Lovey Rylan, a good secret agent, finds her once thrilling career now a tiresome routine. But her world is turned upside down when a powerful enemy from her past resurfaces, threatening everything she holds dear. Forced to confront buried traumas and navigate a web of deceit, Lovey must rely on her skills and trusted allies to survive. Will she outwit her enemies and protect her friends? Will the shadows of her past finally consume her?
Chapter 1 1
"What are you going to do after the meeting today?" Lovette asked.
I pushed the hidden button on the side of the pillar, revealing a panel. Placing my hand on the scanner, I replied, "I have a ton of work that needs to get done."
"Of course you do," Aaron said, rolling his hazel eyes.
I gave him a droll stare and motioned for him to enter the newly revealed passageway. He chuckled and stepped past me. Lovette hid a laugh and followed, with Zara right behind her. I walked in after them, and the door slid shut.
"Come on, Rylan! You're a twenty-two-year-old dark-haired beauty! You should be going out with friends and having a good time, not working every single night," Lovette exclaimed.
After the retinal scan the next panel, the door opened, and we walked through. I snorted, "As much fun as that sounds, I have to work."
"Good morning, Agent Rylan. Lovette, Zara, Aaron; it's good to see you," Logan said, scanning us to confirm our identities. The next door slid open.
"Hey Logan!" Lovette said cheerfully. "What kind of pie do we have today?" An x-ray checked for unauthorized tracers.
"I believe Miss Aria baked an apple pie today, Lovette," Logan replied, ever the polite super-computer. We reached the end of the passageway and stopped in front of a large steel door. Logan opened it, and we stepped through.
We entered a large room with metallic silver walls, cubicles on one side, and a kitchen counter on the other. A long table in the center was surrounded by chairs, some already occupied by agents. Victoria and her boyfriend, Austin, were laughing loudly. Josh and Anna were quietly chatting. An apple pie sat in the middle of the table, as promised.
Lovette, Aaron, and Zara joined the others at the table while I walked to the far side of the room toward the bathrooms and back exit. I stopped at a cage next to a door, where a bulldog was waiting.
"Hey Owen! How's it going, boy?" I asked, opening the cage. Owen ran out and jumped on me, his front paws resting on my legs. He licked my hand and sniffed my leather jacket pocket. I chuckled, pulling out a dog biscuit. "Looking for this?" He looked at me pleadingly, and I gave him the treat, patting his back while he ate.
"I just don't get it!" Josh exclaimed from the table.
I looked over to see everyone staring at me. "Get what?" I asked, confused.
"How he lets you get so close to him. If any of us try, he'll bite our fingers off!" Josh explained. To prove his point, Owen growled at him.
I shrugged, "He likes me better."
"It's more than that. It has to be," Zara stated.
I looked down at Owen, my mind racing through past memories. My voice sounded distant as I said, "It's just how we trained him."
"Who is 'we'?" Lovette asked, sensing they were missing something important.
Just then, the door to the only actual office among the cubicles opened. An older woman, around 50, walked out, wearing long flowing clothes and a braid dyed blondish-brown hanging over her shoulder. "Well, I best be off!" she said in a sing-song voice. I put Owen back in his cage and stood up. Aria walked over and hugged me. "I know how you get this time of year. Just take it easy and remember we are here for you." I nodded in response to her whispered comment. "Don't work too hard, dear," she said louder.
I gave her a half-smile. "Me? Never!"
She chuckled as she walked out through the back exit, calling out one last goodbye.
The office door opened again, and another older woman, about the same age, walked out. She wore a business suit, and her hair was short and completely gray.
I walked over and sat on the counter closest to the table. "And what were you two doing behind closed doors?" I asked sarcastically. Ezra and Aria had been together for four years and were still in the "honeymoon" phase. I liked to tease Ezra about their relationship. I was the only one allowed to.
"If I didn't need you so badly to close cases..." Ezra trailed off, shaking her head. I smirked. She sat at the head of the table, right next to me. I threw my feet up on the counter and leaned back on my hands. My combat boots made a loud thump.
"So, what tragically boring news do we have to discuss today?" I asked, looking at Victoria, who usually ran the meetings. She glared at me like I was dirt under her expensive shoes.
I cocked an eyebrow at her. She shook her head slightly before saying, "Well, we busted a large drug deal yesterday at the south corner of the campus." I clenched my fist at how accomplished she sounded. If only she knew how trivial these cases were compared to what we used to do before the suits took over.
"Very good. Anything else?" Ezra asked.
"We have a new tip that seems legitimate so far."
"Okay, put the information on my desk after the meeting," Ezra said, sounding strange.
I pondered what could have caused Ezra to act like that, so I missed everyone going around the table saying what they contributed this week. I also missed Victoria asking me what I had done. However, the clearing of a throat caught my attention, and I looked up to see everyone staring at me for the second time today.
"And what did you do to contribute to our VERY IMPORTANT cause, Rylan?" Victoria asked.
I scoffed, "Important cause? All we do is keep college students from getting the high they so desperately want."
"What we do changes things for the better!" Victoria screeched.
Something in her voice pushed me over the edge.
"No! No, it doesn't! It doesn't change a damn thing!" I yelled. At this point, I had jumped up from my lounging position on the counter. I was standing with one fist clenched tight and the other pointing an accusatory finger at Victoria. Everyone was shocked at my outburst. It was so different from my usual laid-back attitude. I was shocked too. Aria's warning about this time of year affecting me was perfectly timed.
"Rylan, are you okay?" Lovette asked, concerned.
"I'm sorry, but I can't be here right now," I said gruffly.
I dropped my arm and turned on my heel, marching toward the door next to Owen's cage. My body was stiff with tension as I threw open the door and marched through, slamming it behind me. To my left were the bathrooms, and in front of me was the back exit leading to a small parking lot. On my right was a blank wall. I marched over to it and ran my hand down it in a specific pattern. The rock work swung out to reveal a door. I punched in the code on the panel, and the door swung inward.
I stalked through the doorway and into the elevator. The door and wall slid back into place, and the elevator took me down.
Chapter 1 1
26/07/2024
Chapter 2 2
26/07/2024
Chapter 3 3
26/07/2024
Chapter 4 4
26/07/2024
Chapter 5 5
26/07/2024
Chapter 6 6
26/07/2024
Chapter 7 7
26/07/2024
Chapter 8 8
26/07/2024
Chapter 9 9
26/07/2024
Chapter 10 10
26/07/2024
Chapter 11 11
26/07/2024
Chapter 12 12
26/07/2024
Chapter 13 13
26/07/2024
Chapter 14 14
26/07/2024
Chapter 15 15
26/07/2024
Chapter 16 16
26/07/2024
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