Glass Reflection

"Tyler... do you understands the conditions? Are you sure you really want to do this?" the older man asked as he took a seat across from his young partner.

"Yes. It is the safest way. I'll be fine. Starting a new life wouldn't be so bad," the young agent answered. "This way, I'll get my wish and all the secrets here will be kept safe from those that would seek it. I am ready."

The older man sighed and ran a hand through his own hair. He hated to see Tyler go. He was such a bright young thing. "You'll be missed."

Tyler offered his partner a smile. "Thanks."

"What kind of new life do you want?"

"I don't care. Just something... something with literature. That had always been my second passion."

The man gave Tyler a nod before he slipped on a pair of dark glasses that almost blocked out vision entirely. He raised a small device and positioned it at Tyler's eye level. It was so hard to pull the trigger on the device. Tyler had been the best partner he ever had in the agency. It was a cruel twist of fate that he had to lose him now and be the one to take it all away. Tyler smiled at him and reached out his own hands to steady the man's shaking one.

"Thank you, Steve. It was a pleasure working with you. I wish you the best for the remainder of your life. I wish we could stay friends. Good bye." Tyler cooed before he forced his partner to pull the trigger. A bright blue light erupted from the device and centered on Tyler's gaze. The man's eyes glazed over and his hands dropped. He just stared at his partner without really seeing him.

Steve gave another sigh and dropped his hand. "Your name is Aiden. You are a librarian with a love of reading. You will forget everything about Tyler Clairington. Tyler doesn't exist. You were not born in America. You were born and raised in England and brought here upon your parents death when you were twelve. What is your name? What is your earliest memory?"

"My name.... my name is Aiden. I remember when I was little I used to love to...I... I don't remember," Tyler answered in an Enlgish accent.

"Good. What are your parents names?"

".... I don't remember."

"Where were you born?"

"...England. I was... raised by... by...my mother's sister. My parents died in an accident when I was a child..."

"Do you know who I am?"

"...No... Where am I?"




Aiden sighed and leaned back against the glossy blacktop of the bar. Everything in this nightclub was so loud. Why did he come here again? Oh right. He had a long day and was trying to loosen up. Who would have thought something so simple would be so hard to do? He took another sip of his drink and stared at the young crowd jumping around and dancing to the eardrum popping sounds of hip hip. Maybe coming here had been a bad idea. He wanted to dance, but he didn't consider the dry humping everyone was doing dancing.

He didn't see anyone he'd like to dance with anyway. Most of the people here were straight. Maybe he should have gone to a gay bar. Then again, most people there were there to hook up for a more than friendly encounter. He wasn't sure he was up for that tonight. His blue gray eyes scanned the dance floor again before he turned back to his drink. He should just go home. Coming here hadn't lifted his spirits any.

Ezekiel--Zeke, as he preferred to be called--sighed heavily as he took a seat on a stool and leaned against the bar top. This was the last time he took a coworker's recommendation for a place to unwind after work. As much as he liked people, this just didn't feel like the right atmosphere to talk to people. Everyone here seemed to have different thoughts. The average twenty-two-year-old would find this place wonderful; for Zeke, though it took a lot to make him uncomfortable in a social setting, this had accomplished it.

He ran a hand back through his messy black hair, scanning the crowds. Never before had it been so difficult to go somewhere and find someone to talk to. Even the girl who had approached him not ten minutes before hadn't been able to hold a cheerful conversation, and she had ultimately gone off find something else to entertain her.

Perhaps this had been something of a mistake. It might be better to relax at home, anyway--not that his studio apartment was all that relaxing in and of itself. He downed the last mouthful of his drink and looked to the door, debating on leaving or giving this place one more chance. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his loose navy-blue hoodie as he thought.

Aiden downed his drink before he made up his mind to just go home. He stood up from the bar and stretched himself out a little. He'd top the evening off with a nice long hot soak in the tub and just go to sleep. At least he would be relaxed enough before the morning came. He didn't have work in the morning, but it still felt like he did. He needed a new routine in his life. He was so bored. It was the same thing every day and every week. Go to work. Go home. Read and just lay there. There was nothing exciting in his life and he didn't even have someone to share his time with.

