Chapter 1

Two years later...

"Mica!" My temperate partner yells after me as I run ahead, forcing him to follow after me. My usual partner is tending to his own matters and couldn't come with me on this mission. "Stop running! You're going against the orders! The mission is to bring him in, not kill him! You have to let him go!"

I ignore him and increase my speed as I catch up with the man climbing onto the helicopter. He is unaware that I am still tracing him down. He thought I had given up. He thought that he was safe now. Well, he couldn't be more wrong, because I, Mica Mayors, never ever give up - even if it means disobeying a direct order.

Unfortunately, there are always obstacles, and in this case, it's a giant leap from one building to the next. However, I don't stop. I need the momentum. I block out the shouting from my comrade to focus. As I begin nearing the edge of the building, my heart begins to pound heavily. I hate heights, but I won't allow it to stop me from achieving my goals.

Then there's that final leap and I don't hesitate to take the jump, lifting myself off the ground with as much as force as possible. I close my eyes whilst in midair and suck in a deep breath, hoping I'd make it. There's a loud crash before my back hits the pavement of the next building as I continue on rolling before coming to a sudden stop.

I made the jump, but hell it still hurts. I choose to block it out for now. The injuries I sustain shouldn't matter, not when I'm on a mission.

Before I know it, I'm already scuffling to my knees, reading myself to get up. And I do. I always do. I immediately begin sprinting again, easily catching up with the target, my target. He happens to look up by chance and sees me heading his way at a rapid pace.

Panic, shock, and fear flicker through his onyx eyes. He had expected us to quit. But not me. I'm persistent, so persistent that one day it's going to get me killed.

He starts yelling at the top of his lungs, telling his pilot to lift the damn helicopter off the ground before I get there.

But unfortunately, for him that is, he's too late.

I'm there in front of him in a heartbeat. He's unarmed and I take advantage of that fact as I grab him by the back of his neck with one hand and yank him right out his stupid helicopter. I remember that I'm not to kill him. We're supposed to bring him in for interrogation and torture him until we get the necessary information out of him. If he's dead, he's of no use.

"Borris!" The man I'm holding shouts out in terror as if relaying a message to his pilot.

My eyes follow his, only to see that Borris, his pilot, now as his gun aimed directly at me. My eyes widen before I swiftly pull out my own pistol from my back pocket, pressing it against the captive's head.

"Shoot me and I shoot him, Borris," I threaten, keeping my eyes locked on Borris' as I hold the mission, the man, to me in a threatening way.

It's the man I'm holding that I should have been watching because he unexpectedly turns in my grip and knocks the gun right out of my hands. Hopeless, I watch as the pistol skids away, just out of my reach.

If I dare make a move for it, I'll be shot.

I glance around for my partner, Jack, but he's way behind - hasn't even made the leap across the buildings yet.

I'm on my own.

My eyes find Borris' again just as he fires his weapon. I react quickly, taking hold of the man beside me, using him as a shield, seeing it as my only way out.

The bullets pierce through him and I let go of him. He drops to the floor, dead.

He's not supposed to die...

Borris must be thinking the same thing judging by his terrified expression as if he cannot believe what I just did, what he just did. We'd both played a crucial part in killing him. I held him captive, Borris fired the bullet.

I take Borris' moment of distraction, of weakness, and exploit it to my advantage. I sprint for my gun just as Borris comes out of it. He aims for me and shoots, but I'm quick to roll and dodge it, aiming at him all the while too. I take the shot and fire it into his chest, precisely where I'd wanted - an instant kill.

He too collapses.

I won.

"Wipe that smirk off your face."

I turn to see that Jack behind me.

"We're going to be punished for this when we get back. Arden is going to go ballistic," he reminds me of the consequences.

Liam Arden is head of this agency and is anything but lenient. We stuff up, he stuffs us up.

"I didn't have a choice. He was going to shoot me," I try to defend myself.

Jack shrugs carelessly, "Why are you telling me this? Save it for Liam."

Liam Arden is truly the only person on this planet that I'm petrified of. He's cool and collected until you cross him or fail him.

"I don't want to," I say, fearful of how Arden is going to react. His punishments are excruciating. I vowed to never fail him again, but my temper seems to always get the best of me these days.

"You should have let him go when I told you to," Jack reprimands me, obviously frustrated because he is going to pay for my slip up too. As partners, we're both liable for the way the mission turns out.

"I don't know what's up with you these days, Mica. You've changed. It's not right. It's scary. This is why no one wants to work with you. You're unpredictable and you have no control. I don't know how Agent Matthews deals with you," he insults, making reference to my usual partner, Dag Matthews.

Man, do I hate that guy - Dag Matthews. Nevertheless, he always has my back as I have his.

I shake my head at Jack, dismissing his insults, taking no offense. "I haven't changed, I've just become more desperate and more determined to get what I want."

I turn my back on him and walk away.