Code Name: Rose

Chapter 4: Something new

*By the way, Keira's name (the protagonist) is pronouced as "key-ra"*

Warning: Mild offensive language

 Chapter 4:

Beep Beep-Beep Beep

The door opens with a clack. Apartment room 13's living area is dark. It's quiet. Empty. I flip the switch and the lights fill the darkness with a light buzz. Everything is neat, tidy in its own place. The couch challenging the T.V. for a staring contest and the kitchen is dead. No wine bottles, no champagne, no whisky. Looks like no drunk losers fucking around tonight either. 

There's a breath. A very light exhale. Even though I have no reason to be on guard, my trained instincts kick in. My head whips to the left. 2 doors. One bolted shut and the other opened by just a crack and I don't need to focus to notice the pinky finger carelessly exposing itself in the light. She definitely had some alcohol to make such a foolish mistake. 

"Ria." I call out.

She steps out. Her naturally straight brown hair has been curled. Don't need to be a genius to guess that she's gone clubbing tonight. Her lips form a smile despite the evident fear in her dark eyes. Though, I can't blame her for being on edge after what happened to her family. A gentle smile finds its way to my lips and my forehead relaxes. 

"You're back in one piece." Ria stumbles over to the kitchen counter, pouring water in 2 glasses. 

"Of coarse. Who do you take me for?" 

She makes a sort of half-laugh half-exhale sound. 

"You never know what can happen. Even the most easiest mission for the most skilled agent can end in death." She can't even fake smile anymore. 

2 months. It's been 2 whole months since she lost her family. Since I found her. Since everything in her world fell apart and shifted. They said it was a car accident. They said the driver, Ria's dad, was drunk. They said the passengers, Ria's mum and 2 younger sisters, didn't wear their seatbelts. They said the brakes didn't work. They said it was a tragic car accident.

Accident my ass.

It was planned. Ria and I both know it was planned. Someone wanted something from Ria and her family. Who? What? Why? Nobody cared. Nobody accepted the fact. They were all spoon-fed lies and they took it with fake tears and empty words. 

We spent a whole damn month hunting down all the clues, everything we could find but it all led to dead ends. Eventually, we stopped. It was wasting too much time and too much money for bribing, all for nothing. We haven't accepted that it was an accident. We will find the killers one day. But not yet. Not now. 

I got Ria a job at the SSI. Told her it was safer for her to live like an agent. Told her that maybe, just maybe, she might find information on the killers. And if there's any love left in this cursed world of blood seas and trashed lands, if the Gods these people believe in are real, then maybe, justice will be served. 

"I'm gonna head to bed. Don't stay up too late." Ria stumbles back to the bedroom. She's 6 months younger than me but still acts older. 

I fall back on the couch, sipping my water as if its wine. My phone buzzes next to me. A message. I tap my thumb to the small circle on the bottom and wait for the familiar buzz before it unlocks. Scrolling through, I find the app. A small square with a S right in the centre.

But of coarse, accessing the SSI app isn't that easy. 

"Rose" My voice is cool and calm, unwavering. 

Ding!

The single message sits alone at the top of my screen. Joseph White. I only ever get this kind of message if it's an emergency. What does this old man want now?

Meeting. Don't be late.

It can't possibly get more vague than that. No location. No time. No names. No reason. Though, after working for White for 2 years, you should know every little detail without him having to mention anything. Truely, what he meant was: This is an urgent request for a mission. Meet me at my office in the SSI building at exactly 9 a.m tomorrow. 

Hm. Even still, what I don't understand, is that why Joseph has a mission for me 24 hours after another. In 2 years, this has never happened. I have always been given a weeks break at least. But... if it's urgent, I can expect some good money. 

Let's see whose rich ass needs some kicking.