Once Upon an Agent by Jackie Blake (short books for teens .txt) 📕

I could definitely tell that it was the two, for the moonlight outlined their faces very brightly.

Then I cough from all of the dust in the air.

“Who’s there?” John calls as I silently curse myself. Edward would be very disappointed in me right about now.

I lift my gun and hold it right up to Sherlock’s head, surprising him.

But then again it is truly impossible to surprise him.

He turns to me and grabs my arm twisting it. I’m ready for him, though.

I turn my whole body around so that I’m facing in the moonlight but I duck out of sight as quick as possible. This takes Sherlock down, but I feel a cord wrap around my throat, choking me. I have a moment of struggle but I pitch all of my strength and weight forward, flipping John over my shoulder. Making him land on the ground with a loud sound.

A hand on my arm doesn’t even startle me. I take my left foot; hook it around Sherlock’s left knee while I press my right hand to his shoulder I pull my foot back to me, shoving my whole weight into his shoulder making him land next to John.

Then as I’m leaving through the door, thinking that it was over…I hear someone trying to get up.

I curl my hand around my gun handle ready to shoot it.

My gun is a custom pistol that shoots miniscule darts. Made by yours truly.

Since I don’t believe in killing people I made a sleeping elixir so powerful that it knocks a person out long enough for one to get safely away.

I pull out my gun and turn my whole body around and shoot down into the leg of…John! And Sherlock is right behind him. As John goes tumbling to the ground I try to shoot Sherlock but he grabs my arm and a dart fires into the celling.

I guess Sherlock is not easily beat.

Everything happens to go in slow motion.

You see, I have this strange ability to predict what a person is going to do in a fight. It is very useful at times like this.

First, right fist comes in wide swing. Block with left arm.

Second, elbow jab aimed at face. Crouch down, leg swing.

Lastly, Place boot over throat, allowing minimal air.

I say down to him right as I shoot him with a dart, “Bloody Mary, quite contrary…..”

I, Mary Rose Morsin, pledge my service to the company, British London Private Investigators, for the amount of time given to me, eight years.

If I break this pact, I shall be arrested. I will be given the choice to continue working or be executed by hanging.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

I walk past a gambling table, feeling a tiny bit out of place wearing men’s clothes in public like this.

Someone grabs my arm and I turn toward them, resisting the urge to pull out my gun. I have to remember that I’m working at this pub tonight, and I need to gain knowledge about Blackwood. So I can’t go pulling out my gun, unless it is a dire situation.

Great, it’s a drunken man. Just what I needed. I begin to unclench his fingers from around my arm. But he just tightens his grip.

He stands up and says to his group. “Lookie here boys, got ourselves a nice pretty lady.”

He then turns to me and gives me a kiss. I push him away and raise my foot and shove my heel down on his foot, hearing a sickening crack.

I guess I’m stronger than I thought.

I then begin to run, weaving myself between the tables. I look back for a second and see them running after me.

I lead them out into the alleyway where they surround me.

Time to fight.

My prediction talent is lit inside my mind like a candle.

I put both fists up to guard my face while my mind scans the situation before me.

Left grab to arm. Block with kick to right knee with heel, breaking kneecap. Right jab aimed to stomach. Grab arm and bend backwards snapping the bone. Push backwards to the ground. Hands around neck. Blind jab to face. Turn around, heel kick to stomach. Hands around waist, lean forward, backwards kick to thigh. One more left. Wide left swing, obvious discomfort with right arm. Take arm and twist behind back. 



       As his arm is bent behind his back I whisper in his ear, "Now are you sober?" I take my gun and shoot him straight in the back. When he collapses I take out the dart and throw it into a puddle so no evidence is left behind. Then I head home.


