Today is my Birthday! So here is another chapter on such a special day!
Enjoy!
Chapter
4
The Swan Headquarters
Washington, DC
8:47 AM
"Hey, Casey!" Benjamin Blake's voice hollered from down the hall as the young agent was about to open the door to the meeting room; her hand paused on the handle as she turned to greet her long-time partner and friend.
"Hey, Ben." Casey forced a half smile while trying to appear as if nothing was wrong, even though her head was pounding from the lack of sleep she'd received the night before.
"Have you seen Derek? He didn't return home last night." Ben asked with a worried expression clouding his handsome face.
Casey's eyes widened with fear. "He didn't?"
The blonde shook his head, "I stayed up for a while because I wanted to talk to him, but he never showed. I thought he might be out with you, so I finally just went to bed. This morning I checked his room and he wasn't there."
"Well… maybe he got up early to train?" She suggested, mainly trying to convince herself that nothing was wrong.
Ben gave her a pointed look with a raised brow, "Derek getting up early to train? You're kidding me, right?"
Casey sighed and muttered under her breath, "I knew I shouldn't have let him walk away last night."
"What happened last night?"
"I…" She was about to speak but the voice of their boss cut her off as the woman poked her head outside the door with an impatient scowl.
"Agent McDonald and Agent Blake, we're waiting for you."
"We'll discuss this after." Ben said with a hand on her back as he led her into the room where Karma and a couple of people Casey didn't recognize were already seated around the large glass table.
"Sorry." Casey dipped her head in apology as she and Benjamin took their seats.
Casey couldn't even focus when Olivia Inez began to speak. Her thoughts were only on one thing. Derek. Her mind shifted back to their conversation from the other night when Derek was about to propose to her and she blurted out her new mission.
"I'm going undercover as an assassin in The Collective."
Derek just stood there staring at her, blinking rapidly and trying to wrap his mind around the words she'd just spoken.
"That's what Olivia wanted to speak to me about." Casey continued while watching him warily, wishing he would say something, anything. Instead, he let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his short-cropped hair, avoiding her gaze. "Taiki, the kid I saved in Japan has a chip in his brain that The Collective wants. It has information about them that no one else knows. Information that we can use to our advantage."
Derek rubbed his neck with a deep-set scowl on his face, still refusing to speak to her.
Casey couldn't handle the silence anymore as she reached out and pulled him towards her, grabbing his chin and forcing him to meet her eyes, "I wouldn't do it if it wasn't completely necessary, you know that. This may be our only shot at taking them down. They have killed too many people and The Swan believes they're planning something that will endanger the lives of millions if they're not stopped in time."
"Why you?" He finally croaked out.
"Why not me?" She answered defensively. "I'm fully capable of the task."
"It's too dangerous, Casey."
"I'm not helpless, Derek." She ground out through clenched teeth.
"I didn't say that. It's just… Do you realize what this kind of job entails?"
"I do, but I don't care. If it means saving lives, I'll do anything."
Derek groaned and pulled away from her, "What if you're found out? These people are not idiots. They're trained assassins and master criminal minds for crying out loud! They wouldn't even hesitate to put a bullet through your head. Is that what you want?"
The young agent pursed her lips and glared at her boyfriend defiantly, "I have to do it. This is my job, Derek. This is my life."
"What about me? Aren't I a part of your life?" He finally snapped harshly and grabbed her by the arms. "Damn it, Casey! I want to MARRY you, I want to settle down some day with a couple kids running around and not have to worry about freaking missions and saving the world at every turn!"
"Well I'm not ready for that!" Casey snapped back in his face.
Derek flinched away like she'd just sucker punched him in the gut and released his hold on her. He let out a defeated scoff, "Well… I guess that's my answer."
"Derek…"
"Save it, Case. This damn job obviously means more to you than anything else." He growled out with a dismissive wave.
