"Rise and shine, Xara."

A gentle voice eased into the void of the subconscious. Light shone past my closed eyelids. A hand nudged my shoulder.

"It's time to get up," the voice continued.

I cracked one eye open to see Professor Nyryn standing over me. Professor Nyryn is here...I must be home.

The events of the previous day floated into my mind. Finn had driven us to IIA headquarters in Brussels. We exchanged our rental car for a jet, which Finn flew home. It was only six o'clock in the evening when I arrived home, but I had crashed the moment I stepped inside my living quarters.

For years, I had stuck to a regimented schedule, ensuring that I got enough sleep every single night. If for no other reason, this past week had been grueling due to a lack of sleep.

"Congratulations on completing your first mission," she said. She grinned, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Thank you," I said. "I didn't think that I could do it." Somehow, the words didn't come out choked. Somehow, the dam of emotions hadn't broken—at least not yet.

"I knew you would," the Professor continued. "Spy work is in your genes."

It should've been encouraging, but I couldn't help but think, yeah, but didn't you put those genes inside me? If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't even exist.

It's not like I'm naturally talented. I'm artificial, man-made.

"The Director has to talk to you," Professor Nyryn said. "You need to get up now."

"What time is it?"

"Five-thirty. The Director called a meeting in half an hour."

I wanted to flop backwards into my bed. Now? What could be so pressing that he'd need to speak to us so early in the morning? And right after we got back from our mission, no less.

Professor Nyryn smiled kindly at me. "I know, you're not used to this 'only a little bit of sleep per night' thing. But you need to go. It's what the real Xara did. It's the way espionage works. You'll get used to it. Come on, I have your breakfast all ready and your clothes laid out." A twinkle filled her brown eyes. "Besides, you've nearly slept twelve hours straight."

"I guess I have," I chuckled.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My bare feet landed on the wood floor. I never thought I would miss the floor of all things, but compared to the chemical-filled carpeting in the hotel room, I welcomed the change.

I threw on the grey sweatpants and green t-shirt laid out for me. I mechanically did my makeup to look like the real Xara, then headed to the kitchen. The smoky, salty scent of bacon filled the room, making me salivate. A bacon, eggs, and cheese breakfast sandwich sat on the kitchen island in a plastic bag. My empty stomach growled. I realized that I barely ate anything yesterday.

"I figured you could eat it on the way down. You need to get going," Professor Nyryn said.

"Good idea, thanks." I grabbed my breakfast and jogged out the door.

I devoured the sandwich in a few bites in the elevator and threw the bag into a trash can on the seventeenth floor. The halls were silent except for the light squishing of my sneakers on the carpet. I glanced at my watch. I was five minutes early.

Couldn't I have slept in an extra five minutes? I wondered. But as soon as I thought it, I realized it was not possible. Xara was always early. She had to be, it was one of her many modus operandis. This can't be healthy for me—all this getting up early and going to bed late. Maybe adults can do it, but don't teens need nine to ten hours of sleep per night?

Then again, many students stay up late studying for exams. If they could survive on two hours of sleep, then surely I could function. I shouldn't even be complaining? I got like twelve hours of sleep. Why doesn't it feel like enough?

I entered Team Summit's official meeting room to find Director Rokmond, Jax, Dawn, and Jef seated at the table. Centered perfectly in front of the Director was a single manila folder and a remote control.

"Good morning, Xara," the Director said.

"Good morning."

"Please take a seat."

I slid into Xara's official seat next to the Director. Dawn smiled at me from across the table.

"Hey, X. How was your trip?" she asked lightly.

"Pretty good," I replied simply.

"Beat anyone up?" she asked, cracking her knuckles for emphasis.

"No."

Dari frowned. "Aw. That's a shame."

I wanted to tell her about all our adventures—having a plane shot down, chasing a robber by foot, being shot at, car chases. But I had to act like the real Xara. She and Jef didn't know my secret, at least as far as I knew.

Actually, you need to start acting like the real Xara regardless. She can ask Ty for details. I'm sure he'll give a more entertaining retelling of our mission.

As we waited for the last few members to arrive, I wondered why Dawn and Jef were here. They were some of the most skilled Agents in the IIA. They both were experts in hand-to-hand combat, whether it be martial arts, boxing, or fencing, and had advanced training in weaponry. Dawn was also pretty good with tech, though not as good as Dari. But they were the heads of the IIA training academy, which meant that only one of them was allowed to go on a mission at a time.

The door opened behind me and Ty, Finn, and Dari filed into the room. Ty plopped into the seat next to me, Dari next to him, and Finn on the other side of the table.

"Good," the Director said. "You're all here at exactly six o'clock a.m."

"Yessir," Ty said.

