The Oval Office ✓ (Book One)

Chapter Fourteen

Lauren's P.OV.
Twelve years ago

"Agent Hess! I've got a job for you." I shove a stack of about ten files into her hands.

  "What is it this time?" She sighs.

"The guy I was following yesterday. He went into this abandoned building and after a few hours he still hadn't left so I set up cameras- and still nothing."

"You want me to come with you?"

"Have I ever been wrong about a case? I just can't go in there alone, Agent Hess."

"I mean, sure his behavior's a little suspicious- but a terrorist?"

"Just trust me, please."

"I'm your supervisor. You have two years of experience-"

"Oh for fucks sake, this isn't about experience, this is people's lives we're playing with here!" I step closer. "So, what you are going to do is grab your fucking gun, give the files to Ethan, and get in my damn car."

"You can't talk to me like-"

"I'm the best agent they've got and you know it. Chop chop. I'll go start the car." Agent Hess is a half decent agent- but she certainly doesn't deserve a supervisor position. She hesitates before doing anything- which can be dangerous in this line of work.

   I place my thumb over the fingerprint reader on the wall next to the storage room, and it beeps before automatically opening. There are about seven million dollars worth of resources in this room- so it is heavily guarded by multiple measures at all times.  Since I have no idea what I'm getting myself into, I grab a bullet proof vest and panic pin. The pins are shaped like little black buttons , but when you press on them hard enough, backup is sent to your location immediately. Of course- they're only meant to be used when an agent is in immediate danger and can't call for backup.

  Since there's nobody else in the room right now, I strip my shirt off, quickly fastening the bulletproof vest and throwing it back on.

I'm at the car five minutes before Agent Hess, again. I don't even speak to her on our way to the warehouse, as we are not- and never will be friends. She's arrogant, I'm stubborn.

The grass is so tall that it reaches my shoulders, and the warehouse itself has been taken over by vines. In some places, the floorboards have softened. "There's nobody here." Agent Hess says impatiently.

"Except me."In less than a second, my suspect appears and puts a gun to the back of her head.

"What the fuck-"

"Give me both of your guns. Now, or she dies." He gestures to Agent Hess.

"You stupid, stupid motherfucker." I laugh. Agent Hess swing her leg backwards and kicks him in the stomach,giving me enough time to shoot him while he's distracted. "You know, you're not so bad when you're actually doing your job."

"Gee,thanks for the compliment." She rolls her eyes. I step around his dead body, being careful not to step in a growing pool of blood.

I remember the first time I killed somebody. I couldn't sleep for weeks. I saw his face for months after that- never mind the fact that he was a serial killer. Agents become desensitized to shooting people the way doctors become desensitized to telling people that a family member is dead. It eventually just becomes part of the job, no matter how much the first one affects you.

I reinspect the room he came from, and it finally catches my eye: a hole in one of the floorboards that looks like where you'd put your finger for a sliding door. I peek down into the hole, and the room below looks as run down as the rest of the warehouse. I carefully pull on it, and a large section of the flooring is pushed slightly down and under another in an oddly satisfying way.

A ladder leads down about six feet, but I don't trust it- so i jump instead. "Oh my god." I look around, and me eyes grow even wider as I cautiously step around a corner.

"What?" Agent Hess asks.

"Do not come down here. Go outside."

"But-"

"I wasn't fucking asking! Go!" I dial the number of our headquarters phone line operator, cursing him in my head until he picks up. "Get the decontamination team here as soon as possible. And get the president on the line- yes,damnit, this is urgent!"

  ——-Ninety Two hours later—-

  "My fellow Americans-" While I may be standing beside the president in front of a crowd, I flip him off behind my back. He's almost never worked for the American people, but this is something that would've affected every single one of us. "The events of this week have shocked every single one of us. A super genius was able to make two nuclear bombs by himself- it never should've happened, but it did. Moving forward, the materials used will not be available to the public under any circumstances. The individuals working on our nuclear program will receive even more thorough background checks and will go through security checks before they enter and leave the buildings. This has been one of the greatest failures of my administration- but it would have been much worse if it weren't for agent Wells and Hess. So today, for the first time in my presidency, i will be presenting the presidential Medal of freedom  to two women have surprised me with their incredible work."

  Well godamn- that's the only slightly non-sexist thing he's ever said about a woman. "If you'll accept it, that is." He must see the look of confusion on my face.

  "It would be an honor, Mr. President."  Technically speaking, Kyle, as the mayor, whose office I unofficially work for - is my boss. The president, however, is still my commander in chief. Good thing my fake smile is still plastered on my face. Damnit, he may be a piece of shit but I deserve that medal. As he places it around my neck, I want to reach back and strangle him, but I keep a straight face.

  I suppose things could be worse.

  —————-

"James!" Adrian's deep voice echoes throughout the cells. "You're needed at the Phoenix." As they go, I start calculating an escape again. Emily's annoying, but she doesn't seem like she'd be a snitch if I get caught again. In total, however, there are ten guards here. Two that learned a lesson from how stupid the other guards were are staring at me- the other eight are in lines in front of both exits.

  I am truly, for the first time in a very long time, fucked. They won't get away with this- I can almost feel the investigation team getting closer, but I'm not sure how much longer I can take. The water here is better but they're not bothering to feed me anymore. Anytime I brush up against a wall in my cell, I feel my burns all over again.

Come on Kyle. Hurry the fuck up.