Itzy had become the most famous band in the world. But fame had left Yeji bored and disillusioned. As if they had been waiting for this moment, Britain's covert intelligence agency, MI6, recruits the young star and trains her to be the most dangerou...
Yeji leaned back in her chair. "That's too many people, even for me."
"That's why you won't be doing this alone."
"I finally get to meet our other mysterious operator?"
"Yes. You'll meet up at a small town on the way to base camp called Namche Bazaar. I'm interested to see if you end up killing each other. Please don't, it causes a lot of paperwork."
"What's her name?" Yeji asked.
"Archangel."
"Why does she get a cool name like that, and I'm stuck with Vector?"
Radius smiled. "Because I like her more."
. . . . .
One month later.
Yeji has been hiking for three days. As a cover, she bought into a tourist expedition leading people up to base camp. Most of her fellow trekkers are Americans looking for adventure. The rest are trust-fund stoner kids who think that nirvana is hiding in the hills. The pleasant upside is that they're leaving her alone. She is still a little concerned, however, that no one has tried hitting on her. Does she have it anymore?
The beauty of the valley is stunning. The air is thin and dry, and they're hiking in a great valley with enormously tall mountains on either side. Unlike sea level, the sky is a whitish blue and almost appears translucent. When she looks up, stars seem to be visible as pale gray, very dim points of light.
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At sunset, they finally reach the town. It's nestled on a hillside, and the buildings are covered in a brilliant white plaster and they have blue and red-clay roofs. While the tour guides argue with the proprietor of a hotel, Yeji drifts away and heads down a quiet street, looking for the rendezvous spot.
She finds the building and knocks on the door. No response. She looks up at the second floor and sees curtains gently blowing out of the window. Ready to practice her climbing skills, she shimmies up a drainpipe to the second floor, then slides along a narrow ledge until she reaches the window. Carefully she peers in but sees no one. Then she slips over the railing.
Before her feet touch the ground, she receives a vicious uppercut to the jaw, and then hands grab her coat and she is heaved across the room, crashing into a closet door. In an instant she is back on her feet, but the room still looks empty.
Her senses on high alert, she carefully creeps across the old wooden floor. Then she is grabbed from behind in a choke hold. She reaches over her shoulder and grabs someone's hair. Bending quickly at the waist, she throws them over her head and onto the floor - hard. Yeji leaps over and straddles her attacker. Then her jaw drops.
"WINTER !?!"
"YEJI !?!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!" Yeji shouts as she unsteadily sits on the floor across from Winter.
