Partners for Life

Chapter Four: Assignments

After five years, Shelby was now twenty-two, and was called into the Instructor's office. "Yes ma'am?" Shelby asked, walking into her office. "Sit, please." The Instructor waved to a chair for Shelby to sit in. "I have an assignment for you." She said, handing her a folder. "This man has wronged us, has wronged me, and it's your time to show off what you have learned, and make his wrongs right. Are you up for it?" The Instructor asked. "Yes. I'm ready to pledge my allegiance to the Program." Shelby answered. "You'll assassinate a Government leader in Russia with someone from the boys' Program. Good luck. You leave tomorrow after breakfast."

Shelby was in Russia first, and didn't see the guy from the boys' Program, so she decided to do the job without him. The Instructor couldn't send her to the Dark Room out in the real world, so what would the harm be? She leaped from rooftop to rooftop, and finally found her target. "Gotcha." She whispered. She jumped off the roof, and shot her grappling hook to where she just was. She landed just in front of him, and started fighting. He knew how to fight back, so it was a little hard to land a punch on him, but soon enough, a boy with blonde hair hit him from behind, and knocked him out. "I had it." Shelby sighed, standing at rest. "No, you d-" He started. He stared at her for a little bit, then walked toward her.

"Shelby?" He asked. Shelby recognized him now. It was Rich. He was taller, more muscular and had dyed his hair, but she recognized him. "Rich?" She asked, dropping her weapon, a long rod, kind of like a pipe, good for hitting people. "I- you, what are you doing here? I thought you would have escaped by now." Rich stammered. "I didn't, I knew they'd find me, just like they found you." Shelby said. "I'm surprised you didn't try to escape first." She added. "So, what happened to you? After I was out of the Dark Room when they found me, I looked for you. I looked everywhere." He said. "Here, sit down." Rich added, sitting on the hard concrete ground. "I looked for you, too. I was sent to the Dark Room a few times, also." Shelby answered. "It sucks." She added. "I know, I know. I didn't want to expose you to that, I'm so sorry." Rich apologized.

"You didn't do anything wrong." Shelby assured him, grabbing his hand gently. "I did. That day on the beach, I led them right to you." Rich ducked his head, and shook it. "I like what you did to your hair." Shelby tried to lighten the mood. "Heh, thanks." He chuckled. "What if we didn't go back to the Program? What if we went back to California? Or we coyote go somewhere else if you want, let's just go." He offered. "Rich..." Shelby said. "I can't. They'd-" Rich sighed. "They won't find you. I won't let them. I promise." Rich assured. "But, what about the suits? They can track the suits, and they have trackers installed somewhere in our bodies." Shelby argued. "We can't." She added. "We can. I won't do it without you, so if you wanted to go back, I'm going with you." Rich said firmly. "I don't want to go back, I have to go back." She sighed. "So you want to just keep killing people?" He asked.

"I have to, if I want to stay alive." Shelby answered. "Fine. We can work up to our escape. Channel ten after dinner on your radio." He said, turning away from her. "Rich. Don't leave." Shelby tried. "I have to. I have a flight early in the morning. Do you?" He asked from behind his shoulder. He started to grab his grappling hook to go back up on the roof. "Yes." Shelby said, turning toward the guy they were supposed to kill. He was still unconscious, so Shelby took her rod off of the floor. "I came here to do a job, and I'm not leaving until I do the job." She took out a pistol from its holster on her thigh. She asked for his forehead, and pulled the trigger. When she looked to where Rich was, he was gone. She sighed, and took her own grappling hook to the roof.

After dinner, Shelby turned to channel ten, just like Rich told her to. "Rich?" She asked to her walkie-talkie. "I'm here." The radio responded. She smiled, and said "I'm sorry I fought with you earlier." There was a pause. "I'm sorry, too." Rich said from the other side of the radio. "You know, you still owe me a date." She joked. "I know." He responded with a chuckle. "When and where? I'll be there." Shelby asked. "How about outside of the dining hall at ten thirty tomorrow?" Rich asked. "No way, they lock the doors at ten. Even if they left them unlocked, which dining hall?" She asked. "They do leave them unlocked. I've tried it. And we can meet outside of the girl's dining hall. I know where it is" Shelby giggled a little bit. "Okay. Tomorrow. I'll see you then." Shelby said softly. They talked for a little while longer, then they both turned their radios off to go to sleep.