“Scram,” Jasper ordered.
Carter hurried away.
Jasper turned to me with a grin and I rolled my eyes. “That was unnecessary,” I said with a laugh.
“I’ll apologise later,” Jasper chuckled and passed me my bag. “Come on, let’s go.”
An hour later the school had finally managed to allocate us with room keys to the hotel rooms. I hadn’t actually stayed in the hotel in town before, but it felt like home. Just being back in my hometown made me feel at ease.
Even when my kidnapping, rape ordering, asshole of an uncle lived here.
“Hey, roomie,” Beth said and nudged my hip. “Do you want to open the door or not?”
I blinked out of my daze and unlocked the door to our room and walked in. “3 beds,” I said, noticing the 3 single beds immediately, all in a row. “There’s only two of us.”
“Um, I think you have the wrong room.”
I swore when I heard the voice and I turned round to face Emma. “Fuck off.”
“You can do that,” Emma said and waved her hand. “Out of my room.”
I scoffed and walked over to one of the beds and dumped my bag against it. “Two against one, Hun,” I said. “So, you can go find a dumpster to sleep in, does that sound like a good idea?”
“This is my room,” Emma insisted.
Beth claimed the bed next to mine. “Says who?”
“I...” Emma faltered. “Where am I meant to sleep? I’m not staying with you!”
“That’s your problem,” I shrugged.
“Have fun dealing with it,” Beth smiled.
“Oh, and shut the door on your way out,” I added.
Emma huffed and slammed the door loudly. I smirked. “I hate that girl.”
“She is very much a bitch, isn’t she?” Beth nodded.
“I have no doubt in my mind that Rob recruited her just to piss me off,” I said. Beth looked at me and there was a silence after his name was mentioned. I caught her eye and sat down on my bed. She joined me and took my hand.
“I can’t even begin to understand how this must make you feel,” she whispered. “I am so, so sorry that you’re having to go through this, babe.”
I forced a smile. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Daisy, I’m pretty sure you can handle anything, but you don’t deserve too,” Beth said.
“Maybe I do,” I said. “I’ve killed so many people, Beth. Innocent people. Maybe this is what I deserve.”
“No,” she gasped. “Daisy, we’ve all killed innocents.” She swallowed, clearly torn up over the fact that she had also spilled innocent blood. “But, we were lead to believe differently. Tell me, would you have considered it if you knew they were innocent?”
“Of course not,” I said immediately.
“There you go,” Beth shrugged. “This isn’t some sort of fucked up karma for you killing people. It isn’t. Daisy, it isn’t.”
“When did you get so wise?” I teased and she laughed.
“When did you actually start listening to people?” She shot back and I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Let’s get our stuff sorted and then we can find everyone else and talk through the plan,” I said as the door swung open and Adam walked in.
“Don’t moan, you’re sharing. End of,” he said sternly and stepped to the side, revealing Emma.
“Great,” I said sarcastically. “You can sleep in the bathroom.”
“Excuse me, bitch-”
Adam cut Emma off with a glare. “It’s not the best time to piss her off. She will kill you in your sleep.”
I smiled. “Oh, you know me so well.”
“Behave yourself, Daisy,” he groaned and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
“Am I going to have to get Eli to hold you back?” Beth asked cautiously as she watched me glare at Emma as she walked over to the last bed.
“No.”
Emma scoffed. “You can’t even do anything without someone having to watch you,” she muttered. “You’re so immature.”
I clenched my hands into fists. “What did you say?”
“That you’re so immature,” she said. “You always need a babysitter. Before it was Blake, and then you fucked him over and left him to rot, now it’s Eli-”
“She didn’t fuck Blake over. He made his choice, just like everyone else did,” Beth said sharply. “Don’t you ever talk about my brother again.”
“So, I get told off for mentioning him, when she’s the one who beat him up and got him locked away!” Emma argued. “Why does everyone treat her like she’s completely normal when she’s a psycho bitch-”
I shot up from my seat but Beth tackled me to the bed before I could take a step in Emma’s direction. “Daisy, don’t cause a scene!” Beth squeaked. “I know she’s a whiny little brat, but please don’t rise to it, babe.”
I groaned in frustration when Beth yanked me up from the bed and I let her push me towards the door. “Out, let's go, girl,” she said and opened the door.
