Chapter Text
“You work for me now. I’m your new handler” Agent Edgar Reade sat across from his former colleague staring her deeply into her dark brown eyes daring her to refuse. His rough jaw line clenched at the site of the tears that threatened to seep onto her cheeks. Were those fake too? Was this all just some elaborate ploy to avoid the dark secluded hole the CIA would have deemed her new home? The sight of her face vexed him.
“Reade” Tasha tried. “YOU have a function.” he slammed his hand down on the metal table making Tasha flinch as the tears finally streamed down her face. “And you will serve it until that function is over.” He spat the words out through clenched teeth and clenched fists. She had never seen Reade that mad before. Tasha looked as if she had something to say but decided against it when she saw that Reade was staring at her as if at any second he would lunge across the table and let her have it. She mindlessly fiddled with her handcuffs which she thinks Reade intentionally put on much too tight making her wrists red and raw from being shackled to the table like a common criminal. The things she did for her country.
“All you had to do was tell me.” Reade exhaled letting out a tiny bit of frustration with it. Tasha intentionally avoided his gaze choosing to stare at a random white wall in the back of the room which sent Reade reeling. He quickly stood up and forcibly grabbed her jaw making her look him directly in the eyes. Tasha’s heart rate quickened and for the first time since knowing her former partner she was afraid of him. Even when he stood over a bloody lifeless body in the dead of night she hadn’t feared him, but in this very moment fear radiated through her body. She was afraid that his anger might get the best of him, she was afraid of the look in his eyes that she didn’t recognize and how it reminded her of her first trainer, but what scared her the most was the thought of him never being able to forgive her. She held her breath staring up at him. He was far too close.
“Me and you? we’re done.” Tasha wasn’t sure if he did it on purpose, but spit flew all over her face making her face scrunch up as she held her head down. This triggered a memory that Tasha did her best to push to the back of her head. ” No.No.” Tasha half whispered to herself. Reade roughly made her look at him once more and his nails dug deep into her skin making Tasha whimper a bit. “Finished. Whatever relationship, friendship, whatever this was we had it’s OVER.” He still had a firm grip on her jaw making her head move with each word he spat. Tasha’s mind flashed to being in the passenger seat of a squad car terrified of what her Captain was going to do to her next. She squeezed her eyes shut tight.
Edgar brought their foreheads together so that they were touching this time bringing his right hand down to rest gently on her neck threatening to squeeze at any moment. His face was no longer his own but was that of her old Captain. White brunette male, about twenty years older and evil. Tasha let out a breath she was holding but it came out more like a weak sob. She shook her head and Reades’ face became his own again.
“Reade, I” she tried again but Reade held a finger to her lips telling her to “Ssshh” Tasha swallowed another cry more so for the friendship lost than her current situation. “You will never get close to me again.” he whispered into her ear dragging his thumb across her lips. She was so confused. She tasted her salty tears dripping down into her mouth as she shifted in her seat. He pulled back immediately sitting back in his seat and Tasha didn’t know whether to look at him or look away. She awkwardly looked around the room and briefly glanced at Reade who was once again staring at her with distaste. She bit down on her lower lip; something she did when she was nervous.
“You’re going back out.” He finally broke the silence. Tasha’s eyes were a mixture of anticipation and fear. She only had a little while longer before she was supposed to meet Deltoro or hundreds of people could die. “Tonight?” she asked sniffling and hating that she sounded so unsure about herself. “Yes, tonight” Reade mocked her making her feel so stupid. All of this reminded her too much of her horrifying experience at her very first precinct making Tasha extremely antsy. She tapped her leg as she waited for things to play out. Damn these cuffs. Reade stood up and his tall frame made Zapata feel so small; again she held her breath and averted her eyes. Slowly walking around the metal table he never took his eyes off of Zapata. She could feel him standing directly behind her as she stared straight ahead with her hands flat on the table. She wondered if the team were watching the cameras.
Her chest quickly rose up and down as she waited to see exactly what the hell he was doing. She could feel his breath next to her ear as he leaned down “You will serve your function until that function is over” He whispered into her right ear. He uncuffed her with one swift motion and Zapata immediately began to rub her wrists that were on the verge of bleeding. Reade rounded the room opening the door. Tasha still sat in the same spot looking up at him as if at any moment he’s going to laugh and say ‘Jokes on you’. “I don’t have all day Zapata and from what I hear neither do you” They maintained unwavering eye contact. Zapata could still see the old Reade in there somewhere it was just buried; masked by all of the resentment. Tasha wasn’t sure if he was seriously going to let her walk.
“Zapata!” Reade repeated this time raising his voice so that she knew he was serious. Zapata slowly stood to her feet and approached the door wiping her face with the back of her hand. She knew that the team would be there to watch her make an exit and she didn’t want them to see her so unguarded.
As she drew near the open door Reade slammed it shut almost closing her fingers inside of it. ‘Just like Captain Newton’ She thought. She slightly glanced in his direction swallowing whatever curse words she wanted to spew at him. The CIA agent kept her eyes trained on the door in front of her. Reade bent down looming over his much shorter partner. “ If I find out you’ve been lying about an inch of any of this I swear i’ll put you in a hole myself.” he spoke through gritted teeth making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. He meant it. “Do I make myself clear?” he asked with one hand on the door knob.
“You understand me?” Zapata heard Captain Newtons’ voice this time. “I said, am I clear?” she heard his voice again. Zapata looked Reade square in the eye
“Crystal.”
Tasha and Reade both rounded the corner of the New York office and to no one's surprise the entire team stood in the middle of the room staring at the two agents as they made their way towards the elevator. Zapata dared not to look at any of them instead she solely concentrated on making it to the elevator without crying.
Reade pushed the button for the main floor of the building and the two waited in awkward silence. After what seemed like a century the elevator doors chimed open and Zapata hurried in pressing the ‘door close’ button and refusing to look at her ex partner. “All you had to do was tell me.” Reade stated with puppy dog eyes as the doors shut unbelievably slow. As soon as the doors shut Zapata slid to the floor her bravado wore off instantly as several memories from the past and present flooded her brain all at once. She couldn’t breathe. All of the air seemed to have left her body and she couldn’t stop heaving. She was having a panic attack but knew she that she had to meet deltoro in a couple of hours so she dusted herself off as she stood and prepared for the doors to open at the lobby. Play it cool Zapata. Play it cool.