Well, it took me six months, but I finally got to the next chapter of this story. I do apologize. As you may or may not know, I had moved back to Chicago from Charlotte and I have been looking for employment ever since. It's been frustrating; I can't lie. I think even the people who were convinced I could find work up here in my hometown are surprised I haven't found any yet. I wish I knew what was going on, but I'm still putting out the resumes and doing whatever I can to find one.
I had given thought to both restarting this story and abandoning it entirely, sometimes within minutes of each other. But in the end, I decided I needed something to accomplish, something to concentrate on besides finding a job. Of course, given how I approach story-writing as if it's a job and not a fun hobby doesn't really help a lot. But somehow I got this latest chapter in, and I will try to finish the three chapters to follow in a shorter time period than six months.
In the meantime, enjoy this new chapter, and please leave a review if you can. It'd be a real pick-me-up, whether you think the story is good or not. Thanks!
Maypole Public House, Cambridge, UK
September 30, 2033
9:30 PM GMT
Samantha took in a long breath and exhaled it just as slowly. "Much better."
"I'll bet it feels good to not talk shop. Although I'm guessing we couldn't do that in here anyway."
"That would not be wise."
John laughed and raised his pint of lager to Samantha's, who clinked it with hers. They were far more relaxed than they were when Samantha arrived at John's college apartment. Fortunately, John and Samantha were experts at 'relaxing' each other, so they were in very good spirits when they arrived at the pub. The boisterous atmosphere of students reacquainting themselves with old friends in the pub before the first week of classes and the better-than-average band playing made the evening quite festive.
"So, enough about me. How have you enjoyed our fair country so far?" Samantha asked with that twinkle in her sky blue eyes that always put John in a good mood.
"I love it. It's been amazing so far. The area around campus is beautiful. I've even taken up jogging. Four kilometers yesterday and eight today."
"Really? I never would have guessed you doing that. Living in Los Angeles most of your life, I figured a place like this would be boring to you."
"I was afraid it might be, but I was wrong. This is as relaxed as I've felt in a long time. Besides, I'm not really the party-hard, adventurous type."
Samantha raised an eyebrow. "OK, I'll admit you're not one to get drunk and make an arse of himself. But given what we did when we met last March, not adventurous? I strongly disagree."
John humbly shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I don't jump off of buildings to relax at the end of a long day. That was a…special situation."
"Indeed it was." Samantha slid her chair closer to him. "So, no chance of joining me in the spy world?"
John looked at the ground. It was a question he thought about time and time again. "I don't know. It could be my parents talking, but they worked so hard to make sure I had a normal life, I'm afraid of disappointing them. They said they'd support me no matter what I decided, but I think I just want to live a quiet, normal life. Maybe be an engineer, like my father was."
John gently cupped Samantha's cheek in his hand. "Besides, the world has you to protect it, right?" Samantha laughed gently. "Jen Burton: Spy Girl."
"What?"
"Oops, I let the cat out of the bag. That's a videogame my dad's company is going to release in time for Christmas. Sort of like his other spy game, only a girl gets to be the hero."
Samantha smiled. "Let me guess: the girl looks a lot like your mother."
"Actually, she's a brunette. She bears a striking resemblance to Aunt Ellie." Samantha's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought that was weird, too, but Ellie tested better as a spy in the marketing trials."
"I'm tempted to buy a copy when it comes out," Samantha replied, her smile promoting itself to a full grin.
"I think you'll end up a bit disappointed. I mean, you've done all of that for real," John replied with an equal grin.
"True," Samantha replied as she leaned in closer to John. "So did you. You even got the girl in the end."
"Did I?" John moved closer as well.
"Absolutely," Samantha purred as her lips gently touched his. John's fingers gently caressed her long red hair as their kiss picked up in desire and want.
"Feel like hanging around here?" Samantha breathed heavily.
"Not really," John replied, equally worked up. "I'm not much of a drinker anyway. And I could never take advantage of a woman who didn't have her wits about her, so I better get you out of here before we get too drunk."
"Mmmm, you are always such a gentleman." Her hand slid under the table. "I'll have to fix that."
John gave a slight moan as the two of them got up from their chairs and walked out of the pub into the night air. They headed down the street, and Samantha pulled John into an alley just off of the main road. She pressed him up against the brick wall and attacked his mouth, her tongue flitting like a hummingbird's wings against his. She pressed her body against him and started to unbutton his shirt
"Mmm, I thought you wanted to go back to the apartment," John gasped as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Not going to make it," Samantha panted as she planted kisses along his neck and chest and started to undo his belt. "You're too damn cute and it's been too damn long."
