"I mean, not really. It was nerve-wracking at first but as long as you don't call me that, it's fine. I won't answer to it anyways." I reached over to find a good radio station as we drove away from the city. We ended up at some empty land with a gate. A military guard stood in a booth a couple hundred feet away.
"ID?" his voice asked from the speaker. Jean got out the entrance ID pass and scanned it on the machine next to the car. He scanned mine next, and the guard opened the gate.
We kept driving until we finally arrived at a large facility. After parking and whatever yaknow the good details we headed inside. There were men and women in different suits rushing around everywhere. I wondered if it was this crazy every day.
Amelia stood in the front waiting for us. "Took you long enough," she nagged. I looked down at my watch.
"We're early. So, what are we doing?"
"Your offices are on different floors unfortunately. You two have different jobs. If you need a reminder, Jean, you are a special agent, and Anubis you are a criminal investigator for cyber threats. Schedules are pretty jam-packed, however I managed to get the same lunch for you two." she lowers her voice suddenly. "Keep in mind, you are always under surveillance. Here are your officer numbers. The work starts immediately. Do a good job, boys."
I scan the room as we walk into the building. It was busy, which made me thankful for being a special agent. Not all of my job is spent in this building, and I won't have to worry nearly as much at being a people-person. I wasn't too worried about my performance on the job itself, because I've done enough work similar to that. Additionally, I won't meet any past enemies by accident, seeing that I'm on the other side of the world. I shoot Amelia a quick grin and nod, turning to Anubis.
"See ya at lunch." I mutter, checking my ID for the floor of my office as I walk to the stairs.
I waved to Jean and left to the elevator. It occurred to me this would be the first time I would be alone, bar the time I spent sleeping. Just like the past four years, except on the other side of the law. A shiver went up my spine.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when I rammed into a burly man in a suit. "Sorry, sir," I apologize, but he only gives me a cold glare and runs off. I squincHed at him, wondering who he was. Anyone here could know about the documents.
Considering there were audio detecting cameras everywhere, I couldn't tell Jean anything until we were out of the building. I suppose I'll just do work until lunch. My office was a small, clean cubicle with a desk and a computer. A classic name tag sat on the desk with my name. I powered on the computer and went to work, downloading the usual programs and such. This'll be easy, I thought. I know where cyber threats are, and how they usually work.
My hands automatically typed in codes and whatnot into the keyboard. Five hours until lunch. I wonder what Jean is doing.
jean is in a corner crying
I open the door as the lock beeps, the green light allowing access to the floor. So my ID card works, that's reassuring. A man walks up to me, his demanding stature and controlling body language told me that he's probably in charge of the field team.
"You the new recruit?" He asks, me, his voice sort of deep but it could be from the tinge of tiredness. I nod at him, noticing the scruff and bags under his eyes. Is he even fit for field work?
"My name is Shane Bulman. I presume you're Daniel Phillips?" He offers his hand as I give him a smile and shake it.
"Just Dan, thanks."
"Alright, Dan, let's take you to training to see what you're capable of. We'll figure out what your weaknesses and strengths there and determine what you should and shouldn't do."
"Sounds like a plan." I force out with a hardened smile.
We begin walking through the floor as I scan the room. Desks cover the main room with people walking this way and that. We turned into a hallway with faint gunshot sounds coming from a few of the several doors ahead of us. We walk into a room similar to that of a gym as he turns to me, holding a file that he wasn't holding before. Where did he get that? He opens it and looks through.
"I know you've already taken the physical and you actually exceeded as the results say, but I'd like you to demonstrate for me."
My eyes flickered to the camera in the corner of the office.
It was small, but I noticed it quickly. Pulling out my computer now would be suspicious, as I had the government provided one in front of me. My phone wasn't capable of hacking into anything here, but it would be too difficult to sneak my laptop into the bathroom.
I had been discovering and tracing cyber threats for hours now. The big ones were sent to the main man, and the small ones were destroyed immediately. It was nearly impossible to find time to search for the documents without getting caught. These were most likely important papers, so memorizing the floor plan would be useless. They have to be in a room off the map. Locked with special technology that only people high up could open. Hidden well enough that Amelia would not be able to find it or open it. She must not have enough stealth skills. Think, Anubis.
First, I need to find out who the important officials are. Then, we have to steal and copy his ID. I went on a hunch that the door to the documents requires a specific ID.
I turned my head to the computer. I can't turn off their spying program, as that would signal that I was doing something suspicious, but I could hide one of my servers, and let the cyber threat tracker run on autopilot. Swiftly, I typed in what I needed.
Amelia had sent a list of names of government officials who worked in this building. The names accompanied a picture of them. I scanned through their jobs, when I saw the man who bumped into me this morning. He was one of the executives. Victor Brevil, he was bound to have access. Amelia had also written where their offices were and Victor's was on the top floor. Now, I have to wait until lunch to tell Jean.
