❝We will only hold on to let go.❞
☀︎
MARK TSKED LOUDLY. "You need to work on your uppercut, Anna. This will get you beaten up again like last week." Mark moved to stand behind Anna, correcting her posture.
Harry walked towards them and looked directly at Mark. Since they had spent the night together a few days ago, Anna and Harry had avoided each other like the plague. Harry had taken utmost care while applying her ointments and nursing her back to health.
But after that? They didn't even pretend that the other existed. "Team, group meeting. Meet me in the surveillance room." Harry awkwardly walked away, disappearing into the warehouse.
Mia came up to them and nodded in the direction Harry had just stalked off to. "What's up with the big guy?"
"Heist nerves. Let's go," Mark said, dismissively.
Anna followed suit, bandaging the fresh, bloody bruises forming on her knuckles. She'd been training long and hard. Not only for her pretense but also to release the pent up frustration building inside her.
They entered the surveillance area to find Jeremy hard at work on microscopic drones and tiny soundless bombs that could take out a whole truck. He put down his screwdriver as everyone walked in and went to stand beside Noah.
Harry stood behind the console, the thousand screens illuminating his fierce dark hair. "Guys, we have five days to D-day. Agapi Mou will be placed on the glass case at exactly forty minutes past five. Genesis Financial Corp., will be opening the doors to the ball at six. That gives us twenty minutes to stand by.
I will be dividing us into teams. Mark and Jeremy will sit in our getaway van. You'll be looking over the technical aspect. Anna, Mia, Noah and I will be the ground team. We'll leave the van below the hill at five forty. In twenty minutes, we shall be scaling the hill and reaching the back area of the GFC.
At six, we'll set off the bomb and enter the manhole. We will come out in two different washrooms through the underground air vents. Noah will go with Mia and I will stay with Anna. As soon as I give the go ahead, Mark and Jeremy will be shutting down the surveillance cameras and the lights for a good five minutes.
Noah and Mia will be on perimeter duty. There is bound to be chaos and in those minutes of utter confusion, Anna and I will use a low impact bomb to break the glass. Noah and Mia will cover us and we'll leave the exact same way we entered.
Any questions?" Harry looked at each of the others in turn, passing hastily onwards when he reached Anna. Everyone shook their heads no and Harry clapped his hands together.
"Great. Get back to work everyone. Physical exercise is of the essence right now." Harry suddenly shot forward and grabbed a terrified Jeremy who was almost at the door, running away. "Even you. We cannot risk it. What if Noah needs your help on the ground?"
Jeremy crinkled his nose. "Fine, but I hate you," he said and sulked his way to the lawn. The whole group followed him, laughing at his slouching form.
Anna went back to her punching bag which hung from a short but sturdy tree. She punched it repeatedly. Hook, duck, kick, move. Hook, duck, kick, move. Chest, chest, stomach, face. Her fists and feet wore down the bag and eventually she sat down to rest.
Mark and Mia trained on the other side of the lawn. Anna noticed how Mia's earlier radiance was coming back. Gone was the girl with raggedy clothes. She could see the improvements in her wardrobe and Anna couldn't help but wonder.
She looked beautiful. Like a snake. She looked beautifully dangerous like a cobra would, ready to leap and tear you apart. Anna smiled. Her friend was back in business.
Mark, on the other hand, looked worn and dusty. His lips kept moving, murmuring something continuously to Mia. From her distance, Anna couldn't hear a single word. Must be nothing, Anna thought and moved on.
On her opposite side, Noah and Jeremy slogged away at the tyres. Noah pulled one up and threw it with ease, only to pick it up again and repeat. Jeremy looked as if he was being beaten to death. He was frail and weak but his brain made up for his lack of brawn.
Jeremy fell down on his behind and vehemently cursed. Noah rushed back to help him up. He took a hold of his chicken arms and pulled him up. Jeremy was fighting back tears, begging Noah to let him go back inside.
This clearly wasn't his scene, Anna laughed. She felt a sudden movement next to her and she turned to face Harry's golden eyes looking at her intently.
"You could at least thank me for helping you out, you know," Harry said and laughed when he looked at Jeremy flailing his arms about in pain.
Anna peeled her eyes off of him, staring into the distance. "Thank the walls while you ran away as far as your legs could carry you? Yeah, right." She crossed her arms and scooted away from him.
Harry inched closer to her, every time she moved to her right. "That's not fair," he whined playfully. "We both know that I don't stand a chance in front of your physical prowess."
Anna's lips curved into a smile. "You sure know how to flatter someone, don't you?"
"Only for the people I l-" Harry stopped, a pout forming itself on his face.
"People you what?" Anna egged him on. "It's okay, don't be shy." She laughed, knowing full well what he intended to say.
"Tell me you received the idea," he said, nudging her arm. Harry could not help it; there was a whole smile on his face, something he always seemed to do around her. This was why he absolutely would not get rid of her even though he knew she wasn't worth his trust.
"If you don't tell me, I won't tell you. It's only fair," Anna jumped up on her feet. She was already in her fighting stance, her right leg behind her left. She was about to place her fists in front of the bag when Harry caught on it, faster than lightning.
"I think I love you," he whispered.
Anna's head snapped back to look at him, her jaw dropping open. Her legs felt limp and the world seemed to stop around her. She started breathing heavily, small beads of perspiration appearing on her forehead.
"You- you what?" Anna asked, disbelief on every single syllable that rolled off of her tongue. She sat back down next to him, unable to process it. She was here to take everything away from him.
And she was planning on it. He couldn't just throw a curveball and expect her to deal with it just like that. It toppled the mere establishment of her purpose. She couldn't hurt someone who had just admitted something so huge.
But it was her job, wasn't it? Anna could not throw it all away for a man she probably would never see again. So, she did the only thing that seemed right to her. She kept quiet, not a single word escaping her.
Harry noticed her silence and leaned against the tree. His training shirt rode up his perfect frame and Anna gulped a little. "You don't have to say you love me. No one means it anyway," Harry whispered, his eyes clouding over with disappointment and his voice losing its edge.
He got up from his place on the ground and smoothed down his shirt as if nothing had ever happened. Only Anna could see the pain in his eyes and she could tell it was real. She just couldn't say it back to him. She was never one to throw false feelings and she would not do it now.
"Harry, I did not mean-"Anna's words drowned out when Harry picked his voice up.
"Everyone, back inside. It's been a long day. Rest up," he said and walked away, his head bent down.
Anna watched him, awed at how he still looked angelic even when he was downright upset. She hated being the one to hurt him but it had to be done someday if not today. At least he won't hate me when he comes to know, Anna thought.
On the other side of the lawn's entrance, Harry paced about the room, his fingers digging into his palm. Blood seeped out from the pressure but the pain wasn't enough.
He'd lied to her, of course. He couldn't love her, of all people. He hated doing it but he had no choice. The only reason he said what he said was because distracting her from her job was his top most priority.
He absolutely had to keep Florian out of this. For as long as possible. Just not now. Not now.
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