Jenette

Chapter 1

I adjusted my black hat as my tousled brown hair fell on my face getting into my eyes from time to time. Winter was obviously approaching as the branches were extremely bare and I couldn't find the sun.  The car stopped in front of the building at the end of the street. The building was made entirely of burnt bricks and must have been built in the 19th century as it looked like a Victorian building, arcs on the windows and doors was a certain give away. My mouth felt dry as I got down from the car and it sped off. Probably the driver perceived I was not to be trusted. Well he was partly right. I clutched the parcel tighter in my hand as the chill wind slapped my hair in my eyes yet again. I could feel my red lipstick cracking. It was easier to have brown hair and red lipstick on, you were able to blend in or stand out if you wanted. I started to climb the stairs as the feeling of someone watching me from behind crept up on me. I turned my head sharply just to be met with a bunch of migrating crows in the sky. I shrugged. I was too conceited for anyone to know I was here or was I? I quickly rushed in the building. It was nearly as cold as outside. I guessed the heaters of the building were broken or it was just old and fireplaces were built. I looked again at the crumpled brown paper clutched in my hand showing the location I was meant to meet someone. I made sure my heels didn't click as much so no one would know I was in the building. Being a spy definitely had its misconceptions; people believed it was all action. Wrong. Being a female spy was so much more than that, acting, sabotage, stalking and disguise.

        "Jenette?" I heard someone whisper through my ear piece. Jenette was one of the names I used. Jenette was the girl who wore red lipstick and had wild brown hair.   I walked slowly into the building so my heels would not click as much. I was right, it was a Victorian building. An old painting draped in cobwebs hung loosely on the wall and I  caught a glimpse of the grand staircase with ivory railings twenty feet in front of me. I made for the stair case very slowly and put both hands in my knee length red coat rummaging secretly for any weapon. To the left of my eye, I noticed a red flash coming from a room above the stairs wrapped in ivory railing. The railings were magnificent. It was moulded to look like a 16 foot snake wrapped itself around the railings and at the end a big lion head rested. The broken ten foot window with ripped red blinds highlighted the window making the railings shiny.  The red light interrupted my inspection of the place. It wasn't normal for a red flash to be in an old building. Careful not to put my finger prints anywhere on the railing. I thrust my hand into the gloves in my pocket and started out for the stairs. Slowly I went for the room. lI always knew my inner animal was a cat. As anxiety crept in, the hair on my body rose, my ears pranced forward scanning for the slightest sound and I could feel my eyes dilate. I crept forward, looked sharply back and held the handle to the half open door. I gulped as beads of sweat covered my forehead. I had no idea what was in there. It could be an empty room, a victim, mutant (some imagination) I snapped myself back to reality, three, two ,o...

"Hey," the door opened. A man with black hair stepped out. The sleeves of his white crisp shirt was rolled up at his elbows and he was holding a cloth stained with black oil on it.

"Oh it's you," I hissed and entered a room as he motioned coffee to me. "I came all this way for this? What are you doing?"

"That is why you're the best O! You take every mission so serious," I rolled my eyes at  him for not answering my question and for calling me O. I was in character, I was Jenette.

"What are you doing?" I asked again inching for the coffee tray and picking up one of the fancy mugs and rolled my eyes again at the antique set.

"Testing," he said adjusting a wire.

"Why this building though? It is easy to break into. I was almost done drawing the map of the building in my head. A blind mouse can navigate through it," I said taking a sip of coffee.

"Oh don't underestimate it just yet," he said and continued " It belonged to my great grand father. Sir William Bart. There is a lot you don't know about this building and will never know,"  he then turned sharply and went back to the wires.

"Hmm," I said nodding my head sarcastically and took another sip of the hot caffeine "Am I here for a reason?" I asked looking up at the two century old ceiling that surprisingly had no cracks.

"Nice boots," he pointed out and tweaked a yellow wire into an open hole in the wall.

"Are you just going to avoid every question I ask," 

"Well I needed company and I knew you won't come unless you were sent on a mission." he said trying to smile through his tight skin but I could see was a slight twinkle in his left eye.

"You're pathetic," I said and put the cup down on the tray and pressed the green button on my ear piece "Helicopter to New York," I said and made out for the door but noticed a torn piece of paper in the crack behind the door. I picked it up and opened it.

Gemma, you need to get out of here. You didn't see what you saw remember, you didn't see anything. I am heading for Hyde park. Disappear from this building if you have any integrity left. See you soon.

"Q?" I started out and looked at him "Have you seen this," 

"What?" he picked up the letter and read it. I could tell he read it over and over as his eyes darted from left to right over and over.

"Who's Gemma," I asked him as his eyes kept darting back and forth.

"I have no idea," he whispered and added ," but I know he was rushing because the ink breaks on these words.

"Have any idea how long ago this was written," I asked again.

"No," he said and added " When is your ride getting here,"

"Next few minutes. Should we take serious,"

"There are no such things as mistakes," he fired back and started packing up.

"Eat me," I mouthed and picked up the coffee again.