"Derek, please…"
"For your sake, I hope this mission works out, but don't expect me to be here when you return." He said and began stomping away furiously.
"Derek…" Casey whispered under her breath as a tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek while she watched his retreating form disappear from her sight.
"Agent McDonald, are you paying attention?" Olivia's words cut through Casey's thoughts and the young agent whipped her head up from where she'd been staring absently at the table.
"I… I'm sorry."
"Where is your head this morning? I need your undivided attention. This mission, after all, relies heavily on you."
"I know. I just… Continue." She nodded, pushing thoughts of Derek to the back of her mind for the time being. She needed to focus.
"As I was saying," Olivia spoke, narrowing her eyes at the young agent. "I have gone through the file Mr. Kaito graciously provided us with and even though it does hold vast amounts of information we didn't know about The Collective, it still doesn't explain their next move and what they plan to do with the chip inside his head. Agent McDonald and I discussed it last night and decided that the only way to truly take down our enemy is to become the enemy."
"I'm sorry, what?" Karma asked in confusion.
"Agent McDonald will be going undercover as an assassin in The Collective for six months, or however long it takes for us to put a stop to the killing once and for all."
"What?" Benjamin exclaimed loudly. "You've got to be kidding me! That's insane!"
"The agency has been doing it for years, Agent Blake. When there is a threat this worldwide, we will do whatever it takes to bring them down."
"But it's suicide, Casey!" Ben said as he turned to where she sat beside him with fearful eyes.
"Not you too." Casey groaned, dropping her head into her hands.
"Many of our agents have been assigned such tasks in the past," Olivia continued to speak. "Agent McDonald knew that taking this job would someday require this kind of assignment. It is what we do here and why our agency is so covert and hidden."
"How many of those agents have returned fully unharmed over the years?" Ben questioned with a raised brow.
"Enough to keep this agency doing what we do best."
"What about Phillip Greenwood? Look at what happened to him after he went undercover for you. The guy had to fake his own death and remain a ghost in this world. We thought he was the enemy and in the end he died trying to prove he was on our side."
"What happened to Agent Greenwood is irrelevant. He was also working as a triple spy and got way in over his head. He didn't follow protocol, or stick to the original assignment."
"I still don't think this is a good idea." He shook his head stubbornly as he glared at his boss.
"Well the matter isn't up to you anyway and if you disagree so much, you can leave right now, Agent Blake. The choice is yours."
Ben glanced at Casey who was pleading with him through her eyes, "I can't do this without you, Ben. You're my partner and you always will be. I need to know you have my back and trust me."
There was no way he could refuse those big blue eyes as he let out a sigh of resignation and nodded his head, "Fine. I'll help you, but I'm not happy about it."
Casey smiled and squeezed his hand in appreciation while Olivia addressed them once again.
"This of course will not be any simple-minded mission, Agent McDonald. It will require that you undergo an intensive training program for two weeks and given a new identity." She gestured across the table at a man who seemed to be in his late fifties with short grey hair, a goatee, and grim hazel eyes staring back at her. "This is Colonel Mark Yemchuk, he will be your combat trainer."
"But I'm already trained in combat." Casey replied with a frown.
"Do you know how to shoot a real gun, or fight to kill?" The man spoke with a thick Russian accent that sent shivers down her spine.
"N… no. Not exactly."
"Then you are not trained in all combat."
Olivia cleared her throat and gestured at the seat next to him where a stunning Hispanic lady was seated. "This is Miss. Carmela Reyes. She will be in charge of changing your look and creating a new identity for you." She had piercing violet eyes that were obviously contacts and her dark hair was shaved off on one side and styled with purple highlights to match her eyes; the look suited her. It gave off the badass vibe but guessing by the sweet smile she displayed, it wasn't her only trait.
"Friends call me Mela." She spoke with a dip of her head, "and I can't wait to get started on your new look." She grinned excitedly, which had Casey feeling a bit uneasy.
