Dangerous Changes (closed)

[zydrate]

It was over. At least she hoped it was.

Nicole lay on the ground of the empty warehouse, the rain falling hard outside.

Her breathing was fast and it seemed as her adrenaline wore down, the pain in her ribs increased. There were a few cracked but thankfully, none felt broken. The gash above her right eyebrow was starting to clot...leaving a drying out trail down the side of her face.

With a groan, she rolled onto her side, her weapon never leaving her hand. As she stood, she could see Carter laying in a heap not more than a few yards from her. She didn't need to check on him to know that she finished the job, she never left a mark alive. That was why they called on her.

Was she bad? Was she good? Hell, she didn't know... the only thing she did know was that she was done. Done with this life. It had brought her good money but she was getting tired of it. And, although she didn't want to admit it, she was getting old.

Sure, 30 years old wasn't old to some but in this line of work... she was way past retirement. Her body couldn't do it anymore and, she didn't want to do it anymore.

As she thought that, she grabbed her phone and called the only number she had memorized. Her handler.

The other end only rang for half a second.. no greeting... just Nicole saying, "I'm done."

The reply "The job is done, you mean?"

She gasped silently, as a wave of pain vibrated through the side of her head.. fucking migraine, "Yes. And so am I."

They had discussed it before. But only in jest... at least that's what he thought. No, she was done. She heard him start to say something but Nicole ended the call. She quickly opened up the phone and took out the sim card, which she broke in half and tossed aside. The phone quickly followed but before it could land, a bullet pierced through it.

Hey, she could still shoot, at least.

Was all this really done? The job.. yes. Her commitment to the agency? Who knew...

*****

** Ennis Montana - 329 days later **

Her classroom. School would be starting in a week and she still felt like she needed more time. Teaching 4th graders was something she'd never done. Sure, she had her license and degree but it was like having the credentials to drive but no vehicle. Would the students like her? Would the parents approve of her. She wasn't like the other teachers who grew up around her, she was an out of towner, newly transported no less than six months ago... of course there would talking behind her back, that she couldn't help.

Nicole felt she had worked hard on starting to build something in this small town but mostly kept to herself. She didn't need the job but then again, she needed to work in order to fit in... what ever 'in' was around here.

Most she had met around town were friendly enough... she just hoped it stayed that way.

She saw the sign on classroom door, "Ms. Martin, 4th Grade." Oh boy, Martin.. OK, so it wasn't that clever in differentiating her real last name but she felt like it fit, plus, it made it easier to listen for in case... well, just in case.

 

[1Beachbum25]

Michael Williams was very good at what he did. That was not just his opinion, although he believed he was the best. It was the position of his handler and those higher up in the agency. Michael's handler thought he was very good.... one of the two best that he managed. The handler would never tell Michael who the other one was, though. That was... until now.

"You need to find Nicole. You need to locate her and you need to do it quickly. There is a mission and it requires both of you." Michael wasn't sure why he was being asked to find another agent to do a job with. He worked alone. In fact, he had earned the nickname LoneWolf... or just "Wolf". "Do not ask questions. Do not ask why. Just find her... and do it soon." The tone of the message told him that this was serious and he did not have a choice in the matter.

He started with what little information he was given. Nicole had finished a job, said she was done, and disappeared. It wasn't much, but it was all there was for him to go on. Michael started to piece information together. He sought more info from the handler. He looked at missions she had been on. He looked into places she went between missions. She liked open spaces. It was as if she was clearing her head in order to get ready for her next mission.

After weeks of tracking, he found himself in Montana. It was beautiful country, but not his style. Michael preferred warm weather, and it was already getting cold in Montana in early September. He was sitting in a greasy spoon having breakfast, looking at a picture of Nicole on his phone... making sure he had the image ingrained in his mind, when the waitress walked up to him to take his order. She saw the picture on the phone. "Oh, do you know Ms. Martin? All of the parents at the school talk about how much they love her."

Taking a deep breath, Michael looked at the waitress. "Yes, she is my sister. I am trying to surprise her. She doesn't know I am here. Do me a favor... please don't tell anyone about me being here." The waitress agreed and took Michael's order. After finishing his breakfast, and leaving a very good tip, Michael found a room at a motel. HE was close. Now that he found her, he had to figure out his next steps.

 

[zydrate]

The cool early morning air felt good. It was just a bit after 6am and Nicole had finished a 4 mile run on a barely used mountain trail. Well, it was probably used but not this early. Although it was over rough terrain, she had barely broken a sweat.

Looking at her analog watch, she saw she had enough time to head back to her place, clean up and get to work.

It had a been a busy few weeks at school, the parents were easy going enough and most of the staff was great. The only person she had to worry about was the principal. He was doing his damnedest in trying to get her to go out with him. Of course she had heard the rumors about him and well frankly, she didn't have time for that nonsense. If the time came to put him in his place, she would have no trouble in doing that.