Aiden pushed back his blond hair and glanced to the side to see another man at the bar. He was a handsome face and he didn't look like some teenager sneaking in with a fake ID or anything. He looked just as bored as Aiden felt. It gave him pause. He always aid he needed something new in his life but he never did anything new. Perhaps he would go talk to the man. The worst that could happen was the man wasn't interested in talking to him and nothing would change. Aiden shrugged the thought off and walked over to the man and offered him a bright smile.

"Hey there," he called out. "I'd drop you some lame pickup line, but I seem to be fresh out of them and they are rather cliche. So instead may I buy you a drink for a friendly exchange?" he asked. "My name is Aiden. What's yours?" He waved over the bartender so the man could order the drink he offered.

Zeke looked up when he heard someone talking nearby. At first he wasn't certain that the approaching blond man was speaking to him--after a glance over his shoulder revealed that nobody else was present to receive the greeting, he understood. He smiled widely and sat up off the bar, grateful that he might finally have someone to talk to.

"I'll admit nobody's ever tried buying a drink for a conversation," he remarked in amusement. "Can't complain, though. You can call me Zeke."

He leaned again against the bar top, finding the position more comfortable than sitting up straight. It was hard to make a judgment so quickly, but Aiden at least seemed like a nice enough person. Maybe he wouldn't have to regret coming to this bar after all. He wasn't sure he would be thanking that coworker anytime soon, but maybe something good would still come of this, anyway.

Aiden chuckled a little and gave the man a smile after he paid for their drinks and got comfortable at the bar. "You haven't? I see it all the time. People go out to talk over coffee, go out for a drink in a social event. I've seen plenty of guys send a drink to some lady they fancy in hopes the girl will give them a chance to at least hear them out," he countered and sipped at his drink when it arrived.

"It is nice to meet you Zeke. How is life treating you?" he asked and turned his gaze towards the dancing again and shook his head. These people were practically having sex! Oh, wait, there was a pair having sex in the middle of the dance floor. Wonderful. He turned his gaze away. They made sex seem like something one did in a pass time. It didn't mean anything. He wanted sex to mean something. It was exposing yourself to someone; an intimate gesture where two people show their vulnerability.

"I wish people at dance clubs actually danced," he grumbled.

Zeke followed Aiden's gaze out to the dance floor. He caught sight of the offending couple, cleared his throat awkwardly, and quickly turned away, his face flushing red. "That's lovely," he said, busying himself with his drink. "I knew everyone liked to get a little closer than necessary, but I didn't think it was that close."

He shook his head. "Oh well . . . Anyway, to answer your question, life's fine, I guess. Nothing too exciting, but nothing's really ever been that exciting for me." He shrugged his shoulders, swirled his drink in its glass, then looked back at Aiden curiously. "So, out of curiosity, what do you do for a living? Has to be more interesting than what I do."

Zeke ran his finger along the edge of his drink glass, returning his gaze back out to the rest of the bar (while trying to avoid the dance floor as much as possible). The place still wasn't appealing. Thank God he had found a distraction.

Aiden chuckled a little and sipped at his drink. "My life exciting? Oh gosh I wish. I came here to spice things up. The only thing exciting here, is you," he said with a smile and a wink. "I am a librarian. Exciting, isn't it? I always that that working at a library would be the best thing ever since I loved to read so much. Not so much now that I actually work there. Just get to sit at my desk.... reading... the best thing I get to a social life there? When someone comes up to check out a book or lost something," he said and rolled his eyes.

He placed the empty glass down on the bar and looked over the man again. "If you want, we can get out of this place. It's obviously going to progress into a sex fest. Maybe we can find something else to do that is a little more interesting." Then Aiden realized what the offer sounded like. He blushed a little and cleared his throat.

"Um, I didn't mean that to sound like I was asking for a one night stand or something. I am not just interested in sex with you. I want to get to know you better and stuff. Friends meet at bars, right?" Oh gosh he was so socially awkward. "I understand if you don't want to. It was just a suggestion."