Samantha grabbed the back of John's neck and drew his lips to hers, her tongue dancing inside of his mouth as she slipped her hand inside of his pants. John's eyes widened and looked back and forth to make sure no one was watching. Suddenly, he grabbed Samantha and turned her to the side, using his body to shield her as a projectile whistled past his ear and embedded itself into the brick wall.
"What the…" John stared at the projectile in shock before whipping his head around and catching a shadowy figure running from the alley. He took off after the person who almost hit Samantha, who was right on his heels. He turned a corner and was met by a kick to the face. He staggered forward and fell against the side of a building as he shook the cobwebs free. The assailant readied himself to take off again, but Samantha blocked his only avenue of escape. He took out a long knife and lunged at Samantha, who twirled to the side to avoid the knife then grabbed the man's wrist, smashing it against her knee to make him drop the knife. The man twisted his arm to grab Samantha's wrist, quickly reaching around to wrap his other arm around her neck and put her in a choke hold. He turned to pull her towards the street…and was met by John's fist. He staggered backwards and fell to the ground, releasing Samantha in the process. Something fell out of his jacket as he scrambled to get up. John and Samantha were poised to attack when the sound of gunshots filled the alley. The two ducked down as the man sprinted for the car at the end of the alley where the shots came from. He dove into the back seat, and the car took off.
John and Samantha ran to the street to spot the car but saw nothing. It didn't surprise Samantha, as the area had a maze of short streets that were effective in losing pursuers. But that didn't make it any less frustrating.
"Are you OK?" John asked her.
Samantha turned to him and reached into her pocket for some tissues, carefully wiping the blood from around John's nose. "Are you sure you don't want to be a spy?"
"I'm sure," he replied with a smile.
Samantha shook her head as she went back to retrieve the items their assailant dropped. "It's like keeping a Renoir in the garage," she muttered as she picked up the knife. She went to retrieve the other item that fell out of the man's coat. She stared at it and her face blanched.
"What's wrong?" John asked with rising concern.
Samantha showed him the tranquilizer gun she retrieved. "I have one just like this. They're issued by British Intelligence."
Redbridge, London, UK
September 30, 2033
11:00 PM GMT
Mr. Lightman looked over the notes he took while listening to the report his underling delivered regarding Samantha Collins and her boyfriend. He had already ordered the man to be liquidated, being as careless as he was to not only fail to capture Collins, but losing some valuable evidence in the process.
On the bright side, at least he knew why she went to Cambridge. She had a boyfriend there. It might have been a tired cliché to threaten a spy by going after someone close to them, but the opportunity presented itself so rarely, it was still something to keep in consideration. The fact that this man helped her fend off the attack was also enlightening. But the pièce de résistance was the report that the boyfriend spoke with an American accent. It felt like too much of a coincidence she would be involved in an American operation six months ago and then be dating an American who went to Cambridge. At the very least, Samantha Collins went to the front of the line for his organization.
He jotted down a few items and composed an email to Tyler Cook to poke around the systems at the DNI in Washington, D.C. He had to find out more about Samantha Collins and her time in the States. He then did a little research of his own. Samantha almost certainly wouldn't let this lie, and Mr. Lightman had to hope Samantha's brains were as good as her brawn. If they were, it would be a simple matter of creating the 'innocent victim' in all of this.
Mill Road, City Centre, Cambridge, UK
September 30, 2033
10:30 PM GMT
Samantha lay on the couch in John's apartment, curled up in his arms. They had not said much since returning, apart from grabbing a drink from John's refrigerator. Her mind was racing at a thousand miles per minute, and she didn't doubt John was feeling the same way. The frustration grew at not being able to put the pieces together.
"I think you have to tell your mother about this," John said gently.
"I can't. At least not yet. Besides, what can she do? Now we know for certain it's someone in British Intelligence. They're the only ones who have tranq guns like that."
"But you don't know who it is. It could be like you said before: someone went rogue. I think you should at least tell her what happened. Maybe she can help."
"I don't want to involve anybody else. What if this gets back to your parents? My mother might freak out, but that's nothing compared to what your parents would do."
"They would not freak out," John replied, a bit offended. "This is what they used to do for a living."
