Agent 1 (Book 3)

Chapter 7

Thirteen's POV

I wince as Zack is slammed face down into the mat...again.

"Agent 1 you are hardly even trying." Agent 53 calls out as Zack gets back to his feet. "Go again."

Cody does not need to be told twice...I'm really beginning to feel bad for Zack. I turn away towards Lily and Chase. Chase falls backwards as Lily delivers a swift kick to his chest.

"Yes!" She throws her arms up in victory. "I am victorious-oaf!"

She falls to the floor as Chase swings his leg out, knocking hers out from under her. She winces and rubs at the back of her head.

"Very good Agent 80." Fifty-three tells Chase. "Agent 57, try actually focusing." She scowls at him.

I walk over to the shooting range and lean back against one of the support pillars nearby. I watch Devin as he shoots. He'd be fighting but Zero gave strict orders to Agent 53 that Devin was not allowed to participate until he was completely and fully healed.

Devin puts the gun down and leans against the pillar next to me. We both watch as Agent 53 has them switch partners. Zack against Chase, and Lily against Cody.

"Lily's pretty good." He says simply.

"You say that like you're surprised." I reply.

He shakes his head. "I kind of am, considering she just woke up from a four year long coma what, a little over two months ago?"

I nod in response and say nothing else. I focus on Chase as he throws a punch at Zack.

"What was her rank on your team?" Devin asks.

"JD, me, Garrett..." I trail off as I try to remember. "Adrianna, Lily, Brandon, Moria."

Devin just nods thoughtfully.

"Again." Agent 53 calls out to Chase and Zack.

"We're going to be here for a while aren't we?" Devin asks as he stares at Chase and Zack.

I sigh. "Yep. Agent 53 is not going to let them stop till he feels they've accomplished something for the day."

"Is that how he was with training you?"

I grimace at the memory. "Worse."

"Again." Agent 53 says simply to Cody and Lily.

"I hope Chase kills Zack." Devin grumbles as he stares at them fighting.

I turn to look at him. "Honestly he helped us out before, what is your guys' problem with him?" I question. "I mean I know what Cody's got against him but you and Chase?"

Devin grumbles something unintelligible under his breath before letting out a sigh. "I know he helped us and I'm half grateful for that but..." He glares at Zack. "Something about that guy does not sit well with me."

"Funny." I reply dryly. "I said the exact same thing about Elaine...the only difference between these two things is the undeniable fact I get to say, I told you so."

Devin turns his flat glare over to me. "I still don't trust him. Granted he betrayed his own family to help us but..."

"But, what?"

"Don't you think..."

"What?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing. Forget it. But I will bask in the glory of an, I told you so, if it comes down to it."

I nod in understanding. "I'm sure you will."

Devin winces as Chase takes a pretty good hit, but he doesn't go down. "I don't really even want to think about what Agent 53's going to be having them doing next."

"Normally they'd be fighting against him." I tell Devin.

He raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Then why aren't they?"

"Agent 53 took a pretty good hit years ago. He can still fight but not as well as he use to. He's technically handicapped, but he doesn't like other people-especially agents-to know."

"What kind of injury?"

"Bomb." I reply simply before elaborating further. "Shrapnel in his back. Having surgery to remove it could end up crippling him instead."

Devin nods before asking, "Why do you know so much about this?"

"Because I was there when it happened." I reply honestly. "It was the day the original agency headquarters went up in flames. The day agents were turning on each other." Devin just nods.

"Again." Agent 53 calls out to Zack and Chase. He looks around the room before locating me and beginning to walk over.

"Great." I mutter under my breath as he makes his way towards me. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

Devin snickers next to me. I turn to glare at him just as Agent 53 walks up. Devin bites his lip to keep from laughing. I flip him off.

Agent 53 shakes his head as he approaches. "This isn't going to work." He says simply.

I watch Chase slam Zack into the floor and Lily kick Cody in the side of his head. That's got to hurt.

"So I've noticed." I reply shortly. I keep my eyes focused on the four agents sparing in the middle of the room.

"It would be a lot better if you were actually training with them." I add in after a while of silence.

I can practically hear him fuming and feel his murderous gaze from in front of my though I keep my eyes on everyone else. Devin has-wisely-become very quiet.

"You know why that is Thirteen." He replies harshly.

He's trying to keep his calm but he's failing. I've always been one of the only three people in the world who can really get under his skin. The other two? Henri and Lily.

"Agent 13." I correct him calmly finally meeting his gaze. "I earned that title, you made sure of it and we are not friends."

"Switch partners and go again!" Agent 53 yells across the room to them.

"If this is such an issue," Agent 53 starts as he turns his gaze back to me. "why don't you fight against them?"

"Oh yeah totally." I reply sarcastically. "Let me just tell them to pretend I'm the enemy so that they'd actually put up a fight. Hell I might as well get a scary zombie mask to get them to actually hit me."

Fifty-three gives me a blank look and his eyes flash with irritation.

I ignore him and continue to watch them fight. Lily against Zack, and Cody against Chase. I watch them each land some pretty good blows on each other but I already know that this isn't going to work. I need someone to train with them.

Fifty-three walks back over to them telling them all to stop. He then goes on to try and explain how to do certain steps and moves. If you ask me it sounds more like a lecture than a teaching moment.

