Agent Moonlark

Chapter Thirty Two

And she hated them. She hated that organization, with their creepy white-eyed design, with their merciless murderers, with their emotionless leaders. She hated them so much. And she wished Keefe had never had to grow up with them.

With renewed strength and hatred coursing through her veins, she finally broke away from Tam.

"Sophie!" he exclaimed. He managed to catch up to her. "Sophie, don't."

"Why?" she demanded. She craned her neck to try to see Dex's mother over Tam's shoulder. "Why shouldn't I? Why can she risk her life, but not me?" She took out a knife hidden in her boot, and aimed it at the Gorgodon on top of Squall.

Sandor had told her over and over before not to throw knifes unless she had other ones at hand. She needed to save them for close combat, where she had less chances of losing them. But this was the last resort. There was no way she could get past those two creatures. If she could just find an opening-

"An hour after I woke up from my coma," he whispered, "Forkle pulled Fitz, Linh, and me aside." He squeezed her shoulder. "He wanted us to keep you safe."

"He knew this was coming?" He had known all along that the Neverseen would come? He had known they would reveal Keefe? He had known who Keefe really was?

"No. But he did know something was coming." His mask did not cover his lips, so Sophie watched them move. She watched them form the words she did not want to hear.

Why were adults so secretive? Gods, if for one day, everyone told the truth, things would be so much easier. Chaotic, yeah. But in the long run, alright.

"He should have told us," she spat. "And I don't need bodyguards! I don't need forking people watching me 24-7!" She threw her hands in the air, making sure not to accidentally stab someone (though if that happened, she wouldn't mind it finding itself lodged in Agent Gisela's arm.)

Unbelievable. How was she expected to be part of the Collective one day if they wouldn't even let her defend herself?

She had been a spy for years. A decade. Did they not trust her to make her own decisions?

No matter. Right now, Squall was dying, and she had to do something.

"I know you don't," he said quietly. "And so does Fitz and Linh. And so does Forkle."

"So can you please let me go?" she asked through gritted teeth. They were wasting valuable time.

Tam shook his head. "Sophie, Forkle thinks some of the Collective isn't going to make it out alive." He took off his mask, showing eyes gray with sadness. Sophie had never seen him so sorrowful.

"What?" she choked out. She felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her. Her chest was suddenly too tight.

"If that happens, he needs you to be alive to become part of the Collective."

She wiped a tear, and said angrily, "Yeah, well, he's gonna be right if you don't let me go." With each word, she poked his chest, each poke more ferocious and hard than the others.

Tam's eyes drifted off to where Agent Forkle had succeeded in freeing Dex. Dex was now making his way to Squall.

Not waiting for his answer, Sophie sidestepped him, and sprinted towards Squall. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Keefe join the fight with Agent Forkle and Agent Gisela.

For a brief moment, she gave him a small smile. It was like in movies, where time slowed. And a message was conveyed between them.

Don't die on me, Foster, his eyes seemed to say.