Look out for this <>
I woke up the next day to my alarm beeping at me in the most annoying fashion. With a new spring in my step I pushed myself out of bed and got dressed. For the first time in days I felt like I was well rested. With a game plan for todays events in my head, I walked down the stairs to start the day.
I eyed my computer. It was exactly where I had left it yesterday. I gave up on B26 but somehow I didn't believe that it would be that easy. MIA already knew me, they were after me. As dangerous as this was and how much it scared me, I felt like I was already trapped in the web. "I can't avoid him forever," I said to myself with a sigh as a knock came from my door.
Knowing it was Carter, I walked to the front door and opened it with a smile. "Are you ready for the best dressed day for your life?" I asked him.
He did not look happy. In fact he looked like he was in pain. "Can't wait," he said sarcastically as he walked into my house. He then looked at me from head to toe with a small smile. "You look good."
I nodded. Ever since I saw Auggie I felt like my emotions were getting under control. Seeing him was a restart, yes I was still grieving with the betrayal of Toby, but I was learning how to deal with it. "Yeah, I feel better."
Carter nodded then clapped his hands, bringing attention back to him. "So where is the great shirt?"
"It's up stairs, let me get it," I said running up stairs to my room. I knew that most of my clothing was too small for him. But thank goodness I had a light pink boy friend button down. I walked back down the stairs and tossed it to him.
He caught it with ease and looked at with a faint smile. "What is this? A towel?" he asked jokingly.
I rolled my eyes at him. "Shut up, just try it on," I said pushing him into the bathroom that was in the hall way.
Within a minute, he came out. "Do I have to wear this the whole day?"
I looked at him and smiled. "Oh yeah," I said as I held back a laugh. He had to broad of shoulders so instead of being a loose, it seemed to fit him like a fitted button down. Then it clicked, that was why they called it boyfriend fit.
"Great. Maybe I'll just take a half day," he mumbled.
I smiled as I put my hand on his shoulder to cheer him up, before I crushed it again. "Ok ready hot stuff?"
He frowned, knowing that he would be the talk of the department. "Yeah."
"Oh cheer up. I'm sure no one will notice," I lied. Really, I think everyone would notice that this was a girls shirt. With Keys in hand, I pushed both of us out the door and locked it behind me.
We took separate own cars to work and before I knew it I was walking into the building. I looked around the main lobby. Everything was the same, but yet, everything was different. I was different, this job was different. I felt like it was trying to cover a secret that I already knew. I felt eyes on me as I walked with a lack of confidence through the lobby. Every sound made me jump. MIA was here and it was only time until they came for me again.
"Annalise!" Carter waved to me as he walked up to me, waiting to get onto the elevator.
The elevator doors opened but before we got in someone chuckled as they looked at Carter. "Whose closet did you pick out of today? Madonna's?" he asked Carter.
I held back a smile, that was witty. This was going to be a long day for him.
Carter frowned at the man and snapped back, "you know what? I don't even want to hear it Joel," he said as the elevator doors closed, leaving him behind of the floor.
I felt the machine pulled us upward to another floor. The doors opened again with a bing and I walked out to my floor. With my head held high, I walked down the isles feeling my heart race with every step. I was wanted by MIA and the CIA couldn't protect me. I tried to straighten my shoulders as I walked into my Grandmother's office.
Gram was reading the newspaper as she chewed on her nails. Something in there was getting her worked up. "Hey," I said when I came in, to bring her attention to me.
She smiled lightly as she looked at me. "Hey," she said as she put down the paper.
I closed her office door behind me and took a seat on a uncomfortable red chair that I was sure was from the 80's. "So you want to know what happened?"
"Yes, please tell me why August is in the hospital and why Toby is AWOL," she said as she leaned forward. She had been waiting for this.
Just the sound of Toby's name was like nails on a chalk board. I learned back in the chair as I tried to make myself comfortable then dove into what happened. I told her about Toby and how he worked for MIA, I also told her how we were set up in Florida. I told her everything except B26. After being burnt so quickly by MIA, I felt that I needed to keep that information to myself.
After I said everything, she sighed. "Are you sure it was MIA?"
She didn't believe me but I wouldn't make this stuff up. I frowned at her as I felt more like a disappointment then normal. Why didn't anyone take me seriously. No one ever believed me and I was sick of it. I got it from Toby and I even got it from my own family. "Gram, I'm sure. Toby's working with them. He's a back stabbing...."
She cut me off before I started throwing words around that she would rather not have her granddaughter saying. "Annalise, the thing is that MIA was shut down three years ago. Their old building is owned by a local bank now."
