Verde

Chapter 19: Jayden Irving

     Jayden's eyes widened fractionally as she took in the sight of Cassidy, Elle, and Dan in her office. "Verdes," she hissed.

     How does she know what we're called?

    Cassidy had her arms around Jayden's neck before a second was up. 

    Elle and Dan were standing around her, backing her up.

     Jayden jerked away and turned on Cassidy. She reached for something at her waist.

     Weapon, was the only thought that flashed through Cassidy's head in that moment. She lunged forward, hands reaching around the back of Jayden's shoulders, to the woman's waist, and feet sweeping Jayden's legs out from underneath her.

     The Director of Research crumpled to the ground with a satisfying thud. 

     Just as Cassidy was looking for a way to immobilize Jayden, there was  a sharp pain behind her knee.

     Cassidy pitched forward, her knees hitting the ground hard. Jayden swung herself on top of Cassidy.

     Cassidy was struggling to breathe. The air had been knocked out of her when Jayden flipped her over, and know she had her knees digging into Cassidy's chest and stomach. 

     Jayden opened her mouth to speak.

     "Elle," before Cassidy could even croak out her friends name, the pressure on her abdomen was released.

     Sucking in gasps of air, Cassidy watched as Elle and Dan pinned Jayden against her own desk. The edge of the table rammed into her stomach, replicating the disabling position Cassidy had been in moments ago - now Jayden couldn't breathe.

     "You," Jayden wheezed, "you idiots."

     Dan pressed her harder into the desk, forcing more air out of her lungs. Elle was searching for something to tie Jayden's hands with. They couldn't risk the possibility of her overpowering one of them again, and they didn't even know for sure if she had a weapon or not.

     Jayden was gasping for air. In short and shallow bursts, she managed to suck in enough oxygen to gasp out four words.

     "I'm on your side!" Jayden gave a final wrench against Dan's hold.

     Dan's strength finally gave out, and Jayden sank to the floor, head tilted back. She barely gulped in two lungfuls of air before she passed out. 

     "I might have deprived her of more air than necessary," Dan reflected. 

     As Cassidy came to her senses, the adrenaline subsiding from her veins, she realized that Lev was screaming in her ear.

     "Cassi! Cassidy! What's happening, where are you?" it was the first time Cassidy had heard Lev so panicked.

     Instead of saying anything back, Cassidy started laughing. It was just a woman, one single woman, and Cassidy, Elle, and Dan were nearly fully-trained Verdes. It was nothing. They were fine, and it was hilarious.

     "Cassi?" Lev's voice came through the tiny speakers again, but softer. "Is everything okay?"

     "Well," Cassidy said, quelling her laughter. "We met Jayden Irving."

     "What?" Lev's voice rose two or three pitches again, and Cassidy could even hear Alison from the background. "She was there?"

    "She must have been somewhere in the building - she just happened to walk in at the wrong time," Cassidy smiled to herself, looking at the unconscious woman sprawled against the desk across from her. Jayden Irving did have terrible timing.