by Jack Parker
A small smile appeared on his face. "Because I'll be the one to place explosives around."
My eyes widened slightly. "That's practically a suicide mission. Are you sure you're up for it?"
The smile was then replaced by a more serious look. "I may be no commando, but I'm still a Seeker agent regardless. Those Phantom bastards made things personal when they killed my colleagues. This is a perfect opportunity for some payback. Besides, you guys saved my life; this is the least I could do."
I was left momentarily stunned at this young man's resolve and acceptance of possible death. His courage gave me a feeling of respect for him.
"Glad to hear it." I finally said. "We need all the help we can get."
"Oh absolutely. I am a Demolitions Expert, after all." Agent Evans replied in his clear Australian accent. "From what I've heard, you and Agent Fear are great additions to the Seekers."
"You know our history?" I asked surprised.
Agent Evans shrugged. "Just from what I was told. I had a friend whose older sister was in your Seeker Basic class. Let's just say that she was very interested in yours and Agent Fear's activities." He then winked.
I could only blink as I wasn't sure how to respond to that.
Luckily, Agent Cian came into the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt your flirting session, ladies, but my niece and her anti-social boyfriend are back." With that, the Irish brute left.
Agent Evans and I looked at each other briefly before we left the room for the command post.
True to Agent Cian's word, Agent Claire and Fear were back, and looked exhausted.
A feeling of relief spread through me, and I felt better than I did before.
Their appearances, however, had me concerned.
The cloth material that covered Agent Claire was torn all over, and there were blood stains on it. There were a few cuts on her arms and face, yet otherwise than that, she seemed physically fine.
Fear, on the other hand, looked worse.
His normally shinny armor was filthy, and there were scorch marks all over. Fear was leaning against the table, and had a hand pressed against his side.
I narrowed my eyes as I mentally reminded myself to ask him about that later.
Pete nodded in our direction as we arrived. "Now that everyone is here, agents Claire and Fear can begin their debriefing."
Everyone's attention was honed in on the two tired agents.
They shared eye contact to which Agent Claire nodded, and looked back at the rest of us. "We ran into some trouble as you can see, but we made it back. When we started out, Agent Fear and I observed the rooftops of Seeker HQ and surrounding buildings. From what we could tell, it seemed that the Phantoms have full control over the anti-missile guns on each rooftop, so an air strike is out of the question. They've also placed snipers with infrared gear to patrol the area. I'm not sure how we can send someone to set explosives up there without being detected."
"That won't be a problem," Agent Arrow replied. "The Seeker laboratories developed a suit that would absorb the wearer's body heat, thus rendering him or her practically invisible, as long as the Phantoms are wearing the infrared goggles."
Pete nodded his head, and a look of relief passed over Agent Claire's face. "Well, that's one issue addressed. Agent Fear and I then checked the Sewage lines. The Phantoms have set up automated turret guns in each tunnel. There's absolutely no way to get passed them. Hell, they shot at us; Agent Fear got hit…"
I whipped my head to face Fear. "You were shot by a turret, and you didn't bother to fall back for medical attention?"
My friend didn't look at me when he answered. "It was just a scratch. The mission was more important than a bullet wound. Besides, I cauterized it."
My eyes widened even more, if that were possible. "Are you crazy?!" I exclaimed. "You could have tissue damage, or maybe even something more serious!"
"I agree." Pete added in. "I strongly advise that you have that wound checked before we set out again."
Fear didn't argue back, which really worried me.
Normally, he would have refused to be checked out by a doctor, but the fact that he didn't suggested that his wound bothered him more than he had let on. Goddamn it Fear, why did you do this to yourself? I thought worriedly.
Agent Claire coughed uncomfortably. "May I continue?" She asked.
Pete nodded, and I shoved my hands in my pockets to shut me up.
The woman let out a quiet sigh of relief. "As I was saying, the sewers are a no-go. Same with the main entrance. There's just too many Phantom agents patrolling the area for us to have a chance against them. This mission is suicide."
I slammed my hands on the table which caused everyone to jump. "We're going, no matter what. There's got to be another way. I'm not leaving Rachel behind."
Agent Claire narrowed her eyes at me. "Is the life of one person more important than the lives of the rest of the surviving Seeker agents?" She asked. "We can't risk losing more Seeker lives. If we went ahead with this mission, we'd all die. What good would you be to Agent Moore if you were dead?"
A silent agreement passed through the room, which made me feel abandoned.
We came all this way only to just give up? There was absolutely no way I would have allowed that.
I gritted my teeth in frustration as I glared at the woman.
Said person stared back at me evenly, not at all intimidated by my reaction.
I flicked my eyes to Fear and saw that he was looking at me warily.
He relayed the message that if I went out of line, he would put me down.
I glared at Fear for a bit, before I looked down and pushed back from the table abruptly. "All right then." I finally said. "If you're all such cowards that you won't go on this mission, then I'll do it my damn self. I made a promise to Rachel that I'd find her, and I intend on keeping it."
"Now wait just a minute." Pete said. "No one said anything about leaving. We just need to find an alternate pathway inside the building."
