Coming Undone

When the CIA tells you you're in danger, you should probably listen

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Ciao," answered a familiar voice.

"Hi, Tommaso, it's Ana from Braeside," I greeted, pausing for him to react. I hadn't spoken to him in years and what I was about to tell him wouldn't be taken lightly.

"Ana, what-" he started but I cut him off.

"You might be wondering how I got your number but that doesn't matter," I told him, quickly. "I'm with the CIA and you need to listen to me very carefully, your life is in danger. You need to get out of that café right now."

"What do you mean my life is in danger and how do you know I'm in a cafe?" he questioned, suspiciously.

"Listen to me, get out of there right now!" I commanded, "some very bad people are on their way and you don't want to mess with them!"

I looked down at the display on my motorbike, I was three minutes away from his location but the bad guys were closing in on me, fast.

"Who's on their way?" Tommaso asked, clearly confused.

"The people who want to kill you," I frantically tried to explain. I had to get him moving right now if I was going to have any chance of saving his life.

"Why would anyone want to kill me?" he questioned.

"Oh for God's sake, it doesn't matter right now," I replied, frustrated. "If you aren't going to move you might as well stay there, I'm on my way."

"You're in Italy?"

More questions.

"Yes, and I'm on my way to save your life if you would just cooperate. I'm two minutes away, do you think you can possibly make your way to the back exit?"

"You're serious?"

"Yes dammit, and I don't want you to die so are you gonna listen to me now?"

I pulled up outside the cafe and he ran out the back exit lowering the phone as he saw me. I threw him a helmet and a bulletproof vest.

"Put those on and please tell me you know how to ride a motorbike," I asked, hopefully.

"Of course I do," he replied, strapping on the vest and shoving the helmet on top of his mop of curly, brown hair. All I could see through the visor was his soft, green eyes and I felt sympathy for him. He probably had no idea who was after him or why his life was about to be turned upside down.

"Good," I stated, relieved. He might actually have a chance this way. "You drive, I'll shoot."

He opened his mouth to protest but I held up my hand to stop him and he shut it and climbed hastily onto the bike in front of me.

"Follow the directions on the display," I instructed him, "and hurry, they're right behind us."

Sure enough, a group of motorbikes rounded the corner behind us and began to shoot as Tommaso took off. I held onto him with one hand and shot blindly with the other.

"So you're a secret agent?" he asked.

"Now is really not the time to talk," I replied, as I turned around to aim and took out two bikers.

"But I knew you," he protested, "or at least I thought I did."

"Don't be offended, it's called a "secret" agent for a reason," I shot another biker and he crashed into the person beside him, sending them both tumbling.

"Who are the people after me?" another question.

"They call themselves Synergy, they're a group of thugs turned hackers," I explained.