Newly recruited Agent Scarlett Pierce was a determined woman - just waiting for the chance to take on her first true mission. She had worked alongside sexist men for almost a year now, wanting only to be considered an equal.
And as America turns up...
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NOTE I do not usually put notes in the beginnings of my chapters, but now that my story is beginning to pick up more readers, I have a message to make. Sign all the petitions you can find. Donate to organizations if you can. Post about the Black Lives Matter movement. Educate yourself and the others around you about the Black Lives Matter movement. Silence is violence. No body is equal until we are all equal.
THE WASHINGTON STREETS WERE CROWDED with those who were protesting. Lucien pushed his way through the thickening crowd, raising his head every so often to check on where the police were. Tear gas, batons, guns. In a few seconds hundreds could die if the police men were to be provoked, and the man wanted to take those precautions to avoid getting hurt.
A line of men in uniforms were slowly closing their way into the crowd, shields covering their bodies. Men and women screamed profanities at them, throwing their water bottles and holding up their signs — F12, Fuck The Police, Justice For George Floyd, Say His Name, Black Lives Matter.
Multiple protestors sat on the ground, wounds littering their bodies. Many clutched their faces, screaming in pain from the tear gas that had been thrown at them.
Lucien would have stopped to help them if he had been better prepared. Stopping with no way of helping only increased his chances of getting arrested — and Lucien needed to find this journalist.
Jennifer Watkins. What an absolute bitch.
Jennifer was likely newly hired, looking for the perfect article to write to jumpstart her official career. And what better thing to write about than Anonymous kidnapping a federal agent — with an unknown source.
Coming here could likely prove to be pointless. Scarletts official interrogation would be starting today, and he wouldn't be there for it. Staying with Scarlett had always been his first intention, but finding out who the whistle blower was came first in terms of what needed to be done.
The man pushed open the door to the building of The Washington Post, his eyes set on the reception desk. Lucien approached the blue haired women sitting there with a smile. "I'm searching for Jennifer Watkins, do you know where I could find her?"
"We're closed today, sir." She pulled her hair back, securing it with a scrunchie. "I apologize, I should have locked the door. If you're looking for Jen, you should come back tomorrow when we open."
"It's a special story," Lucien lied quickly. "Jen wanted me to come in when it wasn't busy. If you want me to come back later... I could totally do that but... I don't know I feel like—"
"No, no! Don't be worried. Just go to the right of the bathrooms and the elevator should be right there. Go to floor five and she should probably be in room 574. Could I have your name? It's for the guest book."
"Luke Stane."
Luke Stane was someone who knew Lucien in his childhood. Mr. Stane was a well known mechanic, but undoubtedly mean.
If anyone were to track him here and check the guests books, they would only be able to pull up the records for a man who had died seven years ago from the flu.
"Alright, Luke, you're good to go."
Lucien thanked her briefly, walking to the elevators in a rush and hopping in. He pressed the button for floor five, tapping his foot on the marble floors as it went up. Bad pop music played in the background.
Was this radio music? How untasteful.
It binged, opening its metal doors to reveal a glass window overlooking part of the city.
The man exited, walking down the halls without taking a look. He had seen Washington plenty of times to know that it was a place he didn't want to be. It was full of government officials, police officers and veterans who were more than willing to side with the government.
In a case of life or death — this was the very last place he would come to sight see.
Room 574.
Well, here goes nothing.
•••
KADEN HAD CALLED IN FOR a meeting with his colleagues, to discuss their plan on how to find Scarlett. He wouldn't expose her for joining the enemy, no. But he could take the spotlight with her rescue, and ruin the rest of her mission. It felt wrong. Of course it felt wrong. But Kaden was angry, and he didn't want to stop.
Scarlett was a woman he highly respected. It wasn't sexism that made him want to lash out. She had taken him for granted, pushed him away and done nothing but show him the appreciation he deserved.
Maybe William was right — perhaps he was being over dramatic. The man pushed that thought away.
"She entered Legion, and was getting to know a couple of the members in there for a couple of days. During the day we would scope it out, and at night she would go in with Agent Garcia as a bodyguard to gain information. Agent Pierce sent us off to come back in case you needed help, sir. But it seems as if she has been... captured, as we all have figured out." Kaden had formed a whole story, and told it without stuttering.
And Agent Garcia wouldn't interrupt, he knew that for a fact. William was too afraid to admit that Scarlett had been kidnapped in the beginning — was too afraid to lose his perfect record.
"What did she learn about these hackers that could prove helpful to us?" Chris asked, writing a couple of bullet point notes down. He placed the pen down, looking at Kaden with what seemed like... respect, almost.
"They value her above anything. If we can find Agent Pierce and threaten them, they'll give up."
"Are you sure?" Another Agent asked. "Why would they value Scarlett?"
"Because if she were to escape from their grasp, she would have the ability to expose everything she knows about them. Scarlett, if gone, is dangerous to them."
"And you're just planning to go in there with some guns expecting results?"
"We'll need some backup. But yes, that's exactly right."
