by Sara Schoen
“What’s going on, Night Stripe? Are you on lock down? Why are the sirens going off? What the fuck is happening there?”
“Sharp Shooter is dead,” I blurted out in the same unceremonious way Demon had done to me, but it effectively shut him up. “We are on lock down while we hunt for the mole. I have to go before the agents kill each other and start a massive hunt for whoever killed Sharp Shooter. So, please do me a favor, find Renegade, meet up with Spit Fire, and then come back here safety. I have to go, but I’ll see you soon! Please come home safely.” I hung up the phone before he could ask any more questions. I put the phone in my pocket and turned to Demon. “Are you ready?” I asked before having another phone shoved in my face.
“Yeah, we’re good to go, Night Stripe,” Spit Fire chimed over the speaker. “I’m going to grab Sandstorm before he gets himself into more trouble. It’s not the first time I’ve saved his ass.” She laughed to herself for a moment before turning serious again. “I’ll find Renegade too, so don’t even worry about him. I’ll make sure both of them get home no matter what. Just keep yourself alive, okay? This has to be the mole. We were getting close and they want out now. The lock down phase doesn’t kick in until someone arms it, and from what it sounds like Camo waited for you two to get back inside. So be aware, whoever this is, is most likely still in the building. They’ll stay behind to try to help Mark without realizing he’s dead. Find whoever did this and end them if possible.”
“I’ll do my best. We should go now, Spit Fire. Please come back safe with Renegade and Sandstorm.”
“I’ll do my best. Don’t die. I’ll try to do the same.” Without another inspirational word on her part the line went dead.
“That’s cheery,” Demon chimed with sarcasm edging his tone. “Come on we have to move. No time to worry about them now, we have our own mission to accomplish.” He turned his dark gaze to me, then once he was sure I was listening he fell right back into his role as team leader. “I’ll calm down the agents and keep them together so you have room to work. You do whatever you have to in order to find out who’s responsible. I don’t care what you need or what you do, just find out.”
“Can do.” We nodded at each other before Demon ran off to handle the agents. I turned to Shadow, and lightly grabbed her by the shoulder. I got down on one knee as stared directly into her brightly colored eyes. Fear danced in them and she hugged herself as if to hold herself together. This would bring any agent to their knees, not just a recruit. “Listen to me this time, Shadow. Find the other recruits, keep them together, be on guard, and do not separate from each other. I need you to protect them. You know who to look for. Make sure no one gets near them. I don’t care if you even block Camo and I from seeing them until this is settled, find them and protect them no matter what!” I squeezed her shoulder to emphasize my order, but also give her one last bit of comfort before she jumped into the life of an agent.
Shadow nodded fervently. “Yes, ma’am.” Then raced off after Demon and left me alone. Once she was gone, everything crashed into me at once. How did the cartel know Sandstorm and Renegade were going? How did they catch them? How did someone get the upper hand against Sharp Shooter? I shook myself mentally. There’s no time to figure it out now. I need to find the mole...And I know just where they’ll go; straight to Mark Avery.
Chapter 26
I didn’t make it far through the building before I ran into agents, injured or not, seconds away from beating the shit out of each other. Screaming, yelling, chanting, and accusations were being tossed through the air with every step I took. As I passed by the lobby, I glanced around to see what was going on and knew Demon couldn’t handle it on his own. It was a total mess. Agents readied themselves to draw weapons and throw punches. If Demon didn’t get this under control soon then we would have more problems on our hands. And we don’t have time for more issues.
I scanned the crowd until my eyes landing on Demon, trying to get everyone’s attention from the upper walkway. No one paid any mind to him. They were all too busy accusing each other and coming moments away from starting a massive brawl. I glanced back toward Demon, this time he noticed me. He held his hands up and shook his head in a ‘I have no idea what to do’ gesture. I nodded to him before taking a running start and joining him on the walkway.
