A/N: Alright. It looks like I'll be writing a sort of espionage romance story. I've realized that there's a lot more stories and media that explore gay male relationships but fewer ones that explore lesbian ones. So I'll just be writing what I would like to see and read.
Glass shattered and rained down like hail. The pitter patter echoed as it hit the ground and shattered into even smaller pieces. A figure could also be seen among the storm of glass. It twisted around in mid air and grabbed onto a steel column. The figure grunted in pain as the impact nearly yanked its arm out of its socket. The moon moved from behind a cloud, illuminating the figure. It was a girl, just a girl; a girl of about 17 or 18 with short black hair and brown eyes. What was odd was the clothing that she wore: black clothing made out of some mysterious material. It was ripped and tattered in some places and covered in blood in others. On her back the girl wore a small light weight bag. It somewhat resembled a parachute that skydivers would use, although, unfortunately that wasn't the case here.
The girl just hung there as the sounds of the city went on around her. After all, glass breaking was hardly anything new in a city. In a city, people tended to mind their own business and look the other way about many things. She glanced down and immediately regretted doing so. She must have been suspended at least four stories above the ground. Her breath suddenly hitched and her eyes widened in fear as a sudden realization suddenly hit her. She was losing her grip! Her hand was slowly sliding off the slippery steel. She frantically tried to swing her body forward and wrap a leg around it, but it was no good. Her nails frantically scraped against the column as she slid further and further off the edge.
Her fingers gripped furiously and strained to pull herself up, but her body weight was too much. "God dammit!" she muttered fiercely under her breath as her grip broke and she was falling once more. She plunged quickly through the night. She hit the side of a building hard and cried out as white hot pain shot up her leg. She crashed through several awnings that ripped and tore, doing a little to slow her down. She quickly twisted around in mid air and barely managed to land feet first. She tucked her head in and rolled to distribute the force of impact more evenly. She slammed right into a car. The car lights lit up and the alarm went off briefly before shutting off. Car alarms went off all the time in the city, sometimes for no reason. Nobody came to check.
The girl's face was covered in blood and she attempted to sit her mangled body up. That was a mistake. She cried out in pain and collapsed on the cold alley ground once more. She glanced down at her right leg and grimaced. It shouldn't have been twisted in that awkward position. It was definitely broken. They would come searching for her. She had to hide. The girl painfully shuffled over to the side of a dumpster. Nobody who glanced down the alley would see her immediately. All her energy spent, she collapsed to the ground. Her vision began to go black and the sounds of the city began to fade away. The last thought she had before she lost consciousness was: how are we going to stop him now?
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Claire held her breath as she crept silently through the house. All the lights were off, and she could hear her mother snoring in her room. Claire took another step forward and flinched as a loud creak reverberated throughout the house. She held her breath and prayed that her mother wouldn't wake up. It seemed an eternity before her mother took another slow breath and went back to snoring. Claire let out a sight of relief as she passed her brother's room. He didn't live with them anymore. He was studying as a med student here in the city and had his own apartment. Claire hoisted her shoulder bag over her arm and tiptoed down the stairs. If her mother caught her sneaking out there would be hell to pay. It wasn't that Claire was a delinquent or anything, sneaking out of the house at night. She just wanted to hang out with her friends
Her mother had been against it but what her mother didn't know, and more importantly what she didn't find out, wouldn't hurt her. She had already set up the classic decoy of several fluffed pillows in her bed. That wouldn't hold up to any close scrutiny but it was the best she could do. Claire opened the front door slowly and carefully. She went through the doorway and shut the door behind her just as carefully. The streetlights illuminated her shoulder length dirty blond hair and her green eyes as she set off down the street. She was supposed to meet Becky and Miranda at the corner of 73rd for a night on the town.
They had said that they would be meeting up with some cute guys later on but Claire didn't really care too much about that part. Guys were assholes who only thought with their third leg. She honestly didn't get what her friends saw in them. All they ended up doing was breaking your heart. Just like her father had done with her mother. Claire shook her head as she continued to walk down the street. She didn't like thinking about her father. The bastard just took off one day without even a goodbye. Her mother had been devastated and cried for weeks. Claire hated him, hated him for leaving them behind. In the back of her mind, the irrational thought that she had something to do with it refused to leave.
Claire glanced up and immediately stopped in her tracks. There was trouble. Walking down the street were two men dressed in black suits carrying briefcases. They looked just like any ordinary businessmen, but Claire's warning bells went off immediately. There was just something about the way they walked. Or maybe it was the way their lips curled back in an obviously fake and cruel smile that made her shudder. Besides, what businessmen took strolls in the city at 1 A.M. in the morning? Whatever the reason, Claire immediately crossed the street and darted down an alley to wait until they had passed. She knelt by a dumpster and held her breath until they had gone. She let out a sigh of relief when they disappeared and took a step backward.
