My eyes began to flutter open as I awoke from the deepest sleep I think I’ve ever had in my life. I automatically assumed that I was just in my bedroom, in my own house and in my comfortable surroundings, so when I looked around and saw the unfamiliar room, it was quite a surprise I can tell you that.

I shot up on the bed, scanning my eyes around the room. It was like a prison cell. The thin rock hard mattress I was currently on was on top of some sort of shelf coming off the stone walls. The entire room was grey, including the tiny metal side table and chair in the corner which was the only furnishings the room had.

The events of last night came rushing back to me as I took in my current surroundings, and I forgot how to breathe. Oh my god, I’ve been kidnapped. That hot boy from last night chased me, kidnapped me, drugged me and locked me in a cell. I was going to die. They were going to put me in a room and ask me if I ‘want to play a little game’ and tell me that living or dying is my choice.

Well, it clearly wasn’t right now as I’m being held hostage! If it was my choice I would be at home right now with ice cream watching Superbad, but instead I’m here!

My panicking rant in my head was quickly cut short as the metal door of my shoebox cell opened, making a loud clanging noise. I automatically jumped and pushed myself towards to wall so my back was pressing against it and away from the boy who just walked into the room. I looked at him, my eyes obviously glistening in fear.

It was the boy who kidnapped me.

“Morning princess.” He greeted me with a smile. I remained pressed up against the wall, not moving a muscle. He walked over to the bed, and I found myself pressing up against the wall so much I actually thought I was going to dent my spine from it. I flinched slightly as he raised his hand, thinking he was going to hit me or pull my hair or something. Instead, he held out his hand which was holding a plate with two pieces of toast on it.

I stared at the plate in disbelief, then back up at him. He was still smiling down at me. He looked way to friendly to be a kidnapper.

“I haven’t poisoned it, you’ve been out for a while and we’ve got a long day ahead. You better eat something.” He told me, pushing the plate towards me. I wearingly took it from him, never taking my eyes off him. “No thanks?” he asked, smirking slightly. I had to stop myself from flipping him off, realising that its probably best not to enrage the crazy kidnapper.

“Thanks.” I said quietly.

He grinned and walked over to the metal chair, pulling it out and plonking himself on it with a relieved sort of sigh. “If you don’t eat that toast, my feelings will be hurt. I made it myself.”

He was still grinning at me, and I looked at him like he was a freak. He had just abducted me, and now he was joking and grinning?

“Where the hell am I?” I finally snapped, flinging the plate of toast next to me on the mattress than can be mistaken for a pavement slab.

“You’re at The Agency sweetheart.” He told me simply, and I look at him confused. I gesture for him with my hand to carry on as I still had no idea what the hell he was talking about. He didn’t, so I spoke again.

“Agency? What like prostitution?” I asked, my stomach knotting in disgust at the thought of being sold for sex. “Are you a pimp?” I gasp, putting all the pieces together in my head.

He burst out laughing, leaning back against the chair and putting a fist to his mouth to muffle his laughter. I knew this should probably tell me he wasn’t a pimp and he had no intention of selling me for a snickers bar and a can of coke, but to be honest I was so confused the idea still is flashing through my mind.

He stopped laughing slightly, but his body is still shaking. “No I’m not a pimp.” He clears up and carries on, his face is a little red still “I told you last night you have been recruited, and you have. By a firm called The Agency.”

“I know this isn’t the thing to be thinking about, but the firm is called ‘The Agency’?” I scoff, mocking his voice as I said ‘the agency’. He furs his brows at my words, humour clear in his face “I mean, it’s not very creative is it. You could have gone for something a little more imaginative.”

A smile is playing on his lips right now as his face turns extremely amused by my words. He nods, still trying to contain his laughter. “I’ll let them know you don’t like the name shall I?” he asks sarcastically. “What do you suggest we call it, ‘kills on wheels’? ‘Gun for fun’?” he suggests laughing.

My eyes widened at his words. “Kill?” I croak. Did he really just use the words kill and gun?!

His eyes bore into me, studying my next reaction. “The agency is a firm of assassins.”

I catch my breath and I feel my heart begin to beat frantically.

“You’re a killer?” I breathe, the realisation of the situation I’m in still not quite sinking it.

His eyes grow cold at my words. “I kill people, but only ones that have it coming. People who break the law and put lives in danger.” He tells me, like he has said those words so many times its like reading off a script. “And you’re going to become one of us.” His face forms into a smirk at my stunned expression.

I literally can not find words to say to him as the shock of everything sinks in. I must have been frozen like that for quite a while, because Chris was the one to finally break the silence.

“Eat your toast.”

***

“Where are we going?” I ask looking around the hallway Chris was currently leading me through. It was like a mental hospital. The walls were white and there were doors on either side with signs on them. Chris had told me to follow him, and he was going to take me to meet the boss.

What was this, the godfather?

We finally reached a white door, and on the black sign in white writing was written ‘Ed Cray’. We both stopped outside, and I almost walked into Chris’s back as he stopped so suddenly and I was too busy reading the door sign. I blushed as he turned and looked down at me, with a sly smirk on his lips.

