Heroes and Villains
3: foster, nick foster.
Nick Foster, the FBI’s youngest recruit at only 18. Computer and gadget genius, his intellect rivalled that of Elizabeth Hunter’s. Blessed with chiselled features and deep lagoon-blue eyes, he was reminiscent of Hercules. In both good looks and build. Almost too good to be true, Alexi sometimes fought to herself. Almost. He had lived in New York City up till the age of 12 when he was sent to England to be tutored by the best computer scientists in world. This just happened to be at the NSOA. Alexi and Nick had struck up a firm friendship, seemingly being the only children around, running down corridors, mimicking the action heroes they would later grow up to be. Neither had much to do with the outside world, other children, kids T.V and everything else. All they knew was what they made up in their own world. The instructors at the NSOA thought it better that instead of him growing up against the government, using his amazing hacking skills against them; he could be used for their own purposes. Nick had grown up as one of 7 children, living in a squashed flat in down town New York. So was not sorry to leave that life behind. He was always up for whatever adventure life happened to throw at him, no matter how dangerous.
Sweeping his gorgeous dark hair out from his eyes, he sat down and took a bite out of Alexis now cold sausage roll.
“What’s up, buttercup?” he had an annoying habit of using cheesy rhyming, something which he seemed to hide behind in times of frustration or anger. Or just plain restlessness, at not knowing what he had been called to this desolate spot for.
“I need help”
The need in her voice, the quietness, the vulnerability of it made him stall for a second. Alexi was strong and independent; she would never ask for help unless she was in dire need of it. He sat forward, listening intently, his eyes focused on hers, looking for any sign of what was wrong.
“It started last week. I'm being followed,” She continued, not waiting for him to answer. “A large black high-tech van has been following me to and from headquarters for the last five days, staying outside my house all night and outside the agency, making sure they don’t loose me. I’ve tried every trick in the book, but I’ve never seen anyone getting in or out of the car. They haven’t stopped for petrol or anything. I even walked down to the shops and they followed me, driving up and down the road always keeping me sight. Don’t you dare turn around and look but there is even one across the street from us now. I don’t know what else to do…” she finished feebly; embarrassed that she was stuck, trapped.
“Do you know who it is?” Nick said, no trace of doubt in his voice. If Alexi was sufficiently scared to call for help, she must be certain.
“No,” she said, shaking her head fiercely, her hair bouncing animatedly. “They’ve got fake number plates. I can’t think of anyone who would want to have me followed me. I’ve asked the chief at NSOA but he swears that it’s not him. He offered to find out who it is, but I said I wanted to do it myself. I thought they might do something, but they don’t they just follow me around!” Alexi’s voice was rising, so she checked herself and took a deep breath, staring down at her lap, fiddling with the zip on her dark hoodie. “And any way, whoever it is must want me to know I'm being followed otherwise they wouldn’t make it so obvious. They can’t be that stupid to employ idiots.”
She felt a soft hand on her shoulder, and slowly raised her eyes to meets Nicks steady gaze, worried what she would find. Her heart melted in relief. She was worried for a while whether he would believe her or not, just tell her to stop being stupid and not to overreact. But she had been a good judge of character, because when his next words showed just how good their friendship was.
“We’ll sort it.” He whispered comfortingly. Not ‘I’, not ‘You’, not ‘they’. ‘We’ they’d get through this, like they had got through every other obstruction in their path to leading a normal life. But they had no idea that this was going to be their hardest, most testing adventure so far.
Sweeping his gorgeous dark hair out from his eyes, he sat down and took a bite out of Alexis now cold sausage roll.
“What’s up, buttercup?” he had an annoying habit of using cheesy rhyming, something which he seemed to hide behind in times of frustration or anger. Or just plain restlessness, at not knowing what he had been called to this desolate spot for.
“I need help”
The need in her voice, the quietness, the vulnerability of it made him stall for a second. Alexi was strong and independent; she would never ask for help unless she was in dire need of it. He sat forward, listening intently, his eyes focused on hers, looking for any sign of what was wrong.
“It started last week. I'm being followed,” She continued, not waiting for him to answer. “A large black high-tech van has been following me to and from headquarters for the last five days, staying outside my house all night and outside the agency, making sure they don’t loose me. I’ve tried every trick in the book, but I’ve never seen anyone getting in or out of the car. They haven’t stopped for petrol or anything. I even walked down to the shops and they followed me, driving up and down the road always keeping me sight. Don’t you dare turn around and look but there is even one across the street from us now. I don’t know what else to do…” she finished feebly; embarrassed that she was stuck, trapped.
“Do you know who it is?” Nick said, no trace of doubt in his voice. If Alexi was sufficiently scared to call for help, she must be certain.
“No,” she said, shaking her head fiercely, her hair bouncing animatedly. “They’ve got fake number plates. I can’t think of anyone who would want to have me followed me. I’ve asked the chief at NSOA but he swears that it’s not him. He offered to find out who it is, but I said I wanted to do it myself. I thought they might do something, but they don’t they just follow me around!” Alexi’s voice was rising, so she checked herself and took a deep breath, staring down at her lap, fiddling with the zip on her dark hoodie. “And any way, whoever it is must want me to know I'm being followed otherwise they wouldn’t make it so obvious. They can’t be that stupid to employ idiots.”
She felt a soft hand on her shoulder, and slowly raised her eyes to meets Nicks steady gaze, worried what she would find. Her heart melted in relief. She was worried for a while whether he would believe her or not, just tell her to stop being stupid and not to overreact. But she had been a good judge of character, because when his next words showed just how good their friendship was.
“We’ll sort it.” He whispered comfortingly. Not ‘I’, not ‘You’, not ‘they’. ‘We’ they’d get through this, like they had got through every other obstruction in their path to leading a normal life. But they had no idea that this was going to be their hardest, most testing adventure so far.