Undercover Lover

Behind Enemy Lines

You chewed nervously on your bottom lip as you drove to a laundromat in the rundown part of town. You hadn't been this way in awhile, despite it being fairly close to your apartment, and tried to avoid it as much as you could, but it was evidently a resource for the Sykes family. You were sent to confirm that and maybe pick up a clue or two.

Suddenly, your new burner phone rang from the passenger seat of your car, prompting you to reach over and answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, almost there?" Gerard's voice sounded through the speaker.

"Pulling up now. I feel like I'm going to get jumped before I even step foot in here," you muttered as you glanced around the dark street, trash littering the sidewalk. It was around two in the morning, so it was nearly pitch black since the streetlights were hardly working.

Gerard laughed softly before answering.

"Well, if you need anything, call us. Frank and Ray aren't too far from the area if you get in a bind. Just be careful," Gerard told you.

"Thanks. I'll report when I can," you told him, feeling your heartbeat quicken slightly. You wondered if he was actually concerned about your safety or not. You shook your head at the thought. This was purely business.

"Looking forward to hearing from you, agent," Gerard smirked before hanging up.

You smiled to yourself before grabbing your laundry bag full of clothes and heading out of your car. The pavement was still wet from a recent rain shower, the illuminated laundromat sign glowing in the reflection of the puddles. You trudged on, walking inside and making a bell chime on top of the door.

There were two rows of washers in the center of the small laundromat, dryers lining the walls, and a desk near a soda machine toward the back. You could also make out a door that led to a back room. At the desk, there was a young guy with short, white hair lounging around, his black Vans propped up on the surface of the desk.

Since he wasn't paying you any mind, you headed to one of the washers closest to the desk, getting a better look at him and the desk through the soft white lighting of the laundromat. There were more shadows than light. You wondered if he was part of the Sykes family or someone like Tyler, Jenna, and Josh.

The man glanced up at you, the blue-ish lighting illuminating the soft blue of his eyes. When he looked you over, he turned back to his phone, texting away.

You didn't think that you needed to worry about him right now. However, it was a little inconvenient that he was sitting right there. You wanted to get a better look at the desk and some of the papers that were on it. They could possibly be clues, like who they were protecting or anything Agency-related. You wanted to destroy them from the inside.

Listening to the quiet alternative music crackling through old speakers, you shoved your clothes into one of the washers, going on as normal. You often did recon work like this, but it wasn't your favorite. It could be boring at times and not produce any results. However, sometimes you could get lucky. With the Way family relying on you, you hoped that this was one of those times.

You heard the man's phone go off a few times, prompting a curious look on your face. You couldn't help but wonder who he was talking to. After starting the washer, you hesitated for a moment, watching the man get up and head into the back room. When he shut the door behind him, you took your chance.

Quietly, you snuck up to the desk near the soda machine, gazing down at some of the papers on the desk. You saw a few maintenance orders and receipts, but there wasn't anything that really caught your eye. You grumbled beneath your breath as you sifted through them, trying to be quick and quiet.

A ripped open envelope with a letter inside caught your attention when you pulled it out from under the stack of papers. You read the sender's name, feeling your heart drop when you realized that it was your boss' name. They were definitely connected, but what did he send?

Before you could pull the letter out, you heard the bell on the front door chime. You quickly ducked to the side and shoved the envelope into your back pocket of your black jeans, placing yourself in front of the soda machine to act like you were making a purchase. You fluffed your grey sweatshirt out, making sure that it covered the letter as footsteps sounded from behind you.

"You're up a little late, aren't you, agent?" A voice laced with a British accent sounded not too long after.

You didn't even have to turn around to know who was behind you. Coldness bit at your spine as you drew in a deep breath through your nose, trying to calm yourself before you turned around to face Oliver Sykes.

"I can't ignore my responsibilities forever," you mused, not even knowing if you should act like you knew him or not. He knew that you were an agent, and you had seen him at the Agency, though.

Oliver tilted his head slightly, his eyes sweeping up your figure as he stood there in a short sleeve, black button down with dark pants. He seemed to be studying you, and you did everything in your power to look casual.

"I hope our services are satisfactory," Oliver murmured as he stepped even closer to you.

You felt pinned to the soda machine, despite there still being a foot of distance between the two of you. He was fairly intimidating, but you weren't going to let him scare you off. You had power on your side too.

"You own this place?" You asked, playing dumb to see how much he expected you to know.

"I have many businesses in my pocket. I'm surprised to see you at one of them," Oliver replied evenly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

You swallowed hard, trying to keep your cool as he stared you down. He was trying to get you to break.

"Just curious. Director doesn't tell me much," you merely responded, hoping your answer was vague enough to pass.

"I did find it odd that he wouldn't tell you about me, since you're working on the Way case. We're... involved," Oliver smirked the last part before he moved to perch on the edge of the desk, continuing to eye you.

Now, you were getting somewhere. You just had to tread lightly so that he didn't realize you had switched sides.

"Probably to keep things from getting too messy. My only job is to gather evidence against the Way family. I'm not supposed to bother you, I suppose," you replied as you held his gaze. You had to play him.

"Messy is fun, though. It's a shame we were never properly introduced. I've heard you're one of the best," Oliver seemed to purr, a coquettish smile steadily crossing his lips.

You felt your heart start to race as he stared at you like that. You hated him and all that he did, and you were looking forward to bashing up his handsome face whenever you got the proper chance to.

"I just get the job done," you replied with a small shrug.

"I read your file. I am interested to know more about you, though. I'm sure our paths will cross again," Oliver pointed out before turning to grab a piece of paper and a pen. He scribbled down something on it before folding it and handing it over to you.

"What's this?" You asked him as you glanced down at the piece of paper.

"The time and place of our dinner together. Don't be late," Oliver mused before sliding off of the desk and then disappearing into the back room.

You stood there with a stunned look on your face, unsure of what to even do. You wanted to run out of there, but you had clothes still being washed and you didn't want to look suspicious.

You lowered your eyes to the piece of paper again, hardly able to find your breath as you read over the name of a local restaurant and Friday night's date. You had a date with Oliver Sykes, and there was no way out of it.