"Becca!" 

I turned in the direction of my name being called from the opposite side of the gym. Coach May wasn't looking happy. Her eyes were glaring directly at me with her lips pressed firmly together.

"Do you want to stop stretching and actually get to work?" her voice called out.

I knew that wasn't meant as a question.

I nodded towards her obediently, wiping my hands on my shorts. Practice hadn't even started and I was already sweating like crazy. An afternoon training session on a hot day wasn't exactly my ideal way to spend a Saturday. However, I was trying to focus on the positives. It was only a one-hour training session and once it was done, I'd have the rest of the night to relax and hang out with my friends.

Movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention and I turned my head to see my best friend Debby Edmond standing alongside me. Her dark skin was also glistening with sweat, confirming I wasn't the only one struggling with this heat.

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you," She nodded her head in the direction of Coach May. Her eyes met mine with a sympathetic look. "Kevin told me she was in a bad mood today."

I smiled as I quickly grabbed a fistful of my blonde hair, tying it up into a tight ponytail. "It's fine. It's nothing I can't handle."

It was true. I'd been training with Coach May for enough years not to be too badly intimidated by her. She was tough, but only for the right reasons. Every command, critique, and push she gave was only so I could better myself. 

"Becca!" I heard her voice call out again, this time louder and firmer. "Hurry up, or you won't be my star athlete anymore!" 

Even with the threat, I could hear the edge of humor in her tone. I looked back to Debby with a wide grin. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Go on star gymnast," she teased, nudging me with her elbow. "What are you working on?"

"Balance beam," I replied grimly. Balance was always my weakness so anytime I had a group training session, I would work specifically on improving it. When it was just my private sessions with Coach May, we focused more on specific routines and alternated different exercises.

"Fun," Debby muttered sarcastically. "I'm tackling vault."

"Just don't forget tonight," I reminded her as I slowly took a few steps backward towards the beam. "My Mom's throwing that party so she wants us to stay upstairs the entire night."

"Sounds good," she nodded, waving me off as she headed in the direction of the springboards. "See you in a bit!" I heard her call out before turning her back to me. Her fiery red hair bounced from side to side in its ponytail as she picked up her pace, running to get started.

I turned back around, focusing on the long, thin beam that was practically calling my name. I kept my eyes darted forward, hoping that Coach May still wasn't watching me impatiently.

I hoisted myself onto the thing, sucking in a deep breath. It already felt like the slightest movement would be enough to send me over the edge. The heat had left me incredibly overwhelmed and tired.

Today wasn't feeling like one of those 'star gymnast' days and if I was lucky, I could just get away with staying on the beam the entire session. I was hoping that Coach May would direct her attention towards some of the other gymnasts so there would be less pressure on me.

Once I'd mounted, I focused on a one arm press hold, sticking out my other arm as I tried to balance out my weight.

Even with the intense amount of focus that was required for the activity, I found my mind wandering off as I thought more about what would happen later that night. 

Another silly gathering.

My Mom was already probably busy at home trying to organize it. Every few months she would host a charity function for a different cause of her choice. Though I wasn't against anything that raised money for good causes, the thought of our house being crowded with people who were practically strangers to me and being forced to stay up in my room all night to avoid the commotion didn't sound fun. At least I'd have my two friends Debby and Kevin with me. The distraction would likely save my sanity. 

With the clutter of my thoughts, the rest of the gym session flew by without my realization. When Coach May called out to our group to tell us we were done, I looked up in disbelief. Though I had found it challenging to get into this session, once I'd gotten into the swing of things I'd forgotten about how tired I'd been feeling. I'd ended up going on the trampoline for the last half of it and working on my flips. Being up in the air and bouncing around had been enough to earn my focus back and work on some backward somersaults. 

I hopped off the trampoline, feeling the sweat drip down the back of my neck from the dampness of my ponytail. I was excited to know that I could finally go home but dreaded the thought of the walk back. I knew that the humidity in the gym was no improvement to the sun outside. There were several large electric fans attached to the ceiling, but at best all they did was circulate the hot air.

