Agent Rogue

Chapter 12

The bridge to the ferry welcomed me like an open door. I smiled, full of hope and relief that this mess could finally be over. My mission would be completed – the red stamp thrown away – and I could return home. Only, this time, I would be alone.

            My smile drifted away with the wind. The friend that stood by my side for so many years would not accompany me there, or even be waiting for me to return. We lived close – exactly five feet away from each other – in opposite flats in the same building, and had done for the past four years.

            I had protested to him buying the flat at first, but soon warmed to the idea of having an excuse to talk to him outside of work. Although I was reluctant to admit it at first, I enjoyed our daily commute to the agency. Even when late – at Scotty's expense – we still managed to buy ourselves a coffee; I chose a cappuccino while Scotty bought a mocha with extra cream and chocolate dust. We'd laugh as we reached the station, barely catching the train with Scotty imitating the Director's dark demeanour that would greet us as well rolled in. When he thought I wasn't looking, he would subtly check over his shoulder as though Alistair was somehow listening. I never called him out on it.

            Now I would do it all alone. I would place one order on my way to work, squeeze from the platform to the train by myself and stand in solitary silence as the train rattled along the tracks.

            Was it still home if he was not there?

            "Agent."

            I blinked away the pain in my eyes, pulling down a mask. Barnes stared down at me, his features knitted in worry. "Are you okay?" he asked.
I forced a half smile. "I'm fine. Come on, let's go."

            Barnes stayed still as a statue behind me as I went on, focussing on the boat's entrance as a distraction. I could not think of Scotty again while around Barnes, otherwise I was at risk of losing it as I had done in the woods after the crash. Distractions were fatal. I had to erase him from my mind, act as though the thought of never seeing him again broke me inside. I could not repeat the mistakes I made with Kai. He was different to Scotty in more ways than one – he wasn't there for me like Scotty was – but losing him was a weight I carried with me for years after he left. I couldn't hold onto two losses. I just couldn't.

            I brushed those thoughts away, breathing in the crisp air as Barnes and I approached the bridge. It had grown cold by the waterside, my releasing breath visible in a foggy wisp emanating from my chapped lips. I ran my tongue over them, softening them gently to taste the salty sea air.

            "Hey!"

            I jumped around at Barnes's shout, following his twisted line of sight.

            He already had his gun out and loaded by the time I bore my own, shooting another wielder of a firearm in the chest.

            Muttering a curse, I sped to a nearby alley, signalling for Barnes to follow while crouching down as low as possible. He pressed his back against the wall while I straightened myself up in a similar fashion, checking my ammo: eight bullets.

            "Never a dull moment," he said.
"How many bullets do you have left?" I asked.
He checked. "Six. You?"
"Eight."
"Damn." Barnes chewed his bottom lip, watching the corner of the wall. "I think I only saw one more behind our friend. We should be good."

            He craned his neck around the alley, jerking back and falling over as a dozen bullets rained down in his direction, chipping the bricks.

            "There's a few more than one," he panted, resuming his earlier stance much tighter than before.
"How many?"
"Too many. Go!"