by Sara Schoen
“Night Stripe! I need your help here,” Siren screamed over the sound of the approaching helicopters, directing her toward a body lying in the grass.
I didn’t waste any time. I took off, only to see Rum. Her clothes drenched in blood, torn and ripped to shreds. A knife was jabbed into her side and she had a bullet wound to her right leg and left shoulder. I did the only I could. I made a makeshift turner kit by ripping the bottom of her shirt and tying it a few inches above the bullet wound as tightly as I could. Hopefully that slows the bleeding until she can make it to the hospital, I thought as a helicopter landed beside us. My hair flew in every direction, but I ignored it as I helped another agent and a medic get Rum into the helicopter. Once she was safe, I ran to the next agent who needed help and repeated the process as quickly as we could manage.
Though after the shock wore off and more agents were transported to nearby hospitals and some to CIRA. We were still missing one person; Fire Fox.
While I had gotten my brother back, I lost another family member. No one had seen him, and no one knew what happened to him. I didn’t know what to think. It’s great to have Sandstorm back, but...I glanced toward Spit Fire’s table to see him joining them with a large smile on his face. He looked the same, but I knew years in the field, undercover no less, could change a person. I had been giving a second chance to have my brother, but after being alone for so long, we didn’t need each other anymore. I had traded my uncle for my brother, but felt as if I should be seeing Fire Fox here.
“I’m glad it worked out. Even if we did take a few bad hits.” Renegade squeezed my hand again, bringing my attention back to him.
I nodded and smiled at him. “I am too. We’ll recover. It will just take time...” Renegade’s words echoed in my mind. Time that we may not have...
Chapter 5
Tossing and turning wasn’t helping me get into a comfortable position. It seemed to only make me more restless. The red glow from the clock on my bedside table only reminded me that I never wanted to see what two a.m. looked like ever again. For whatever reason, sleep wasn’t happening tonight. I usually fall asleep almost instantly and then sleep like the dead, but my mind was too busy trying to process everything over the last few days, not to mention the last few months. Between the compound raid going horribly, finding Sandstorm and losing Fire Fox on the same day, the mole, and Seeker attacking Fire Fix and leaving him somewhere. I couldn’t trust everyone in CIRA, which meant I couldn’t relax enough to sleep.
Without trust, I examined every micro movement and every word someone said throughout the day. Without trust, I was on guard all day even with the small team I had confidence in. Without trust, I was right back in the same dark place I was in before joining CIRA. I couldn’t shake it and wouldn’t be able to until we figured out who the mole is. Though I doubt I could do that from my bed...
I glanced at the clock to see it slowly move towards three a.m. “Fuck it,” I muttered to myself as I shoved the covers off me and got out of bed. “Maybe a walk will let me think through everything.” I left my shoes behind, opting to walk barefoot in shorts and short sleeves.
I shut my door as quietly as possible. I didn’t want to make a sound and wake someone up. I may be having trouble sleeping, but I didn’t want to pass that on to someone else. Enough agents had trouble sleeping, Renegade, Sandstorm, and Spit Fire included. Maybe I could bother one of them for a moment. I contemplated going to see Sandstorm, but the possibility of him being with Spit Fire squashed that idea. I didn’t mind them being together, if they even were, but I didn’t have to subject myself to having it shoved down my throat. Renegade it is...
To avoid bothering anyone, I took the catwalks above the rooms. Typically, they were used to avoid traffic near rooms so agents who had just gotten back or needed to rest wouldn’t be disturbed. I liked to use them to people watch and to be left alone when I needed to be.
CIRA’s hallways twisted and turned around me as I made my way toward Renegade’s room. The carpet tickled the soles of my feet and for a moment I relished the sensation over the pain I used to feel from my burns. It’s strange to think about how long ago that was, and it felt like even longer. Over 100 missions in almost four years... Some were harder and longer than others, but each was worth the time and effort. We had saved countless lives, disbanded criminals, and aided in federal cases when needed. A lot has happened in four years, and there’s more to come...and more will change after this last mission.
