The Mission of the Heart Ch. 04

Because she was worth giving in to, that's why.

A pair of cute feet covered in white socks came into view. I looked up, and saw a pair of concerned green eyes. With her robe, Charlie smiled, caressing my cheek. I leaned in, and rested the side of my face on her stomach, hugging her hips, my hands on her buttocks.

"No regrets?" I muttered, closing my eyes.

"Never," she replied without hesitation, pulling the back of my head closer to her stomach. A minute or two passed by until I decided to stand up.

"We have to go downstairs," I said. "They're probably wondering what happened here last night." I grabbed the knob and turned it, only realizing that it was locked. I turned my head towards Charlie and looked at her questionably.

"You planned on not letting anyone inside this room last night, didn't you?" I said, amused.

"Well..." she said blushing. "Yes, in hoping that my hypothesis about you was right."

Shaking my head, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her deep. She sighed, pushing her body against mine.

"Whatever happens-"

"Happens," Charlie finished. "Don't over think, Pamela. Okay?"

I looked at her, feeling a bit lost, then nodded.

"You have to wear this otherwise they'll suspect something," she quietly said, holding up my grey balaclava. "I get to keep the other one still." Without breaking eye contact, she slipped the mask in place, only revealing my eyes. She smiled up to me, and hugged me one last time before we walked downstairs.

-------------------

"Long night, agent?" Lacey said as we stood outside, waiting for the helicopter to land. Even in her mask I felt her smiling. Not long enough, I thought to myself.

"It's a shame not all of us are going back," I said to her, changing the subject. Only I, Charlie, Lacey, agent forty-nine and sixty-three were to go back to U.S. soil since another protection mission was to take place; the other agents were called to that duty. "They might bore themselves to death out here."

"I doubt that," she replied. "With the right people, it can be a blast. Right, agent?"

I scowled at her. Then, a faint sound was heard from above, and saw two helicopters landing. I radioed in agent forty-nine and sixty-three to bring Charlie out. Two helicopters, I thought to myself. Are we not going to the same destination then? One helicopter should be enough for us five. Looking behind, I saw Charlie in her winter clothes with the two agents going my way. I faintly smiled as she made eye contact to me. She looked at the two helicopters landing with confusion. One agent from each copter got out, and walked towards me. The helicopters turned off their engines, and the pilots went out, observing the exterior. Precautionary measures.

"Charlie Carlson comes with me," one of the agents said. "You, agent seventy-six, on the other helicopter."

"Why?" I asked as bits of anger started to attack my system.

"Agency's orders, ma'am." As one agent stood by my side, the other agent half ran towards Charlie. The agent's hand went on top of my shoulder. "One sec," I said impatiently as I went to Charlie's helicopter. As agent forty-nine and sixty-three made their way into the copter, Charlie stayed outside with the other agent by her side. She looked at me as I walked up to her.

"So I'm guessing you're going to another place, agent," she quietly said, a glint of sadness in her eyes.

"I'll find you," I said, trying to resist the urge to kiss her. "I'll find you."

"I know," she said, smiling. "And I'll be waiting." She took over her glove and put her hand out. I did the same, and grabbed her hand, feeling her touch one last time before we depart. She looked at me with her green eyes, and mouthed 'I love you" using her lips. Trying to hold back the tears, I smiled and mouthed 'I love you too.' Almost too soon, she let go, and went in the helicopter, with the agent on her tail. The door slammed shut, and the engine started to go on again. With a whoosh, the helicopter began to ascend, and moved towards the south.

"Seventy-six," the agent behind me suddenly said. "We must go."

Of course we do, I thought bitterly to myself. We always do. Unhurriedly, I walked towards the remaining helicopter, hearing its engine jump start into life. As I opened the door, I found myself looking at three arm agents looking at me. As I was about to step in, I felt a small pain at the side of my neck, and all of the sudden, everything around me was moving.

Blurred.

My eyes began to feel heavy as hands supported me, pulling me into the helicopter.

"What..." I began to say.

The sandman took over my body once again

-----------------

As soon as Charlie got into the helicopter, she made eye contact with the first masked figure with green eyes like hers. She looked at the figure nervously, knowing a full blown discussion will take place after they landed

.

