Chapter 2
We retraced our steps down the hallway, until we were back to the main hallway. This hallway is the center of the SAF. All the hallways for everything, CAPs, IT, OPD, all meet up in the circular room.
Pausing for a second, I turned around to see Raisa spinning in circles, giggling. I cleared my throat as a warning. She stopped and I heard her teeth clench together as she looked around nervously before looking at me.
"I'm sorry, really I am." Raisa whined, she began lacing her fingers through her hair and twisting it.
"Why don't I follow you to the CAP building? Maybe then you can worry about where your going instead of acting like an untrained puppy." I sighed. She pondered the thought, weighing her options. Playing with her hair while following me? Or getting us lost trying to find her way around.
"Sure I'll do it." She agreed, stepping in front of me she continued down the hallway and started on tangent about a letter she got saying her younger sister learned how to ride a bike. I followed her as we walked across the hallway to the panel door that read CAP. I suck my card into the slot, and the door open. We walked through it and marched down the hallway.
"Hey Eva, lets work as a team this week and get to know each other," she declared, stopping to look back at me, "By the way what are we doing today?"
"This week we are working as assistants to the CAPs. We will be working with the CAPs that will one day join the Operations Division. It's our job to talk to them and help train them along with the professors." I beckoned her to follow me through a door on the right hand side of the hallway. "The younger CAPs are housed behind bars and there are four to a cell."
"Jeez, it's just like a prison." Raisa whispered and we walked down the long dingy hallway where the CAPs lived. The walls were lined with cells, filled with sleeping children no older than seven or eight.
I reached for my gun that was strapped to my thigh. I pulled it out, letting my hand slide over the cold black handle of the gun, remembering the terrors I had faced with it. I have been on many missions and I've killed too many to count with it. When I was a CAP I was always taught that you can trust anyone and your best friends are the bullets inside your gun.
"Eva! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? PUT THAT AWAY!" Raisa gasped, trying to grab the gun from me. I pulled the gun out of her reach.
"I am doing my job." I answered, holding my gun next to one of the bars on the cell.
"Why do you need to kill these kids? Eva!" she choked. I looked at her with bewilderment. She really thinks I am going to kill someone. I grip my gun tight and start walking down the rows of cells, dragging my gun across the bars. I begin to scream at the young CAPS as they woke up.
"For all of you who have been complaining because you haven't gotten a task yet or want to move up in rank, you now know why you haven't. You are all beginners if you didn't wake up to Raisa and I talking! As an agent you must always be on your guard! You don't sleep you 'light sleep' so you wont be killed in your bed. I could have shot half of you dead before most of you would know what was happening!" I smiled and turned around to see the look on Raisa's face. She looked dumbfounded and a little embarrassed.
I turned and walked towards Raisa, Signaling her to open the doors. She turned and walked back to the doorway where an old rusty lever was attached to the wall. Raisa gave me a look that said ' Is this it?' I stopped and looked at her as if she had asked me if dogs had fur or feathers. I nodded and she wrapped her hands around it and pushed it down with all of her might.
The barred doors on all of the cells, slid back and the CAPS lined up, waiting for orders to go to the showers. Raisa stepped into a corner waiting for me. I stared off into space, re-playing the last five minutes in my mind. Why did she question me? Why did she say killing was bad?
"Eva…" Raisa tilted her head. I snapped out of my thoughts and fixed my eyes on her. Raisa stood up straight and met my gaze.
"The CAPS, have breakfast now as do we. Lets go to the cafeteria, alright?" The words fell out of my mouth in bits and pieces. Raisa nodded, and walked out the doorway. I followed her out, our footsteps once again muffled by carpeting.
Once we were away from the CAP dorms, I decided to make my move. I n a blink I was next to Raisa, I looped my arm around hers and threw her against the wall. Her hair fell out of her ponytail and she tried to scream. I covered her mouth with my hand and pinned her against the wall, my arm against her throat. Her golden eyes stared into mine, and I could see the fear in them. I leaned close to her.
"Who are you, really?" I whispered in her ear. Raisa's eye grew wider. I took my hand off of her mouth to let her answer.
What do you mean, I-I am Raisa!" She cried, looking at me for mercy. I pushed her hard into the wall again!
"Don't lie to me, I was told that we were getting new agents from the CAP training facilities! This is the OPD. Killing is what we do! So why did you question my actions back there? Anyone that comes out of CAP training shouldn't be fazed by death! So who are you?" I couldn't hold back and screamed those words at her.
"I-I was-n't in CAP training I-I was in a different training." Raisa sobbed, trying to get loose of my hold. A tall, gangly man walked through the panel door and strolled past us. I leaned even closer to Raisa.
