A loud scream followed by a gunshot jolted me awake.

My heart was pounding rapidly inside my chest as I sat on my bed, terrified. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball under my covers and hide from all the bad things that were taking place outside my room.

But my mom and dad were out there, and I knew they would allow nothing to hurt me. So, with shaky hands, I slowly pushed the covers away. Then I grabbed my teddy bear and held it tightly to my chest, hoping that it would bring a little comfort to my heart.

Mom and Dad must be watching something scary on TV... I thought as I turned the doorknob and walked out of my room. My whole body was trembling as I walked slowly on my tiptoe into the unknown.

When I reached the stairs' railings, my eyes widened in fear at what I saw. And suddenly, my chest tightened, making me feel as if I had completely forgotten a simple task as breathing.

Forcing my body to move, I hid quickly behind a nearby wall and peeked at the scene in front of me.

There were four masked and armed men surrounding something that I could barely identify as they were hiding it with their tall and muscular figures.

Where are Mommy and Daddy?

That was all I could think about as I tried to take slow and deep breaths to keep myself calm. I couldn't do anything that would make those men find out that I was here, watching them.

My dad once told me that if I ever found myself in a dangerous situation, I should never interfere and just call 911 and ask for help. I knew I should do that, but I couldn't bring my legs to move.

One intruder moved, and I gasped, dropping my teddy bear to the ground. I clasped my hand over my mouth once I saw what they were hiding with their large bodies. I moved my eyes away quickly, trying to grasp what I just witnessed.

I knew it couldn't be real. It was only a bad dream. It would be all over soon and then I would hide in my mom's arms, knowing that nothing could ever hurt me.

I took another glimpse at the scene, for my brain refused to believe what I saw the first time. There was a lifeless body on the floor; it belonged to a woman whose blood was scattered everywhere. That woman was no one but my mother...

My dad was kneeling on the floor, holding her body in his arms. His sobs echoed through the house. He shouted something that I couldn't identify at the masked men, but it earned him a punch in the stomach. He growled in pain and fell to the ground. They told him something, but he wasn't listening to them anymore, because he was looking straight at me with his hazel eyes that always made me feel safe.

Tears were falling like showers from my eyes, making it blurry to see and my whole body was trembling so hard that I couldn't move an inch. But despite all of that, I managed to stay silent, so they failed to notice that I was there. I locked my eyes with my dad for a couple of moments, then I watched as his lips parted, forming the word hide.

But it turned out to be a very hard task because my whole body refused to comply; I was frozen in my place, completely paralyzed. I just stood there watching in horror as one man approached my dad and put a gun to his forehead. There was a strange tattoo on that man's hand that was holding a gun. It looked like a foreign symbol. He leaned in and whispered something to my dad.

My dad focused his eyes on me for a couple of seconds before he looked him in the eyes and spat something at him. The man with the tattoo groaned loudly and pointed his gun once again in my dad's direction.

"I believe you already miss your wife, Agent Ryan," the man said in a malicious tone. "Tell her I send my regards."

He pulled the trigger, and the gunshot echoed through the house. It was like a time machine button that turned everything into slow motion.

The nefarious smell of gunpowder was now lingering in the air. And I watched as my father dropped to the floor. His eyes were wide open, and blood was gushing with sickening determination like angry falls from the wound on his forehead, forming a pool around his body.

I stood silent for a couple of moments, trying to take in what had just happened.

Yeah, it must be a horrible nightmare. I should have listened to Mommy after all. I shouldn't have watched that crime movie before bed...

Yet, I knew that something was wrong, because if it were really a dream, then why wasn't I waking up?

My heart hammered in my chest as I felt a rising panic. And suddenly, I felt as if all the air was being pulled vigorously out of my lungs.

I couldn't take it anymore. I screamed my lungs out, and immediately, all heads turned to where I was standing. The man with the tattoo said something to his partners, and they started walking toward me.