Samantha exhaled. "I'm sorry, John. I didn't mean to say that was a bad thing. I love your parents to death. I wanted to help rescue them when Shaw kidnapped them. But that's the thing. They're not spies anymore. They're regular parents who worry about their children. Look at everything they did and made other people do so that you and Emma wouldn't find out they used to work for the U.S. government. They wanted you to have a normal life. That was ruined once and I jeopardized it again tonight by seeing you."
John turned Samantha to face him and took her hands. "You did NOT jeopardize anything," he said with conviction. "You needed someone to talk to tonight, and I'm somebody you trust. That's all there is to it. I'm not worried about what happened to me tonight. I'm more worried about you."
Samantha looked down at the ground and squeezed his hands. "Just please promise me you won't tell them what happened. I have ways I can check on this. Let me work this out without putting you in danger."
"Sam…"
"Please, John! Promise me. I couldn't handle anything bad happening to you as it is. But knowing how much your parents would hurt if anything did…I…I couldn't live with that. Just…please let me work this out myself."
John stared at her for several seconds, but they felt like an eternity to Samantha. She was on the fence about telling John in the first place, and now the attack earlier in the evening was filling her with self-recrimination. She had no idea if she was in love with John, given she had never been in love with anyone in her life. I probably get that from my mother, she thought sourly. But she knew how important John was to her and she didn't want him put further in harm's way.
"OK," John finally said. "I promise I won't tell my parents. But YOU be careful. Do you think I could handle it if anything bad happened to you?"
Samantha nodded and smiled. "I know. Thank you, John," she said quietly as she slid her hands over his face. They shared a gentle but passionate kiss.
Samantha gently ran her fingers through John's hair. "Just to be on the safe side, I'm going to find a place to stay this weekend. It's probably a good idea to stay away from you for a few days."
She reached into her bag and took out a small device. She handed it to John. "Do me a favor, though. Keep this on you at all times."
"What is this?"
"It's a GPS-coded emergency callout. Press the red button, and it will alert me alone to your location. I'll try to call your cell phone, but short of that I'll come find you. Press the blue button, and the callout goes to MI:5. We use it for witnesses and defectors under our protection. That will dispatch law enforcement to wherever you are within minutes."
John nodded. "OK. I will."
Samantha pulled John to his feet and put her arms around him. "I'm going to head back to one of the pubs and call a taxi. With all of the taxis called when the bars close, I can blend in easily. I have to stay out of sight while I try to figure this out. Once I have, I'll come back, OK?"
"I understand," John replied, although his downcast expression made it clear he didn't like it.
Samantha gently caressed his face, her eyes welling a bit at seeing how much this hurt him. She gave him a soft kiss, holding him in her arms.
"I promise to return," she whispered in his ear. "You're a hard person to forget."
John smiled. "Please be careful."
"I will."
Samantha walked slowly towards the door. She took one look back at John, giving him a gentle wave, before exiting his apartment and walking downstairs to disappear off the grid. In this day and age, disappearing off the grid took a lot of effort and ingenuity, given how many surveillance cameras existed and how so many things were done with computers, even trying to find a run-down hotel in which to stay the night. Fortunately, Samantha's mother prepared her for this and set up a series of accounts and aliases not even British Intelligence knew about.
As she sat inside the bar and waited for her taxi, Samantha contemplated what she needed to do next. Trying to investigate the people after her would tip them off, so she needed help. Someone she could trust. She had only one friend inside MI:5 and that person wasn't even an agent yet. Still, Michelle might be able to check a few things for her she couldn't do herself.
Her options were limited. She had to find out who was after her.
Tottenham Street, West End, London, UK
October 3, 2033
10:00 AM GMT
Natasha Herbert took a look around the neighborhood. The overburdened British taxpayer surely would not have loved to hear locally-stationed agents lived in such an expensive area of London, but there was a strategy to it. Agents always lived in the areas where they would either work the most or blend in the best. Older agents and married couples were placed in family-friendly neighborhoods. Agents who could pass for college students typically wore hoodies and sweats all day and lived near UCL. But for high-profile agents like Samantha Collins and her, they were always within a stone's throw of the nightlife.
She found the three-flat and pulled her hat low so the surveillance cameras wouldn't get a picture of her face. She picked it out not only for its practicality, but for the fact it was quite the fashion these days, which would make her even less distinctive to anyone walking by. Tyler Cook had already programmed an access card to get her into Samantha Collins' flat. She walked up the stairs and entered. True to what Mr. Lightman predicted, the flat looked like nobody had been in it for several days.
