Opposites attract in normal situations but not in situations where lives could potentially be in danger. Two spies. Cases upon cases. Life or death situations daily.
Calliope "Callie" Andino never had it easy. Between proving herself to her family...
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*****
The case was actually shut down. Upper management took the matter upon themselves to close the case. A few others had the same outcome and like us, no answers as to why it happened. It is not often that cases are closed this way, but when it happens, something serious is happening.
Alex had left an hour ago to get some air while they served me our new cases. Ones that actually were our norm at our office - threats to national security, attempted murder of high priority individuals and the likes.
We had three so far, which was not usual for me. The life of an agent is not easy, especially when your boss keeps piling on difficult cases on top of your currently incomplete ones. Two were simple enough with the evidence and crime scene in order, fraud as well as theft at an international bank and security breach of an international technology company. The third, a very thin file with little to no good leads, would prove to need a lot more work. The case dealt with a murder of a government official's daughter.
"Hey, how are you going, girl?" Gaia said walking to her desk, Chara following here with a smile on her face.
"Nothing much," I said putting down the files. "Case got stopped by upper management and we're left with new ones. No biggie." I tried to sound nonchalant, as if the dismissal of my first case back was not bothering me, but leaving a case without a definite solution or arrest did not settle well with me.
"Wow," Chara commented. "Rough couple days then."
"You don't know the half of it," I sighed."Everything has changed over the time I've been gone, it's crazy."
"Yeah, no kidding," Gaia said, reaching for something in her desk. "Well, we're going to the court. Wanna come?"
The court was our sports ground on the outside of the building, concealed by a one-sided glass roof and the circular structure of the institution. Well-kept and very modernized with the best equipment. A good place to realign my thoughts for those cases I have. I really needed to let go right now with what I had experienced in the last couple hours.
"Sure. I'll get some work out clothes." I always had clothes in my car or in my desk, just in case. Since I came to work with Alex this morning, foregoing my car, the outfit in my desk would have to do.
"Great. Come on. I've been wanting to beat you in something since you got back," Gaia said, placing a gym bag she got from her desk on her shoulder.
"We'll see about that," I answered her challenge.
"I'm in on this," Chara said, getting excited with her game-face on. "Let's go," she said, grabbing a bag from her desk as well.
*****
The court was not as busy as I thought it would be, as people working here like to come in the morning before starting their day or in the middle of the day to keep their energy levels up. I could see a few people playing basketball and some using the exercise machines. I could hear someone in the shooting range, an enclosed private area for gun training nearby, having at it with repetitive shots.
We had all changed into our sports outfits, variations of the same things - shorts, a shirt or sports bra, and sports shoes. Gaia and Chara both had on similar outfits, blue and pink respectively. Coloured sports bras and shorts shaped their curves well, paired with matching sports shoes on their feet. Me, however, had black and white - a plain white t-shirt, black shorts with white detailing,white socks and black shoes. Accessories were not forgotten by us as they complemented each outfit.
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We took turns sparing, amongst other activities, in the enclosed private space. It proved to be very useful when suspects resisted arrests and taking down everything each case may throw at us.
The gunshots in the background suddenly came to a halt while Chara and Gaia were sparing with each other with me on the sidelines. I looked behind me, in the direction of the shooting area, to see Alex come out of the room, looking stressed but a bit better compared to the last time I saw him. He was at the door, looking in the direction of all the agents who were getting their work done, including us. He spotted me and gave his signature smirk, then proceeded to head in our direction.
Oh no, I sighed.
"Hey, ladies," he started with a smirk, looking down at me. He was standing close to me in my sitting position on the sidelines.
Gaia and Chara stopped what they were doing and walked over to us. "Hey," Gaia waved, smirking at me.
"Alessandro," Chara said, formally.
"What are you guys up to?" he threw out, sitting besides me.
"Nothing much. How about you," Gaia responded.
To this he just shrugged nonchalantly, as if the past few days have been a breeze for him, as if we had not risked our lives for a canceled case. This was the life of an agent, but considering the facts of our past case, I would not have been able to have simple conversations, let alone shrug everything off.
Chara's watch made a noise, interrupting the comfortable silence that had surrounded us. "I guess it is time to get back to our cases before lunch. It's about half 10 now."
"Yeah, I guess. Let's go Chars," Gaia said quickly, pulling Chara with her back to the main building. She had the nerve to look back at me while walking briskly to wink secretly, to which I rolled my eyes.
After they left, the silence between Alex and I grew to an awkward one, at least to me. He seemed to be fiddling with his phone, not giving a care in the world. "So, what cases did they leave us with this time?" he asked, breaking the silence between us.
"Is this going to be an ongoing thing with us?"
"What's that?"
"You leaving me to read the details of our cases while you go off and do whatever you want," I responded, detecting the trend. For the two times we received cases and during the first one, I had to be the one to analyze everything.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, looking up from his phone at me.
"It means exactly what I said. Am I just a secretary for you or are we going to work together? Because from the past-"
"Listen. I don't need to be chastise like some kid," he said, clearly getting angry at me.
"I was not chastising you," I responded, calmly. I did not want to start a fight so early in our partnership. "I am just trying to know your work ethic here."
"Ughh," he sighed, getting up. "Let's just go. I'll read them when we get inside."
Thinking that he was angry or at least frustrated with me, I was very surprised when he turned around to help me up. Pulling me up, chest to chest with him, he smirked at me. I only let out a breath I did not know I was holding.
"See you inside, babe," he said and then left me, still standing in the same spot, surely with a stupid look on my face.
He really needs to stop calling me that, I thought, fearing shouting it aloud for someone to overhear.