"Let's begin," the Director stated. He opened the file folder and aimed the remote at the projector on the opposite end of the room. The machine hummed. A funnel of light shone the words 'Mission Break-Out' on the opposite wall.

"I have called you all here today to debrief you on your next mission." Rokmond made eye contact with each of us in turn. "Team Summit, I know you have just returned from another mission, but we haven't a moment to lose. Every passing moment escalates the danger that the subject of our mission is in."

Though the Director spoke in a strong and controlled voice, I could hear an underlying urgency. Realization hit me. I knew exactly what this meeting was about. We were going to save Xara.

"But before I can continue," the Director said, "There's something that Dawn and Jef need to know. This is a CUD matter."

"Classified Under Death," Dawn said.

I was getting a major case of déjà vu. Once again, I was in this room, sitting in the same seat, listening to a briefing while the Director revealed that I was a clone.

"Correct. You share this with no one, this information will go with you to the grave. Understood?" Dawn and Jef nodded their heads. "Good. Now I want you all to look at Xara." Everyone looked at me—even my fellow team members. I was glad that I didn't want to recoil from the shift of attention. That was a definite improvement.

"What?" Dawn asked, her brow furrowed.

"That is not the real Xara," the Director stated. Dawn and Jef's eyes widened.

"She's an actor?" Dawn said slowly. "Or actress? Or...oh my gosh! Does Xara have a twin?"

"No, Dawn," the Director said. He nodded to me. I guess I should have seen this coming. He had me announce my identity last time, too. I never thought of the Director as being one for dramatic reveals, but that perception was rapidly changing.

"I'm a clone," I said. No drama, no smiles, no excitement—I was too tired for frills. So this phrase ended up coming out casual, bored. Oh yeah, it's totally normal to be cloning people. What decade did you grow up in?

Dawn and Jef gaped at me. Rokmond allowed a few moments of silence to let the news sink in.

"A what?" Jef cried. "How...what...why...I—"

"I don't even know what to ask," Dawn stated, shaking her head. She stared at me, squinting. "Does the real Xara know?"

"That's not the point," the Director said, steering discussion back to the mission. "You don't need to know any extra details. All you need to know is that the real Xara was captured, and we need to get her back. That is the object of your mission." Rokmond turned in his seat to face the screen. The slide on the wall flipped to the words 'details.'

"We don't know the location that Xara is being held, but we can only assume that she is located in WAOIC's top secret headquarters. Only their top agents have been there to pick up and relay information. The top agents of other spy organizations are held prisoner there. WAOIC headquarters would have the most security out of all of their locations. And, since it is frequently visited by top agents, they have a bonus opposition force to anyone who may attempt to break in, such as when rescuing one of their agents.

"We know very little information about the headquarters. We don't even know where it is located. But we do have a few facts about it based on insider information." The screen showed the image of a 3D, rectangular building. "The building is in the shape of a rectangle and has two stories. Let's discuss what we know about each floor individually.

"On the ground level, there is a security system requiring a special ID card in order to enter. Whether or not there are additional requirements to get into the building, we don't know. There is a thin hallway circling the perimeter of the bottom floor. There are four entrances to the next area, which is for WAOIC agents. There are two sections: the mission area and the residents' area. The mission area consists of briefing rooms and a training area. The residents' area has a lounge, a dining hall, and bunks where the agents can stay before leaving for a mission or returning back to their families."

"What? WAOIC agents have families?" Ty interrupted with forced shock. A thin smile edged his lips.

Ty! This is not the time to joke around!

"Yes, Ty," the Director said. He was clearly not in a light-hearted mood. "The second floor is where we suspect Xara is being held. It is where WAOIC keeps their most important prisoners. Once again, there is a hallway going around the perimeter of the cells. The cells form a rectangle around the very heart of WAOIC—where the leaders convene, top secret files are kept, and interrogations take place." The Director flipped to a screen saying 'questions.' "Any questions?"

"What do you mean that Xara is most likely held on the top floor?" Dari inquired. "Don't you know for sure where she is being held?"

"No," the Director sighed. "Our information is limited to that of former WAOIC hostages and defector guards or agents. The most recent information we have is from a year ago. They could have completely remodelled their building for all we know. Xara may not even be held at their prison, though we suspect that WAOIC would think that it's the safest place for her."

"Why?" Finn asked.

"As I said before, the building has maximum security. No other building—that we know of—has quite as much protection. The electrical system is on the cutting edge. It's always the first technology to receive updates. And the entire place is patrolled by at least sixty guards at all times. Twenty guards watch the exterior of the building, ten guards are in charge of the sign-ins of guards and WAOIC agents, five guards patrol the WAOIC agent areas, twenty guards patrol the prison floor, and five guards are on constant rotation throughout the building."

Ty let out a low whistle. "They don't mess around."

