Common Ground

Chapter 1- The Assignment

“I’m very disappointed in you Aria.”

I hang my head as the director of WTUA (Worldwide Teens Undercover Association) brings up all the things I did wrong on my latest mission in Brazil.

“...And on top of it all,” he finishes, “You lost your partner. Keith was one of our best agents.”

“I thought I was one of your best agents!” I protest, remembering when he told me how valuable I was to the WTUA before he sent me to Brazil with Keith.

“Not anymore,” he says to himself. Then to me, he adds, “I’m afraid we’re going to have to...relieve you from your position here.”

“Give me another chance!” I throw my hands down and look up at him, “I can prove it! I’ll find a kidnapped toddler, I’ll stop a murderer, anything!”

“Aria,” the director looks me in the eye as he fiddles with his pen, “If you can get Keith back, you can have your position on the WTUA back.”

I nod firmly. The director nods to the door and I leave wondering about how I’m going to even find the place that Keith is, let alone get him out.

The way I proposed the offer to the director may have seemed desperate or selfish, but I really do care about Keith. I’ve been working with him since I was 12 and we instantly had a connection in training, proving to the WTUA scouts that we’d be a great team for future missions.

As I walk down the long underground hallway, lined with photos of each agent, I realize that I won’t have a partner to help me. I’ve never done a solo mission before and  I find myself dreading the day when I must head out. Stopping about halfway down the hall, I turn to look at Keith’s photo, still hanging there. We’re not allowed to smile in these pictures but his eyes make up for it. But looking at them now, they seem sad, almost begging me to rescue him.

“I’m coming Keith,” I whisper, “Just hang in there...wherever there is,” I snap a blurry picture of his portrait on my low quality phone camera to keep with me. As I walk away, I add, “For your sake and mine both, I’m one my way.”

**********

“...Win tickets to Jason Shore’s concert!” 

Click

“...Next up, Hold You Close, by Jason Shore”

Click

“...This weekend is coming up fast! Call in to tell us what song you hope Jason Shore sings...”

Click

I groan as I turn off the radio and flop down on my bed. All everybody ever talks about these days in Jason Shore and his concert. I’ll be glad when it’s over so people can just wear those t-shirts with his face on it to school and make up some story about how he waved to them. After about three days of excitement, life will go back to normal. 

I jump, startled as my phone rings. Flipping it open, I seriously hope that it’s Keith, telling me that he’s ok. I almost believe my theory so much, that I’m shocked to here the voice of the director on the other line. 

“Aria,” he doesn’t give me time to answer, “I have a partner for you. You loose this one...well, let’s not talk about what well happen then.” 

I gulp at his threat, “When can I meet him...er...her or whoever they are.”

“He’s just going to show up when you need him,” he mocks me, “Probably when you almost get Keith captured for the second time. Wouldn't that be handy?”

“Yah,” I say through gritted teeth, “Just what I need. Thank you for the offer Director but...” 

“Oh it not an offer. You’re going to have a partner for this whether you like it or not. Have a good evening.” 

I hang up and yell in frustration at no one in particular. Why do I get the feeling that the Director hates me? Is he trying to make it hard for me to get my job back? Does he want to fire me that bad? Whatever the reason I can’t think about it for a while now. I have to start my research.

I leave my room and head down the hall and too the computer lab. Everyone that works for the WTUA lives at the agency and has their own dorm above ground from all the labs. It’s disguised as a correction academy known as Dolphin Point Correction Academy and Boarding School since most of us have black belts in martial arts or know how to blow things up or are expert pickpockets. They use our spying skills and turn them into beavioural or criminal problems as a cover story. Mine is that I’m a hacker. I’m a pro at technology and am always the one to find new ways to enhance gadgets. Though, on most missions I don’t get the chance to use that skill since we’re usually out in the boonies. Keith’s is that he’s a runaway as an excuse for his extensive knowledge of languages. 

On top of it being the WTUA’s headquarters, it really is a school. We’re all teenagers and have to, by law, complete the education program. The WTUA also terminates us from our position if we don’t hold an average grade of 80% in all the subjects. The Director says that if we aren’t smart enough, we’ll be killed in the field. 

The fact that I live here is another reason why I can’t fail this mission. Being one of the WTUA’s supposed best agents, I never had to worry about termination but now, my future depends on this mission. 

Imagine a 17 year old with a supposed computer hacking record trying to fit into regular society after being an international spy for five years. Plus I have no where to stay. I don’t know where my parents are or if I even have any still alive. I could make it on my own, I’m independent enough but the only people I have any connection with are at the WTUA and leaving will mean permanent disconnection with all agents. 

In the lab, I choose the first empty monitor and boot up the computer. Next, I load up my tracking program and type in Keith’s phone code to try to get a signal. 

I almost leap out of my seat when I see that the captors haven’t disconnected his phone and that I’m getting a proper signal.

However I feel like melting into the floor only seconds later when I see that the signal is traced to the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. I rest my face on my right hand and slouch down in my chair. How am I ever going prove myself to the WTUA now? Especially with this unknown partner I’m going to have.