I fired the gun, hitting the target directly.
"Nice"
Shane nods at me and looks down at his file.
"Are you nervous, Dan?"
I think about the answer. Why is he asking? Did he see me shaking? Do I have a nervous habit? I'm positive I don't.
"No, why?"
He nods and furrows his brow, looking down at the file. He didn't answer my question, and instead gestured for me to follow him. I wonder if I will get the chance to explore the building anytime soon. I am a field agent, so I suppose I won't get much of a chance, but if I gain the illusion of loyalty I suppose I'll be given more access. He leads me to another room with a large table. Four men and two women sat at the table, talking. Shane and I walk in and they all turn towards us.
"Hey everyone, this is Dan, he's the newest addition to your team."
I can't just sit here and wait, I concluded.
I wondered if they would let me leave. I could pretend I was in the bathroom. Five minutes is all I need to find the location of Victor's office, It was risky, but I sat up and left before my brain could stop me. The odds of someone catching me were pretty low. I had a thousand excuses.
I made my way casually to the elevator. My demeanor changed to confident and knowing, to make sure no one would think I was in the wrong place. My finger started to press the top floor button, only to realize my ID was not capable of going to that floor. I frowned, thinking of what to do now. Suddenly the elevator started moving up. I stepped back, watching which floor it goes to.
Finally the machine stopped at a floor that was irrelevant to me. A tall woman stepped in, a cold stare on her face. She scanned her ID card, which I noticed said ambassador. The woman pressed not the floor I didn't needed, but a floor below. I concluded there were probably emergency stairs I could use. Did she notice that I had no buttons selected?
The door opened, and I snuck through without a noticeable suspicion from the woman.
"This is Patricia, she's good with hand-to-hand combat, this is Nicholas and he's our eyes and ears, he's got incredible senses, that's Richie, Edward, and Henry, they're good with handguns, and Nichole here is a sniper."
I smile and shake their hands as they come to me with their smiles.
"It's nice to meet you guys."
Nichole raises an eyebrow at me.
"We were given your file before you came here. It says you're skilled in every form of combat."
My smile drops and I furrow my brows in confusion.
"That doesn't sound right, who was in charge of that?"
Nichole's suspicious demeanor suddenly relaxed and she chuckled.
"Nah, I'm just testing you." I force out a response of a chuckle as they offer me a seat.
"So, what's next?"
Richie adjusts himself in his seat and takes in a deep breath before explaining.
"After lunch we're going to break into the terrorist's secret hideout."
I blink, taken back.
"I'm just kidding, we're not throwing you into the field that quickly, you'll have time to adjust."
These people really don't take their job very seriously. Is that something I should be careful of? I force another laugh and look to see if anyone will actually answer my question for once.
I knock on the door this time. Jean isn't home, I know this. The family needs to know I'm here, so I don't use the keys like usual. His mom opens the door, her dusty blonde locks laying flat on her shoulders. There is a bright smile plastered on her face when she sees me. I smile back as she invites me into her house. Gun is behind my back. I developed a habit of hiding my hands, just so my body language wasn't out of the ordinary. I spot the rest of the family in the living room. Their faces laced with a fake sense of security. I can see the scars on Kristopher's knuckles. The bruises on Crystal's inner arm from injections. The bibles and crosses everywhere. I can see the beauty in their end. I'm getting you out, GG, I promise.
I take a deep breath and search for the stairs. When I find their location, I make a note to learn how to disarm emergency doors. I don't want to set anything off. Making my way back to the elevator, I spot Amelia's office. She notices me, and slightly nods her head. I go back to my office and continue searching through databases and logs for any suspicious activity. "I can do this," I mutter to myself.
"Are you nervous, Dan?"
The question hung in my head ever since he asked me that, and I prayed that it didn't show that there was something on my mind. I wondered how comparable these people were to me and how observant they might be, causing me to grow more stiff out of habit to avoid even breathing wrong.
"After lunch" One of them said, I've already forgotten their names. When was lunch? I couldn't look at the clock, or the door, that would raise suspicions. Plus, it was probably unprofessional for a newbie anyway. Instead, I force myself to wait patiently as they discuss pointless things and occasionally subjects pertaining to the job, which I would listen in for any hints that they might know something.
Just how dumb do I have to pretend to be to avoid suspicions?
My mind wandered again.
Limp bodies crumble to the ground, one by one. The gun drops to my side. I hear a voice on my right. It's Jean.
"Anubis?" he says, a red tint in his eyes, noticeable even in shitty lighting, and a blunt between his thumb and forefinger. He is high. He notices his family, but a blank expression remains on his face. I panic. I grab the lighter from my pocket and set fire to the curtains. The flames quickly eat up the room, with dark gray fumes wrapping around the dead family. I don't look at Jean. I don't know if he escapes. I don't know if he will remember if he lives.
