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

by Jack Parker

We both got in, and Fear drove us back to our momentary base of operations.

  As soon as we arrived, we hurriedly brought the unconscious survivor to the back.

  When the others saw us, they were, needless to say, surprised. However, they didn't waste time on questions, and instead focused on evaluating the well-being of the survivor.

  Agent Arrow scanned him effectively from head to toe with a biometric scanner.

  The tension in his shoulders dissipated as he put away the device. "Just a mild concussion; nothing that bed rest won't cure."

  It seemed that the tension in the atmosphere was driven away with the good news.

  As if remembering our initial reason for going to the warehouse, Pete turned his attention to us. "What happened?" He simply asked.

  Agent Cian and Fear looked at me. Inwardly, I sighed, but on the outside I remained professional. "As soon as we arrived, we saw a Seeker agent run out of the building. Immediately after that, the whole place went up in flames. He didn't make it." I hung my head down momentarily in respect.

  The Head Warrior's eyes went soft. "I'm sorry to hear." He said.

  I nodded, and continued. "We found him in the rubble. Hopefully he'll be of use to us when he wakes up." I pointed to the unconscious Seeker agent. "In all honesty, it seems like this was a set-up.

  Pete's eyes hardened at the possibility. "We've wasted enough time as it is. We leave for New York within the hour!"

  Chapter 36: A Son to be Proud of

  ~ Fear's POV. ~

  It was settled: we were going back to New York.

  We hurriedly packed up whatever belongings we had, and got into the van. It was slightly cramped with the three new additions, one of them unconscious.

  As for him, he was looked over briefly to insure that he really didn't have anything serious. He was given a drug to help him wake up, though it wasn't clear how long it would take for the effects to kick in.

  On our way to an abandoned airstrip, we met up with several other Seeker agents who got our message. Inwardly, I was relieved with the increase in our numbers, however, I was still unsure of whether it'd be enough to regain control of HQ.

  Pete was right: the Phantoms had us nailed right to the wall. Who's to say that they weren't already aware of our intentions?

  I took a deep breath and let out a long, but quiet exhale.

  It was not the time to second guess our plans. Our intentions were set, and there was no turning back.

  I glanced at John a couple of times while we packed.

  He was silent and seemed focused on his task, though his eyes told another story when they finally met mine. They showed me the fear and frustration he felt, yet desperately tried to hide. A stranger may have dismissed his unusual behavior as stress about current events, but he was my friend, and I knew him pretty damn well.

  After a couple of minutes of just staring at each other, John winced and turned away sharply.

  My eyes narrowed as I stared at John's retreating back.

  My greatest concern was that if Rachel was dead, John would not handle the news well, and his judgment might be affected badly.

  Nevertheless, I had decided to leave him alone for the moment, and resumed my work.

  As the van drove towards the airport, I looked outside, though I didn't pay much attention to the landscape.

  As an Assassin, my behavior was unacceptable, though at the moment I didn't care.

  If I was being honest with myself, I doubted that my abilities would have been able to help the Seekers drive out the Phantoms permanently. It was one thing to kill, but to drive out an entire organization and save a hostage that was considered MIA was a whole other ballgame.

  I turned my head in the opposite direction, and was met by the sight of Agent Claire. I had no idea what to think of that woman, but her interest in me was painfully obvious.

  Unfortunately for me, John had also caught on since the beginning, and has made my life a living hell with his constant teasing about me and her.

  That reminded me, there was a call for me to arrange a date with my foot and his ass.

  As I had nothing better to do, my eyes scanned the profile of Agent Claire, or Alannah I suppose.

  I'll admit that she was attractive and seemed nice enough, however, I wasn't interested in a relationship.

  My actions may have seemed otherwise, but it was John's damn fault for pushing me towards her in the first place. I would have been perfectly happy if I was left alone.

  My last relationship didn't end well. Needless to say, relationships and I did not go well together.

  Despite that, I was still a man and I still had my needs…

  At that, I inwardly scowled. Maybe I take John's advice, I thought.

  I was pulled from my thoughts by the abrupt stop of the van.

  On cue, we all got out, and started to pack the belongings onto the plane.

  Despite us being a small group, the task only took ten minutes. As such, we boarded the plane, and each of us went into our own subconscious.

  Once again, I observed John. His face was pale, and there were bangs under his eyes.

  A pang of concern tore at my insides. John was not sleeping; if so, then his reaction time would be severely handicapped during the mission.

  I walked to where John was, and sat down in the seat beside him.

  He didn't even notice my approach, which further showed his distraction.

  I kicked his leg which automatically got his attention. "What?" He asked.

  I decided to get straight to the point. "You haven't been sleeping." I answered.

  John blinked several times, as if he was trying to regain his focus. "It's just stress, that's all." He mumbled.

  I narrowed my eyes. "Bullshit." I simply said. "You're worried about Rachel. We all are John, but a lack of sleep is not going to bring her back. In fact, it'll lessen your chances of success."

  It was John's turn to narrow his eyes at me. "I'm fine!" He snapped. "I don't need you to babysit me."