CIRA had become home, not just for me, but for everyone. I fought on the premise of what was better for these agents, who risked their lives for no praise in return. But was it best to not tell them of the mole? Sandstorm was right, it would cause a witch hunt, but CIRA wouldn’t cave under the pressure. Though what would happen after we discovered the truth? Agents could be emotional from the reveal and injured from the backlash. I sighed. Glancing down to the floor beneath me to see a few agents out of bed. I recognized all of them, but knew few personally. They were the ones who were safe, for now. There was nothing more than passing acknowledgements and no one noticed me.
They stayed to their floor while I watched silently from above. A protector of sorts.
I turned down the hallway that would lead me to Renegade. I hope he’s awake, I’d hate to wake him up. He needed to rest. We all did...too bad we didn’t have that luxury. We went where we were needed, no matter what.
I caught a glimpse of movement before I reached the stairs to descend toward the rooms. Remaining still to not draw attention to myself, I glanced around the corridor. At first I didn’t see anything, the hallways were abandoned. No doors were open, I didn’t hear any close, but I also hadn’t heard any footsteps. I had only seen movement. Someone’s around and doesn’t want anyone to know about it... I thought as I leaned over the banister to get a better look. Once again, I saw nothing. Tempted to figure out who it was, I descended the stairs as silently as possible. Someone had taken a page out of my book and clearly didn’t want to be seen, but at a time like this, I didn’t trust anyone sneaking around.
If they didn’t want to bother anyone, they could have taken the catwalks like I had. To stay in the shadows and hide only made me suspicious. What are their motives? What are they after? A single footstep echoed through the hallway causing a wicked smile to curl at the edges of my lips. Someone made a misstep. Rookie mistake. I kept my head down, heading towards Renegade’s room as if I hadn’t heard it. Wait, wait, then strike, Rum’s words echoed in my mind, but my body refused to obey. I tensed, ready to give up the upper hand. Wait, wait. Just wait.
I didn’t bother knocking on Renegade’s door. He never locked it. So, I proceeded to enter, slower than necessary to wait for them to move again. I had almost sealed the door behind me before they moved again. A shadow darted along the wall, racing away from me. I took off after them not even a second later, following their footsteps. Though, I had more training in stealth maneuvering. Whoever this is, was clumsy and made mistakes, they couldn’t remain unseen. That just means they’ll never see me coming, I thought as I followed them through the labyrinth.
I hadn’t been sure where we were heading until we passed Sharp Shooter’s quarters. We were heading straight for the holding hanger. We were heading towards Mark Avery’s supposed holding cell. A chill radiated through my body. Our ruse was about to fall to pieces... I deviated from following the shadow and took a more direct path to the holding cell. If I can make this work, I’ll figure out who this is and keep the charade alive.
Racing toward the hanger, I kept an eye out on the adjoining hallways. I could see someone moving in the shadows, seemingly still unaware I was near them. Sprinting forward, I left them behind and found a hiding place in the shadows. Now I have to wait. I stood in the shadows, forcing my breathing to slow and my heart rate to relax. I half expected to see Raider emerge from the shadows. He had wanted me to eliminate Mark, but instead Demon stepped into the light.
I rubbed my eyes, convinced I w
as seeing things from lack of sleep, but he was still there when I opened them again. What was he doing here? Why was he coming to see Mark? My body froze as he approached the door. I wanted to give him a chance to leave, to prove he wasn’t here to see Mark, but he kept advancing. When he didn’t turn around, I jumped down from my hiding place. I noted the shock on his face as well as an emotion I wasn’t familiar with.
“Hey, Demon.” I tried to act casual. Lying had become second nature at this point, but sometimes, my teammates still knew when I was deceitful. Keep it simple or he’ll figure it out. ”Are you my replacement for guard duty? I could have sworn it was Renegade...”
