“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” I looked up from the file dropped in front of me, glaring at the formidable man who had put it there. “When you told me you were giving me a high risk field field assignment, I didn’t think you meant babysitting some snooty smart aleck in a lab coat!”
Captain Warshow glowered back at me. “Agent, need I remind you that you are an undercover operative, with laughable combat skills. Furthermore, you said you wanted an important assignment and nothing is more important than the protection of our most brilliant scientific mind. Dr. Gray is leaving the compound tomorrow morning at 0700 hours and there needs to be an escort of qualified agents ready. And as much as I hate to admit it, you were at the top of your class.” I opened my mouth to make a witty comeback but Warshow stopped me, “No buts Agent Valerius. You are to be at the airfield at 0700 hours, whether you like it or not!” I could feel indignation bubbling up inside of me, threatening to spill out in some sarcastic quip, but knowing it wouldn't help the situation, I resorted to a grumble and got back to work. If only I had known what was coming.
The next morning was awful. I showed up with three minutes to spare, drinking from an overflowing thermos of black coffee, my breath billowing out in front of me in an icy cloud . Oliver, my supervisor, was there already. He was a morning person, unlike me. Smirking as he saw me, he stood there irritatingly bright eyed and bushy tailed. Another agent standing behind him (Waren, I think) called out as he saw me. “Hey Valerius, looking forward to your first ‘real mission’?” Chuckles erupted from the group, a shining example of the unspoken feud between combat and undercover ops. If possible, my scowl deepened. Taking one last swig from my coffee I shoved the empty thermos in my duffle. I looked at my wrist, 0700.
I heard a commotion at the end of the runway. My fellow agents stiffened and I followed their example, waiting for our resident genius to show. Instead of the aging, bald man I expected, I saw the petite figure of a woman somewhere in her twenties dragging a mountain of luggage behind her smile and step towards us. My brain ground to a halt. This was Alex Gray. I wisely kept my gaze neutral. “Well boys, I’m running on two hours of sleep and pure adrenaline, who’s ready to get this show on the road?” Swallowing a laugh I filed behind the other guys as we stepped onto the plane.
To say things were awkward was a huge understatement. We sat there, quiet, as the plane lifted off the ground into the sky. Just when I thought we would combust, Dr. Gray broke the silence. Standing up and walking from one end of the plane to the other, she spoke. “So fellas, I know we’re trying to do the ‘professionalism’ thing but I need conversation. Who wants to start?” I couldn’t help myself. The grin I had been holding back broke out into full blown, shoulder shaking laughter.
After many strangled breaths I managed to regain my composure. “My name is Kai Valerius, and you are not what I expected!” She laughed and the tension seemed to fade from the air as everyone relaxed. Casual conversation filled the cabin of the luxurious jet. Doctor Gray turned to me.
“So Agent Valerious, what brings you to my entourage?” She smirked. Somehow I found myself talking to her.
“Same thing as everyone else, ‘save the world’ and all that. What I’m more interested in is how a 20 year old becomes the smartest person on the Planet. I mean, when I was told I was going to protect a genius, I expected a 70 year old man in a lab coat with a receding hairline.”
“People always assume I was always some super genius-”
“Because you are,” I helpfully imputed.
“As I was saying,” She shot me a pointed glance, “I was a nerdy little girl with pigtails and a love for knowledge.”
“ And what, 3, 4, PhD’s?”
“Something around there,” She seemed to reflect for a second, “ You know I have a brother right? From you spying on my file?”
“Oh really,” Seemed a little unrealistic that a super scientist was a sister.
“Yep, the most normal, moody teenage brat you’ve ever seen! Constantly complaining about how much of an annoying prick I am.” She laughed, then her face fell. “He’s been missing for months.” Wait what. The goofy woman I had just been talking to changed in an instant. Instead of light playfulness her eyes burned bright with determination and grief. “That’s actually why I dragged you out here. My contact in Argentina thought he had a lead.”
“If I can do anything, anything at all, just let me know.” She nodded and blinked back tears.
The doctor turned back to me. “What about you? Any little monsters running round the family home terrorizing mom and dad?”That struck a nerve.
“Actually, I'm an only child, and my dad died when I was 16. Afghanistan.” SHe seemed to regret her words. Awkward silence ensued. Then, a shudder passed through the room, causing a slight pause in conversation.
The captain's voice came over the cabin speaker, assuring the passengers that it was nothing but turbulence. The sinking feeling in my gut said otherwise. Another sharp gust shook the plane as the lights of the cabin started to flicker. We braced ourselves, panic tangible in the stale cabin air. Airbags popped out form the ceiling though no one made a move towards using one. Papers and small items hurled through the air, slamming into the walls and building chaos.
I looked out the window, unprepared for the streaks of flame painting the afternoon sky red. A few of the guys ran to cover Dr. Gray as the plane tilted down and the ground raced towards us. I was going to die. Sometimes, I wish I had.
They tell me the plane went down somewhere in central america, not that I remember. They tell me I dragged Oliver out of the burning wreckage. They tell me enemy combatants were waiting in the trees. They tell me I bought them enough time to escape. They tell me they regretted leaving me behind. All I remember about that day was the heat, the dark, and the pain.
Authors Note: This is my first story here(*´∀｀) Any advice/edits/comments/theorys welcome!
