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

by Jack Parker

  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 each other's. "You should forget about him Rachel. He's not man enough to come and save you."

  By that point, my initial shock had worn off, and in its place numbness took over.

  With nothing left to lose, I chose to speak my mind. "You think you're more of a man than John is? You've just been living in his shadow for your entire life. Dear daddy doesn't care about you; he just wants his 'real' son back. You're strong and resourceful, I'll give you that…" I paused to look at the Phantom's shaded face. "But in the end, you're still just a clone. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be the real deal." I finished as I smirked weakly.

  The Phantom agent stared at me blankly before he slapped me pretty hard on the cheek.

  I spat out blood, and I could have sworn that some teeth felt looser than earlier.

  "I don't need to be the real deal." He replied quietly. "I just need to get rid of him." He stared at me venomously, and for a moment, I thought that he was going to kill me.

  The next few minutes were tense and silent, however the Phantom agent breathed in deeply, and let out a long exhale.

  He got up and looked at me in indifference. "Your Seeker training won't save you from this hell hole. Mark my words." With that, he turned towards the door, and slammed it shut.

  Once I was back in the safety of the darkness, I allowed the tears to pour out of my eyes.

  I sobbed in hopelessness as I yearned to be back with John then more than ever. Please, hurry up, I pleaded.

  Chapter 33: One More Addition

  ~ John's POV ~

  The rest of the drive went by in relative silence.

  I knew that if I spoke, then I would have been yelling at everyone. As such, I chose to simply stare out the window. My eyes, however, didn't register the scenery as my thoughts collided with each other violently. I was worried to death about Rachel.

  Absent mindedly, I looked at the rear view mirror and saw the reflections of Fear and Claire.

  They too were staring off into space, however, I noticed that their fingers were interlocked with each other's.

  My heart gave a brief pang, and I had to look away as I snapped my eyes shut. Damn it, I thought.

  Luckily for me, Pete interrupted the silence. "We're almost there." He said.

  I nodded in confirmation and once again stared blankly out the window.

  About fifteen minutes later, we arrived at our destination.

  As I got out of the car, I immediately thought that we were at the wrong place, yet Pete walked confidently towards the door.

  Confused, I followed him, along with Fear and Claire.

  As I glanced at them, confusion was evident on their faces as they looked around.

  When Pete had the door open, he stepped aside to let us in first.

  Once we did, we were met by more confusing, not to mention provocative sights.

  All three of us looked around awkwardly, especially Claire.

  The poor girl looked around as if she expected to get tackled, and forced into one of the outfits. She went ahead of us near the back. Pete came in behind us.

  Fear was the first one to break the silence. "Ok, I'll be the one to say this. Why the hell are we in a lingerie store?" He asked bluntly as he looked around with narrowed eyes at the questionable clothing.

  I let out a sharp laugh. "You don't like it Fear? I'm pretty sure Agent Claire would look sexy in some of these outfits." I teased as I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.

  Both of Fear's cheeks turned visibly pink, and he glared at me.

  Luckily for him, the woman in question wasn't close enough to hear.

  "Gentlemen, this isn't the time to quarrel like school boys. We're in a state of war, so it's extremely important that you two pay close attention." The Head Warrior said in a strict tone.

  Both Fear and I automatically straightened our backs in apprehension. "Yes sir!" We said.

  The Head Warrior gave us a smug look, and walked over to where Claire waited.

  She stepped aside to let him unlock the door that led to the back.

  Pete once again allowed us to step in first.

  Inside was a large warehouse with numerous boxes on the sides, along with two familiar people.

  "Uncle Cian!" Claire exclaimed.

  The Irish Warrior turned around at the mention of his name. "Alannah! Glad to see your pretty face again."

  Agent Claire, or I guess Alannah, smiled softly. "Yeah, it's all because of these two." She gestured to me and Fear.

  We both straightened our postures once more as the eagle-like eyes of Agent Cian observed us carefully.

  He grunted. "Guess I owe you two a beer for looking after my niece."

  I allowed myself to smile. "No need to owe us anything, sir. We don't leave any fellow agents behind."

  Agent Cian nodded at us curtly, but nevertheless smiled widely. "Good thing you showed up when you did. I was getting tired of trying to get our dear Agent Arrow to admit just how right I was about conspiracy within the Seekers."

  Said person rolled his eyes. "Getting me to confess that you were right won't help our situation." He then glanced at Pete. "I sincerely hope that you have a plan."

  The Head Warrior made his way to the center of the room, and looked at each of us carefully.

  The atmosphere abruptly went tense.

  "About twenty eight hours ago, Seeker Headquarters was attacked by numerous groups of Phantom agents. We determined that they got in with the help of a spy who deactivated all security measures that were in place. Unfortunately for us, the Phantoms killed the son of a bitch before we could get our hands on him." Pete commented venomously.