“Were here.” he tells me in a creepy voice, obviously trying to freak me out. I glare up at him, and he chuckles. “Relax Faith, I told you before. We’re not here to hurt you.” He reassured me, and turned the handle on the door. He bowed slightly and gestured for me to walk in first like a true gentleman. Too bad I could see the sarcasm in his face as he did it, otherwise I would have been flattered.

I walked in and was quite surprised with the room. The walls were a dark burgundy, and it looked quite...Cosy? There was a wooden desk and chairs, along with a fireplace and a lot of diplomas and medals on the walls. I was so busy eyeing up the room, I didn’t even spot the man in it until he spoke, almost making me crap my pants.

“I’m glad you’re admiring the interior design, hopefully you will approve?” A middle aged man smiles at me. I back up a little as fear creeps up on me again from the strange man.

You know what the ironic thing is?

I walked back to stand closer to Chris, my kidnapper, to feel safer and more protected from the 40 something year old man smiling at me. Life is getting seriously weird.

The man was wearing a black suit and he looked well presented and powerful. He had his hands in his pockets, showing a very shiny gold Rolex. His hair was dark brown, but you could see it was starting to grey over. As he was still smiling at me, I could see the few wrinkles on his face, but he looked like the type of man that ages well. Judging by the watch he was sporting, that may have something to do with a shit load of money. Botox isn’t just for women.

“Faith this is Ed Cray, the boss of The Agency.” Chris introduced me like we were at some sort of dinner party instead of an office that belonged to an assassin. I didn’t reply.

“I know you must be very confused Faith, Chris has told me about what he had to do to get you here.” Ed said, tugging the corners of his mouth down as he said the next bit “Apparently you put up a bit of fight. Chris has to be checked over in the infirmary when he got back from collecting you.”

I snorted, a little proud of myself. Chris shot daggers at me while Ed laughed. I then turned to Chris with a look of confusion. “I didn’t do anything to you last night, why did you have to go to the infirmary?”

Chris looked down at the floor, clearly embarrassed “You kicked me in the balls.” He muttered, not looking at me in the face. I burst out laughing.

“You had to go get your balls checked over!” I choked out between my laughs. Chris was running his tongue along his teeth in annoyance, and looking over towards Ed giving him a look that basically said shut her up before I do. Strangely though, I didn’t feel intimidated by that look because I had a feeling he wasn’t going to hurt me.

Strange considering he had drugged me unconscious mere hours ago.

“Faith I don’t know if Chris has explained fully to you what The Agency actually is?” Ed cut through my laughter and I quickly composed myself. I shook my head, and he gestured towards the chairs at his desk. I walked over hesitantly and sat down; Chris sat on the chair next to me. Ed walked over to the other side of the desk and sat down also, giving him the appearance of a proper leader. He actually looked intimidating just sat behind a freaking desk.

“The Agency is a firm of trained assassins” Ed begins, resting his arms on the table and leaning forward, knotting his fingers together. “The agency isn’t very big. In total there are only 19 agents. The reason why we are such a small firm is because it is a private firm, run by me. There are other firms and we do have connections with them, but The Agency is what you will have to be dealing with while you are here. You will only come in contact with other firms through me.” he explains, and I was engrossed in his words.

“Is it legal?” I ask.

Ed nods his head. “It’s completely legal. Think of us as the CIA but a lot smaller and not as well funded.” He jokes, and I smile slightly. He was charming I’ll give him that “We have our weapons given to us by the government.”

“How come I’ve never heard of anything like this before except in Kill Bill?” I blurt out, and Chris burst out laughing. Ed smiles.

“Because this is a secret agency. Like the CIA, we are like spies. We go undercover and cannot have anyone knowing about us otherwise it will stop us from doing our jobs.”

I was a little hesitant to ask the next question “And our jobs are...?”

“The Agency has files sent to them weekly, each file containing information about a criminal who is a danger to the public. Either they are not responding to rehabilitation, or they have escaped from prison, or have just not been caught etc” He made clear “They could be supplying illegal drugs around the country, paedophile rings, murderers, rapists. You name some of the most terrible things a person could do, and they have done it. I’m sure Chris can tell you some stories about some of the cases he has had to deal with.”

I turn my head to Chris, and he is slumped back on the chair with a cold expression on his face from the current subject. He gives a slow nod, and I turn back to look at Ed.

“So these people...you kill them?”

“Yes. When all else fails for these criminals, there is no other solution. We are called in to deal with the problem.” He tells me bluntly. My stomach knots a little. I know these people they killed were bad and criminals, but they were still human beings. They can’t just be disposed of. It sounded like Ed was talking about a rodent problem.

“Our agents are trained for months before they are put out in the field, and each agent has a partner. Chris’s partner...is no longer a member of the agency” He tells me and exchanged a look with Chris. Obviously there is more to the story about Chris’s former partner “So there is a job opening.” Ed tells me smirking slightly.

