THE FACES OF ABBY- CHAPTER V
When I turned eighteen, the Mary’s asked me if I wanted to be officially adopted. I could become part of the family or if I wanted to stay without pressure, we could continue as is. Without hesitation, I said that I wanted to be officially part of the family. I longed for this for years; I could finally learn to love them fully and let go of my fears that they would abandon me, just like the previous families. I asked them if it was okay if I could keep my last name. I told them I wanted something to remind me of my heritage so I never forget where I had come from. They understood and said it wasn’t a problem for them; I would still be one of them.
Before graduating from high school, my new father made me choose between Oxford and Harvard. After doing some research between the two, I knew that Oxford was going to be much fun; but I wasn’t sure what to study.
One day, I entered my dad’s office unannounced and I overheard him saying something about a murder… He wasn’t alone and someone saw my facial expression. I panicked and I ran straight to my bedroom.
My father followed me to my room and revealed to me that he wasn’t a diplomat; he was a secret agent for the Canadian Agency. The others were there because they were investigating a missing person. He sat with me for a while explaining some of the details and stories that he trusted me to keep secret. Even though I was shocked and confused, I knew that I wanted to join my dad in this venture. I wanted to be just like him.
My training started that summer before university. The agency told me that it was going to continue studying to keep up a normal front. My second year at Oxford was busy. Between going to classes, writing papers and if I had any free time, I tried to fit in agent training.
That year, my dad was killed on a mission. I was crushed and I saw how devastated mom was. I told the agency I couldn’t continue with my training because I felt I owed it to my dad to stay alive for mom. One of the agents that were training me suggested that I switch to a different sector so I didn’t have to give up my dream job. This sector was much less risky and more practical because the agents didn’t experience much danger.
Mom had to sell a lot of our property to pay off debts since dad passed away. I felt an obligation to help out more. When I graduated from Oxford, I had signed a permanent contract with the agency. I was guaranteed a steady income to be able to contribute around the house.
The agency indeed offered a lot of benefits, including a place to live. I could choose to live anywhere since they were covering my work stipend. I could also have another career if I wanted to have as a cover since, after all, it was better for the agency in order to keep my identity safe. When reading the contract, I agreed to all the terms. One although seemed to stand out to me… The only clause was that I couldn’t fall in love, but I could get married.
Piece of cake; I thought. I was a master of my mind and my emotions. I had spent years training to know how to read people and to learn their intentions; I had always maintained self-control. When you know you have a mission, self-control shuts down the desire to have any kind of bondage or emotions. Yes, I know. You must be thinking I’m a cold-hearted b!7ch. So, you assume…
Normally, everything is very casual and relaxed. Every so often I get a new job but I spend most of my time learning languages. I’m a machine when it comes to learning. I love learning; languages, new crafts, new fields of study, you name it!
My husband and I live peacefully and we rarely have any issues. I am a substitute professor at a university three times a week.
As I mentioned earlier, today is my thirtieth birthday. I’m celebrating with my husband and some of our closest friends that I’ve made over the past few years.
Because of the special occasion, the agency knows that I don’t take calls on my birthday. I don’t usually have to worry, so I wasn’t prepared for the interruption. We were in the middle of having drinks when my phone rang. I checked my phone and I quickly recognized the agency’s number. I promptly excused myself from the table and went to the restroom to call them back.
The voice on the other line said “Hello A7.”
“Yes?”
“We have a special mission for you.”
“But I can’t; I am busy. It’s my birthday.”
“We know, and we wouldn’t be calling if we had someone else. But we don’t, and we need you. It’s an emergency!”
“But what about F0? I’m in the middle of a celebration right now. My husband and some friends are in the other room waiting for me to return.”
“F0 is your mission; we sent him out yesterday and we haven’t heard back from him since. The information was already sent to your phone. Report in in 30 minutes”
“Sure. Yes, sir.”
I honestly didn’t know what to do. I had never been put in that position before.
I hung up the phone and I walked down the hall towards the table. I stood there and paused to look at my close friends that were gathered… and to take a second to keep my composure.
“I am sorry to have to do this, but you will all have to excuse me tonight. It’s my mom. There is an emergency and I need to go right away. Thank you all so much for coming. You all mean so much to me.” I said desperately trying not to sound frantic or cold.
My husband responded with urgency. “Oh honey, I will go with you. What happened to your mom?”
To which I replied, “Gary, don’t worry. I would rather go alone because you know my mom doesn’t like to burden others. It’s nothing too serious, but I have to take the next flight back home. I’ll let you know when I land.”
I kissed Gary and left. I jumped into the taxi that was waiting outside. I gave the driver the location to where I kept the motorbike; I had a safe house. After I changed my clothes, I checked the information sent to me about F0 and the mission in question.
While scanning the information, I registered the pictures and videos of these two men called ‘The Mission’. One of them caught my attention; he had sad and puffy eyes. Sexy eyes. They were green, with blue and yellowish tones. He had tanned skin and golden hair. His lips were luscious and his nose was sharp. The other man was ordinary, just another face in the crowd. Once I finished reading, I got on the bike and rode down the city to find them.
To be continued…
LIDIA AVILES 