  The rest of the occupants, including me, shuffled nervously as none of us had ever seen Pete so angry.

  He continued. "The spy was working in coalition with Mr. Martin Hill, the man that agents Moore and Delta brought in all those weeks ago. His current whereabouts are unknown, but it seems that his involvement with the Phantoms is much deeper than we initially thought."

  My mouth twitched as Pete brought up Rachel, but I held my tongue.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw that Fear was staring at me, but I refused to look at him.

  "In our current situation, the Phantoms have us nailed right to the wall. They've taken over our weapons system, they have access to every single Seeker agent record, including yours."

  We all tensed as he shared the rather alarming news.

  "The Phantoms have also stolen vital documents from our computers: defense codes, and basically any other Intel that could start wars between countries."

  Shock was an understatement to how we all felt then. The news that Pete threw at our faces was almost too much to take.

  Finally, I gathered the courage to ask P
ete the question that I'm sure was on everyone's mind. "What are they doing with the information?" I asked.

  Pete glanced at me with an indecipherable look. "We're not sure. For all we know, they could be keeping the information to themselves. Another possibility is that they are planning on selling our information to the top bidder in order to put us in a vulnerable state. This is no child's game, lady and gentlemen. This is an act of war." Pete stated seriously.

  "What was the point of attacking the Shroud if the Phantoms were after Seeker HQ?" I asked.

  "It was an ambush to try to eliminate as many Seeker agents as possible all at once. Since only higher leveled Seeker agents were stationed at the Shroud, the Phantoms were essentially able to kill two birds with one stone." Pete said solemnly.

  Agent Cian cursed openly, while the rest of us couldn't even form words.

  I was at such a loss that it took me much effort to keep my composure.

  "Sir," Claire finally started, "you said that Agent Moore and her team were attacked at the airport in New York. What proof do you have that any of them are still alive?"

  I knew that it was an innocent question, but inside I wanted to strangle the life out of the woman.

  "There was one survivor that managed to evade the Phantoms." Pete said.

  I looked at the Head Warrior in curiosity. "Who?" I asked.

  On cue, footsteps echoed in the vast room which made them sound like tiny explosions in the shallow silence.

  We all turned towards the source and from the shadows came the familiar form of Agent Olsen.

  He appeared wary, and had thick bandages covering his head.

  "Olsen, how did you get here?" I asked surprised.

  The Scout stepped forward. "It's not a pretty story," he started gravely.

  ________________________________________

  The flight at last touched down smoothly at JFK International Airport.

  The simple grey plane stood out underneath the scrutiny of the mid-afternoon sun as it taxied to a Seeker-designated terminal.

  The space was available, and so the plane parked inside.

  Within the aircraft's spacious interior was the team of jet-lagged Seeker agents who stretched and rubbed the sleep from their tired eyes.

  Their leader, Agent Moore, got up from her seat, and entered the cockpit. "Well done on a smooth flight," she complimented.

  The pilot nodded, yet a small frown was plastered on his face. "Just doing my job, ma'am."

  Agent Moore raised an eyebrow at the pilot's reaction.

  She looked out of the window, and narrowed her eyes at the sight. "Why is it so dark?" She asked.

  "I'm not sure," the pilot replied worriedly. He then activated his comm. link. "JFK Control Tower: flight S-828 has landed and is currently parked at Terminal 13. Waiting for ground crew to commence After Landing procedures."

  There was a slight pause before the air traffic controller finally responded. "Flight S-828, we have received orders to detain your plane. A team will board shortly. You along with your crew are expected to comply."

  Both Agent Moore and the pilot were stunned at the response. Neither had been in such a situation.

  It left a feeling of foreboding within the young woman's stomach.

  Suddenly, a spotlight was pointed at the plane, blinding both the pilot and Agent Moore who were in its immediate view.

  The team's leader bit her lip in nervousness as she reflected upon which course of actions to take.

  As her eyes adjusted to the blaring light, Agent Moore was able to make out several cloaked bodies running towards the aircraft.

  She was startled by a bang noise that came from outside the cockpit.

  Agent Moore stepped out, and was met with her worried team.

  Agent Elvira walked over to Agent Moore. "Someone's trying to open the door," she said.

  Her statement was emphasized by another banging on the door. "Flight S-828, we order you to open the cabin door immediately," came the declaration.

  Agent Moore cursed in her breath, and went back to where the pilot was. "Is there any way we can prevent them from boarding?" She asked.

  The pilot shook his head as he opened a compartment underneath his seat.

  He took out simple pistol, and checked to see if it was loaded.

  Agent Moore's mouth opened slightly at the pilot's action, but her jaw closed once more and she nodded in understanding. "How much fuel do we have?" She inquired.

  The pilot looked at the specified instrument. "We've got enough to make it to Washington. I hope that we'll receive a better reception there," he commented.

  Agent Moore nodded, her eyes darkened even more at the realization of what would happen.

