Forever Fighting | ✔️ | [previously Espionage: double-cross]

Chapter 22

"So, are you going to tell me what happened or are we going to continue to sit here in silence?"

Ava's non-existent reply answered Alex's question pretty well.

They had both made it onto the train just as it was leaving the platform, hopefully leaving any tails behind. 

The train was full of people, either muttering lowly to the people around them or absorbed by their phones. At least a few had a book or newspaper. 

The unsociable atmosphere meant that the train was close to silent, only the constant hum of the wheels on the track cutting through the quiet. Any of Alex's questions were whispered but that couldn't hide the urgency in her voice.

"Ava, come on, this is serious. You came onto the field during a mission, my mission! What the hell were you thinking?" 

Apparently something she said set Ava off.

"What was I thinking? What was I thinking? I told you not to go, that it would be dangerous but you didn't bloody listen!"

Alex sighed, exasperated. "I was perfectly safe, nothing was going to happen."

"Safe!" Ava's screech caused many of the other passengers to look their way curiously. After muttering a hurry 'sorry', Ava turned back to Alex and repeated her previous statement at a lower decibel. "Safe! Are you kidding me?"

There was something serious in her voice, something dark that spoke of danger.

Alex's eyes narrowed. "What do you know."

"Nothing."

"What. Do. You. Know."

Ava turned her head away stubbornly. 

"Ava, I swear to god if you don't bloody tell me what you know I will find a way to open the doors of this train and will dangle you out over the tracks until you spill it so if you value your life and your safety you will tell. Me. Now."

After that, Ava was right to look a bit scared.

She stared at Alex, looked straight into her eyes and though she saw the anger she also saw a little bit of fear. What had happened was something Alex hadn't planned for, had no control over and that scared her.

She huffed out a sigh petulantly before relenting.

"Fine. It wasn't that bad you know. It's just that Julie got intel that a known enemy from their 'special list' or something and assassin was at the same site you were. She sent me to get you and another group of senior agents to neutralise the target." 

If that was the case then Ava's actions would have made sense but if the order had really come from Julie, from the agency, then Ava wouldn't have been so reluctant to say anything. 

Alex hadn't noticed any senior agents in their tell-tale mundane clothing - it was an image Alex had made sure to memorise. It could have been that she was so distracted that she missed it but other than her and that person, no one else looked like anything other than a tourist lazing around the site.

"Yeah, okay then." 

They both knew Alex didn't believe anything.

Just as they were about to get off the train, Ava said to her, "Look, don't mention what I just told you to Julie, you weren't supposed to know." 

"Why?"

"I don't know, I just follow orders."

Maybe that was the problem. 

They hopped off the train and walked through the tunnel. The tiled walls shone in the dingey lighting, revealing their reflections to them in the recently polished surfaces. It was in this surface she noticed a woman with a blond bob and dark sunglasses. The way she was dressed would have been normal except for the heat spell England was having meant everyone but the woman, her and Ava were dressed in t-shirts.

As they walked, Alex made sure to keep an eye on the woman. Of course it could turn out to be nothing but she wasn't willing to take that chance.

They stepped out of the tunnel and made their way up the stairs and towards the exit.

A gust of wind swirled around them, helpfully lifting the corner of her coat, a coat Alex was extremely familiar with since she was wearing a similar one. 

Great. I absolutely love being followed. Really makes my day.

She made sure that she was being discreet in checking behind her, pretending she was looking for someone, her glasses hiding her true line of sight. She noticed the woman talk into her sleeve, a blatantly obvious sign of transmission as she stared right at them. 

Well if that's not a confirmation I don't know what is.

She turned back around, nudging Ava in the arm with her elbow.

"We still on for six o'clock? Can't wait to see how you top the dangerously delicious meal following your success yesterday." Alex looked at her with a pointed gaze.

"I'm sorry what?"

"Six o'clock, dangerous, following."

"Huh?"

The urge to face-palm was successfully resisted.

"Dude, we're being followed."

"Oh! Why didn't you just say so?"

Urge no longer resisted.

"Just behind us. Woman with blonde bob, large sunglasses and reversible jacket, right now a dark green." Ava nodded and they prepared to make some interesting manoeuvres hushed whispers all they could afford and fake laughter used in an attempt to put their tail off. 

They took a sudden left and sped off down some stairs. At the bottom, was another train, seconds from pulling away and heading in the direction they just came from. They raced towards it, knowing if they made it it gave them the advantage. If their tail started running as well, going in the direction she too had just come from they had enough to go on the offence. 

The second they got to the doors, they clicked shut and the train sped away, leaving them stranded on the platform.

"Crap." 

They looked back up at the stairs. The woman was walking causally down. 

"What are we gonna do now?"

The woman was closing in though looking rather nonchalant as she looked around, pretending to be bored as she waited for the next train. 

The girls went over to a tube station map, staring at it while waiting for the woman to turn away. The moment she did they were slipping back up the stairs and then rushed off up the stairs. 

The woman clearly knew that the girls were onto her and now it could get a little complicated, a fight could ensue and that was something they wanted to avoid, especially in public. 

The pair carried on up the stairs, trying not to seem too hasty to get away lest they appear suspicious. 

They reached the top of the stairs to find a crowd of rush hour business people rushing in the opposite direction. Alex and Ava were lost in the sea of people, split apart. Alex was bumped and brushed against but she saw a sudden flash of a green jacket and blonde hair through the mass of coats and scarves. 

She broke away as soon as she could and stepped to the side, freeing herself from the stampede. She spotted Ava who was looking as equally perplexed and ran over to her. 

"You alright?"

"Yeah."

"Good, let's go."

They lost themselves in the ocean of people once again, making sure to stick together. They went with the flow, letting the crowd lead them onto an awaiting train.

Once on, Alex risked a glance out, finding their tail struggling through the remnants of the crowd, finding herself on the wrong side of the doors.

Alex let out a sigh and stuffed her hands into her pockets, finding that her pack of chewing gum was missing.