Agent X

xx| 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚢-𝚃𝚠𝚘 |xx

The sun streamed in through the window, bathing the hotel room in golden light. My arms stretched over my head. I was completely relaxed. Any tension that had been building from the past days in Belgium had melted away.

It's so nice to see the sun in the morning.

Wait, why is the sun so bright? I glanced at my wristwatch and gasped. The words 'three missed alarms' glowed up at me. It was eleven-thirty in the morning.

"Dari!" I murmured. "Wake up!"

Dari rolled over in her bed, then went back to being still. Ugh, come on Dari. We need to get going.

A fog had settled over my brain, making it impossible to think clearly, but I forced myself to my feet. Pain shot through my calves as I set them on the ground. They were still sore from chasing the bracelet thief. I guess I'm not as in shape as I thought.

"Dari," I said again, stifling a yawn.

It felt silly forcing another person to get up when you are completely exhausted yourself. But the real Xara would never permit her crew to sleep in during a mission. She never permitted herself to sleep in.

I stumbled over to Dari's bed and shook her with all my might.

"Wake up!" I said, with as much projection as I could muster.

"AHHHH!" Dari screamed.

I jumped back, my heart rate spiking. Dari froze, her brown eyes squinting at me.

"Oh, it's you X," she said after a moment.

"Yeah, it's only me."

"You scared me."

"I can tell."

Her scream did have one advantage. It functioned as an alarm clock. The fog had cleared from my head.

"Do you want coffee?" Dari asked as she rolled out of bed. "I need caffeine."

"Yeah, I'll take some coffee."

I grabbed a black shirt and jeans from my bag, then ducked into the restroom. Today, I needed to go basic. I slipped the clothes on. The black color was comforting, almost camouflaging my mistakes. I ran a brush through my silky hair and applied all of my make-up in a record time of ten minutes. I probably just set a Guinness World Record.

I exited the bathroom to the scent of brewed coffee. Dari reclined on a bar stool, sipping a cup of joe. She pointed to a second cup sitting on the island nearby. Steam danced above, an invitation to sit and enjoy it. I plopped onto the stool next to her. My fingers wrapped around the mug. Heat seeped into my skin. I wished to stay like that for hours, relaxed and warm. But I was on a tight deadline. I lifted the mug to my lips and chugged the bitter liquid in one gulp.

Dari's brow knit together, but she didn't say anything. I hopped off my seat and grabbed my red coat.

"I'm heading down," I said. "I'm going to see if I can catch an ambassador for lunch. Tell the guys where I went."

"Uh, okay. I'll join you when I get a chance."

As I raced down the stairs, I began to review all of the events that had occurred so far on the mission. I knew why we had slept in. I knew why we were lethargic. It was because we felt like there was no progress being made. Everywhere we turned, there was another suspect. It seemed like every single person was an imposter.

There's something I'm missing. What on Earth could it be?

I thundered down the steps to the lobby. Disapproving stares followed me, but I didn't care. I couldn't waste any more time. I was almost to the dining room when a voice called out behind me.