I made my way over to the seats on the other side of the gym. They were mostly used for when events were held, but when it wasn't competition season, I used them as a place to dump my stuff so I wouldn't have to walk to the locker room. Grabbing a towel and water bottle from my gym bag, I wiped away the beads of sweat that were all over me and took a long awaited drink. The cooling liquid was quick to relieve my dry throat and the heat that had been pulsing through my entire body. The clock that hung on the wall near the entrance showed me that it was getting late in the afternoon and as much as I wanted to rest, I knew I had to walk home. 

Before I had a chance to move, I felt a hand pat me on the back and saw Debby reappear beside me. She also looked worn out. Strands of her dyed red hair had fallen loose from her ponytail and stuck to the side of her face from sweat. 

"You were in your own zone out there today," she pointed out, sounding impressed. 

I smiled towards her in appreciation but could feel a churning feeling in the bottom of my stomach. 

"I have to be," I sighed, placing my water bottle back inside my gym bag. "Competition in two months." 

She gave me a knowing look as her hazel eyes narrowed. "Coach May's going to be digging into you about that."

I clenched my teeth together, breathing in deeply as I closed my eyes. I knew that was exactly what was going to happen. Every time a competition came around, Coach would only become even more demanding of me. Though it was at times completely suffocating how much pressure she put on me, I knew it was only for the better of my performance. If I had anyone to thank for the fact that I'd taken out the past three records at my state gymnastics competition, it was her. 

"I don't know how you do it, Becca," Debby sighed, shaking her head. 

I didn't reply that time, choosing to simply roll my eyes instead. Truthfully, that was something I didn't want to think about. Managing my extensive gym training hours along with school had always proven to be a challenge. 

With the sound of a vibration, I saw Debby reach for her phone on one of the gym benches to read a text. She immediately let out a groan and threw her head back. 

"I have to go pick up James from soccer practice." She explained to me in a low rumble. "Mom and Dad went up to the Hampton's for the weekend."

Debby came from a family that was pretty loaded up with cash. It was all thanks to her father's law firm company that had several branches around the country. She'd grown up living a very comfortable lifestyle, but with that came a lot of pressure from her parents. She'd practically been forced to join gymnastics by them so she was participating in an extra-curricular activity. Though she at times really seemed to hate being here, I was grateful to have her. It was how we'd become friends in the first place. 

"It's fine, I get it," I gave her a sympathetic smile. " I need to head home and make sure my Mom hasn't practically rearranged the entire house."

"Don't die of heat stroke," she warned, gesturing her head towards the gym doors. From outside, I could see the sun blaring through the glass. 

I laughed, grabbing my gym bag and slinging it over my arm. "It's only a ten-minute walk. I'll live." 

She raised her eyebrow, not looking convinced that I was going to be okay. But before she had a chance to reply, her phone buzzed and she looked down at it again. Letting out another groan, she let her arm drop to her side. "I really have to go. My brother's apparently not coping well with waiting in the sun for me."

I gave a nod and said my goodbyes to her, quickly reminding her again about our planned sleepover later that night before she could take off faster than the human eye could process. Taking that as my cue, I began my journey back home.

The moment I exited the gymnasium building, I could feel the sun beating down on me. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the bright light from the sky that seemed to be hitting me right in the eyes.

Debby was right. Even though it was only going to be a ten-minute walk, I was already extremely tired so the idea of even more physical activity was pretty daunting. Sucking it up, I got a move on with the motivational thought that I would be able to turn on the air conditioner in my room on arrival. 

As I walked next to the road, I used my arms to wipe away the beads of sweat that had formed on my forehead thanks to the sizzling sun. Every now and again, a car would drive past me but that was about as busy as it got in this town. 