Herbert walked into the bedroom and found her quarry. Most rookie agents were so afraid to make themselves stand out in their personal lives; they almost always chose a floor safe based on the recommendations of older, more experienced agents. This would be excellent advice…assuming an expert safecracker like Herbert wasn't after something in the safe. Herbert put on a pair of gloves and attached a device to the safe. The locked was picked within seconds, and Herbert opened the safe. She took out Samantha's Agency-issued sidearm and a magazine of ammunition. She placed it in a plastic bag and stuffed it in her purse. She locked the safe and removed the device. She quickly walked out of the apartment, knocking over an umbrella lying propped against the wall. She put the umbrella back and went down the stairs, exiting the building and finding a taxi to take her to Redbridge.
The first half of the hook was set. They now had to wait for Samantha Collins to make her move.
Mill Road, City Centre, Cambridge, UK
October 3, 2033
6:00 PM GMT
Both of his parents…indeed, every last person whom John knew that had attended college…told him the same thing: the first few days could be intimidating, no matter how successful you were in high school.
They were right on target. And worrying about Samantha didn't make things better.
John had barely listened through his first few classes. Although the professors mostly gave out the syllabi for the courses and verified students had the correct texts, John still had a hard time concentrating. Everything that happened over the weekend still weighed on his mind, particularly whether or not Samantha was OK. Even the daily jog he took through the campus couldn't get his mind off of Samantha being in trouble. And not being able to do anything about it frustrated him all the more.
He looked at the reheated parmesan chicken and noodles his mother made for him last week, which he had been pushing around for the last hour. He dropped the fork in the dish in disappointment. He wasn't in much of a mood for dinner. He had to do something, but he wanted to keep his promise not to tell his parents about Samantha's problems.
Suddenly he froze. I didn't promise I wouldn't tell anybody else, he suddenly thought.
He briefly chided himself for not thinking of this sooner. After all, they had resources at their disposal, and they would ensure he'd stay out of trouble. And if his parents HAD to be told of this, they could convince them he tried to stay out of it and do what was best.
He got out his iComm and made the call. It was good to have friends in high places. And short of the President himself, Alex Forrest-Slade was as high up as you could get.
Ferguson Hall, MI-5 Headquarters, London
October 3, 2033
6:00 PM GMT
Samantha knocked on the dorm room door. She knew Michelle came home from the gym at about this time just before heading down to the cantina for a quick meal and studying. She felt a bit guilty about asking for her help when the two of them had entered training together and she was already in the field, but she didn't have a lot of options.
Michelle opened the door. "Sam, what are you doing here?"
"Can we talk for a minute?"
Michelle furrowed her brow at the look of worry on Samantha's face. Their last conversation was far more playful, given they were busting each other's chops about where they were headed next.
"Sure. Come in."
Samantha quickly went inside, and Michelle closed the door. "I'm sorry to bother you like this, but I don't really have anyone I can trust with this."
"You're an agent and you don't have anyone you can trust?" Michelle asked with a smirk. "Were you asleep the first day of training?"
"I'm serious, Michelle. I can't even trust anybody in MI:5."
"What's wrong?"
-/^\-
"John, you're putting us in a bad spot."
"I know, Aunt Alex, and I'm sorry. But Samantha wanted to do this without telling her mother or my parents. I'm worried she might be in over her head if she's right."
"You're probably in trouble, too," Jimmy said as Alex and he talked to John. "If they followed her to Cambridge, it won't take them long to figure out she's dating you. I think we have to tell them."
"Please don't. This isn't Sam's fault. How was she to know this would happen? My parents would never forgive her for putting me in danger."
"John, they won't take it out on her. She didn't put you in danger. If there's some organization smart enough to stay hidden inside of British Intelligence, they would have found you eventually. Your parents would understand that."
John exhaled. "Look, all they can do is worry. You two have the resources to do something about this. Can't…can't you two take care of this without involving them? They've been through enough already this year. Please?"
The spy couple looked at each other. John had a point. Had he talked to his parents directly, they would have called Alex and Jimmy anyway. John was just saving a step. Both of them had enough connections to find out what was going on without spooking the bad guys, if they really were working inside the SIS.
"OK, John. We'll look into it discreetly," Alex replied. "In the meantime, don't contact Samantha. Go to classes like you don't know what's going on. If they don't think you know anything, they'll probably stay away for now. Keep an eye out to see if anybody is watching you, and let us know right away if they are."
"I will."