"Maybe not you Pete, but Agent Claire certainly seems to not want to participate in this mission. Maybe we should just leave her behind." I said as I narrowed my eyes at the woman.
Fear narrowed his eyes at me in warning while Agent Cian took a step towards me. "You watch your tongue boy because that's my niece you're talking about." He practically growled. "This may be a difficult time for you, but remember that it's a difficult time for all of us. We all lost someone, but you're the only one who has a chance to possibly save a loved one. You should be grateful that we're risking our lives to save your girlfriend." His nostrils flared. "Take this as a warning kid: if you're disrespectful to my niece again, I'll shove my foot so high up your arse that your nose will bleed out shit." He literally spat the words at me.
I just glared at Agent Cian's angry face.
After a few minutes, I looked away, and crossed my arms.
The Irish man's initial anger faded away, and he too looked away, and grunted at Pete's direction. "So what do we do now?" He asked.
Everyone turned their attention to the Head Warrior as he placed a hand under his chin in a thinking position.
He remained in that stance for several minutes before a light bulb went off in his head, and his eyes widened in slight thrill. "We go in through the river. Deep underneath the building's foundation is an underwater entrance that was used for submarines. Due to the bombing of one of the subs six years ago, the entrance has been decommissioned for safety reasons. Today, though, it might work to our favor."
"Excellent idea!" Agent Arrow replied enthusiastically. "The remaining two teams enter Seeker HQ using that entrance, and then they split up once they reach solid ground."
"Great plan, just one flaw: how do we get there?" I asked.
It was Agent Evan's turn to look excited. "We've got some scuba diving equipment in the back. The tanks have enough oxygen to last for five hours. Hopefully, that'll be more than enough for you to swim down and find the entrance. There's only enough f
or a small team though; the rest will have to go by foot. That could be left to the Distraction team."
Pete gave Agent Evans a look of approval before he looked at all of us. "Indeed." He replied. "Alright then; you've all got your assignments. I suggest you all rest as we will be commencing at night fall. Dismissed!"
Chapter 38: A Traitor among Us
All too soon, the day turned into dusk, and we were preparing for our risky operation.
It was fairly appropriate to call it a suicide mission as we were so few compared to the Phantoms that had so many disposable agents, and had the advantage.
Nevertheless, my fellow Seeker agents and I were prepared for such a burden.
I was inspecting my shotgun when Fear limped his way over to me.
I looked up, and slightly narrowed my eyes. "I can't believe that you're still coming even after that injury."
As usual, my friend didn't care much about the fact that he could have died, and instead shrugged carelessly. "You know that nothing will keep me back from this mission. We've come so far that I'll be damned if I allow a bullet wound to put me down."
Despite the unease of bringing an injured Assassin along, I knew that there was no chance of making Fear stay behind. He was too stubborn for his own good.
Instead, I opted to sigh and nodded at Fear.
As frustrating as it was, his stubbornness was a trait I had to respect.
Fear was already set to go as he replenished the amount of arrows in his pack, and replaced his scorched armor with a lighter version.
It would not have offered him as much protection from bullets and explosions as the other set, but it would allow to be lighter on his toes, something that was absolutely vital for an infiltration mission.
Said person gestured his head towards the door. "We should get going." He stated simply.
I nodded in agreement, and together we left the room for perhaps the last time.
We arrived at the command post where everyone else were already waiting.
There was just one person missing though.
I walked over to Pete who was busy typing on a miniature laptop, probably making some last minute arrangements.
"Where's Agent Cian?" I asked. "Isn't he supposed to be with you in the distraction team?"
"He's rounding up some old buddies of his. I'll need the extra bodies for the distraction team to work." With that, he straightened his posture, and walked over to Agent Arrow and engaged in a quiet conversation.
Agent Evans came up beside me.
The young agent was already in his specialized suit, and was looking through a simple brown pack, probably filled with the explosives he needed.
"You ready for this?" I asked.
The agent nodded eagerly. "Absolutely. I can't wait to show those Phantom bastards what us Seekers are made of!"
Despite the gravity of the situation, I couldn't help but smile at the agent's enthusiasm.
At least one of us felt invincible.
"You and me both, kid." I commented.
We were then interrupted by the strong voice of Pete. "Alright everyone, we're moving out."
Without any question, all of us gathered our tools which consisted of thermal lances, among other things, which would only be used if we failed to hack a terminal to open a shielded door.
As for our diving equipment, we deemed the oxygen tanks too heavy to carry with us during the swim.
Luckily, Agent Arrow still had some contacts in New York who delivered us re-breathers which were a much better option. They could last up to eight and a half hours theoretically, and they didn't release bubbles which could have potentially given away our location.
Alas, we made our way out of the temporary haven.
Outside was dark, with the exception of the dim light posts that were littered all over the streets.
To minimize our chance of detection, we stayed in the darkness as much as we could, and whenever we had to cross an exposed road, we always went in pairs and only went once the Phantom patrols walked by.
It took quite a bit of effort, but all of us managed to reach the river suffering only from an adrenalin rush.
