Sealed Truth [Sealed Spy #2] #Wattys2016

Chapter 1- They Left Us Alone

THE FUNERAL WAS PACKED.

I trailed my hand around the edges as I circled the coffin. Except it wasn't just a coffin, it was Luna. Once she died she became the coffin, and the coffin became her.

The sky was pitch black and the moon had long disappeared. The perfect time to hold a funeral for the lost ones of 553 agents. It wasn't raining like the movies depicted these events as. Real life was much more cruel.

And as much as I wanted to sit by Aiden and let a few silent tears escape, I didn't. I held myself back from letting liquid escape from my eyes or taking a seat at the bench Aiden was seated on. He needed his time to figure things out.

I sighed and removed my hand, flinching as I did so. Cradling my hand, my gaze moved up to some of the other coffins and the agents gathered around them.

I focused on Angie Stone, one of my oldest tormentors. She was a complete mess along with what I guessed was her mother. They both clutched each other as the cried, the black dresses they wore completely diffrenciating them from the agents paying their respects Rebbeca Stone.

Once an agent died, their family was told the truth about what the agent did. The family then recieved a message the agent recorded in case of sudden death and signed a confidentiality agreement that was apparently optional, but no one had ever disagreed with the terms.

Angie looked up from the coffin and met my solid gaze. I studied her as she stared at me, the pitch black not helping me trying to guess what she was thinking. I couldn't tell if she knew it was me or not and when she removed her gaze to look behind me, I knew she saw Aiden.

I released my hand from its position and placed the flower put behind my ear onto the coffin before turning around and walking away so I was inside the base.

The back entrance hallway was empty. The temperature was as cold as it was outside mid December and I knew none of the agents including me were even the slightest concerned about what the weather was inside the base. Frankly, we didn't care.

My breathing was even but I felt an anxiety attack bubble through my skin. Flashes consumed me and the bullet wound on my right leg felt as if it was back on fire, my senses blocked again as I began to hyperventilate.

Cold hands touched the small of my back and I was lowered to what I hoped was the ground. My sense of direction disappeared until I felt like I could breathe again.

My breathing evened out to the point where I finally opened my eyes. I drew my legs in and tucked them into my chest until I could focus properly.

"She's alright," Zack Archer said from my right. He removed his hand from my back but the hand on my shoulder lingered long enough for me to conclude that it wasn't his grip.

Aiden turned so I was facing his shoes and placed his other hand on my other shoulder. "Z, we're going to need you back in planet Earth," he persisted.

My eyes finally met his, watching a flicker of relief pass through his before disappearing. Zack crouched right beside him and I removed my gaze just long enough to take a look at the only flustered look the Director of 553 would give. Jet black hair matted to his head instead of its usual quiff, dark brown, his calm blue eyes changed to a dark grey that hooded his cool demeanor and his leather jacket clutched tightly in his right fist instead of draped over his shoulders.

"What triggered it?" Zack asked, his tone mismatched with his expressions. At least he let me see him like this. Progress.

"Your bad therapy." I cringed a bit at my bad attempt at a joke but Aiden chuckled as Zack looked at both of us in disbelief.

Aiden stood up and offered me a hand which I haughtily ignored and rose up alone. Zack's mere presense brought chills to my back but Aiden's warmed them instantly.

"You're a five year old," I muttered in code. Aiden and I had a thing about speaking in code when people we didn't want eavesdropping on us or we wanted to annoy were around. Each word a different language.

"I'm gonna throw a bone here and guess that your the same age," he replied, slipping in code as well. Zack huffed from where he was now leaning on the wall. I needed to brush up on my senses if I wasn't picking up on things this close to me.

"Agent Ryder," Zack called from behind me, his voice low. I ignored him, sticking my tongue out at Aiden, making sure I was looking straight at the camera situated near us in the hallway. Chances were Government Officials were watching my every move. They obviously didn't trust me and after the stunt I pulled with UC - Unit Containment - and disobeying my orders to stay off the field I didn't think I would ever earn that trust at all.

Then again, it wasn't their choice especially since I got word from UC's own Ryan Hughes - whom I had the pleasure of encountering when I got arrested there - who apologized on UC's behalf about 'their' false accusations.

When 'Ry' as he had told me to call him winked at me and turned back with a final farewell, I got the impression that he was in on Anjali Singh's, one of the highest ranked UC agents, plan.

Aiden caught on to my movements and turned swiftly to stick his tongue at the camera abruptly. I stepped back, bumping into Zack whose chest rumbled as he chuckled at Aiden's disrespect and raised my hands up in surrender.

Aiden turned around, frowning when he saw my movements and complained.

"Every man for themselves Thompson," I stated dryly, amusement laced onto my usually passive face. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Because pulling a stunt like that works well."

"And you, Director of 553, are supposed to be discouraging him of this kind of behavior," I added sternly, crossing my arms.

His laughter ceased and his face changed until he was looking at Aiden with his coldest expression. "Agent Thompson, that is not acceptable behavior from an agent. They are your superiors. One week no missions. You can look over Agent Ryder and make sure she does what Doctor Torrez recommended."

There was silence from Aiden as he stared at Zack in disbelief. I resisted the urge to snicker but felt the feeling wash away when my head began to throb. Leah Torrez told me that would most probably happen.

"You're kidding right," Aiden asked finally, moving away from the camera.

Zack turned to leave, walking as he quietly said, "And now it's two weeks."

We watched Zach leave and when he did, I moved away before Aiden could get a solid hit on me. "Why would you do that?" He hissed, staying still once he saw me move away.

There came a silence and all of a sudden the amusement and the bright emotion in the air dropped until the chills returned. We suddenly remembered the events of the past few months and just like that, we were both back to the dead, cold selves that had no drive but to kill TrianOut off.

And just like that, I knew things after this moment wouldn't be the same.

***

A/N: Happy Birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me-e. Happy birthday to me.