A glimmer of confusion took over his face. He had seen me outside Renegade’s room, but if he said that then he’d give himself away. ”I guess I got my time wrong. I can hold your place while you check on Renegade.”
I waved my hand dismissively. “I already have. He wasn’t in his room. I had hoped that meant he was on his way here, but I guess not.” I leaned against the door, sealing off any hope he had of getting past me.
“If you’re tired, I can just start early and switch places with Renegade when he finally shows up. There’s no reason for us both to be up. You need some rest any way.”
I shrugged, but didn’t reply. Thankfully, I didn’t have to. “That’s not needed Demon. Night Stripe is more than willing to wait,” Sharp Shooter said rounding the corner to join us. “Besides, I need her with me when I talk to Mark. I think she’ll help me get the information I want finally.”
Standing up straight, I nodded. “I’ll be happy to help.”
“I figured you would.” Sharp Shooter smiled at me before turning to Demon again. “If you could find Renegade, that would be a great help, Demon. If you can’t, I’ll talk to him in the morning and leave Night Stripe here to cover his time. Thank you for volunteering, but you’re right, agents need sleep. I don’t need so many up at night. I’ll put in a key pad system on it tomorrow so you can all rest. I’m sure you need it.”
Demon nodded, but didn’t reply as he turned to leave. We waited for him to disappear before Sharp Shooter gestured for me to enter the hanger. Nothing but metal beams and cold air filled the room. Anyone who walked in here would know we didn’t have Mark and know we lied. Though, there were a few reasons to come looking for him; revenge and help. Which one was Demon?
“That was quick thinking, Night Stripe. Good job on keeping up the lie. If anyone would know you were lying, it would be Demon. I’m glad to see your skills have improved.” His low voice bounced off the metal walls and resonated around me. The door shut behind us, echoing how empty this room and CIRA were. It seemed as if there were only us against agents who I had thought were friends. First Seeker and now Demon...I don’t know what to think.
“How did you know I was out there?” I asked, turning back to him.
“I didn’t know you were out there. I knew Demon was. He set off the motion tracker. I came to stop him, but I am glad you were there to impede him. I don’t want to think about what would happen if he got in here. We’d lose the only way to draw out the mole.” He took a few steps toward me, giving me a soft smile. “I know you don’t like lying to your friends, but this is how we have to do it until we figure out who was helping Mark Avery. We have to see who’s acting strange. They may have something to hide.”
I scoffed, causing him to raise an eyebrow to ask what I was thinking. Did every man in CIRA have to be so silent? What was wrong with words? ”Looking to see who’s acting ‘strange’ doesn’t help! Everyone’s acting weird. I have no idea what to look for or who.”
Sharp Shooter nodded, seeming to agree with me. “It’s okay to not know something, Night Stripe. Just stay vigilant. We don’t know what anyone’s thoughts are but our own. We’ll figure it out, but for now, we wait.”
My face dropped. How I hate waiting. “Do we really have time to wait? What about the other targets Spit Fire mentioned? How do we protect them?”
“You still trust Demon? We don’t know what he was doing here. Yet, you want to protect him?” He glanced at me, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. He raised his eyebrow again, this time the one his scar cut in half and waited for me to answer.
I sighed. I wanted to believe it wasn’t Demon. He had been with me for years. I trusted him. He brought me here, but Sharp Shooter has a point. Something isn’t sitting right. Even if Demon was a target, could he be the mole? What would be the point? Why paint a target on your own back? I knew the answer already. To make sure no one suspected you.
Was he a diversion? Was that why he came out of the battle so easily, but he lost Whip Lash? Could that be why Whip Lash is dead? Demon killed him...If the mole wasn’t Seeker, could it be Demon? I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts. If anything, Demon was coming to kill Mark for killing our friends and his teammate. He wouldn’t betray us by working with Mark...or would he? I tried to fight those thoughts, but I couldn’t. Anything is possible and that’s what scared me. I couldn’t be sure why he was here tonight and I couldn’t want to ask until this was all over.