"Remember, don't do ANYTHING," Jimmy repeated. "Let us handle this. And if you're even in the slightest hint of danger, you don't keep it to yourself. Got it?"
"Yes, Uncle Jimmy."
"Bye, John," Alex said and hung up the phone. John was relieved. He wouldn't have been surprised if Alex and Jimmy had told his parents; a small part of him even wished they did. But his parents had done so much for Emma and him to lead a normal life free from the dangers they faced when they were younger, and he didn't want them dragged through it once again. Whatever was going on in British Intelligence, he hoped they could figure it out and stop it so Samantha's life wouldn't be in danger.
He decided not to be a part of that world, but he definitely wanted Samantha to be a part of his.
-/^\-
"I can't believe it. I mean, I heard a few rumors, but…"
Michelle sat there in shock at the information Samantha gave her about being attacked at Cambridge.
"What can I do?" Michelle asked.
"See what you can find out. I can't start poking around here and investigating; whoever this is would find out in an instant. I don't know, maybe ask a few questions here and there or see what you can find on the computers."
"Sam, I'm still a student here."
"Yeah, but weren't you dating that guy in the IT department? See if he'll give you a hand."
"OK, I will."
Samantha gave Michelle a hug. "Thank you. I owe you one."
Samantha quickly left Ferguson Hall so she wouldn't be spotted. However, the building had been under surveillance for several days. And her arrival was expected.
Serafino's Restaurant, Mayfair, London
October 6, 2033
7:00 PM GMT
Michelle looked around nervously. The table Samantha told her to wait at was secluded, just like she said in her text message. She didn't have much to report, although the guy she was dating in the IT department did say he was checking on a couple of unusual activities in the computer systems.
She looked towards the back door of the restaurant, wondering if it was such a good idea to just wait. She turned back, but the only thing she saw was the figure in front of her and the gun aimed at her head. It was the last thing she would ever see.
Natasha Herbert lowered the gun she took from Samantha Collins' apartment. She stood for a moment looking down at the body of Michelle Jarvis as the blood began to pool out from the back of her head. She stepped over the body and walked out the back door, grateful the large crowd at the restaurant meant nobody could have singled her out.
Samantha Collins arrived at Serafino's three minutes later as Michelle's email requested. At least, the email she thought was from Michelle. She made her way to the back of the restaurant where Michelle would be. Her blood felt like it was ice cold, and she began to shake.
"No…" she cried quietly at seeing her friend lying dead in front of her. Tears streamed down her face as she stepped forward gingerly. She then saw the gun on the floor. She grabbed a napkin and picked it up.
Oh, my God, she thought as she saw the registration number of the gun. The same gun MI-5 issued to her last month.
A high-pitched scream and the breaking of plates on the floor made her jump. She turned around to see several patrons and employees staring at her in shock. One of them immediately got on their iComm to call the police. Samantha immediately ran out the back door of the restaurant and disappeared into the crowded Mayfair streets.
After getting at least two kilometers away from the restaurant, she ducked into an alley and slumped against the building. She was losing the battle to keep her emotions in check. Michelle was killed because she asked for her help. And leaving Samantha's gun at the crime scene meant they were trying to frame her for the murder. She didn't know what the hell was going on, but any chance she had of finding out was gone. She was a fugitive.
It was the last thing she wanted to do, but he was her only friend now.
Mill Road, City Centre, Cambridge, UK
October 7, 2033
1:00 AM GMT
The trip from London to Cambridge took only ninety minutes under normal circumstances, but this night was as far from normal as it could be. Samantha used every means at her disposal to get there without being caught, even hitchhiking a ride from an older couple who thought her car had broken down.
She knocked on the door. To her surprise, John answered right away.
"Are you OK?" a relieved John asked.
Samantha stood there wanting to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. She began to shake uncontrollably. John wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.
"It's OK, Sam. It's OK," John said gently as he held onto her.
"Oh God, John. Michelle's dead. She's dead because of me," Samantha wailed. "Someone murdered her and pinned it on me. My issued sidearm was there."
"I know, Sam. I know."
Suddenly Samantha stopped shaking and looked at him. "How could you possibly know?"
"Do you remember when I promised not to tell my parents anything?" Samantha nodded. "Well, technically, I kept to that promise. However…"
John gently steered Samantha into the apartment and closed the door behind them. They walked into the living room area, and Samantha's mouth dropped open in shock.
Chuck, Sarah, Casey, Gertrude, Alex, and Jimmy were waiting for them.