What She Thought She Knew (Rachel Moore Mystery Book 1)

by Jack Parker

  Movement in the corner of my vision caught my attention, and I turned to the source.

  It came from the Assassin who placed his hand over his lower face.

  "Looking to see if you've got a zit?" I teased as I gave him a sly look.

  Fear raised an eyebrow, but otherwise did not appear annoyed by my comment. "No, I've just got a rip in my mask. No point of wearing one that shows skin."

  The Assassin swiftly took off his sleek mask to reveal an attractive face that was surprisingly void of scars.

  He caught me staring, and smirked at me.

  He titled his head in a way that made blond strands of his hair fall over his eyes. "Like what you see, Agent Moore?" He asked teasingly.

  I snorted. "More like I'm surprised that you have such a feminine face. Let me guess, you kept it clean by going to the spa regularly?"

  The Assassin glared at me, and I couldn't help but laugh.

  Not long afterwards, he chuckled as well.

  For a moment, we both allowed ourselves to enjoy the light atmosphere. As Seeker agents, we both knew just what was at stake and the high cost if we failed. With such a heavy burden on our shoulders, it was quite rare for Seeker agents to find any humor in the present world.

  Unfortunately, even the smallest of good things must come to an end as the Assassin and I had to remain focused on our task at hand.

  "We better find the others," Fear said.

  I nodded in agreement and was about to step onto the small terrain when a random inquiry popped into my head. "Hey Fear, who's John?" I asked curiously.

  The Assassin merely blinked at me and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of static coming through our ear pieces. "..oss … you ther…?" Those were the only syllables that came from the overpowering static.

  "Barely, there's too much static. Repeat?" I replied as I covered my ears in an attempt to better hear the message.

  "What's your …sition?"

  I let out a loud breath in annoyance. "Change the channel; there's too much interference in this one."

  I switched the dial on my ear piece. "Can you repeat please?" I said again.

  "Can you hear me now boss?" Came Gizmo's voice.

  "Yes!" I exclaimed.

  "About bloody time," Gizmo murmured, though the static-free ear piece allowed me to hear his comment.

  I stifled a chuckle. "What's your position? Is anyone else with you?" I asked.

  "Just climb up the hill and you should see the van parked on the bridge over it. Everyone managed to find me."

  It felt like a huge weight had risen from my shoulders.

  "Alright." I said. "Fear and I will meet you in a few minutes. See you then." I cut the line and faced the Assassin. "Time to go on an adventure." I said sarcastically.

  The Assassin quickly placed a new mask over his face, and placed his dual blades back into his belt. "Lead the way, boss." Fear mocked.

  I rolled my eyes, and proceeded to climb up the steep hill.

  It was a pain in the ass climbing up the small hill; it consisted of me either tripping forward due to a hole in the ground, or slipping on the wet grass.

  Finally, Fear and I reached the top.

  I literally jumped onto the pavement.

  Fear looked at me like I was a sugar crazed child. Seriously, Assassins could have sure used training in the humor department.

  Surely enough, the van was parked on the road ahead as Gizmo waved at us through the window.

  I allowed a grin to come across my face, and I sped walk towards the van.

  The back door slid open, and indeed the others were there shouting at me in relief.

  "You finally made it!" Predator shouted as he waved his hands wildly.

  "I'm so glad you two are ok!" Elvira said, and laughed in relief.

  My concern for her wounds lessened as I saw a tight bandage covering the scratch.

  "Glad to see you're not dead," Olsen commented as he smiled at us gently.

  I laughed briefly before I answered them. "Oh come on, guys. You should know by now that I can't be killed." I raised my arms in a godlike way, and bowed slightly.

  Fear snorted, but the way his eyes beamed gave away his amusement.

  The agents stepped out of the van, and walked towards us.

  Predator clapped Fear on the shoulder, and grinned at him. Elvira came towards me, and hugged me, while Olsen stood aside watching all of us shyly.

  I grinned at the blond agent.