"Do you think I am stupid? There is only one training program in the SAF and that is CAP! Every person you see here is a CAP!" I hissed at her and lessened my grip on her. Then I realized Raisa must be somewhat afraid of guns. I reached down to my gun holster, letting the tips of my fingers touch my gun. She whimpered and tears began to stream from her eyes.
"NO!" She screamed, " I'M THE HEADS DAUGHTER!"
"Wha!" I gasped and jumped back off her. She slid down the wall coughing and sputtering. "Your one of the heads daughters! Why didn't you say so?" I bellowed. I don't even know what how describe how I felt, pissed, shocked, flabbergasted?
"I couldn't tell anyone! I would get in trouble because I didn't go through training. And what do you mean everyone is a CAP? That's not what Lena said!" Raisa choked, trying to catch her breath. I stood up and offered her my hand, she took it and I pulled her up.
"I'll explain everything in the cafeteria." I said, Raisa rubbed her neck, the color in her face was slowly returning. Then she burst into tears again. "What?" I asked
"That's one interesting way to start a day," She blubbered. "I would never want to be your enemy. You are scary!" She looked up at me with a teary face, Her mascara streaming down her cheeks. I shifted a little in my stance. All I could do was shake my head and keep walking to the cafeteria. Raisa followed after me in the circular room. We took the hallway to our right, which was the main hallway that leads to our dorms and the cafeteria. "You know Eva, you can still talk to me. Pretend like nothing happened, ok? I forgive you."
I speed up my pace. The sound of my boots against the concrete echoed loud enough so I wouldn't have to listen to Raisa incessant blabbering. Finally, we came to the cafeteria. It was filled with agents. David was sitting with Lena next to some guys from Company Security Cover team.
Raisa came up behind me and grabbed my arm. " Look Eva," I batted her arm away.
"Raisa nothing has changed, I don't feel what I did back there was wrong! Now, go get some breakfast I'll grab us a table, ok?"
Raisa took a deep breath, "fine," she said and walked over to the bagel counter. I looked for a table in the crowds of people. In a small corner there was a black leather booth. I edged between people and tables. I reached the back table and sat down to wait for Raisa I looked down at the patterns on the tabletop and traced them with my index finger. As I traced them I felt someone else's legs hit mine as they slid into the both. When I looked up it was David's face looking back at me.
He slid me a cup of coffee across the table. I took hold of the cup and brought it to my lips. I closed my eyes and breathed it in, the strong smell and warmth refreshed me. I took a sip and felt it go down my throat and spread through my body.
"Feels good doesn't it?" He spoke in a soft resonating tone. " You don't look to good. Raisa giving you trouble?" His tired eyes were fixed on me, waiting for my response.
"You aren't looking to good yourself. Anyway shouldn't you be with Lena?" I asked him, ignoring his Raisa question. David chuckled a little and looked over his shoulder nervously. He turned back and leaned close to me.
"I am trying to avoid her." He whisper, his coffee breath hit me full in the face. I sat back from him a bit. "I thought you were a little brat, but man, Lena is horrible! Never mind that though, that's not why I am here."
" Then why are you here? I breathed, a smirk spread across his face and I noticed, that he hadn't shaved in a while.
"I was just wondering if my little ice Princess made a new friend, with Raisa?" He raised an eyebrow hoping to get an answer out of me. He poked me in the head. I swatted his hand away and stuck my tongue out at him like a kid.
"First of all, I am not your little princess! And second, she is not my friend!" I corrected him.
"What? Are you doing the whole 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' type thing?'
"No, I am doing the 'pretend to be her friend, make her feel close to me and in the end use her' thing." I smiled a bit and he put his head in his hand.
"And how is that working for you?" He said, obviously not happy with what I said.
"I don't know David, you fell for it pretty easily. So I guess, good." I teased, the color drained from his face. It looked like he wanted to slap me.
"Geez Eva you have a block of ice instead of a heart!" I gave him my kind, puppy dog look, the next thing I knew he had completely recovered and was calling me cute and pulling on my face.
"Arggg, stob bit, DAVID STOB!" He was now on the table poking me and pulling my cheek. We both stopped and slowly looked up. Raisa was standing over us, holding her breakfast tray. David and I both slunk back into our seats, like two kids on a time out. And then we heard it, a high pitch voice shouting
"David, David, Oh there you are." Lena had found us and was skipping over to the table. David's expression went from pleasant to stone cold. He leaned over the table and cupped his hand next to his mouth.
"Hide me!" He whispered desperately, but before he could even move, she had already latched her self on to his arm like a blood sucking leach.
"Come on little Davy poo, the CSC guys want you back, and so do I!" Lena cooed. She pulled him out of the booth and began to march him back to the table I saw them at earlier. David looked back one last time and mouthed the words 'help me.' I shook my head and looked at Raisa who had just sat down and was digging into her breakfast.
"So you want to know how everyone is a CAP, right?" I asked her. All she could manage was a "ung Hun" through her bits of food she was choking down.
