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

Chapter 40

The sun was high in the sky when Alex finally decided to stop walking.

After the little encounter with Ava, Alex had left swiftly, not wanting to draw any attention to herself. Post departure, she walked around the building hoping she would find her old window and below it, her packed suitcase. When she arrived at what she thought was her window, there was sign of her bag. 

"Uh, what?" 

When walking around the building many more times and scanning every inch of the ground yielded no better results, Alex left it to being stolen. 

At least all the important stuff is with me, she thought, tapping her satchel in paranoia. 

She had decided her best bet was to get to a public place where Potentia could find her easily. It was clear they had people in Auxilium and they were probably monitoring her every move. 

Alex stopped outside of a park, not particularly knowing which. On finding her stomach empty and throat dry, she cursed herself for not thinking to bring any snacks or even a water bottle. 

Ambling over to a small cafe, she bought herself a bottle of water and a ham and cheese sandwich with her already dwindling supply of money. She paid with cash, not wanting to leave a trail for Auxilium to find her. It wouldn't be long before they started searching.

It was then she noticed a black SUV in the reflection of the window. Normally she wouldn't have minded a driver in an SUV staring out of the window but it was the intensity of the stare that was directed at her and her alone that sent shivers down her spine. Something was definitely wrong.

 Acting as normal as she could, she stuffed the rest of the sandwich into her mouth and put the bottle of water into her bag before taking her phone out. She took off through the park, making sure to stay away from roads. Making it seem as mundane as possible, she brought up her phone and started taking selfies. To any casual passers-by, she just seemed like the average, self-absorbed teenager. No one would think she was using it as a mirror to keep an eye on potential tails. 

Good thing Alex applied this technique too, noticing the moment someone got out of the car and started walking in her direction. 

And that's my cue to go.

Using twists and turns in the pathway to check behind her and without fail, the man was always right behind her. He had done well to maintain a distance that didn't make it seem he was stalking a teenage girl and yet she was always in his sights.

Totally not creepy in the slightest. 

Alex was so focused on the man behind her that she failed to see someone else barrelling into her from the side.

"Dude!," Alex shouted as she stumbled to the side.

"Oh man, I am so sorry, I always do this!"

"What," Alex began as she dusted herself off, "You always charge into people, knocking them over? Cause if you do, I don't see you having many friends."

The person chuckled, a deep low sound full of arrogance. It sounded familiar. "Luckily for my personal life I only do this when asked to by the agent in charge of a mission."

"Hold up a second, did you say age-" She looked up mid sentence and stopped, eyes narrowing and mouth pressed into a tight line. "YOU!" She put her hands on her bag as she looked at the person in front of her, the man in black now dressed in casual shorts and t-shirt that perfectly suited the summer weather.

"I'd say nice to meet you but I'm under the impression we've already met."

"You can bet your ugly mug we've met. Do you know how much trouble you've caused me? Turning up and messing with my head?"