The wooden chair was left in the bathroom, all the lights were turned on, and she was a mess of emotions sitting in a corner.

After finding the notebook, she had dressed in the usual black clothing and forgot that the rest of the world existed.

She flipped through the pages, impressed by her mind. Everything was written in code. Not just any code. The one she and Kayla had invented when they were nine in an attempt to share messages in the middle of the class without the teachers or the other classmates understanding them.

They had created an entire alphabet, words, numbers; everything the two girls needed to communicate. Alba had used the same code to write in her notebook.

If someone happened to find it, they could never translate it.

The first phrase had been imprinted in her mind, and she, drunk with surprise and full of questions, was trying to find an answer. Old Alba believed that her parents' plane crash was something more. Someone had intentionally caused it, and being in PROTEA would bring her closer to the truth.

But why did I believe it? The experts said that it was a mechanical malfunction. How and why would I believe something else?

There was some info about the base, some routes she had designed, a couple of agents' names, but they weren't useful.

Until she found a dozen pages full of numbers. The number 23 was on the top of each page. There were some percentages, some numbers mixed with letters, some coding, but everything was too confusing for her.

I understood what I had written. I must figure it out. Those numbers might be part of the truth.

She flipped through the pages a little bit more and was ready to close the notebook and rest when she noticed the last written page. A name was written in the middle of the almost empty page: Axel. Underneath that name was a question: "Why did you betray me, Agent 40-S?"

She stopped breathing for a second, and her vision blurred. She muffled a cry and tried to calm herself.

It could be something irrelevant, right? That doesn't mean he betrayed me about something important. But what do I know? PROTEA literally means hiding and giving a fake image. How do I know that there is a single person that I can trust in this hellish place?

"Inhale, exhale, Rivet," she said to herself.

Slowly her breathing returned to normal, and she wiped a tear the moment it was about to fall.

You won't drive me crazy. I'll figure it out, and then I'll get out of here.

She put the notebook on the table and lay on the messy bed. Remembering Dr. Smith's techniques, she tried to put everything aside, and soon, she fell asleep.

Everything around her was green. A few rays of light appeared through the trees, but they weren't enough to warm the chilly air. Her black boots were covered in mud, and the empty gun on her waist was feeling heavy. Her back was resting on the trunk of a tree, and she was trying to be quiet, waiting for the enemy to make a mistake.

She tried to remember every detail from her training.

Be quiet and listen. You got this, girl. If I win this, I can go on field missions. Just focus.

She peeked to see if she could spot the enemy. Nothing. Two meters away was a tree with a wide trunk. It would hide her better.

One, two, three.

She sprinted toward the tree, the gun in her hands, ready to shoot.

She heard someone moving, the branches breaking under his feet.

Moving the gun in front of her face and preparing herself to shoot, she glanced toward the place from which the sound had been heard. He was hidden behind a fallen tree, his disheveled, brown hair emerging above the trunk.

It must be ten meters from here. Unless he stands up, I can't shoot him and cause severe damage.

A few bushes were in front of her. She fell on the ground, her clothes brushing against the wet ground, and started crawling as soundless as she could. A couple of branches scratched her blouse, but she had to continue.

Seven meters left.

Alba had nowhere else to hide. She had to shoot or wait for her death.

"You can't beat me, little girl," he shouted.

Don't talk, she reminded herself. He's trying to provoke you.

She was on her knees, her arms bent, steadily holding the gun.

I have two bullets. I have to spare them.

"You have what? Three bullets? Not enough to hit me."

"Oh, yeah? Then, why don't you show up, coward?" she shouted the last word, certain that it would entertain the people who were watching them through the drones.

Remember what he taught you. Think of where you want the bullet to end up and pull the trigger.

He started moving behind the fallen tree, preparing for his attack.

"Surrender, or I shoot," she warned him.

"Not today."

She knew that he was smirking. The shooting wasn't one of her best traits, and there was nowhere to hide. The bushes wouldn't protect her from the bullets. She would either kill him or die.

Come on, Alba. Remember why you are here. Don't let them beat you.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly raised herself from the ground, the gun pointing in his direction.

