The Young Spy (Book One)

Chapter 3: Side Task

Allison slapped her forehead in realization. Almost everyone is busy with their cases. Too busy in fact, to even have a glance at the Hendrix case. She said 'almost,' because she knows someone that she probably could assign to look into the investigation. Someone inconspicuous, one that easily hides in plain sight as another face in the crowd, barely someone that would catch attention. But the small problem is, that someone was not a part of the CIA. Allison thought she would genuinely get into trouble for assigning him. A fact that mostly got rid of the problem was, that she's the director of the CIA.

"I think I have an idea."

Swift straightens his jacket as he arrives in front of the diner his contact wanted to meet him in, then gripping Lang's sling bag which he took from the latter. He walks across the pavement while taking a peek inside the building, scanning for the whereabouts of his acquaintance.

After spotting the girl he was supposed to meet from outside, Swift rushes towards the diner's door and pushed it open. He walked past the other booths being used by other diner patrons. Swift sniffs his nose slightly, enjoying the aroma of cooking from the kitchen along with the served dishes that he passed.

After going past five tables that were occupied, Swift reaches the booth with only one girl sitting at the right booth, scrolling through the social media page on her phone. A glass of grape juice and a tray of french fries Seeing that she is distracted, Swift took the liberty of slipping into the seat across the table. The girl didn't see Swift until he took a seat without an introduction, setting the sling bag beside him.

"Oh, you made it." The girl says.

"Yeah. It was quick and simple just like I told you on the phone." Swift recollected that he texted the girl right after he retrieved the evidence. It took her seven hours to read his message because she wasn't awake at the time. It was fortunate for her that class today was cancelled so she could attend her appointment with Swift.

"You didn't kill him, did you?"

"Pfft, no. I dropped Lang off at the police station along with some of the evidence." Swift picked up the sling bag beside him and placed it on the table. "And I believe this is what you're looking for." He sled the bag across to the girl.

"Nice." She replied, opening the bag and looking through the things inside.

"Hope it's okay, I took a few of it and slipped it in Lang's pocket, but most of it is still there."

"No, it's fine." After scrolling through the things inside, she brings out the same list that Swift's eye caught the most.

Swift noticed that her eyes were fixated on the list in hand. As he stares, he also takes note of the tray of fries beside her arm. The seasoned french fries that are still steaming hot made Swift sightly peckish, he wanted to take at least one piece, specifically the heavily seasoned one.

"Hey, can I have one of these?" Swift slinks his hand towards the tray. Without any warning, his hand was stopped by the girl grabbing it, much to his surprise.

"No." She simply said, staring at him.

"Come on... please?"

And with that plead, Swift gives her a playful look in the eyes. The look didn't seem to affect her at first, but the way he looked at her felt... alluring to her. The girl finds Swift's mannerisms at her somewhat teasing. Her eyes couldn't look away from him, but every time she did she just couldn't resist landing her eyes back on his.

"Alright, fine. But only one." The girl sighed in defeat, letting his wrist go.

"Sweet." Swift continues by grabbing one fry out of the many delicious bits of fries in the tray. Although compelled that he wants another, Swift was a man of his word. He bites the piece of french fry and chewed it slowly to revel in the delicious taste of the seasoning.

"So, what's the big deal, anyway? Y'know, besides a suspected drug lord that's hidden around these parts?" Asked Swift while chewing his french fry.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how come an inconspicuous girl like you get involved in all this? What can you possibly gain from all of this?"

To answer Swift's question, the girl took a moment of silence before explaining.

"I think it was a month or so ago. For a month, one of my friends at school started to behave really, really oddly. And that is until one day, I haven't seen him for a whole period of English. When class was over, someone found him dead in a bathroom stall, OD'd on heroin. And after that happened, I traced where he got the drugs, and that you came in."

Swift noticed how the entire time the girl told her story, she lowered her head and averted her eyes from him. Realizing how deep she was in emotion, he sympathized with her for a moment.

"Oh... I'm sorry." He said.

The girl responded by nodding, acknowledging him, "Thank you."

"Did you know him well?" Asked Swift.

"Kind of. We talked a lot, but I have closer friends, so you could say that." She replied, Swift nodded in understanding.

After their little talk, the girl puts the list back on the bag and made sure the other contents were still inside, "Alright, looks like everything's present and accounted for. How much do I owe you again?" She asked.

"Let's see..."

Swift pauses to remember his price, while the girl sat silently and anxiously, hoping that his price wouldn't be as much as she thought. But knowing Swift's occupation as a 'freelancer,' she could tell his pay rate goes above and beyond.

"Two hundred bucks."

The girl widened her eyes at his answer. You've gotta be kidding me.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Hey, you literally said 'name your price' back when you told me to do this." Swift corrected truthfully, to which she recalled as a fact.

"Did I?" The girl attempted to act clueless, but her acting was caught immediately by the other, raising an eyebrow. Really? Swift's expression said.

"Alright, alright, alright." Then she finally surrendered.

The girl took out her wallet and folded through the pages of money, collecting two bills of one hundred bucks and handing them to Swift across the table. He eagerly accepts his payment.

"Pleasure doing business." Swift stands up from his seat, scooting towards the side and out of the booth he is in.

"No, thank you, for taking this for me and... extorting me." The girl jokes.

"I needed the exercise anyways. There hasn't been anything exciting showing up. And if you need anything besides investigation, feel free to call anytime. Until next time, beautiful."

Swift's sudden compliment in his goodbye left the girl completely dumbstruck. What others could I possibly need from him? She wondered. And what is with that smirk at the end? Did he just call me beautiful? She also realizes the charming smirk Swift threw at her. The girl got lost in her thoughts long enough for her to disregard him leaving the diner.

Swift smirks again glaring back at the girl who remained frozen in her seat. He knew that his way of calling her beautiful would get to her in an instant. But aside from his charm that worked yet again, he smugged knowing his assignment from her is done well. Just another day in the life of Ryan Swift.