Operation 007 (SpyxFamily)

Chapter Two

Becky was surprised at Anya's strong grip clasped around her hand.

It worried her further.

Anya had made an uncharacteristic choice to leave right when school ended. She hated crowds. She usually waited until they had dispersed a bit.

Her normally energetic demeanour was diminished, replaced by flickering eyes and a jumpy disposition as well.

'I don't think I've ever seen Anya so upset.' She thought. 'It's like the rest of the world didn't exist to her all day. She's barely said a word. And now she's all wobbly. What's going on?'

Anya had in fact not been very present minded in her classes. She put all of her energy into tracking her enemies, the agents that the scientist's sent out for her.

She recognized some of their minds.

They had patrolled the halls, keeping order, keeping watch. Escorting children from place to place. Surveilling the outside of the large building. Intruders were dealt with quickly and quietly.

She shook her head of the memories, refusing to dwell on it and before she knew it, they were greeted with fresh air on their faces. The afternoon sun hanging lower in the sky.

Her breath hitched, a sob threatening in the back of her throat. She hadn't been scared to step outside before.

'Get on the bus. Everything will be fine. Just have to get on the bus. Get on the bus.'

"Ow, you're holding too tight." Becky complained, startling Anya. She loosened her grip.

"What's wrong?" Becky whispered fiercely once more. Anya's jitters were freaking her out but Anya remained silent, scanning the grounds, roofs and streets.

'There's no-one.' Anya thought dejectedly. She could vaguely feel them in the mix of voices, but saw no evidence of them around.

She was pretty sure that was a bad sign.

She could feel them. She knew they were there. It drove her nuts. She knew their general direction, but the devices didn't just garble things up. It was if it wobbled the brain signals around. Like a paddle ball being bounced over and over, except a lot faster and more static-y. It messed with her head.

Her eyes turned to the front. The bus was right there. She walked a little further with Becky, but she was going too slow.

She let go of her hand to run up to it, weaving through other students, in a rush of adrenaline that she thought would burst her heart open.

"Anya?!" Becky called after her in confusion with only a wave from her fleeing friend to signal she was leaving.

Anya should've said goodbye properly, she felt, but it was hard to care at the moment. Her head was on a swivel, a panic to reach safety. She wanted to go home.

With a quick rifle through the drivers head, she knew he was not one of them. He'd been driving the bus all semester, but she had to check.

He gave her an odd look as she scrambled on board quicker than she ever had, but she didn't care. She panted heavily as she plopped down in the back to watch other students climb on.

Tiny as she was, she drew her feet up on the seat to wrap her arms around her knees. Her breath caught in her throat.

'They wouldn't come on the bus. They wouldn't cause a scene.'

She convinced herself. They relied on secrecy and being inconspicuous to continue their work. They couldn't risk their existence being publicized, or even suspected. Especially with the secret police on lookout for them now, so she'd heard from Papa.

Anya swiped tears forming in her eyes, her heart calming and the rumble of the bus taking her away from them and the school.

'Wait a second.' She realized, a new fear washing over her. 'They'll follow Anya home. Won't they? Of course they would. Why wouldn't they? If they're trying to bring her back, they would do everything they could.

And as she searched for them, she could feel them trailing behind somewhere. She didn't know how far, but she could still sense them. Meaning they were staying within range. She wondered if they knew she knew they were there.

She wanted to cry. She was scared.

If she led them home it wouldn't be safe anymore. She knew Papa and Mama could overtake them, but if the agents gave any hint to what she was, it would be over. Her parents would leave her.

'If Mama killed them straight away it wouldn't matter', She thought morbidly.

Stuck as to what to do, she sat quietly, gathering herself.

She was never going back. Never, never, never, in a million years.

After escaping the lab, she was determined to forget about it. Block it out of her head. But now that was a little impossible.

Anya had to find a way out of this.