Secret Agents: My Savior

01. Unexpected

My night is going awful.

Fucking shit. The alcohol is not enough to forget about the shitty day I had. Or the shitty month. Or the shitty year.

Sighing, I drink the rest of my beer. The last one, I promise myself.

You're pitiful, Enzo.

"Give me something strong, Fred," I call loud enough for him to hear me through the music blasting in the bar.

It's louder than earlier and it's starting to give me a damn headache. I notice there are even more people than usual. It's Friday night, after all.

I lean my arms against the counter and look at the crowd. Fred finally comes towards me, giving me a look I got to know pretty well in the last couple of months.

"Bad day, kiddo?" he asks, opening another beer for me to drink, ignoring my demand for something stronger.

Sighing, I accept it anyway and take a sip.

"I thought we agreed not to talk about my days at work," I reply, running a hand through my hair.

"You look like shit," he says neutrally, carefully watching me.

I chuckle, nodding. Can't deny that, anyway.

Fred smiles, shaking his head. In his fifties, with dark grey hair and dark skin, a belly noticeable and always a strong scent of beer and cigarette on him, he's the closest friend to mine. I always considered him like a father, since I never got the chance to grow up with one. We met a long time ago when I came to his bar and I only started to come here again on a daily basis six months ago.

He isn't wrong at all. I must really look like shit. I guess I could say that I started to look bad that day when I agreed to do something I still regret today. Then, the rest followed. I became a fucking pion. Someone who just agrees to do whatever we ask him to do. Someone who just follows the orders without asking anything. Someone who's a coward.

I groan, tightening my fists. Fred watches me having my own inner battle against myself and sighs, shaking his head.

"Are you on a new case? New mission?" he asks after taking a look around him.

Of course, he knows about me being an agent. I shake my head, mumbling under my breath. "Don't know yet exactly."

Nodding, he polishes a glass, not taking his eyes off me. I wait, knowing he'll certainly say something after his observation.

"You don't look happy at all, Enzo. I mean, I get this job must be hard sometimes, but if you're not even happy with it... what's the point?"

God, I knew it.

"I hate when you talk like that," I mumble, earning his deep chuckle.

"Just saying the truth, kiddo. I don't want to see you here again every night like last week," he concludes with a pointed look before he goes to serve other drunk people.

I take my head in my hands, exhaling. How did all of this happen? It's not like I didn't see it happen. I did. All the decisions I took are my fault.

By the time I finish my beer and stop over thinking about everything, an hour probably has passed. I look up from the contemplation of my hands and take a look at Fred. He shakes his head at me and I turn my head away, sighing deeply.

That's when I see her.

Her.

She's dancing with her friend, a drink in her hand, her long red hair reaching her waist in curls, her lips tinted in red. Her dress hugs her curves perfectly. She's smiling, her eyes closed.

I'm in shock. Everything inside me screams to leave. To run away before I make a mistake.

But for once, I don't listen. I stay and watch silently the girl—the woman, I thought I'd never see again.

Alex Pierce.

What is she doing here? I've been here almost every night, drinking or not, for the last couple of months and never saw her.

I wonder what happened to her, since then. Is she happy? What is she doing with her life, at the moment? Does she have a job she likes?

Why do you care?

Narrowing my eyes, my fists clenched, I keep watching her. She's drunk. I can see it. Or maybe she's just having fun, Enzo.

And suddenly, she opens her eyes.

Her eyes directly meet mine. The world is spinning.

She stops dancing, frowning. I see her blinking a couple of times as if to make sure she's seeing right.

When she realizes I'm here, her mouth drops open. Her drink falls from her hand.

Alex steps back, slowly shaking her head. I just stare at her, not knowing what to do, how to react.

And before both of us can even decide, a loud noise breaks the air.

Gunshot.

Everyone starts to scream, to run, to panic. In my state of shock, I feel a hand grips my shoulder. Fred.

But all I can see is her.

Her, in the middle of the panicked crowd.

She looks over her shoulder and it's like everything happens in slow motion. Her hair sways behind her when she turns her head back towards me, the red curls everywhere. Then, she murmurs something, her eyes filled with panic, and I'm pretty sure it was my name.

That's when I react.

*

Next chapter is in Alex's POV and it's gonna be a longer chapter. 😏 Are you excited?