Her foot stepped on something soft. Claire let out a cry and spun around. She held her shoulder bag in front of her like a shield. She immediately felt extremely foolish when she realized it was just a girl. Her second thought was of extreme alarm and concern. She let out a heavy breath. "Oh my God," Claire breathed out almost silently. The girl was in bad shape. Claire immediately knelt down next to her. The girl was pretty banged up. She was covered in blood and her face was bruised. Claire noticed her leg. She may not have been a medical expert but she could tell that a leg wasn't supposed to bend like that. Fearing the worst, Claire placed her ear against the girl's chest. She could hear the steady of rhythm of a heartbeat.
"Thank God!" Claire breathed out. She was still alive. Claire glanced around. How could she have been hurt like this? Did someone attack her? Did she fall? Whatever the reason was, Claire had to get her help. She pulled out her cell phone and was about to call 911 when the businessmen reappeared right outside the entrance to the alley. Claire froze. They stood side by side and she could just barely catch the words they were exchanging.
"Anything to report?"
"No, nothing. We haven't been able to locate her just yet."
"Well get on with it then. She can't have gotten far. She would've taken a great fall jumping out a window like that. I wouldn't be surprised if she's dead." The other man laughed.
"That would make our job a lot easier though. Just retrieve the information she's stolen." Claire looked at the girl once more. She actually was quite pretty. Claire gently and tenderly brushed her dark hair from her face. Could she been the one the men were talking about? It was then that Claire noticed the bag lying next to the girl. She picked up and opened it, not without feeling a little guilty though. She reached in the bag, and her hand met cool metal. She pulled the object out of the bag and nearly dropped it. It was a gun! Claire glanced over to the prone girl. Just who the hell was she? Was she some kind of criminal? Claire took a closer look at the gun. It was coated with dried blood. Claire dropped it to the ground and nearly wretched.
Shakily she reached into the bag once more. There were different compartments and straps inside the bag. Some of the things she found she had know idea what they did. They looked like high tech electronics. This time her hand met the handle of a knife. The ironic part was that it was perfectly clean. Not a drop of blood on it. Claire laid it beside the gun. She looked into the bag once more and saw something nestled at the very bottom of it, a CD in a case. Claire took it out of the case and examined it. It had a weird logo and symbol on it. Whatever it was it wasn't English. Claire returned everything to its proper place in the bag before considering what to do.
On the one hand, it seemed like this girl was some kind of criminal. She was mixed up with the wrong crowd. This was the exact kind of person her mother always warned her to stay away from and yet… She couldn't just leave her in the alley. She could die if she didn't get help. Claire looked at the girl once more. Her heart ached with empathy for her. When they were little, her brother would always tease her for being a crybaby. It wasn't that she cried for herself. She cried for others. If she saw something sad on TV her first reaction was for tears to well up in her eyes. Claire shook her head resolutely. She would help this girl first then get answers later. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
The dial tone rang several times before being picked up.
"Hello?"
"David, it's me."
"Claire?" her brother said incredulously over the phone. "What the hell are you calling me for? I have this big exam in the morning and-"
"David I need your help," Claire cut him off. "It's an emergency."
"Is Mom alright? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. Claire shook her head and glanced over at the unconscious girl.
"No. Mom's fine. Just get over here right now please."
"Alright I'll be right over."
"David, wait," Claire suddenly said.
"What?" Claire twirled a strand of her hair nervously as she considered how to break it to him.
"I'm not exactly at home at the moment."
"You snuck out!" David said in shock. Claire nodded.
"Yeah." David whistled.
"Mom is so going to kill you." Claire frowned.
"She won't have to if you keep your big mouth shut!"
"Fine. Where are you?" Claire glanced around at her surroundings.
"I'm in an alleyway near 68th street. Oh, and bring any medical supplies you have, alright?"
"What?"
"I'll explain when you get here," and with that Claire closed her phone. She shut her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Her brother would know what to do. She shivered as a cool wind blew by. She remembered reading somewhere that it was important to keep warm if you were injured. Claire quickly took off her coat and spread it over the girl. She was a lot colder now but that wasn't important at the moment.
"There," she said quietly. "That's better." The girl of course remained silent, still oblivious of the world and her surroundings. Claire carefully leaned down beside her to lend her some of her body heat. A little while later her brother pulled up in his car and got out of it. David ran over to her and looked down at the injured girl.