            Back at the town house, I sip my tea, a tired smile stuck on my face. John and Sherlock are here and I just nod when it is necessary. After I arrived home the night before, I fell into a deep sleep. Only to be awoken a few hours after at the break of dawn for training. I don't need to practice! I'm already at the head of the agency, but, alas, they are ruthless beings. I envy Mercy, who is also a great fighter and very good agent, she is allowed to take a leave from the agency to plan her wedding.
             John is sitting next to me when he says, "Mary, are you quite well?" I look up from where I was staring into my teacup, without a word. "Ah yes. Forgive me, I was in deep thought." I reply. I truly was. I was thinking about how to leave this meeting politely. And take Mercy with me. Somehow. I just hope no one asks me what I was..."Might you say what about?" Sherlock asks. Blast. And by etiquette I must answer the question politely. Bloody Hell . I begin to speak only to be interrupted by a servant, telling us that the carriage was here. Did I forget to mention that Mercy and I must go to the agency today? I carefully place my teacup on the plate and stand up as gracefully as I could. I smile sincerely at our two companions and before we could leave the room I hear John stand, saying, "Might I ask where you are going?"  I look over my shoulder and say calmly, "No, you may not."

                  After changing into my trousers, top, vest and shoes, I open the door to the meeting room and all eyes land on me. "Whatever is the matter?" I ask Mercy when I sit down next to her at the table that belonged to our team. Every group of agents has a table that is theirs when we are summoned to a large meeting of this sorts. For us we had Mercy, Jasper, Edward, and myself. 
                   "Apparently, Mary, some teams are getting a new member for the leader to train." Mercy replies.
I turn to Edward and hiss, "Why didn't you warn me?" He smiles and says, "I would have if I knew." I keep quiet, but on the inside I am groaning. I'm the leader, and that means I will have to teach the new member.
                   "Welcome agents. As you all might have been informed, we have a group of new members. And our agent leaders will train them to be their best so that they will qualify to stay with the agency." the Director says to all of us moving across the room to the door that separates us from the hallway. She opens it and in comes a few men and woman. I quickly look them all over, selecting our new member. I pick a man that to me, looks very scared to be here. Not scared as in frightened, more as in he is afraid he won't be selected. He, from where I am sitting, reminds me of my old love. His features are similar to my dear Alexander, who died by a gun shot wound to the stomach. I grip the edge of the table,at the thought of my beloved dying in front of me. But now that I am courting John, I can't be thinking of him as my love. John is my love.
                 "Agent Mary Morsin, please select your trainee." the Director says to me bringing me back to the present. I stand up swiftly and move toward the man with careful concentration in the way that I walk. I come to a stop in front of him and I look him straight in the eyes. I am almost his height, which is saying a lot since I am taller then most of the lady agents here. "What is your name?" I ask him. He begins to smile at me, but thinking better of it, stops. "William, ma'am"  he replies. "Well, William, I will take you into my trust as long as you don't call me ma'am again." I snap at him. "Yes, agent Mary."
                       
                  

              "The first thing you will need to know is how to fire a gun." I tell William. I pull out a real gun from the cabinet in place of my custom. I take my own gun out of it's holster around my waist and set it on the table next to me. I take aim with the real one, and what a surprise-it hits the target dead on. "Firing, takes skill and practice. Do you have the concentration to do this,William?"  I ask him. "Yes, agent Mary." He replies, smiling.
                    "Remember to not make a mistake and call me that in public." I take aim and again it hits the center. "Well, then what should I call you?" I was beginning to hand the gun to him, when I stop at what he says. It couldn't be, yet...it is the same thing I said to Alexander when he first taught me how to fire. 
                     I  hand him the gun, and retrieve another one for me to use. I teach him how to quickly take out the gun from his holster and how to aim. I kept track of the time though waiting for the sun to go down so that I can say that we will continue tomorrow. I've been careful not to yawn around William, since it isn't ladylike.
               Everything about him reminds me of Alexander. From his features to the way he moves. Could it be that...he has come back to me? God knows how much he meant to me.
   

  Finally we find ourselves walking out of the agency and into the carriage that is suppose to take us back to our proper homes. In the carriage, with silence between us, I felt very alone. In the midst of everything that has happened to me, I've never truly shared anything about myself with anyone. My birth name, is really Angelica Morsin. I changed it because I wanted to get away from that name. I am no angel.
                   I've hurt people in the past. And that is