What She Thought She Knew (Rachel Moore Mystery Book 1), стр. 27
Predator snorted. "Yeah, that's because he practically lives off of the adrenaline rush."
A light echo of chuckles ruptured the uneasy silence of the room.
The Assassin ignored the comment, and continued. "I've be hearing rumors surrounding that place for months. It has a bad reputation. I gathered any information I could off of my contacts, and I've discovered something truly remarkable."
I think the other agents and I literally leaned forward on our seats as we prepared to hear whatever news the Assassin could have possibly had. I then understood why he was added to the team: his knowledge of the lab would certain help out
Fear looked at each and every one of us intensely. "As far as we can tell, the base is indeed abandoned. We have had reports throughout the years of several captured civilians and Seeker agents being taken, we assume to bases like this one, and coming out changed." Fear reached a gloved hand into his back pocket and drew out a data pad. "According to my sources, it is undoubtedly a cloning facility."
My eyes widened in disbelief. "The Phantoms were performing cloning experiments? No military power has fully mastered it yet. If the Phantoms have, then this completely changes everything we thought we knew of them."
The Assassin nodded. "Indeed. This is one of several reasons why it's vital to complete our mission."
I then looked at the group of agents, and took my time to carefully read their expressions. All of them had sober-like expressions on their faces, yet hidden underneath was an unbounded determination.
I caught Predator's eye which was unusually blank. He tried to smile, but ended up looking away.
I mentally questioned his behavior before turning to look at the Assassin. "The Head Warrior said that we would be the only agents assigned to this operation. I take it that you've already scouted out the objective point?"
Agent Fear nodded. "It's clear, though that could be a completely different story once we're inside," he answered.
I bit my cheek in displeasure.
"If it is still occupied, we'll be ready," Agent Olsen stated.
Agent Predator grunted in agreement, while I nodded.
I then downed the rest of my coffee, and stood up. "Let's start this operation." I said.
The Assassin studied me thoroughly as he looked for any signs of incertitude or reluctance.
When he found none, Fear nodded his head, and gestured towards the door we came from. "I'll drive."
With that, my team and I made our way back to the van, each of us deep in our own train of thought.
Once we got inside the vehicle, the Assassin immediately set out to the main road.
For the first time since we've arrived, I finally took the time to take in the magnificent view of Rome. It was indeed a very beautiful city that held centuries' worth of human accomplishments and traditions.
I found myself smiling for a moment as I allowed myself to daydream.
All too soon, we arrived at the location of the Phantom lab. Fear parked the van in an abandoned alleyway a block away, and stopped the car.
With the hum of the engine gone, we all got out and studied our surroundings.
"Alright." I said which brought everyone's attention on me. "We know our mission parameters, so we will execute them with no delays and no hesitation. If you encounter any hostiles, do notface them alone. It's better to be safe than sorry. Gizmo will stay on the surface to maintain communications, so use his skill to your advantage. We're not alone in this."
The nodding of my teammates brought me a sense of confidence.
I rolled my shoulders subconsciously. "As we saw on the map, there was a large area several levels down. If the rumors are true, then we can now safely assume that that is the cloning facility. We will split up into small groups to investigate. If you find anything worthwhile, contact me. Any questions?"
When no one spoke up, I took that as an initiative and led the way to the abandoned building.
Once we arrived, the Assassin led us to a side door. He expertly undid the lock, and opened it wide. "Ladies first," he said in a joking manner.
I gave him a dry look before I stepped into the compact darkness within.
Inside there was no light. From the looks of it, it seemed that Fear was right about the place being abandoned, yet something didn't sit right with me.
Fear was next to come in and he made his way towards the access elevators.
One by one, we all filed in and eventually joined the Assassin.
Said person took out one sharp blade and sliced at a piece of the far side from the elevator. Not long afterwards, a decent portion of material fell to the ground and revealed a tight passageway.
A feeling of unease filled me. "It's tighter than I'd like." I commented.
The Assassin nodded as he secured his blade around his leather belt. "The power is down, so we can't use the elevator. Even if it wasn't, we don't want to go through the front door. We'll be using the ventilation ducks. As you said, it's better to be safe than sorry."
I nearly groaned at the fact.
I then looked up at the Assassin. "You owe me a drink." I remarked sarcastically.
He chuckled as I got down to my knees and began crawling through the tight hole.
Once I was securely on the other side, I was able to stand in the low ceiling, and saw a service ladder leading downwards. I shook away all remaining thoughts of doubt, and positioned myself correctly. I