Backing off, I ran as hard as I could without looking back and locked myself in the closet in my room. I hugged my legs and waited for them to break in and kill me—but for some reason, they never did.

Then, I heard sirens coming from everywhere, and shortly after that, the police found me.

I was in shock when they found me, and I couldn't utter a word. I was traumatized. All I could think about was the sound of screams and gunshots, and the smell of blood and death.

And I kept longing for the moment when I would wake up from that dreadful nightmare—but it never came...

Waking up with a gasp, I panted as I tried to push away the remnants of the nightmare I just had. I pulled up my trembling hand to wipe the cold sweat that had formed on my forehead before I ran my fingers through my hair.

It has been a very long time since that day, yet that nightmare felt so real. And the fact that every minor detail of what happened was still carved in my memory didn't help either.

However, having that nightmare, especially today, didn't surprise me that much. Tomorrow was a very important day for me as it would be my first day as an official FBI agent...

Looking at my nightstand, I huffed in annoyance. There were three hours left until my alarm was supposed to go off, but I knew that I could never drift back to sleep, especially after that nightmare.

Pushing the covers away, I slipped from the bed and made my way to the kitchen. And as I was pouring myself a cup of water, a gentle breeze of air tickled my face, making me notice that one of the windows was left open.

I was about to close it when the breathtaking view of the streets of Manhattan caught my eye. New York was one of the busiest and loudest cities in the world; however, that was one of the many things that made it even more irresistible. It was the city that never sleeps, after all.

Tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, my mind drifted back to the nightmare I just had.

I always used to promise my younger self that I would let nothing break me or bring me down no matter what. That I would grow up to be the woman my parents always wished to see, and that I would do whatever it took to make them proud.

All the years I had to spend without my parents weren't easy, to say the least. But I always knew they must be watching over me from above, and because of this, I kept pushing myself forward every time I felt like giving up. I tried to hide the scars that day left on me as hard as I could, but no matter how hard I tried, I still felt trapped inside the memory of that incident.

Growing up, I always had this fantasy of catching the cold-blooded murderers who took my parents away from me. And maybe that was why I always dreamed of being an FBI agent, following in my father's footsteps.

The rest of the family, of course, disagreed. They said my parents got murdered because of my dad's job; however, I didn't listen to them. I remembered my dad's commitment and dedication to his job, justice, and restoring order. And I always wanted to be like him—as brave and strong as he was.

Also, I really believed in justice, even though I never had it myself, and I knew how much that hurt. So, I thought that helping other people have their own justice would help ease that pain a little.

I took a long, deep breath and sighed, then I looked at the clock on the wall. I still had a couple of hours before having to get ready for work, and I really needed a distraction, so I decided to do some workouts.

After I finished, I took a quick shower, then I started getting prepared for my first day.

Deciding to go totally formal, I put on a white shirt, a charcoal gray blazer, and slacks of the same color. Then, I put my gun into its holster after making sure it was loaded.

I checked myself one last time in the mirror. My long dark-brown hair was neatly styled in a bun updo. And I had forgone all makeup, so the only thing that pointed out my fair features was my chocolate brown eyes.

I smiled at my parents' framed picture that was on the mounted table before I grabbed my keys and left the apartment.

It took me about twenty minutes to arrive at the FBI headquarters at the Federal Plaza. I parked my car and got out. I looked at the huge building in front of me for a couple of seconds, feeling a little in awe. This was the beginning of everything I dreamed of, ever since I was a little kid.

Shaking my head a little, a smile made its way to my lips.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, here we go...

Once I was in, all my stuff had to go through an X-ray machine, and I went through a metal detector. Then a security guard stopped me and asked to see my badge. I showed it to him with a proud smile, and he typed something on his computer, probably checking my name on the database. I was new here, after all.

I had to wait for a few moments before a slight smile made its way to the guard's face. "Welcome on board, Agent Ryan."