Zeke laughed lightly; he had understood Aiden's intent the first time he had said anything, but it was amusing to watch him fumble to correct his supposed mistake. Zeke was often the one in that position. He looked at his drink, finished it to be polite, and got to a stand.

"That sounds nice, actually," he said, smiling cheerfully in the face of Aiden's awkwardness. "I wasn't going to stick around here much longer, anyway. The people around here aren't really as interesting as I thought they'd be--well, with one exception, I guess." He set aside his empty glass and fumbled with his wallet to leave a tip for the bartender, who probably had a long night ahead of him with these people.

"Any ideas?" he asked as he flipped through the rather meager assortment of bills in his wallet before tossing down a couple of ones. "I'm happy to wander around downtown, but I'd be happy to hear any other suggestions."

Aiden chuckled a little out of nervousness out of anything. Gosh why was he so awkward in social situations? It just wasn't... there was no use for awkwardness. Gosh he needed to go out more and mingle with people. He had always thought of himself as a social person and yet, here he was fumbling with his words and probably sounded like some stiff idiot. Criticizing himself wasn't going to help him in this situations either. He blew his hair out of his face and bit his lip so he wouldn't grumble at himself while his friend left the tip. Now he felt horrible about that to. He had bought the man a drink and hadn't paid for a tip! Oh the love of social etiquette.

"Actually I don't really have anything in mind," he chuckled. "I just wanted to get out of this place. I was actually getting up to leave when I saw you and figured you would be interesting to talk to," he answered him and led his companion to the door of the bar and made sure to open it for the man. "Do you have a car with you?" he asked. "If not you can always jump into my car."

As he waited for the man to tell him if he had a car or not, an idea came to him. He checked his watch. It was almost ten. "Hey, if you want, I could always take you to my house and make you some dinner or something. I know it is a bit late, so we could just have some kind of desert if not a full out dinner. And then, if you want of course, you can spend the night and I'll treat you out tomorrow. How does that sound?" he asked.

Zeke checked his wristwatch out of habit. Was it so late already? He hadn't noticed. He couldn't have possibly been there that long . . . Oh well.

"We've barely met and you're already spoiling me," he said with a lighthearted laugh. He paused for a moment to think. Rarely would he consider staying the night at the house of someone he had just met for any reason, but it seemed like such a pleasant idea now. Either the drinks (the whole two of them) were getting to him or things were just going better than they should. Whatever the reason, he found himself unable to argue with the idea of free food and an evening in someone's company.

"Well," he said, slipping his hands back into his coat pockets, "that actually sounds pretty good to me. My car's parked around back, so I guess I'll just have to follow you . . . How far do you live from here?"

Aiden chuckled at him. "Of course I am spoiling you. Why wouldn't I? And I don't live too terribly far from here. I'd say give it about 15 minutes and we'll be home and snug by the fire and out of this damn chill," he smiled. I guess I will see you at home then," Aiden announced and got into his car that really wasn't all that fancy. It was a simple white dodge truck and it had carried him through many challenges over the years. It was a rather loyal car.


Upon arrive to the rather nice two story house, Aiden parked and waited for his companion to do the same. He left him plenty of space in the drive through to park beside him and then headed up to his home. He opened the door and let Zeke enter before him and switched on the lights. The house was rather spacious and everything was neat and orderly. Aidien wasn't a fan of clutter. Clutter got in the way and if there was an emergency, one could end up tripping and breaking their neck or something and it was always hard to find things in a clutter.

"Well, this is my home," he smiled. "If you want to sit by the fire, I'll start up the fireplace. I am not all the hungry so maybe some deserts? We could always bake cookies and stuff. Do you want something to drink? I have water, soda and a small store of sake. Strong stuff, that," he said to him. "Please, make yourself at home!"

