The Agent
The light of my phone lit up my ceiling as it buzzed from an incoming call.
Still awake at the late hour, I instinctively rolled over to check who was calling. As if it would be anyone else at three o’clock in the morning.
Still, my stomach clenched at the “Unknown” sitting at the top of my screen. My finger hit the decline button quicker than I could blink. I was not in the mood for him right now.
The little stunt he pulled earlier today was too far. Not only was my life in jeopardy, but so was Gabriel’s.
My partner was the first thing that came to mind after I saw the bomb. I’d raced down the steps, yelling his name, praying I was loud enough he’d hear me.
He was still on the lower level when I found him, holding his phone to his ear. His brows stitched together at the sight of my wide, frantic eyes. Before he could even ask what was wrong, I’d grabbed his arm and started pulling him towards the stairwell.
“There’s a bomb,” I’d explained as we jogged down the steps. “We need to get out of-“
The boom of the explosion cut me off.
Gabriel wrapped his arms around me and pushed me onto the shaking ground. He sheltered me with his body, bearing the heat of the flying flames and sharp ends of metal breaking out of the infrastructure.
The winds blew us forward and slammed us against the fragile walls.
We grunted from the pain, but knew better than to move.
We sat there for a moment, clutching each other with one arm and shielding our faces with the other while we waited for the waves of the blast to pass.
“Are you okay?” I’d asked Gabriel.
“Mhm,” he’d said, his voice strained.
I’d peeked my head around his arm to catch a glimpse of his back.
As I expected, the elements cut through his bullet proof vest and shirt, scratching and burning up bits of his back.
I slid out from underneath him and helped him up.
Hooking his arm over my shoulders and mine around his waist, I led him through the smoke towards the sunlight peeking through the front doorway.
It was supposed to be our light at the end of the tunnel.
But, we ended up walking straight into another fire.
When our backup finally showed up and saw the disastrous scene, our supervisor chewed us out about our mistakes.
How did we miss the details and documentation of this deal? How didn’t we know it was a setup? Why didn’t we go in sooner?
The stern finger our commander gave us was almost as bad as watching Gabriel sit in the ambulance, grimacing as the paramedics treated his wounds.
Throughout the scolding all I could think about was what could’ve happened. What if I didn’t get to him in time? What if the blast severely injured him? What if he died?
Gabriel had become more than a partner, more than a friend - he was my brother. And I’d be damned if I let anything happen to him. Especially because of something I caused.
I wanted to stick a knife in the smug smile the asshole probably had after the explosion. I felt his cold, mocking eyes on me, and I wanted to rip them out.
The two of us could play this game all he wanted, but the people I loved stayed out of it.
My phone buzzed again, this time with a text message.
Unknown
So, you didn’t like the gift?
The nonchalance in his tone made my grasp tighten around the phone. I wanted to break the screen almost as bad as I wanted to break his face.
Unknown
You look so pretty when you’re angry.
I looked up at the surveillance camera in my room. His gaze penetrated through the lens, sending an all too familiar tingle down my spine.
Meeting it with a glare, I raised my hand and flipped him off. He was not about to sit there and think I was lying here, moping in defeat. If he wanted to break me, he’d have to do a lot better than this.
Not even a moment after, another text came through.
Unknown
Damn, I’m really in the doghouse, huh?
What can I do to make it up to you?
Me
Go to Hell and stay there.
Unknown
Only if I get to drag you down with me.
A frustrated scream crawled up my throat as I hurled my phone straight into the camera. It slapped straight into the lens, and I imagined I’d popped him right in his eye.
The image alone wasn’t enough. My fists itched to slam against his face, knocking out a tooth or busting his nose or blacking his eye - break every bone in it.
I haven’t felt this level of rage in a long time. Not consciously, anyway. I learned a long time ago how to suppress my anger. To bite my tongue and hold my fists back.
