Kiara manages to avoid Sasha and Ryan the rest of the school day and eventually she stops dissecting the weird conversation. As for ISS, Kiara catches herself a few times looking around for them. Although she isn't sure if she feels relieved, unease or disappointed when she doesn't find any more agents. This too loses importance as the day progresses and allows Kiara to regain her focus. Her mind stops wandering around.
Three days later, Kiara exits the bus as it rolls to a stop into the station in Downtown. She starts walking the rest of the way to the Dojo where she practices martial arts only three blocks away. However, her peaceful mind set shatters and not even the warm sunny day is able to prevent the chills that suddenly curse through her body. Someone is following her.
From the sound of the footsteps, it is only four feet away. A bold and/or stupid move if the idea is to pass undetected. Fear shots through her as she suddenly remembers the moments before being kidnapped and starts hyperventilating. Kiara fights to regulate her breathing and maintain a steady walking rhythm as logic sets in. There is no reason for ISS to kidnapper again and it could be a bystander heading in the same direction.
Concentrating on the details helps Kiara control her emotions. Because of how light the footsteps sound, she guesses it's a woman wearing neither high heels nor sandals, probably running shoes or similar. Gathering her courage, she glances at the passing cars and manages to catch both of their reflection in their windows. The tight ball in the pit of her stomach eases.
"You're not going to kidnap me again, are you Agent...?" Kiara says half joking, half serious and very aware that she just had the begins of a panic attack.
"Denver," the ISS agent from before says. "And no."
"Then why are you following me?" Kiara walks slower letting her catch up. When she receives no answer, she looks at her companion.
"You're my assignment." The woman replies, not even looking at her.
They stop at an intersection to cross the street. The noise from traffic and other pedestrians masks their conversation. They keep their distance from other people anyway.
"Wonderful" Kiara's voice oozes sarcasm. "But it doesn't answer my question."
"Are you familiar with the phrase 'out of sight, out of mind'?"
"I don't need a constant reminder to make a decision." Kiara states catching on her meaning. "My answer is still the same."
"For now." Agent Denver adds.
Before Kiara can reply, a little boy besides her drops his ball and it rolls to the middle of the street. Cars are still driving by, but the little boy pays no attention and chases the ball. Kiara's attention zeros in on him. Her feet are already moving towards the kid.
The car in the first lane hits its brakes on time. The car behind almost crashing with it. The car on the other lain is farther behind and isn't slowing down. The driver must not realize there is a kid in his way.
Kiara processes all this information in less than a second as she catches up and grabs the boy by his waist. She dives for the middle island on the street turning so the boy lands on top of her. Her breath gets knocked out and she feels the breeze of the car zooming by, never even stopping.
She hears the mother shouting, and the boy tries to wiggle out of her grasp. Her heart beats rapidly, pumped with adrenaline. Kiara sits up gently. Her back is soar, but she keeps hold of the boy while the light changes color and the mother finally crosses the street frantically. The mother lands on her knees besides her. The boy jumps to his mother's waiting arms as if nothing happened. Kiara is amazed by the naivety of the kid.
Kiara and the mother finally stand up. The mother thanks her profusely for saving her sons life. After downplaying her stunt and assuring the mother that she is all right, she looks at the place where she was moment ago. Agent Denver is still there and is looking at her with a frustrating and annoying smile.
Kiara rolls her eyes and continues on her way. Though, she cannot help liking the rush of adrenaline and the warm feeling of saving the boy's life.
***
Kiara uses the repetitiveness of her martial arts training to let her mind wander. The child's innocent actions and the consequences it could have had had she not intervened mix up with her conversations with Agents Knight, Adams and Denver.
However, as the combat section begins, she is forced to pay more attention after her opponent lands several blows and a rebuke from her Sensei. Once the class finishes, she is sweating from head to toes, her body is beyond tiered, but her mind feels sharper.
After taking a shower in the Dojo's changing room, she dresses back into the clothes she had earlier and says goodbye to her Sensei and the other students. She heads to the bus station that will leave her outside her neighborhood.
Once there, she walks the rest of the way home and does her homework until supper time. She enjoys her dinner with her family, laughing and hearing Hope's stories of the day. Unfortunately, it is her turn of washing the dishes while everyone else enjoys the rest of the evening. She finishes as fast as she can and heads to her room.
She closes the door and lays on her bed with the news feed open. The feeling of frustration and helplessness settles in as she reads one horrible event after another. Massacres, massive kidnappings, diplomatic conflict between countries are just a few that stand out to Kiara. She can do nothing for those people and that upsets her enormously.
The memory of the little boy she saved earlier filters into her mind comforting her. Of course, this memory eventually leads to her previous interaction with Agent Denver, which in turn reminds her of Agent Knights offer.
She turns her screen off and rest her head on the pillow. With her eyes closed, she takes several deep breaths. Her thoughts click into place and certainty washes over her.
This is it. No more stalling Kiara.
She opens her eyes and grabs the card she had put in her nightstand. She dials the phone number on the piece of paper and waits for the call to connect. On the third ring, she hears the voice on the other side.
"It took longer than I expected to hear from you." Agent Knight says calmly.
"Good to know I'm not that predictable." Kiara says with an amused smile earning her a deep chuckle.
"Are you accepting our offer?" Agent Knight finally asks.
"I did not like your methods of recruitment." Kiara admits.
"Dully noted, but the tests are designed the way they are for a reason."
"I understand that," Kiara compromises. "But I want your word that if I accept I can resign whenever I want and return to my normal life"
"We will not force you to stay if you do not want to," Agent Knight assures.
"Will you Agent Denver be assigned something else and stop following me?"
"Absolutely" Agent Knight voices without hesitation.
Kiara pauses to consider one last time. But she is already committed to seeing this through.
"Then I suppose I can give this whole spy thing a try." Kiara tries to play nonchalant.
She is still cautious. Scared, just a little. Curious, definitely. But also exited about this hidden world and the possibilities it could mean for her.
"Wonderful. See you this Saturday bright and early in the coordinates I'll send to your phone." Agent Knight says and the call ends.
Kiara looks at her phone smiling. She is officially a secret agent.
YOU ARE READING
Teen Spy: The Observer
General FictionA few months ago, Kiara Starling started feeling that someone was following her, watching her. Despite it being downplayed by her family and friends, her intuition is proven right when, on her seventeenth birthday, she is kidnapped, and it leads to...