Zeke spent the drive over wondering what Aiden's house might be like. Given the man's personality, he didn't imagine much. Something small and neat, most likely. Since he was a librarian, there were probably books stacked up the walls. He couldn't suppress a smile at the idea of bookshelves covering the available wall space--like Aiden never truly left the library.

The actual house surpassed his expectations, and Zeke couldn't help feeling slightly out of place. His own abode was a small studio apartment on the other side of town--highly unimpressive and usually cluttered because he couldn't be bothered to clean up after every little thing. Unaccustomed to such niceties, he found himself unconsciously trying not to touch anything while simultaneously attempting to not to appear too awed or uncomfortable.

"You have a nice place here," he remarked, eventually finding his way to a seat in the living room. "And some water sounds good, I guess. Probably shouldn't overdo it on the alcohol tonight."

"Thank you," Aiden smiled and brought his companion the water he requested. "Please, make yourself comfortable. I have a guest room that is just down the hall. If you get tired, you can sleep there. Don't worry, the room is cleaned so there won't be dust and stuff like that in there. I was starting to move things around, so there are a couple of boxes in the corner that contain books and things. Thanks for coming over. I know it was kind of sudden and you had no reasons to really indulge me," he answered the man.

After a few more hours of small talk and pleasantries, the two men found themselves tired and in need of rest. After showing Zeke to his room, Aiden went to bed and dropped into the warm and soft covers of his bed for a nice fitful sleep. Pity it had to end on a darker note. The night had been so peaceful before the shadows began to stalk each other in the moonlight and seek entry into their victim's home. Aiden grumbled and tried to get comfortable. Something kept nagging at his mind. He didn't want to listen to the warnings his silent mind tried to convey.

A shadow fell upon Aiden and hands began to reach for him; a cloth ready to knock the man out when he woke. Aiden's eyes opened a crack and he saw the hand coming towards him. He gasped and shuffled backwards off the bed and hit the floor. The invader was quick to try and grab him. Aiden slipped through his grasp and ran out of the room.

"Zeke!" he called, trying to wake his friend. Before Aiden could get to the door, he was tackled to the floor. He rolled with the invader but he didn't know how to fight. It wasn't long before the man overpowered Aiden and pressed the cloth Aiden's face. Within seconds the struggling ceased and Aiden was out like a light.

Zeke found himself surprised by the way the night was progressing. It was technically morning by the time their conversation finally drew to an end and they went to bed. He still didn't know whether the alcohol was truly affecting his judgment or not, but he was more than happy to spend the night in a partial stranger's home. Not, he supposed as he made himself comfortable in the guest bed, that Aden really felt like a stranger anymore. After so much pleasant conversation, that definitely wasn't the case anymore.

He was close to dozing off when he heard a thump down the hall. At first he wasn't bothered, figuring it to be a random noise, until he heard Aden shout his name. Zeke immediately sat up, feeling his heart begin to race. What was happening? Was there someone else in the house? He wasn't certain he wanted to find out, but he couldn't ignore it.

Zeke slipped out of bed again and went back to the hall, his sock-clad footsteps somehow seeming all too loud. It was quiet for a moment, which only unnerved him more. As he moved toward Aden's bedroom, from where he thought the sounds had originated, a shadowy figure suddenly darted from behind the door of a hall closet. He didn't have a chance to fight back; he caught a glimpse of a female form before it pressed a cloth over his mouth and nose. It smelled strongly of some chemical he couldn't identify, and he was vaguely aware of falling toward the floor before everything went black.

Aiden's head was throbbing. It hurt so much. His stomach didn't feel so great anymore. He swallowed dryly trying to keep the twisting in his stomach from forcing him to throw up. Maybe throwing up wasn't such a bad idea. He just needed to get up and hurry to the bathroom, right? His eyes felt a little grainy as he forced them open. Why was everything hurting? He hadn't had that much to drink to get himself a hangover. His mouth was so dry and he could hardly move his tongue. He blinked up at the bright light a little more that disoriented and lethargic. It felt like someone forced his brain in super slow snail processing mode. Gradually, the events of the night began to form connections and his brain sped up.