***
Another day in the books, literally. It was Friday and she had finished up earlier than usual. She had locked up her classroom and walked down the nearly empty hall. She had wanted to get back to her rental home as she still had some unpacking to do.

She headed to her car and looked around as she walked. She was always aware of her surroundings and she did it in a way no one would notice... at least no civilian would notice. Things had been quiet since she had gotten here and she hoped it stayed that way.

When she got home, she had secured her place... again, to the ordinary person, nothing would be amiss. They wouldn't notice the heavy, bulletproof front door... the security cameras stratigically placed.

It was a hard habit to break but she wanted to seem prepared should anyone come after her. Paranoid? Perhaps. But better safe than sorry.

 

[1Beachbum25]

Michael was in a difficult situation. He needed to get to Nicole, but he needed to be careful about how he approached her. He knew she had a unique set of skills, and the last thing that he wanted was this to turn into a physical confrontation, or, even worse yet, a confrontation involving weapons.

Since he received the information about "Ms. Martin" after the school day would have already started, Michael thought that it would be a good time to scope out the school and find the best place to stake-it-out. He drove past the school, slowly. Then, taking his time, he drove around the well-kept neighborhoods surrounding the school. It wasn't long before he found the perfect location.

The parking lot of the park was perfectly situated. It overlooked the parking lot of the school, and since it was an elementary school, the only cars parked in that lot would be teachers and other school staff. Michael did not want to spend too much time sitting there.

He did not want to draw attention to himself. So, he moved the car into the back of the lot and decided to walk around the jogging track for a while. He would much rather have gone for a run, but being dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt did not provide the ideal workout gear.

As it got closer to what he assumed would be dismissal time, he moved the car back to the ideal vantage point. He could clearly see the students being dismissed, but he used his binoculars to try to locate Nicole. He watched as teachers walked their children out of the school to the buses and to parents' cars. Then, he saw her.

Now, he was certain that she was here. After waiting for a while, he saw Nicole come out of the school and walk toward her vehicle. Once he saw her get in, he started his car and headed toward the main road leading from the school. He got there just in time to see her driving out toward the main road.

Michael knew he had to be careful following her. There was no doubt in his mind that she would still be watching her six as she travelled. It was instinct and would never go away. He kept a safe distance, and switched lanes frequently. When he saw her pull into a driveway, he drove past the house. Even while moving he could see that she had cameras set-up around the exterior. He wasn't going to be able to get to her door without her seeing him.

Parking down the street, out of sight, Michael started to work through his options... and there were not many. One was wait until he could approach her while away from the house, but that could cause a scene in public. The other was approach her at her front door. Yes, she would see him coming, but it might be less confrontational. Then again, if she saw him as a threat, it could go real bad.

After thinking about it for a little while, he decided that meeting her at her house was the best option. He pulled up to her house. He knew she could see him, already. Getting out of the car, he headed for the front door. He kept his hands in plain sight, so that she could see he had no weapons.

 

[zydrate]

She saw him.

Nicole watched how he walked to her front door... he tried look relaxed but she knew he wasn't. He was ready for anything.

He was there for her. They sent someone to get her. She may been done with the agency, she knew they weren't done with her. But hey, if wishes were horses...

With a muttered curse, Nicole didn't move from her place in the kitchen. She had a small security monitor and it beeped as the man approached her door and ring the doorbell. She was in the middle of making a snack but of course, that would have to wait.

Nicole wasn't one to hide when danger approached. She was going to face it straight on, as she did with each assignment. Seeing he kept his hands in plain sight, she grabbed the small paring knife she was using and walked out of the kitchen and into the hall toward the door. Another monitor at the door, but this one had a speaker, "Identify yourself." She said, knife behind her back.

Hearing his answer, she opened the door, seeing his hands were still in view, "If we're going to do this, step in from the door, close it behind you but don't make any sudden moves." She told him as she stood back, putting a couple of feet between them. Yeah, she had a small knife but she could still do a lot of damage with it. "State your business." Nicole didn't break eye contact with him.

 

[1Beachbum25]

He knew he was being watched. There were several cameras visible, and, if he was correct about Nicole's commitment to security, there were several cameras that were not visible. If he wanted to, he could have looked around and found them, but he looked straight at the door. He was not going to give any impression that he was a threat.

After ringing the doorbell, he stepped back from the door. Once again, taking a non-threatening posture. When the door opened, he listened to her instructions. He paid attention to her firm tone. There was no doubt about her confidence. Stepping in, Michael closed the door behind him, and stayed close to it, even when Nicole backed up.

"I am not here in any threatening capacity. I have been asked to find you and let you know about the agency's desires. Nobody but me knows where you are, and, if you reject what I am here to talk about, nobody will find out."

He watched her for a reaction. There was none. He held his hands up to show her that there was nothing hidden in them. "I am not sure what you are hiding behind your back, but I am sure that, in your hands, it is lethal. I will stay right here."

