Undercover| Book 1

The Second Condition

Chapter: 16

That night, everyone gathered in Mr. Brown’s office again to discuss the matter of the serum. Kylee had not yet broken the news to them that she was going to quit. She couldn’t. She felt that she would betray Mr. Brown even if this were for his own benefit. He had worked so hard to gather these agents and he had sworn to do anything to keep Kylee in the agency because she was a Torres and had her mother’s genes, her strength, her leadership qualities.

“Okay, let’s say we do give her the serum.” Kylee heard Wyatt’s voice. Physically, she was there. But she was staring at the ground, her mind wandering elsewhere. She wasn’t focusing on the discussion so she only caught bits and pieces of what they were saying. “What happens then?”

If she quit, things will be different. She was always a part of anything her friends were a part of but that was going to change. She didn’t want to quit. She wanted to stay badly but she kept telling herself that she couldn’t let people get hurt because of her.

“She won’t tell anyone of Cole,” said a determined voice. Quinn.

Even if she quit though, her mother would find her and God knew what she would do with her after that. She looked at Kylee as if she owned her so maybe she would find a way to do that…

There was one upside to that, though. No one would get hurt. At least, no one but her.

“You can’t be sure,” Kylee faintly recognized the voice as Tyler’s. “For all we know, she might blow Cole’s cover even after getting the serum.”

“Torres, what do you think?” At the sound of her name, Kylee looked up to see everyone looking at her. She was glad she had caught the last few lines of their discussion.

“She wouldn’t tell them of Cole if she gets what she wants,” Kylee said. “She wouldn’t have an advantage in that.”

“But she will hurt other people,” Zack said. “What do you think the serum is for?”

“The serum isn’t all she wants,” Kylee burst out before she could stop herself. Everyone except Stella, Miles, and Zack looked at her in confusion.

“What do you mean?” Mr. Brown asked. “What else does she want?”

“Me,” Kylee said, earning several looks of disbelief.

“You?” “How’s that possible?” “She didn’t say that.” She heard them all say at the same time. Or maybe one by one. She didn’t know because her head was spinning. She wanted to scream and cry. It was a constant effort for her to resist that urge.

“Stop,” Mr. Brown ordered and all the voices dropped. Kylee felt gratitude towards him. “Torres, how do you know that?”

“I know her,” she said. “She’s my mother and I know her. It may have been only five years but I know her better than anyone here, Mr. Brown. I know that you’ve known her since you were kids and probably longer than me but that was the old Flora Torres. The Flora Torres who would do anything for her friends and wouldn’t sit down until she proved herself right. This is a new Flora Torres. She doesn’t tell anyone of her initial plans. She said she wanted the serum but that was one of her conditions. I am the second condition. She wants me and I know it. I also know that she won’t tell any of you until she comes to pick the serum again.”

Mr. Brown looked at her intently, “So, what do you suggest we do?”

“We don’t do anything,” she said. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her friends stiffen. “The only way to keep her out is to keep me out. If I quit, she won’t come here. There will be no more attacks.”

The reactions she got to that were priceless. Even Tyler was baffled. It was Mr. Brown’s gaze though, that almost broke her. His expression reflected one thing. Failure.

“You’re going to quit?” Wyatt asked her in disbelief, looking shaken. She bit her lip. She turned to her friends but they were all looking at the floor, their faces expressionless.

“It’s the only way,” she muttered to him without meeting his gaze.

“It’s not the only way!” Kylee flinched. “You do realize that you’re the bait in that plan, don’t you?”

“I do. I know. And I’ve thought it through,” she said, still not looking at him.

“Kylee, do you know what you’re doing?” Mr. Brown said, forgetting about his formal speech. Kylee’s heart ached but she didn’t dare flinch again. She got up from where she was sitting. Despite how badly her head was spinning, she walked to Mr. Brown’s desk.

“I know exactly what I’m doing,” she said. She reached up to her shoulders and unpinned her stars, setting them on the desk. “It’s one for all.”

Mr. Brown stared at the stars. He looked pale and shaken to the core. Kylee cursed herself but she had to leave here. “I would give you another star just for this.” He looked up at her. She smiled weakly.

“I’m sorry I failed you. But even if I quit, it’s my promise that I will remain loyal to you forever,” she told him in a small voice. And she meant it. Mr. Brown nodded at her.

Kylee turned around to walk out. She wasn’t ready to see everyone else’s faces yet. She didn’t want to see their betrayed expressions. She was already fighting to keep her tears in. She kept her footsteps quick but not eager as she walked out.

“Kylee,” she heard Wyatt mutter as she passed him. She kept walking as if she hadn’t heard him.

She walked out of the room and felt Wyatt touch her elbow. She stopped right there in her tracks but avoided his gaze.

“Kylee, look at me,” his voice pleaded. But she didn’t look at him. She couldn’t look at him. She knew what would happen. She knew she would break and she couldn’t risk that so no matter what, she couldn’t look—

And she looked at him. She stared at him, her hazel eyes locking with his brown ones. His expression was soft and it made her crumble. There were light bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep. The dark curls of his hair nearly reached his shoulders.

As she looked at him, she felt as if the whole world had blurred around her. Tears whelmed up in her eyes and she tried to will them back.

“Why are you doing this?” his voice broke as he asked and she couldn’t help feeling responsible.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” she answered, her own voice cracking. She could see tears stinging in his eyes.

“But I’ll still come to see you, okay?” he said softly. “You may have the ability to distance yourself from the people you love to protect them but I don’t. I’m not letting you go like that, okay?” She nodded, finally letting a tear slip from her eyes.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt him do the same at her waist. She buried her face in his shoulder, letting her tears slip. Just a while, then I’ll leave, she told herself. She needed the last of it. She sobbed and he stroked her hair to help her relax.