... UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, FALL 2004_
"Nah, he's not my type," Ashley said, pulling the sun visors mirror out, checking her self.
I just glanced at her, keeping my eyes on the road. It had been two months since I was assigned to Ashley's protective detail, her and I have always been attached to the hip but being around her this much was starting to put me off.
I pulled the steering wheel to the left, pulling into the college parking lot. We were there a half hour early. Ashley's class was on the far side of the campus but the only parking accessible was here. I shivered in the cold air. It was the start of Fall, forcing me to retire the nice summer dresses I almost always wore.
Pulling on my navy blue sweatshirt, I grabbed my bag and linked my arm with Ashley's. I decided to wear a plain dark sweatshirt over my cream turtle neck long-sleeve shirt. I had black skinny jeans on with my worn dark brown leather combat boots. My dark brown hair was pulled up into a high ponytail with braids cascading down the tail.
"I still would've given him a chance. Your father would've definitely liked him." I said as we walked down the stone steps leading to the courtyard in the middle of the college. The buildings surrounded the area, making it appear as if it were a huge cage.
There was a small hint of pine in the air, making my sinuses open at the smell. It was a rainy day, making the scenery dull gray. I could feel the raindrops fall slowly on my face. Wiping away the water, I tugged Ashley along with me and picked up my pace.
The class room was slightly fuller than it usually was. Tables lined in rows down to where the teacher was standing. The front lights were off allowing the projector shine its light onto the white screen.
I pulled out the chair closest to me, sitting next to Ashley. My protocol is to always position myself in the entryway so that my body shields Ashley. Despite her being my best friend, I have a job to protect her as the president's daughter.
My eyes focus on the screen in front of me as the professor started to talk, letting my mind wonder to the unknown as Ashley started to take her notes.
"I hate taking that class," Ashley says as I push the lecture hall doors open.
I gave her a look. "You're the one that wanted to get a degree." I said as we walked down the hallways to the entrance.
"I know, I know. Some of us aren't naturally smart like you." Ashley sassed as we made our way down the front steps.
I could feel the cold medal of my combat knife rubbing against my ankle as we stepped down the steps. In order to give the impression that I was a normal student, it was only allowed for me to carry two weapons. The gun I was carrying was strapped to my waist, hidden from view by the sweatshirt that I wore over it.
It was Friday afternoon, making the campus the most deserted place in existence. Most students wouldn't sign up for classes as they would leave Fridays as an extended weekend for partying and studying. There were a few people walking down the path to the building, a few others off to the side chatting. Turning right, we take the alleyway to my car as a shortcut. An odd feeling erupted in my gut. My face scrunched at the odd feeling.
As we neared the end of the ally way hands clasped around my arms keeping me still. A hand wrapped around my mouth, a cloth rubbed against my lips. I felt my senses heighten at the movement. My body wiggled and jerked around trying to free myself from the strong grip without breathing in whatever was on the cloth. I could hear Ashley's grunts of fear making me jerk even harder. My head started to feel fuzzy. Pain erupted in my lungs screaming for air. I took a gulp of air in, breathing in whatever chemical was on the cloth. My vision became blurry as black spots clouded the view of my car. I felt my body go limp as I lost consciousness as darkness took over me.
"No don't do anything to her." A gruff male voice sounded out.
I could feel the itchy rope cutting into my wrists. It was too difficult to tell how long I had been out. However, the dryness of my mouth was a clear indicator that I had been unconscious for a long time. The air smelled fresher, like we were in a more humid climate.
"But sir-" A more frail voiced pleaded out.
"Enough, it's final. Leave her be." The man growled.
I groaned at the harsh sound, my head pounding from the raging headache I had. I could hear the man sigh before heavy foot steps approached me. I felt a cold prick on my neck, making me flinch at the metal. I felt myself getting lightheaded again before relaxing back into a deep sleep.
It was the sound of rain that brought me out of the darkness, which made me more aware of my surroundings. I peeled my eyelids open, squinting at the harsh light that entered my eyes. I could feel the raindrops hitting my face as they fell from the dark grey sky. The grass underneath me felt cold. It seeped into my body making me shiver uncomfortably. The sound of cries reached my ears, a soft high pitched cry stood out the most. My eyebrows scrunched in confusion as I turned my head to the sound. I could only see blurry black silhouettes.
I sat up, trying to see the scene in front of me. Pulling myself up from the ground, I slowly approached the silhouettes. My vision cleared as I got closer.
People dressed in black blocked my view as I came closer to the soft cries. The cries got louder the more I weaved my way through the solemn faces. A large grave was in the middle. There were golden letters carved across the brown casket. I slowly tunedat the soft cries. It was a younger version of me peering down into the six foot hole, dressed in a basic black dress with black flats. Taking a look at her, I noticed that she held a neatly folded American flag in her hands. The feeling of dread washed over me like a tsunami as I looked back up at her face. She looked from the hole to me, her look of sadness slowly turning into one of rage.
"This is your fault." She screamed, making me back away slowly.
She started yelling the same thing over and over again. I backed away quickly. The sudden movement made me trip over my feet falling to the ground.
The flag fell from her hands. Her body cracked and moved into awkward places. She continued to yell as I scrambled away from the grave. I squealed as the girl crawled towards me.