Michael let his eyes wander slowly around the room; looking for anything else that could be a threat. Then, focusing back on Nicole, he looked directly into her eyes. "I was given very little information. I was just told to find you and that they had a mission that required both of us. We shared a handler.... well, he is still my handler. He told me very little about you other than you were one of his best, and they needed us for something more important than anything either of us had ever worked on."

Once again, there was no reaction from Nicole, but he knew that she was running things through her mind. The first thing she was gauging was whether or not the story he just told her was bullshit. "I have told you everything I know. You can believe me or not. I will answer any questions you have, if possible, but like I said, I don't have any more information than what I shared with you."

He put his hands down at his sides and awaited her response. He really expected her to tell him to get out and never contact her again, but she was too experienced for that. There was no way she believed he would not share her location with the handler.

 

[zydrate]

Nicole held her emotions in. Her face expressionless. She stood there a while longer, probably longer than necessary before letting her hand fall to her side, the small paring knife still in hand. With a hard sigh, she just shook her head, muttering, "They always need someone for something important. In the end, it's nothing but a way to keep us in check. At least in my personal experience."

And then she did one thing he probably wasn't expecting her to.. she turned her back on him and walked to her kitchen where she was getting dinner ready.

She believed him. If he had wanted to hurt her, she knew it would already been done. She went back to peeling potatoes as if nothing had happened or she left anyone in the hall. She half expected to hear the door open and close, signaling that the guy had left but no.. he had walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, still holding back.

"I did ask for your ID and I understand if you don't want to give it, then your callsign? Have a seat if you want, I doubt you have to get going right away..." She took a sealed bottle of water out of the frig and placed it on the edge of the island for him. "Hungry? I usually make way too much, blame my granny, she had several kids and husband to cook for."

Nicole continued to prepare dinner, putting in some diced up potatoes into a stew on the stove before grabbing her iced tea and sitting across from the man. "The same handler, huh? Then you must know he doesn't do anything half ass but he likes to be a cryptic little fuck, that's for sure. I'm also sure he had you followed." She knew the latter wasn't true. He was in the same line of 'work' as she was and he would have done what he could to make sure no one had an easy time following him.

"So, tell me more about this so called mission and why it requires the both of us? We don't know each other. I usually don't work with anyone else and I have a feeling, neither do you."

 

[1Beachbum25]

He watched her intently; looking to see what emotions she would show. Nicole revealed nothing. She was good. She was able to internalize her feelings and not reveal what it was that she was feeling or thinking. It was the sign of a good operative.. never let them know what you are thinking.

Despite the fact that Nicole appeared to relax and let her hands fall to her side, Michael stayed locked in. Someone of Nicole's ability could be lethal from any position. He listened as she talked about the organization always needing something from them and that it was a way to keep them in check. Michael agreed with her, but he did not vocalize it. He just stayed focused on her.

Michael was surprised to see her turn her back to him, but, once again, he did not relax. He needed to stay focused and make sure that he did not give her any opportunities. He wasn't sure whether or not she really considered him a threat, and, until he figured things out, he was staying on high alert.

He was surprised to see Nicole go into the kitchen and start to peel potatoes; this was probably because Michael didn't expect such an accomplished agent to be skilled in domestic issues. That wasn't fair to her. He knew nothing about Nicole.

"Which of my IDs would you like to see? I used five different identities while searching for you. My call sign was... is... LoneWolf. I am sure you can imagine why." He sat down when she offered him a seat. He remained vigilant. This could just be her way of lulling him into a false sense of security.

He didn't respond when she asked if he was hungry. He just listened. It seemed that Nicole was really disappointed that he had found her. She truly wanted out and hoped to just settle down.

Watching as she sat across from him, he gave a little smile as she referred to their handler as a cryptic little fuck. "He may have tried to have me followed. However, trust me, there is nobody, present company excluded, that would be able to follow me if I did not want to be followed. I made sure that when I found you that nobody would know... just you and me. I wanted you to be able to say no, and have no repercussions. I will not be upset if you say, "not interested."""

He opened the bottle of water, but did not drink from it. He watched for a reaction from her when he opened it. Despite the bottle being sealed, she was good enough to have introduced something to the water; plus, she wasn't drinking water.

"All I know about the mission is that the cryptic little fuck as you so eloquently referred to him said that it required the two of us. That tells me that he has something that requires his two best. I know of your work, not the specifics, but the success that you have on every mission. That tells me that he has something that requires the best of the best, and he knows that is us."

Michael paused. "There is something else that I thought, also. He might have been using me to find you, so that he could have you eliminated for walking away. If that is the case, it would also be bad for me, because I would be a loose end. Eliminating both of us would be explained away by saying we went rogue and needed to be taken out."

Once again, Michael paused.... "I don't know. It was just a thought that crossed my mind, which is why I made sure nobody was able to follow me. Of course, if I go back without you, he will just send others, and I will have to be on the run, because he won't trust me... that little fuck."