Well, two updates in two weeks? You guys are lucky! I've just had some spare time to myself. Finally. Hopefully, the next installments will be just as fast! And perhaps once the action gets going, you're going to get longer chapters! But not as long as the prologue, I promise!
Without further a due, here it is!
Perhaps sitting in a bland cubicle wasn't so bad after all.
Leon had been suppressing aggravated moans all day. His feet were sore, the suit he was wearing was possibly three times too small, and he was bored. Extremely bored. He picked at the wired earpiece in an angry fashion. The stupid thing had been hurting the inside of the agent's ear after mere minutes of putting it in that morning. And the sunglasses. Oh, the sunglasses. Personally, Leon hated the vile contraptions. But, he was required to wear them.
There were hundreds of other things bothering the poor agent. The main ones being the young woman in front of him bustling with unnatural energy, and the vast array of shopping bags hooked onto his arms. Leon frowned behind his sunglasses as the woman grabbed his sleeve, tugging him deeper within the enormous mall.
"Oh! Leon, you HAVE to see this cute dress I saw in one of my catalogs! It's so gorgeous!" Ashley practically screamed. This time, the agents groan went unsuppressed.
"Can we put these in the car first? I've been carrying this crap for hours." He moaned. The woman giggled at his plea.
"Oh, common Leon. I've seen you do so much more than carry my groceries! Put that muscle to good use." Leon glared at her until her smile faded. "Oh fine. We aren't going to be much longer anyway." Ashley pouted, instinctively making her way to the nearest exit. The agent was slightly amused that she knew her was around so well in such an obnoxiously large place.
The pair shouldered their way through the crowd. Leon keep a very close proximity to Ashley so she wouldn't leave him lost in the array of people. After fighting with the sea of shoppers, the bitter outside air smacked them in the face. A few men in identical apparel to Leon stood around the door and spotted down the sidewalks. All turned heads as soon as the couple began their journey to Leon's state-issued vehicle. Though he had his own car, it was protocol to drive one of the very many agency cars while transporting the president's daughter place-to-place. Leon himself was not a big fan of muscle cars, but he couldn't say no to the newest model of the Dodge Charger family. The shiny black 2005 model sat proudly amongst the other, seemingly-less-spectacular, cars.
The agent clicked the unlock button on his keys and threw his cargo in the back seat. Ashley crossed her arms in the chilly weather, looking skyward. A large storm system was rolling in rather quickly, bringing with it sleet and freezing rain. Retreating from situating everything, the blonde looked toward the woman beside him. He followed her gaze to the gloomy sky.
"Well, I guess we should go ahead and get back," Ashley sighed. Disappointment was obvious in her voice. Leon quirked an eyebrow.
"You sure?" He simply responded. The agent silently pleaded she would say yes.
"Yeah… the weather people say this storm is going to be a doozy," she lowered her gaze to the back windshield of the car as Leon silently rejoiced. "I can get that dress tomorrow or something."
"Alright then. Hop in." The ex-cop suggested as he opened his own door, fiddling with his key as the teen made her way to the passenger seat. He hopped in after her, immediately starting the car. It roared to life in an instant and Leon was pulling out of the parking lot just as fast.
Leon took a particularly long drag off of his cigarette as he watched the snow fall onto the lawn of the White House. The weather report had turned out to be inaccurate yet again, and so snow was falling gently onto the South Lawn. The exhausted agent sipped his warm coffee slowly and set it onto the table. He was currently in the break room, on the first break he had been on all day. Watching over Ashley didn't seem like it would be too terribly difficult, but somehow he was wore down to the point that he wanted to fall down and sleep wherever he hit the ground. And it was only five-fifteen in the afternoon.
The blonde hit his cigarette again, sighing out the smoke. He thanked whatever deity that reigned over Earth that his break was an hour long. He glanced out the frosty window yet again to see the accumulating snow building up quite nicely and frowned. The agent wasn't likely going to be able to get back to his apartment very fast. Or at all perhaps. He shook his head. He would just cross that bridge when he came to it, which would roughly be another five hours. For now, he focused on his smoke.
Leon had given it up right before Raccoon City seven years ago, and recently picked it back up. Why, he really didn't know. But it was the same brand as before, Marlboro Red 100s in the soft pack. It just held the taste he preferred. Leon had tried many brands and this one was his. As he puffed on his shortening cigarette, he wiped the window rather hastily. With a streak in the fogged up window, he continued to watch the increasing snowfall.
He leaned back in his chair and stretched. The break room wasn't fancy, but it was better than most. It was basically a small kitchen with a few vending machines and even a dish washer. Leon glanced at the few appliances and grabbed his coffee mug for another sip of his cooling coffee. To his dismay, it was cold. He didn't mind though, the agent made his coffee specifically so it would taste good hot or not. Sipping the cold drink, he again placed down the mug. Leon cast his glance yet again out the window and stuffed his cigarette in his mouth, holding it with his lips and crossing his arms behind his head.
"First day back on the job… I miss my cubicle."
Winchester, Virginia was a historical, busy city. Small, but its inhabitants certainly kept it alive.