“Fuck you, Emma!” I yelled and I saw Emma pale ever so slightly when I turned around.
“Daisy, please don’t do this. You know I can’t hold you back,” Beth begged. She was standing in my way, but that didn’t mean anything.
I sighed and held my hands up. “Fine, fine,” I muttered and walked out into the hallway.
“Eli’s room is across from us,” Beth said, pointing to the cream door with the number 201 painted on it.
“How do you know that?”
“Because Tom is with him,” Beth shrugged and crossed the hall, and knocked on the door. It was opened a few seconds later by Eli who was wearing nothing but cotton shorts and a black zip-up hoodie, that was unzipped to reveal his bare chest.
He barely gave Beth a glance before focusing on me. His eyebrows furrowed. “What’s wrong, Princess?” He asked.
“Emma pissed her off,” Beth explained and pushed past Eli and entered his room. I glanced over Eli’s shoulder and noticed Tom and Hampson lying on two of the three beds.
Eli cocked an eyebrow. “Shocker,” he said dryly.
“Don’t you start,” I snapped. “That girl riles me the wrong way.”
“Most people do that,” Eli pointed out. I glared at him. “Come in, princess.”
I sighed and walked into his room, throwing myself onto the empty bed that I assumed was Eli’s. “Is anyone going to mind if Emma is collateral damage on this mission?”
“Only Mason,” Tom smirked as Eli lifted my legs and sat on the bed, placing my feet in his lap.
“Screw Mason,” I said dismissively. “I’m shooting her as soon as I get the chance.”
“Oh, I wish you were joking,” Beth whispered from where she was seated next to Tom.
Eli gave me a look and I smiled innocently. “Totally joking,” I said.
Eli scoffed and shook his head at me.
There was a loud knock at the door and Mason poked his head round. “No need to worry, ladies and gentlemen, the most important person of the mission is here!” He declared at pushed the door open.
I rolled my eyes.
“Oh yeah, she is, hey Daisy!” Carter grinned and waved at me, appearing from behind Mason with Jack.
I smirked when Mason scowled at him the others chuckled. Carter was oblivious to his misunderstanding.
“Please don’t threaten me again, Daisy,” Carter said sheepishly. “You and your brother are making me fear for my life.”
I smiled sincerely at Carter. “Sorry about earlier. And ignore Jasper, he was just trying to prove a point earlier. He didn’t mean it.”
Carter let out a sigh of relief and threw himself into Hampson’s bed. “Thank God.”
We were soon joined by Jasper, Kyle, Sammy, Ivan, and Lee. I noticed Jasper clearing with air with Carter. Within half an hour everyone was crammed into Eli’s room. Adam was the last to join.
“Right,” Eli said and stood up. He reached into his bag and pulled out a wad of paper. “We’re all going to split into groups, and each group will have a list of people to turn onto our side. We’re on a tight schedule, we have two days to recruit everyone we can before we take on the Agency.”
Eli took a breath. “If you recruit agents then you give them an address and a time. Adam will be waiting at each location during their set time. If the agents turn up he will brief them on the plan, but if there’s an ambush because an agent has told Rob what is happening then he’ll get the hell out of there and warn us. Is that understood?”
There were various nods throughout the room.
“What if an agent fights back?” Kyle called.
“Always the optimist, aren’t you,” I called.
“I prefer realist,” he said.
“If an agent has clear loyalties to Rob, then take them down. Tie them up, restrain them,” Adam said. “Simple.”
“You say that now,” Carter murmured.
“These are the groups,” Eli said and put everyone into small teams. He then handed out the paper which had lists of agents and their details on to each group. “Clear off, and work out a plan in your groups,” Eli ordered. “We’ll meet back tomorrow morning before the school leaves for London.”
“How are all of us going to get away with not turning up to the school trip we’re supposed to be on?” Jack asked. “If we’re not there the teachers are going to wonder where the hell we are.”
“You’re all going to come down with an unfortunate bout of food poisoning,” Adam said. “And I’ll volunteer to stay at the hotel to watch over you guys.”
“And what about us? They all live together at the orphanage, they can get away with all having food poisoning. We don’t live with them,” Jasper said and gestured to him and the others from the other Agency. “What are we going to do?”