"And lastly we have Agent Dominic Morvis." Olivia said, directing their attention to the middle-aged Jamaican man, complete with short dreadlocks hanging loosely around his face. She also noticed a distinct scar in the shape of an x on his neck. "He will be training you on everything you need to know about being an assassin and infiltrating on enemy lines."
"This ain't no picnic." Dominic spoke with a serious tone as his eyes bore into Casey's. "One wrong move and you're dead. Pow!" He exclaimed, pointing his finger in the shape of a gun her way. "I hope you're ready for this."
"Training will begin immediately." Olivia commanded.
"What exactly is our part in all of this?" Karma spoke up with questioning eyes.
"You will be Agent McDonald's support team. I will also need the two of you to examine the contents of File 74235C6. Go deep and do your best to uncover every inch that could be of aid for the mission. The more we know of how The Collective works, the better chance we have of infiltrating them and getting our agent in and out safely." The redhead addressed all three of them as she spoke the next words. "For the next two weeks, you will eat, sleep, and dream of this mission. Am I clear? Nothing can get in the way, or we will fail."
What about Derek? Casey wondered as she chewed her bottom lip. Where does he fit into all of this? Does he even fit at all? He basically ended our relationship last night… Derek, please don't leave.
(=)
Road to Enchantment Bar
Washington, DC
9:51 AM
"Hey, buddy! Rise and shine!" A deep voice grunted and Derek felt a hard shove on his shoulder as he pried his eyes open and surveyed his surroundings in confusion.
He was seated in a corner booth in what appeared to be a bar. A couple men sat on stools at the front talking amiably amongst themselves with beers in their hands while four others played pool adjacent to him. Soft music played in the background and the place smelt of liquor and smoke.
"Huh? W… where am I?" The former hockey star asked. His voice was hoarse and his mouth tasted disgusting.
"You fell asleep here last night after a few drinks. This ain't no hotel, man. You either order something else, or I have to ask you to beat it." A tall bearded man wearing a white apron said as he stood over him with a condescending glare. "You're lucky I let you stay as long as I did, but only because I recognize you."
Derek perked up at that as he eyed the man warily, "W… what do you mean?"
"You're Derek Venturi. Former NHL star from Canada. I remember watching that game in Boston and seeing you suddenly lose your mind and attack your teammate for no reason. Then you up and disappeared, never showing your face on the ice again." He shook his head with disappointment.
"Yeah, well life is complicated." He grumbled in reply.
"If you don't mind me askin'… What happened to you? I'm sure they didn't fire you. You were a natural player. My son even chose your number to wear when he began hockey in school."
"I'd rather not talk about it." He could feel a headache coming on as he rubbed his temples, wishing the guy would stop talking already.
"It was a girl, wasn't it?" He asked with a grin as he placed his hands on his hips. "They'll do that to ya. They suck you in, crush your dreams, and before you know it, you're living a completely different life than the one you wanted." He obviously spoke from experience.
"No kidding." Derek mumbled bitterly. He then looked up at the guy and said, "You know what? I'll have another drink."
The man slapped him on the back with a look of sympathy, "This one's on the house," and walked away, leaving the young man with a piercing headache and a broken heart to mull over.
His cell phone began buzzing in his pocket and he pulled it out to see he had eight missed calls, six from Casey and two from Ben.
"Just leave me alone." He groaned under his breath and closed his eyes.
Suddenly it began to ring in his hand. He opened his eyes and was about to press ignore when he noticed it was a long distance number, a number he recognized and couldn't resist answering.
"Hey, it's Smerek, the one and only." He answered with a slight grin.
The laugh on the other end caused his heart to ache with longing.
"Hey, Derek," his baby sister Marti replied. She no longer had that small and innocent tone to her voice, but he was glad he could still elicit a laugh from the teen. "Sorry it's so early, but I thought since it's a Saturday that you might pick up."
"I'd never purposely miss a call from you, kiddo."
