Betrayed ✔️

Chapter 35: "Only regret"

JAY

WE HAD A plan.

Against all odds, we had a solid plan.

The Analysts, who knew the layout of the Agency like the back of their hand. They formulated a clear, functional plan with intricate parts and based on their decades of knowledge and experience.

The Agents were in full support of the plan and it seemed to be going well in the beginning.

Naturally, that's when everything went wrong.

"Herbert," I said, very slowly as we were being surrounded by red-cloaked assassins. "Do you remember what was the most important part of this operation?"

Herbert scratched his balding head, his walking stick replaced with a gun. "Ehh... stay quiet?"

"Exactly. So why did you fire your gun loudly?"

"I- I saw a shadow. My nerves aren't as solid as they were before. It was a mistake!" he cried out, voice echoing in the spacious cavern- one of the many secret passages hidden within the Agency.

Julia sighed and facepalmed. "My only regret in life is not divorcing this man sooner."

Herbert glowered at her. "My only regret is marrying you in the first place."

"Both of you, quiet!" Nate hissed, gun raised at a fast approaching assassin.

"Why aren't they attacking?" I muttered, clutching my knife and stepping forwards. "Why are they just standing there?"

"Don't put ideas in their heads! We must attack while we have the chance!"

"Wait!" I yelled, pulling him back. Not too long ago, I would have jumped along with him. But the time I had spent with Ada taught me one thing- people are calm only when they have a plan. And these assassins were acting like they had been injected with tranquilisers.

"What do you want?" I raised my voice and stepped forwards.

"We must wait." One of them said, her words heavy with a French accent. "We have been told to preoccupy you while waiting for our client."

"Your client. That's Emma Keen, right?"

"I do not know that name." She replied, blue eyes burning with hate. "Now be quiet before we kill you."

An elderly man on our side rushed forwards, firing his pistol haphazardly and managing to hit three of the Sanguis. But he had barely made it a few feet when the woman plunged a dagger through his skull.

He gasped, knees buckling as a crimson pool formed at his head. We were silent as he slumped on the blackened ground, his blood soaked the silver blade held by the woman.

I recognised the man, as I stared into his soulless eyes. He was a fellow Agent's grandfather. I briefly remember, shortly before I got my mission with Ada, the Agent telling me how she had bought tickets to some cricket match for his upcoming birthday.

I blinked and shook my head, forcing myself to lock eyes with the murderer.

"Put your weapons on the ground," the woman purred, twirling the bloodied weapon between her fingers, "unless you want to end up like him."

Reluctantly, we did as she asked. I could feel hate rolling off the crowd behind me. I shared their sentiment, but we couldn't risk any more lives.

The three Sanguis that were injured faded to the background. Good, that's at least three less we have to deal with. I thought, resisting the urge to dive for my gun.

The woman briefly touched her ear- some sort of microphone?- and I could hear the barely suppressed glee in her voice. "Bring out the prisoners."

The Sanguis parted and several figures were marched down the dark path, being hauled by several Sanguis. My heart climbed to my throat and I fought to keep my expression cool. It was the Chiefs of the Agency. Hauled over like sacks of potatoes, forced on their knees and covered in blood.

"This is all my fault," a woeful Chief Haddel cried out.

"Yes it fucking is," Chief Wright snapped, and many nodded in agreement.

"Quiet!" A Sanguis yelled, slamming the butt of his gun into the back of Chief Wright's head. She didn't cry out, but grimaced and shook her dark curls free from her face.

I scanned the huddle, chest tightening when I couldn't spot the annoyingly familiar pair of green eyes or dark scowl. What if she's–

No. I couldn't think like that. She has to- she has to be alive. She promised me a fight. Ada never breaks her promises.

Right?

"What do you want?" Nate repeated my earlier question, stepping forwards. Based on his tense shoulders and serious expression, I knew he was just as worried and guilty about Ada as I was.

This time, someone else from the crowd answered. "Revenge. You have murdered hundreds of our kin."

"And you have slaughtered thousands of ours," Nate replied coolly, "Whatever your clients are paying you, we can triple the price. Walk away right now, and no one else has to get hurt." Briefly, his eyes flickered to the fallen man.

I knew instantly he had picked the wrong words to say. The Sanguis may have been driven by money and deals, but their hatred of the Agency ran too deep for them to be swayed this time.

The woman curled her hand around the knife and I pulled my brother back just in time. The weapon flew across the room and harmlessly clattered against the wall.

"Stay down," I growled, shoving Nate back. "I got this."

I didn't. But my sister was relying on me, and I was done letting her down. 

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