"Mommy and Daddy are dead because of you. No one will love a murderer!" the girl screamed, chasing after me.
Before the girl could get any closer, I fell into a hole. My body felt light, my hair moving wildly in the wind. The girl slowly faded away as I fell down. I closed my eyes tightly, hoping this dream ends as the dark abyss swallowed me whole.
The sound of gravel crunching under heavy shoes woke me up. My head felt heavy, pain pounding at the top of my head as blood rushed to my brain. There was painful pressure near my hips as if something pressed me down. I slowly swayed with whoever was holding me. Looking around the area, I squinted at the harsh bright light outside. I could hear leaves rustling as the wind weaved through its branches. The sound of birds chirping in the air and rushing water created a melodic sound. My eyelids felt heavy, still tired from whatever drugs were coursing through my system.
"Lleva a las chicas a la iglesia. Nos ocuparemos del intruso más tarde." A deep voice said.
I looked over to my left, a blond head of hair swayed in time with mine. I opened my mouth to say something but all that came out was air. My eyelids slowly droop shut as my body gave up in exhaustion.
The sound of a loud roar jolted me awake. It had gotten darker since the last time I woke up. I was lying on a windowsill, my body propped up against the window.
The room was cluttered with boxes and furniture. It was lit by two small candelabras propped on opposite sides of the small room. I stood looking out the window. Trees cover the surrounding area masking whatever is visible from the window. A large lake is barely visible in the distance.
I groan, lifting my hand over my head. A small bump formed at the back, assuming someone hit me while I was out. Moving away from the window, I spot Ashley lying on the dusty couch.
"Ashley?" I asked worriedly, rushing to her sleeping form. I put my fingers on her neck. Light thumps hit my fingers letting me know she was still alive. I sighed in relief, moving her hair away from her neck. A small red bump formed on her fair skin, surrounded by a darker red dot in the middle. My brows furrowed, my thumb skimming over the bump.
After checking she was okay, I turned away from her. A wooden door stood underneath the stone archway connected to the wall. Getting up, I walked to the door tugging it.
The first thing that caught my eye was the neon colours bouncing all over the stone walls. Walking down the few steps, I reached the stone railing. A large stained glass window hung proudly before the wooden pews. It was oddly beautiful but the glass was scattered in the window, like it was messed up on purpose. A metal moth-shaped insignia was bolted in the middle.
I looked over to the left above the window where the rest of the second floor was. Half of a ladder peeked out of the metal prongs on the roof of the church. Making my way over, I keep my eyes trained on the ground as I go, making sure that I don't get any unexpected surprises.
The ladder looked like it needed to be pushed down. Placing my hand in a hole in the stone, I pull myself up grabbing another with my other free hand.
"Guess I'm climbing up." I mutter in annoyance. My fingers curled round the cool metal of the first bar on the ladder. Climbing up, I push the ladder down with my heeled boots. It made a loud thump making me cringe at the harsh noise.
The room was covered in boxes and books, one laid open on a beaten up box. Picking it up, I read through the worn papers. It was a journal.
I throw it back into the box after reading through the last few pages. Moving towards the open window, I looked out into the darkened sky. There was a stone foundation underneath the window making it able for Ashley and I to jump down without hurting anything.
"Stay away!" I heard Ashley yell.
My stomach swelled with fear, making me run to the ladder. Jumping down the opening, I run to my frantic friend. "Ashley?" I ask, grabbing her shoulders.
"Hey. It's dangerous outside." A familiar male voice called out from behind Ashley. Alarmed, I pulled her behind me.
"You need to listen to me – Sophia?" The voice asked.
Looking up from where Ashley stood behind me, my gaze caught a familiar pair of ocean blue eyes.
My eyes widen. "Agent Kennedy?" I ask, letting go of Ashley. "What are you doing here?"
"Came to save two damsels in distress," he joked as he walked towards me. He placed his gloved hands around my shoulders. "Are you alright?" he asked, scanning me up and down my body.
I just nodded, unable to speak from embarrassment. What an awesome way to meet the man you've been crushing on for years after being on an assignment for two months.
He opened his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off. "What is that? Over there?" Ashley asked, gesturing out to the window.
I turned, standing on Ashley's right side looking out the window. A group of villagers with torches and pitchforks flooded out of a stone opening at the front of the graveyard. "That's a congregation coming to kill us." I joked, hoping to ease Ashley's fear.
I had always been the one to crack jokes during serious or emotional times, never being the one to be all touchy and feely. When Ashley was upset or distraught, I'd always crack jokes to help keep her at ease during a situation.
Ashley grunted beside me, holding her head in pain. I grabbed her shoulders, trying to see what was the matter. Not long after, Leon did the same.
"What's going on? Are you two okay?" I asked, pulling Ashley closer to me.
Leon and Ashley stopped holding their heads looking at me. I gave them a 'WTF' look before looking at the window. The villagers had made their way to the gate surrounding the church. Their muffled voices chanted 'pursue them' as they got to the gate, pushing and grabbing at the metal bars.
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Wooohooo Chapter one DONE!
{Lleva a las chicas a la iglesia. Nos ocuparemos del intruso más tarde.}- Take the girls to the church. We'll deal with the intruder later.
- Edited -