Home: Book 1

Chapter 3

Jonah

Wild Card. She reminded me of Ciara. The sense of familiarity washed over me as I watched "Wild Card" interact with Alex, her long brunette hair tied back in a ponytail. But it couldn't be Ciara. Ciara was gone, lost to the world in a tragic accident. Yet, the resemblance was strange, and for a moment, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was someone I once knew.

We were divided into groups of six, each led by a trainer. Despite my silent hopes to be in Wild Card's group, fate had other plans as I found myself grouped with her boyfriend, Alex. He led us through the training facility, his character confident and assured as he showed us the ropes.

As we settled into the training room and introduced ourselves, I couldn't help but feel a sense of friendship among us. The atmosphere was different from the firm structure of the academy I was accustomed to. Here, we were treated as individuals, our trainer able to give their attention to each of us in turn.

It was a refreshing change, and as I looked around at my fellow trainees, I felt a twinkle of hope for the future. Maybe, just maybe, this new environment would be the beginning of something different, something better.

Alex's introduced himself, "I am Alexander Martinez," he began, his surname sparking a flicker of recognition among some of us. "You can call me Alex. I will be your trainer here. But your training will be different."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over our group before continuing. "We will have small missions, and one of you has to tag along in any mission I go on. Usually, it's one trainer and trainee to themselves, but this year we lost a lot of our agents."

After a while, it was my turn to introduce myself, as I stood up to introduce myself, a sudden interruption ceased my words mid-sentence. A knock at the door drew our attention, and a head peeked inside, addressing Alex directly.

"Alex, Steph's back. We'll be chatting in my room. Feel free to join us. It's not like you have another choice," the voice announced, its tone overflowing with familiarity and a hint of playful teasing.

I glanced at Alex, noticing the flicker of recognition in his eyes at the mention of Steph's name. He responded in surprise, "Done so fast, Cici?!"

Wild card retorted, "Unlike you, I don't get emotionally attached... See you later!"

With a wink, she turned and left the room.

I finally had the chance to introduce myself to the group. "I am Jonah Brown. 16 years old. Fresh out of Spy Academy," I began, feeling a gush of nervous energy coursing through me. "I joined this organization for two reasons: to find the truth behind my friend's death and to fulfill her dream."

Alex chuckled at my introduction; his eyes gleaming with a hint of familiarity. "This reminds me of someone," he remarked, his expression shifting to one of seriousness. "I'll show you to your rooms. Rest a little, and I'll see you soon."

With that, Alex led all of us to our respective rooms including me to my room, where I washed up and tried to nap. But something nagged at the back of my mind, something Alex had said. Reminds me of someone. Could that someone be Ciara?

Unable to shake the feeling of unease, I abandoned my attempt at rest and made my way to the training room in search of Alex. Instead, I found Lana, the other trainer, standing in the room.

"Excuse me," I asked tentatively, trying to ignore the chill in her voice. "May I know where Alex is?"

Her response was abrupt and empty of emotion. "Wild Card's room. The one closest to the east elevator."

Her cold demeanor sent shivers down my spine, but I brushed it off, my curiosity overriding any sense of nervousness.

As I walked to down the hallway looking for Wild Card's room, I heard it. "Ciara!" The sound of Ciara's name echoed through the corridor, freezing me in place. Could it really be her? No, it couldn't be. Ciara was gone, lost to us forever. It had to be a coincidence, a trick of the mind.

"Ciara!" A voiced called again, it was coming from Wild Card's room. The door stood slightly ajar, allowing me a glimpse inside. And there she was, Wild Card, sitting on the edge of her bed, her gaze fixed on a girl in a wheelchair.

Tears shimmered in Wild Card's eyes as she took a deep breath, her emotions raw and unfiltered. And then, with a sudden surge of anger, she uttered words that sent a chill down my spine.

"I'm killing Julia Smith."

The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of determination and revenge. My heart raced as I struggled to comprehend the meaning of what I had just witnessed. What connection did Wild Card have to Julia Smith, my brother's friend?