The question is, who are you?

But she couldn't say that. Not when his eyes were piercing her, challenging her, intimidating her. The warmth of his body didn't make it any easier.

She raised her head, and, hoping to have a proud and arrogant look on her face, she said, "I'm Agent 23, have you forgotten?"

"Oh, really?"

She nodded as she pinned her body to the wall, her sweaty palms touching the cold surface.

"Then, why were you lost in the hallway?"

"I wasn't."

"No? Because you looked like you didn't know where to go. Agent 23 knows every corner of this place."

She pursed her lips and tried to come up with a smart line.

"Listen, I don't know what you are trying to do, but the Chief is waiting for me. We can't let the Chief wait, right?" She repeated agent 16-E's words.

"You look exactly like her, but you are acting differently. There is something odd in your look." He was staring at her green eyes, and Alba feared that he could see the truth in them.

I guess I couldn't keep pretending for too long. But how did he realize it by only looking at me? No one else understood it.

"I'm worried, and I must work. It was nice talking to you, but I have to go."

She tried to move his arm from the wall, but when he didn't move, she bent a little and got free. She was a couple of meters away from the door, but the young man wouldn't let her go. He grabbed her by the elbow, and she hissed in pain.

Confusion and something that Alba couldn't identify filled his eyes, and he immediately released her arm.

"What do you want?" Her voice was low yet threatening. She was getting tired of waiting for the big reveal.

"One question, and I'll let you go."

"Okay."

Don't ask me your name, don't ask me your name, she prayed internally.

"Last time we met, who kissed the other first?"

Alba failed to hide her shock, and her mouth dropped open.

We kissed? We... No, it can't be.

Everything was too confusing, but she had to answer. He was confident, certain about himself, and that smirk on his face...

"You. You kissed me."

His face remained emotionless; not even his eyes could speak. He moved his arm and pointed to the door.

Alba couldn't believe how lucky she was.

What else are you hiding, Agent 23? What have you done with this man?

She reached for the handle, and the door opened silently.

"Go ahead. Talk to the Chief. I'll be waiting outside his office, and then, we will talk."

The woman turned her head and looked at him.

"I never kissed you. We were friends."

Great job, Alba. Great job.

She gave one final glance and closed the door, certain that he would keep his word.

Hunter and prey, here we come. But that doesn't mean I can't be the hunter too.

However, the problem remained. Where was the Chief's office?

There are three doors here. What can go wrong?

She was ready to open the first door when the second opened, and two men got out.

"Agent 23. Just the person I was waiting for." The man had grey hair, and he wasn't too tall for a man, but he was taller than Alba. A few wrinkles were visible around his brown eyes, and his smile showed his white teeth.

"I was told that I needed to be here."

"Right. We need to discuss. Agent O, we will see you in the meeting."

Alba looked at the second man. He had a long scar on his left cheek and light, blue eyes. While the Chief wore a suit, he was dressed more casually, with plain trousers and a black shirt with its sleeves rolled up, revealing a strong arm with visible veins.

"It's good to have you back, Agent 23."

"Thank you, Agent O."

She followed the Chief in his office. It was different than the rest of the place, or at least from what she had seen the last hour. Instead of the grey, brown or black atmosphere of the base, the office was full of life. A few plants in the corners, a couple of paintings hanging on the wall, and a comfortable, dark blue sofa.

"Did you like it? It's new."

"Um, yes, sir." She smiled.

He doesn't look angry. What if he called me for the work?

"You know very well that when we are together, I don't like you calling me sir. Rob is fine."

"Right. I'm sorry, I am worried about the news."

He sat on the sofa, and she took her place a meter away from him. Her mind was still trying to process the fact that they were close enough for her to call him "Rob." She had realized that no one knew each other's real names in the base.

"I know that when you took the job, I promised that I wouldn't make you do something illegal. I know your moral compass, but you know very well that after Bratislava the government has stopped every communication, and right now, we need their satellite."

"Do you believe they know something?"

"My concern now is to find Neva and Azarov. We capture them, and then we deal with everything else. You are excellent with computers. Will you do this for us? For the world? I hope you understand why we must stop them."

So I did have a moral compass. That's a relief. But can I trust their word that these people will do something terrible? I don't know them. Fuck! I must find out what happened in Bratislava.

"Alright. I'll do it. Is there something else that I need to know?"

Beside everything.

"No. I'll give a quick announcement in the meeting, and then, you can start. The meeting is mostly about the field agents."

"Oh, I see."

He took her hands into his. "Now, it's not a good time to go out there. I know that Αgent 40-S has done an excellent job with you, but I don't think you are ready for the field missions."

"I understand, Rob. I'll do whatever is needed."

"Good. Now, excuse me, but I have one last thing to do before the meeting."

He stood up, and Alba understood that it was the moment to leave.

