The Agents

Chapter Six

I exited the passageway and stepped onto the sidewalk of the college courtyard. We used to be at the college so our comings and goings wouldn't be as obvious and so we could find recruits easily. Now, we were here for agents to take classes. Things had definitely changed.

I walked back to my old Chevy truck parked across campus. Opening the rusty blue door and ignoring the loud creak, I climbed into the front seat. I shut the door behind me and rested my forehead against the steering wheel, letting out a breath and closing my eyes.

If I was right about what was happening, and I was almost positive that I was, then that meant a lot of trouble for AMF.

I picked my head up and ran a hand through my hair, looking out my windshield at the college. Sighing, I reached behind my seat and pulled out the messenger bag I kept back there for emergencies. I set it on the passenger seat next to me before starting my truck and pulling out of the parking lot.

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I spent the next forty minutes randomly driving around town, killing time and trying clear my mind. My mind was cluttered and had no room for rational thought, which wouldn't do me any good with the situation I was in.

With fifteen minutes left until the meeting at the back entrance, I drove back to the college. Parking a ways away from the college, I grabbed my bag from the seat next to me and climbed out of my truck. I locked it behind me and slung my bag over my shoulder before walking the rest of the way to the college.

When I got to the college, I made sure to go around the back so that no one saw me after I had left less than an hour ago. I reached the back of the AMF building and hung back around the corner, looking around. I saw a little reflection just under the overhang of the roof that told me there was a camera right there.

I surveyed the area around me. About four feet above me was a rain gutter attached to the side of the building. I looked around for something I could use to get to the rain gutter. There was a pillar next to me and a wall about two feet away.

I slung the strap across my chest so that my bag was secure. Then, careful to stay out of the camera's sights, I jumped up, slamming my foot into the pillar. I bounced off and put my other foot into the wall, bouncing off of that. I reached up and grabbed the rain gutter as it got close enough. Hanging from the rain gutter, I pulled myself up and onto the roof. The AMF building was next to this one, but there was a gap between them. I took a couple steps back from the edge and started running. I leapt over the gap and rolled, coming up in a crouched position.

I stood up and looked back down over the edge of the AMF building. The camera was right below me. I took the bag off my shoulder and dug around in the little pocket until I came out with my multi-tool. Putting my bag back on, I looked for the tool I needed.

I leaned back over the edge of the building and loosened the screws holding the camera in place. Swiveling it around very slightly so that the part of the wall I needed was clear, I tightened the screws back up and put the multi-tool into my jacket pocket. I grabbed the edge of the roof and swung myself over the edge before dropping down onto the ground below. My feet landed with a thud and I cringed, hoping the cameras hadn't picked up anything I had just done.

After a minute, I took a step closer to the wall and slid open the brick panel. Inside the panel was a keypad, which I typed the code into before sliding the panel back into place. As soon as it latched, the section of the wall I hid from the camera opened up, revealing a set of stairs that led down to the old training bunker.

I slipped inside the door, closing it behind me before going down the stairs and stopping at the next door and keypad. I typed in the code and it beeped, allowing me to open the door and walk through.

Light flooded the training room after I flipped the switch. I looked around a second before walking over to the wall of pictures. Not wanting the others to see them, I pulled the curtain over the wall so the pictures were covered.

Then, I walked into the girl's dorm and looked around. There were bunk beds up against one wall and a line of gray lockers against another. The door to the bathroom was on the other wall where some of the past agents had hung up posters. I walked over to the row of lockers and went to the one on the edge, closest to the wall. Opening the locker, I hung my bag up on the hook. I took a second to look at the different pictures I had put in here years ago.

I took a second longer to debate my decision of bringing everyone here before closing my locker and going back to the staircase off the main room.

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I stopped at the door at the top of the staircase and checked my watch. It was exactly ten seconds until they were supposed to be here. I typed in the code on the keypad and pulled my gun from where it was tucked into the back of my pants below my shirt. Then, I took a deep breath and opened the door.

I raised the gun and peeked out of the doorway. All seven of them were almost to the open doorway I was standing in. They were blessedly silent, meaning they wouldn't set off the camera.

They looked shocked when they saw the door come out of nowhere and me popping out of it with a gun. I stepped out of the way and motioned for them to go in. As they did, I looked around to make sure no one else was coming.

Satisfied no one was here to get us; I stepped backward into the stairwell and closed the door. I tucked my gun back into the back of my pants and walked down the stairs to where they were all standing, waiting for me at the bottom. They went to different sides of the stairwell so that I could get to the door as I reached the last step. I went to type in the code when the other door at the top of the stairs clicked as the code was entered. I quickly turned, dropped to my knee, and pulled the gun out of my jacket. I fired off a shot as the door opened.

I looked up just in time to see Jaxon put his hand over his chest with a look of confusion before he fell face first down the stairs.