  Elvira let go of me, and gave me a soft smile when she suddenly noticed the object in question in Fear's arms. "Isn't that mine?" She asked sharply.

  I stifled a chuckle as Fear's eyes widened.

  Just earlier he was so confident that Elvira would understand.

  Said person gave Fear a look that would have made even the toughest of Warrior's be wary of her wrath.

  Luckily for the Assassin, a very special person made his appearance, and interrupted the showdown.

  "Agent Moore?"

  Elvira looked away from Fear, and stepped back.

  I watched the Guardian as he came towards me.

  His hood was bent down all the way to his nose which blocked his eyes from me.

  I was a bit nervous as I didn't know what to expect.

  Delta stepped towards me, and enveloped me in a tight embrace.

  I gasped as in complete shock.

  The other agents seemed just as surprised as I was, though they were more discreet about it, and actually gave us space.

  Slowly, I allowed myself to lean my head against his shoulder.

  In that brief moment, I pretended that we were simply a regular couple who were enjoying each other's presence.

  … A couple? No, that was not possible. Not with the war going on.

  Unwillingly, I forced myself to let my weight off of Delta's inviting warmth.

  He looked at me, confusion and hurt were evident in his eyes.

  I smiled at him gently to assure him that I was not repulsed by the hug.

  Relieved, he let go of me, and I politely took a step back.

  I just remembered that we were not alone when I quickly looked around me in embarrassment.

  Olsen was smiling softly, Elvira winked at me, Predator gave me the thumbs up while Fear crossed his arms in his signature pose, and smirked at us both.

  I could feel the blush creep on my face as the air felt way too warm.

  Delta seemed embarrassed as well, although he was more professional about it. He merely coughed as he looked at the ground in mock interest.

  "So, what's our plan now, boss?" Fear asked, and enjoyed the way that I tensed up and glared at him.

  I mentally pictured myself lighting his mask on fire, but quickly shoved that thought out. "We better leave the area: those Phantom agents went back to the lab. Predator, did you blow it up yet?"

  "Not yet," he stated.

  He then took out the detonator from earlier and pressed the button.

  A light rumble passed below our feet.

  Predator then threw the detonator to the ground and stepped on it, promptly destroying it. "Hopefully that blast killed those bastards." He said.

  A hum of agreement passed through my group.

  "Chances are it didn't," a voice spoke from inside the van.

  I peered over Predator's shoulders to glare at our prisoner strapped inside. "Maybe not, but at least we took out that damned lab," I said.

  The woman ignored me.

  I sharply turned my head away. "We'll go back to the apartment, and give Pete our reports. He'll definitely want to know what was going on here."

  Everyone nodded in agreement. The horrors of what we witnessed at the lab would not be forgotten by any of us.

  All at once, we made our way back to the van, and secured ourselves in our respected seats. Delta sat beside me.

  I looked away quickly to hide my blush, and only turned to face the front when I deemed it safe.

  As Fear drove us through th
e busy streets of Rome, I couldn't help but feel victorious in some ways.

  We blew up that damned laboratory, taking away one of the Phantoms' resources. We also captured a Phantom agent andfound some Intel. Those were huge bonuses for me.

  Also, it seemed like Delta may have felt the same way for me.

  If my belief wasn't enough, then surely the fact that he took my hand and squeezed it gently must have been solid proof.

  I turned my head to face him, and saw him looking at me. His grey eyes were incredibly bright.

  I gave him a small smile, and lightly squeezed back.

  Despite all the difficulties that we would have to face, I knew that my team and I would make it.

  Chapter 20: Interrogation and Emotional Sparks

  We arrived back at the Seeker base by nightfall. With all the events that had happened, and the spike in our adrenalin, I hadn't realized that it actually took several hours to complete our mission.

  Sometime during the ride, I had crossed my arms as I mentally prepared myself for the mission debrief I'd have to give to the Head Warrior.

  Delta noticed my distress, and rubbed my arm in comfort.

