American Boy (EDITING)

chapter twelve

Audrey was grateful she decided to go for a walk because the second she stepped outside the warm rays of the setting sun engulfed her and Audrey felt relaxed. With a hand stuffed in her pocket and the other holding her apple, she made her way around the distillery by starting from the back and making her way towards the front. Tourists with their faces struck in awe were pushed by along with the staff who tried to prepare early for the end of another successful day.

The British agent ended up following a small group of tourists into a small house that held belongings of the first owners of the distillery. As those left, a new group came in every few minutes while Audrey took her sweet time reading all the facts and history of the distillery she could. There was a second floor that only the few visitors not in groups decided to head up to and Audrey followed. It held more preserved old western belongings and the room opened up to a balcony to oversee most of the distillery. Unlike the main floor, the top floor was quiet besides the distant sound of all the hustling from a busy day at the distillery and the shuffling of people's feet.

Audrey continued to read more about the history of the building and finished snacking on her apple when she casually looked at her reflection in the glass that incased the old belongings. While everyone else in the room was glancing at the objects that represented the distillery's history, one man in the far corner of the room bounced his gaze between the exhibit in front of him and Audrey. She couldn't clearly see his face due to the black baseball cap he had on his head.

Despite how shady the man looked in his leather jacket during the middle of summer in Kentucky, Audrey ignored it for the time being and moved to exit the building. Once outside, she tossed her apple in the trash and began to make her way back to Statesman HQ. As Audrey reached closer to Statesman HQ, she took a glance over her shoulder to find the guy from before following her. The agent kept walking as she was only a little bit concerned knowing she would probably lose him the large crowd of visitors. Audrey picked up her pace, but as she turned the corner around a random building she caught sight of a man in similar clothing standing on the steps into Statesman HQ offices. He looked around him, clearly in search of Audrey, and the agent knew she had to get away before he spotted her.

Now a little more worried, Audrey turned to enter the building she hiding by. It was crowded with visitors taste testing some of the alcohol the distillery offered. She lost herself in the crowd and pulled out her phone to send an 'SOS' text to Harry and Eggsy. When Audrey set her phone in her pocket, the man that had followed her from the building she was at earlier had finally caught up to her and reached a hand out to grip onto her wrist. The agent immediately grabbed onto the assailant's thumb, bending it back towards him u til she heard the crunch of the bone breaking. The man yelled out in pain before Audrey purposefully pushed one of the staff members holding a tray of samples into him. The two were knocked down onto the floor and some of the tourists and other staff paused to help the man and woman. This gave Audrey ample time to escape.

When the agent stopped right outside the building, a second man dressed in the same apparel appeared not too far in front of her. Audrey moved away from the taste testing building and headed away from the two men trying to corner her. The agent broke into a jog and began to make her way towards the building holding the barrels of aged whiskey that was used to enter the lab.

Audrey was zig zagging in around in the crowd of tourists in hopes to lose the men, but when she took a quick glance back she ended up crashing into someone. She was about to get up and get ready to fight if it had been one of the men, but a voice she recognized spoke out.

"Bloody fucking hell," Eggsy's voice brought instant relief to her as Whiskey appeared above her and helped her get back onto her feet.

"Oh my God I'm so sorry, Eggsy." Audrey began to apologize as she rubbed her shoulder that stung with pain from the impact. "Where's Harry?"

"It's fine. Harry went to alert Champ and good thing I was with Whiskey for a little back up if either of us needed it. What happened? What was your text all about?" Eggsy explained as he stood in front of Audrey and took in her worried expression.

"I just came for a walk that's all. I was in that one old house exhibit and there was a guy there looking at me. I didn't think much of it until he started following me along with another man. One of them started to corner me and he got me in the taste testing building. I managed to barely away and thank God I ran into you two." Audrey told her experience as she tried to relax now being in the presence of friends.

Whiskey set a hand on one of Audrey's shoulders and gave it a gentle reassuring squeeze. "You're alright now, darling. That's all that matters. Whoever was trying to get to you, Champ and I will see that we get them so don't worry you're pretty head about it too much."

The handsome American agent subtly gave Audrey's hand a quick squeeze as well before he walked away to canvas the nearby buildings in search of these men. Eggsy tried to ignore the not so subtle gesture he witnessed, but the fact that Whiskey and Audrey seemed pretty close to the hip seemed really odd to him.

"It's looks clear to me. They must've ditched their efforts once they saw us with her," Whiskey suggested when he returned from his search. "Lets head back to the offices and let Champ know you're okay."

The other two agents nodded in agreement before walking back in silence. Whiskey was positioned a little further ahead of them and Eggsy with right beside Audrey.

"What was that with Whiskey?" Eggsy asked out of the blue and Audrey looked over at him with an arched brow.

"What was what with him? He just wanted to make sure I was okay like you did." Audrey responded as she bumped shoulders with Eggsy. "Whatever it is that you saw, you know how he is. I thought it might as well be time I just deal with it than rather be annoyed by his advances all the time."

Eggsy stayed silent for a moment and tried to decide if he bought her explanation. Even if he really didn't buy it at all, he decided to give it a rest. They all had too much going on and it was better they were united than if they were not.

The three were climbing the stairs to finally head into the Statesman building. As Audrey climbed the steps, a man who seemed to bear the face of her ex-fiancé walked past her in the opposite direction. It seemed as time had slowed and the two had time to lock gazes. Audrey knew it was him. His greenish hazel eyes were what confirmed it. She absentmindedly reached out to grab him, but as she did someone walked right into her.

"What the fuck?" She exclaimed as she was pushed back and Eggsy and Whiskey were suddenly alert.

"I'm so sorry. I apologize sincerely." The man in a suit had bent down to pick up his cell phone that was knocked to the floor and straightened back up to face Audrey.

When the Brit finally saw his face, she froze. It was Andre. He had some damn nerve because it took a fearless man to come onto the distillery grounds and threaten her life while being so close to an army of skilled Statesman agents.

"I shouldn't be holding onto my phone all the time anyways. It can fall and, well, people like an ex can steal it right out of my hands." Andre commented before flashing Audrey a smile and heading down the steps.

Audrey swayed on her feet, her head spinning as his words had suddenly brought a light headed feeling to her. Eggsy and Whiskey both moved to her side, each grabbing one of her arms as she finally focused her vision. Their words seemed to be a jumbled mess of white noise as she watched Andre and her ex-fiancé meet up at a car. The two climbed into it before driving off, but not without he ex giving her one last look from afar.

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**** UNEDITED | 2730 words