"What happened here?" Claire shook her head.
"I don't know. But we have to help her."
"Claire, listen to me." Claire looked at her brother. He adjusted his glasses. "She needs to get to a hospital. I'm just a student."
"She can't go to a hospital!" Claire protested. "Look David, she's in some serious trouble. They're some men looking for her. I don't know what exactly happened. But we can't just leave her here!" David sighed.
"Fine, you've always gone out of your way to help people. Why should it be any different now?" Claire ran over and gave him a hug. David smiled and ruffled her hair.
"Yeah, yeah, help me get her in the car. I'll treat her back at my place."
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Waking was painful. Everything seemed to fade into and out of focus. She could have sworn that somebody had carried her. A gentle hand upon her head, a soft voice telling her everything would be alright. Holly slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was lying in a bed. She grimaced as all the pain came flowing back to her. It felt like she had gotten hit by a truck. Holly quickly checked to make sure that everything was alright. Her right leg was broken but somebody had placed it in a splint. She was covered in bruises and the difficulty breathing must have been from a cracked rib or two.
"Well I'm glad to see my first patient up and awake." She jerked at the sound of the voice and nearly fell out of bed. The man was sitting in a chair facing the bed. He looked to be in his early twenties and had brown hair and glasses. He smiled at her and called down the hallway. "Claire, she woke up." Holly could hear a scrambling sound from down the hallway. A girl quickly emerged through the doorway out of breath. The first thing Holly noticed about her was her eyes. They were green and piercing but not in a cruel way. They seemed warm and comforting. Holly quickly berated herself. She wasn't normally that sentimental. She must have been hit on the head harder than she thought.
Claire quickly rushed over to her side and grabbed her hand. Holly was quite taken back by the action and couldn't help the blush that crept up her cheeks.
"I'm glad you're alright. When I found you in that alley at first I thought you weren't going to make it." Holly looked down.
"I'm tougher than I look."
"I'll say," David spoke up. "What with the broken leg, cracked ribs, bruises, and cuts, I'm surprised you don't have any internal bleeding." He got up and shined a little light in her eyes and took note of her reaction. "How do you feel? Any dizziness, nausea, or headaches?" Holly swatted the light from his hand and glared at him annoyed.
"Yes, I suppose I feel a little dizzy." David nodded.
"It looks like you have a minor concussion. You'll need to rest up and see a real doctor."
"Then who the hell are you?"
"A med student." David replied. He turned to Claire. "I'm going to get some more ice and painkillers. Keep an eye on her." Claire nodded. David got up and left the room. As soon as he left the awkward silence descended like a shroud. Holly finally broke the ice.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"Huh?" said Claire in surprise.
"For helping me," Holly elaborated. Claire smiled.
"It wasn't a problem. You can thank me by telling me your name." Holly paused for a moment, considering how much she could tell her. Claire seemed honest and she did save her life. It was the least she could do.
"Holly. My name is Holly."
"Holly," Claire whispered, tasting the way the sounds sounded on her tongue. She liked it. "It's a very pretty name, Holly." Once more that blush rose up Holly's cheeks.
"Holly?"
"Yes."
"What happened to you? Around where I found I saw these weird men in suits. I avoided them but I think they were looking for you." Holly closed her eyes and took the information in silently. So they were looking for her after all. "And....," Claire hesitated for a moment. "Why do you have this?" Claire held up her gun lightly with her fingers, keeping it away as far as she could from herself as it smelled horrible. Before Claire had time to blink, Holly moved forward, grabbed her wrist, and twisted it. Holly caught the gun as it fell out of Claire's grip and pressed it against Claire's temple. Claire froze in shock as the cool metal kissed her flesh. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the barrel of the gun before quickly looking at Holly. Holly continued to hold it there for a moment before checking that the safety was on and set it down gently on the bed.
"Sorry," she said shortly. "It isn't a toy. You should treat them carefully. They can turn on you very easily." It was at this moment that David returned with the ice and painkillers. Seemingly oblivious of his sister's silence and the tension between the two of them, David offered Holly the pills. She took them silently and swallowed them with some water. She nodded in thanks and sat up.
"Well thank you for all of you have done but I have to get going."
"What!?" Claire cried out. "You're in no position to go anywhere." David nodded in agreement.
"I put your leg in a splint, but you're still going to need to get a cast for it." Holly considered her options. They both had a point. She was practically helpless in her current state. On the other hand, every minute she spent with them placed them in greater danger. If she could just find some way to contact the others… She sighed. She would have to recover more before she did anything.
"I suppose I'll have to stay here for a little while."
