Danger City

Chapter One

The Call
It was a boring day at work, as usual.
I was sitting at my wooden desk doing paperwork and checking my phone pretty often, since I always got easily distracted while doing desk work. It was a surprisingly beautiful day outside, since the weather has been pretty rainy recently here in upstate New York. The sun was shining through the window and spilling onto my desk, and I could almost feel it's warmth.
"WILSON!" a gruff voice bellows from behind me. I spin around quickly, almost throwing my phone across the room, and act like I'm filling out papers.
"Yes, captain?" I say innocently.
"Staring out the window again I see? If you don't feel like doing paperwork now, I could always arrange for you to come in tomorrow at 5:00 am and do them then." he threatens.
"Haha....I think I'll pass on that one." I reply.
"Wise choice. The next time I come out here I better see you working on those instead of having your face jammed in your phone!"
"Aye aye, captain." I say, saluting him as he huffs and stomps back into his office. My buddy Jenson, whose sitting at his desk in front of me, laughs and turns around.
"Don't you ever worry that the captain will get tired of putting up with you one day and fire you?"
"He'd be lost without me," I reply without looking up from my work. "If he were to fire me, there would be no form of entertainment in this drafty old office!"
"True. It is pretty amusing to listen to the two of you argue back and forth." Jenson agrees. At that moment a group of agents storm into the room, and by the looks on their faces I can tell something's wrong. Jenson turns around and I look up as they gather at the head of the room.
"Listen up, everyone!" the leader of the group, Agent Mcallister, shouts. "We got a call from NYPD that there's a woman being held hostage not too far from here, in the woods near East Park. Apparently she was going for an afternoon jog when a man attacked her from behind. She managed to call 911 and tell them her location before he caught her, but now he's got a knife to her throat and the police aren't having any luck negotiating with him. They want us to come down there and see if we can get her outta there somehow. Anyone brave enough to come along?"
A few agents volunteer immediately and join the ranks. I quickly stand up.
"I'll go." I say. Mcallister and the others look me over for a moment, almost in a suspicious way, but finally agree.
"Very well. We're gonna need as much help as we can get. Reagan, tell the captain where we've gone."
Agent Reagan nods and heads for the captain's office.
"Let's move out, we've only got a short amount of time!" Mcallister says as he leads the group out of the room. I start to follow them but Jenson grabs my shoulder.
"I don't think this is such a good idea, Cal." he says softly. "The captain won't be pleased when he finds out you've run off on an adventure instead of doing your paperwork."
"Relax, this won't take long." I assure him. "I've always had a knack for negotiating. Just cover for me until I get back."
Jenson gives an exasperated sigh, then nods and returns to his work. I hurry out of the room and catch up with the others down in the parking garage. Mcallister separates us into groups. I end up with Agents Carson and Ramirez. We get in our black SUVs and head out into the bright afternoon light. As we zoom down the street I can't help but feel a small adrenaline rush.
This will be so much more exciting than doing boring old desk work.