What She Thought She Knew (Rachel Moore Mystery Book 1), стр. 6
The man looked up at me, and silently invited me to take a seat. As I was about to sit down, I abruptly had the sensation of being watched. I scanned the room through the veil of my hair, but didn't see anything suspicious.
Finally, I turned my attention to the Head Warrior who was looking at me with a questionable glance.
"I thought someone was watching me." I stated.
The Head Warrior nodded as he understood my precaution. "I wouldn't be surprised; there are Phantom agents everywhere."
With that, he briefly stood up to pull the cover over our booth. We both sat down, and he went straight to business. "I know you must be wondering why I asked you to come here, Agent Moore." He began.
I nodded my head in confirmation, and allowed him to go on.
"There have been many cases in which reports were made to Seeker Headquarters about sightings of Phantom agents. The dispatched Seeker agents were either killed or M.I.A." He paused, and took a brief sip of what I assumed was beer.
He set the glass down, and continued. "After your experience with your last mission, Seeker Headquarters made some inquiries into these situations. It turns out that your 'partner' was not actually who he claimed to have been." The older man stopped again as he waited for my reaction.
My face remained blank, therefore he took that as a cue to carry on. "The body of the real Agent Michaels was found strangulated in a dumpster yesterday. There was no time to warn you."
That time, my eyes widened.
After a few minutes of taking in what the Head Warrior said, I finally spoke. "You're saying that my partner was actually a Phantom agent sent to kill me?"
The Head Warrior nodded. "That is what Seeker HQ believes. He is dead now, so we cannot explain as to why the Phantoms bothered killing him when you were their supposed target. Perhaps it was a plan gone wrong, or maybe there is more to their intentions than we know."
I frowned as confusion filled me. "That really makes no sense. Why bother killing their own agent? What proof does Seeker HQ have about the Phantoms' intentions of eliminating me?"
The Head Warrior gave a small shrug. "I honestly don't know. I'm merely telling you what Seeker HQ told me. The Directors are on the alert now more than ever after the Head Scout's murder." He paused as if to recollect himself. "There are many reasons why the Phantoms would want to eliminate you: perhaps they see you as a threat. You and I both know just how deep your roots with the Seekers go."
I stared blankly at the Head Warrior, a bit of annoyance boiled beneath my skin. I didn't need any more reminders of my past than were necessary. "That was a long time ago." I said quietly.
Luckily, the Head Warrior didn't seem to have heard me.
I remained silent as I reflected on what I was told. I then took a deep breath, and willed myself to maintain control. "What do you suggest me to do?" I asked quietly.
The Head Warrior looked at me in slight pity. "I would advise you to return to Seeker HQ and receive your next round of orders. After that, go home and rest. It has been a long day for you."
I didn't bother to say anything so I stood up, and was about to leave when the Head Warrior called me. "One last thing, Agent Moore. Beware of your surroundings; you will be around people you will assume can be trusted. However, you never know who they really work for." He simply said.
I glanced at him momentarily, and then nodded.
With that, I left the older man to finish his drink in silence.
As I opened the main door, the feeling of being watched crept onto me again.
Instinctively, I turned, and scanned the entire bar. Once again, I didn't see anything that was out of the ordinary.
I stepped outside, and closed the door behind me. Even as I walked away, I couldn't stop the shivers as the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
Chapter 5: An Unwanted Guardian
Immediately after I left the pub, I took the Head Warrior's advice and went straight to Seeker HQ. I contacted High Command, and requested an audience with the Directors. They would surely have the answers to all of my questions.
The walk was a brief ten minutes south of where I was. I shivered again, although that time it was from the cold as the early spring sun had already set beyond the horizon.
I pulled my signature leather jacket closer to me as I tried to prevent the warmth from being swept away by the chilly breeze.
I distracted myself by humming a random tune. It helped me block out the cold, and time seemed to have gone by faster. Before I knew it, I was at my destination.
Seeker HQ resided in the building that was once known as the World Trade Center. I wasn't sure why the Seekers choose that particular building. It probably had something to do about proving to the Phantoms that they were not afraid of a few bomb threats.
Personally, I thought that the Directors were trying to tempt fate. New York did not need a repeat of history.
The Seekers were cautious, though, for they set up anti-missile guns on the roofs of the main building as well as several neighboring ones. Security ground forces were constantly patrolling the area. They even set up motion detectors and heat sensors in the sewers that came out from the main building. All in all, it was impressive.
There were a group of civilians