I had a plan. It wasn’t a great plan, but I knew it would work. I stood my ground next to Demon and removed the glock from my side holster. He glanced at me, shock evident on his face, but I shot one round into the ceiling before he could tell me it was a bad idea. The round went off and the crowd instantly fell silent. Everyone’s eyes were suddenly on me, confused, on edge, panicked, and tense.
One wrong move and I end up in the CIRA version of Super Smash Brothers...I thought, stepping up to the railing. My hands slapped on the metal and echoed around the room. I waited, making sure was everyone was listening. I noticed that some agents had drawn their weapons, prepared to fight back if needed. Only a few relaxed when they saw it was me, but some kept their weapons out and ready. Once I was sure everyone’s attention was on me, I spoke.
“I need teams! I don’t care who you team up with or why, but I need you working together. Not standing here arguing and threatening to kill each other.”
The determination and command in my voice surprised even me. Agents suddenly stood up straighter and seemed less tense. Unexpectedly, fighting ceased and their attention shifted to the matter at hand. Even Demon smiled and gestured for me to continue when he noticed the change in demeanor. I wanted to tell him that I got their attention for him, that I wasn’t a great speaker, but he knew all that. He always did and pushed me out of my comfort zone. This was my time to show them the leader I could be, rather than the one everyone thought I would be; reckless.
“Sharp Shooter is dead.” I let that resonate for a moment before I continued. I wanted them to see the severity of the situation. I needed them to focus and help me rather than fight between themselves. “But instead of finding out what happened. You’re all at each other’s throats.” I bit back the crushing wave of emotions going through me and slapped my hand on the metal banister to refocus. “We don’t have time for this!”
A few agents looked down at their feet, others shifted uncomfortably, and some seemed distant. This isn’t going to be easy. They didn’t want to admit that they were in the dark. They needed a leader, and without it, CIRA fell to chaos. And chaos was just what the mole wanted. It gave them a cover.
“We need to clear this building top to bottom. I don’t care who you find while you do it, hold them in one place and don’t lose sight of them. If you’re having trouble trusting other agents, take them with you and keep an eye on them. But I do not have time for you to fight amongst yourselves.” I watched a few agents flinch at my harsh words, but a few held their heads up and took the verbal punishment. “I don’t have time for this. Do I make myself clear? I’m wasting time here because you guys are ready to kill each other. When I should be busy looking for who started this!”
It took a few moments, but they straightened themselves out and prepared for what had to be done. A low murmur started to rumble through the crowd as they pulled themselves together. Even standing above them, I could see the flames in their eyes returning. They may be injured, some worse than others, but they were agents. They wouldn’t give up for anything.
“I don’t see anyone getting into teams! Do you think I’m messing around right now?” The sarcasm in my voice must have kicked their asses in gear. They paired off instantly and some even made four man teams. The same agents who had just been fighting each other were ready to fight alongside each other. “Thank you! Now that that’s settled. You need to focus. Someone in this building has lied to us, used us, and sent some of us to their deaths.”
Shock radiated over the crowd and a collective gasp filled the air. The muttering exploded into full blown screaming. Chaos erupted around us and there didn’t seem to be a way to regain control. I waited for a fe
w minutes, letting them talk about whatever came to mind first and then tried to reclaim the room.
“There’s a mole in CIRA!” I slammed my hand onto the railing, calling everyone’s attention back to me. “They are the reason the raid on the Cardoza Cartel ended poorly. They alerted the leader, Mark Avery, to our presence and plan. They are the reason we lost so many agents and most of you were hospitalized. That’s why you’re hurt and off active duty. You may feel like you’re wasting space, time, and previsions, but it’s not you!”
My voice echoed around the room. The anticipation in the room was palpable and I could feel it building. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for me to deliver the final blow. I caught Demon smiling like a proud parent out of the corner of my eye as I glanced around the room. Shadow peeked her blonde head out, the other recruits circling around her. She beamed at me as if she was in awe that I was her mentor. It filled me with pride and I knew that’s what these agents needed. They needed to know who they were fighting for, not just themselves, but future generations of agents.
