Now We Are Free - Chapter Nine

Those of Legend

    “Wait! Please stop!” the female voice called after them. Something in the tone of her cry made them halt in their retreat. She sounded desperate, not threatening. As soon as she saw Tav and Dez stop, the girl jogged up to them. They both instinctively shied away a few steps. The girl slowed down, a bit and held her hands away from her sides, as if to indicate that she was unarmed and not out to harm them. But both were still as wary. She let out a happy sigh, flipping the hood back from her face. She closed the distance between them while they stared completely surprised, taking in the details her familiar countenance. Her eyes were dark and sparkling with life, her face round, yet pleasant, was glowing with joy. A smile shined with warmth and genuine happiness that lit up the rest of her. A shock of naturally curly locks framed her features to completion.

    This was Zi. The legendary Zi and Fix who had been “killed” by the agency over some disagreement. Dez had never met them in person, but their portraits were hung in the main hall of the agency’s base as a reminder of what happens to those who don’t follow orders. Over three-fourths of the agents never knew Zi and Fix, but everyone knew about them. And what Dez had heard of Zi, this was definitely the total opposite of what she expected.

    Zi laughed lightly at their shocked faces and spilled out in a rush, “Hullo, Tav and Dez! I’m so pleased to finally meet you. You’ve had quite the struggle going on here, but you’ve pulled though just as we expected.”

    Tav finally managed to stuttered, “You, you knew about us?”

    “Well of course! Ever since Dez got that paper we’ve been watching you. And before you ask how, the agency keeps eyes on you, so we just look over their shoulder, so to speak. Now, before you ask another question, we’ve got to get out of the streets and to the Safe Haven. Follow me.”

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    Between the complete maze of city streets and the round-about and weaving way that Zi led them, both had no clue where they were when they ended up a the threshold of a slumping, two-storied, and thoroughly moss covered building that looked like it might have been a lovely home at one time.

    A triumphal entry was made with Zi leading the way, introducing everyone who crowded to the front door. Hands were shook and hugs given between old friends. More shock hit Dez and Tav like a brick wall, when they met familiar faces from the agency. For instance, there was Tech, who was the most brilliant computer geek the agency had ever known. He died in a plane crash when he was returning from a remote village in Africa. Then there was Shade, a renowned shadow agent who was the first of their kind to die in action. And Red, who was the best marksman they had. He had also died in action from a gunshot wound. The other guy got to him first, was the saying they used when the base heard the news. And of course there was Ex who died in an accident involving jumping out of a plane and a faulty parachute. He was a scientific genius.

    These were celebrities turned to legends in the agency world. There were also a few others present whose deaths were chalked up to be lack of training, or mistakes on the field.

    All Dez could think to ask was, “How? And why?”

    Zi laughed again and explained through a large grin, “We all faked our deaths. Tech’s plane really did crash, but he jumped out and got on a boat before it went down. Shade, she was shot by one of our plants with a special dart that imitates a real bullet. It makes a killer wound and slows respiration rate which slows heart beats. It hurts just like a real bullet too. That’s what Fix and I were shot with. And let me tell you, it wasn’t fun to plan weeks in advance for that kind of thing. “

    “But wait,” Tav cut in, “how did you switch the bullets?”

    Zi answered with a question, “Who shot us? Red did. And he was in league with us. Ex came up with the bullet, and Red executed us cause he’s the best shot. Red was pulled out the same way Shade was, and Ex’s parachute wasn’t really faulty. It was simple besides the fact that we had to time everything right so that it appeared that no foul play was going on. And so far, I don’t think anyone’s found out.”