Aiden looked down at himself and froze. He was tied to a chair and he couldn't move an inch. There was a gag in his mouth which explained the pain there. The drugs explained the nausea and the headache. He looked around but there was only so much movement he had with his head. He didn't know where he was or why he was there int he first place. He hadn't done anything! What could people want from a librarian? He didn't have some world changing secrets! He just stocked books and made sure people turned their shit in on time!

The man glanced back and saw Zek tied to a chair a little distance away from. He tried to call out to him but all that came out was a muffled cry. Aiden pushed at the gag in his mouth and worked at it until it finally fell from his lips. His tongue felt three sizes too big already. "Zeek!" he hissed. "Zeek! wake up!"

Zeke couldn't tell how much time had passed before he found himself slowly drifting back into consciousness. He nearly fought the sensation as he was assaulted by feelings of pain and nausea; at least unconsciousness was somehow comforting. Was he still sleeping in that bed? No, he had gotten up, but why had he . . . ?

A familiar voice was hissing his name nearby. His head felt like it was full of cotton and he could barely hear the sound, but he forced himself to open his eyes and look around. He first noticed Aiden nearby, and felt an odd sense of relief at finding his friend there--at least it meant they were both alive and well. He tried to speak, but realized that he had been gagged as Aiden must have been. No amount of working his lips made the cloth budge an inch and he was simply too exhausted to do more.

He wiggled against his restraints, but they held fast. He felt panic quickly bubbling up from his stomach. What would anyone want with him? He was a grocer! Not rich by any means and certainly not interesting and worth kidnapping. He looked again at Aiden as though the other man might have some explanation, his expression frightened.

Aiden couldn't help the sigh of relief that came from his lips when he saw his friend wake up. That meant there hadn't been serious damage done to the other man. He looked around trying to find away to get out of his bindings. He wiggled in the rope but that earned him nothing but rashes on his wrist. He wish he knew what was going on. If he was rich, he'd understand this somewhat, but this kidnapping didn't make sense! Why couldn't this just be some bad dream? He finally found someone he rather liked to talk to. They had planned a date and things were supposed to go well! A kidnapping was not a good way to start off a relationship. What was going to happen to them here anyway?

A door slid open and Aiden straightened up a little and tried to look behind him. A man in his late thirties came free of the shadows. He had short dark hair and eyes. Old scars touched his face and he didn't look like a friendly man in the least. Then the man gave him a slimey little grin before he glanced at Zeke and crossed his arms.

"A boring librarian," the man mused as he watched Aiden. "I never thought you'd be one, Tyler. Your profile said everything to contrary to that life style. Oh and look! You had a lover to. You've gotten sloppy over the years."

"...what?" Aiden returned a little dumbfounded. "What are you talking about? My name is Aiden, not Tyler. You have the wrong person!"

"You think I'd forget you? You're the one who gave me these nice touches," the man growled and pointed to the scars. "Drop the act already. You've been caught."

"I don't know what the hell you're talk about!"

Zeke narrowed his eyes tiredly at the man who had entered the room. He had no idea what the man was talking about, who Tyler was, or why that Tyler would have injured him. He pulled again at his ropes but failed to do anything.

Another person came from the same door the man had, a woman this time. She had a pixie-cut of pale blonde hair and loose, dark clothing. Her eyes were brown, but her gaze was almost amused as she took a place beside her partner.

"Come on, Tyler, you're not stupid," she said before her gaze slid over to Zeke. "He might be, though."

Zeke couldn't help a glare. The woman reached over and yanked the cloth out of his mouth, causing him to sputter before he could speak.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice rasping. "I don't even know who you are and obviously he doesn't, either."

The woman laughed lightly and waved her hand. "You're not the important one here," she said. "At least, not nearly so important until we figure out exactly how much you might know, too."

Aiden looked between the two strangers feeling helpless. They weren't listening! He wasn't this Tyler person! He was some wild, vicious, criminal or whatever! He assumed these people were either cops or gang leaders. Did this Tyler person look a lot like him? That would explain why they thought they were the same person. When the strangers turned their attention to Zeek, he gasped. Zeek was going to get hurt because of him! He hadn't wanted this when he met the man. Maybe he should have left the bar without stopping to talk to Zeek. At least than Zeek would ahve been safe from this. Life truly was a cruel being.