I thanked him with a genuine smile before I proceeded toward the elevators. In the elevator foyer, there were pictures and descriptions of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted. And there was a signage board that had the three words that captured the essence of the FBI in bold lettering. Fidelity. Bravery. Integrity.

The ding sound that meant my elevator had arrived brought my attention to it; I got in and pressed the tenth-floor button. But before the door closed, a guy with light brown hair and hazel eyes stepped in. He was about to click on the tenth-floor button too, but stopped when he noticed I had already done that.

"Oh, are you going to the violent crimes unit too?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes."

"Are you by any chance the new agent?" His eyes lit up as he threw in another question.

"I am," I replied with a confident smile.

"I'm Caleb Woods." He held out his hands to me. "I also work there, but not as a special agent, though. I'm a technical analyst."

I was usually a good judge of character and he seemed like a really nice person, and I immediately started to like him. I shook his hand back with a smile. "Alexandra Ryan, but you can call me Alex."

"Nice to meet you, Alex." He smiled. "Welcome to our team."

I shared the smile. "Thank you, excited to be part of it."

The elevator stopped and both of us stepped out. The floor was full of agents sitting at their computers and others walking here and there. Some were running with files in their hands probably to get signatures for different warrants, and others were escorting handcuffed felons.

"Hey, why don't you let me introduce you to the rest of the team?" Caleb suggested.

"Okay, why not?" I agreed with a shrug. I really needed to know the people around here, anyway.

I walked beside him until we were standing in the middle of the bullpen. He stopped and pointed at me. "Hey, guys! Attention, please," he started speaking at the top of his lungs. "Please help me welcome our new agent, Alexandra Ryan."

Blinking a few times, I was taken aback by his unique way of handling the introduction. I opened my mouth a few times, trying to find the right words while the entire office was staring at me. "Um... hi. It's going to be a pleasure working with all of you."

Some of them sent me welcoming smiles, while others just ignored me and continued with whatever they were doing before being interrupted by Caleb.

"What an introduction." I looked at Caleb with a smirk on my face.

He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

I noticed a woman with green eyes and brown-reddish hair who seemed around my age approaching us. "Hey, I'm Ava Smith. I'm one of the communication liaisons in this unit," she introduced herself. Then she beamed at me. "Finally, more girl power in here. As you see, this place is full of testosterone."

Letting out a small chuckle, I shook hands with her. "Nice to meet you, Ava."

"You too! I can guarantee you that we're going to have so much fun together. Probably be drinking buddies, too." She gave me a wink and tapped me on the shoulder.

"Oh, can I join?" Caleb stepped into the conversation.

"You can wish," Ava replied with a smirk.

Caleb made a sad face, then Ava said something else; however, I had already lost interest in the conversation when I noticed someone else eying us. He moved his eyes quickly and concentrated his gaze on a file that was in his hands when he noticed that I was looking at him. He was sitting at one of the corner desks and seemed to be in his late twenties or early thirties.

His deep blue eyes were the first thing I noticed about him, and his light-toned face pointed them out exceptionally. He has a stubble beard that made his jawline look even sharper, and his dark brown hair looked a little disheveled as if he didn't even bother styling it. And I had to admit, he looked handsome with an appearance that could make him stand out in the crowd. Not like I cared, though.

However, just by looking at him, I could tell that he was the kind of agent who'd been born in a suit—so serious that you couldn't even imagine him as being a baby or infant. They usually spoke in a baritone voice and threw in legalistic words even if we were just having a conversation about the weather. Those kinds of people saw life in no color, either black or white, right or wrong, legal or illegal.

I had to deal with so many of them while I was in Quantico. A little part of me hoped that this wouldn't be the case with this guy, and if it was, I hoped I wouldn't have to work with him on many occasions.

"Alexandra," a familiar voice called from behind me, cutting my thoughts off.

I turned and looked at the source of the voice, putting on a polite smile on my face. "Sir..."