"Good," David said. "I'll see if I can pull some strings and get your ribs and leg examined and taken care of." He turned to Claire. "You should get home before Mom freaks out." Claire groaned. She had completely forgotten about that.
"You're right. She'll be getting ready for work in an hour. I've got to go." Claire stood up. "I'll see you later then Holly." Holly nodded as Claire went to leave.
"Claire." Claire turned around feeling nervous. Holly must have seen this because she diverted her eyes and fiddled with her thumbs.
"What is it?"
"Could you pass me my bag?" Claire smiled.
"No problem." She picked up the bag and passed it to Holly. Holly immediately reached in pulled out the CD. It was still intact. A weight lifted off her shoulders. At least the mission hadn't been a total botch.
"Do you want me to give you a ride home?" David asked Claire.
"No, I can just take the subway." While they were talking, Holly slipped her gun back into her bag. No need to cause David undue alarm. As of the moment, her life was in his hands. Holly laid back and closed her eyes. Claire was different from anyone she had ever met. She didn't know anyone who would help some stranger they had found unconscious and injured in an alley. It was a good quality. She hoped it wasn't taken advantage of. Eventually she slipped off to sleep once more, clutching her bag to her chest tightly.
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A man sat in front of an array of computer monitors, their blue light illuminating his face. He was young, late twenties with a grin that most women would find charming. But at this moment he wasn't smiling. He was frowning. He glanced over the person sitting beside him.
"Holly was supposed to check in several hours ago. Do you think she's alright?" The guy beside him laughed.
"Don't worry Sid. Holly is one of the best agents we have. Besides, she's too stubborn to die." Sid shook his head unconvinced. It wasn't like her.
"I don't know Tate. If we don't hear back from her soon we'll have to send out a retrieval team."
"Alright," Tate relented. "If we don't hear anything from her soon I'll lead the retrieval team myself. That sounds fair to you?" Sid nodded. Tate thumped him on the back. "Good. How about a beer? I'm buying." Sid shook his head and turned back towards the screen.
"No thanks. I still have work to finish up here." Tate shrugged and yawned.
"Suit yourself. Just make sure to get some sleep." Sid grunted and turned once more toward the screens. It just didn't add up. Where was this company getting all of their money? It was like running through a labyrinth trying to trace where they got their funding. And of course there were the rumors that were going around about what they were actually doing. That was why they had sent Holly in for reconnaissance. If there was any connection to him... Sid shook his head. That was ridiculous. He was long dead. He had done the deed himself and yet doubt still lingered in his mind. They had never found the body.
Sid pulled up the file on the computer and displayed it on the screen.
Name: Leonard P. Iverson.
Sex: Male
DOB: February 17th, 1970
Case Notes: Iverson was heavily involved in a drug ring back in 2002. He supplied weapons to terrorists all over the world. He upheld the front of a businessman as founder of the company Sevenia Incorporated. He embezzled millions of dollars to meet his own ends.
Status: Killed by Operative Sid Monroe in 2004.
Sid closed the file and put his face in his hands. The activity lately had Iverson's fingerprints all over it. He hoped that he was mistaken.
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Claire opened the front door to her house slowly and quietly. She glanced at her watch. Her mom would be waking up any minute now. She quietly crept up the stairs and entered her room. That was when her mother's alarm clock went off. Her mother hit it to shut it off and got out of bed and opened her door. She blinked sleepily at Claire.
"Good morning Mom!" Claire said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.
"What are you doing up so early Claire? You don't have to get ready for school for another hour." Claire froze.
"Oh… Um, you know… I was going to get some breakfast and take a jog. You know what they say early to bed early to rise." Claire crossed her fingers and prayed her mom would buy it. Fortunately at this time in the morning her mother was like a zombie until she had her first cup of coffee.
"Aright dear," her mother said as she went downstairs to put the coffee on. Claire let out a sigh of relief. Just then her phone rang. She looked at the screen. It was Miranda. She answered it.
"Hello?" she asked tentatively. Claire quickly held her phone at arm length and grimaced because Miranda's response was quiet vocal.
"Where the hell were you last night!? I can't believe you chickened out. You totally stood us up!" Claire frowned and frantically shook her head in protest.
"It wasn't anything like that. I was on my way to meet you guys when I..." She paused for a moment, unsure what to tell her friend. She decided to go for the partial truth. "Met someone," Claire finished finally. Miranda squealed on the other end of the line.
"Tell me everything! What's he like? Where'd you meet him? Is he cute?" Claire smacked herself against her forehead and sat down on her bed. Trust Miranda to immediately jump to conclusions.
