A brain-splitting headache overtook my senses as I slowly came to. It felt like I was stuck in an in between period – my ears ringing loudly as I stayed surrounded by darkness, and the only thing that seemed to be working was my mind as it clung to a specific memory from my past.

I was remembering the last time I had felt like this. This helpless. This much in pain.

It had happened in the second group home I'd been sent to after my adoptive parents had been killed in a car accident. The caretakers were clever in the sense that they acted as though they were responsible and caring when the social workers visited, but when the doors to the home were locked and no one was there to see, they had no rules. They didn't care for us, barely giving us enough food to survive as they saved the money they were getting all for themselves.

As a child, I'd been quiet, and even after my parents died I kept up that persona, until one night two months into my stay at the group home. I'd been minding my own business, sitting in the back corner of the yard with a book in my lap, trying to appear as small and insignificant as possible to hide from the other kids. It was no use however, as two of the older boys found me that afternoon, and they were looking for some form of sick amusement. They'd grabbed the book I'd been reading – the one that my dad had read to me most nights before bed, and held it tauntingly above my head.

"What'cha gonna do about it?" they had teased, laughing as they believed I would just sit back and take their bullying.

I remembered squeezing my small hands into fists and asking for the book back, but when they'd shrugged me off, I'd had enough. All the pent-up anger and emotions I'd kept inside came out at that moment, as I fought the best I could at that age, which ended up not being much. However, it was enough for the two boys, who were only two years older than me, to understand that I wouldn't cower down to them.

The rest of that day was a blur of fighting and flashing lights, and when all was said and done, I'd ended up in the hospital with my first concussion, a broken wrist, and a disappointed social worker telling me that I was being transferred to yet another home.

When I opened my eyes this time though, I wasn't an eight-year old girl. I was a twenty-one-year-old woman, and though there was a faint smell of antiseptic wafting through the air, I knew that I couldn't possibly be in a hospital. Blinking slowly, the mint colouring of the walls was quick to throw my mind for a loop, knowing that the walls of my apartment were all the same stark shade of white.

It was only when the rest of the room came into focus – the other beds lined up beside mine, the large pane glass windows that covered the entire opposite wall, and the looming wooden door at the right side of the room, that everything came rushing back.

The men on the street. The fight. The man coming to my apartment.

Drawing in a sharp breath, I sat up with a fright. My eyes frantically moved around the room, looking for some sort of sign as to where the hell I was. My heart beat sped up as I realized I was all alone, and though I figured I mustn't be the only person in the entire building, from the vast amount of forest that was visible through the windows, I knew I wasn't anywhere close to my apartment.

Just as I was about to throw my legs out from underneath the blanket that had bunched up around my waist, the large doors creaked open. My movements froze as a girl, seemingly my age, walked into the room with a tray in her hands. My focus was on her as she continued moving towards me, and it was only when she looked up and her eyes met mine that she realized I was awake.

Her steps slowed and her eyes widened. "You're awake," she stated, a sense of relief in her voice as a small smile pulled at her lips. The seconds ticked by as I let her words hang in the air, but even with thousands of questions spinning around in my head, I found myself doing nothing but clenching my fists into the blankets. A mixture of concern and confusion flooded her vision as she placed the tray in her hands on the table next to my bed and turned towards me, her forehead creased. "Are you okay?"

Breathing in deeply, I began to nod slowly. "I think so," I trailed, my voice just above a whisper, but with the way my leg began to shake, I knew my words couldn't be farther from the truth.

The last thing I remembered was being attacked, getting away, and then dropping unconscious in the arms of a stranger in my apartment. I wasn't okay – not even close.

It was as if the girl sensed this, her eyes scanning my features intently before she took a step back to give me space. She leant up against the edge of the bed next to mine, letting the silence drag on for a while more before asking in a serious tone, "What do you remember?"