George Wyatt, the assistant special agent in charge of the violent crimes division in New York. He worked with my father and was one of his closest friends and was really close to our family until that day. And he used to visit me when I moved in with my grandparents in the first few months following the incident, but his visits eventually stopped. I was even kind of surprised that he still remembered me.

And just by looking at him, I could see how the years had changed him as well. His hair was all gray now except for a few black hairs here and there. And the wrinkles around his dark brown eyes were a sign of the many years of experience he had lived and all the things he had seen while he was still a field agent.

"I felt so glad when I heard that you were joining our team today." He gave me a kind smile. "Your father would have been very proud."

"Thank you, sir," I said, giving him a little smile of my own.

"You're going to be assigned to your first case soon. In the meantime, I would like to see you in my office," he told me, and I nodded. While he was walking upstairs to his office, he called on one of the other agents. "Hunt, see me at my office."

I watched as that said agent rose from his seat, and he was no one but the same man I had caught earlier eying us. He gave me a look that I felt was cold, and it made me a little unnerved. Then he started walking up the stairs behind Wyatt, without looking in my direction again.

My eyebrows knitted into a frown as I focused my gaze on him until he disappeared inside the office, then I sighed and followed the both of them.

I made it to the office. Wyatt was sitting behind his large desk and motioned for me to sit on the chair opposite his desk, next to that agent. I sat and waited impatiently to hear whatever Wyatt had planned for both of us.

"Hunt, you don't have a partner, do you?" Wyatt started, addressing the callous agent.

"No, sir. I don't," Agent Hunt answered in a preserved, calm tone. Although, I could see that he was a little high-strung.

"Well, you do now," Wyatt stated. "From now on, Agent Ryan is going to be your partner."

I blinked. So much for not working with him on many occasions. Deep down, I really had a feeling that this wasn't going to turn out well.

"With all due respect, sir. I prefer working alone," Hunt argued between gritted teeth. "I don't need a partner."

I gave him a death glare that he didn't see because he was keeping his eyes fixed on Wyatt.

"Well, it's a good thing that I'm not asking for your opinion," Wyatt replied dismissively and then looked between the both of us. "You are going to be assigned to your first case together soon. End of discussion."

Agent Hunt, who looked fuming, excused himself before storming out of the office. I blinked a few times before I excused myself too and decided to go find him.

"Hey, wait," I called after him.

He stopped in his footsteps and turned around, his eyes shooting daggers at me. "What do you want?" he yelled at me.

What a jackass!

"Seriously, what's wrong with you?" I asked, moving my hands in frustration.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Look, I don't work with partners, and yet I have the highest rank of case closure. Now, I have to babysit you."

It took me a moment to process what he had just said. I twitched up an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I saw the way Wyatt was talking to you. You seem to be his relative or something, and maybe that's also the reason behind how you ended up working here," he spat. "He must have assigned you to be my partner so I can protect you. But sorry, I'm not a babysitter."

Clenching my fist, I tried to calm myself down as much as possible because hitting his pretty damn face was very tempting at the moment. "I don't know who you think you are, and I don't even care about your stupid rate of case closure. But you don't get to talk to me this way or underestimate me or my abilities when you know nothing about me," I snapped. "And for your information, I was at the top of my class at the FBI Academy in Quantico, and I'm the one who chose this place when I had the opportunity to go to DC. And Wyatt was a friend of my father who I hadn't seen in almost a decade and a half. Oh, and I don't need your stupid protection because I'm very capable of protecting my own self."

He had wide eyes, and I was breathing heavily. He tried to open his mouth, but I didn't give him a chance. "By the way, you should try humility. I hear that it's pretty good for the soul. And you might also want to try getting over yourself, jerk." I didn't wait for his response and walked away.

Now, I was really looking forward to our first case together as I was more than determined to prove myself in front of that asshole and show him what I was really capable of...