Killer

Chapter 3

"I'm so bored." I groaned, letting my phone drop down onto my stomach."I've been stuck in this room for a week and a half with nothing but you and board games to keep me occupied. Not," I added hastily, glancing at Ryan, "that that's an insult. You're a very interesting and funny person."

"Liar." Ryan coughed into his hand.

I feigned a laugh. "See? That's was hilarious."

There was a knock on the door. I made a grab for my crutches, but by time I was standing the door was open and the Director was inside.

"Rachel. Ryan." One thing about him that had always annoyed me was that he never bothered to say hello.

"Director Hersom." we replied in unison.

"I hope you're enjoying your rest, because as soon as the three weeks is up, which is in nine more days, you two will be facing a very big mission."

"Lemme guess," I said lazily, plopping back down on the couch. "Adam and his whatchamacallits? Well, shit, I forgot what they're called."

"The Fighters."

"Pathetic name if you ask me."

"Adam? Who's Adam?"

Director Hersom's lips turned slightly upward. "Our enemy. Rachel and Adam definitely have a history. She's used her body to manipulate him, to get us information. But I think it's more than that."

Ryan, for some odd reason, looked almost hurt. "You're okay with that?"

"It does no harm. She shares nothing more than her body. And it'll stay that way."

"On again, off again. Sometimes we try to kill each other, and other times we can't get enough." My lips curved up into a smirk, and I tried to hold it, even though I was lying through my teeth.

Ryan's face hardened into a cold, emotionless mask. "May we have the file?" Even his tone, usually so full of life, was clipped.

Directors Hersom handed Ryan the thick file. "We got word of where their HQ was located. I'll expect you two ready to go by June third."

"Yeah. We'll be ready." Ryan looked drained. I narrowed my eyes, not knowing what I was trying to see, but wishing he would say something about how he was feeling.

Ryan and I had grown close, being stuck in here together. It-for some unfathomable reason-hurt me that he was hurt. It hurt even more that I didn't know why he was hurt.

Director nodded and walked out the door. I turned to face Ryan.

"What's wrong?" If it were two weeks ago, or if it were anyone else, I wouldn't have asked the question. I wouldn't have cared.

"I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me. I know when you're lying. You're not good at it." That wasn't necessarily true. He was a good liar. I only knew when he was lying sometimes.

"Let's look at the file." Ryan wouldn't met my eyes. I sighed, scooting closer to him when he sat on the couch. He tensed slightly.

"Spies." I sucked in a breath. I took my job seriously, even though I didn't act like it. "Lots of them. Here." I wasn't particularly worried about information they could gather about me. I had demanded when Director put me in the system that I be put in there as an orphan, with no family connections.

"He wants us to take down their director." Ryan looked at me curiously.

"Why now? I mean, it was always sort of a sworn rivalry, but we've never taken down each other's higher-ups."

"I guess we better start practicing. That only gives you a week after you're cleared for active duty."

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My gloved hand collided with the punching bag with jarring force.

"That's not all you've got, Rachel," my trainer, Abigail, told me. "I've seen you hit harder."

Not, I thought bitterly, after I've been off duty for three weeks.

"We'll come back to that. We've gotta work on your kicks. Those are gonna be a nightmare." I never liked Abigail. She was annoying. Demanding. I had been tempted so many times to "accidentally" miss the punching bag and knock out her teeth.

After kicking the dummy for an hour, I stopped. Abigail gave me a look, one that said, get your ass back over there and kick the hell out of that dummy.

"I'm not doing it anymore," I said, irritated. "I'm done for today."

"The hell you are. You're done when I say your done."

I wasn't in the mood that day. I already hated it when someone told me what to do, but in that moment, when I was in a bad mood, I lost it.

I punched her right in the nose.

"Bitch!" she snarled, bringing her hands up to catch the blood. I smiled at the sight, turned, and walked away.

I had almost forgot that Ryan was training too. I turned my head to see his shocked look.

Come back to the room, I mouthed. He blushed and nodded.

I was sitting on the couch when he walked in.

"What was that, Rachel?"

"I told you this morning that I wasn't in the mood. I never liked her anyways." I looked down. "She's an asshole."

Ryan sighed. I almost wished that we hadn't become close, because I knew he could see every emotion on my face.

"What did she do to you?" His voice was soft, forcing me to look at him. I shook my head.

"Oh, nothing serious. She only got naked with my first boyfriend in my room. He came to see me, and so did she. I went to go get something, I come back, and they're having sex on my bed." Lie.

Ryan exhaled angrily. "Well, I would've punched her too."

I laughed quietly. "Forget about it. He was an asshole too." Another lie.

"Do you want to go somewhere tomorrow?" I was taken aback by his question. I've left the building of my own leisure one time. A time I'd rather not talk about.

"Don't worry," he said, taking in my surprised look, "I got permission this morning. For the both of us."

I nodded my head slowly. "Where to?"

"Anywhere you want to go."

I thought about that all night. The town I loved surely would've changed in so many years. Just where could I go?