"Everything went well," Charlie suddenly said. "You got what you wanted. Remember that.

"

The figure didn't move, but continued on staring. Then, it broke eye contact and looked out from the window, trying to enjoy the view. Agent forty-nine got a brown clothed bag under the seat, and threw it to Charlie.

"You need to put this on," he commanded. Obediently, Charlie put the bag over her head, and felt herself being handcuffed.

A couple of hours later, Charlie felt the helicopter descend. We're here, she thought, trembling at the thought that she'll be inside the Agency once again. "Let's go," agent forty-nine said beside her. Before she knew it, she was on her feet, walking.

Wondering.

-----------------

After minutes of walking, Charlie felt that she was ushered into a room. A quiet room. "You, sit," she heard agent forty-nine command. She did, and felt her hands being freed. As soon as she heard a door click, the bag over her head was pulled up, and once again, she stared at the dark figure, its green eyes observing her.

Charlie looked around and saw a humungous room with walls filled with small television images from surveillance cameras, news, you name it. Stacks of books were everywhere, and multiple high-tech computers were in sight.

"It's been a long time since I've been in this room," Charlie muttered, absorbing in the room. "I've forgotten how overwhelming it can be." She looked back at the figure, who was sitting behind the desk. A few seconds passed without any of them speaking.

"The deal is done," the dark figure suddenly said, sitting behind the desk. "You know what must be happen."

Charlie looked at her, pleading.

"I know it's done," she said in a low voice. "But please...you must do this for me."

"And why is that so?"

"Because...I know you love her too."

The dark figure said nothing, its fist slammed onto the wooden desk. It pointed a hand towards her.

"Don't you dare!"

"It was successful before! What harm can it possibly do?"

"Everything!" the dark figure's teeth grinded together. "The operation is simply risky."

"But can't you risk it? For her sake?"

The figure froze, its arms on the armchair, leaning its back onto the backrest. It let exhaled slowly, its sad eyes looking directly at its forced visitor.

"I did," it said with regret in its voice. "I did." The figure stood up and walked towards Charlie, its green eyes glaring. Suddenly, it grabbed its mask and pulled it away, throwing it towards its desk. Charlie stood up, and put a hand on its shoulder, trying to give it comfort.

"Tell me what happened...Carrie," Charlie whispered.

------------------

Carried looked at her with sorrow, leaning back to her desk for support.

"You, of all people should know this Charlie. You have been an agent to the Agency ever since you were ten. We've trained you, raised ever since we found you in a New York orphanage after your step-parents were killed during a gang-war in the Bronx. Of course, we've trailed your history. We knew your connection with Marco before you took your training here in this same building."

Charlie stood next to Carrie, her hand over the redhead's.

"Marco was a ghost, and he was very good in staying that way. In every lead we got throughout seven straight years, he was three steps ahead of us. In our frustrations, we pushed harder, hoping to put a leash towards the world's greatest criminal, who was an ally to every known terrorist organization in the world, supplying them the weapons they needed. He had connections, good ones, may I add. Then we remembered, we had one thing: his biological daughter."

"This even escalated when seventy-six killed his brother Alfonso. The Agency had no choice, but to act fast as soon as we got word that Marco landed in U.S. soil six months after his brother's death. When we learned that he was hunting down the one responsible for Alfonso's death, we feared for seventy-six's life. Afterwards, ever since we caught his personal mole, tortured him, finally revealing that he worked for Marco, we had to act fast."

"It was fortunate that he didn't know you worked for the Agency under the codename agent ten. Or, what most say, agent X," Carrie explained, Charlie flinched. "Otherwise our planned wouldn't have worked. We needed bait. That's where agent seventy-six come into play."

"We made her first assignment as an assassination one, hoping that Marco, finally discovering his daughter's location, would step in and stop it, but he didn't interfere. Fortunately, seventy-six didn't kill you. I wonder why that was..." She looked at Charlie in amusement.

"That's why we needed to lure him in more. No matter the moral status, a father is a father. If he found out his daughter and his brother's killer were under the same radar, he'd step in. At least that was what we hoped. Of course, it worked, and now he's dead."

