What She Thought She Knew (Rachel Moore Mystery Book 1), стр. 68
My face scrunched up in confusion as I wondered if I heard him correctly. "Peace?" I asked in disbelief. "This is not peace. What you and your organization have done is further reinforce the corruption. As humans, we're all different. If people learned to accept the differences, then there would be fewer wars over money, religion, and power. There would be a unity of understanding and equal ground." My eyes then softened slightly. "Humans are born with free will and the ability to be who we can be. You don't need to kill in order to restore order."
The Phantom leader was silent for a few minutes as he carefully reflected on my words.
At last, he answered. "I agree that humans are born with free will. However, it's because of this free will that misguided choices have been followed which often lead to unnecessary bloodshed. I admire your faith in humanity, however, that ideology is completely naive. Humans will never stop their corrupted ways. A higher force needs to put them in their place. That is why the Phantoms exist."
The man knelt down once more, and looked directly into my eyes.
I still couldn't get over the fact of his resemblance with him…
The Phantom leader hummed in thought. "I'm afraid that there's no other solution to this dire problem. Domination is the only solution."
"I don't believe that!" I said firmly. "There's got to be another way; one without bloodshed."
"And that is exactly why your parents died." The Phantom leader replied bluntly. "They paid the ultimate price for trying to defend such a disgusting species. Shadow will ensure that my son accepts our offer. If he refuses to cooperate, then I'll kill him."
I sneered at the Phantom leader in disgust. "Jeesh, most parents just ground their kids." I said.
The Phantom merely raised an eyebrow at me. "By now you should realize that I'm not exactly a 'normal' father. Shadow is a far more faithful agent, however, he's not natural. I want my son."
Both of my eyebrows rose up to my forehead. "What do you mean by not natural? He was ripped out from his mother or something?"
The Phantom leader hummed in amusement. "I wasn't aware that you enjoyed Shakespearean plays," he commented. "No he was not 'ripped out' from his mother. In fact, he doesn't have any parents. He's my, how should I say it, replacement of a son until my real one joins."
My eyes widened. "Yikes, no wonder Shadow is a sadistic bastard. You're just using him to get your son back. Why the hell is he still working for you?"
"Who says that he's aware of that?" The leader replied. "It's a need-to-know basis. I want the real deal, not a clone."
I snorted. "Good luck with that. He doesn't seem to be the type of person who can be taken down easily. And the Seekers are always prepared for an attack by your organization."
"Quite true." He said.
He took out a pocket watch to check the time, before quickly placing it back in his pocket.
He turned to me. "It has been a pleasure talking with you, Agent Moore. Perhaps we can continue this conversation another time." The leader said.
He tilted his head in a salute, and left the cell.
The door shut behind him with a loud slam, and I was alone in the darkness once more.
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An undistinguished murmur interrupted the dense silence. "Rachel?" A voice whispered clearly.
I opened my eyes a bit as I tried to pinpoint where the sound came from.
"Rachel?" The voice said again slightly louder.
The door suddenly opened, and I was once again blinded by the glaring light from outside.
A figure covered in numerous cloaks came in.
Once my vision adjusted to the increased light, I looked up to observe it.
"Rachel? Are you alright?" The figure said.
My eyes widened as I couldn't believe who it was. "John?" I whispered as I tried to keep my excitement at bay.
"It's all right, Rachel. I'm going to get you out of here." John leaned down, and cut the bounds that held my hands together.
I let out a half gasp, half laugh as I was overcome with joy at the sight of John. He must have received my signal.
Not being able to help myself, I threw my arms around John, and hugged him tightly.
He grunted a bit at the added weight, but then he rubbed my back in comfort.
"How were you able to get in?" I asked.
John pulled back to look at me. "It was simple really; when you're the son of the enemy, you tend to have seen and know many things. Besides, I'd do anything for you." He replied as he caressed my face.
I smiled, and then kissed him hard.
He responded eagerly, though there was something off about him. His taste was… different.
I pulled back to have a closer look at him, though I was shocked at what I saw.
John stared back at me, but his eyes were glowing.
"No." I whispered in shock.
The man threw his head back, and laughed loudly. "I can't believe you fell for that!" He said as he laughed hard. "It's me, Shadow!"
I was frozen to my spot as I took in what just happened.
Shadow merely laughed again. "You're so naïve, Agent Moore. He'll never come for you."
I just stared at him in shock as tears silently ran down my cheeks.
Upon seeing my tears, the Phantom agent faked a look of sympathy. "Aww, did I break your heart? I'm so sorry, how could I have been so blind to your feelings?" He leaned forward so that our faces were leveled with