by Jack Parker
Agent Delta merely glanced at me with a cocked eyebrow.
I stared shamelessly into his light eyes, mentally demanding access to his inner being. His eyes were like molten silver as they stared back at me just as intensely.
I opened my mouth slightly as words timidly formed in my throat. "Wh…"
Breaking us out of our tense stare-off was the sound of a door opening.
We both looked away from each other, and focused on the door. Coming out was the Head Warrior who visited me at the hospital.
"It's you," I stated in surprise.
The man smiled gently. "It's nice to see you again Agent Moore, though I wish it were under better circumstances." All too abruptly, the strong appearance of the Head Warrior broke down to reveal a very tired man.
I gave a look of concern. "Are you alright?"
The man sighed heavily. "I wish I was better, that's for sure." He answered, exhaustion was evident in his voice. "This man that you captured is indeed affiliated with the Phantoms, and it's much direr than we initially feared."
"What happened?" I asked.
"Your contact was correct about one thing: Martin Hill has indeed had dealings with the Phantoms. What we didn't anticipate was the degree to which he has had these transactions with them." For a moment, the Head Warrior, a person who has received the toughest and longest training out of all the Seeker agents, looked downright frightened.
The fact that he was scared had me concerned as well. "What did we come up with?" I asked, though I dreaded the answer.
The Head Warrior's brown eyes met my own. "I'll brief you about that subject shortly. That's not the worst of it, though. There has been another assassination."
I didn't even bother to hide my surprise. "Again? Who was it this time?"
His eyes narrowed as his lips formed a thin line. "There was an incidence early this morning. A group of robbers came in and aggressed a bank. Some people were caught in the crossfire; one of the Directors' wife included."
I stared at the Head Warrior in disbelief. "How can you be certain that it was an assassination? From what you've described, it seemed like she was just a casualty."
A weary look took a hold of the aged man's face. "We managed to catch one of the robbers before he committed suicide. His eyes were enough to tell us what we needed to know."
Shock took a strong hold on me. I tried to speak, but the words refused to come out.
From the corner of my eyes, Delta appeared incredibly stiff.
The Head Warrior continued. "Our investigation concluded that a hit was placed on the Director's wife. The Phantoms possibly recruited random thugs from the street, and instructed them on killing not just her, but also other bystanders to prevent public suspicion. Most civilians still believe that the Phantom threat died out years ago."
All I could was stare at the man's dark eyes. The contact's warning replayed in my mind over and over again. We may have traitors after all, I thought.
I was startled as the Head Warrior placed a gloved hand on my shoulder. He attempted to smile in reassurance.
I blinked rapidly, and self-consciously rolled my shoulders.
The Head Warrior removed his hand. He then seemed to have noticed Agent Delta's presence for he narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" He asked.
"I'm Agent Moore's Guardian. The Directors assigned me to protect her." Delta replied back coolly.
The Head Warrior grunted in response, "Ah yes, Agent Delta." The older man still continued to stare at Delta like a specimen under the microscope.
I was amazed at how he didn't cower under the Head Warrior's intense stare. Personally, I probably would have pissed my pants.
The sound of the door opening once more interrupted the extreme macho show-off between the two men. A woman around her mid to late twenties came out of the room.
I couldn't help but stare openly as I took in the sight of her.
To say that she was pretty would have been an understatement.
Wrapped around her very curvy body was a dress-like robe over black leggings that had slits running down its sides where weapons could have been holstered.
As I looked down, I noticed that she had a pair of long, combat boots that came up to her knees.
I glanced at her face, and was met with a very attractive smile that made her blue eyes gleam. Her long brown hair flowed past her shoulders.
All in all, it made me very self-conscious of my appearance as I was just wearing a pair of jeans and a simple blouse.
The Head Warrior cleared his throat. "Agent Moore, this is Agent Elvira. She is a Weapons Expert and will aid you in your next mission."
I glanced at the Head Warrior in curiosity. "Another mission?" I asked.
The man nodded. "Indeed." He replied simply. "I'll explain the full details once you meet up with your other team members. Hill revealed the location of a supposed Phantom lab."
I raised an eyebrow. "You managed to get that information out of him?" I asked in slight disbelief.
Amusingly, the Head Warrior seemed to have turned red as he turned away. "Well actually, it was her who found that out." He answered as he pointed to Elvira.
I glanced at the woman in curiosity. "How did you manage to coax him to talk?" I asked.
She smiled. "Well there are certain tricks in dealing with uncooperative men." She replied, and winked.
Her comment brought a smile to my face. I had a feeling that we would get along just fine.
The Head Warrior coughed. "Alright, the mission briefing is this way. Follow me agents."
The three of us followed him into another room two hallways down from where we were.
We arrived outside of a door which the Head Warrior opened. He stepped aside, and allowed us to go in first. Once we were in, the sound of chatter paused abruptly.
Inside were two men playing cards. Once they noticed our presence, they hurriedly placed the deck away. The one with brown hair chuckled sheepishly.