I was thankful for living in a secluded area rather than a big city. Crime rates were lower and there was less traffic. Plus, I found that being around too many people at once could become quite suffocating. I wasn't big on it, meaning I really had to tune out during gym competitions due to how many people were usually in the crowds. If I could fly under the radar as much as possible, I would be content. 

When I finally arrived on my street, I could see a line of about five cars outside of my house. I immediately tensed, knowing the house was going to be a crowded mess of party planners, florists, and caterers preparing for the evening. 

I made my way inside quickly, stopping to take a look at the madness I was suddenly surrounded with. The house was spotless. It looked like it had been swept, mopped, and polished without a single corner missed. There were swarms of people everywhere - strangers that were cleaning, setting up tables and decorations at quick paces. I could hear sounds coming from the kitchen as well as the distance smell of wafting food, meaning there was cooking going on too. From behind me, I felt a small nudge against my back as two men appeared carrying a large stereo system, each of them clutching onto a gigantic speaker with the cords dragging on the floor.

"Excuse me miss," one of them muttered in a scruffy voice. I shuffled aside awkwardly, letting them pass. The amount of activity going on around me had made me go completely stiff. 

"Mom?" I finally called out, raising my voice in the hopes that she was somewhere nearby and would hear me.

A moment later, I suddenly caught glimpse of her as she made her way carefully down the stairs, cautious of the six-inch heels she was wearing accompanied by an elegant dress that fell to her ankles. "Hi honey," she greeted casually. I noticed that she'd already done her makeup and had her blonde hair straightened. "How was gym?"

"Good," was all I said in reply, bringing my attention back to the commotion of the house. It was going to be hard to have a proper conversation with her about my day with all the noise going on. But by looking at her, I could tell she was too busy for that anyway.

"Kevin and Debby will be here around six," I informed, making my way over to the staircase she was descending from. 

She nodded her head in approval, her gold hoop earrings shaking with the movement. "Good. Just make sure you all stay upstairs," she reminded me for the billionth time. She didn't have to remind me. I knew better than to get in the way of one of her events.

Her phone rang and she was quick to answer it, making her way past me as she spoke to someone on the other end of the line about music arrangments. Without a goodbye to her, I made my way up the stairs, eager to reach my room.

I flicked on the aircon switch as I entered it, dumping my gym bag on the floor. I immediately dove for my bed, ready to be embraced by its comfort. I knew I still needed to change out of my gym wear but decided to check my emails first. Switching on my laptop, I adjusted my position on the bed with the last bit of my energy. I kicked off my socks and shoes as the device turned on, trying to relax. I had to reply to few emails from relatives as well as write an email to the Constitution of Gymnastics in Santa Barbara, inquiring about their program.

I was still yet to find a college or place of training where I could continue gymnastics after I graduated school at the end of the year. I still had a few months before I needed to seriously consider my options but I was allowing myself a head start as I knew it was going to be a hard task ahead of me. While most had chosen careers such as doctors, lawyers, and teachers, I had chosen to be a gymnast. I was in no way implying that being a gymnast was harder than any of those other careers, but finding job security in it definitely was. There wasn't much of a career that you could get out of it unless you made it into big events like the Olympics - which had been my plan: to find a proper place for training and try to see if my skills were enough to gain sponsors and compete at larger events.

Once I'd log into my account, I quickly went to access my emails. As I watched my cursor move across the screen, my heart stopped in an instant as the whole thing went green. 

I froze, staring at the device in shock. I waited a moment, hoping the screen return to normal again but when it didn't, I proceeded to panic. Acting on impulse, I went to turn it off, pressing the power button. When I was still left staring at a green screen, I pressed the button more times, confused as to why the device wasn't shutting down. It was like something had overridden its main controls. 

I frowned as I continued trying to fix my laptop, feeling the panic rising through me. I picked it up, flipping it over to look for some kind of solution on the back. When that failed, an idea struck me and I quickly reached for my phone.