"No. It wasn't anything like that. Although…" Claire's voice dropped and trailed off as her mind turned back to the girl she had just met in the alley. There was just something about Holly. She was beautiful, dangerous, and there was something about her presence that was almost… intoxicating "They were pretty cute," Claire concluded as her cheeks flushed light pink. Her face was burning up. What was this strange feeling?
"Are you going to see him again?" Miranda asked excitedly.
"Later today, after school," Claire responded without thinking. She stopped for a moment. She hadn't planned on it but that was what her mouth had immediately said.
"Well good luck," Miranda said teasingly. "If everything goes all right you should introduce him to us later." Claire smirked at the thought of introducing Holly to her friends. She wouldn't be what they were expecting first off because she wasn't a guy. Claire didn't want to disillusion Miranda because she had never really had been into boys or got all flustered and excited about them. Letting her think she had met a guy, while dishonest, allowed her to feel a little closer, a little more like her friends.
"Damn peer pressure," Claire muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" Claire froze and hoped she hadn't said that loud enough for Miranda to have heard her.
"Uh, oh, nothing, nothing. I'll see you later at school, alright?"
"Alright, bye."
"Bye." Claire closed her phone and set it down. She glanced over at the clock by her nightstand. 6:30 A.M. She groaned. She had barely gotten any sleep at all that night. Claire yawned as she got dressed. At least it was Friday. She would go see Holly as soon as she got of out of school.
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Holly on the other hand, was wishing that David would hurry up and just leave. She began to get the impression that she was some kind of doll or experiment to him. He would continuously fuss over her. He kept on asking her if she was in any pain and repeatedly ran off to consult his textbooks. The one time he had been foolish enough to get near her with one of them, she grabbed it out of his hands and beat him on the head with it.
"Don't you have better things to do?!" She asked angrily. His constant badgering was only aggravating her headache. David moaned and rubbed his head before answering.
"You're a real life patient. I'm gaining valuable experience."
"Experience at what?" Holly snapped back. "Pissing off your patients?"
"No," David replied. "Dealing with aggressive and uncooperative
patients."
"Hey! I told you I could get to the bathroom by myself!"
"And I told you not to put any pressure on that leg until you get a proper cast." The alarm on David's watch went off. He glanced down at it and swore under his breath. He ran over to his bag and began to messily shovel books into it. He glanced over his shoulder at Holly. "I have an exam I have to take. Will you be okay by yourself for a while?" Holly let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she would finally get some peace and quiet. She nodded wearily.
"Yeah. Go ahead and take it."
"Thanks." David got up and headed for the door. He paused for a moment before leaving. "Claire should be stopping by later. Say hi to her for me." Holly looked out the window.
"Sure. I'll do that." Holly was a little nervous about seeing Claire again. After all, she had pointed a gun at her head. It was a reflex but still… It wasn't what a normal person would do. Holly sighed. Then again, she wasn't a normal person. Holly glared down at her leg, the thing that was confining her to this bed. If it weren't broken she'd be long gone by now and safe back at headquarters. Holly reached into her pocket and pulled out her transmitter. It hadn't been as fortunate as she had been in the fall. It was smashed beyond repair. Now the others had no idea where she was and she had no way to contact them. They would start looking where the transmitter had last been broadcasting but it was still a big city. Who knows how long it would take? Especially if they thought that she didn't survive.
Holly shook her head free of that thought. They wouldn't stop until they had found her body at least. They would keep looking. She just hoped she wasn't worrying Sid. That man had been taking on too much work lately without her adding to his problems. The early morning sun filtered through the window. Holly gave a small smile. Well, at least she wasn't a bloody mess on an alley street. Her circumstances had certainly improved. Her stomached growled loudly. Holly put her hand on it and winced. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten.
Holly frowned and looked at her leg. How was she going to get to the kitchen? No matter. She hadn't failed a mission yet. Even in her injured state she should be able to make a grilled cheese or something. Holly cautiously moved her leg a little. She gritted her teeth as pain shot up her spine. It was bearable but only just. Holly gave the room a cursory look before zeroing in on a pair of crutches next to the bed. David must have left them after there after she had taken the stance of going to the bathroom unassisted. Holly gingerly leaned forward and grabbed the crutches. Now for the tricky part.
She hunched forward and using her good leg she managed to get vertical. She swung the clutches forward and began the slow journey to the kitchen. Her broken leg protested against every single slight movement but she grinned and bared it. Eventually she made it into the kitchen. She opened the small refrigerator and peered inside. It was typical of a college student, lots of microwavable foods. She selected a pack of hot pockets and placed them in the microwave. She waited impatiently as it heated up, staring at the rotating food. When the timer went off, Holly quickly opened the microwave, pulled out a hot pocket, and bit into it. She burnt her tongue and nearly dropped it on the floor. Deciding it best to wait and let them cool of, Holly found a chair and sat down. Scenes of her mission kept on playing through her mind's eye.
