• tab I was pissed when I reached Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of France. Behind me were the agents sent to…retrieve me. I had ended running into the so called top agents three hours later than the time Calcifer told me it would take them to find me. They were inexperienced and just brand new to the clan. I loved messing with vampires like them. But I hated the fact that the clan sent out these five inexperienced agents to get me. It also made me angrier when I saw that they were just kids. Just in their teens. I don’t blame the kids. I blame Calcifer and the clan. And right now both of them were on the top of my ‘list of things to destroy when I enhance my powers and control them.’
    tab “Exactly how much experience do you have, Agent Brian McKean?” I asked skeptically.
    tab “I’m more experienced than-” he tried.
    tab “How many missions have you been on, Agent McKean?” I interrupted.
    tab There was a long pause. I heard his thoughts.
    tab “24 missions. Only 24 missions and they think they can call you a presently top agent. Well here’s some news. You all are only rookies, newbies, fresh meat. I eat you. Not just for a meal, but for everything and anything. I cannot tell you how many missions I’ve been on. Mainly because I never counted. Because most of them were double missions. You know – two missions at the same time. You can ask Calcifer or a member of the High Council how many missions I’ve been on. I was the top ranking agent. Most experienced, most valuable, most treasured. I was the one you may hear about in the clan’s recent history.”
    tab Their mouths were hanging open when we landed, a few seconds later, near the entrance to the clan base. We continued on foot.
    tab “Y-y-y-you’re Agent-” said Agent David Holean.
    tab “Shut up. I already know about myself. Trust me when I say you’re newbies. All of you. Now let’s get inside, I’m pissed and ready to kill Calcifer.”
    tab “But the Major isn’t here.” It was Agent Sira Whittle.
    tab “What do you mean, Agent Whittle?” I stopped.
    tab “He took off on a mission some time after we left him. He was the one who gave us the order to bring you back,” she said.
    tab “I knew it. Do you know where he could be? What his mission was?”
    tab “He went on a search for someone on the island.”
    tab “How long will he be gone?”
    tab “A few hours.”
    tab We kept walking. As we reached the doors, I saw Calcifer opening them to go inside. I ran to him, grabbing his cold neck and squeezing hard.
    tab He grinned at me, putting forth an effort to talk through my grip. “You should try doing that a little lower and softer, babe.”
    tab “Maybe in the next lifetime, sweetie.” I twisted the last word.
    tab “We are the next lifetime, my dear,” he spoke with an edge in his voice that I didn’t like.
    tab “Nice try. Now what’s this I hear about you ordering these newbies to retrieve me?” I was pissed and it was showing. Calcifer saw it.
    tab “They aren’t new agents. They have been on quite a few missions.”
    tab “24 missions is not quite a few, Calcifer. Correction: that isn’t enough.”
    tab “Well that’s by your standards, now isn’t?” he sneered.
    tab “Tell me or I’ll take your head.”
    tab He grabbed my hand, spun around, grabbed my neck with his other hand. Twisting my hands into one of his, he bagan to drag me inside. I struggled the entire time. He stopped when we reached the council room. After closing the doors behind us, Calcifer push me into the box like stand in the middle of the room. There was a brief flash and chains strapped themselves around my legs, arms, and waist. I struggled for a short time, having the feeling these chains were made specially for me. I was right when I tried to melt them. Nothing happened. Then, I was hoisted into the air several inches. I could tell my toes were just high enough off the ground to not touch.
    tab “What the hell is going on, Calcifer?” I was suspicious and even more pissed off.
    tab “Oh, sorry about that. Just a precaution, babe. You look hot all tied up.”
    tab I was taken aback. I hadn’t been expecting that. “Precaution? Precaution for what exactly? And come over here and call me ‘babe’ again.”
    tab Calcifer smirked but didn’t budge. “Your father is here. He wants a hug. Why don’t you just let him hug you and then hear what he might have to say?”
    tab My head whipped around at the mention of my father. We got along great. Just never bothered to see each other at all, unless something happened or one of us wanted something from the other. Like the time he wanted some piece of priceless art and made me go steal it for him. That was not fun because I almost got caught. And was my first mission at that.
    tab “Where is he?” I asked awkwardly.
    tab “I’m right here, Bella."