  I smiled at him, but quickly looked away as the butterflies in my stomach made me feel nauseous.

  Unwillingly, I got out of the van. The action was mimicked by Elvira and Fear who followed me.

  Gizmo, however, was led away by Olsen while Predator "escorted" the mysterious Phantom woman to a separate section.

  Delta carried his mother elsewhere.

  I made my way to the conference room from earlier.

  I walked over to the computer, and punched in the Head Warrior's personal code.

  I took in a deep breath, and exhaled sharply. I hoped that HQ had a plan.

  After a couple seconds of processing, the familiar face of Pete came into view on the screen. "Agent Moore, what is the situation?" He asked.

  "I've come to give you our mission debrief." I answered calmly.

  "Good." He simply said. "What happened?"

  I turned to look behind me; all of my team members looked back at me with solemn eyes.

  I felt my professional facade crack a bit, but quickly put it back in place.

  I focused my attention on the Head Warrior. "We did exactly what the mission parameters instructed us to do: investigate the lab for any relevant data, and destroy the facility. None of us, however, anticipated what was found there."

  The Head Warrior leaned forward against his screen. "What did you find?"

  My lips formed into a tight line. "We've discovered that some of the victims sent there were cloned. There is also evidence that suggests the Phantoms have planted spies within our organization."

  The Head Warrior didn't appear surprised. "I suspected as much. What else happened?"

  "We had a close call with a team of Phantoms. It's unclear whether they were killed in the blast or not." I paused to take a breath. "We also managed to capture a Phantom agent." I added.

  "Is that so?" Pete asked in interest. "Have you performed an interrogation yet?"

  "Not yet."

  "I see." Pete replied. "Be cautious around the Phantom though; he may be alone, but Phantom agents are nasty people to deal with."

  "It's a she, actually." I corrected.

  The Head Warrior grunted. "Were there any survivors from the experiments?"

  "Just one." I replied. "It's…it's the Guardian's mother."

  A look of surprise passed over Pete's face. "His mother?" He asked, skepticism was obvious in his tone. "Are you absolutely sure that it really is her?"

  "The Guardian is convinced that it is her. He's currently attending to her," I replied.

  "I see." Pete said, clearly unhappy about our situation. "Very well, I will present your findings to our allies. Until then, stay on guard. Things are going to get a lot worse before they will get better." He finished as he rubbed his forehead.

  "Yes sir." I replied.

  "Good," he stated. "Take care, agents. Pete out."

  The Head Warrior's image faded into black, and we were left processing the given information.

  Olsen eventually came in, and took in the tense atmosphere.

  After a moment of silence, Elvira finally spoke. "The Head Warrior is right: things will get worse, won't they?"

  I met her weary glance, and nodded.

  She sighed and looked away, her morale deflated.

  My eyes softened at the rare sight of vulnerability in the normally strong woman.

  As I looked at the other agents, I noticed that they too were feeling down.

  Even Fear, the smartass Assassin who was always stiff as a statue, stood with his shoulders slightly slumped, a clear sign of his dislike of the circumstances.

  I turned my attention back to Elvira and placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

  Her dull blue eyes met mine.

  "When you joined the Seekers, what did you wish to accomplish?" I asked.

  She blinked at me in surprise, but answered nonetheless. "I wanted to be able to protect the weak."

  I nodded. "Is there anyone in particular you're fighting for?"

  The Weapon's Expert didn't hesitate in her reply. "I am fighting for my daughter. I want to offer her a world free of Phantoms and their threat."

  I smiled softly. "Then use your daughter as a means to make sure that the Phantoms are wiped out for good. You can't give up."

  Elvira was speechless for a few minutes, but then her eyes lit up in renewed hope as she smiled back.

  I turned towards Olsen. "Hey there fellow Scout; what's your reason for joining the Seekers?"

  The shy agent smiled. "I joined to fight for justice; the world has lost its order, and it's up to us to restore it."

  I nodded, and then turned to Predator expectantly.