"But why would they keep her in a place that they would suspect that she would be in?" Dari countered.

"Think about it this way: you have a valuable prisoner. There's always a chance that this prisoner could be rescued by an external force. Sure, you could hide your prisoner in a place that few could find her. But if the opposition somehow discovers the prisoner's location, then your poor defenses won't cut it and your whole operation is meaningless. However, hiding someone is a place of maximum security will ensure that even if your location is discovered, it will be difficult, even impossible, to free the prisoner. Moreover, WAOIC headquarters is well-concealed, and they probably know that we are unaware of its location."

Dari nodded. It made sense—protection over obscurity.

"Any more questions?" the Director asked.

We shook our heads.

"Good." The screen showed the words 'Operation BR100.' "So now I shall get to the main briefing of your mission. The first phase is to follow Operation BR100. Essentially, we have no idea where WAOIC's top secret headquarters is located. Their agents are just too good at foiling us. We suspect that it is located somewhere in Canada, but once again, we do not have the direct coordinates. In order to find out the location of the headquarters, you must follow a WAOIC agent that you know is headed there."

Director Rokmond opened the manila folder only to pull out another file. The edges of it had been worn, and the front cover was smudged with dirt.

"Remember this?" Rokmond said. "It's the file Xara tried to retrieve, the one that led to her capture. It didn't provide any information relevant to our mission in Brussels, but after running some advanced decryption software, we managed to decode much of the file. As it turns out, it gives a map of many WAOIC agents. But there are only two of interest: Agent Saber and Agent Fox."

"It gives their locations?" I said.

"Not exact coordinates, but it tells their area locals based on different calendar dates for the next three months. We've been following the various movements of WAOIC agents for the past few days, and the list checks out. I'm going to give you a timeline for your mission, but ultimately, Xara will be responsible for devising a subplan for finding and following the agents. Once you reach WAOIC headquarters, you will have to come with a second operation plan."

"Based on the specific obstacles we find at the building, since exact specifications are unknown" I finished.

"Correct. I can not make this plan for you since we do not know what the building looks like, is made of, ect. So your job, Xara, is going to be of the utmost importance."

Sweat pricked my skin. I was the sole person developing plans for the mission. If I overlooked a single detail, we could all be captured. Then WAOIC would have all of our top agents. It would be game over.

Just don't think about it, Xara. Take it one step at a time.

"I'm going to be frank with you all," the Director stated, snapping me from my thoughts. "I'm worried about Xara. There's no telling what they're doing to her at this very minute. If they can break our top agent, that would be an unbelievable success."

"You think Xara would talk?" Ty gasped.

"No," the Director said. "I don't think she could, no matter how much physical trauma she goes through. She has a mind of steel. She'll pick up on any mental games they may use to undermine her. And physically, she'll take the blows. She won't be saying anything. What I am worried about is two things. First, although Xara may willingly take anything WAOIC dishes out, her body is still human. She can still be tortured beyond repair. Second, WAOIC isn't going to keep Xara around forever. When they find that she is no longer useful to them, her life is expendable."

Silence fell around the table.

"That's why I'm putting this mission on a tight deadline," Rokmond finished. "Today is July first. Here is the schedule I am anticipating. Today: finalize all plans and route strategies for tracking down and following the WAOIC agent you choose. July second: you must travel to whatever location the file states for the WAOIC agent you will follow. Only one day for traveling and checking into the hotel. You must immediately set to work finding out where the WAOIC agent is staying. According to the files, both agents are heading to WAOIC headquarters on July third and fourth, depending on the agent—another reason for the tight deadline."

"Both just happen to be heading to the location we need at the time that we need?" I questioned. It sounded a little too good to be true.

The Director turned to me. "That's why these two are the only agents of interest. They are heading to the location we need at the time we need." I nodded and he continued with the timeline.

"We have allotted approximately two days for traveling, as we are unsure of the WAOIC agent's exact locations. Once you arrive at headquarters, you will have one day to figure out how to infiltrate the building. By July eighth, you must conduct your operation to enter the building. By July ninth, I expect to see Xara right here in my office. Is that understood? You have ten days to complete this mission. Nine days."

He emphasized the last two words as if to burn them into our minds forever. In nine days, we had to have rescued Xara. There was no other option. We could not fail.

I was about to say, nine days? That's not so bad. We were able to find the WAOIC imposter in approximately the same amount of time.

But then I remembered that we would have to come up with a plan from scratch in order to break into a high-security prison. Suddenly, those nine days seemed infinitely shorter.

"Any questions?" Rokmond asked.

We shook our heads, though internally, I was wanting to ask if someone else could take the leading role on this mission. They were placing the fate of my predecessor in the hands on an amateur. Worse yet, that amateur was me. My head reeled with ideas that spun like a never-ending whirlpool—plots and plans with no concrete basis.

