What She Thought She Knew (Rachel Moore Mystery Book 1), стр. 24
I sighed appreciatively, and nuzzled my head under his chin. In turn, Delta's arm on my waist slightly tightened.
We stayed in the position for a while, enjoying each other's company while watching the world pass by us.
Two middle-aged women looked at us as they walked by. "What a cute couple," one commented.
The other hummed in agreement. "True. They remind me of Gregory and I when we were younger."
Their comments caused my heart's pace to quicken slightly.
Delta gently patted my back. "We should get going," he said.
I groaned quietly at his comment.
The Guardian got up, and held out his hand in front of me. I took it, and he effortlessly brought me to my feet.
We then walked back towards Seeker HQ, occasionally leaning against each other in companionship.
________________________________________
Several hours later, Delta and I arrived at the airport.
We met up with our new team members, and boarded a specialized Seeker plane.
Our tech expert, Gizmo, was going through the floor plans of the supposed Phantom lab. "Alright lads," he started with his thick British accent, "according to the schematics, there are several levels that are below ground. About ten levels down, there seems to be a large space where it is suspected the Phantoms performed their experiments. The Head Warrior wants us to investigate these experiments, and collect any valuable information that we can find."
"And then we blow the place sky high." I added.
Gizmo looked up from his laptop, and gave me a wary look before he turned his attention back to the tool.
I stood up from my huddled position. "Alright everyone, you all know the mission details. Once we arrive in Rome, we will meet with two additional agents. Elvira, can you give us the details?"
Said person nodded, and took out a data pad. "We will be meeting with agents Predator who is a Demolitions Expert, and Fear who is a skilled Assassin. According to the data pad, they will be meeting with us at the onsite Seeker base."
I nodded, though I was a bit confused about the selection of the new recruits. The Demolitions Expert would really make my day once he blew up the lab. As for the Assassin, what good would he be for us if the lab was supposedly abandoned?
"I've got the all clear from flight control." Our pilot stated. "ETA to Rome: 8 hours 56 minutes."
I sat down in one of the leather seats, and prepared for takeoff. I leaned my head back, and allowed the exhaustion from the day to overcome me as I drifted to a light sleep.
________________________________________
I woke up during the last hour and a half of the flight. I used that time to go through all of the mission parameters once more.
I gave Elvira the task of contacting our onsite agents to confirm that they would meet us at the rendezvous point.
The men were all doing their own tasks. Gizmo was checking out all of our electronic gear, while Olsen inspected our tools. Delta, on the other hand, spent his time at the back corner of the plane… sulking?
After a careful moment of debate, I decided to go over to him. "Hey," I greeted softly.
For a Guardian, Delta certainly was caught off guard. He jumped a bit as I spoke. He relaxed once he realized that it was me. "Hello, Agent Moore." He replied, not really focused.
I raised an eyebrow at his attitude. "Are you alright?" I asked.
Delta sighed lightly. "I'm not actually. I never thought I'd be coming back here." He said.
"You mean Rome?" I clarified.
Delta nodded his head. "I lived there for quite some time with my mother, before the war started. Those were the best years of my life."
My eyes softened. I was surprised that he was comfortable enough to tell me about his past.
Delta hesitated. "I know that you don't fully trust me, Agent Moore, and I don't blame you. I haven't been entirely honest with you." The Guardian adjusted his position, and focused his attention on me.
He gestured to the seat in front of him.
I sat down, and crossed my legs.
Delta leaned forward, and crossed his hands together in a meditation position. "I suppose I should start at the beginning. I'm an only child. I was originally born in America in 1993, but my mother wanted to start a new life, so we moved to Rome. Like I said earlier, those were the best years of my life."
"But then the war started." I added in.
Delta nodded, his eyes were dark with an emotion I was not used to seeing him with. "Europe took the first hit of attacks. A lot of cities were badly damaged, including Rome. For the first year, my mother and I were always on the move. I was never more terrified than I was back then. I was certain that we would get caught."
"What happened?" I asked.
Delta's foul mood seemed to have increased. "We finally found a plane that was heading to America, but the position was compromised. Phantom agents had stormed the area; they started killing everyone in their sights. I managed to get on the plane, but my mother…" He trailed off as he looked blankly into space.
I wanted to comfort the Guardian, but I forced myself to stay still.
Delta sighed heavily. "The plane took off with the few survivors that managed to make it on board. As for my mother, I never saw her again."
My heart was actually breaking for him. "I'm so sorry." I genuinely expressed. "I know what it's like to lose a parent."
Delta looked at me with understanding. "In your case, you lost both."
I nodded as I stared blankly out the window.
Delta exhaled sharply, and rubbed his head.