Chapter 6
Over the next few days, Demon had taken the lead on beginning training for the recruits. They’d go through a mass training before being paired with agents once they were released from the hospital wing. Most agents weren’t in any shape to train recruits, but I knew many would take the duty whether they were ready or not. Rum said getting a recruit was a sign of trust and respect in the agency, even though she hadn’t been pleased to get me to replace her mentor, she liked having me around. At least that’s what she said...I couldn’t be sure with her sometimes. I banished that thought from my mind as I walked into the training room.
There were ten recruits standing in line, but their eyes dropped to the ground momentarily when I walked in. At least there weren’t too many. This would be manageable. Until more agents became available and more trainees showed up. Grief sat heavy in my chest. This must be what restarting feels like... The room was completely empty except for targets scattered around the room, which I could only assume Demon had set up before they got here. He was running late and asked me to watch them. I tried not to think about running into him the other night. I tried not to think about him being the mole, but it was difficult to not think about it.
I turned my focus back to the recruits. They looked annoyed with a hint of fear and excitement in their eyes. I couldn’t blame them, I’d be pissed too if Rum was twenty minutes late to a training session and I didn’t know where I was.
For security purposes, none of them knew where they were. If they didn’t want to be here, we’d let them go. There was always the threat of their mind being wiped, but honestly, I think it’s bullshit. There’s no way to wipe someone’s mind, but they didn’t have to know that. It was easier to convince them that this had all been a dream if we gave them no information. So, when I spoke to them, I welcomed them home.
There were two girls in the lot. One with blonde hair, bright-eyed, and practically jumping up and down. The other, dark brown hair, looking at her feet, and seemingly waiting for this all to be over with. I wonder which one is the thief... I knew her name was Amber, but that was about it. I didn’t know anything else about her. This isn’t going to go well. I can feel it.
I felt a nudge to my side before turning to see Camo. “I’m amazed you’re not torturing the poor things. You must be getting soft.” She glanced over her shoulder at the recruits. It didn’t take long for one of the guys to jab the one next to him awake. The recruit stood up a little straighter, taking us in with fear gleaming in his eyes. Maybe I could have some fun with these guys before I took my recruit for a tour. “There’s the Night Stripe I know...” Camo winked at me, giving me a mischievous grin as she turned to face the recruits “Hey guys, I’m Camo and I’ll be one of your instructors.”
I watched the recruits for reactions, one in particular seemed displeased and slightly annoyed to hear Camo would be teaching him. He closed his eyes and dipp
ed his head back slightly as if to groan silently. A cruel smile curved at the edges of my lips. I rapidly and silently came inches from his face. I forced my smile into an angry frown when he opened his brown eyes and stumbled back when he noticed I was too close to him.
“Do you have something you want to say?” I asked, glancing at his name tag. Jay. I can remember that.
“No, ma’am.” His voice shook slightly. He’s afraid of me, and he should be. He should be afraid to even join this agency. I took a mental step back. They didn’t know what happened and each of them had some reason for even considering coming here. That’s how I ended up here.
“Night Stripe!” I tensed slightly, hearing the irritation in their voice. I hadn’t even done anything to the recruit yet. ”I’ve been looking for you all day.” I turned to see Raider limping into the room. His black hair covered most of his face, including his eyes, and made him look raggedy. Honestly, he looked like a child could take him in a fight, not the fighter I knew him to be. Being in the hospital had really taken a lot of out him. “You never came to tell me if you found Valkyrie or not.”
“Because I have other things to do then to baby you,” I snapped. Instantly I felt dreadful. He didn’t deserve that, I just didn’t want anyone knowing I had talked to her. I didn’t want anyone asking her questions and I had forgotten about Raider between the mole and being told I now had a recruit. Taking a deep, calming breath, I lowered my voice and continued. “I also told you I would tell you if you stayed in bed. Why are you up? I know the nurses didn’t clear you for duty.”