"I'm not dying today," she said, but she wasn't sure if she spoke loud enough.

A few leaves on the ground rustled, and she realized that he was doing the same thing she had done before: he was crawling.

He wants to surprise me. He isn't going to stand up. Now, from which side should I expect him?

She tried to watch if she could see him, but he was too good.

Where are you?

She noticed that the ground had a very slight slant, but the fallen tree wasn't huge, and he was muscular.

He's going left.

A smug smile appeared on her face. He hadn't made it easy. She had been crawling, jumping, running, hiding for hours, but two could play the game.

Her body was ready, her fingers hugging the gun, her dark, green eyes narrowed, waiting for his move.

He jumped from the ground, not toward her but to his right, trying to make her lose her target. However, she was prepared. He started moving, his gun pointing to her, his body never leaving her enough time to focus her aim. She shot, and the fake bullet brushed against his arm. He grinned, knowing that she was almost out of bullets.

Almost.

He shot, and she barely had time to duck, but she slipped on the ground and fell on her side. He was nearing her, ready to end her, when she gripped the gun and aimed at his torso. She had never shot again while lying on her side, but she had learned her lesson.

He was ready to pull the trigger, but she didn't hesitate.

A loud bang was heard, and he fell, hitting his head on the ground.

The bullet had hit his heart. She won. Agent 23 would go to Bratislava, and Alba Rivet was one step closer to find her parents' murderer.

An annoying beeping stopped her from cheering for her win. Alba opened her eyes and cursed herself for not changing the phone's notification ringtone.

"The program ended. Come to the electronics' room."

It was 8.30.

So much for resting.

She cleaned her face and put her hair in a ponytail. She put the notebook to the hiding spot and blamed herself for not hiding it before sleeping. Giving one final look at the room, she made sure that everything looked normal and headed to her work.

A couple of agents greeted her, and she smiled professionally. The dream was still in her mind, but she knew it was a memory.

Axel. I have a name now. This happened right before Bratislava. So, how long have I been an agent? Training lasts from six months to two years, depending on the physical condition. But let's focus on the important stuff. I started to remember. And I need to read the notebook again. I'm sure I missed a lot.

"I hope you rested enough. You have to do your magic and find Neva's location."

"It's not magic, Assistant Agent X. It's science and logic."

She didn't let the woman in the suit respond and immediately sat in front of the central computer. Her fingers started typing, and her mind forgot her dream.

One hour later, Alba hit her fist on the desk, making the keyboard shudder, and said loudly, "I got them. I have the location."

A round of applause filled the room, but everyone fell quiet when Agent O entered the room.

"What happened?"

"We found them. I'll let the Chief know." Assistant Agent X left the room, and Agent O walked to Alba.

"That was fast."

"Many people were working at the same time, and the systems here are advanced."

"And yet they couldn't find the location without you." He put his hand on the desk and stared at her, waiting to look at him.

"I did my job. Like always." She turned around and faced his icy eyes without blinking.

"Make sure it's not a trap. I don't want to send my agents straight to death."

"I am already scanning the area for hidden technology, transmitters, and Wi-Fi signal."

"How did you find Neva?"

Her face was expressionless.

Is that an interrogation, or is he doubting my findings?

"Using the government's satellite, I traced the four cars he used to get out of the town. I lost his tracks somewhere in the forest, but I ran the same program for Azarov, hoping that they would meet again. They didn't. But one of Azarov's men left the rest of his team midway. I checked the security camera's from a nearby gas station, and I saw him renting a car and following Neva's direction. The rest was about trilateration and a lot of observation."

He seemed to process the information and didn't speak for a few seconds.

"Well," -he put his hand on her shoulder- "we are lucky to have you in our team."

He smiled and turned around. Before he distanced himself, Alba called him, "I don't believe in luck, Agent O. I believe in my abilities and my hard work."

Alba never found out if he smiled or made any facial expression, but her instinct told her that he had shown nothing.

We cannot trust them. Don't forget that, brain.

Everyone around her was working, scanning the area, and preparing the final details of their plan.

He will be here soon. But I have to talk to someone else first.

"Excuse me, can I leave? I need to talk to the Chief."

