She waited in the corridor, unsure of why she had been asked here. I knew the secret, but was forbidden to tell her. I may have made it seem a bit more serious than it was, but this job has very few perks. Who could blame me for having a little bit of fun with the new girl. I was in the room and had just begun to inform the boss that she was here when it happened. The force of the blast threw us all to the floor. I immediately reached for my weapon, only to realize that it wasn't there. It wouldn't have done me much good anyway. Whenever an operative is placed on escort duty, that operative is not allowed to carry a loaded weapon. I opted to leave mine in the barracks today. I focus and look around me. People are shouting orders and running around, some to protect the boss, some to investigate the threat, and some to alert the rest of the compound. I was useless for any of those tasks in my current condition, so I did the only logical thing I could: I returned to the corridor to stand guard over Alysanne.

As I stepped through the door, the sun nearly blinded me. In the seconds in took my eyes to adjust, I barely detected the sound of footsteps. Not the heavy boots or leather soles of those in the room, but muffled. The first thing my strained eyes caught a glimpse of was a shoe, lying on its side underneath the bench in the hall. The second thing I saw was a flash of reflected light. Just as my sight came into focus, I saw a mischievous smile, and a trail of wavy brown hair as she disappeared around the corner. She obviously wanted me to follow, and I wasn't about to disappoint her. Each time I turned a corner, there she was at the next, waiting. Fifteen minutes I chased her, until I turned the corner, and she was nowhere to be found. Cautiously I approached the first door in the hallway. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I examined my options.

I kicked the door in and backed away momentarily, attempting to retain the cautious attitude that had kept me alive for the last 13 years. There was only silence, and the slight groan of the hinges as the door came to rest. The next two doors were the same. As I was preparing to turn the corner, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Startled, I spun wildly, and would have knocked Alysanne to the floor, if she had not been expecting exactly that. She deftly maneuvered around me, and, before I could regain my footing she tackled me. As I hit the floor, I rolled and when the dust settled, I had her pinned under my body weight, and rendered helpless. I looked into her eyes to determine what the purpose of all of this was, and saw only the same sly smile I had seen before.

A flash of light and a sudden pain were the last things I remembered before waking up in my bed, my alarm clock buzzing, announcing the end of my adventures, and the beginning of a new day. Perhaps I will see her again tonight, and this time I will be ready.