Sang picked up her stripy white and gold messenger bag, which contained the guys' profiles, her purse, emergency mobile, lipstick penknife, and a compact mirror, which doubled up as a recording device. She strolled out of her apartment and locked the door behind her. Entering her black BMW – one identical to Matt's, she started the engine and entered in the address of the Academy guys' location into her GPS. The guys wouldn't be at The Academy today so Sang had to track them at the abandoned warehouse where they were apparently dealing with a drug cartel. Not creepy or disgusting at all, thought Sang. Her iPhone began to ring and she picked it up reluctantly.
"Hey Sang, all ready for the big day?" inquired Matt. She would be meeting Matt after the mission and would relay to him the events that took place throughout her assignment.
"Yeah I guess. I'm on my way there now. Are you with Marie?" inquired Sang. She knew Marie had always been jealous of her, especially since Marie had a giant crush on Matt. Sang and Matt were often assigned to do missions together as made a great team, so Agent Grayson tried to pair them up whenever the opportunity arose. Matt sometimes joked that their team name would be 'S&M' for 'Sang and Matt' and would tease Sang by playing 'S&M' by a famous R&B artist named Rhianna when she rode with him in his car. Matt had a great personality and was conventionally handsome but Sang wasn't attracted to him romantically; she found him more like a brother rather than a love interest. She wasn't sure how Matt felt exactly but she knew he had feelings for her, and she did her best not to lead him on or make promises she wasn't going to fulfil. Marie on the other hand tried to spend as much time with Matt as she could, both Matt and Marie were twenty-one and so one would think they had a lot in common, however Sang knew they were as different as two people could be. Matt was playful and good-humoured whereas Marie was more conniving and sly. Sang personally didn't think they'd make a good couple. Matt was nice to Marie and would greet her when he saw her, but never had the intention to take things further and he tried to keep her at a distance. It was for this reason Marie constantly tried to do anything to get his attention and spend as much time with him as she could.
"No I'm not with Marie. Could you tell her to let me breathe? It's like she's always in my personal space." Matt said, chuckling, but Sang could detect the undertone of discomfort in his voice. She had always had the ability to pick up the slightest subtleties in people's demeanours, whether they be complete strangers or people she'd known her whole life. Take, for example, her mother and a target. Sang had known her mother her entire life and could detect the slightest change in her behaviour; Sang could tell beforehand whether she'd be carrying out an immediate punishment or be told to simply 'clean her room', all by the tiniest indented depression her mother had on her temple. It could mean the difference between succumbing to incessant pain for days, and getting off without as much as a scratch. Likewise for a target, Sang could always predict his or her mood by the tiniest twiddle of thumbs or the subtle fixing of a piece of clothing. This was especially handy as a skill as it gave her ample time to alter her behaviour and complete the assignment successfully. When confronted about her unique skill she would brush it off as a mere knack for having a good intuition and would be humble when complimented.
"I'll tell her to let you breathe as soon as you get off my back and let me finish my assignment in peace! Matt, this is pretty stressful, you do realise that right? The last thing I need is talk about Marie to bring down my mood" Sang huffed.
"Sweetheart you're the one who brought her up, don't try to pin this down on me, I'm just doing my job." Came the patient reply.
Sang groaned into the phone. "I guess I see your point. I'll get going now. Bye." And with that, she clicked off her phone and sped off in her car. It was for some introductions.
----
Driving was one of the things Sang Sorenson found solace in; it was just her and the open road ahead. It gave her the freedom she so deeply craved and allowed her to use the opportunity to clear her mind and thoughts after a long day. She preferred her long drives alone and could drive for hours to nowhere in particular yet found looking at the world around her, whether it be a busy main street crammed with the loud bustle of people or a quiet winding country road, she enjoyed admiring the beauty that surrounded her. Her fascination with the world around her had began when she was very young. She had always felt entrapped and claustrophobic in her old childhood home as it held painful memories of years of abuse from the hand of her mother. She had always longed for a way out of the confines of her home and longed to be free, free of her mother and free of her burdens. When Agent Grayson recruited her, she was provided with the freedom she had longed for and relished in the opportunity to be someone else, someone who could make a change and be independent.
To some, such as The Academy, it may seem like the organization Sang worked for was ruthless and brash, however this was not the case. The Academy, and the organisation Sang worked for, 'The Investigative Bureau of Intelligence', typically shortened to 'TIBI' were essentially working towards the same goal – to eliminate the bad guys from society. The only major difference was that The Academy preferred taking things slow, formulating long-term thoroughly and strategically thought-out plans to bring down criminals involved in things such as drug cartels, human trafficking, sex trafficking, and the like. TIBI on the other hand believed the best way to eliminate such vermin from society was by getting rid of the problem as soon as possible to prevent further casualties. It was for this reason The Academy disagreed with TIBI, and there had been tension between the two groups for almost two whole decades. The reason why Sang had been entrusted with this assignment, and the reason why TIBI were investigating The Academy in the first place, was because they had detected suspicious activity occurring between members of The Academy and members of famous drug ring in the United States. Either The Academy had rats or the entire corporation was crumbling from the inside out. The growing tension between TIBI and The Academy, paired with the fact that this suspicious occurrence had been witnessed on many occasions by well-respected and trusted field agents of TIBI, caused the organisation to take matters into their own hands and to prevent anymore of these interactions from taking place. It was thought that The Academy was forming an alliance with the drug ring and being who they are, The Academy could form one of the most powerful and unstoppable crime rings in United States history. Letting them continue having dealings with the drug ring would not only be dangerous for the people involved but for the country as a whole.