Among the old, landmark buildings, was a new generation bar. While the rest of city had quieted down for the night, the small pub held a number of tired, honest workers winding down from a hard day's work. Among them was a passerby, also relaxing from a difficult day. The woman wore a simple black tight fit tee-shirt and just as tight black jeans. She perched on one of the small stools at the main bar, sipping a cocktail.
The woman sighed heavily as she grabbed her coat from the stool beside her. People constantly walking in and out caused a nasty draft. She lugged the fluffy coat up over her arms almost immediately feeling its warmth. Her short black bangs danced at her eyebrows as another customer entered the pub and allowed the chilly breeze to stray in with him.
Ada sighed and slumped back over the bar, staring at her cocktail. The brown, rum-based drink sat motionless, waiting for her luscious lips to sip on it. Looking at the alcoholic beverage made her feel slightly hypocritical, remembering what she had done to Leon's liquor cabinet. Then again, she wasn't a 'comfort drinker' that drank to forget, but rather an occasional one. So, the Eurasian shrugged off the thought and picked up her glass. Ada sipped it delicately as if drinking the most exotic of drinks, and set the glass down soundlessly. Not that it would matter. Country music played loudly, but softly enough to just barley cover the loud conversations of the locals.
"Hey there Miss," a younger looking boy came up beside her, propping an elbow on the counter. He gave a shy smile as Ada acknowledged his presence with something short of a glare. Obviously, her stare unnerved his confidence. The man scratched the back of his head nervously in result, ruffling is flame-red hair. "Uh, you mind if I uh… join you?"
Ada slowly smiled at the boy. "Sure, if you must," she responded. He took the empty stool beside her quickly and glanced at the bartender.
"Hey Shaun, lemme get a beer, woudja?" The man spoke in a thick southern accent. Ada tended to her drink as he returned his attention to her. "So, I'm Josh," he said with his confidence coming back. The spy smiled curtly at him.
"Kelly, Kelly Stringer." She responded. Country boy or not, Ada did not take chances with real names anymore. She was on an assignment and knowledge of her presence wasn't an option. Josh smiled at her. Perhaps he thought he was getting somewhere with her. The spy repressed a laugh. He was cute, but he had no chance.
"Kelly, huh? That's a pretty name miss. I uh, don't believe I've seen you 'round these parts. Where ya from?" The redhead piped, taking a chug from the beer freshly placed in front of him. The spy bit her lip for a moment, conjuring up a story quickly.
"Well, just passing through. I'm headed to Ohio for business. I started in Florida so I thought I'd bunker down in a quite place for the night and get going in the morning." She stated quickly. Deep details weren't necessary for nobodies.
"Ohio?" He laughed and mocked surprise, "Thatsa long drive for a lovely lady all by herself, don'cha' think?" Josh stated with an obvious growing ego. Ada cocked an eyebrow as he sipped his beer again. "Thatsa shame. You don think you can stay a lil' longer? I'd be happy to show ya our lil' town." Ada laughed at his attempts of smooth talk.
"I was under the impression this was a city, cowboy." Josh's composure faltered slightly and a small brush crept across his face. "Although, the offer is sweet of you, I have a deadline to keep. I'm very sure my employers would be most displeased if I showed up late, don't you think?" She smiled seductively at the redhead and took another sip of her drink. Josh turned to his beer, taking a few hefty chugs before placing it back onto the sticky bar.
"Well, maybe… I can make yer stay a lil' more… enjoyable?" The man gave her a smile that gave her a very uncomfortable vibe. Ada glared at the redhead intently.
"Well, maybe I prefer to go back to my hotel room alone. Josh." Josh's composure changed greatly at the rejection, turning from a shy little to slightly more dangerous. Ada sighed lowly in response.
"Kelly," He grabbed the spy's arm harshly, "I don think you heard me very well, Miss. I said that maybe I can make yer stay a lil' more enjoyable." Josh gave a hard squeeze that only prompted a heavier glare from the Eurasian woman.
"Let go of me. You just might regret not doing so." Ada snapped in a calm, yet deadly tone. The redhead let the threat bounce off as he jerked her off of the stool. The commotion within the bar ceased as everyone turned heads to the scene. Ada paid them no mind and continued to stare at her assailant. The spy yanked her arm from his grip, which he quickly returned. Ada let out a frustrated laugh.
"That was a mistake. A bad one at that." In a flash, Ada wrenched herself from his vice again and gracefully performed a fan kick to his face. As Josh fell, the spy silently complemented herself at performing such a feat in such an enclosed area. Without wasting any time, she whipped out her beloved blacktail from the inside of her jacket as the redhead attempted to retaliate.
Josh froze as he stared down the barrel of the woman's gun. He felt his heart skip a beat as she glared menacingly down at him.
"I would suggest staying put, cowboy." Ada cooed daringly. Keeping her eyes on him, she pulled out a crisp twenty dollar bill and slapped it on the counter. "Keep the change." She said monotonously as she made her way to the door, holstering her gun as the frigid winter air hit her face. As a chill crept down her spine, the spy slowly made her way through the snow towards her hotel.
Ada sighed tiredly as the snow fell heavily around her, "I am so sick of backwater hick towns."