"Stop! Please, let him go! I just met him last night. Don't hurt him," Aiden begged.

The man laughed and lifted Aiden's face up to meet his. "I would have never pegged you as a beggar and a homo, or is all that part of your cover to? Were you just using him so you could stay under the radar? I mean, why would the 'great Tyler' hang with a nobody?"

Aiden pulled his face away from him. "What do you want from me?" he asked. "I am not Tyler! You people have the wrong person."

"Now you're being annoying. Just spit out the password and the location of the secret files. Hell, find it for us. You're a good hacker, right?"

"I can't hack anything...."

The man shook his head and turned to his partner. "Looks like he isn't going to make it easy. Let's start the torture. I want to leave some nice scars on that pretty face of his." Then he glanced at Zeek. "Or even shatter his heart," he grinned.

"No! Let him go!"

"Then spit out the password and location."

"I don't known what you're talking about!" Aiden looked over at Zeek a little panicked. What was he supposed to do? "Zeek... I am so sorry."

"You have to know something," the woman sighed in mock exasperation. "We're not idiots. It took us ages to trace you again and we know we have the right man. You've obviously done a good job trying to lay low, but you might as well give it up. Everything will go a lot faster and a lot easier."

Zeke listened in silence, flinching unwillingly when the man looked his way again. He didn't know what to think. He was scared, he knew that much. He didn't know what would happen or if Aiden was lying through his teeth about whether he was or was not this Tyler person. Aiden seemed completely confused, but given everything else, could that be an act as well? He wanted to trust Aiden, but it was hard to decide what to believe.

The woman moved over to Zeke again. She seemed to be examining him for a moment, before suddenly seizing him by the roots of his hair and forcing his head back. She produced a knife Zeke hadn't seen before and held the flat of it against his throat, but her expression seemed thoughtful.

"Is there a way he genuinely could not know?" she asked, teasingly working the blade back and forth so the edges teased against Zeke's skin. He didn't dare to move, his eyes wide and every muscle tensed. "Normally I'd assume he was just playing stupid, but if they really wanted to protect those files . . ."

Aiden watched as the woman stalked over to his companion and pressed the knife to the man's throat. Aiden's eyes widened and he tensed up. His breathing and heart rate raced in his chest like a jackrabbit running from a coyote. He tried to get up out of the chair to help his friend but earned a nice punch in the gut. Aiden gasped and coughed after the impact. Aiden didn't want to be responsible for his companion's death. Zeke was a nice guy from what he could tell. He didn't deserve this kind of treatment. Aiden looked back at his friend and swallowed hard when he saw the skin on his friend's neck begin to break and let the blood stain the knife's edge in a thin layer.

"We don't know anything!" Aiden said.

"Well, I don't know. I remember reading a report a few years back hinting about a device the agency was working on. Said something about suppressed memories. If that item exists, they might have used it on him. Cleaner than killing him. Tyler wouldn't have let them kill him so that would have been a bloody mess with too many people dead and secrets spilled probably," the man answered his partner.

The man lifted Aiden's face and stared into his eyes. "Any idea how we'd test that?" he asked. "He looks the same to me. He sounds English now." The man walked around Aiden with a thoughtful expression. "I don't know how to test for his memory, but I do know how to test to make sure this is Tyler. When I fought with him, I saw a white lotus flower tattoo with three green leaves around it on his hip. I gave him a scar on his right shoulder." The man pulled down Aiden's shirt and revealed the thin white scar. Then he pulled the top of Aiden's pants down and grinned when he saw the tattoo. "So he is Tyler. How do you want to test for his memory?"

The woman hummed as she thought, her eyes still focused on her knife. She eventually straightened and pull the knife away, though it was already stained with a faint amount of blood. "I'm not sure," she confessed. "Beating it out of him seems like the simplest answer, but if they've really suppressed it, we might have to try something else. We'd need to find a way to make him remember, and beating him unconscious won't really do that."