"Good," the Director stated. "Finally, I must tell you the jobs for the mission. Agent 24 will be The Lead, as on all missions."

I gulped.

"Agent 30 is the techy, Agent 27 is the pilot, Agent 41 will handle the heavy-duty weapons and equipment you'll need during the break-in, and Agent 52 will be on backup."

"What?" Ty exclaimed. "Backup! I—"

"I don't think we're going to have much use for impersonations on this mission, so you won't have as big a role" Rokmond interrupted. "Though you should probably carry a few disguises with you just in case."

Ty frowned and crossed his arms.

"And as for Agents 33 and 45, I asked both of you here for extra manpower during the rescue mission. We're going to need some expert fighters to hold off any opposition that may arise. But I am hoping that the plan can minimize contact with the people of WAOIC." He pointed his gaze at me. I wanted to shrink into my chair.

"So what should we do right now?" Dawn asked. "Help Xara, I mean, Agent 24 with the plans?"

"Do you want help planning, Agent 24?" the Director asked me.

I paused. I didn't want to appear overly confident, but at the same time, Xara was the only one who made plans. It was expected, understood.

"No," I said, "I'm good. I'll call you to my room later on, when I'm done. Then we'll go over the solid details of tomorrow's operation." Apprehension unsettled my stomach. Part of me screamed at me to just ask for help. But I did not recant my decision.

The Director nodded in approval. "In that case, the rest of you may be dismissed to prepare for the mission. I recommend that you wait to pack until you find out the location of the WAOIC agent. Right now, I need to speak with Agent 24 for a few minutes—alone."

"Kay. In that case, I'm going to catch a few more zs. Ttfn," Ty said. He saluted Rokmond and left immediately. The others followed suit, glancing in my direction. The Director remained placid, hands folded on the desk. Dawn was the last to leave the room, clicking the door in place.

"Xara, there's something very important that I must inform you about. As of right now, you are the only person I can trust with this. Understood?" His voice was hushed as if he wanted the gentle hum of the air conditioning to drown out his words.

I nodded. I found it interesting that he had switched to using my name, instead of my agent number.

"According to what we have been told by four of the members of Team Summit, the real Xara never sent a distress call while retrieving the file. However, our analytics department has discovered that right before Xara was captured, she sent a distress signal to her crew. It was somehow lost in the transmission."

My eyes went wide. I had a feeling that I knew where this was going.

"We believe that there is a traitor among your crew," Rokmond stated, "One that could have had access to your predecessor's equipment and tampered with it to ensure that her distress signal was lost."

"A double agent," I breathed.

"Yes, a double agent, right here in the IIA."

Right here, in Team Summit—formerly the most trusted group of spies in the agency. I could understand why the Director was shaken up by this.

The Director leaned in. "I'm sorry to say this, but for the duration of your mission, trust no one except yourself. If you see or hear anything suspicious regarding your Team members, flag the person and we will do a thorough investigation when you return."

It was so hard to imagine one of my crew members as a traitor. They were like family to me.

All of a sudden, a thought crossed my mind. It tumbled out before I could stop myself. "Why do you trust me?"

I wasn't trying to act suspicious. I was just curious.

Rokmond smiled a little. "You've been locked up in your room for the past seventeen years, carefully monitored. You haven't had the opportunity to make any deals with WAOIC. You're our most trusted agent at the moment, even more trusted than the real Xara."

"Really?" That didn't feel right. Xara? Making a deal with WAOIC? That was more improbable than Xara choosing to wear pink.

"Yes, even more than the real Xara."

I didn't know what to make of this, but I smiled and nodded. I felt a certain pride in my work. I was the most trusted person in the whole agency. It made me want to succeed in this mission all the more.

"I won't let you down," I said. "I'll be on the lookout for the mole, but naturally I will make the rescue mission my main priority."

"Good." The Director glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's nearly six-thirty a.m. You'd better get planning."

I nodded. "Sure thing."

He handed me the mission file, and I left the room. As I walked down the hallway, I ran over the different suspects. Dari was the tech expert, so she was the most logical suspect, but Finn was pretty good with tech, too, since he did so much piloting. Jax and Ty probably could have learned how to program the radios so they didn't receive the message.

But they all seemed so loyal. Jax and Dari always had my back. Finn was literally Xara's brother.

Ty...wasn't he in love with Xara? But he was also an actor, and a good one at that. He could have been pretending to be in love with Xara to throw everyone off his trail.

And then there was Xara. For some reason, I could actually picture the real Xara planning her own kidnapping. It just was so brilliant, definitely exudes her touch. But why would she betray the IIA?

And if I had all her memories, wouldn't I already know?

Only time would tell.