Trapezoid (The Base)

Chapter 5

Levi felt like he had waited for ages. As a part of training, he had been assigned to be a part of a squad "kidnapping" a school teacher. He had not been told why they were doing this, but as he was accustomed to, he followed orders—without questions. He'd taken a few well-aimed shots to flush her out without hurting anyone. Then he'd been commanded to get into her car. That was where he was now—in the backseat—waiting.

After his first week in CIA, he realized he liked it—a lot. Among all the agents, he was noticed. At first he'd been freaked out by the stares at target practice. But straight bullets had always been child's play for him. He'd been moved on to the target house—a house filled with traps and sometimes great ambushes with blanks and paintball type of bullets. They had to disable mines and time bombs. He'd aced it without a scratch unlike the guys he entered the house with. It was once that they were out into the light that he realized it—he was no ordinary man.

Levi saw the woman approaching her car. Excitement tingled through him. Finally! The windows were tinted so no one could see the inside from the outside. She couldn't see him at all, but he could see her clearly. She looked almost horrible with her weary walk. Her long blonde hair was disheveled, her face smudged with dust. She leaned her arm on the roof of the car and sighed. He hadn't expected her to be so young.

He felt his palms starting to sweat as she opened the door of the driver's seat. She produced the keys out of her bag. Levi wondered how it had managed to stay on her shoulder. She started the car and drove out of the parking lot without another beat.

Levi was right behind her, yet she had noticed nothing. He could even feel the sweet smell of her cologne. He had been given vague instructions to have control of her car with the teacher in it and report to the rest via the mini walky-talky under his t-shirt. He just needed to gather a little more information on her to understand how she would react. She drove down a couple of streets without even looking in her review mirror. He could clearly see this would be easy. She wasn't so alert.

The teacher sighed and mumbled, "I seriously need to see a doctor."

Levi felt a grin growing on his face. She thought she was losing her head!

Now on the highway, she drove on. Something caught her eye in the review mirror. Her green eyes widened at the sight of a man in her backseat. Levi's arms surged in front of her, one arm going around her shoulders, clamping her against her seat and his other hand going for the steering wheel. She thrashed back and forth in her seat. Levi fought to keep control of her and steer the car to the side of the road. His head was against the roof of the car, his back arched. With her foot was down on the gas pedal, they were speeding at the side of the road.

"Let go of me!" She dug her nails into his arm and clawed.

"Lady, I'm not trying to hurt you!" he yelled instead of yelping from the pain.

"Then let go of me!" she screaming hysterically.

"If I do, we'll need to forget about being alive tomorrow!"

The car started slowing down and soon came to a stop. Her hands eased off his arm, and slid into her lap. Levi was suddenly caught off guard. This was going smoother than he had expected. Teacher was chill already?

He let go of the steering wheel after she turned the car off. He was still in an uncomfortable position with his head against the roof, his knees against the back of the driver's seat, semi-standing in the back. She looked up at him. Her eyes didn't show any panic whatsoever. But he could see she was gathering information—facial features for the cops—and maybe something else. Her green eyes glistened with a fire—she was ready for anything. She was just waiting for the right moment.

Was this his opening to explain maybe a few things, for how would he get her anywhere like this? By the way, how was he going to explain what he didn't even know? She was brewing a plan. The whole happening in the school might have been a bit terrorizing, but somehow he had to show he was no threat to her. He let go of her and heard her sigh. He got out of the car, making his way to the front passenger seat. Before he even touched the handle, she had started the car and was speeding like a bullet while still on the roadside. He smirked to himself. She thought she had won. Wasn't it the opposite! He had siphoned some gas out of her car in the parking lot, approximately enough to get her stranded.

As he jogged up to the car, he felt exhilaration pumping in his blood. He wasn't at the end yet, but somehow he felt more alive like the days he was in the army. He knew this was nothing compared to what he had faced or will face in the real missions, but it felt good— like a gasp air after near suffocation.

He pulled the door handle and entered the teacher's car smugly as if he had the right—which he sort of felt he had. Teacher's eyes were wide. She held up her phone. "You do anything, and the cops will get a load off."

He chuckled. "Is that supposed to be a threat?"

"You broke into my car for starters."

"I didn't break in. I simply opened a door and got in."

Her green eyes turned to steel and her voice hardened. "Get out of my car."

Levi kept up his smug. "Afraid I can't do that. Got orders." He did his best trying to act chill even to the point of crossing his arms across his chest and looking straight ahead. But even then, he was bringing up his last resort.

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Chris felt like she was going to throw up. This guy was acting nice and slick, but she knew he was up to something. Yes, he hadn't tried to hurt her so far and he didn't look threatening with his dark t-shirt and dog necklace around his neck —at first even though he was visibly built. She could sense he was on the same alertness bar as her. Her pulse was hammering so hard she was sure he could hear it. His eyes were shut. Should she use force?

Levi jerked up from the buzz on his chest. He was supposed to have the teacher subdued by now! He was just in time to catch a fist flying for his head. "Get out! Get out!" she screamed over and over as she tried to claw once more—his face this time.

He caught her second wrist. She still tried fighting free, but she was getting nowhere.

Then she stopped, easing back into her seat. Her hands slid freely from his grasp.

Chris secretly reached down for the pepper spray she kept beside her near the door.

Levi, his patience wearing away, hissed a string of curses at the sight of the woman, now stone-faced, staring at the horizon. Regretting his outburst, he put his hand on her shoulder and attempted to sound gentler. "Look, I'm not going to—"

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Chris, with lightning speed, lifted the can in the guy's face and pressed the nozzle. Chris shrieked. The fiery heat from the pepper spray was like nothing she had ever experienced in her eyes. Everything went dark. The can was pried out of her grip, and a sharp prick was the last thing she felt.