What She Thought She Knew (Rachel Moore Mystery Book 1), стр. 7
"Look, it's a Seeker agent!" one guy stated.
A short woman shoved him aside, and glared at me. "How could you Seeker agents use the World Trade Center as your Headquarters? That's a disrespect to the men and women who died during the attacks. You even kept the memorial wall inside. We have a right to see it!"
Her companions shouted in agreement, and I winced at their ferocity.
Luckily for me, a security team from HQ came outside, and ushered the upset group away.
I sighed at the mistrust of the civilians, and went up the steps two at a time.
Once I arrived at the security checkpoint, I took out my ID, and swept it through the slot.
"Seeker ID #171010 recognized. Scout agent: Rachel Katherine Moore."
The scan confirmed that I was really who I claimed to be, and the security guard acknowledged my rank. He then unlocked the electric door for me.
I nodded in thanks, and proceeded inside.
Coming from the excited city, the interior of HQ's main hall was rather dull-looking. The walls were all the same shade of grey, fogged up glass covered the offices, and everything looked clean.
Too clean, I thought with certain distaste.
I sat down by the artificial waterfall, the sound of rushing water did wonders on calming my nerves. I definitely needed more than that though.
I was still trying to process everything that the Head Warrior told me. I attempted to convince myself that it was simply a bad joke, but I knew far too well that it was the truth. It still didn't explain the sudden feelings I got as if someone was watching me.
Thankfully, I didn't get that feeling where I was as I sat in one of the most secured places in North America. There were other stationary Seeker bases throughout the country, Canada, and they even extended as far as Eastern Europe and South Africa. The Middle East and Asia publicly announced their neutrality as they considered the Silent War to be an "occidental conflict".
The Australians, New Zealanders, and Japanese reacted the same way. The reported justification being that they were isolated islands who suffered little to no effect from the war.
I snorted at their foolish decision. They may not have had much Phantom activity compared to other countries, but they failed to realize that the Phantoms were everywhere, and they didn't care about who they targeted or why. The conflict may have been centralized in North America and parts of Europe, but sooner or later, the rest of the world would feel the full impact of this invisible battle.
The sound of my phone snapped me from my internal reflections. I took it out, and read the message as it addressed me to go to the Directors' room. I stood up, and made my way to the designated area.
I had to take a heavily plated elevator down multiple levels. The Directors' room was moved underground after several bomb threats plagued the original one. It was necessary that the room must be held in an area where it would be difficult for Phantom agents to infiltrate.
There was even a camera right at my face. It obviously showed that it was watching my every move.
The armored elevator finally arrived at the intended level, and I was more than relieved to get out of that annoying camera's view. There were several pairs of armed guards with rather big guns stationed along the hall leading to the Directors' room. They briefly glanced at me as I walked towards my destination.
At the door, I was met by a short secretary who gave me a folder. I opened it, and saw the Directors' report on my previous mission.
I nodded in thanks, and stepped around the small woman into the dim room.
The sound of the door shutting left an eerie echo in the hushed room. I could see the silhouettes of the five Seeker Directors that led our organization.
It was forbidden to ever see their faces, unless they gave permission. Even then, the trusted people were sworn to secrecy. It was a necessary precaution in order to prevent Phantom agents from attempting to assassinate or impersonate any of the Directors when they were out of protective territory.
All five heads turned towards me. I could practically feel their intense stares focused solely on me. Even the dim light seemed to have put me in the spotlight.
The figure in the middle gestured for me to sit. "Please take a seat, Agent Moore." A masculine voice instructed.
I promptly sat down, and placed the folder on the glass table.
The main figure continued. "As you undoubtedly already know, your last mission was a well fabricated attempt of killing you. It is obvious that the Phantoms are aware of your capabilities and your value to the Seekers, given your personal record."
I was rather bored as I listened to what the Head Warrior already told me, but I maintained my respect, and continued to pay attention.
"Your partner was a Phantom spy; we discovered that he disappeared over three months ago for a short duration of time. He was presumed M.I.A until he returned, stating that he was following some leads. Now, however, we know what his fate was." The speaker paused as he took a sip of clear fluid. The figure put the glass down, and cocked his head. "Your facial expression clearly portrays your unease. What's on your mind?"
The Directors' stares seemed to have intensified.
I gulped silently before I started. "I find all of this to be very strange. If the Phantoms wanted to kill me, as you believe, why bother killing their own agent? I wasn't even near him to say that they took a calculated risk by blowing up Madison Square Garden