I looked up from my computer, not noticing the single streak of tears on my cheek. The clock barely ticked forward. There's still so much time. Where do we even meet for lunch? I wondered if I'm allowed to text GG, but I doubted it.
Somebody knocked on my door. "Yes?" I called out, rubbing my eye. A thin man with glasses opened the door, looking rather timid.
"Mr. Anubis, sir? You have a meeting in 10 minutes."
I studied the man before replying, which made him nervous. His name tag read Garret, and I concluded he was my assistant. "Thank you. Say, got any coffee?"
God, I am so bored. I lean over to Nicholas who's sitting next to me, desperately trying to come up with a reason to get out of this room.
"Hey, I gotta take a leak, do you know where the restroom is?"
He nods and points to the door.
"Go out to the hall, it's a few floors down, and you'll see it near the lift."
I nod and stand up, excusing myself and leaving the room. God, it's as if I've been holding my breath and can finally inhale. Was it stuffy in there or was it just me? I sigh, walking to the stairs and opening the door to the floor with the bathroom. The atmosphere in this floor is much different, but the overall vibe appears to be constant. My eyes follow the main room as my legs continue to the area with the elevators, allowing me to scan the area with a quick gla-
BAM!
gay
I suppose I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking, because I somehow managed to run into the only other person within ten feet of me. After a few seconds of recovery, I look up at who I ran into, hoping it wasn't someone who could fire me on the spot.
"Oh shi-"Anubis looked at me with a shocked expression.
I waited five minutes before standing up and heading to the conference room. As I navigated the identical marble hallways, I turned a corner only to run into somebody again. I stumbled back, praying it wasn't the same man from the elevator. "Oh shi- oh. It's just you." I brushed off my suit. I had forgotten Jean was working this job with me. "What are you doing on this floor? And why are you so tense?" I furrowed my brow, noticing a twitching vein near Jean's temple. His entire body was stiff enough to be a royal guard.
"What are you doing on this floor? And why are you so tense?"
Realizing how stiff my body language grew from sitting in one room for the longest half hour of my life, I relaxed my muscles, rolling my shoulder and furrowing a brow at Anubis, who was studying my face too closely for comfort.
"Shut up, I'm not tense. I wanted out of Limbo, everyone there is too happy. I want to go on the field, but it doesn't look like we'll be doing much today."
It suddenly occurred to me that Anubis wasn't at his desk either. Could he have needed to get out of the monotony of his job as well? Is that an experience that a new recruit could feel, having this be the first day and already feeling the endless repetition of the job they've hardly started? Or is Anubis further ahead in work than I am?
"What are you doing over here?"
I stared at the bags under Jean's eyes. His stone-cold eyes paired with the permanently solemn frown. It looked exactly the same as it always did. Always.
His blank, unreadable features surrounded by golden destruction was the only vivid thing I could remember.
Why did I run away?
I blinked a couple times before processing his question. "I'm going to a meeting," I said slowly, gesturing towards my suitcase. "I'm actually doing my job, G-" I cleared my throat, "Geez."
I wanted to turn and look for cameras, but I knew that would cause suspicion to rise. There were definitely cameras somewhere. Instead, I faked a smile. "Let's go out for lunch together! The weather is nice today, maybe they'll let us eat outside." I winked.
I watch Anubis shift uncomfortably, his eyes hyper-focused on looking straight at me and not at any cameras, knowing the feeling of being watched is something he and I avoided so often.
"Let's go out for lunch together! The weather is nice today, maybe they'll let us eat outside."
I nod affirmatively to him and turn my head to look at his suitcase, then eye the bathroom.
"Well, good luck with your meeting. Try not to embarrass yourself."
I walked past Anubis and headed for the door of the bathroom, praying that it'd be empty. I suppose more men would walk in as soon as lunch starts, so I had time, though I couldn't take longer than seven minutes, else my team would grow suspicious.
My eyes flash and suddenly I feel a sense of panic. It confused me, and I began to grow incredibly dizzy. Confused, I push the door open and walk straight to the sink, turning on the water, placing my hand under the water and wiping my face.
What the hell was that?
I gripped the sink to ground myself and hoped that the dizziness would dissipate as I hold myself still.
I strolled away from Jean and opened the handle to the conference. Different heads sat in every chair, an empty one spared for me. I wasn't late, but I wasn't necessarily early either.
I sat down. All eyes were glued to me, but no words were said. "I'm Anubis," I spoke hesitantly.
Suddenly a woman straightened out papers on the table. "All right, let's get started. Anubis, you have all the information about the cyber threats. Let us know what's going on, and you can leave the rest to us. After all, you're too new to help with this section of work, sos just listen for now."
