Now We Are Free - Chapter Seven

No Turning Back

    Tav halted and yanked her in front of himself, his back to the elevator. His expression went to normal in an instant and he whispered urgently to her, “Sorry about that, but she was listening. Mayla is Agent 402, a shadow agent. In fact she’s in the elevator right now. I’m going to shove you over the edge, give me a scream for effects, and you’re going to detach your line so that it hooks on the ledge below us. You move around to the other side, out of sight. I’ll come down when it’s safe. Okay, ready?”

    Dez nodded, trying to keep up with what he was saying amid her emotions. He lifted her to the side and gave her a gentle but convincing push. She toppled over the edge and didn’t need to fake a scream. She hated falling like this, it scared the wits out of her every time. She scrambled for her release mechanism and watched in relief as the line sailed out and caught. She jerked as the line tightened and slammed against the building. Impact hit hard and she took a moment to regain her breath. She climbed to the ledge and she paused as she heard voices above her drifting on the wind. Time was short and she hastened to shuffle around the corner.

    Just seconds after he sent Dez sailing over the edge, the elevator doors swung open. Out strode Mayla, acting a causally as possible, though obviously surprised to see only Tav. She walked right up to Tav, then introduced herself, “I’m Agent 402. I’ve been assigned to keep an eye on Agent 670. So if you don’t mind, where is she?”

    Now, Reader, I must inform you that each agent is assigned a number when they enter. The nine digit number goes on official documents and each agent is formally called by the last three numbers. The individual also picks a nickname for around their base. But now to continue.

    Tav gave a grim smile. He cocked his head slightly to the side and looked down at her. He took a moment before he replied, “I also had orders like yours. But my orders was to eliminate the agent if she failed in her mission, which her body found on the pavement below testifies to. Therefore your orders are no longer valid, unless you’d like to visit the dumpster where her ashes will be thrown. Any questions?”

    Mayla relaxed as she bought his story and courteously nodded, “Very well then. It seems both our missions are complete. I’ll be seeing you.” With that she turned and went back to the elevator. Tav moved in the direction like he was going back to base. once he heard the elevator gears grind, he dashed over to the ledge and prepared for his descent.

    Dez let out a pent up breath when she saw Tav jump over the side and repel down to her. They both gave each other a quick smile, Dez from relief and Tav from success. They had convinced the shadow agent of her death. But now came the tricky part. How to convince the counsel of her death. They would want a body.

    The obvious thing to do first was to get down, then they could talk more. Before long they were in a dim alley and walking in any direction but towards the heart of the city.

    “Tav, I don’t think that will work. It’s obvious that they won’t believe I’m dead because they didn’t order you to kill me if I failed. It won’t work, they’ll know you told Mayla false info.” Tav’s silent composure, and lack of comment led her to ask, “Right?”

    “Well,” he hesitated and looked really reluctant to admit, “I was given that order.”

    “What?! Why didn’t you tell me?”

    “Hold on, before you blow your top let me explain. That night they gave you the mission I suggested it, thinking that you might try to escape. Well, hoping you might try to escape. It gave me the opportunity to try to help you get out of this without drawing attention. So you can thank me again for thinking of you.”

    Dez was speechless. And she had thought she was without friends!

    Tav continued after a pause, “But they’ll never believe it without a body or the report of a body. And we can’t just pick any blonde off the streets cause they’ll go off DNA. So that doesn’t work, but it might delay them a little.”

    “No, no more killing. Enough blood has been shed by my hand, I don’t want any more. We’ll have to think of something else.”

    “The only other option is to try to make you disappear. Which means leave ASAP, under a different identity and whole new disguise which must be dropped as soon as we get to another major city. Repeat process about a half a dozen times, and hope they don’t find us.”

    “Sounds good to me. Wait, us?”

    “Yeah, don’t think I’m going to leave you to do this on your own. If you’re getting out, I want out.”

    Dez shrugged. She wouldn’t complain. “So how do we get our identities and disguises? Hit Mayla’s then forge something?”

    “First part, not bad. But the forging,” he shook his head clicking his tongue gently, “don’t have the right equipment. Don’t know anyone who does.”

    “You get us into Mayla’s, I’ll get us new identities. So, what do you want your new names to be?” She sported a teasing grin.

    Tav looked surprised, almost disbelieving, “Really? What’s this?”

    “I know a guy. Used him in a pinch before. Now let’s go get us some clothes, before they’re chasing us down through the streets.”