Agent Rogue

Chapter 2

Within two hours, we were back in London. It was early in the morning; so early that it was pointless making the trek back to our flats but not yet late enough to wait in the office for the meeting with Collins. Instead of returning home, I took Scotty to a coffee shop I found last month. It was quiet and getting a little old but, being just two streets away from work, it was perfect for the two of us, especially since it was one of the rare coffee shops open twenty-four hours.

We opened the door to have the late-October chill swept away by hot black coffee and sweet caramel syrup. Scotty reached for the zip on his coat and pulled it down as the door slammed shut behind him, waking up the barista.

"Boiling in here!"

The barista jumped up from his stool behind the counter as Scotty wandered over to him.

I settled on a booth at the darkest part of the room where only thin strands of light from the ceiling stretched.

With a deep sigh, I collapsed onto the red leather. It squeaked as I lied down, and I could feel the wood beneath pushing through to dig into my spine.

I couldn't believe it. After eight years as an agent with only one other failure, I had been burdened with yet another incomplete mission. And it was all down to rogue Agent Barnes. Even just thinking about him – his confident smirk, his mocking demeaner and that stupid-looking clip-on tie – made my blood boil. He reeked of misplaced self-assurance and expensive aftershave.

Scotty forced a smile as he handed me my latte. "Your beverage," he said. I took the drink as I sat up, the mug soothing my anger like a warm hug.
"Thank you," I said, placing the drink on the table to cool. Scotty put down his excessively chocolatey mocha in front of his hands that he folded on the table. I stared at my own that I kept firmly wrapped around the mug. Failure. Failure. Failure.

"So." Scotty's words snapped me to attention again. "What do we do about Barnes?"
I clenched my jaw as the image of him pushing me down on the billiard table crossed my mind again. "We track him down, you fly me there and I kick his arse into the next decade."
He snickered. "You really don't like him, do you?"
"We just failed our mission because of him. Of course I don't like him."
"Really?" Scotty leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, brows raising in amusement. "You seemed to like him when you first spotted him."
I narrowed my eyes in an icy glare that cooled the blush rising in my cheeks. His smile widened.

"You know I'm only joking!" he exclaimed. "If you ever ended up with someone like that, I'd probably have to kill him."
"If I ever ended up with anyone,you would probably kill him," I replied, taking a gulp of coffee.

Scotty frowned, licking the chocolate off his lips. "What do you mean 'if' you ever ended up with anyone?"
I took another sip of coffee before resting the mug down on the table, drumming my fingers along the pot. "You and I both know that me and relationships don't mix very well. Me and people, in fact." I let out a lengthy sigh. "But it doesn't matter," I insisted, forcing a smile. "I have my work. I have you. There's nothing else I need."
"What about want?" he asked. "Everyone wants things."
I shook my head. "I'm an agent. Wanting things is a liability."

He bit the inside of his cheek but said nothing, tapping his nails on the edge of the table to a tune I was sure I heard coming from his flat recently.

Scotty nodded at the young barista playing on his phone. "Do you think he'll kick us out if I go to sleep for an hour?"
I gave a half shrug. "You won't know unless you try."
"Optimism, Ambi. I like it." He beamed a smile.