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She clung to the shadows and moved stealthily. An unsuspecting guard lay straight ahead. She snuck up behind him and struck. Holly coolly and efficiently kicked his legs out from underneath him and punched him straight in the solar plexus. She followed through with a blow to the temple and the guard was down for the count. She dragged the man out of sight. No use raising the alarm prematurely. Holly quickly and silently ran over to an elevator door. She would be able to obtain the Intel on the sixth floor. She pulled out a device from her bag and jammed it into the middle of the elevator door.
It looked similar to a car jack except it was compact and had hydraulics. Once making sure it was secure, Holly pushed a button on the device. The device began to hum mutely and it slowly forced the elevator door open part way. Once it was wide enough for her to slip through, Holly stopped the device. Holly jumped through the elevator shaft and grabbed hold of the elevator cable. Then, she began to climb. It was slow going but it was definitely stealthier than actually riding the elevator. As she approached the fifth floor she heard a whirling noise from above. Holly spat and swore under her breath. The elevator was coming down. What was she suppose to do? It could crush her or knock her lose of the cable.
It was then that Holly realized that the elevator was stopping at every single floor as it slowly descended towards her. Of course! This was an ACP type of elevator; anti crime prevention. It would stop at every floor and a guard would check the passengers inside it before sending it on its way. Holly moved just below the entrance to the fifth floor. While it was stationary, she would climb up the elevator and back on to the cable. The elevator came to a stop right before her. She would only have a handful of seconds before it starting to move again. Holly grabbed on to the corner of the elevator and proceeded to scramble up as quickly as she could. Just as the elevator began to descend one more she grabbed on to the elevator cable once more.
She let out a sigh of relief. Hopefully there wouldn't be too many more elevators coming down. Holly wasn't particularly fond of the idea of plunging several stories. She finally reached the sixth floor. Now, how to get in? Holly quickly scaled up the cable until she came to the top of an elevator. She reached into her bag and pulled out a welding torch. She cut a square opening in the top of the elevator, making sure to avoid the multiple cables. She took the square slab of metal and set it aside. From her vantage point she was able to get a good look inside the elevator.
The elevator descended and came to a stop at the sixth floor. The doors opened and the guard stuck his head in. That was when Holly quickly slid in to the elevator. The guard gaped at her in shock for a moment. This gave her the opportunity to kick him in the face. The guard fell back with a cry, clutching at his probably broken nose. Holly moved to exit the elevator but the guard gave an angry cry and tackled her, pinning her against the side of the elevator. Holly let out a gasp as all the air was knocked out of her lungs. The guard apparently didn't take to kindly to being attacked and roughly punched her in the face. Holly's head whipped back and slammed against the cool metal of the elevator. Stars exploded in her eyes and Holly struggled to focus. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the door of the elevator door slowly began to close. She had to act quickly.
Holly stomped on the foot of her assailant and when he loosened his grip she kneed him in the groin. A dirty trick albeit, but a very effective one. The guard cried out in pain and leaned against the side of the elevator for support. Holly grabbed his arm and slammed him brutally into the floor of the elevator before diving through the door before it closed. Holly took a second to collect herself and calm her breathing. It looked like her mission was compromised. She should get out while she still could and yet… Sid was counting on her. So was everybody else at the organization. Besides, she didn't want to go back to them with her tail between her legs and nothing to show for it. So instead, Holly decided to press on.
Holly took off in a run, all pretense of stealth gone. They would know she was there in a matter of minutes if not less. According to the blueprints Sid had managed to obtain, the office should be on the far side of this floor. Holly came to the door and stooped beside it. She reached into her sleeve to reveal her lock picks. She jammed them into the door and listened for any sign of pursuit. She worked frantically and was eventually able to open the door. She entered the room and jammed a chair up against the door. It would buy her a little time. Holly rushed over to the computer and inserted the disk Sid had given to her. He explained that the information they needed was on an isolated sever. All she had to do was physically get there and insert the disk he had programmed. It would do all the work.
It seemed to have worked because as soon as it was inserted it began to override the password and download files at a rapid pace. Holly was so busy waiting for the disk to finish its process that she didn't notice the figure in the corner until it was too late. Holly whirled around at the sound of a gun clicking. A man in a suit with sunglasses regarded her with an amused smile. He pointed his gun at her. It was then that the disk popped out of the computer, its process complete. Without taking her eyes off her adversary, Holly slowly placed the disk into her bag.