"Everything," I replied, my voice quivering. I didn't sound like myself – all worried and reserved. It'd been a long time since I cowered away from a situation, but this, whatever it was, was something I just couldn't wrap my head around. "I got off the train and was followed by this guy, and I guess a few others since they were all waiting for me. I tried to fight, and when two others showed up I thought I was safe. I got home, locked my doors, but it wasn't enough. Someone came by my apartment, broke down my door, and the last thing I remember was calling 9-1-1 before completely blacking out."

The longer I spoke, the angrier I got. Not only had my birthday been completely ruined by a fluke attempt at kidnapping, but someone had disrespected my privacy, broken into my house, and somehow knocked me out cold and dragged me away to god knows where.

It was only then that I realized that this girl, whoever she was, probably already knew all of this. My eyes snapped upwards, and my suspicions were confirmed as I saw not even a flicker of surprise pass over her features.

Before I could ask anything more, another voice overpowered my own. "Kira?"

My gaze flitted towards the doorway, and though a chill ran down my spine at the sight of him, I couldn't stop the fury from spreading through my veins.

"You."

It was him alright. The young man who'd helped me escape the exchange on the streets and had followed me back to my apartment. He was the reason I was here right now and not in the comfort of my own place.

Although it was clear that he'd been looking for the girl next to me, when he noticed I was awake his steps halted, seemingly unbothered as his eyes pierced into mine. Without giving it a second thought, I sprung from my position on the bed and marched towards him.

"What did you do?" I exclaimed, anger dripping from each word as I got closer. My hands clenched into fists, and when he didn't immediately answer, any sense of control I had left snapped. I raised my arm, bringing it back before pushing my fist forward with the target of his face.

Just as my knuckles grazed his chin however, I felt a pair of arms circle my waist and pull me backwards, causing the tail end of my punch to hit nothing but air.

"Let me go," I said, twisting aggressively until I pulled myself from the girl's hold, whose name I took to be Kira.

"It's okay," she said levelly.

"Okay?" I repeated incredulously. "He – "

"I know," she continued firmly, cutting me off before turning her gaze to the right. "I don't really think now is the best time Beckett."

His gaze flitted to me momentarily and while his expression stayed blank, there was a vague humour that danced across his pupils as I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms in defense. "I can see that," he replied, his voice low and strong. "When you're done here, you know where to find me."

Nothing else was said as he turned and headed back out the door. Turning towards Kira, I lifted an eyebrow questioningly. She sighed. "I was going to explain."

"Were you?"

"Yes," she replied with no hesitation, "but please tell me that you're not going to freak out."

"Not if you just tell me what's going on," I exhaled, dragging a hand through my hair.

Heading back over to the bed I'd been allotted, I grabbed the bottle of water that had been on the tray that Kira had brought in, taking a swig as she began to explain. "I don't know a whole lot about why those men are after you, but I do know that for the last six months we've had agents tailing you to make sure that you weren't attacked."

"Wait," I cut her off, shaking my head with wide eyes, "after me?"

Kira nodded. "That attack wasn't random." I let out a shaky breath at this information. "We got word of it a few months back, and ever since then we've been on the lookout. There's been attempts in the past, but the agents responsible for watching over you have always gotten to them first."

"Agents?"

"Central intelligence agents belonging to Division 27 under the Strategic International Covert Operations, better known as S.I.C.O."

I snorted. "Unfortunate name."

Kira's lips tilted upwards slightly. "We've heard that before," she said, the amusement of the acronym not lost on her. "This organization isn't well-known. What the people on the streets know is that CIA and MI6 agents are responsible for government run covert operations, but we're a better kept secret."

The CIA? That would mean... "So, what? You guys are spies?"

"That's one name for us. There are people who focus on gathering intel on other organizations and criminals, there are those who are put right in the line of duty – the ones that go out and protect people on a day-to-day basis, there are people who go undercover for years to help make the world a better place, and then there's people like me, who prefer to stay here and work with the research that the organization works hard to keep under wraps."