"Of course," Agent 16-E said. "We can handle it from here. But be back when the team leaves for the mission."

"I will. Can I take that tablet with me?" She picked up a tablet she was working with.

"You know that we usually-"

"I know, but I want to keep track of their place. In case something changes. One more pair of eyes won't hurt." She gave her most confident look, looking directly into the woman's eyes.

Say yes, and let me go.

"Alright. Be careful."

Alba started walking toward the Chief's office, the tablet secured in her hands.

She didn't remember where every corridor was leading to, but she had memorized the base's blueprints while waiting for the gas station's camera records.

The tall man from the previous day was exiting the Chief's office.

"Hello, Agent 23."

"Hello. What brings you here? I thought you'd be taking care of the cars for the mission."

"I'm heading there. Everyone in the base is talking about your skills."

She raised an eyebrow and raised her head as she came side by side with him.

"Don't listen to chit-chat. Rumors spread fast. We all do our job. The world comes first, doesn't it?"

"You changed from the last time you were in the base."

The smirk left her face, and she struggled to keep her face straight.

"How so?"

"You are more confident. Someone might think you are up to something dangerous."

If only you knew how terrified I am.

"We are agents. Dangerous is our middle name." She winked and smiled playfully. "It was nice talking to you."

He nodded his head and extended his arm, showing her the way to the Chief's office.

She knocked on the door twice and opened it only when she heard "Come in."

He was sitting behind his office, a pile of files stacked on it. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his hair needed a shower.

"I need to use your phone, Rob. I left suddenly, and someone will be worried about me."

"Of course. Go ahead." He pointed at his mobile on the edge of the desk, his eyes never leaving the papers in front of him.

She put the tablet on a table and opened the mobile phone.

Isn't it funny that an agent doesn't have a password? But then, I didn't have one on mine. Who am I to judge?

She typed the phone number she knew too well. It was the only one she had learned by heart after the accident.

Less than ten seconds passed, when the familiar female voice said, "Hello?"

"Hey, K." Alba distanced herself from the desk and tried to talk as quietly as possible.

"Alba? Where the hell are you? Do you know how scared I was yesterday? Why don't you pick up-"

"I'm fine. That's why I called you. I'm out of town. I needed some time to clear my mind. I'll be back soon."

"Then why didn't you answer my calls or my messages?"

"I forgot my phone in the apartment. Now, I'm using a phone from a local café. I can't talk a lot. Just don't worry. I'll explain everything when I'm back. I love you. Don't forget that."

"I love you too, Albie. Are you sure that-"

"I'll contact you again soon. You should focus on your life. I can handle some time alone. Bye."

She ended the call, more depressed than before, and left the mobile phone on the desk.

"My friend was worried."

"Kayla, right?"

That was the first time that he looked at her.

"Yes," she answered reluctantly.

"You told me once how great she is."

Did I?

"Yeah, she is. She's been very helpful the last couple of months."

Why don't you react? Why don't you say something? You have my files. Your people keep tabs on everyone.

He nodded, and his face took a different, almost nostalgic look.

"I had a best friend who cared about me. I was the reckless one, and I made him worry all the time. I regret my behavior now."

"Why? What happened?"

His lips became a straight line, and he looked at her in a way that made her uncomfortable.

"He died. I hadn't seen him in years, but when I learned about it... Some people never truly leave you. Not even when they die."

Her throat became dry and her eyes watery.

I know how it feels. If only amnesia had erased my emotions too in some cases.

"I'm sorry for your friend. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's alright. Do you need anything else?" She shook her head. "Then, please, go and rest. You need it."

"You should rest too." He made a grimace and showed her the pile of papers in front of him. "Maybe later."

The discussion hadn't ended the way she had expected it to. The question still remained.

Why is he lying? Why doesn't he acknowledge my accident?

However, something inside her stirred. While he was talking about his friend, he looked vulnerable, normal, friendly.

No, don't let them fool you. They work here far longer than you. PROTEA means more to them than it does to you.

She walked faster, determined to learn more. Her room was the only place where she could be alone. With the tablet still in her hands, she passed by a few agents, without stopping.

Let's find out what happened in Bratislava.