The Farm, Virginia. 20/12/2012. 11:05.
"Get the fu** up Kim! Now!" Her instructor yelled.
Shooking herself from the blow that she just took on the side of the head, she got back to her feet more by strength of will than energy in her body. The hand to hand training had started for more than an hour and she was exhausted. But still, since she had learned to fight from a young age, she had it better than the rest of her class and that's why the instructor singled her out to train with him, again and again.
"I'm ready." She nodded at him.
Getting into her fighting stance, her eyes lock on her opponent. She always was a good fighter and months of training here had made her even more deadly but despite that, she couldn't beat her instructor. She knew that she was faster than him but she could not compare to his knowledge in combat. He always seemed to know where she was going to go before she did.
"KIM!" A voice shouts, stopping the fight before it even begins.
Turning her head, she saw that it was the second in command that was calling her, the rest of the recruit smirking or pitying her. They had learned the hard way that it was extreme bad news when him or the one in charge of The Farm were calling from someone.
"Follow me." He ordered before turning his back and starting to walk away, not waiting for her.
Nodding to her instructor, she then started running to catch up to him.
"Sir, can I know why I'm being called?" She asked respectfully.
In general, the people they called upon were the ones who got sacked by the program because they did not make the cut. When she had started it a few months ago, they were thirty five. Now, almost three months later, they were only nine people left, 6 mens and three women's including her
"No." He answers harshly, his tone of voice warning her to not say anything more.
Getting the message loud and clear, she kept silent and followed him where he was leading her. The more they walked, the more uneasy she became as she recognized that they were going to the office of the lead instructor. The unease transformed quickly in dread when she heard the lead instruction yelling at someone in his office.
The yelling cut off abruptly when instructor Peters knocked on the door before entering the office, taking her with him. Inside the office, she could recognize the lead instructor that she saw a number of times giving class or administering punishment. She could see that it was quite pissed off by the look of his face and eyes. Facing him, there was another man looking calm and a little shy of forty years old in uniform, the stripes identifying him as a colonel in the USAF. She had been taught to recognize the stripes of the uniforms from various military and country across the globe as part of her training here.
"Sir, recruit Kim as you requested."
"Thanks Peters, you can go back to your previous assignment." He said, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.
Nodding, the instructor leaves the office, giving a warning glance to Kim on his way out. Once Peters leaves the room, two sets of eyes focus on her. The lead instructor with anger and suspicion, the colonel with open curiosity on his face.
"Recruit Kim, I'm going to ask you something only once, I expect the truth from you. Did you apply for a position in the US Air Force?" He asked with piercing eyes.
"Sir?" She asked surprised and more than a little lost.
"Just answer the question!" He ordered in a cold voice.
"No sir, I did not." She answers honestly.
"You see?" The head instructor said to the colonel, designating the young woman with his hand. "Now this is clear, I'm going to ask you to leave Colonel McCornaig."
"I've never said that she did Agent Nuttows. You grasping at straws here, you saw my orders. She's coming with me, whether you like it or not." He said with a slight smile on his face.
"Your orders are pure bullshit! You even refuse to say for who you are working for and why you are taking away one of my most promising agents!"
"This is a need to know basis and you don't need to know, agent. The only question here is, are you going to comply with the orders you have or do I need to send the army here to arrest you?"
Locking eyes for a moment, the agent's face was turning redder and it seemed to be ready to explode any moment. It was only the knowledge that it would accomplish nothing that made him relent in his envy to throw the colonel out of his office.
"Recruit Kim, gather your thing from the barracks, then meet the colonel in thirty minutes at the front gate." He ordered, gnashing the words so much that he looked like his teeth were going to break.
"But sir, I don't want to…" Kim started before she was stopped abruptly by her superior.
"This is not a matter for debate, you have orders like I have mine. Go, now." He ordered coldly.
"Yes sir." She straightened before leaving the office. It was only when she was out of earshot that the agent turned back to the man in uniform.
"This is not over Colonel. I will get to the bottom of this." He threatened.
"I would like to see you try agent Nuttows. Do I need to remind you that the CIA has no jurisdiction in the US? If I were to see you or see the CIA spying the military, I believe it would be akin to treason. I would hate to see you or someone working for you label as an enemy combatant and executed. Oh times flies, I'm going to let you to it agent, goodbye." The colonel said, leaving the office. It was only when he heard something crash and broke in the office that he let a smile make his way on his face. He knew it was going to be fun and it has been.
*****
Ex recruit Kim was surprised but happy to be back in New York after passing the last month in the middle of Virginia. She was still following the colonel that took her away from the CIA training ground even if by now he had changed into civilian clothes. She had tried a few times to engage a conversation with him on their way here but he had just answered with 'You'll see later.' or 'I'm not the best person to answer this.'.
"This is our stop." He said, paying the cab driver and making a move to tell her to get out of the car.
Getting out of the car, she followed the colonel that was walking in the direction of the subway. Descending the stairs and walking in the direction of the tracks, he suddenly stopped.
"Give me your phone, please." He asked.
Nodding, she did so, not at all surprised at the demand as she was expecting it. Taking the phone, he dismantled it before putting the piece in a box that he had in his pocket.
"Thanks, follow me, we are not going into the subway."
Walking into a service tunnel, she follows him into side tunnel to side tunnel. It was almost a labyrinth and she was convinced that she could never go back to the track even if her life depended on it. There was no sign anywhere and still the colonel looked like he knew the way like the back of his hand.
Stopping in the middle of a tunnel, he put his hand on a wall. Reacting to the touch there was a sound and then the wall opened, revealing a hidden tunnel going in another direction. Giving her a smile seeing her surprise expression, he led her into it where they finished in front of an armored door where he opened it with his hand once again.
Passing the door, they were welcome by a cute girl with brown hair. Behind her, another young man was busy dismantling a computer, part everywhere around him.
"Hey Scott, how was your trip?" She asked looking at the girl behind him with interest.
"Not too bad, take this, it's her phone. Can you swipe her?"
"Of course." Taking a device and swiping her from head to toes. "She's good."
"Can you tell me where the boss is?"
"In his office." She answers, her hand pointing to the right.
'Thank you Lina. Leave your suitcase here Kim." Scott asked, before bringing her to one of the doors.
Knocking, the colonel didn't wait for an answer as he knew he was already expected. Entering the office and seeing who was on the other side, she was so surprised that her jaw almost fell to the floor.
"Hello Na-Yung." He smiled brightly at her.