“You’re just going to be the class idiots that decide to skip,” Adam shrugged. “And then when I stay back to ‘keep an eye’ on everyone else, I’ll text the other teachers to let them know that I’ve found you and that you bunked.”
Jasper raised an eyebrow and nodded.
“Any more questions?” Eli called.
No one said anything.
“Go to your teams and get to work.”
Soon enough the room emptied out until only Eli, Jasper, Beth, Tom, and I were left.
“Right,” Eli said and showed us the list of people we had the next two days to turn to our side.
“Who’s the first target?”
I leaned forward and groaned when I read the name. “Fuck.”
Eli pursed his lips. “Fuck indeed.”
“What is it? Who’s the person?”
“Hunter. Hunter Marks,” Eli muttered.
“Wait,” Beth frowned. “Isn’t that the guy that helped out with the torture training? Kent’s friend?”
“Yep,” I said.
“Torture training?” Jasper demanded. “Other agents did the torturing?”
I checked my phone for the 7th time. Only 2 minutes had passed. I sighed and looked at the piece of paper in my hand; it was a list of all the agents we had to see tomorrow. As well as Hunter’s name on it there was also Joey’s, Oli’s, and Erik’s.
I sighed again and rechecked my phone. It was 3:02 am, and I had yet to sleep. The nerves were getting to me and I hated it. I never worried about a mission, I never got stressed, even when things went wrong, but right now... I was a mess.
I looked up across the hall when Eli’s door opened. I couldn’t stand Emma’s horrific snoring so I had retreated to the hallway and sat down against the wall.
“What are you doing out here, Princess?” Eli asked groggily as he walked out of the room. He pushed his messy blond hair away from his face.
“I couldn’t sleep,” I said.
“Nerves?” Eli wondered and I gave him a look. “You’ll be fine. This will all be over soon.”
“I hate feeling this way,” I muttered.
Eli sighed and sat down next to me, wrapping his arm around me. I moved closer to him and rested my head against his shoulder. “I won’t leave your side,” Eli promised.
“Is that meant to comfort me?” I said drily.
Eli rolled his eyes but smirked. “I know it does, Princess.”
“I want this day to be over,” I groaned.
“It will be soon,” Eli murmured. “Have you had any sleep at all?”
I shook my head and Eli stood up, holding out his hand. “What?” I asked.
“Take my hand,” Eli said.
“Why?”
“Just take my damn hand,” he said and pulled me up when I placed my hand in his. “Come on,” he said quietly and led me into his room. He lifted his top over his head and got into his bed, pulling me with him.
“Eli-”
“You need sleep,” he murmured and I laid down next to him.
“I don’t think I’m going to be able too,” I whispered. My back was to him and I could feel his breath tickling my neck.
“You will,” he said lowly and wrapped his arms around me.
I sighed and closed my eyes, letting Eli’s arms comfort me. He was right. I soon fell asleep, safe in his arms.
I did sleep. Peacefully.
I was stirred awake when Eli moved beside me and I groaned, rubbing my eyes when an alarm clock blared loudly in the room.
“Fuck,” I mumbled and buried my head into Eli’s chest. Sometime during the night, our position had clearly changed.
“Good morning to you too, princess,” Eli grumbled and chucked slightly. “Tom, turn your fucking alarm off.”
“Give me a bloody chance,” Tom called and there was shuffling before the alarm was silenced.
“Wake me up when today is over,” I said and closed my eyes.
“Come on,” Eli said and nudged me. “If we don’t get up then we won’t get everything done.” Eli sat up and I sighed when he pulled me up as well.
“Oh,” Tom said, noticing me. “She’s in your bed and you’re still moody in the morning, you can’t win, can you?”
“Piss off, Tom,” Eli said with a chuckle and threw his pillow at Tom.
“I better go get ready,” I said and stood up, stretching my arms over my head. “We’ve got a fun filled day ahead.”
Eli rolled his eyes and I walked out of the room, crossing the hall to my room where Beth was just waking up.
“Rise and shine it’s a miserable day and it’s only going to get worse!” I declared and slammed the door loudly behind me. I smirked when I saw Emma jump in fright and stir from her sleep.
“That’s the kind of optimism I would only expect from you, Daisy,” Beth said and kicked her bed covers off of her. She yawned and ran her fingers through her messy dark hair. “Have you just come in?”
“I slept with Eli last night.”