I raised an eyebrow at their childlike behavior, but refrained from commenting on it.
The Head Warrior came in, and gestured us to sit. I took a seat on the side closest to the door, while Agent Delta sat beside me. Agent Elvira was on the other side of the two men.
The Head Warrior coughed to get our attention. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, let's begin this briefing." He pointed a remote at smart screen, and it lit up.
On the screen projected an image of Hill. "Just over twelve hours ago, agents Moore and Delta captured a man named Martin Hill. He has had contact with the Phantoms on several occasions. During our interrogation with him, we uncovered serious Phantom Intel." He paused as he looked around for our reactions.
We were all tense as we waited for the last bit of information.
"You will be deployed to Rome, Italy. Once there, you are to infiltrate an abandoned Phantom lab which supposedly used to house experiments. Hill hasn't revealed the nature of these experiments, which is why you are to gather any information you can, and destroy the lab. There's no need for more abominations on this planet." He finished, a look of disgust planted on his scarred face.
Soft murmuring sliced through the thick silence like a knife through hot butter.
The Head Warrior straightened his posture. "All right everyone, it's time to get associated with each other." He looked at me. "Agent Moore, these are agents Gizmo and Olsen. Gizmo will be your tech expert, and will keep you informed on any detail involving communications and intelligence."
The man who put the cards away waved at me, a grin plastered on his face.
The Head Warrior continued. "Agent Olsen is a Scout like you, however, he is more experienced in reconnaissance in Phantom territory."
The man with shoulder-length curly hair smiled, and waved at me.
"Agent Delta here is Agent Moore's assigned Guardian. And you've already met Agent Elvira. She will assist you with any interrogations should you manage to capture a Phantom agent alive, as well as be your Weapons Expert. Once o
n site, two additional agents will join you. I'll be staying here to maintain the link between you and HQ. You'll be sending your mission reports to me."
Agent Olsen spoke. "Shouldn't there be more agents assigned to this mission? Entering Phantom territory, even abandoned, is a risky operation."
The Head Warrior nodded. "You're absolutely right, but I have confidence in all of your abilities. Besides, the less agents there are, the less chance there is of your mission being compromised." He then turned to face me. "You all will be answering to Agent Moore while on site. She will be running this operation."
My eyes widened as I stared at the Head Warrior to look for any signs of a bluff. He held my gaze confidently.
A feeling of nausea threatened to overwhelm me. I was the loner Scout who preferred to hang around in the morgue than lead a team of specialists.
The Head Warrior nodded once more. "Alright everyone, you have your orders. You'll be departing this evening. Dismissed!"
With that, the three newcomers packed up, and left the room.
It was just me, the Head Warrior, and Agent Delta.
The Head Warrior motioned to the both of us. "Now that the others are gone, we have one last meeting with the Directors."
I nearly grimaced, though I followed the older man nonetheless.
We arrived at the elevator, and went up a few levels.
During the entire ride, it took a lot of my willpower to stay still. My mind was swirling with the numerous shocking news I received one after another.
The Director's wife's assassination, investigating a Phantom lab, me being put in charge. It was overwhelming.
The elevator stopped at our level, and we made our way to the Directors' room.
Surprisingly, the secretary wasn't at her desk, though one of the guards nodded at us, and let us through.
We stepped inside the gloomy room, and right away the atmosphere was different. Even with the dim lights, the room never gave off such a strong feeling of helplessness as it did when we walked in.
The Head Warrior stepped in front of Delta and I, facing the Directors. "I have briefed the agents on their mission."
"Very good," a voice said quietly. "Agent Moore, please step forward."
I blinked in surprise, before I did what I was told.
The Head Warrior stepped back to allow me more space.
My whole body tensed as the Directors focused their undivided attention on me.
"Hello again, Agent Moore." The female Director greeted. "These present events have caused havoc among our organization."
"After a thorough investigation among our ranks, we have alarming results." A third Director added.
"A good third of our agents are either spies or have had some form of contact with the Phantoms. To what extent, we still don't know. Either way, our organization is in a very vulnerable position." Another female Director added. "We believe that number may even rise up to 50%."
"We now have a better idea of how Martin Hill, and perhaps countless other individuals like him, were able to have access to our classified information." The first female Director stated.
I stared at the Directors in shock. I then remembered the clear warning the contact gave me.
________________________________________
"If you think your pitiful organization is incorruptible, then you're in for a rude awakening."
________________________________________
I carefully worded my question. "What do you intend on doing with them?"
"Nothing," a Director said quietly.
I was taken aback. "What?" I said in disbelief. "Why? This is your chance. You now have proof of who they really are!"
"If we take an aggressive course of action against them, they'll overwhelm our organization before we can fight back."
I was about to retort, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I jumped, and turned around to see Delta give me a stern look. His lips were thin lines as he shook his head.
I slightly glared at him, before I turned to face the Directors.
Delta lifted his strong hand from my shoulder.