"Okay, ma'am." I pulled out my documents and started describing every issue in detail. Eventually, I allowed my mouth to go on autopilot, and I assembled the needed information to report to Jean. Find a way through the emergency stairs, get to Victor's office, replicate his ID, find the next room. "…and, that's all I discovered this morning." Immediately after I finished, everyone began tackling the threats and figuring out certain routes to take.
Maybe Jean will get an early lunch too?
When was the last time I was high?
Good God, Jean, don't think about that. That's not the reason, so don't tell yourself it is. You're nervous, you just flew in a plane for hours, it's probably jet lag.
Does jet lag cause vomiting?
I straighten up from facing the toilet and wipe my mouth, flushing the toilet and walking over to the sink. Someone else walks in as I'm washing my hands, and I don't get the chance to rinse my mouth, causing the taste in my mouth to linger as I exit the bathroom and avoid eye contact with whoever just walked in. As I reach the elevators I try to catch a glimpse of Anubis in the meeting. Is he doing well? Or is he crashing and burning? It's hard to tell from where I'm at, and if I linger, I'll grow suspicious, so I go to the elevators and return to my floor, hoping lunch is closer now.
The meeting took longer than I expected, but the woman also never dismissed me. The overall energy of the room escalated when some of the people got excited for the lunch break. As I stood up, the woman whose name I never got stopped me.
"I don't know who you are, but your success rate is off the charts. I'm very proud of your work, but I am wondering. Your lack of a last name concerns me."
The anxiety drained from my chest. I reached up to scratch my neck and shot her a sheepish smile. "Ah, I never really liked my last name because of my father. I couldn't think of a good name, so I decided to go without a last name. Bit difficult signing up for things though." She nodded her head and waved me away, but there was a suspicious look on her face. I left immediately.
After dropping off my stuff at my office, I headed to the elevator, hoping Jean would be somewhere on the main floor looking for me. The machine stopped a floor above the main floor, and speak of the devil, Jean stepped inside.
"Hello fellow employee," I teased.
I roll my eyes and nudge Anubis with my shoulder, instinctively checking the floor panel to see that, of course, the main floor was already pushed. There's a few moments of silence as the doors slowly close, the machinery almost drowning out the silence, but the lack of conversation was too noticeable. After the doors closed, I turn my head to look at Anubis.
"How was the meeting?" I asked, though my question ended closer to a statement rather than an inquiry. I know Anubis probably doesn't remember half of it, despite leading the meeting, but I didn't know how much privacy we had, and where the privacy could be found, so I thought I'd do what I could to seem normal, even if I wasn't being watched.
"I think we should skype Prince," I blurted out. It suddenly occurred to me Jean had said something and I was positive his sentence had nothing to do with what I just said. I returned his stare with a genuine smile.
"What?" Jean said, a bit taken aback by my sudden mention of his cat. I loosened my tie a bit.
gay things begin to happ-
"You heard me."
The elevator door opened and I swiftly walked outside the building, going through security and such as Jean tried to keep up and process what I just suggested. As soon as I found a spot far away from the facility, I sat down with my small bag consisting of the sandwich from redhead. It occurred to me that there were most likely cameras in the trees too, so I made a plan to infiltrate the camera system.
I turned to face Jean. "Do you have the place's number? Where Prince is?"
"Uhm, yeah, I suppose I do," I muttered, sitting next to Anubis and eyeing him suspiciously. I suppose it couldn't hurt, right? It's not like there's anything incredulous about someone checking up on their pet.
"Wait-" I murmur, pausing before pulling out the phone number in my pocket. "That's a long distance call." I choose my words carefully, hoping to communicate my actual concern to Anubis, and staring him down as if I could somehow telepathically tell him that the facility might stalk my phone and see that I've called an American number. Even if it was just to a mere kennel, calling to America might turn their eyes on us, and I couldn't let it happen so soon, but now that Anubis planted the idea in my head, I kind of did want to see Prince.
I waved off Jean's concern. "Don't worry, I'll pay for it, okay?" I winked, getting across that I saw what he really meant. I knew how to hide phones from governments, but it was such a slow and difficult process that we didn't have time for, so I decided to go on a hunch that Michelle made sure the phones were covered.
Jean stared at me a little longer, then reluctantly pulled out a card for a high class kennel. I whipped out my phone and typed in the number.
"The Russian Blue Cat, how may I help you?" A man recited.
"Hi, I'd like to hold a facetime call with my cat," I didn't bother trying to mimic Jean's ridiculously deep voice which I assumed he got from hell. I ignored his dirty look.
"Okay! Let me put you over to cat care services and they'll check your ID and find your cat!"
"Thank you!"
I handed the phone to Jean, wondering how we were going to tell the kennel our information without giving away who we are.