"You forgot one vital part," Charlie spat, boldly standing in front of Carrie. "The part where seventy-six spent 385 days being tortured by that...that man!"

"That wouldn't have happened if you killed James right after you learned he was working with Marco!" Carrie spat back, glaring. "Clearly he was the one that helped with the ambush."

"I...thought I had it under control," Charlie explained, faltering. "I didn't know Marco was there that night. I was hoping on tailing James to seek Marco's location."

"Well, look how that unraveled, agent," Carrie hissed. "Nevertheless, we had to use what we can. While I looked for seventy-six, you were to be with James, learning what he knows and what he's trying to keep from you. Even though you discovered that your wedding ring was a tracker, we commanded you to ignore it. We would lure Marco once again, and this time, with firepower and in an isolated location."

"You never told me that seventy-six was alive," Charlie mumbled. "Nor was I informed that she was to be with us during the current assignment. Why?"

Carrie paused, gliding her fingers through her short, red hair. "It didn't seem important, agent X. This was our last chance of getting him, not some dramatic reunion you wanted to happen."

A minute of silence passed between the two women, until Charlie spoke up. "We have to discuss about the deal, Carrie."

Carrie walked away, going towards one of the screens. "It's inhumane, Carrie," Charlie said in frustration, chasing after Carrie. "The Agency has its humane code, too, and seventy-six deserves it."

"You can't wipe out her memories, Carrie...not like this."

"You know its protocol," Carrie explained as calmly as she can, not making eye contact.

"Secrets are meant to be hidden, never to be revealed again. Any agent in contact with any of the top criminals endangering the U.S. must comply: memories such as theirs hold dangerous information, acknowledging that the criminal exist. That's why we must erase their memories up to the day they have ever came in contact with them. That includes Marco and his brother."

"But that would mean taking at least five years from seventy-six's life," she tearfully said.

"Can't you change your mind and try to at least think about my other proposal!?"

"The relocation operation is risky, Charlie, and the success rate is only 45%. I won't risk it...ever again."

"What do you mean?"

Carrie pursed her lips together, shaking her head. On the wall was a small group of buttons. She pressed one of them. A couple of seconds later, three agents came into the office. Charlie looked at them in confusion, then back at Carrie.

"What is this?"

"Like I said...any agent in contact with any criminals endangering the U.S. must comply," Carrie said without any emotion, then commanded the agents, "take her to Wing C, to the Pheonix Lab."

"Carrie, you can't-"

"Take her now."

"Carrie, no!" Charlie struggled to get free, until one of the men showed her a syringe. She froze as the needle went into her neck. A couple of seconds later, she was sound asleep, while Carrie's eyes continued to look at the screen, the sound of the agents' footsteps pounded her ears. Sighing, she went back to her desk and opened up one of the drawers. She grabbed a thin piece of paper, folded and held many times.

With overwhelming amount of emotions, she looked at the photograph that made her heart skip a beat, despite the fact that she looked at it many times. It revealed her, in a wedding dress, her long red hair styled up in a beautiful bun, her smile genuine as soon as the photographer found the couple. Next to her was a suited, slim figure, its smile also genuine and real, its long, raven hair in a pony tail.

It was agent seventy-six those many years ago, holding her new bride, whisking her away from the pain of their world. Carrie let out a long, sorrowful breath, and closed her eyes, thinking back of what happened back then.

Back when she wasn't the head of the Agency.

------------------

Carrie has always been one of the smartest in the Agency, and the secret organization had the right to boast about it. She had an I.Q. higher than Einstein's, and wisdom beyond anyone's years. Back then, she was just one of the desk agents, helping the field agents each mission at a time. It all changed when she was assigned to an agent named agent seventy-six.

Ever since they made first contact, it was love at first sight, and Carrie knew that her heart forever belonged to seventy-six. After years of loving each other, kissing and making love in every chance they got, seventy-six finally proposed to her, and Carrie answered yes without hesitation. At that time, they were in a mission in a third world-country, so seventy-six improvised: she gave Carrie her necklace, which Carrie always lied to her employees, claiming that it was her grandmother's.