It was the spot where Agent Evans would split up from the rest of us.
Pete walked over to him, and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You be careful, alright? Don't take any chances just to be a hero."
The young agent nodded his head. "I won't." He said. "I promise to not let you guys down."
Agent Arrows walked over to him as well, and inspected the suit one more time.
He then gave a nod of approval. "The suit's systems are operational. Just try not to get it ripped or anything; your body heat will leak out if that happens."
The young agent nodded once more. "Roger that." He simply said. "Sir, I do have an idea though."
"Oh?" Agent Arrow replied with a raised eyebrow.
Pete looked at the young agent in curiosity as well.
Agent Evans appeared momentarily flustered with the amount of attention he received from the high operative agents, but he quickly composed himself. "Well, with the suit that Agent Arrow gave me, I figured that I could manage to sneak some explosives on the anti-missile guns as well. Might work to our advantage."
Both lead agents contemplated on the suggestion for several minutes. I as well reflected on Agent Evan's idea.
It was extremely risky, but if he could manage to pull it off, then we might be able to call in air support.
Finally, Pete nodded his head. "Alright, you may proceed with your plan, but we strongly advise you to exercise extreme caution. One slip up, and you're as good as dead."
Agent Evans nodded feverishly. "Of course sir, I'll be carefully." He then looked down, and chuckled a bit. "You know, ever since I joined the Seekers, I always dreamed of doing something for the good of the organization, and in turn the world. This seems to be the best opportunity."
Pete smiled gently, and held out his hand. "It's been an honor working with you."
Agent Evans seemed taken aback for he stared at the hand and Pete's face before he snapped back to reality and shook hands.
They released the grip after a good shake, and Agent Evans hung his pack over his shoulder. "I should get going." He said.
Pete nodded and with that, the young agent left for his destiny.
The Head Warrior then turned around to face us. "Alright everyone, get out your equipment and get ready. You'll have five minutes to do so. Good luck, and we'll see you on the surface when you're done" With that, Pete left towards another street.
My partners and I did as we were told, and stripped off any unnecessary articles of clothing.
I took off my thick cloak, and placed it neatly into my sack.
I then placed the set of goggles on my forehead, and adjusted the re-breather over my face.
Once I deemed it usable, I glanced up and was met with the sight of Fear who was looking at the diving equipment in his hands, and then at his attire.
I grinned. "Guess you'll have to abandon the armor pretty boy." I teased.
Fear rolled his eyes at my immaturity, but nonetheless removed his armor. He stripped down until he was in his under-suit.
I glanced at Agent Claire and saw that she was staring at Fear with a slight blush on her face.
I looked back at my friend and smirked.
As an Assassin, Fear underwent intense training that put a lot of strain on his body; his well-toned body if the way the Irish woman stared at him was any indication.
I shook my head, but a smile was still plastered on my face.
We were all ready before the given time, and we gingerly stepped closer to the water banks.
One of my eyes twitched involuntarily as I dreaded what would happen next.
Agent Arrow was already halfway in the water when he looked back at us. "Don't just stand there; the mission isn't going to complete itself." The Medic said.
That snapped me back to attention, and apparently Fear and Agent Claire
as well, for we carefully stepped into the water as it reached higher up our bodies.
I placed the goggles over my eyes, and with one last look at the Seeker Headquarters building, I stuck my head down and swam towards the deeper end.
The water was… extremely dirty. I was hardly able to see around me, but Agent Arrow attached light rods on their backs to prevent us from wondering off.
We swam for a few meters before the environment abruptly became darker than it was before.
I assumed that was the moment we entered the underground channel.
It was a good thing that Seeker training made us physically fit otherwise I would have gotten tired long ago.
I had no idea how long we swam for, but it certainly seemed like an eternity.
Eventually, we hit an area where there were various pieces of metal floating aimlessly through the dirty abyss.
They must have been the remains of the sub that was bombed all those years ago.
We then arrived at what seemed to be a damaged utility elevator.
We all took out our ropes and attached it to the weight that was down.
Agent Arrow then took out a device of sorts and sent an electrical current through the wiring. The elevator activated and rapidly lifted us up.
At last, we entered a shallow area and immediately disconnected ourselves from the cord.
When Agent Arrow began to swim upwards, I knew that we finally arrived at our destination.
Just as I thought, we all emerged in a cave like entrance.
It was dark and a bit creepy, but there were no Phantoms which spelt safety to me.
We all got out, and stretched our cramped muscles.
All too eagerly, I removed the goggles from my face and tossed it aside, along with my re-breather.
Fear sat down on a smooth rock with one hand pressed against his side.
Concern passed through me as I made my way over to my friend.
I sat beside him and looked at his side. "How's your wound?" I asked.
"It's fine." Fear replied all too fast, but then he exhaled sharply in pain. "Dammit." He said.
My eyebrows furrowed as I took in his reaction. "You're hurt Fear, you should have stayed back."
Fear then looked at me with an unfamiliar fire in his eyes. "The hell with that!" He said. "I made a promise to help you save Rachel, and I refuse to let a bullet wound stop me. I just need to rest."