Fifty-three use to be a lot better at training when he could actually train with us. He's still a good trainer, but not as good as he could be if he were to actually train with them.

I try not to groan out loud as Lily opens her mouth to say something. She was doing so well. I was actually surprised she had kept her mouth shut as long as she had already. Clearly my luck in that department had run out.

She raises her hand like the polite little girl she's not.

"Yes, Lily?"

Bad move, letting her talk and using her name.

He's screwed.

"Agent 57."

"Excuse me?"

"You don't have permission to call me anything other than Agent 57. I thought that was clear but apparently not." Lily says harshly. "And I was just wondering when we were going to do something other than the duck, duck, goose game you've got us playing now."

I smack my palm against my forehead and Devin sticks his fist in his mouth, silent tears streaming down the side of his face.

I can see Agent 53's tense and pissed off posture from here. Though I can't see his face I'm certain his expression is anything but friendly.

"Fifty-seven-"

"Agent 57, go on say it."

"Agent 57." Fifty-three practically growls at her. "I will not stand for any disrespect on your part. Zero may put up with it because of Thirteen-"

"Agent 13." Lily corrects him.

"But it matters little to me. I can and I will have you fired if you continue with your mocking attitude."

I feel my anger flare up as he says those words. Lily smiles widely when she spots me walking up behind him.

"Ooo, you're in trouble." She says in a sing song voice.

He follows her line of sight to face me, but he doesn't get to do anything else as my fist slams into his face with all the strength and fury I can muster.

"Been wanting to do that for years." I say as he staggers back a step. He glares at me as he wipes blood from his now split lip.

I take another step towards him. "I dare you to say those words again." I growl.

He glares harshly back at me but doesn't do anything else. I half want him to come at me. He can still fight, though he'd be in a lot of pain. But that's nothing short of what he deserves.

"Maybe I should just get you fired."

I laugh humorlessly. "Please, be my guest. I never wanted this life to begin with. You'd be doing me a huge favor."

I notice Lily motioning for everyone to move back and clear the mats.

I sigh internally. Contrary to what Lily believes will happen-and secretly wants to happen-we will not resort to blows...not this time.

I turn away from him and head over to the intercom before I say or do something I'd regret later. I wouldn't regret it right now, but I definitely regret it later.

"Hey Henri?" I call through the intercom.

"Yes Miss Kingston?"

"Could you bring us down some ice packs and the first aid kit please?"

"Of course Miss Kingston."

The intercom switches off and I wait by the elevator till it comes down and Henri steps off. I watch his facial expression changed from his usually happy-to-see-you look, to his oh-it's-you look.

He looks beyond annoyed when he sees Agent 53. I should have told him he was coming, but if I had Henri would've locked the gate and changed the password to something not even Nicky would be able to get into.

"I was not aware we were going to have more guests." Henri says dryly as he fixes me with his signature glare.

"If I had told you we wouldn't actually be having guests now would we?"

Henri doesn't say anything and continues to glare at me as we make our way back over to everyone else. I notice Fifty-three tense up as we walk over.

"Here," Henri practically throws one of the ice packs in his hands at Fifty-three. "Put that on your face before it swells up or do not. I personally do not have a preference."

Fifty-three glares at Henri and Henri glares right on back. The boys look between them and then back to me questioningly.

"Agent 13 may I have a word with you in private?" Fifty-three questions. He doesn't wait for my response before grabbing hold of my upper arm and dragging me off to the elevator and going up. He then drags me into my sound proof office and closes the door behind us.

I turn to look at him, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back against the desk. "Is there a problem?"

"You said Henri was not going to be here. That's the only reason I agreed to come."

I just shrug. "So I lied. It's not like you haven't done that time and time again to me."

He fumes up. "That has nothing to do with the situation at hand. I came here to train them, to help them." He continues to raise his voice as he talks, getting louder as he continues on. He wants to start yelling? Fine. I can yell just as loud.

"And we're getting nowhere with this, and we're not going to get anywhere with it anytime soon!" I practically scream at him in frustration. That seems to be the only way to ever get through to him, trust me, I know.

"It was fine before when you could actually train with us. Not just sit on the sidelines giving out lectures!" I hiss.

"You could train them and you could train with them!" HIs tone is firm and holds irritation. "I don't understand why I'm here if all you're going to do is point out how it should be. Do something about it yourself."

I let out a groan and shoot him a glare. "I can't train them, they'd go easy on my no matter what I say. Their brains are hardwired not to hurt me. They wouldn't give it their best effort and therefore they wouldn't improve much if at all."

"Well then it sounds like you should just leave me be, or find someone else to help train them." His arms fold over his chest and he fixes me with a stern look. "Seeing as how you have no other option, I'm going to head back down to continue training them."

An idea pops into my head before I can stop it. I should discard it and come up with another one...but unfortunately, I can't.

"No." I say quietly. "You're wrong." I pull my phone out of my pocket. "I do have another choice." I mutter, more to myself than to him.

"Oh? And what would that be?" I can hear the mocking tone he tries to hide and I grit my teeth in annoyance.

"A really horrible idea." I mutter as I punch in the number into my screen.

The last family reunion didn't go so well...let's try my luck with a second one.