  "I joined the Seekers to make sure that no one would have to suffer going through the Phantoms' experiments. They are an abomination." He stated aggressively.

  I narrowed my eyes in confusion.

  The way he stated his answer made it seem like he went through a terrible ordeal. I made a mental note to later inquire him about his past.

  Last, but not least, was the Assassin.

  I glanced at him with a raised eyebrow as he had his arms crossed, and gave me a stubborn look.

  "And you Fear; what are you fighting for?"

  The Assassin continued to hold his ground.

  I felt a bit annoyed at his lack of respect, but decided that whatever Fear's reasons were, they were too personal for him to openly say.

  Just when I thought he wouldn't speak, the Assassin finally spoke. "I joined the Seekers because I enjoy the fight. As an Assassin, I was trained to kill. It is my life; there is nothing else."

  I was momentarily stunned at his bluntness. I didn't believe that was truly his reason for joining the Seekers, but I decided to let him be.

  I turned my attention towards the other agents, and stared at all of them equally. "There you go. Whatever the reason, we've all joined the Seekers because of one common goal: to take down the Phantoms. We must continue our work if humanity has any chance to have a safe, and free future. The people need us, and we have the responsibility to make sure that the Phantoms stay down permanently."

  My team members were deep in thought as they took in what I said.

  I nodded at them, and walked to the door. "Agent Elvira, you will assist me with the interrogation. The rest of you, get some rest."

  "I'm coming with you!" The Demolitions Expert exclaimed.

  I looked at him in confusion once more. Ever since we captured the Phantom woman, Predator had been acting extremely unusual.

  He stared at me fiercely, as if daring me to say no.

  Deciding that it'd too much trouble to try to stop the guy, I gestured for him to follow.

  As I glanced quickly at Fear and Olsen, both men were looking at Predator in confusion.

  I stepped into the hall, and the two other agent
s came into line behind me. I made my way to the room where the Phantom woman was kept.

  I nodded at the guard on duty as we arrived.

  He nodded back, and unlocked the steel door.

  Predator, Elvira and I stepped inside.

  It was a fairly small room; the three of us made it seem even tinier as I began to feel a hint of claustrophobia.

  I ignored the sensation, and focused my sights on the Phantom.

  Having a better look at her, I finally realized just how frail and exhausted she looked.

  She was dangerously skinny, almost to the point of anorexia. Her cheek bones were hollow and gave her the appearance of a walking skeleton. A nasty black eye painfully clashed against her pale skin.

  I nearly felt pity for her.

  "My God," Predator said quietly, "what happened to you?"

  The frail woman looked up at him. "More like what didn't happen to me? The Phantoms don't really take care of their own." She replied bitterly.

  I never would have guessed, I thought sarcastically.

  I stepped in front of the woman. "As I'm sure you can tell, you're under an interrogation. My colleague here has many ways of making people talk." I said as I gestured to Elvira.

  She nodded in my direction, and stepped to the other side of the Phantom, frowning at her in dislike.

  The woman looked at Elvira with a slight scowl. "Oh calm down Seeker, I'm not going to make this interrogation hard for you. I'll tell you whatever I know."

  Well that's a first, I thought.

  I pulled out a foldable chair that was leaning against the wall, and sat right in front of the Phantom. "I suppose we should start at the beginning. How did you get involved with the Phantoms?"

  The woman snorted, much to my annoyance. "It's obvious isn't it? I'm a clone."

  "Maybe, maybe not." I replied. "This is the first we've heard of Phantoms conducting cloning experiments. How did you manage that?"

  "It wasn't very difficult." The woman started. "Since the 1950's, scientists have been conducting cloning experiments on various animal species. The difficulty we had was preventing the protein necessary for cellular division from being removed."

  "How did you make up for that flaw?" I asked.

  "We had numerous failed attempts of keeping that protein. Eventually, we were forced to artificially create it, and give it in pills which the clones were obliged to take once a month. Finally, after much trial and error, we succeeded in creating the first human clone."