As Kira's words registered in my head, my initial instinct was to believe that she was lying. None of what she was saying could be true. It couldn't be. But as things began to connect – small things, like how the two agents had shown up to help me that night and how they hadn't actively been trying to hurt me, I started to believe her.

"Okay," I started, and even though I couldn't even begin to process and accept what she was saying, I kept my voice steady. "Let's say you're telling the truth, what does any of this have to do with me?"

"I'm sorry, I don't actually know all that much about why those agents were assigned to protect you other that what I told you. As far as I know, you just showed up on our radar and haven't left."

That wasn't the response I'd been hoping for. I was looking for answers, but looking at the girl across from me, her auburn hair brought together in a tight ponytail and a look of sincerity in her eyes, I knew I wouldn't find them with her.

"What I can tell you though," she continued, "is that even though you may not think so, this is that safest place for you right now."

"Where even is here?"

Sliding off the bed, I padded across the floor towards the windows. There wasn't much that gave a hint as to where we were, though from the old stone that built up the vast towers and the expanse of forest that surrounded the building, I figured this place was well hidden, and had been for years.

"That's something I can't exactly tell you yet," Kira responded, and I glanced over my shoulder to see her looking at me with a hint of sympathy. "But, if you want, after the nurse has checked you over, I can show you around the grounds a bit."

A nod was all it took for me to respond, and as she left me to myself, I let my gaze veer back towards the window. Outside, I could see a few teenagers wandering near the forest line, as well as two middle-aged men walking along one of the footpaths, dressed in black with their heads close together to keep their conversation private. It was like I was being thrown into another world. One that didn't make sense and one where I didn't belong.

Mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted, I wandered back towards the bed I'd woken up in. There was no way that I'd be able to sleep with my brain currently working in overdrive to process everything that had happened, but that didn't stop me from settling into my blankets and resting my head against the pillow in hopes that a bit of rest would help me think clearer.

----------

"And this is the Grand Hall," Kira said as the two of us walked into what seemed to be nothing more than an upscale cafeteria.

When the nurse had come to check on me, I'd been a restless mess. Trying to relax hadn't done much for me, and since I hadn't wanted to get lost in the building that appeared to be as big as a castle, I'd stayed put. I'd paced up and down the length of the room more times than I could count, muttering under my breath as I attempted to set my thoughts straight. The nurse had immediately sat me down and got my breathing to even out before going over my vitals to make sure that nothing was seriously wrong. Kira had shown up just minutes later, and once I'd been given the okay to leave, I followed behind her down a large set of stones steps.

After being shown where a few of the classrooms and general research labs were located, as they were the closest to the infirmary, our next stop had been the Grand Hall.

It was relatively busy as groups of people gathered around the food counters before finding an empty place to sit. What struck me as surprising however, was the fact that it wasn't just teenagers and young adults taking up the space, but people of all ages, all dressed almost the exact same in mostly black clothing. Still wearing the same white long sleeve that I'd worn for my shift at Crimson Oaks, I stood out, and judging from the curious looks that people gave me as I hovered next to Kira in the entryway, I was certainly gaining some form of attention.

"Are you hungry?" Kira asked, turning to me with a raised eyebrow.

Although I hadn't eaten in who knows how long, food was the last thing from my mind in that moment.

I'd calmed down slightly, but that by no means meant that what Kira had told me just hours before had left my mind. I was in a building meant for people specializing in covert operations, and that fact alone left an unsettling feel in my stomach.

"No," I said, forcing out my reply with as much conviction as I could, "I'm good for now."

Kira's eyes focused on me for a moment, and while I'm sure she could tell that I was lying, she let the subject drop as she led me out of the Grand Hall.

For a while, as she continued to point out different facilities and rooms that we passed, it felt as if I was simply touring a university campus with a guide. She'd pointed out a common room, a high-tech computer lab, as well as where the living quarters were located. That mindset was quickly broken however, when we poked our heads into a lesson and I saw the different forms of interrogation scrawled across the blackboard.

This wasn't a university – not even close.

