CHAPTER 7

ABIGEAL

EVERYTHING WAS going surprisingly well. I hadn’t even had to do much and my target had fallen right into my web. For a company that was touted to be the biggest and best, it was almost laughably easy to penetrate. I suppose large companies don’t have the time to really look into the smaller details. Oh well, works to my advantage.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

My target had given me a certain address and instructed me to be there at 8am, but out of habit I was up and about to leave by 6:00. I’d just zipped my duffel bag and sat down to lace up my boots when I heard a knock on the door. I went to open it and found Anna standing there holding a small bakery box.

I had no intention of speaking with her. “Fuck off” I said and closed the door. 

“Abigeal, wait! I’m sorry.” she called through the wood.

I ignored her. If everything continued to go well I wouldn’t need her around to pay the rent. And it should be good riddance; the girl was clumsy and her scattered nature offended my thoroughly organized sensibilities. Look at my couch, for fuck sake.

Still, she left me food even though she didn’t have to, and had gotten me the last job I worked at. I sighed and opened the door.“Two minutes.”

Anna shook her head. “How have I never guessed you were a soldier? It’s evident in the way you speak. I’d always wondered why you were so rigid all the time. I guess I know now.”

I didn’t speak, just stared at her until she sighed. “I’m sorry for going through your stuff. I just wanted to get to know you better but you never tell me anything about yourself and so I though…well, it doesn’t matter what I thought. I’m really sorry.”

I eyed her for a moment. She widened her eyes and pouted, “Please?”

Letting out a breath, I stepped back. “Fine. But unless you want to lose both arms, don’t touch my stuff again.”

She finally beamed at me and stretched out her arms, shuffling slowly towards me. I eyed her warily and prepared to retreat.“What are you doing?”

“It’s only right that we hug it out. Come on .”

“No.” I said flatly.

“For just this once, don’t be a tight-ass.” her smile turned to a smirk and she came closer.

I was more at ease stepping on a mine than I was at the threat of a hug. “Annalise Sofia Millstone, back away from me.” 

She winced, sighed and dropped her arms. “Fine, jeez, no need to pull out the full name.” then eyed me curiously. “Going on a trip?” I looked at my duffel and wondered how much I could tell her. “A job interview, actually.”

Her eyebrows went up. “A job interview? Dressed like that? At six in the morning?” 

I looked down at my monochromatic outfit. I was tempted to not answer, then I remembered her comment about trying to get to know me. “Remember when I said I was looking for a job more suited to my skillset? Well, this is it.”

“Ooh. What is it? A secret spy mission? Are you joining the FBI? The CIA?” she babbled, looking way too interested.

“I can’t tell you. And you watch too much TV.”

“Ah” she smiled like we were both in on some private information. “Keeping the mystery, I see. Well in that case, I hope you get it” she followed me out of the room after I finished lacing my boots. “Had breakfast yet?”

“I might end up puking it out, so no.” She stopped and stared at me. “I’m kidding.”

“You’d better be.” She narrowed her eyes at me. I nodded at her and walked out the door with her calling after me, “Don’t kill anyone, no matter how bad you want to.”

“No promises.” I replied. Wasn’t it sad that it was closer to the truth than she thought?

The address my target gave me led me to a fenced compound with an imposing gate. The fences were a manageable height but topped with wickedly sharp barbed wire. The gate was closed. The area was surrounded by trees on all sides. It had all the appearances of an abandoned fort.

After circling the fence to determine how big it was (pretty big, I had to jog to cover the distance), it was thirty minutes past seven. Coming back to the huge gate I spotted a bunch of other people standing in front of it, each holding some sort of bag. There were huge men and women, smaller ones like me, and a trio of others so small I could see the tops of their heads.

Any normal person would see such a motley crew and turn the other way, but I walked resolutely towards them, assuming they were here for the same reason I was. A few gave me glances, but that was it.

At 8 on the dot, a lot of others started to arrive, yet there was no sign of activity from within the compound until, finally, at fifteen minutes to nine, a small section of the gate opened, revealing a man holding a tablet.

All eyes immediately fell on him as he cleared his throat and started to call names from his tablet. A lot of names. When he was done he looked up and said, “If I called your name, you may leave. Thank you for your time.”

Noises of protests rose up and he held up a hand.

 “You were given a time to show up, and you showed up at exactly that time. That was the first test, and you failed. Leave.”

The people who had arrived at 8 started to go until finally it remained the ones who’d come earlier like me. Clever way to filter a lot of people out. It was becoming clear that this was going to be a sort of competition.

“As for the rest of you,” the man pulled our attention back to him. “Congratulations. You may now enter the compound.”

“About fucking time.” A man near me muttered and started to move towards the gate. The man with the tablet arched a brow “I never said you were going to enter through the gate.” He looked to the right and we followed his line of sight…to the barbed fence.

There were mutters of “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” and “This is crazy. I’m out.” but I was already assessing the fence, looking for hand and footholds. “Whoever gets over the fence in ten minutes or less and with as little injuries as possible, proceeds to the next stage. A siren would indicate the start of those ten minutes. See you on the inside.” The gate closed again.

More people walked away, but I made my way towards the fence and stood in front of the spot I’d picked out. I started to stretch, still looking at the fence. It was sturdy, but it was also old and made of cement bricks. Getting up would be easy though there were little to no footholds. Avoiding the barbed wire was the tricky part.

As soon as the siren sounded I hoisted my duffel up and flung it over the fence as hard as I could. I looked to my left and right and saw others doing the same. The dwarfs had formed a sort of ladder to get themselves up. Others were trying to take it at a running leap.

Focus.

Well, he’d said get over the fence, he didn’t say what condition the fence should be in. I pulled out two of my sturdy daggers and took a few steps back to run at the fence.

Here goes nothing.