Agent Rogue

Chapter 6

I was not the type of morning person to wake up cheerful with a smile on my face and a spring in my step, but one that dragged themselves up at the crack of dawn and downed a dangerous volume of caffeine to maximise productivity. At home, I would wake at seven, go for a run then shower and dress to catch the 8:30 train with Scotty to make it into the office for nine.

            My routine was different today. I woke not too long after six, late-autumn's snoozing sun not yet peaking above horizon's blanket, opening my eyes with surprising alertness, my limbs restless. I tried sleeping again but it was no use. The sheets had become scratchy and rough, the pillow flat and the quilt heavy and hot, despite the biting chill in the room. I had to prepare for the journey back to London. My mind could think of nothing else.

            I let Barnes sleep for a few more hours, keeping the curtains shut as I grabbed a quick shower and dressed myself in the clothes from the day before, leaving my jacket to put on as we left the building. To freshen up I used the facilities provided, washing my face with soap and brushing my teeth then hair. I tipped my head upside down and combed my hair into a high ponytail. It wasn't pretty. My face was speckled with scratches from the crash, my eyes bloodshot with grief; shoulder red and burnt.

            I pulled up my sleeve to cover the wound. It was not my job to look pretty, anyway. At least not now.

            I tried contacting the agency once more but had the same amount of luck as I did the night before: none whatsoever. I wondered if Alistair had seen Scotty's tracker go offline and had recorded the incident already. They would need questions answering, of course, and that responsibility fell to me. My throat went dry.

            A distraction was needed; a moment of peace before Barnes woke up and work officially started for the day. I opened an app on my phone to read but noticed the charge was only at sixty percent. It was a risk to lose all hopes of contacting the agency for an hour of entertainment. I sacrificed that joy and instead stared at the ceiling, sitting down in the chair next to the vanity.

***

Barnes woke not long before nine, whining and rubbing his eyes. When they opened, they narrowed in my direction.
"I thought last night was nothing more than a nightmare."
I sighed. "Just get up. We're going downstairs."
"Downstairs?"
I jumped to my feet. "Yes."
He frowned. "To do what?"
I shrugged. "Eat."
Barnes almost laughed. "So the robot actually eats, does she?"
I checked the signal on my phone again – still nothing. "It may astonish you, Barnes, but your average human being needs food to survive."
"But you're not just an average human being are you, Knight?"
I shook my head, "Just get dressed."

            With a tired groan, he staggered to the bathroom. He was reluctant but at least he was willing to do as he was told. After five minutes, he emerged, hair still wet from the shower as he donned the same clothes from yesterday. I saw it again; the look on his face as he urged me to leave Stacey, abandoning Scotty.

              I picked up my jacket and held open the door for Barnes to leave with me. He glanced at my back pocket and I scowled.
"Have you tried ringing the almighty Alistair yet?"
Oh.My phone was sticking out of my back pocket. That was what he was looking at. I nodded but kept my lips sealed.
"Agent?"
I nodded again.

            Barnes heaved a sigh as we approached the lobby, making our way towards the wooden archway we neglected to explore the night before. He saluted the spectacle-wearing receptionist as we passed by. She turned away, pretending we did not exist.

            I didn't blame her.

            "Do you think she hates us?" Barnes grinned, eyes bright with humour. I shook my head and Barnes tutted. "You're frustrating, you know that?"