"Ah, what do we have here?" he asked her with a cynical smile. "You know, trespassing is against the law." Holly glared at him and gritted her teeth. The man laughed. "A feisty one, aren't you? But it's no use. There's no way to escape." And with that the door burst open and five guards shuffled in, each with their gun drawn. Holly's spirits plummeted. She doubted that she would be able to draw her own weapon in time before being shot to pieces. Holly slowly backed up before bumping into a desk.
"Why don't you just walk over here and give me that disk? That way nobody will get hurt." Holly shook her head and weighed her options.
"No thanks. I'll take this disk and you can just go to hell." The man smiled and cocked his gun.
"I think you'll be going there first." Holly gripped the edges of the desk so tightly that her hands turned white. She had to time this perfectly or she was dead. Although the second part of the plan could result her winding up dead just as easily. Holly smirked. Well, this was a dangerous line of work after all.
"I'll put in a good word for you," and with that Holly flipped backwards over the desk and kicked it at the guards. They opened fire and the desk took most of the bullets. Holly dashed forward towards the windows, the only way out. She closed her eyes. This was going to hurt. She crashed through the windows and they shattered. Then she began to fall…
The hot pockets were finally cool enough to eat and Holly dug into them eagerly, moaning at the taste. She hadn't eaten in while and even hot pockets tasted good at this point. When she was finished, Holly made her way back to bed and got back in. The effort had tired her more than she thought and she was soon drifting back to sleep.
________________________________________________________________________
Claire waited impatiently for the bell to ring signaling the end of last period. History just seemed to drag on and on and on… Her teacher's voice kept on droning and droning and honestly Claire could care less. At last the bell rang and she was free. She went over to her locker and gathered her books. It was there that she bumped into Becky and Miranda who had obviously lain in ambush. Becky kept on smirking slyly at her and it started to annoy her.
"What?"
"Well," Becky began as she leaned against a locker and regarded Claire out of her peripherals. "Miranda informed me that you broke off our meeting because you met someone. Now spill." Claire blushed and began to shove books into her bags anxiously.
"I already told Miranda, it was nothing like that. So just drop it!" Miranda smiled.
"Your flushed face suggest otherwise Claire," she noted. Claire groaned in exasperation. Now her face was betraying her. This was ridiculous. She couldn't have feelings for another girl, could she?
"Besides," Becky added in, "If it's not what we think, why don't you enlighten us?" Claire sighed and rubbed her temple. Becky and Miranda were great friends and all, but sometimes they could be just a bit much.
"As much as I would like to play twenty questions with you guys I have to be somewhere so I'll call you later." Miranda squealed.
"Are you going off to see him?" She turned to Becky for confirmation. "She's definitely going off see him, right?"
"Definitely going off for a hot liaison with a mysterious rogue with a heart of gold." Claire left them to gossip as she went to take the subway home. Her mother was at work so Claire just let herself in. A thought crossed her mind. Holly would need a change of clothes while she was staying at David's. She went up to her room and wondered if any of her clothes would fit her. After a while of debating, Claire decided to take some of her old t-shirts and jeans. Hopefully they would fit. Claire hastily scribbled a note informing her mom that she would be at David's and stuck it to the refrigerator with a magnet. Then she set off to take the subway to David's apartment.
During the jostling ride, Claire got the feeling that someone was watching her. She would quickly glance over shoulder but every time she did she just saw passengers nonchalantly reading the paper or listening to their ipods. Claire sighed and looked down at her shoes. She was just being paranoid. But on the one hand, she could be harboring a fugitive. When she arrived at David's apartment she knocked on the door. There was no response. Claire dug out her pair of keys and slowly opened the door. Holly was lying in bed once more, not that Claire was expecting her to be up and about with a broken leg after all.
She set the clothes down and sat on the edge of the bed. Holly was sleeping but not peacefully. Sweat ran down her face and she began to toss from side to side, muttering something under her breath. Claire decided to intervene when the screaming started. She shook Holly gently by shoulder.
"Holly, wake up. It's just a dream," she said with a sense of urgency as the night terror seemed to increase in magnitude. Holly suddenly sat up in bed gasping for breath. Her brown eyes were a light with terror. Claire grabbed Holly's hand and pulled her to herself. Holly seemed to resist at first but the reluctantly caved in. Claire whispered soothing words and stroked her hair gently.
"Claire?" Holly asked hesitantly. Claire nodded slowly.
