“Well, yeah,” I say, frowning at her in confusion. “He’s been incarcerated by them since he was a child. Even if they weren’t holding a literal gun to his head for every mission, they still didn’t give him a choice in becoming what he is.”
Anabelle makes a thoughtful humming noise.
“Interesting perspective.”
Surely, it’s the only perspective any remotely compassionate person could have. What else was Jack supposed to do, refuse and be executed? What kind of alternative is that for a kid, a teenager, an adult even?
“Are you making him a FISA agent?” I ask, drawing the only logical conclusion I can think of.
“On a trial basis,” Anabelle says, giving a slight nod of her head. “He is being given an opportunity to serve his country and amend for his past. Do not forget how many people this man has dispatched in his life, Agent Snow. It will do no good for you to pretend he is an innocent victim in all this. Whatever the circumstances, Agent Roth is considered a murderer and terrorist in the eyes of our government.”
“If that’s true, then why are you doing this for him?” I ask, as it was clearly my aunt’s decision to allow Jack this change to his circumstances.
Anabelle stiffens. She reminds me of feral cat who someone just tried to poke with a stick and is now about to take a layer of skin from that individual’s forearm.
Her voice prickles along my skin like a dozen needles.
“I am not doing anything for him. I’m offering him the chance to be of some use to us. He has agreed to it. No one is forcing him to comply.”
Yeah, but. Iscompliance or lifetime imprisonmentmuch better thancompliance or deathwhen you get right down to it? I don’t know. I’ve not lived the life Jack has. Maybe he would feel differently about it than I do.
Since Anabelle is unlikely to appreciate, let alone answer the question, I ask something else more relevant to me.
“Ok, then. Why amIhere?”
Anabelle seems to welcome us getting back on track, and she settles back in her large brown swivel chair.
“We have decided that Agent Roth cannot be allowed to roam around on his own without any oversight. He will need a partner. Someone we can trust to keep him in check.”
I’m unsure how to react for a moment, and the two of us sit in relatively stunned silence.
“You want me to be Roth’s partner?” I finally manage to get out, for clarification.
“Yes,” Anabelle answers simply. “You seem to have already built a rapport with Agent Roth. When we deliberately mentioned you during one of his psychiatric sessions, he reacted positively. It was the only time he seemed to genuinely engage with the process.”
I press my hands together between my knees, a ripple of nerves passing from one shoulder to the other, kick-starting a sequence of interlocking muscles to tighten. I look my aunt directly in the eye, imploring her to listen.
“Anabelle, I don’t think I’m the best person for a job like this. I’m only a junior field agent. My last assignment was the biggest and longest I’ve completed, and we both know it wasn’t as high-profile as the missions you’ll be sending an agent like Roth on. I’m not prepared for this.”
Anabelle pins me with one of her most ostentatious frowns. By which I mean she raises her eyebrows ever so slightly and allows her mouth to tip down on both sides.
“I was the one who put you forward for the job, Agent Snow. As I said, I need someone I can trust. Don’t be dismissive of your own abilities. You are one of the youngest agents to complete the training program. You came in second out of your entire class, barely a point or two between you and Damon North. Most agents do not get sent out on solo missions at the age of nineteen.”
She stops then, suddenly, as if annoyed she has to give me this pep talk. I should have my own steady supply of pep, damn it.
When Anabelle begins speaking again, she sounds far less amped up about it, all traces of emotion having been wiped away.
“I am asking for you to do this, Agent Snow, for me and for FISA. It’s what you signed up for when you became an agent.”
Pretty sure I did not sign up to be a superhuman’s leash holder. But I know Anabelle doesn’t mean it literally. What she means is I signed up to serve the United Kingdom’s government. To do my duty and help protect my country and its allies however I’m asked.
So here they are, asking me to serve. I can’t exactly refuse the call. Not without needing to find myself another career path to follow.
I puff out a short breath and give Anabelle an exaggerated look of discomfort.
“Bloody hell, alright. Don’t get all emotional on me, you’ll hurt yourself. If you really think I’m capable of this, then I’ll try to live up to that.”
“Good.” Anabelle doesn’t look quite pleased, but there is a softening to her eyes that could mean something, either gratitude or pride. “Agent Roth will be joining your unit, supervised by Senior Agent Aaron North. You will have your first meeting this afternoon. Please go to War Room fifty-three in two hours.”
