The Daughter Extraction

Into the unknown

•ALEC•

In my time with the CIA, I've picked up a crucial lesson: trust. It's a two-way street—you trust your team, and they trust you back.

But if that trust is broken, and you find yourself on a mission with no one having your back, you quickly realize how tough it is to go solo. Believe me, no one wants to fly solo in this line of work.

We've been driving for thirty minutes straight, and so far, no tails in sight. I think I managed to shake them off, but I'm not getting too comfortable just yet. You never know when those guys might reappear. This is their turf, and they know every nook and cranny.

We finally pulled over in the woods, a spot I had suggested. It's better to lay low in the shadows and strategize our next moves without risking exposure.

Emiliano holds a lot of sway in this city; I gathered that from his file. Trust is a rare commodity here. Everyone could be on his payroll, feeding him information. You can't be too careful.

I checked the surroundings and the car's rear. Convinced it was clear, I hopped out, popped the trunk, and grabbed the backpack along with the M4A1 assault rifle – a necessity for what lies ahead.

Closing the trunk, I walked over to the driver's side and opened the door. 

"Let's move, we don't have enough time," I urged, gently pulling her out of the car.

She followed silently, her face still reflecting the shock. I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. Going through all that, blindfolded and tied to a chair for over a day, not knowing who to trust or if you'll be safe—no one deserves that.

But one thing I picked up in the CIA is how to survive on a ruthless battlefield. Here, I knew there wouldn't be any mercy or second chances. Once you're exposed, you're done.

Now, all I'm doing is using those survival skills to keep us both safe so I can bring her home to her father.

We strolled through the woods, only the sound of our footsteps and birds lightly chirping in the trees.

The sun was fully up, and it was getting really hot out here. Why didn't anyone warn me about the heat in this damn city?

I paused, and so did Luna behind me. She almost crashed into me when I abruptly stopped walking. I gave her a confused glance, but I let it slide, thinking she might be distracted by her thoughts during the walk.

I pulled out the walkie-talkie from the side of the backpack, turned it on, and it screeched to life.

"One forty-eight. Target secured. Over." The thing screeched again, and Luna looked at me curiously.

Even in the sun, her eyes shone brighter, blending perfectly with nature around us.

They're so green...

"Jesus, Alec. Are you okay?" Blair's voice came over the walkie-talkie, snapping me out of my daze.

"Yeah, we're fine."

I heard a sigh of relief from her end and quickly checked our surroundings.

"Where the hell are you? You took the getaway car but took the wrong route."

"Yeah, we got a little distracted. I had to do something to shake them off. We're in the South division, off track from the main road. Can you pin our location?"

A small pause.

"Got you. Keep heading North, and a car will be waiting for you on the other side of the river..."

I quickly pulled the backpack in front of me while she explained the details. I unzipped the bag, pulled out the map, and started tracing the cardinal directions to pinpoint our location.

"...stay on the side track till you come across a river. Cross that river, and you'll find the car waiting on the other side. Do you understand?"

I tucked the map back inside the bag and swung it over my shoulder.

"Got it. We're heading there now."

"Good luck... and stay safe, Alec."

I turned off the talkie and tucked it back in where it was before and then turned to Luna.

"Let's keep moving. There will be a car waiting for us on the other side, so we better move fast."

I turned around to start leading the way but her words suddenly halted me.

"Who are you?"

I paused and slowly turned back around to face her and found her staring at me with suspicion in her eyes.

"I'm trying to keep your life safe so I can bring you home to your father," I answered firmly.

She took a step forward without breaking the intense eye contact between us.

"Who do you work for?"

"Your father."

"Be specific."

I sighed and placed my hand on the hip while staring her down.

"I work for the CIA."

The suspicion immediately left her eyes and she raised her thin brows at me with curiosity.

"So you're an agent."

"Operation officer." I corrected. "If you're done with your questions, can we keep moving now? I'd rather we'd stop wasting our time out here and get to someplace safe first."

I turned around to start walking but her next question stopped me. Again.

"Can I at least get your name?"

I slowly turned around to see her again and gave her my best serious expression.

"Agent Stone." Her eyes penetrated straight into mine and I clenched my jaw before continuing.

"But you can call me Alec."