Chapter One
It is now midnight, and I am absolutely terrified. I start my new job tomorrow (or maybe it's considered today), and I am extremely nervous. I know I should be sleeping, or at least trying, but I can’t seem to relax enough to go to sleep. I have 7 hours to actually talk myself into stepping foot into that building. I know I need to do this; I need this job and not just for the money. I need to do this for myself; for my confidence. I am going to try to sleep, maybe a few hours will give me the confidence to actually do this.
As I walk up to the big building, I’m not quite sure how I’ve managed to get this far or how I am going to get through the day. I take a deep breath to try to steady my nerves. I walk into the building before I change my mind and run away. As I approach the reception desk, the security guard stops me and asks, “Can I help you, miss?”
I let out a shaky breath, “Yes sir. I’m here to see Captain Michaels. My name is Danica Romanov.”
“I’ll just call him to check, Ma’am.”
“Thank you, sir.”
I stand off to the side, watching the hustle and bustle of people’s morning routines. Someone steps in front of me, causing me to jump.
“Good morning, Danica. How are you this morning? Are you all set to start work?”
“Morning sir. I’m fine, thank you. I just hope I can meet your standards, sir.”
“I’m sure you will. I wouldn’t have hired you if I didn’t think you were up to the task. Let me show you to your desk and I’ll give you your passes. You must wear your badge at all times while in the building. I’m sure you can appreciate that security is very tight around here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain Michaels shows me to my desk and explains what my duties are and where I should start. Just before he leaves me to start my work, he smiles softly at me.
“If you need anything, just call through to my office or come looking for me. I hope you settle in just fine.”
I return the smile ever so slightly and reply, “Thank you, sir.”
I suppose now is a good time to introduce myself. My name is Danica Romanov, as you’ve already heard. I am of Russian descent, as you may have guessed from my name. I have just started my job at the New York Police Department, as an analyst for the S.W.A.T team. My job is to analyze the data that we receive, to check for threats. If they are viable threats, then I have to categorize them and pass on the data to Captain Michaels. That’s a pretty scary job, right? I mean, I’m not the only analyst, but still, that’s a lot of pressure to get things right. If I miss a threat, the whole country could be blown up. (Maybe that’s a little dramatic, but you get what I mean).
My desk is right near Captain Michaels’ office, so there’s a lot of people passing through. The teams seem to pass by constantly, waiting for missions, or being briefed or debriefed. I try to ignore all the human movement, which sets me on edge even more than I already am. I need to focus my attention on the stack of files that have already been placed on my desk. I grab the top file and start processing the data.
It must be a couple of hours later when someone clears their throat in front of my desk. I jump and nervously look up. I see a group of guys wearing their S.W.A.T uniforms, all standing around my desk staring at me. I let out a small gasp, and try not to show that I am actually pretty scared right now. “You’re new here.” It’s said more like a statement than a question. I don’t look him in the eyes, in fact, I don’t look any of them in the eyes as I whisper, “Yes sir.”
The same guy looks at the name plaque on my desk and asks, “Romanov? That’s Russian, right?”
I really don’t want to talk to anyone, but I can’t be rude on my first day, so I whisper, “Yes, sir.”
The other guys all shoot looks at each other, which I don’t understand, but I’m not going to question it. One of the others asks, “You speak Russian?”
I don’t answer straight away. In fact, I am a little shocked that these guys are so forward. I don’t like speaking to people, and they are totally catching me off guard. That isn’t fair. I don’t have any time to throw my defenses up. The original guy that spoke must notice how uncomfortable I am, because he quickly says, “Hi, my name is Elijah. This is Ash, Ben, Justin, and Cameron. You’re Danica, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
I don't inform him that he's actually pronounced it wrong. That wouldn't be the right or proper thing to do. I know my place.
“That’s a lovely name.”
“Thank you, sir. I really need to get back to work, sorry sir.”
The guy that was introduced as Ash, bursts out laughing. He mutters something along the lines of, “You got shot down, man.”
Elijah simply smiles and whispers, “We’ll see you around Danica.”
As soon as they walk away, I let out a long breath of air. My heart is racing at 100 miles an hour and I feel like I’m going to pass out. I think to myself, “This was a bad idea, Dani. You can’t actually do this. You can’t be normal like everyone else.”
