catherine and Zion Goode for 20 years who you've been trying to arrest. No, I was not there willingly, I only escaped today. Yes, I have killed people but only to survive myself. And yes, I have a name, but almost no one knows it, and those that do don't use it, and I don't plan on telling anyone." I spoke quickly before raising my eyebrows. "Are we done here?"
With slightly wider eyes, Nick shook his head and blinked. "Uh...yeah I think we're clear to head to The Director."
I nodded and hopped off of the table I was sitting on. "Alright, let's go."
Zach made a face and turned on his heel, walking away. Nick and I followed.
We let the elevator take us to the top floor and walking all the way down the hall to the large wooden doors, I froze at the name on the door.
WILLIAM T. HASPEL
"What is it? They're waiting for us." Zach asked. Nick peered at me with curiosity.
I shook my head. "Nothing. Let's go."
He nodded and walked inside the office, Nick and I following behind.
"Agent Goode. Good to see you again." The man behind the desk, Director Haspel I assumed, spoke. "Agent Cross...and a new face."
The first thing I noticed was the wall of glass windows overlooking the city, then The Director. Then it was the people in the room. They were sitting in foldable chairs, only we were standing. I didn't recognize the two men, but the women? I recognized them. And though I didn't show it, that scared the shit out of me.
Her golden blonde hair now fell halfway down her back, her soft hazel eyes covered by black glasses. She was still small, only about 5'3, but beautiful nonetheless. The black skirt and pink top she wore complimented he figure perfectly, her manicured fingers laid across the laptop in her lap. Liz. It was Lizzie. She was sitting next to a tall young man with shaggy brown hair and brown eyes, a computer in his lap as well. I noticed two rings on her hands- a diamond engagement and a gold wedding band. The man wore a ring just like hers. She was married.
The next was leaning back in her chair, filing her perfect nails. The huge 24-carat engagement ring was on her finger, glistening in the light. Her straight jet black hair was sprawled across her shoulders, falling to her waist like always. Her icy blue eyes didn't look at anyone, radiating the air of "I don't fucking care", her resting bitch face forever standing. The tight blue dress she wore was from Dolce & Gabbana, her heels Louis Vuitton and bracelet from Cartier. There she was. Macey McHenry in all her glory. I barely noticed as Nick sat down next to her.
The last...Her caramel brown skin stood out in the white romper she wore. White had always been her color. The arm of a man was around her, and I noticed her purposely hitting him in the face with her curled brown hair every time she moved her head. I had to hold back a sad smile. I missed that odd form of teasing. The man was annoyed, but all she did was smile and shrug innocently. Oh, Bex...
Their faces had changed slightly, but it was undoubtedly them.
There they were. My best friends. One married, one engaged, and one with a handsome boyfriend. All three successful spies.
I felt like I was going to cry. But considering it wasn't the time nor the place, I set my shoulders, hardened my eyes, flipped my hair over my shoulder, and leaned on a wall. My foot rested on the surface of the wall behind me as I crossed my arms.
Suddenly, everyone in the room was watching me.
I looked at them indifferently. "Take a fucking picture. It may last longer."
"Well, I see she has manners." Director Haspel cleared his throat. Everyone smiled slightly in amusement.
"Oh, thanks." I fake smiled before dropping it. "I try to use them when I care."
Zach placed his hands on my shoulders and steered me to a seat, pushing me down in it.
"What are you-" I struggled. "Let go- I told you not to touch me!"
Annoyed, I elbowed him. He grunted in pain but didn't let me go.
Smiling tightly at The Director, he held my wrists tightly in one hand. "She's usually a lot more chill."
I used my momentum to roll out of the chair before ripping my wrists from his grasp. I was sitting on the floor so I kicked my legs out to where they came in contact with his legs, knocking him to the ground. Before he could stand again, I grabbed his tie from around his neck and sat him in the chair, binding his hands with the tie.
Grabbing a fistful of his hair, I pulled his head back so he had to look me in the eyes. "I told you never to touch me again. No hard feelings, but um..." I shrugged, leaning down to whisper, "I don't like to be disobeyed."
Letting go of his hair, I walked back over to the wall and leaned on it again, my arms crossed as I raised my eyebrows at the Director, leaving Zach to struggle. "So why am I here again?"
Macey smirked, glancing at me. "Badass."
Liz shuddered, scooting closer to her husband. "Scary."
Bex nodded with a grin. "Bloody awesome."
I couldn't help the smirk that crawled across my lips. They hadn't changed much.
"Well, first," Director Haspel said in answer to me. "Introductions. I'm Director Haspel, you know Agents Goode and Cross. Then we have Macey McHenry, Grant Newman, Rebecca,"
Bex glared at him intensely.
He shifted in his seat. "Bex Baxter, and Jonas and Elizabeth Anderson, formerly Sutton. Congratulations, by the way."
Liz blushed and Jonas smiled. They both said thank you.
"And you are?" Haspel asked.
"Nightshade or Devil's Cherry. I'm not telling anyone my name. End of discussion."
I saw Zach roll his eyes at that.
"Alright then. Well," He spoke to all of us. "We have a couple of criminals to catch. And all of you, our top agents, are going to do the catching."