What She Thought She Knew (Rachel Moore Mystery Book 1), стр. 50

We turned into a corner, and walked all the way down the hall to a pair of double doors plated with steel.

The man in the cameo suit squeezed through the crowd, and slid a security clearance card through a slot by the doors.

Instantly, they both opened to reveal a large, well-furnished conference room.

We stepped inside, and seated ourselves among the numerous rows there were placed there.

Fear sat beside me, while agents Cian and Arrow sat on my other side.

"God damn it. I hate briefings." Agent Cian commented.

His partner gestured him to be quiet, which earned a swear from the Irish man.

I turned to my other side to face Fear only to see him stare at the female agent who sat on the opposite side of the room.

I grinned. "You sure you don't want to talk to her?"

Fear whipped around, and glared at me. "Shut up!" He hissed.

I rolled my eyes but chuckled in amusement.

For an Assassin, he sure made his interest painfully obvious.

Oh how I loved my friend!

The man in the cameo suit stood in the center, and automatically the murmuring stopped.

The room was then enveloped in an apprehensive silence.

Agent Zero observed every person in sight with those intense eyes of his before he spoke. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming on such a short notice, however we are in dire times. We're all aware of just how real the Phantom threat really is." He paused as he took in the general reaction. He continued. "The Directors have place an order that all high ranked Seeker agents be sent to the Shroud and protect it at all cost. There have been rumors going around that this is a possible Phantom target. As such, we can't take any chances with this severe threat."

Agent Cian snorted quietly. "Severe threat my arse." He murmured.

Thankfully we were too far back for Agent Zero to have heard that.

"As a precaution, you will be divided into small groups to efficiently cover all parts of the Shroud and the surrounding areas. Each group will be assigned a team leader who will give you your specific orders and will report back to me. Any questions?"

No one answered.

Agent Zero nodded his head. "Make your way to the lined tables by the doors to grab your assigned posts where you will be stationed at until this issue is resolved. That can range from a mere couple of hours, to perhaps months, if not more. If you have any loved ones out there, I suggest you say your farewells A.S.A.P. Dismissed!"

After doing as instructed, we all left the room, and scattered about our own ways.

Me, Fear, and a couple of other agents, including the female from the armored vehicle, made our way towards the rooftops where we were stationed.

I summoned an elevator, and tapped my foot lightly as I waited for it.

It came quickly and we all squeezed inside.

None of us knew what we would encounter during the mission and as we took the elevator to our designated post. I couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen.

Chapter 26: A Secret Admirer

The elevator doors opened to reveal a breath taking scenery.

As we stepped outside, we were hit by the fresh scent of cut grass, falling water and the sorts.

I looked around me in amazement, and decided that the Shroud was officially the most beautiful building I've ever visited.

Fear walked beside me, though he didn't pay attention to the surroundings.

All too soon, our group stopped in the main area of the garden like place, and Agent Zero came. "All right group D listen up. This will be your post for the duration of this mission. Things for you to know are the following: there are anti-aircraft weapons on each corner of this level, and several more are placed on other levels, as well as neighboring buildings. Next, you are not to leave your post unless instructed or once your shift is completed. Third, do not engage any enemy that has been dropped by parachute or any other means until reinforcements arrive. You'll have no idea how many friends the enemy brought, especially at night. Unless you want to meet your maker sooner than you should, you are to obey these orders, no exceptions. Any questions?"

Given that the instructions were pretty straight forward, no one spoke.

"All right then. At least your group have god damn ears and know how to use them," Agent Zero murmured to himself. "Get to your posts!"

With that, the group dispersed and went to their respective areas.

My area was toward the south where the city center was visible.

I signed as I walked over to my post. It was going to be a long day…

________________________________________

Several hours have passed since I started my shift, and nothing happened.

The only interesting moment was when I overheard two agents mentioning that they couldn't contact HQ.

Within that hour, the Seeker authority present with us appeared agitated.

Agent Zero was moodier than when we first met him; he snapped at an experienced Assassin who glared at him indignantly.

It was obvious that something was happening, and it left me with a bad feeling.

As I shifted my weight from one leg to another, I felt just about ready to rip my hair out from sheer boredom.

I immediately straightened my posture when I saw the woman Fear fancied walk by my station.

We made eye contact, and studied each other casually.

The red-head nodded in greeting, before she walked past me.

I continued to stare at her until her figure disappeared behind the corner.

Grinning widely, I activated my earpiece, and switched to Fear's private channel. "Hey Fear, I just met your girlfriend."

"I've been single since last spring," Fear replied.