"How are you doing? We haven't talked in a few weeks. I know work has been busy for you, but I just miss hearing your voice."
Derek let out a sigh and nodded thanks to the bar tender that set his drink down in front of him, "I've been alright. You have no idea how much I miss you too, all of you."
"Is Casey with you?"
Even the sound of her name right now caused his fist to clench in anger, "No. She's not here."
"Is everything okay between you two? You sound upset." He was never able to hide his feelings from his sister, no matter how hard he tried. The kid was intuitive.
"I'm not going to lie. Things are… difficult at the moment. I don't want you to worry though."
"What do you mean by difficult? Did you break up?" The fear in her voice was unmistakable. Marti had been their number one supporter since the two came out about their relationship to the family. It would crush her to know how he was feeling at the moment.
"We just had a bit of a fight. It's nothing to worry about."
"Oh." He heard her let out a sigh of relief. "You guys always fight, so that's nothing new. I thought it was actually serious."
If you only you knew…
"What did you do this time?" Marti asked with an accusing tone, causing Derek to choke on the sip he'd just taken from his drink.
"What makes you think it's my fault?" He asked defensively.
"Isn't it usually?"
"You have a point there, but this time I can assure you it's not."
"Derek… You're not lying to me about the seriousness of this fight, are you? I mean… should I talk to Casey?"
"No, you don't need to talk to her; besides, she's too busy to talk to you anyway. Just… don't mention this to anyone right now, especially Dad and Nora. It doesn't concern them."
"Ok. I promise. You will let me know when everything is okay again, won't you?"
"Yeah, of course." He nodded. If that even happens…
"Well I should go. I'm supposed to be babysitting Simon and it's suddenly gotten very quiet in the other room."
Derek chuckled, "That's usually not a good sign."
"You're telling me. The other day, Nora left him alone for a minute while she finished cooking dinner and he ended up knocking over the TV because he decided to play soccer in the house."
"Is the TV okay?"
"He cracked it in the corner of the screen but it wasn't too serious."
Derek recalled the time he and Casey had been left home alone for the weekend and knocked over the TV due to their meatloaf fight. He thought he was going to die when it wouldn't turn on, until he realized it was just unplugged. He never did tell Casey the real reason it started working again. He thought it was cute how she believed it was her moth-blood feminine powers that did it.
Casey… He shook his head to clear his mind and took another long sip of his drink, almost gagging as the liquid touched his taste buds. He never liked the bitter taste of beer and didn't drink it often because of that, but now he welcomed it with open arms if it would lend a hand in drowning his sorrows.
"I really hope you guys can come visit again soon. The only one we ever see now is Edwin, but that's because he just got a job in London and his girlfriend lives near the house. Lizzie's in Toronto and, just like Casey, hardly ever takes time off work to see us." Marti was saying and he could feel the sadness in her words.
"I promise that I will visit soon, with or without Casey."
"Well we'd prefer Casey join you, but ok. You better keep that promise."
He'd prefer Casey join him as well, but that was highly unlikely now, considering she was leaving for six months and endangering her life in a way she never has before.
Smash! A loud noise sounded from the other end of the phone, causing Marti to shriek in surprise.
"I gotta go, Derek! Simon just broke Nora's lamp in the living room. I'm so dead."
"See ya, Smarti. Good luck." He smirked, remembering a time he was Simon's age and causing chaos for his babysitters.
"I'll need it. Tell Casey I say hi if you see her. Love you!" The young teen said before the line went dead.
"I love you too." Derek breathed out with a sigh and placed his phone back in his pocket.
He lifted the mug to his lips and chugged down the rest of the bitter drink before wiping his mouth with his green shirtsleeve and contemplating his next move.
I can't let her go through with this…
Derek stood from the table with a slight wobble, set a couple bills underneath his cup and walked out the door of the bar with a new determination.
I need to stop Casey from leaving.
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Have a great day!