  Not one to take offense so seriously, I merely shrugged and got up. "I'm just trying to warn you as a friend. If you want to save Rachel, then you've got to calm down, and start taking better care of yourself." With that, I left and made my way to the less crowded part of the plane.

  I sat down and settled into my seat. I closed my eyes momentarily, and relaxed my tense muscles.

  I heard shuffling from my left side and cracked open my left eye.

  Unsurprisingly, Agent Claire sat beside me. "Hey." She said.

  I nodded my head in greeting.

  A few minutes of silence passed between us.

  As I glanced at Agent Claire, she seemed to be struggling for words. "Do you think we'll survive this?" She asked softly.

  I shrugged half-heartedly. "To be honest, I'm not sure. We're a strong group, but the Phantoms have us at a disadvantage. We might succeed, but that success will come at a high price."

  More shuffling noises were made, and that time I turned my head to the side.

  Agent Claire had positioned her body so that she faced me.

  I raised an eyebrow at her intentions.

  "I'll be blunt; I like you, a lot, but I know that you're not interested in me as I am in you. So I'll give you a choice: I won't make approaches on you anymore, but if you do change your mind, I'll still be here." She said as she stared at me intensely.

  I merely blinked as I couldn't form words. Even if I was able to, I had no idea what to say.

  Agent Claire nodded. "I see." She said.

  She looked down momentarily, but then she looked back up and her normally bright hazel eyes were hardened with an unfamiliar emotion that I've never seen in her before.

  She then stood up, and nodded at me once more. "Good luck, Agent Fear." With that, she walked away.

  A strange, yet well-known feeling swirled in my gut, and it left me uncomfortable: it was guilt.

  I gritted my teeth together. Damn women and their ability to manipulate e
motions.

  Thankfully, the plane began its procedure for take-off and distracted me from the confrontation.

  I let out a sharp exhale. This was exactly why I stopped messing with women.

  We were about three hours into the flight when the unconscious Seeker agent began to groan as he stretched his stiff muscles.

  He then opened his eyes and looked around as he blinked repeatedly. "Where am I?" He asked.

  I rolled my eyes, and looked away.

  From the corner of my vision, I saw Pete approach the newly conscious agent. "Let's just say a lot has happened while you were out." He simply said.

  ________________________________________

  It has been five days since we've arrived at New York. There were no Phantom agents at the airport.

  It made me suspicious though, as the Phantoms were normally thorough in their searches.

  Agent Moore and her team were attacked when they returned, so how come they weren't at the airport when we arrived?

  John was clearly agitated as he paced back and forth in his spot in our make-shift command post.

  I knew that he was anxious about Rachel. Hell we all were, but it seemed that he was the only one who refused to believe that Rachel was already dead.

  John may not have acknowledged it externally, but I knew that deep down, he was scared to death about that being a possibility.

  I sighed quietly as I turned my attention back to my task. I was debating on how to upgrade my newly claimed Devil's bow: the one that Agent Claire gave to me.

  I blinked several times as I willed all thoughts of her out of my head. I had better things to worry about than her feelings, such as making sure that my weapons were in perfect condition.

  I decided to start with my swords as I made sure that they were delicately sharp. Once I deemed them ready, I slid them in their safety harnesses, and wrapped the belt around me.

  Next was my Devil's bow.

  Since it came with an infra-red seeking program, I set it up to a visor that I placed over my left eye. I tested it out by scanning the room I was in.

  Sure enough, I was able to detect the heat signatures from behind the brick wall.

  I slightly smirked, and placed the sniper rifle on my back.

  Afterwards, I put on any remaining piece of armor, and slid a mask on.

  I crossed the room, and stood in front of a body sized mirror.

  A sense of pride filled me as I observed myself.

  When I first told my parents of my intentions to join the Seekers, they were absolutely furious. My father didn't trust any sort of military power, and my mother begged me to stay as she didn't want to lose her only son.

  Of course, as the rebel eighteen year old, I disregarded their worries and joined nonetheless.

  To say that Seeker Basic was hard would have been an understatement; it was a living hell. The intense pressure caused many people to crack and quit, which left only a handful to ever make it through.

  When I did graduate from Basic, I was surprised to find my parents in the audience.

  They approached me and my mother hugged me tightly. My father looked at me with such pride, that I swore I saw tears in his eyes.

  Their reactions overwhelmed me, and I was at a loss. For the first time, my parents realized that I was becoming a man, and that I had the power to choose my own life. They said that they were proud of me for doing something that I wanted to do.

  For a time, life was good. I continued with my Seeker training, and I had John with me.

  But all too soon, that brief happiness was taken away from me in the form of a serious car accident. My parents didn't survive, and I was left with the huge responsibility of taking care of my two younger sisters.

  Despite my pain and my young age, I manned up and provided as best as I could for them.

  John and his mother helped me a lot, but that too changed when John left Europe and his mother disappeared.

  A small smile came to my face.

  John and I were so different, yet so similar as well. He was like the brother I never had. The one person I knew I could always trust without a doubt.