“It’s the mole’s fault you’re stuck here when you want to be out on a mission. It’s their fault you’re injured. It’s their fault you lost friends and teammates. So, do yourself and CIRA a favor. Find whoever did this and bring them to me.” A subtle growl reverberated in my words. “I have a score to settle with them for killing Sharp Shooter, Whip Lash, and countless other agents. I want to make them pay for what they did.” A chill radiated from my body as the sentence left my mouth.
Agents scattered instantly once they heard the finality of my tone. Now working together and redefined with a purpose, we had a chance of finding the mole instead of killing each other. I turned to Demon and waited to see what he had to say, but he remained silent. He watched me, as if waiting for me to give him an order. We stared awkwardly between each other, each of us refusing to tell the other what to do. He’s my leader, why wait for me? Why have me give the orders? I wondered just before he twirled his fingers for me to resume. When I didn’t, because I was unsure of what he wanted me to say, he finally spoke up. “What do you need me to do, Night Stripe?”
I stumbled for a moment, unsure of what to say. I tried to think of what he would tell me right now, but nothing came to mind. Time to wing it. “I need you to keep these guys on track. No killing, no fighting, just have them focus on collecting as many agents as possible. Put some in the mass training room and others in the lobby. Find Seeker, Raider, or whoever you can trust without a single doubt and have them help. I don’t care who they bring me, but if any agent thinks they caught the mole, then I want that person brought to me.”
He nodded to tell me he understood the order, but stopped after a few steps. He looked back at me with worry in his eyes, something I hadn’t seen since I first arrived at CIRA. He had stopped worrying about me a long time ago. That must mean we’re in a bad situation for him to show his big brother traits again. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to go to Mark’s holding cell. I have a feeling that the mole went there after killing Sharp Shooter and they are in for a big surprise when they realize he’s not there.” A wicked smile took over my lips, hoping to give Demon the hint he needed. I watched as realization that Mark was never here came across his face. “That’s why we had everyone think Mark was here. We knew the mole would go to him eventually. So, I’ll start my search there, and if they are still around, we have them easily. Camo should be there now protecting it just in case. I want to be there with her in case she needs me. Then once she’s fine, I’ll start checking other places.”
“Do you know who we’re looking for?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know for sure, but I have a few people I suspect. I think I’m too blinded to see who it is. I don’t want it to be someone I know. It’s almost as if I’m trying to protect myself, but it’s impossible to do that. I know it will hurt either way. I can tell you, that it’s someone we know closely. That’s why I suspected you and Seeker. So please, find someone you really trust because you may only have one shot.”
“I think we’re all too blinded to see who it is, but I’ll find someone I know is loyal to help me.” He smiled at me before waving his hand to get rid of me. “Now leave. I’ll watch over the other agents and keep them under control, you do what you need to. Good luck.”
I offered a small, forced smile back at him. This isn’t what I wanted to do, but it’s what I had to do. For CIRA, for the agents, and for my team. I wouldn’t let this mole get away with killing my family. IF they thought they’d get away before I caught up to them, they had another thing coming. “Thanks.” The simple word seemed to fall out of sight the second I said it. Demon turned and went to lead the agents, while I darted off toward Mark’s supposed cell.
On my way, I passed by countless agents searching the building and adding more to their teams as they went. A few went straight toward the hospital to protect the agents who were still bedridden, and probably update them on what was going on. The nurses must be having a hard time controlling agents during a lock down. They so rarely happen, and never for a good reason. The agents would be freaking out.
I stopped occasionally to give orders on where to go and made sure teams checked in on the hospital wing. “Someone needs to protect those agents. Make sure they are covered and the mole doesn’t get to them to have collateral to escape with!” As soon as the order left my mouth, half the teams went to the hospital wing. I ordered other teams to continue clearing floors and moved on ahead of them. As I made my way toward Mark’s feigned holding cell, I passed Sharp Shooter’s office. An eerie chill ran down my spine, unnerving me to my core.
