prologue.

14 0 0

by StarScreech

by StarScreech

He impatiently drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of his car, checking his watch for what seemed like the millionth time. Today was the absolute worst day to do this. Couldn't they have waited until next week? It seemed like nearly every person in the Midwest was trying to get away for the week, and he could tell why. Snow in March isn't exactly ideal spring break conditions. He glanced at the rear view mirror, checking to see if his belongings were in the backseat, nodding to himself when they were. He was always on the move, so he had to travel light. He usually wasn't this antsy when he was given a new target, but this time was different.

He was on his way back to his hometown.

He looked ahead, and when he saw that traffic wouldn't be letting up any time soon, he decided to put on the headphones to his Walkman, and re-listen to the cassette tape he had received that morning. He had nearly memorized it by now.

A young woman's voice filled his ears.

Mr. Armstrong,

Your new target resides in Oakland, California. A high school student. Her parents couldn't be located, so we're using her as bait. Since you've recently raised suspicions, we've decided that for this mission, you'll go under cover and gain the trust of the target before eliminating her. I've gone through the trouble of transferring your DNA to this name, because we knew you'd be in a hurry. We wouldn't want another incident like last time.

No matter how many times he came across that part, he always rolled his eyes. He could pretty much hear her snickering grin. UAA would never let him live that down.

Your new identity is that of a long-term substitute for a high school french teacher who we've already taken care of. You will start after the break. Details on your identity and the target are enclosed in a separate envelope as well as your plane ticket and ID cards.

You have 6 months.

Good luck, Mr. Armstrong.

Sincerely,

The car behind him honked the horn, signifying that traffic had cleared up. With a deep inhale, he took off the headphones and drove the rest of the way to the airport, trying to brush up on his french.