Someone trained me. Maybe that's why my stamina was so good. Kayla was surprised when I started running those long distances.

At that moment, it hit her. Kayla had no idea where she was. How much time had passed? What if she called her or went to her apartment? Alba reached to the back pocket of her trousers and found her agent phone.

Let's give it a try.

"If you want to communicate with someone out there, you can't. The only way is through the main system, the Great Room or the Chief's office."

She internally face-palmed herself. How could she forget about him?

"We need to talk."

"Fine, but not here."

"I know a place."

He started walking, and she followed him, trying to catch up with his long strides. Now that she was looking at him from a distance, she could see how strong and athletic his body was. She had believed that he was confident, but he was more than that. He looked like a man who had fought hard to be where he was.

He must be a good guy because I trusted him. But I never told Kayla about that, so what's real?

He led her through another corridor where they met two agents who seemed to know her. She followed his lead and gave them a nod without stopping to talk to them.

Finally, he opened a door and let her inside that room.

She didn't expect something specific, but she was surprised to face a bedroom. It had the same boring, dark grey walls as the rest of the base and the only furniture was a bed, a chair, a small table, and what must had been the simplest wardrobe.

"This is my room. No one can hear us."

He closed the door and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"You are wrong," she told him. "I'm Agent 23 but with some complications."

"What happened to your arm? I saw the scar when I hurt you."

Is he concerned, or is it another typical question of his interrogation? Because I do feel like a prisoner sitting on his bed.

She rolled up her sleeve and showed her long scar. It started a little bit higher from her wrist and ended at her elbow. It wasn't that nasty anymore, but it was uncomfortable and not the greatest thing to have on your body.

"I have more, but they aren't the real problem."

"I don't understand." He let his arms fall, took the chair, and sat in front of her, with his hands clasped together, his torso leaning toward her.

"I had an accident. The doctors said I am a miracle. A huge metal pole from the truck that hit me pierced my torso. I don't have a spleen anymore. I also have this scar on my arm, a couple more on my hip. I broke a lot of ribs; my wrist was shattered, but that's not the worst."

He was no longer tense. The way she talked about her injuries and the light tone she tried to give had shocked him as much as the accident.

"I have amnesia. I don't remember the last six years of my life. I have a few glimpses from time to time, but sometimes I don't know what's real. Imagine my surprise when I got a message on a phone I didn't remember I had and saw them calling me Agent."

"Oh, my God, Alba. I'm so sorry."

She didn't have time to react before he got up and closed his arms around her. A part of her was screaming to get away from that stranger, but then, something flashed and she was in the forest with him hugging her in the same way. She shook her head in frustration and hugged him back. Her mind didn't remember him, but her body felt at ease as his arms lightly touched her back.

"I thought agents don't know each other's names," she said when they stopped hugging.

"I told you we were friends. We are... I guess." He sighed and passed his hand through his short-cut hair.

"I don't know what will happen if they find out the truth. I can probably do what they want because it looks like coding comes automatically for me. I can do it; I just don't always understand it."

"I won't say anything. But what if-"

"Don't. I'll remember, I have to. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What's your name?"

He grinned, and then he started laughing. His laugh filled the room, and for the first time in hours, Alba laughed too.

"I missed you, bunny."

She raised her eyebrow while holding her belly that hurt after the laughing.

"Never mind. I'm Agent 40-S. S goes for strategy. I'm one of the people who create plans, organize team works and things like that. I usually go on field missions too. I trained you. That's how we met."

"Chief said you did an excellent job with me."

"I don't know about that, but I was certainly very patient." He laughed again, and Alba wished that she would be able to make him laugh more often.

"What about your real name?"

He smirked, and his eyes shined in playfulness.

"I'll let you discover it."

"What did Neva and Azarov do?"

"They want to control the world, not with weapons, though they love them, but with something else. Mind-control. Our info says that they are close to finding a chip or something that they can implant on others and gain full access to their brain. At first, it can be a country of programmed soldiers who will stop at nothing. And then, who knows?"

"Alright, but why are we the only ones who want to stop them? Why won't the government help?"

"It's complicated. I'll explain later. Come on, I'll give you some names on our way to the Great Room. Hopefully, you can survive a little more here."

He helped her stand, and he went to open the door when she touched his forearm so lightly, but he turned around fast and waited for her question.

"You believe that something wrong will happen if they find I have amnesia, right? That's why you are helping me."

Her eyes were pleading for the truth, but how could he explain that the enemy had many faces?

"I help you because there is no way out, and I don't want them to start asking questions and making you uncomfortable."

She tensed her grip around his arm, and her face got a stern look. They both knew she wouldn't let him go unless he answered honestly.

"I don't know what they'll do. What I do know is that here it's all about survival and the greater good. That might sound nice, but you are a liability. And in here and out there, when there is a liability in the team, we take it down."