If there was anyone that was good with computers, it was my friend Kevin. I dialed his number as quickly as my fingers could type, a sense of urgency running through me. 

He hadn't been at gym practice today. Usually, he was there to help out his mother as well as catch up with Debby and me, but he'd had a tennis tournament earlier that morning that he'd been helping out at.

"Becca?" I heard his voice answer as the dial tone cut off.

"Hey Kev," I greeted, hopping off my bed. I'd grown restless from the nerves of seeing my laptop in such a weird state. "How do I remove a battery from a MacBook Air?"

"Uh...you can't," he responded, sounding taken aback by my sudden question. "They're not user-accessible. Why? What's wrong?"

I stared at the black screen, pressing a few more of buttons on the keyboard in a last minute desperate attempt to make something happen. "Nothing," I sighed in defeat. "The screen's just acting weird. I think it's a virus."

"I can check it out tonight if you want?" He offered.

I bit my lip as I continued to look at the screen. "Yeah, that'd be great."

"What time's Debby coming over?" his voice asked from the other line.

It was weird to me that the screen was green. I knew that whenever computer's acted up, the screens would usually go black. Blue, even. But the vibrant dark green color I was staring at was something completely new to me.

"Becca?"

I snapped my attention away from the screen as I realized I was still on the phone with Kevin. My anxious state had distracted me from his question. "Uh, six."

"Cool, I'll see you both around then." he responded. 

Without even thinking I hung up immediately, ending our conversation without a goodbye. My attention was still focused elsewhere.   

The laptop was only a year old, and definitely in no position to be acting faulty based on the way it was treated. It was like a child to me - a very expensive child that stored the contents of my life. I'd always made an effort not to enter any dodgy-looking websites or click on any ads. The fact that I might have in some way given it a virus just didn't seem to make any sense to me.

Yet, I tried to think back to anything that I could have accessed that would cause it to act the way it was. I sat back down on my bed with a sigh, looking at the screen in frustration.

As I glanced away for a moment, I saw it flicker from the corner of my eyes and quickly looked back at the screen in surprise. Two words had appeared on the screen that caused me to freeze.

My name. And below it, a button advising me to click on it.

Any annoyance I'd had earlier was now replaced with pure confusion. This couldn't be a virus. I could feel an unsettling feeling come over me as I continued staring at my name on the screen. My stomach turned as I came to the realization of what was happening.

I was being hacked.

It was the only explanation for how I couldn't seem to turn off my laptop. Someone had definitely overridden my commands. I didn't have control over any of the device's actions. Aside from one. Below the white words that read 'Rebecca Winters' was a box with an instruction.

Open me.

As I placed my fingers back on the keypad, I realized I'd been given control of the mousepad again. I hovered over the button, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Whoever was doing this wanted me to click on that button.

Everything inside me was telling me not to do that. Whatever this was, it couldn't be good for the safety of my computer. I feared that the moment I clicked the button, the contents of my laptop would be erased or something else terrible would happen. Though it didn't make sense that they would wait until my command to do so.

Kevin had already said he'd look over it when he came over later that night, so I wondered if I should leave it until he could look at it then. But I knew that whatever this was probably was out of his depth too.

Deciding to go against my better judgment, I found myself hovering over the button again and before I had another moment to think it through, I clicked on it.

As soon as I done it, panic washed over me. What the hell was I thinking? I'd just potentially opened up my laptop to a world of harm. 

I wanted to smack myself in the face for such a foolish move. I would have been better off just waiting for Kevin to check it out. Then he could have told me if what I'd just done was safe. But it was too late for that. 

While I was busy cursing at myself for my actions, I noticed more writing appear on the screen. My eyes peered forward as read it's words with caution.

7pm. Lynchmond park. Tonight.

-----

Editing A/N: So yep, this was originally only the first half of chapter 1. But OG spy readers will probably remember that it was hella long (over 5.5k words!) so I decided to split them up. (It's still hella long, I know.) Hope you're enjoying! <3