"How large is this place?" I asked in awe as we strolled along one of the footpaths outside the building. The building had four wings to it – each with its own looming tower, and that didn't even include the smaller barn-like structures that seemed to be scattered over the grounds.

A light chuckle left Kira's lips. "It's overwhelming at first," she started, "but everyone lives on the grounds, so the place has to be big enough for housing, to accommodate schooling for the younger recruits, and then all of our labs, practice facilities, and offices. Our Division owns most of the land surrounding the building, running far into the forests, and it's a necessity considering what some of the people here do on a daily basis. We need all the privacy and space we can get."

I nodded with a vague understanding, and before I could ask anything more, a girl no more than sixteen stopped us in our path. Her eyes flickered to me with a vague interest and curiosity, but after a fleeting moment, she turned to Kira and began to talk. My eyes widened as the words that spilled from her mouth were fluent in another language – possibly German or Russian, I couldn't be sure. What really threw me for a loop was when Kira answered easily in the same language, leaving me speechless as the girl nodded, spinning sharply on her heel as she let us be.

It wasn't lost on me that we were suddenly backtracking as Kira led me towards one of the barns situated near the far end of the grounds, right next to the forest line, but I didn't mention it as I asked, "So, how many languages do you know?"

A small smirk pulled at her lips. "Seven, fluently, and then I'm trying to pick up Chinese and Japanese," she replied, laughing as she noticed my eyebrows raise high with surprise. "You'll figure out pretty quickly that most people around here are fluent in a few different languages. It just helps us do what we do."

The unsettling feeling that had slowly been diminishing came back with a vengeance at the realization that she was talking as though I would be sticking around. My life hadn't always been the greatest, with only a few high points that I held near to my heart, but this insanity – this world that Kira seemed to live in, it wasn't me.

I stayed silent, walking in stride with Kira until she stopped, her hand reaching forward to gain a hard grip on the sliding metal door in front of us. "This," she began as she forced the door to slide open, "is the training barn."

And although it looked like an old barn on the outside, the inside was nothing if not intense.

There was training equipment set up around the edges – punching bags, weights, and machines galore, and out near the back of the space was a complex array of bars, nets, and barriers set up to look like training courses. These areas were taken up by younger people, practicing their skills and gaining their strength, but the center of the room was where my gaze was drawn.

There were numerous men and women matched together as they fought, either hand to hand combat or with sparring sticks in their disposal. The agility and strength these people had was astounding as I noticed a calculation and swiftness behind every move made, but as my eyes roamed from pair to pair, they were always pulled back to two men near the back of the crowd. It was evident that one fighter had a clear upper hand – a blatant aggressiveness behind each step he made that put him on top. He kept his fists close to his chest, blocking his opponent's advances instead of making his own, but in the split second that his opponent left himself vulnerable, he attacked. He lowered his body, spun on his heel and lifted his left foot in an impressive aerial kick that landed right on the jaw of his opponent, knocking him to his knees.

He didn't stop there though. He leaped to his feet, regaining his position to strike again, and only held back as his opponent bailed out.

"Taking an interest in fighting?" Kira mused, knocking my focus off the pair and back to her.

"It's just so..."

"Intense?" she finished for me, to which I nodded in response. "It's like that because if they can't master their technique in here, they know that they won't stand a chance out there."

As the training continued, Kira led me further into it. "So, what are we doing here?"

"Well," she begun, glancing back over her shoulder as I trailed behind her, "I've got to be somewhere for a while, so I thought I'd hand you off to someone you already seem to have gotten acquainted with."

My brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

There was no need for her to answer though, because while I was confused, everything fell into place as Kira stopped in her tracks. She'd led me over to the pair of fighters that I'd been watching, and while I hadn't had the best view of them when we'd been hovering near the doors, that wasn't a problem now.

The man who'd won was now unwrapping the tape that he'd secured on his hands, but as Kira called out his name and gained his attention, I gritted my teeth in annoyance as the anger I felt about being stuck in this situation resurfaced.

It was Beckett.