Zeke swallowed hard, feeling the cut on his throat sting as he did. He tried to speak, but couldn't find the words. He just wanted to be let go. He wanted to wake up and find that he was still in bed, lying in a guest bedroom in a nice guy's house after a more entertaining night than he'd had in weeks, but it didn't seem likely that it would happen.

The woman sighed and crossed her arms loosely. "We might have to find a better way of going about this," she said with a glance to her partner. "Obviously it's him, but mentally, it's not."

Zeke closed his eyes. Please let them leave, he thought. Please let there be a way out . . .

"Right. He is of no use if he can't even remember his name. Maybe if we had him read his profile?" the man asked as he watched Aiden relax when the knife was pulled away from Zeke's throat. "Maybe hit his head?" he asked. "I know it sounds kind of stupid but there are cases where someone had amnesia or whatever after t hey were hit. Maybe hitting him would jog his memory? If not that, maybe put him in a position where he needs his old training. Self preservation might help him remember to. Damn. Why does this have to be so complicated? It already took us three years to find him."

The man ran a hand through his dark hair and bit his lip. "I'll start implementing our theories. I'll bring his profile." The man left the room and it wasn't too long before he came back with a laptop open to Tyler's agent profile and connected it to the projector. Immediately a picture of Tyler, or Aiden, appeared on the screen. It was a much younger picture, but it was him nonetheless. Aiden stared up at it dumbfounded. His mouth hung open a little as he started to read the profile. "That's... that isn't me..." he said. "He looks like me, but it isn't me. I don't know this stuff! And if I am supposed to be some great agent, how the hell did you find this?"

"Hacking," he answered. "Found this in the old records of your agency. Managed to get quite a few things, but the one thing it lacked was the one thing we need; the codes. You have those locked away nicely in your head."

"I don't have anything! Just go into my bank account, take the money and let us go!" he said.

"Doesn't work that way and this is going nowhere," the man growled and shut the down the profile. "Your turn to do something," he said and handed the session off to his partner.

Zeke watched the scene unfold with growing confusion. He didn't dare call these two incompetent--he was still scared out of his mind about what would or could happen--but now it almost seemed like a pointless venture. They had kidnapped Aiden and Zeke both and now seemed at a complete loss for what to do. It almost would have been funny if the implications and the casual ways they mentioned torture weren't utterly terrifying.

The woman shook her head. "I don't remember being told that we would have to do any of this," she muttered. She pushed Zeke's chair out of her way, nearly tipping him but either not noticing or not caring. She studied Aiden for a moment, thinking. She glanced at the projector, shook her head again, then moved to Aiden and pulled free the ropes that were keeping him tied down.

"Don't try anything," she said warningly as she did so. Before Aiden would have a chance to answer, she took several steps back, drawing three smaller knives on her person and flinging them at Aiden. They wouldn't kill if they made contact, only cutting into the non-vital flesh of his arms and sides, but they would still draw blood and she showed no signs of going easy.

Aiden wanted to scream at them. Why couldn't they just go home? He had nothing of value for them. They kept telling him he was this Tyler person and it was driving him insane! It was confusing him. Where did they get a picture of him? Why was it glued to that profile? Did that person just really look like him? He glanced at Zeke and swallowed hard. How was he supposed to get Zeke out of this situation? He wanted the man safe. What if they really started to hurt him? He wouldn't be able to live with himself if Zeke got hurt because of him and these idiots.

Then the woman untied him. He looked at her a little unsure. He stood up slowly and rubbed his wrists a little and glanced at his friend. Maybe if he was fast enough, he could get to him and find a way to help him. out of this mess. His thought process flew out of the window when the knives came at him. He cried out in surprise and ducked out of the way. One of them managed to hit his shoulder and side but he did manage to miss one. Aiden looked up at her and clutched at his side where blood began to seep through.

"You have the wrong person. I don't know how to fight."