Fractured

Chapter 1

Crap! I was running late for this meeting and I was the one that insisted this morning would be fine! This was not good. Years of etiquette training raced through my head – "If you are not at least 5 minutes early, you are late!"

"Just breathe and keep moving," I repeated to myself as I made it into the over-crowded elevator at the hospital. I instantly slapped the button for the top floor and willed the elevator to go faster. When the crowd cleared on the third stop – I assumed the nurses were going to look at the newest arrivals since they were chattering with glee as they exited; I heard a familiar voice. "Andy, darling, what are you doing going to the top floor offices? Dr Roberts was supposed to advise you to meet him in my office in the basement, what with the security scare up there yesterday! They let some crazy patient run around with a syringe! Oh, it was a sight!"

I stared at Dr Green. It had been a while since I saw him last and being in the elevator, this close, was bringing back a lot of old memories. Many I would rather stayed buried. Thanks to these memories, I was only vaguely aware of what he said. He was telling me that Phil conveniently forgot to mention that he had moved the location of the meeting! And about the security breach! What was going on, this wasn't like him. The doors opened again and Dr Green was gone, off to do his morning rounds.

After taking the lift back down to Dr Green's office, I paused briefly, just inside the door to admire the mural Gabriel had painted. Something about the beach always seemed to calm me. I was glad to see he had changed it back; the forest was too dark and overwhelming in here. I also secretly revelled in the fact that, even with the three coffees and a bag of muffins in my hand, I had managed to make it into the room without Uncle Phil or Aunt Rose noticing.

I hovered by the doorway, tempted to see how long it took them to realise I was there, when I heard Phil. "Mrs Rose, she is never late! We need to make sure she is okay! I do NOT need another repeat of August 2014; I wouldn't be able to handle it! And neither would you! Given we don't know where she is or what's going on, we should initiate the emergency call sequence, NOW!"

August 2014. The month my life took yet another drastic detour from my planned path, when the man I loved proved he never cared about me as anything more than a possession he could treat as he saw fit.

The look of despair on Dr Roberts' face changed my mind about waiting for them to spot me. "Calm down, Uncle Phil, I am right here. Hi, Aunt Rose" I smiled, walking toward the table and giving them both a cup of coffee. "Forget to tell me something Phil?" my question hung thick with accusation.

"I'm not sure I know what you are talking about" Phil brushed me off.

"The security issue upstairs yesterday. I assume the syringe-wielding patient was just a ruse and that I need to go over the security program again to work out what they were after?"

Phil raised his hand to silence me. I might be the golden child, but when the boss told you to shush, you did it! I sat down opposite Aunt Rose and waited. After taking a sip of his coffee, Uncle Phil continued, "We already have Victor on it. He identified what the issue was, and is currently back tracing it to its point of origin. We should know how serious the threat is and what was compromised in the next few hours. Now, why don't you tell me the real reason you are late, hmm?"

Letting out a sigh, I quickly reminded Phil that he had me going over the accounting for Uncle and Bob's Diner, since the man that was formerly his friend and business partner was once again trying to take him down; and since this would be my last official day off for some time, it had to be done this morning. "You know, there is not a thing out of place on his books, and I hear he has one of the best lawyers in the country looking after him!" I winked at Phil, knowing full well I would be chewed out about my arrogance later.

"I did, however, remember to get some of the cappuccino chocolate chip muffins that Aunt Rose loves," I said, sliding the bag across the table to her. She looked like a kid in a candy store when she opened it. Totally worth being late and the inevitable lecture on punctuality that Phil would set me up for.

"I can't believe you remembered, what with all the prep you have been doing for your new assignment" Aunt Rose signed to me. "Thank you!"

"How could I ever forget my favourite Aunt Rose?" I signed back. "She taught me everything I know!" Her smile brightened.

After that we became all business, straight down the line, Academy heads. Dr Roberts and Mrs Rose were two of the most senior heads of the Academy, and the only two people in the world I cared for more than myself. They were the only family I had and the only reason I was alive today. I owed them everything, so when they actually encouraged me to learn, and to study things that interested me, I felt no guilt in doing so, despite years of being made to feel selfish and ungrateful for wanting to learn. The skills I picked up over the years, thanks to their encouragement, have definitely helped the Academy and many of its members out of more than a few tight spots.

Most Academy members believe I am the niece of Dr Roberts and Mrs Rose. They know I am a lawyer and accountant, and that is all they know of my Academy involvement. Only the highest-ranking Academy heads knew my full story. I was not actually related to Dr Roberts or Mrs Rose. Their Academy family adopted me after stumbling across me on one of their missions and realising the extremity of my situation. They nurtured and encouraged me as I grew and supported me in any endeavour I wished to pursue. Along with being the top lawyer and an accountant, I was the preferred psychologist for the particularly troubling cases, had a knack for learning languages, computer science, and an exceptional eye for detail. The fact that I was only 23 didn't bother anyone. I had an advantage with my eidetic memory. Most people considered me to be a know-it-all. It was only the closest to me that understood my thirst for knowledge.

To those high-ranking heads, I was an active Academy member with no actual, traceable history, aside from the information I had planted myself. I had many aliases waiting to be activated and rather than removing them when they are compromised, I simply edited the images of me on record to show someone else. I also had alerts set up to notify me when someone was looking into any of my alias records. When combined with my other considerable talents, my lack of physically tangible record, I was one of the most valuable assets in the organisation. Essentially I was a Ghost Bird, but the term was never used for me as I had the skills to create entire identities and manipulate all information found on me.

I worked in secret, vetting mission plans and clearing new recruits. If a family needed help with a plan, they would talk with Dr Roberts and give him an overview. Phil would then ask for a few days to look into it further and come back to them. He would pass the information through to me, and I would work out several options for him to take back to the team. That alone was usually a full time job. Now I was getting ready to go back into the field for a new assignment. It would make it difficult to help with the more advanced stuff I usually handled, but they needed someone to blend in and be able to make a difference.

My extended family needed me, and come hell or high water, I would do my best to help them!