I shook my head, not believing her. I saw MIA with my own eyes. I talked to Zach who used to be a member of MIA. He was committing his life to bringing them down. And Fabien, he was dangerous. He must have some high position within the agency. I would have no reason to make up any of this. Who else would shoot Auggie? "That bank must be just a front, a cover, something," I said as I got up from my chair in frustration.
"General Smith closed it down himself, Annalise."
I stopped pacing the room as my frown sank deeper on my face. Something wasn't adding up. How could they have kept up this secret for so long? They had people on the inside of this, more then Toby. They were working and no one saw them, but I did. I knew what they were doing.
I ran my hands through my slightly wet hair. This was insane, my grandma didn't even believe what I was telling her. To her and everyone here, I would always be a child, always be in the shadows. No one would take me seriously. It wouldn't matter what I did, I would still be nothing more then a misfit here.
Gram, seeing how upset I was getting, stood up from her chair. "I'll look into it, just for you," she said, brushing me off. But I knew that she would at least spend a few minutes looking into it and maybe that would be enough.
I stopped in mid walk. "Thanks," I said with a small smile.
She nodded then sat back down in her seat. "Take a half day. Go see August."
She was shooing me off but right now I didn't care. I needed to go back to him. I nodded and I walked out of her office without another word.
I got to my desk and turned on the computer. I crossed my fingers hopping that the screen wouldn't go black. Every time I passed a computer, fear crept into my mind. B26 was still out there, they were still watching me and I hated that idea. I wanted to separate myself as much as I could from them but in the back of my mind, they would always be there in the shadows.
For the rest of my time at the office, I did paper work as I tried to calm my nerves. I was on edge every time I heard a nose. Everything made me jump, fearing that MIA our B26 would come after me. No one believed me and if I got into trouble, I was on my own. No support and maybe that was what MIA wanted. They wanted me to appear crazy. Maybe that was why B26 picked me, because I was the only one crazy enough to listen to him.
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By time noon rolled around, I clocked out for the day and passed Toby's cubical. I froze as I looked at his Cubical. I memorized his work space to a T, after all we spent many minutes here as I leaned into the entry way, talking to him.
He asked me out on our first date here. He kissed me here. He shared his lunch with me here. There were so many memories around this place and it made me sick. I shook my head to clear it. I couldn't think about the good memories, he stabbed me in the back. He gave me to the lions. "I was so stupid," I said to myself.
His cubical was the same size as mine but yet it seemed smaller with the mounds of paper work stacked around the computer. I walked into his cubical and looked around, maybe he had some kind of hints about MIA, to prove that I wasn't crazy. Within a minute of looking, my eyes stumbled upon a crumpled piece of paper, shoved in the corner by his computer. I uncrumpled it to better see what was written. To my surprise it was printed out E-mail from Fabien date stamped from a two weeks ago.
Fabien: Are you still doing fine?
Toby: Yes sir, everything's going fine.
Fabien: Are you sure, that Annalise girl looks like she's getting close. If I'm not mistaken, I saw you hanging onto her every move in New York.
Toby: I'm doing what you want. She doesn't know anything, leave her out of it.
Fabien: You don't have to get snippy. But that's where you're wrong. I got word that the hacker found a new apprentice and have reason to believe it's your girl.
Toby: You are mistaken. The hacker would not choose such an inexperienced girl to do his work.
I frowned. His words sung like a slap to the face. He did see me as incapable. He was only taking me for a cover. He was using me.
Fabien: Prove me wrong then. Follow her closer. If needs be, squeeze the information out of her.
Toby: What if I don't find out anything?
Fabien: The answer's easy, in a week from now you'll be called on a mission. I want you to leave her and I'll question her. We can use her more then what we are doing. Besides, you're taking too much time. Maybe it's time to cut ties with your little mission.
I was shaking, out of fear, anger, rage. All that we had was for MIA. I was the front, the cover. My eyes scanned the paper again to read all the details.
"Annalise? What are you doing?" Carter asked as he peeked into the cubical. He was right. What was I doing? Everyone saw me as a child, how could I do this impossible task?
I turned to face him and wiped a tear from my face. "Nothing," I said and shoved the paper in my pocket.
He frowned, not believing my words. He brought me into a hug and for a second, everything seemed ok. "It's going to be ok."
I nodded even though I knew everything wouldn't be ok. I was a target for MIA, I had been for a while and the CIA wouldn't protect me. They didn't even believe me.
He pulled out of the hug and wiped another tear from my face. "They'll find him."
I nodded, although that was not what I wanted. I wanted him to burn in hell. I wanted revenge. He made me the fool, and I wasn't about to let him get away with it.