Secret Sniper

Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

I look up at the first paragraph and see that I have a field partner: Courtney Rodriguez. *What? I'm working with Courtney? Natalie's sister??* I hear Adriana inhale shakily and feel her warm breath against my neck as she exhales. I'm a bit stunned that I would be working with Courtney, an FBI agent. Then I see nine more names split into two categories. One category being a list of CIA agents, listing four names: me, Michael Thomas, and two other agents I'm well acquainted with. The other category was a list of FBI agents, listing seven names: Courtney Rodriguez and six other agents who's names I don't recognize. *I thought I was only working with the CIA.* Guess not.

I feel movement next to me and watch my wife hurry out our living room. I wait a minute, listening to her every step up the stairs. I hear our bedroom door shut, then silence. I scan through the packet again, finally reading the words on the bottom of the third page in bold: "^You have 12 hours to officially begin this mission, one week to complete it.^" I glance at the wall clock and see it's minutes to three. I haul myself off the couch and up the stairs, hearing no movement as I approach our room. I peep my head in the door, seeing nothing but darkness. Opening it wider, I spot a figure on the bed.

"Hmm, what is Adriana thinking.." I whisper as I walk over to our bed. I grunt softly as I climb up, and lay next to her, lightly wrapping my arms around her, holding her close. She doesn't respond to my remark, so I stay quiet. I've learned that when Adriana gets quiet she's usually thinking, and eventually she'll start talking again.

"So are you gonna' do it?" she asks five minutes later, shifting in between my arms.

"Do what?" I reply even though I know exactly what she's talking about.

"The mission," she whispers. "Will you kill her?" Her voice is shaky, I can tell she's crying.

Adriana and Natalie have been friends since middle school. Ever since they met, they've been extremely close. Like, they're such good friends that you could mistake them for being sisters.

I don't answer her question, still debating whether I would kill Natalie or not. I mean, it was an order from the CIA. If I don't do it, I could get fired, or worse: killed. If I go through with it, I would kill a person who is dear to so many people, and have to live with the guilt.

"I'm waiting.." Adriana hints. I keep quiet and try to even out my breathing to make it seem like I fell asleep. I feel her shoulders raise and hear her exhale. Her breathing eventually evens and I slowly remove my arms from around her. I subtly get up and silently walk across the room, grabbing fresh clothes on my way to the bathroom. Closing the door, I exhale heavily and run my hands down my face.

"Shower time," I announce to myself.

I turn the faucet knob and wait for the water to warm up. Once it does, I take off my clothes and hop in the shower.

Showers are always where I clear my mind. That and when I play basketball. But for some reason, this time I can't seem to block *everything* out. The picture of Natalie from her profile goes through my mind. Then I think of Adriana, and the question she asked. "*Will you kill her?*" my conscience recites. Would I really kill her? Would I really kill someone who seems innocent? The packet didn't even explain why I was instructed to kill her. Yeah, sure, I'm a sniper, but when I get assignments, I have a reason as to why I'm sniping a target. This case, I have no idea why and asking questions may not help.

I lean against the cold tiles that line the shower wall, hot water running down my face. I just stand in the shower, against the wall, wondering..

After what felt like only a few minutes, there's a knock on the bathroom door.

"Hun, are you okay?" Adriana asks, sounding concerned.

"Oh, um, yeah I'm fine," I say, hurrying to wash up.

A few minutes later, I dry off, slip on only a pair of basketball shorts and exit the bathroom, instantly smelling a sweet aroma that's filled our bedroom. *Adriana's tea*, I conclude. I hear the bedroom door creak open, Adriana walking in, holding a small bottle of honey. I'm assuming it's for her tea.

"Why such a long shower? Fell asleep in there or something?" she jokes, but I can tell her humor at this point is forced.

"Maybe I did," I chuckle, playing along, also forcing some humor. I throw on a t-shirt and sit on the edge of our bed, facing Adriana. She sips her tea at her computer desk and looks up at me, staring.

She always does this. She stares at me, almost smirking. I stare back at her, tilting my head after a couple of seconds, and her lips break into a subtle smile. It's funny, whenever we do this, she's usually the first to break, then she has this cheesy smile, and then refuses to make eye contact again.

"So how much time do I have? For the mission, I mean," I ask, even though I already can anticipate the answer. Seven hours, fifteen minutes, 43 seconds. Ew, all odd numbers.

She looks at the digital clock across the room and sighs, seeing the time.

"Seven forty-five," she announces, then looking at me. "About seven more hours and fifteen minutes to go.."