With a Pull of a Trigger

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Cold Blood

Shiny black heels clicked on the polished granite. A woman in an emerald green empire waist blouse and olive green slacks had her hair in a neat bun, her navy reading glasses perched on her nose. Her stainless steel wristwatch glimmered slightly with every step she took, catching the light. Her strides were confident, the clicks of her heels creating a staccato rhythm. She had twelve brown folders piled in her hands, all of which were labeled classified, and the folder on top was open, her eyes moving quickly across the page, reading the words written.

Agents quickly got out of her way, afraid of disrupting her.

Special agent Amrie Chase looked up from her desk as she heard her office door open.

“Agent Aspen,” said Amrie by way of greeting.

Catherine nodded curtly and sat down on one of the chairs opposite Amrie.

“While it’s very pleasing to see you,” said Amrie, putting her hands on the table and interlacing them with each other, “you could have called for me instead of going here.”

“That’s alright,” said Catherine, sitting with her posture straight, looking at Amrie with her penetrating blue eyes, “I didn’t mind the exercise.”

Amrie raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes at Catherine suspiciously. After a few moments, she shook her head and took a deep breath. “So, what is your business with me, agent Aspen?”

Catherine took the brown folder on top of the pile of brown folders she had in her lap and put it down on the table between them. She opened the folder and pointed her finger on the files, looking at Amrie with icy blue eyes. “Care to explain your mission, Miss Chase?”

Amrie took the folder and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She shrugged as she looked at Catherine, obviously confused as to why Catherine was suddenly a bit mad. “Pardon? You’ve never made me do this before.”

Catherine waved her off. “Humor me.”

“Alright,” started Amrie in uncertainty. “As we all know, The Alliance continues to be the CIA’s main priority.”

“Of course,” said Catherine solemnly, nodding.

Amrie stared at Catherine for a few seconds before clearing her throat. “Right,” she said awkwardly. “Anyway, after some researching, I found something. I found out about a certain agent of The Alliance who managed to quit said organization without being killed. I figured that this man, Mister Gilbert Baxendale, would be able to help us in bringing The Alliance down if he wanted to quit—and managed to quit—The Alliance.”

“So you went to him for help?” asked Catherine.

Amrie shook her head. “No. I gave agents Acker and Saunders a direct order; to merely confirm if this man has any information about The Alliance that might help us. This is not a mission that would require an assassination. It is merely an observation, nothing more.”

Catherine nodded slowly. “Why did you choose to do this?”

“I don’t understand,” said Amrie. “What do you mean? The mission?”

Catherine gave a curt nod.

“I figured that more information is needed if we want to bring down The Alliance. We need to know what gives that organization their power; where they get their supplies. I figured that before we bring down The Alliance, we should bring down the others that help it first. It would be like severing the limbs of a person before killing; the person will die a slow crippling death.”