It takes me a few seconds to realise what he is getting at, and my eyes widen. I begin to shake my head frantically and flapping my arms as if to scream ‘Oh hell no!’

“That’s a lovely proposal and all, but rapists and guns are not really what I have in my 5 year life plan. So thanks for the offer, but I will decline. Now could you please drop me off back to my house to my normal life of boy problems and confidence issues?” I smile flakily at them, trying to keep this as light as possible. I see Chris’s body shake from laughter next to me.

Ed shakes his head, amusement in his face. “It doesn’t quite work like that Faith.”

“What? Why?”

“As I said before, we are a secret agency. Do you think we pick up anyone off the street and offer them positions here?” He asks like it’s an obvious answer.

“Well if they don’t want to do it then you should give them the choice!” I whine, sounding like those girly girls that annoy me so much. I wanted to slap myself for it.

“This is not a choice. You have been recruited. It’s final.” Ed tells me, the smiling man from before replaced with a man who had authority, and a scary glare.

“Look I can guarantee you, you will not want me on your ‘firm’” I air quote “I’m slow, slightly overweight, I will run away at the first sight of a knife and scream like a baby if anyone even points a water pistol at me, let alone a real gun!”

Chris is shaking his head in amusement at my words, but looks anxious to keep observing this conversation.

“Faith we have not just picked you off the streets randomly.” Ed tells me “We look through the best candidates from schools around the country, trying to find the next young talented agent. Judging by your grades your smart. You may have confidence issues, but the real test was seeing how you would react when Chris abducted you. You put up a good fight. That’s exactly what The Agency is looking for, a fighter.” As Ed recited this motivational speech to me, I noticed Chris tense next to me slightly, and Ed’s voice sounding like he was reading straight off a script. Clearly he had said this a little too many times. “As for the rest, you will be trained in being the best agent you could possibly be. Fighting, handling guns and knives, you name it we will train you for it.”

He finished his speech, and I found myself quiet as I took in his words, processing them carefully. I gulped as the realisation came to me, but I had to ask him anyway.

“And if I refuse to join you?” I whisper, looking at him waiting for the answer that I knew was coming.

He stared back coldly and without a hesitation he spoke “Hopefully it will not come to that.” He simply replied, his voice was threatening and it just confirmed what I already knew.

If I didn’t join, they would kill me so I didn’t spread their little secret about.

Did I want to die?

No.

Did I want to live a life where I would be killing others?

No.

I thought through my options, and not before long I came to a decision. I gulped slightly, swallowing the growing lump in my throat from the fear that was still in my body.

“I refuse.” I tell him trying to keep my voice as confident as I can.

I notice the look of complete shock on Chris’s face at my words, and even Ed recoils a little before he goes back to the threatening posture he was in a minute ago.

“Faith, I know you understand that if you refuse to be with us, we will have to kill you. But you don’t seem to understand the whole extent of it.” Ed began, and my attention was gripped to his every word “If you refuse to join us, your connections will be disposed of as well as yourself.”

My jaw dropped open. Was he really threatening me like this?

“My connections?” I repeated in disbelief “As in my friends and my family?”

Ed gave me a cold stare, confirming he was in fact talking about the loved ones in my life.

“If I don’t join your little spy club you’re going to kill me, my friends and family?” I repeat again, trying to say it enough times so it doesn’t sound completely crazy.

“We would have to terminate any possible connections you could have that will lead back to The Agency.”

“How could it lead back to you, if you kill me now they won’t even know I’m here!” I counter in a high pitched voice. I am quite shocked at myself at my sudden confidence, but as soon as they brought up my friends and family all fear was out of the window. I was pissed.

“We would have no choice but to terminate any connections.” He repeated again in a monotone voice, ignoring my protests. “Unless, you join us.”

I bore my eyes at him icily, realising he had me between a rock and a hard place.

Hell, he had between two shot guns, a grenade and a hard place.

“You will learn to grow used to The Agency; the other agents here will become your new family.” Ed tried to persuade me. I rolled my lips into my mouth while thinking over my options. I must have looked around the room in desperation for about 2 whole minutes, trying to think of anyway of running out of this room and escaping. Realising I had a better chance of fucking Santa; I finally turned my eyes back to Ed.

What choice did I have?

“Fine.” I managed to choke out.

His lips curve into a triumphant grin, and he pushes himself off the desk leaning over and putting his hand out for me to shake. I looked at Chris, and he gave me an understanding nod at the decision I had just made, probably because he had to make the exact same one when he was ‘recruited.’

I hesitantly reach my own hand out and took Ed’s, glaring at him whilst clenching my jaw. He ignored my murder stares, and just grins back shaking my hand enthusiastically. He looked like the type of man who was used to having his own way. His eyes locked with mine.

“Trust me Faith; we will turn you into one of the greatest agents this any firm has ever seen.”

As soon as those words escaped his smirking mouth, my life was never the same again.

I now belonged to one of the most dangerous firms of assassins in the UK.

==

A/N Promised you this chapter would be longer!

Hope you like it and let me know what you think, and let me know what you think of the characters so far! Thank you so much for reading, love you all :D xx