  She turned around, and gestured to shut the door. "Make sure that no one gets in here. The others and I will allow the boarding party to enter, and we'll take care of the rest. When I knock on your door three times, be ready to get us out of here."

  The pilot nodded. "Good luck," he said.

  "Same to you," Agent Moore replied, before she left.

  She stood aside to make sure the pilot locked the door.

  Once she heard the clicking sound, the young brunette stood in front of the cabin door, and inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm her nerves.

  The people outside continued to bang.

  Abruptly, the plane's lights went off, shrouding the cabin in darkness. The once running engines powered down steadily.

  Agent Gizmo swore as his laptop shut down. "What the bloody hell?" He commented. "Whoever's out there just fired an EMP. My laptop's fried."

  The cockpit's door opened, and brought in the bright light into the blackened cabin.

  The pilot stepped out, and promptly shut the door behind him.

  Heavy breathing was the only sound anyone made for a few seconds.

  "We won't be leaving now," the pilot stated.

  Agent Predator swore, and paced around restlessly.

  Agent Olsen stepped in. "Did you contact Seeker HQ? There must be an explanation behind this?"

  A loud bang caused everyone to jump. "Flight S-828, we're ordering you to open this door immediately."

  Agent Moore let out a sharp breath. "There's no time," she started. "We have to deal with this now. Be ready."

  She gestured to Agent Predator to open the door.

  Hesitantly, the Demolitions Expert stared at Agent Moore who nodded in encouragement. He reluctantly stood in front of the door, and placed his hands on the knob.

  "Stand clear, we're opening the door," Agent Moore said.

  True to her word, Agent Predator opened the door, and stood back.

  A tall figure stood at the entrance way, before it made its way inside.

  Agent Moore bravely stood her guard, even when more unknown figures boarded the plane.

  The space became cramped as the Seeker agents and the unknown figures studied each other.

  Each of them wore black shades which only added the mystery effect of them.

  Their supposed leader walked towards Agent Moore until he was face-to-face.

  The air went tense.

  "Agent Moore, you and your team are to come with us without confrontation," the leader said.

  Agent Moore crossed her arms. "Who gave the order?" She asked.

  The tall man made to grab her. "Your new superiors," he said.

  Agent Moore grabbed the figure's hand, and twisted it.

  The man grunted, but nonetheless attempted to force Agent Moore to the ground.

  The woman stepped to the side, and punched the leader's face.

  His shades came off, and revealed a horrific sight.

  Agent Moore's eyes widened. "Phantoms!" She exclaimed.

  Her teammates immediately went on the offensive.

  The cabin went into chaos as each party tried to overcome the other.

  The tall man got up, and narrowed his eyes at Agent Moore.

  They swirled eerily in the dark, and it reminded Agent Moore of
the undead.

  The Phantom agent swung his thick arm at the smaller woman.

  Agent Moore ducked, though she bumped into Agent Elvira.

  The Combat Specialist grabbed onto her opponent, and threw him over them.

  The person ended up crashing into the leader, both of whom fell out of the airlock.

  A gun shot went off, and one Phantom agent went down. Blood poured over her blank eyes.

  The Seeker pilot immediately aimed at another opponent.

  He fired precisely, and hit the agent who nearly swiped at Olsen's exposed neck with a knife.

  The curly haired man nodded at the pilot in thanks, and proceeded to help out Gizmo.

  The Tech Expert swung at his opponent with his laptop.

  The Phantom went down, and was still.

  In the meantime, Agents Moore and Elvira recovered, and were engaged with their own opponents.

  The Seeker leader looked around, and noticed a red dot focused on the pilot.

  Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened to warn the man.

  Before she could even utter a word, the window beside the pilot burst, as blood exploded from his skull.

  The man collapsed to the ground.

  Several seconds went by before Rachel yelled, and tackled the closest Phantom agent.

  Both of them fell to the ground, and struggled to overpower the other.

  Suddenly, Rachel was pulled off, and smashed against the aircraft's wall.

  The woman groaned, and went still.

  "Rachel!" Predator shouted.

  The Demolitions Expert tackled the attacker, yet he was soon overpowered by the stronger opponent.

  The Phantom's eyes gleamed in amusement. "You're weaker than I remember," he said.

  Predator's face blanched as he recognized his enemy. "You!" He hissed.

  The Phantom crackled. "Yes, me." He got up, and kicked Predator's face.

  The Demolitions Expert was immediately knocked out.

  Agent Elvira, performed a back kick, and sent her opponent sailing by the cockpit door.

  The Combat Specialist smirked momentarily, before she turned to face Predator's attacker.

  As she took a step forward, another gunshot went off. Elvira's blue eyes shined in shock, before she fell to the ground.

  Gizmo yelled as he was pushed to the ground, and pulled towards the airlock. He struggled against his adversaries, yet it was no use.