a Secret Life

Image credit: Me

On the day I was born, my mother abandoned me in the hospital. They hospital tried to track her down, but found nothing. Eventually they had to call social services to come collect a three-day old unnamed infant girl. It didn’t take long for them to arrive, but instead of being put into a foster program, they had something entirely different planed for me. I was recruited for a top secret government program. My life started out normal, I was raised by foster parents until I was three. My death was faked and I was taken to one of the many underground basses where my spy life began. By the time I was eleven I had been all over the world. No one ever expected a kid spy and we could get into places that adults couldn’t. when I was eighteen I was recruited for a shadow team that I sadly cannot give any information about. I knew nothing other than the undercover life and I was ok with that. I didn’t miss a normal life because I never had one. That was until everything changed.
I was sent undercover. It was supposed to be simple, but nothing is ever simpler. My target was a man named Felix Burns. He was at the top of the most wanted lists in most parts of the world. I was going to get to him through his son Nicolas Burns. Easy right?
I remember the day we met as though it was yesterday. It was at a mascaraed ball that he threw every year. It was my first solo mission. I was so nervous that at most times I was shaking. I kept my distance at first only observing from afar. He was constantly surrounded by a group of girls and every now and then I lost track of him in the crowds. Eventually I built up enough courage to go over to him.
“Care to buy me a drink?” I asked as I got to him. I have always been good at flirting it was my fall back in most missions, and the nerves quickly faded once I remembered this was nothing but a job.
He laughed. “Perhaps if I knew who I was buying a drink for.”
“Leo” I extended my hand out to him, and like the perfect gentleman he kissed it.
“Strange name, but it is a pleasure miss Leo.”
“I’m convinced my parents wanted a boy.” I giggled a flirtatious giggle.
“Well I must say, I’m glad they didn’t” He let go of my hand and turned to face the front of the bar that he had been leaning on. “What will be your poison of choice miss Leo”
“I’ll have a bloody Mary.”
“Very well. Bar man, put this stunning lady on my tab, anything she wants is on me. Starting the bloody Marie.” He glanced at me. “In return all I ask is for you to remove your mask.”
“I suppose that’s a fair request.”
I was about to untie the lace at the back of my head when he moved closer and beat me to it. He delicately pulled the strings loosening my mask. He grabbed it before it drooped and placed it on the bar.
“Beautiful.” Was all he said, and just like that I forgot why I was there.
I realised I was in way too deep on the day he asked me to marry him. I still had no idea where his father was, or what he was up to and I was just waiting for the day our doors would be kicked down and I would be pulled back to base. Falling in love was never part of the mission and if my superiors found out about it they would probably kill us both. I lived my life in fear always making sure I knew where the exit was in the buildings, and soon everything went bad fast.
It was a typical day. I had just come home from a jog.
“Babe!” I called out after pulling a bottle of water from the fridge.
There was no answer. Not thinking much of it I made my way to the living room, untying my hair and coming my fingers through it. As I made my way around the corner of the room I felt my heart drop. I lost grip of my water bottle and it splashed all over the floor. Nicolas was unconcise on the floor, surrounded by agents.
“What are you doing here?” I asked once I got my voice back.
“Your job.” Ash, my squad leader said as he approached me.
“This is my mission I can handle it.” I replied angrily.
“Are you sure about that? It’s been three years and we still know nothing.”
“Working undercover takes time you know that.”
“Did finding information require you getting married?” He grabbed a photo off the coffee table of the day of our wedding. The photo was taken on the beach just as a wave swallowed up his ankles. He quickly picked me up to save the dress. “You’re done. We’re doing this my way now.”
“I can’t just leave he’ll look for me, and he won’t stop until he finds me. Let me at least make something up. You don’t want him knowing he’s beaning watched.”
“Very well. You have one day.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Men head out.”
Before long we were alone again. I waited a while for him to wake up. Eventually he did.
“Leo?” He asked half asleep.
“You’re awake.” I let out a sigh of relief.
“What happened?”
I looked around the room and already noticed that the place had now been bugged.
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
I put my figure on my lips gesturing for him to be quite. He gave me a strange look, but said nothing. I got up and grabbed a pen and the closest thing I could write on. I then moved to sit on the ground in front of him.
Don’t believe anything I say. I wrote down.
“I’m leaving you.”
He read the note as I spoke, but a look of shock still filled his face.
“What?”
Someone is listening to our conversation. I added to the note.
“I’m sorry, but marrying you was a mistake.”
He grabbed the pen from my hand and wrote WHO in large bold letters.
Can you get up. I wrote.
He nodded and started to get up. Once we were up I pulled him to the bathroom. Slamming the door shut behind us and turning on all the taps.
“What are you doing?” He asked confused. “Did you fall on your head to.”
“I need to tell you something.”
“Yeah you’re leaving me I got that.”
“I’m not leaving you, but you’ll probably leave me after I tell you.”
“Tell me what Leo.”
“I’m not who you think I am.” I started off, nervously passing up and down.
“What?”
“Do you remember the night we met?”
“Of course I do.”
“We didn’t meet by chance. You were supposed to meet me.”
“Babe.” He grabbed my hand. “Of course I was.”
“No, no, I don’t mean like fate of something. I mean I was on a mission and you were my target.”
“You were on a mission?” Doubt filled his voice.
“I’m a spy ok. I was send to find out where your dad was, but then I fell in love with you. I wasn’t supposed to, but I did and now I’ve put your life in danger and, and, and I’m sorry. If I stay you get taken in and tortured until you give up your father’s whereabouts. I’m sorry.”
“Wait, what? You used me?” His doubt quickly turned to anger.
“At first yes, but then it changed I fell in love with you. I stopped checking it and they came looking for me.” I could feel a tear run down my cheek and my throat began to ache.
“How am I supposed to believe you Leo. If what you’re telling me is true, then it sounds like you used me.”
“I’m sorry ok, I had no choice.”
“Everyone has a choice!” He stormed out. Leaving me alone with the noise of running water.
I closed the taps. When I was done I fell to the ground and began to let out the tears that I couldn’t hold back.
My eyes were closed when I heard him talk. “Prove you love me and we’ll run. Me and you, to where they’ll never find us again.”
When I opened my eyes he was on his knees in front of me.
“Of course I love you. I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t.” I said snickering.
“Then we run. It’s in my blood I should be a pro.”
“They will find us.”
He wiped my cheek and smiled. “Then we fight.”

Image Credit: wigflip.com/sreenbot