Dancing with the Enemy

Chapter 1

Being a spy, you'd think every day was about car chases, fist fights, and drinking Martini's, as our friend Mr Bond would have you believe. Being a spy actually involves a lot more paperwork than the movies would ever have you believe. Trust me, I know. I'm the one always doing it.

I sighed and looked out of the window next to my desk, the old, overused, textbook in front of me stayed open on the page I had turned to but had long ago memorised. Across the hall I could hear my least mature flatmate grunting and laughing as she practiced throwing punches without hitting the wall. There were enough patches in the plaster already. It was a game I had devised with my other flatmate, Claire, teaching Sam to control her punches rather than just throwing them randomly and without much skill. Sam had never listened to our teacher at school, a well placed punch was everything. But that was Sam all over, doing things her way.

When the punches stopped, I automatically closed my textbook, knowing where the blonde's destination would be.

"Emily, I'm bored." Sammy complained flopping down next to me on my bed.

At home, she was always predictable, throw some punches and them come and complain about being bored due to a lack of missions.

"Why are there never any missions?" She sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Sam." I sighed, swinging my chair to face her, "You know that missions are few and far between..."

"Then why didn't Claire let us go with her?"

"You had to stay at home and wish Emi a happy birthday." Our flatmate smiled coming through the door, she had snuck silently through the rest of the flat and was now leaning in my doorway, a proud smirk playing on her lips.

"Claire!" Sam jumped up. I rolled my eyes, talk about timing. Getting up, I went through to the kitchenette, knowing my dark haired flatmate would be dying for a proper cup of tea.

"Good job?" I asked as Claire followed me, hopping up onto the empty counter as I worked around her.

"Yeah. Three safes, two vaults and a computer program to hack."

I turned to face her, passing over a steaming mug as I leaned against the opposite counter, the job had been a success, Claire would be in a much different mood if it hadn't. Then again, if it hadn't have gone well, she probably wouldn't be here. She'd have gone back to square one and started again, repeating things and tweaking her method until everything worked just as she wanted.

Claire took a sip of her steaming drink and smiled, "And our criminal is being sentenced as we speak. But I'll tell you what, there's nothing like a bit of winter sun to cheer you up." She nodded out of the window above the kitchen sink to the dank January day outside. Claire had missed new years and my birthday for this mission and if I hadn't had such a great party for my birthday I might have been a bit upset, but it was a mission. When you're a spy missions always come first.

"Did you have a good twentieth?" Claire went on, the completed mission already cast to the back of her mind, she was back home now with the only family she had. She just wanted to relax and be the twenty year old everyone thought she was.

I smiled, I hadn't expected anything from Claire until she got back off the mission.

My simple reaction to her question was enough for Claire, she knew my day would have been exciting enough with Sam around. If I had wanted a party or not, I had gotten one, courtesy of our resident Party Animal.

"I sent it while I was hacking the computer." She laughed attracting Sam's attention from the other room, "Too easy."

Sam had changed into a very, low cut top, I knew what she was planning on wearing it for, but I wouldn't be seen dead with her showing that much cleavage.