"Well, I might as well tell you. First you should know there are three types of CAPs. Then are the O. CAPS, which are what Lena so vividly described to you. O. CAPs are ORIGINALS that have been in the SAF's CAP program since childhood. Then there are the L CAPs, L. CAPs are LONG TERM CAPS they are usually the sons and daughters of older members in the SAF and they already know quite a lot about the field they want to go into. Lastly there are the S. CAPs. S. CAP are SHORT TERM a.k.a SUBSTITUTE CAPs. That program is for people that are going to do most of there training within the division they intend to join, or they are people who where once KGB spies and need little training." I stopped to take a breath and to see if Raisa was satisfied with everything.
She sat there with her head in her hand, just taking in everything I said. "So," she said in a dreamy voice. " Then what is the SAF doing? I mean I know we are the good guys right? And the Russian government is the jerks, they don't care about the people and all that, but what is the SAF doing to stop that?"
I took another sip of my coffee, which I am amazed didn't spill in all the commotion. I thought of a way to answer this question, I don't quite know the answer myself. "Remember WORLD WAR 3?" I ask.
"Yeah I remember that war, it was started by the Americans. They had that whole war against terrorism and it turned in to another world war. How could anyone forget?" Raisa answered with a tone of arrogance in her voice.
I continued. "Yeah, well in that war you remember that every country was trying to expand and take more land. Well after that war, a lot of first world countries like France, America, Germany and so on and so forth, decided the best way to protect their military information and all of their countries dirty little secrets, was to store everything on a tiny little micro chip. Russia was also one of the countries to grow during that war and make a chip. And Russia's military force is now strong enough to the point where the SAF cannot challenge them without help. So the OPD's job along with all the other divisions in the SAF is to steal these chips from other countries and use them some how to get these other countries to help us overthrow Russia's government." I took another sip of my coffee, which was getting cold. Raisa sighed, laced her fingers together, and cracked her knuckles.
"No offense, that's interesting, but what time is it? Aren't we supposed to meet the CAPs for there first class?" Raisa wondered, as she looked around for a clock. I looked at my watch and she was right, it was 8:00. We have a training session for the CAPs for class.
"You're right we should go." I stood up and Raisa started cleaning up her mess.
"Let me clean this up I'll met you at the door, ok?" she said hurriedly, while throwing her stuff together. I walked over to the trashcan and threw away my cup. As I walked to the exit I was stopped by Lena's 'cute' little voice.
"Hey! Hey you garbage lady! Could you clean this up for us…Oh sorry it's Eva." Lena sat on top of a table with her legs crossed surrounded by some newly recruited boys. I quietly closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Lena is the type of person I despise. She thinks she is queen of the world, but in reality she was know idea what is out there and some should teach her.
"There you go again, all quiet with you nose suck up in the air, you arrogant little bitch!" Lena shouted after me. I opened my eyes, with a new plan in mind. I strolled over to her table with grace. Crossing my arms around my midriff, I let my eyes met hers.
"You know Lena your right. See I have this little problem. This morning I am supposed to help with CAP training but that is hard to do with out a partner. And we all know Raisa is kind of well, pathetic." I titled my head, watching everyone's silent expression. " What I am really trying to say is, will you help me today?" David stood up and looked at me trying to see what I was getting into. I winked at him, and he smiled.
Lena cleared her throat trying to keep her cool, "Well it's not like I am shocked or scared or anything, I always knew you would come begging to me for something. I guess I could do this demo practice thing with you, if it's ok with my Little Dav"
David jumped to his feet again, cutting her off " David, I mean 'I' think it's a great Idea." He proclaimed, I watched as Lena almost choked on her on spit. She then nodded slowly while throwing David a nasty side-glance. He just shrugged and smiled.
Lena jumped off the table and walked towards me. She leaned next to my ear and whispered. "Lets turn this 'demo' into a little competition. A real fight, hand-to-hand combat. Just to let the little CAPs get a feel for the real world. Don't get too cocky 'Eva,' you can't win." She took a step back and signaled for her new little boy army to follow her.
"Come on everyone watch me teach that little CAP… I mean those little CAPs a lesson." She shouted and all the newbies followed her out.
I hung back and spotted Lui at a table in the middle of the room. He was sitting at the table with members from the Intelligence and technology division, and he looked as if he was going to cry from boredom. " Oy Lui, Lena is going to 'help' me with the training practice for the CAPs, and Lena wants you to come watch!" I shouted across the room, Lui along with e every one of the long time members of the SAF looked up at me, and burst into laughter.
I have been around the SAF for a long time since I was about three years old, so about fourteen, fifteen years. A lot of people know me. They also know quite skilled when it comes to hand to hand combat. Lena, I should warn you that just staked your life on the line.