  For that reason, I made the promise to help him in his personal quest, even if it costs me my life.

  I adjusted my armor once more, and then made my way out of the room.

  I walked to the main command center where everyone else was.

  I was assigned a recon mission where I had to scout out the areas of interests and evaluate the environment, the patrols, and any weaknesses that I could detect.

  As if the universe was out to get me, Agent Claire was assigned as my partner as she was quick on her feet and could easily avoid detection.

  As I was about to walk to the center, John came in and blocked my way.

  His eyes bore in mine with such intensity that it nearly took me aback.

  I stared back at him as I waited for him to make a move.

  After a couple of minutes, John finally cracked. "You better take care of yourself Fear, I mean it." He said sharply, though I knew that there was genuine concern in his voice.

  I nodded and held out my hand.

  John seemed puzzled at first as he stared at it, then at my face.

  I offered a smile to reassure him.

  It did the trick, for John took my hand and shook it tightly.

  "Try not to get lost without me." I winked.

  John snorted. "Even when you're being sent on a high risk mission, you're still as cocky as ever." Nevertheless, he smiled.

  I smirked. "Can't let you have all the fun now, can I?" I replied in a teasing manner.

  Instead of retorting as he normally would, John took me in for a "man hug."

  It took me by surprise as I awkwardly patted his back, before I let go of my embarrassment and returned the gesture fully.

  He was the first one to let go and took a step back.

  He coughed. "You should get to it." He said.

  I nodded and pushed past him gently.

  I made my way over to Pete, and stood directly behind.

  The Head Warrior sensed my presence, and turned to face me. "Are you ready Agent Fear?" He asked.

  I nodded. "Let's go." I replied confidently.

  Chapter 37: The Plan

  ~ John's POV ~

  I was well aware of Fear's constant observations of me. I knew that I couldn't fool him, no matter how much I avoided him or hid my true feelings.

  As such, I made it my personal mission to keep myself as occupied as I could. It distracted me from any horrific thoughts of what may have happened to Rachel.

  The one time Fear and I made eye contact, I knew that he believed that Rachel was already dead.

  I absolutely refused to accept that, so I ignored him altogether.

  It didn't change the fact that I couldn't sleep well since my dreams that were more like nightmares consisted of Rachel being taken away from me in several forms.

  I ended up trying to avoid sleep as much by working on whatever I could.

  Things have certainly changed since we arrived in New York. We set up a command center of sorts in an old mechanic shop in the southern part of the city. It didn't take a genius to figure that things were definitely not the same.

  First off, there was a mandatory curfew at 9pm in effect, something that only the Phantoms would have done.

  Second, there were Phantom agents patrolling the entire city every half hour which made it extremely difficult to move from one place to another without getting caught.

  Lastly, the brief glance we had of the Seeker HQ building showed that it was almost unrecognizable. Several of the windows were either shattered or covered in a dark film.

  The Phantoms had also set up a video screen on both sides of the building that continuously replayed a message listing out their new rules. It was like the entire damn city was under Marshall Law.

  I wondered where in the hell was the military.

  I was once again pacing back and forth as I lite
rally had nothing else to do.

  Pete refused to send anyone else on missions for the risk of being caught, so essentially we were sitting ducks until Fear and Claire came back from their recon mission.

  Speaking of, they set out nearly eighteen hours ago. What was taking them so long?

  I whipped my head around to face Pete as I couldn't take it anymore. "How long is it going to be? It's been almost an entire day since they've left."

  Pete didn't glance up from his screen. "You know that radio silence is imperative. The Phantoms could use our own tracking tech against us. Agents Fear and Claire are well trained for this and you know that. They'll get the job done."

  I bit my lip to prevent a retort from escaping. I couldn't argue with the fact that Pete was right.

  Despite that, it still didn't quell my worries.

  I resumed my pacing state as I battled my inner demons.

  Several thoughts swirled in my mind, and it was increasingly difficult to focus on just one idea.

  Pete seemed to have grown tired of my restless nature for he looked up from his screen and stared at me. "Would you please stop doing that? If you've really got nothing better to do, go somewhere isolated. Or better yet, why don't you go check up on the newcomer?" The Head Warrior suggested as he referred to the newly conscious agent.

  I froze in my tracks momentarily before I turned around and left the room.

  I decided to do what Pete suggested, and made my way to the surveillance room. It wasn't much of a surveillance room, though, as we only had access to the security cameras that were spread all over the mechanic shop.

  As I stood at the doorway, the agent looked up from his work. "Oh, it's you." He said as he blinked in surprise.

  I nodded my head in confirmation. "Agent Evans was it?"

  Said person nodded in return. "Is everything alright?" He asked in concern.

  I fully entered the room and leaned against the wall.

  I crossed my arms, and sighed softly. "I'm restless. I just want to get this mission started already."

  The agent made a noise of agreement. "Yeah, I hear ya. The only reason why I haven't bounced off the walls yet is because Pete gave me some blueprints of HQ's rooftops."

  I raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Why would he give you those?" I asked.