I came to an unexpected stop, just standing outside his office and having the horrible realization that he wouldn’t be behind the door to see me. Everything of his would still be there, but he wouldn’t be. It won’t ever be the same, I thought as I turned on my heel, ready to take off again. I took a few steps before I realized I had to go in. If someone killed him then they would have access to all the information he kept there. We’re all at risk. My heart felt like it turned to stone and sank to my stomach. I turned back, slowly reaching toward the knob. I looked to my sides for another agent, someone else to stand with me in this moment, but no one was there. They’re too busy looking for the mole. Like you should be doing, I berated myself as I opened the door and walked into his office.
Everything was just as he would have left it. Nothing out of place at first glance, but as I took a few steps closer to his desk, I noticed something was off. Papers were in a disorganized pile, the contents of the drawers covered the top of the desk, and his chair pushed aside slightly; as if someone had gone digging through his desk. I froze as I another step forward when I heard a voice from behind me.
“I thought you weren’t going to show up, Sara. I would’ve been disappointed in you if you didn’t come, but surprisingly, I’m still disheartened you even showed up. I had hoped you’d live through this.” I turned to face them, but before I could, something hard hit me hard in the back of the head.
Forcing myself to stand, I tried to reach for my gun, but another blow landed in the same spot. My vision blurred, making it impossible to see who it was. Trying to get into a stance to fight back failed when a kick to the backs of my knees sent me crashing to the floor. The room slowly turned black after my head hit the ground. There was no way to fight back as the person stepped over me, and landed another kick to the side of my face. I barely felt the pain as I drifted into unconsciousness.
Chapter 27
My eyes fluttered open, blinded by the lights overhead. The room was distorted from the mist hanging over my vision. I tried to move, but every inch I shifted the room spun even more. Suddenly everything doubled, blurred, and the overwhelming sensation that I was seconds from puking overcame me. My head pounded like a little kid had played drums on the back of my head and a wave of pain from my back because of the metaphorical knife that had been stabbed i
nto my back. Who in CIRA attacked me? And with such a cheap shot at that...At least take me on face to face. If they couldn’t handle that then they didn’t deserve to be an agent.
“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!” a familiar voice chimed around me. I couldn’t tell exactly where they were. The sound seemed to come from everywhere at once, bouncing off the walls and assaulting my ears. What happened? This can’t all be from a blow to the head. “Night Stripe, are you okay?” A blurred figure came down in front of me. The concern in their voice seemed genuine, but something in my gut told me differently.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” My reply had a disgruntled undertone that gave away my injuries. My leg hurt, my head was pounding, and I could barely see. Please tell me this will stop eventually. “Where are we? How did we get here?”
“I saw you passed out outside of Sharp Shooter’s office, I couldn’t leave you there. Not with everyone looking for someone to blame. If you turned up there then they could have blamed you for his death.” Rum’s soft, worry-filled voice finally stopped bouncing around and came at me easily. Though the vision didn’t recover nearly as quickly as I would like. “They’ve already taken some agents hostage and put them in the mass training room. They aren’t letting them go. They’ve gone crazy. I’m not sure what they are going to do to the other agents, but we have to keep moving or they’ll take us next.”
Suddenly, I felt her hands on me, trying to help me to my feet. My stomach churned as the room spun and my vision doubled again. I held my head, trying to ease the pain, but nothing helped. “We don’t need to go anywhere. If we can keep everyone in one area then we have a chance.” My vision eased slightly and I saw the empty room we had told agents Mark was held in slowly come into focus. A rock plummeted to the bottom of my gut. Why were we in here?
“A chance for what?” she asked, helping me remain steady. I held onto her arm for support while I tried to make the room stop spinning. It took a few moments, but I eventually felt ready to stand on my own.