A slow sigh came from one figure. "The only thing we can do is pretend ignorance while we continue to assess the situation and carefully develop a plan of action."
"It has been decided that we, the Directors, will resign from our posts until the threat has been dealt with." The female Director said. "The incident from this morning was the turning point."
I took in a sharp breath. "What are the rest of us supposed to do then?"
"The Heads of each rank that are our allies have been strictly instructed to carry out missions as normal, while discreetly picking out the traitors within their ranks."
A tense silence nearly chocked me. I harshly let out a breath before I stepped back against the wall.
Delta was instantly at my side, observing me worriedly. I ignored him as I stared at the Directors, my mouth wide open in silent horror.
The Head Warrior snarled quietly. "This was too much for her. You should have left her out of this."
"Agent Moore is one of the only agents we trust with this information. She needs to know, especially with her risk."
I stared at them in confusion. "What risk? I'm just a goddamn Scout agent!"
"You know very well the threat your life is in," the Director replied firmly. "That was a major reason why we assigned you a Guardian."
"Surely you understand how your Seeker roots make you a target," the second female Director remarked.
I growled and glared at the dark figures. "Shut the hell up! I'm sick of hearing you bring that up. I'm my own person, not some prodigy who has to be constantly reminded of what her capabilities should be."
Another tense silence gripped the room in its vice-like embrace.
The Head Warrior cursed in his breath, and rubbed his forehead as if soothing a headache.
Delta once again placed his hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"
I merely shook my head as I didn't trust my voice to speak rationally.
As one, all of the Directors stood up. "We… apologize for sharing such startling news. We meant it when we said that you are one of the only agents we trust. Knowing everything that is going on within our organization is not a pleasant duty, but it is vital in order to keep the control."
"We wish you luck on your mission." Another male said, before all of the Directors walked out through another door.
I continued to lean against the wall, my legs trembled uncontrollably as Delta rubbed my shoulder.
He then growled. "What the hell was that for? What did you plan on happening by having her listen to all of this?"
The Head Warrior narrowed his eyes. "I had no idea what their intentions were. I'm just as shocked as you are."
"Stop," I whispered.
Both men looked at me in surprise.
I shook my head, before I looked at my Guardian. "I need air," I said.
His eyes widened, before he nodded and helped me walk steadily back to the elevator.
We all got in, and waited quietly as it went up.
After a few seconds, the Head Warrior spoke. "You are not to tell anyone of our meeting with the Directors. Complete your mission, and come home safely."
I looked at the Head Warrior who was glaring fiercely at the floor.
I hesitated, but finally mustered up some courage. "Sir?"
He looked up. "Yes Agent Moore?"
I swallowed before I spoke. "Why did you pick me to lead? Any one of the other agents seem very capable to lead this mission."
The Head Warrior's glare softened. "I chose you Agent Moore, because you are by far the most capable agent of this group. Whether you realize this or not, you are truly talented. Don't doubt yourself, Rachel."
The use of my first name snapped me into attention. I was momentarily at a loss of speech, unsure of how to react. "Thank you, uh…" I trailed on.
The Head Warrior's small smile wrinkled his lips. "M
y name is Pete." He replied.
With that, he exited the elevator, and left me to reflect.
The door closed once again, and continued to go up.
My breathing slowed down, though I was merely a provocation away from a breakdown.
The elevator door then opened and revealed the busy area of the main entrance.
I stared at all of the people walking about, wondering who was a friend and who wasn't.
Delta gently took a hold of my shaking hand, and gestured forward. "I won't let anyone hurt you," he said soothingly.
I gulped quietly, before I nodded my head.
We stepped out, and walked into the flow. As we passed by various people, I tightened my grip on Delta's hand.
Despite the raw fear I felt, I absolutely believed the Guardian's promise.
Chapter 15: Additional Support
After leaving Seeker HQ, Delta and I stopped at a convenience store and bought some water. I gulped down the bottle's contents quickly, and sighed heavily. "This is unbelievable," I said.
Delta nodded in agreement. "I never realized the severity of why they assigned me to you."
I gave him a dry look. "The Directors can kiss my ass for all I care. They're a bunch of selfish cowards, leaving us with the dirty work."
Delta raised an eyebrow. "You seem rather bitter about them," he remarked.
I stared at him blankly, before I looked away.
We walked southwards, avoiding the congestion of the flowing crowd. I was slightly surprised when Delta didn't pressure me for more information.
It wasn't before we crossed the street that I spoke once more. "Things have changed since the Seekers were first founded. The moral and sacrifice that formed this organization are slowly fading away. It's like a hollow shell compared to those times." I sighed once more.
We stopped at a bench, and sat down. I crossed my legs and looked at the people passing by. I felt envy for their carefree attitude.
A rather chilly breeze flew by us, and caused me to shiver. My thin coat barely provided me with warmth.
I whipped my head to face Delta as he placed his thick coat over me. His black hair flew freely about his head, some strands covered his light eyes.
I frowned slightly. "Aren't you cold?" I asked.