"Yeah, it's me. You seemed to be having a pretty bad nightmare so I woke you up." Holly reluctantly tore herself free of Claire's embrace and propped herself up against her pillow. She wouldn't meet Claire's gaze.
"Sorry about that. I'm not usually like this."
"Then what are you usually like?" Holly looked at her confused, obviously perplexed by the question. Claire decided to explain.
"I mean I've only known you for a day and it wasn't under normal circumstances…" Claire trailed off as she realized she had no idea what she was talking about. Holly smirked
"Well they say you never really know who a person is until you put them through a crisis, so I guess I am who am." She paused for a moment. "Not really sure I'm going with that either." Claire laughed and Holly smiled. It was a good laugh; nothing forced or hidden about it, the best kind.
"Oh by the way," Claire spoke up, "I brought you some clothes." She went over to retrieve them. "I hope they fit." Holly picked up a t-shirt and scrutinized the puppy on it with a frown.
"Yeah," she said reluctantly. "I'm sure they'll fit.
"Well," Claire replied a little taken back, "I could always get some-"
"No!" Holly interrupted her. Claire regarded her curiously. Holly blushed.
"I… I um… I mean I'm not much of a dog person but its fine."
"Oh, good." They were silent for a moment. Outside they could hear the sound of traffic: the honking of horns and bursts of profanity.
"Holly?"
"Hmm."
"Do you have any family we could call that could take care of you?" Immediately Claire regretted asking the question as Holly's face darkened.
"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pry!" Claire babbled nervously. Holly brushed it off with a wave of her hand.
"No, it's fine. I don't really have a family. I never knew them. Don't even know if they're alive or not…"Holly trailed off.
"I'm sorry." Claire said softly. Holly shook her head.
"It's not that bad. I mean, I have some people who look out and care for me. It's more of patchwork family of rejects but we get on just fine."
"Could we call them?" Holly shook her head.
"No, that would be a bad idea. I can't even get in reach with them. As soon as my leg heals I should be able to find them. I guess I'll be imposing on your brother for a while longer. Do you think he'll mind?" Claire shook her head.
"It shouldn't be a problem. If that doesn't work you could always stay with me." Holly's eyes widened in surprise.
"You would take a total stranger into your home?" Claire nodded.
"I already helped a total stranger I found on the street. Besides, don't demean yourself. You're not that strange." Holly smirked.
"Very funny," she said dryly. Claire glanced down at her watch.
"David should be getting back from class soon. He said we would be able to get your leg examined once he got back." Holly nodded.
"Alright. Oh, Claire?"
"Yes?"
"Could you help me to the bathroom?" she muttered, obviously embarrassed.
"Sure." Holly grabbed the crutches and placed one arm around Claire's neck for support. Then using her good leg, they set off for the bathroom. Unfortunately the room was filled with pitfalls. Being a med student, David was often busy cramming for exams and studying. This didn't leave much time for laundry. Because of this there were several shirts on the floor. Holly's crutch came in contact with such a shirt and she slipped and fell, landing on top of Claire. Holly bit her tongue as pain shot up through her leg. "Are you alright?" Claire asked concerned. Holly grimaced and nodded as the pain began to subside.
"I'm fine." It was then that they realized the awkward position they were in. Holly lay directly on top of Claire. Their arms were tangled together and their faces were inches apart. A small lock of Holly's hair fell and brushed against Claire's cheek. Their eyes locked. Claire's heart began to hammer painfully in her chest and her breath was short. Holly was having similar problems. Her face flushed bright red and her palms were beginning to sweat. She was caught in the dilemma of wanting to move as far away as possible and wanting to move even closer. At was at that particular moment that David chose to open the door and walk in. He clapped his hands together.
"Alright! Who's ready to get a cast?" David glanced down and saw the position that the two girls were in. He paused for a moment in contemplation.
"You know I can always come back later," he said pointing at the door. "I'll visit Paul while you two finish up here."
"David!" Claire screamed at her brother. Her face flushed red in embarrassment. "It's not like that. It was an accident. I was just helping Holly to the bathroom." David frowned and looked at Holly.
"You wouldn't let me help you," he accused her. Holly nodded.
"I'm glad I didn't. You're obviously a pervert."
"I am not!" David protested. "I was just joking." Holly carefully got off of Claire and Claire helped her up. They refused to look each other in the eye. Claire walked over to the table and got a change of clothes for Holly. David was once again oblivious of the tension. "Okay, the car's parked outside. Let's go." And with that they exited the apartment and shut the door behind them.
A/N: Tell me what you thought of the first chapter. I'm open to ideas. Also, I got the names Holly and Claire from two of my favorite authors, Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.
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