As they transferred to Paris, seventy-six pulled Carrie to a chapel, and whispered in her ear," Marry me, Carrie," to which Carrie complied. Everything was set, and their dresses and suits were worn. No one else were there except them, the priest and the photographer, and their endless, undeniable love to one another. Their smiles were truly genuine, same with their love.

Everything changed once they reached U.S. soil. Agents swarmed into their jet, pointing their guns towards the young couple. Seventy-six was in front of her, demanding what was happening, protecting her lover. Then, a small zap was heard, and before Carrie could comprehend what was happening, a tranquilizer was on seventy-six's neck. The young agent stumbled, falling, Carrie caught her, cradling her as the agents before her pointed their guns towards them.

Hands were on her, pulling her away from seventy-six. She screamed and punched, anything to get out from their grasp, until one of the agents drugged her as well.

When she came to, she was in a room filled with numerous television screens, high-tech computers, and a lone desk, which stood a dark figure. It claimed that the head of the agency has died the week before Carrie and seventy-six reached U.S. soil.

It claimed that Carrie was to be the next head. Rejecting the position ferociously, the Agency gave her only two choices because of her relationship with seventy-six. The Agency had to cut loose ends, and anyone close to the head was too much to handle. No one was to be close with the head, it puts them in a vulnerable spot.

She was given two choices: accept the job, and seventy-six was to undergo a relocation operation, in which her memories will be wiped clean, and new fake memories will take its place.

Fake memories of childhood, her first kiss, her first bicycle ride, her first prom dance.

Everything.

The Agency was to build her a new life, with a fake birth certificate, new everything, but she won't remember who she was, who seventy-six was. She was then to be put in society as a normal being, and live life without ever knowing what her real identity was.

She won't know who Carrie was.

The other option was not a relocation operation, but it did require wiping memories...for the both of them: the figure confidently said they will wipe out their memories up to five years. It was a big gap in their memories where everything that has happened in those five years were to be wiped clean. Every mission, every places, everything.

Every kiss they shared, every love sessions, and their love for each other would be forgotten.

Carrie must not hold the information, knowing that the head of the Agency was dead.

"What say you, agent?" the figure asked quietly towards the sobbing Carrie, her green eyes in anguish.

"I'll take it the first option," she quietly said. She won't let the Agency go into her mind, and the fact that both of them won't know what happened throughout those five years was too much to bear for the redhead.

Their love was endless. And she would grab hold to their memories, even if it means holding to them alone. She love agent seventy-six very dearly to the point that she wanted to have a normal life for the young woman.

"I'll take it."

"Good."

The next day, while Carrie looked from the screens in the room, seventy-six was to undergo surgery. Doctor Philips was there, along with other surgeons. Carrie's heart ached when she saw her lover lying on the operating table, semi-conscious, her eyes open. Numerous minutes in, and her lover's body began to shake, going into convulsions. Wide-eyed, she saw the surgeons holding the agent down, and Carrie sprinted towards the operating room. Agents, along with the dark figure, held her as she was screaming towards her lover, her hand reaching out to her.

Then, seventy-six's body stopped moving, her eyes slowly closed, and the surgeons continued onto their work as agents dragged the distraught Carrie away. Carrie was locked into a spare room, her eyes filled with tears, until the door opened. Doctor Philips, along with the dark figure walked in, informing her that the operation did not go well as planned.

Agent seventy-six's body rejected the new memories as if they were cancer cells. Instead, the surgeons had to act fast, and decided to continue with the operation otherwise the agent might die.

They wiped away the last five years of her memory, and Carrie gasped in sadness. Although there might be hints of re-lapses of her previous memories, regaining those five years fully was impossible.

"I'm sorry-"

"You have no idea what that word means!" she yelled, pointing at them, crying endless tears.

"You have no idea!" She stormed out, trying to find her lover in the operating room. She found her as she was sleeping soundly. Heartbroken, Carrie walked towards her, seeing a little scar at the back of her neck.

Smiling sadly, she caressed seventy-six's cheek, kissing her forehead. She stayed with her for another hour, caressing and looking at her, humming, and talking about their now forgotten past. It was then Carrie accepted her fate, as well as seventy-six's. It was then she accepted the situation.