Sorry it took so long to update. I was working on some of my other projects, but I did return. Please let me know what you think of this chapter and any suggestions or comments you have!

Identity

The girl made her way slowly down the dark corridor, her footsteps echoing off the wall. She was in no hurry.

After a few more feet, she made a left into an even darker hallway. The lamps in here were smaller with longer intervals between them. The girl wasn’t worried, she had traveled these passageways since she was old enough to walk, could have followed them in her sleep.

The set up of their headquarters was confusing and dark on purpose. Only those trusted enough to live and work within the main section knew their way around by heart. If someone asked for directions it meant they were an imposter. Not that that happened often. Finding one’s way to their headquarters was nearly impossible to begin with.

Another set of footsteps competed with hers in the corridor. The lamp set into the way gave life to a growing shadow. With dignified purpose, a guard rounded the corner, one hand placed protectively on his gun, his face hidden by his black helmet.

His gaze turned to her approach and he stopped mid-stride. In one motion, he had taken a position off to the side, his back nearly touching the wall. His gun was lowered to his side and his free hand placed over his heart.

As she passed, he bowed his head. She inclined her own head slightly to acknowledge his praise, but kept up her pace. A moment later, she heard his retreating footsteps.

Salutes such as the guard’s were part of her daily routine. Most of the time she barely saw them. It was always the same. The Captain made sure that it was a requirement for those who passed her to acknowledge what she had done for them and everyone. The only reason their lives were as safe and well as they were now was because of the risks she had taken, the missions she completed at the cost of her own life.

She met two more sentries guarding tunnels that branched off hers on her way through the Center, both of whom saluted her in her country’s signature. After sliding her access card through two heavy metal doors, she had reached the entrance to McKolf’s office, the head of Mission Supplies and Disguises.

Her access card would not work here. She knocked in her specific code and waited. Exactly one minute later, the door groaned and swung inward to admit her. With a sigh she entered an office she could have drawn from memory.

It was similar to the Captain’s office, dark and scarcely furnished with an oak desk and rickety chair, a few lamps sputtering on either side of the door. The only difference was the one picture that hung on the stone wall, one that the girl always looked at upon her arrival.

It was simple, an old black and white photograph of two hands intertwined. Nothing more. She didn’t know why it was there, never having to bother to ask McKolf. What was more, she didn’t know why she liked it so much. Nothing else had ever stirred up that kind of feeling in her before.

Her eyes roamed the fuzzy lines of the two hands where there fingers crossed and interlocked, but she didn’t go over to it. Not this time. Instead, she took a seat in one of the chairs that sat facing the desk and waited McKolf.

He didn’t keep her waiting long, booming into the room with his large steps, the door thrown wide. The girl cringed inwardly at his big entrance. Though McKolf was easier to converse with than the Captain, she was use to quiet entrances like the kind reserved for slipping into enemy lines.

“Good afternoon,” he boomed in his deep voice.

Everything about him was big and strong. His chiseled face was rough and marked from battle, his dark brown hair cropped short to his head. Well muscled arms and legs from long days of training strained against his dark blue uniform, his callused hands twice the size of a normal man’s easily shoving the heavy door back into its frame. But despite the fear and intimidation his size entailed, McKolf could be gentle, when he wanted to be.

“Good afternoon McKolf,” said the girl respectfully. “I’m here—“

“Oh I know why you’re here,” interrupted McKolf, sitting down heavily in his own chair. “Off on yet another mission are we?”

“Yes sir,” she replied, glad that this room was sound proof.

“Where to this time?” he asked, his dark blue eyes becoming interested as they skimmed the paper he had pulled from his chest pocket.

McKolf believed in being open about everything and he never beat around the bush with what he called ‘messy language’, the speech that she had been bred to use. Though she could never easily speak such a casual question such as his, she admired McKolf for his individuality among the high ranking officials and guards.

“I’m not at liberty to say. That information is classified from everyone except the Captain,” she recited.

“Yes, yes of course,” he murmured reading the last of the instructions and folding the paper back along its creases. He took out a lighter and set fire to it, dropping it to the stone floor where it crumbled into ash. “So you’ll be needing supplies.”

“Yes, and a new identity.”

“Then you came to the right place!” A small knock came from behind the girl. “Ahh! Right on time. Come in!”

The door responded to McKolf’s voice and opened once more. The girl wondered at the absurdity of not checking to see who it was before admitting them. That could have been a life or death mistake. But, then again McKolf was never careful.

One of the intern guards who was on delivery duty stood their carrying an uninteresting box. McKolf motioned him over. The boy walked quickly over the threshold, set the box on the table and bowed to McKolf. He back up two steps, saluted the girl, and then disappeared through the doorway.

“So let’s see what we’ve got here!” said McKolf excitedly. He took out a penknife and opened the crate, ruffling through the contents, pulling them out one by one.

The box was quickly emptied which meant that she wouldn’t be taking a lot with her. In fact, scanning the multitude of objects it didn’t look like she would be bringing anything. While that wasn’t strange, it was much different from her last mission.

Among the supplies were a bottle of hair dye, a pair of scissors, a box of contacts, an envelope, and a bracelet. The girl reached over to the bracelet, the only thing she didn’t know the purpose of.

It was a simple silver chain link bracelet interrupted only once by a flattened plate. She turned it around in her hand.

“What’s its purpose?” she asked finally.

“It’s a sensor,” answered McKolf. “Once you infiltrate the enemy headquarters according to the details of you mission you are to activate it by bending the plate in half which will only work for you. It will send a message back here and they’ll launch an invasion immediately.” The girl merely nodded and clipped the bracelet around her ankle. It only made her mission easier in her mind. This time, she wouldn’t have to escape without getting caught. Her country would come to her. “The rest, I assume you know what to do with. It will help you change your appearance for a lengthy amount of time. According to my instructions, you are to change back at your room the night before you leave,” finished McKolf.

“Thank you for your assistance. I’ll see you in two days,” said the girl.

She swept the rest of the supplies back into the box and tucked the unopened envelope into her pocket. She would read it back at her room.

Standing up, she walked purposefully towards the door which opened at a command from McKolf.

“One more thing!” he said. She turned back and he smiled. “Good luck Kaylie.”

She nodded without emotion and walked away. The loud bang of the door echoing behind her.