Maple Ridge

Chapter 43

Fiona Anderson

It's been a week now since I saw him. Since I saw the murderer. I mean not exactly saw, but I heard him, and his voice has now decided not to leave my mind for even one second, frustrating me at the fact that it seems so familiar, and yet I cannot place where I have heard it before. Adrian was transported to wherever they took him the next morning, thankfully, without Clyde knowing about my meeting. 

"I am going to be fine," Julian reassures me, but I could hear the nervousness in his voice. He had officially completed training and become an agent a week ago. And today, he was going on his first mission.

"I know, I am just a little worried. But I know that you are an amazing agent, so everything will be fine." I reply, giving him a smile.

With that, Julian and his team leave, heading to Colorado for their mission, which was supposedly confidential to anyone who was not an official agent.

I trudge back down to the pit, as it was not time to train yet.

As soon as I enter the pit, I am hit with the smell of alcohol, and music, even though it's not as loud, due to the fact that it was just five in the morning.

I go up to the bar and ask for some lemonade, then turn around to see a few girls chatting at the other end of the room.

They are out of earshot but I could see each of their expressions as one of them talked animatedly, waving her hands around with a look of excitement on her face. The other two looked at her with just as much interest.

Suddenly, memories of school hit me unexpectedly. I am reminded of Nora, Ava, Alison and I staying up at night, gossiping. Alison always had every detail about every girl, while Nora added some comments here and there.

"Hey, here is your lemonade!" Suddenly I hear the bartender behind me, realizing that he had been talking to me but I had been too lost in my memories. I am hit with a feeling that I could only explain as home-sickness. An emotion that momentarily took my breath away.

The girls continue talking, as I take small sips of my lemonade.

Dad asked me to call them up more than a week ago, and I haven't even considered calling them even once till now, but right then, a sudden urge comes up in me, to see how they are doing, to check up on them.

But, what should I tell them. What do I say when they ask me what I am doing right now? Lie. That's what I have got to do. That's what I have been doing for months now. But that's something I had to accept the day that I signed the document to join the agency.

I sigh, and finish my lemonade, starting to leave the pit, deciding to think about all this after training.

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I guess even the universe wanted me to call up Nora, Alison and Ava, because dad called that day, and the first thing he asked me was, 'Did you call your friends like I asked you to?' and I had nothing to say.

And that's exactly the reason, why I sat on my bed, my phone in my hand. Contemplating whether I should really call them or not.

I quickly clicked in the number, deciding that I would never call them if I thought about this so much.

My heart quickens with every ring, sweat breaking out on my forehead. Why am I so nervous about calling my friends?

Suddenly, the ringing stops, and I hear Alison's questioning voice on the other end of the line.

"Who is this?" she asks and I unconsciously sigh, smiling at hearing her familiar voice.

"Hi" I mumble, not knowing what to say.