Kingsman: The Whiskey Rebellion

Chapter One

I found myself sitting patiently in an empty, quiet waiting room, waiting for my interview to begin. Wanting to impress the person interviewing me, I followed the requested dress, which was fairly clear and not specific. Having some freedom with the dress code, I decided to dress in dark blue denim jeans, a gray button-up shirt, and a black denim jacket. In addition, I wore a beautiful black-and-gold watch on my right wrist, admiring a possession of mine that I had bought with my own money. Everytime I look at that watch, I think about what happens when I follow my daddy's advice.

If you want something, you have to work for it.

My daddy always gave me and my siblings some reliable words to live by, but I just seemed to take them more to heart than they did. I looked up to my daddy, who perfectly balanced his work, social, and family lives as if it was too easy. He never showed fear, even though I knew he was scared out of his mind, and that's why I admire him. My momma said that I was always a "daddy's girl" since day one, and it definitely showed. Despite her also saying that I looked a lot like him, I see myself as the perfect blend of my mother and father.

My patience paid off when the person interviewing me stepped into the room. He was a fairly elderly gentleman who looked to be in his mid-forties. He was wearing a formal suit and tie, with a golden Amuda watch gracing his left wrist. I could tell right away that he was a man of business who disliked injustice in the world of politics.

"Are you my ten o'clock interview?" he asked.

"Yes I am," I answered, rising from my seat quickly to face him. "Pleasure to meet you face-to-face, Mr. President."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. What is your name?" he asked.

"Veronica. Veronica Crawford," I stated. "But everyone calls me Rocky."

"Nice to meet you, Veronica. Welcome to the Statesman Agency. This is just the main headquarters, and there's a lot more secret headquarters all across the United States. Now tell me, for secret agent purposes, what is your codename?" he asked.

"Agent Blackjack."

"Agent Blackjack, huh? I like that. Has a nice ring to it," he said, gesturing for me to come with him. "Now, come. Let's go get you set up."

I was confused because this wasn't a typical job interview. "Don't you need my resume and reference letters?" I asked.

"Those aren't required, but I'll take them for future reference," the president said. "I can use these when I'm looking for agents to go on dangerous missions."

There was a short silence that cut through the air faster than a hot knife through butter. I panicked on what to say next because I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of the most revered person in the country. One slip-up in words, and I risk losing any future jobs I have the chance at getting in the future. Only if that happens will my world start to crumble down. I don't want that to happen.

"When can I start?" I asked. "I'm available right now if you need me."

The president then beamed with great joy and hope. "I'm glad you asked, Agent. We've got a mission on our hands that I think will establish you as a Statesman."

"What does this entail?"

"You'll be paired with a higher-ranked agent to accomplish this mission. That way, you can learn what being a part of the Statesman Agency is like," the president said.

We arrived at a large conference room that looked as though it was from a movie. With beautiful mahogany walls and low, calming lighting, my feeling of uneasiness and debilitating anxiety went away as fast as they came. Only the president and I were the ones in there, but that changed rather quickly. As I stood frozen in front of the large rectangular table, the president went to the farthest head on the table and pressed a button to project a live, holographic image of a fellow agent. Apparently, he's the agent I would be paired up with for this mission. Keeping true to myself, I crossed my arms across my chest with confidence, showing that I was confident and tough-looking. No, I wasn't trying to intimidate the agent whom I'd be paired with. I was just trying to show this agent that I am a tough, hardworking individual, and that I was ready for whatever came my way.