I; Labyrinth

15; Canessa

Dr. Perry Hunter

"You HAVE TO come here! I'm begging you! He's up to something..." I cried to an old friend.

We were both planning (her and I) on meeting shortly, hence we were still communicating over the WindVoice (a glass device that permits you to contact others from afar, either face-to-face or simply by listening and speaking). 

My friend was a spy from Zambia. She was perhaps one of the most stunning women I had ever seen. Even Xara, renowned for her beauty, couldn't compete with this young lady.

I believe she was twenty-six years old. Despite her young age, however, she was incredibly successful. She had graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in an ever-growing Africa and had subsequently been accepted by the CIA as a spy.

0007-or triple-0-7-I would call her, in reference to James Bond from a thousand years earlier. This dated back to our younger days-a couple of years ago-when I'd first met her.

Dark-skinned, toned, agile and lithe, slim, blue-eyed and a headscarf to protect her from the sun, my friend was not to be compared with the current Miss Earth (at least, in my most humble opinion).

This was my closest ally after Xara and she had always been able to understand my problems. She even knew my deepest and darkest secret! She was probably the only one who did ever did...

"There's something going on, ok? Something strange, like something tangible, only you cannot see it..." I continued explaining.

Her muffled voice over the WindVoice interrupted me by hurling many questions at me, as though they were daggers.

You see, she was not only a spy, but also a kind of samurai, ninja...I don't know the title I should address her with.

"Is Xara ok?" she asked, sighing.

"I need to run my check-up on her," I replied, scratching my head, "she hasn't spoken to me for a few days."

"Then go and check...now," she replied firmly.

I nodded and asked her to let me know when she'd be arriving. I hoped it would be soon.

She would have had to fly over to Yeste'-a journey which would usually require a lot of effort, especially coming from Central-south Africa.

This was because of the criteria the traveller would be against. Often they would require you to have at least three different documents of identification. Furthermore, security would run a scan (usually lasting not more than two seconds) over your whole body in order to check your health. This was all done at the departure gate in your home country before traveling.

However, Canessa wouldn't have any issues. She was a spy, after all, and one of the most important.

'You forgot!' it exclaimed from inside my head, 'Canessa's surname!'

I paused after switching off the glass device and thought. It had never even occurred to me that I didn't know her surname...

But I know her first name; Canessa.

Canessa was my ally, my friend and she was about to save Xara and the hospital from Jason.

She would try very hard not to let me down. But we needed a plan. For a moment I didn't think I had any idea of what to do, but suddenly, my brain unravelled a knot.

Yes, Canessa would apply to be a nurse and hopefully become friends with Jason X in order to spy on him. In the meantime, I'd be able to check on Jack and Adrian still circling Xara's mind.

Wait, I'd forgotten about them! I'd been too busy thinking about Jason. I have to see their progress!

I stood up and ran out of my office, leaving my blueprints behind. I pushed past some of my colleagues, who shouted at me in return.

I didn't care. I dashed to Xara's ward and ran into her room. I needed to see that she was fine first.

On her bed lay streaks of blood and blood clots.

Bloody footprints were strewn all over the floor.

The light was flickering and a bloody handprint was smothering the wall to the left.

Xara was absent.