KIDNAPPED BY THE AGENT | Project Callister Book One

Lvii. catch me if you can

Lvii. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

"Coffee please," Ace says. He was wearing sunglasses and a cactus baseball hat courtesy of yours truly to hide his face. The waitress nods and turns to me.

"Could I please have two blueberry waffles with whip cream, scrambled eggs, and bacon? Oh and a coffee," I smile thinly. The waitress furiously scribbles everything down.

Banana Bread deadpans me; I roll my eyes. "I eat when I'm stressed."

We sit in the booth, waiting for Thirteen and his men to come. Skye sat in the booth three down, while Special Agent Russo sits five booths down. Agent Russo was wearing a blonde wig and had blue eyes like Emma Watts. Hopefully, her presence and Skye's fake outburst would trigger Thirteen enough to act irrationally.

I was painfully aware of my own physiological movements. From the corner of my eye, I could see through the large window the high rise that Xavier was waiting with a gun. Hopefully he could take Thirteen out immediately.

"They're coming in three," Daniel's voice reaches my earpiece. "I see them half a block away. There's about three vans likely full of backup trailing behind them."

"Is there really a need for the Interpol fuck-up to be here?" Ace asks. "I'm sure there's a kiddie-pool somewhere wondering where their life guard went."

"I hope you get shot, Flappy Bird," Daniel seethes back.

"Shut up, mustard stain."

"I swear to you the entire agency is as pretentious as a vegan on their way to SoulCycle."

"You two are both actual minimum-wage party clowns," I sigh. "Now let's focus, Dumb and Dumber."

My fingers shake unwittingly in preparation. Ace takes my hand in his. "We'll be okay."

"When you say the words 'it's a deal,' I'll take Agent Russo hostage up to the roof," Skye says through the earpiece. "Chase—get to the roof when you hear those words."

"Hopefully it won't come to that," Xavier says. "I have a clear shot right now."

Suddenly, the entrance bell rings. The innocent sound rings throughout the soft chatter of the diner. Thirteen, Katrina, and three other men enter. The three men take seats close to our booth by the bar. Thirteen and Katrina slide into the other side of our booth. Ace's jaw slightly tightens.

Thirteen's grass-green eyes land on me. "I'm glad you chose to accept my deal. Let my Queen leave with me, and you have my word that there will be no more violence."

Katrina visibly bristles at the mention of his Queen. To make up for it, she moves her dark hair to be on one side of her neck. Thirteen's eyes are concentrated on us. Katrina's gaze, however, is fixated on him. Her grip tightens around her brown leather jacket. What was it with criminals and leather jackets? It's like they're all gonna walk the runway after beating people up.