A Life for A Life

*Caitlyn’s POV*

“Agent Morgan Lee.” I acknowledged through the phone.

“Caitlyn. What a surprise and here I thought you would be keeping yourself in the dark as long as you can.” The man’s voice ranged through the phone.

“Even I know I cannot run forever.” I answered, voice flat and serious. “I’m not here for casual conversation Lee. I want answers.”

“Why your parents are attempting to kill you, yes?”

“Not just that. I want to know my whole purpose for ever being a part of the CIA since I was young. Your facility has trained me to become an agent whenever I became of age, but now you are trying to kill me.”

“And you’re trusting me to give you these answers?”

I felt my voice become deadly with a threat. “I trust you to be honest with me. I know who your family is, Agent Lee. I’m sure the last thing you want to see is any of them hurt.”

There was a brief pause. He was marking my words. “I never sought to see you as the type to be threatening my family’s lives to get what you want. You were always the type to find out on your own.”

“My life is hanging on a thread.” I answered. “And my sources are limited due to that. So if you don’t want to see your family hurt, I suggest you start talking.”

There was silence. “I know you want answers, Caitlyn, but even I don’t know what this company is planning. I’ve known you ever since you were small and I knew they had a purpose for you the moment they showed you through those glass doors, but I never knew why. I never questioned it either, not until now.”

I wasn’t happy with the answer. “Agent Lee…”

“But Agent Landon and Agent Carl introduced you as their daughter. I knew something was up. I knew those two had their first child, Michelle, because I remember Agent L being pregnant. She was never pregnant a second time. Caitlyn, those two are not your blood-parents.”

I felt the small shock of the news settle in. “What…”

“But I understand what you are wanting for yourself. With the life of my family on the line, I will find out as much as possible. I will find out what your purpose was for the CIA and why your parents are wanting to have you dead.”

I could sense a different meaning behind his words. I think he knew I wouldn’t bring his family into this situation, whether my life was on the line or not. Somehow I felt he wanted me to be safe. Why? I didn’t know. But either way, I knew better than to get others involved. I didn’t want the blood on my hands. That was why I didn’t want Louis in any of this. Because I knew if I did, the blood that may fall on my hands could fall onto his as well.

Louis was innocent.

My innocence disappeared many years ago.

“Give me three weeks.” I heard through the phone.

“Don’t let me down.” I finally said, hanging up the phone.

I looked over at Louis, was doing nothing more than staring at me with a fixed expression of confusion and perhaps fear. His eyes were wide, his jaw clenched. “Cat…” He started. “Two weeks I’ve kept you hidden, but now you want to come out in the open and reveal yourself to someone. Is that safe?”

“Don’t worry about it Louis.” I answered. “It’s no business you should be getting yourself into-“

“No!” Louis said suddenly. He ran a hand through his hair. “Two weeks I kept my mouth shut about you from my best mates. Two weeks I’ve been restless and barely sleeping. Two weeks I’ve been watching every corner, making sure no one suspicious was looking for me. Cat, all I know about you is that your parents are trying to kill you. A girl I just met and I’m scared for her life. I barely know you, actually, no, I don’t even know your name. I want to help you, but you… you don’t trust me. Haven’t I proven to you that you could? I want to help, but I need to know what I’m fighting against. Instead of seeing me as your enemy, why can’t you see me as a friend and ally?”

I clenched my jaw, staring up at him. He reached out, grasping my wrist and turning my hand up, taking his other hand and crossing our thumbs and wrapping his fingers around the back of my hand. “Actually, I know it’s not that you can’t trust me, but you’re scared. I know you don’t want to see me hurt, but I can’t look after myself if I don’t know what to expect. I want to protect you just as well as you are protecting me. Can’t you please just tell me what I need to know so I know what to do?”

I swallowed. I stared down at our joint hands. Before, I would distance myself with others. Now I don’t even flinch at the mere closeness of Louis’s presence. I knew I couldn’t keep him in the dark forever, but I really wished I could avoid getting him into all of this. It was impossible. He would have to know. He had to know.

“Do you really think you can handle knowing?” I asked, needing to know.

“I want to know what I need to be knowing.” Louis answered. “I’m not sure what it is, but I feel if I know, I can make myself do more without having you just telling me what to do.”

I nodded, satisfied with his answer. “I’ll tell you what you need to know. It won’t be much, because even I’m not sure what’s going on.”

“It’s okay.” His grip around my hand tightened. “We can figure it out. We’re in this together.”

The words brought a small smile onto my lips. That had to have been the most reassuring thing I’ve heard these two weeks. It actually made me feel better. Not only that, but I could feel myself beginning to trust Louis. Not in a sense of just watching my back, but I felt I could trust him with my life. I wanted to thank him, but I knew we had little time and I needed to explain to him just what he needed to know about me and what we were both facing. He had to know before it was too late.