My mother told me such harsh emotions weren’t cute, and if I wore them on my sleeve, I wasn’t going to get very far in the upscale world she wanted to live in.
I didn’t care about how I was perceived by others, but I did care about becoming successful.
So, I did as I was told and found other ways to express my emotions.
While Isabelle was at dancing school twirling like the pretty princess she was, I was at the local boxing gym tearing someone a new one.
I wished one of them were open right now, so I could let loose on a punching bag. Pretend it was that bastard’s smug face and hit it until the seams became undone.
Sighing, I ripped off my bonnet and pulled my braids up into a ponytail. I climbed out of bed to change out of my pajamas and into a comfortable outfit.
On the way to the door, I grabbed my phone and checked the screen. Surprisingly, it hadn’t shattered.
I shoved it into my pocket as I padded downstairs. I slipped on my shoes and headed out the front door.
The bright streetlights line the block, offering a clear path for me to run down. The crickets’ song filled the air as I started jogging down the street.
Going for a run in the dead of night probably wasn’t my smartest idea, but I couldn’t stay in that house another minute. Not with him watching.
The cool, fresh air brushed my cheeks, wiping away some of the tension as if they were tears on my cheeks.
My feet thumped against the concrete, reminding me of the grounded state I needed to return to.
Rarely did I let myself get so angry that my blood boiled.
On a few occasions, I’d seen the damage I could do when the lid flipped and all my rage spilled over. And my mom was right: it wasn’t pretty.
My body slowly regulated itself as I ran. The movement and the quiet darkness definitely helped take the edge off.
I paused for a moment to catch my breath.
Setting my hands on my hips, I sucked the air in quickly and released it slowly.
Sweat tricked down my temples, and I wiped it away with the back of my hand.
I should’ve bought my usual rag and water bottle with me.
It would’ve made the post-decompressing routine much easier.
The thought of laying down on the cold concrete crossed my mind as exhaustion finally found me. Maybe I’ll actually fall asleep when I get back home.
Turning on my heel, I started walking back the way I’d come.
My ears caught the soft taps of another pair of feet on the concrete, and I whipped my head around. A dark figure was walking a few feet behind me. The shape of a hood framed their head, and their elbows were cocked as if their hands were in their pockets.
Looking away, I dug my phone out of my pocket. There weren’t any new messages from him. Still, my fingers raced across the screen to test a theory.
Me
Stop following me.
I gave the message a moment to reach his phone before I glanced over my shoulder.
The stranger behind me had their phone out now, the light of their screen so dim that it didn’t reflect against their face. Holding it in one hand, their thumb bounced around the screen.
Shit.
Without hesitation, I took off down the street, running as fast as I could. I didn’t even bother looking behind me to see if he was still there. I knew he was. He had to be. And I wouldn’t let him catch me.
Reaching my house, I flung the door open and slammed it shut. Locking it, I peeked through the small glass window at the top. My eyes raced back and forth, scanning for even a glimpse of his silhouette.
I let out a sigh of relief when I didn’t see anything.
Leaning back against the door, I slowly sunk down to the floor. I sat there for a moment, catching my breath again. My phone buzzed in my hand, and I’d almost forgotten I was still holding it. My brows rose as I read the text.
Unknown
I’m not.
Me
Yes, you were! I just saw you!
Unknown
Impossible.
I’m nowhere near your house right now.
Honest.
What? If that wasn’t him, then who the fuck was I running from? Was there even someone there? Or had I imagined the whole thing?
Another message came through.
Unknown
But if you’d like me to chase you again, all you have to do is ask.
“Ugh,” I yelled, throwing my phone across the room. Pressing my legs to my chest, I lay my face into my knees and ran my hands over my braids.
This motherfucker was really getting into my head, making me paranoid. And I’m sure that’s exactly how he wanted me. Scared and flighty and skittish - like a deer dodging the claws of the lion hunting it.
But, I wasn’t a fucking deer. I had teeth just as sharp as his. It was about time I bore them.