It's weird living in the real world. I've survived in the real world on missions before, but it was never permanent. I've never had to buy oven mitts or Windex. My name is Ava Graves, I work as a security guard on the midnight shift at a small jewelry shop down the block from my apartment. I am twenty six years old and both of my parents live in Arkansas (accompanied by my two younger brothers). It's weird not having an accomplice, someone to call me Evangeline when the enemy is away, someone to remind me that I'm twenty two years old, someone to remind me that I'm not alone. I am alone. I am not allowed to have any sort of contact with SASA or its members. I don't know where Tanner is. I don't quite know where I am either.
When I woke up the night I was kicked out of SASA, I was in this apartment. A new ID, a confirmation of my interview with Emilio's Jewels was printed out, and five thousand dollars all sat neatly folded on my kitchen counter. The first thing I did with the money was buy a cat, his name is Benedict. Benedict has helped me through the nightmares that accompany my troubling past. People usually become troubled after murder. I did something awful three months, two days, seven hours, and twenty one minutes ago. I killed a woman. I've killed twelve people in total. Everyone I've murdered has been guilty. The first person I killed was a man nicknamed "The Keeper". The Keeper kidnapped and murdered thirty two young women and girls, with every murder, he would keep the scalp of the victim as a trophy. I was only seventeen years old. My mission was to get "picked up" and brought into the building where the Keeper trapped his victims. Although my assigned team and I had scouted him for months and practiced what to do when confronted, my first mission is where I made my first major mistake. I knifed the man in cold blood with a broken shard of glass in the presence of three, young girls. I was terrified. I was supposed to kill him when we were alone together but he had gathered four of us up to pleasure himself. I had to kill him and I did. The girls' incessant screaming and refusals to cooperate led me to go into hiding. I anonymously contacted the police and watched to make sure the entire house full of girls was evaccuated. I know they did not forget my face.
The woman I killed three months ago was innocent. She was a SASA member. Every month SASA sends out a person to pick up groceries and any items one might need. I had been planning for a while. Every Sunday night I would watch for agents until I figured out the grocery run schedule precisely. I killed Alexa Montoya because I needed her identity.
It all works perfectly, really. SASA members are all already "dead", so if someone found the body (though it'd be impossible) identifying the body would be a pure shit storm. Members are all equipped with key cards that allow one to access the SASA database (Every agent would rather die than lose their card- we've all been trained that way). I now have Alexa's card. It's unfortunate for my father, you see, because he taught me everything there is to know about hacking a database. I'm basically just fucking a lot of shit up at the moment. The Captain knows it's me. He always knew I'd be back. He knew the moment he extinguished me that I'd come back a blazing inferno, ready to burn up his precious Pearl. He'll send someone after me soon, the only question is whether I will come back alive.
*
Emilio's has pretty, simple jewelry. I smile down at a case of wedding rings, tracing my fingers over the top of the glass. I can't help but pretend one is for me. Sometimes I pretend that Tanner and I live in New York together. We have a small apartment looking over Central Park. We're happy, but then I remember that my father said Tanner didn't love me. Then I remember that Tanner is still at the Pearl. I fantasize about a life with Kit too, I know now that he was only doing what was right by reporting me. Then I remember that an agent should never fall in love. Then I remember that I am not an agent.
I walk the perimeter of the one story building, admiring the necklaces, then the bracelets, then the rings. I live a very routine, organized life. I end work, I feed Benedict, I work out, I feed Benedict, I sleep with Benedict, I wake up, I feed Benedict, I go to work. Every night at work I access the SASA database. Every day I like to try something new (the only variety and excitement I ever get). Sometimes I enjoy creating destructive viruses whereas other times I enjoy uploading pictures of Benedict as replacement profile pictures for SASA workers' accounts.
I stroll between the display cases in the lonesome dark. A slow clicking echoes throughout the main hall- almost like the picking of a lock. I doubleback, touching the gun in my back, jeans pocket. The clicking stops. I lift my pistol. The small hall lights above head flicker and power off.
"Shit," I mutter. The power sometimes shuts off at four in the morning in this chain of buildings because a large printing company enjoys turning on every single machine at once, very early in the morning, I might add. I check my watch. My cheeks grow hot and I whip around. It's only three in the morning. I try to slow my breathing but I can't help the panic that rises.
They're here. I drop to my stomach and inch behind an intricate, floor length mirror.
"Hello," A deep, British voice greets.
My breathing hitches as a chill spreads down my neck and to the tip of my spine. I don't recognize the voice and I know everyone at the Pearl.
"Come out come out, wherever you are," He laughs, dragging each syllable. I hear light, quick footsteps. Two sets of feet- two people.
I take three, slow breaths. Aiming my gun just to the right of where I believe the figure to be, I shoot a display case to shards.
"Eve!"
I know that voice. I squeeze my eyes shut. Who is it? My brain goes numb.
Something heavy lands on the ground and I take it as my cue to run. My brain races with adrenaline as my sympathetic nervous system takes control of my actions. No way in hell I can unlock the door and make it out- I spin around, sprinting to the main display window. I send my arms up and over my head as I crash through the glass, rolling out onto the street. Profanities are shouted from behind by the two men.
In the movies, when someone is being chased, they always turn around- there is no way in hell I'm turning around.
*
I frantically search for my apartment keys, digging through my pockets. I knew the agents would be here soon, I just didn't understand why they had gone to Emilio's, it had just caused more of a scene. I don't understand why I ran back to my apartment either, I suppose I did it for Benedict.
"Ben! Come here kitty!" I call quickly, swinging the door open.
A handsome man sits on my kitchen counter, Benedict lounging on his lap. "Meow," He laughs, raising a gun and shooting me in the stomach.
"What the fuck," I slur, my stomach buzzing.
I collapse onto my floor, laying face down. "Please don't hurt him."
Two legs straddle my back as a warm whisper brushes my ear. "I'm back."
