5:00 P.M (GMT8)
Today was the day, it hit her hard like a ton of bricks. It was the only thing on her mind as the hours ticked away. Peering up at the clock, its hands moving slower than her eyes could process. Amelia was to meet The Headless Madman by his directions tonight.
She was terrified inside, but she had to keep her appearances when she was in front of her agents. Amelia still had a job to do, other cases to help process and get solved. The two days off were spent to collect herself, coming back to pick up where she had left off.
Walking down the hallway, her heels click against the marble floor. Giving nods and quiet hellos to those who caught her eyes. It was the same routine, yet different timing. Amelia was on her way to the big event, her biggest conference of the day. She had switched rooms more than a dozen times, leading different investigations to speed up their success rate.
Even with her nerves, she continued to stay on the ball. Keep her eye on the prize.
Her hand grips onto the handle, pulling it back and opening the door. Walking in, she holds her leather back in one hand. Setting it down on the table in front of her, opening it up to pull out her laptop. Inside of the room sat more than fifty agents: chatting, conversating, some even caught she had arrived and sat patiently.
The main four sat in front of her. Zackary on his phone, texting with his fingers. Ellis pressed against the side of the wall, arms crossed, eyes on her. Kay and Beth sat next to Zackary, talking to each other with smiles on their faces.
"Agents, may I have your attention please."
Amelia straightens her posture, grabbing onto the projector remote from her desk. Shoulders pushed back, she clears her throat. In only a few minutes the room becomes silent.
"I apologize for my absence in this agency for the last two days. I have been dealing with the case we all know of. Which is dangerous." A little bow of her head, but there's a stone look on her face. "Dallas has informed me that you all have been doing a fair job in your roles as I am on my leave."
A hand raises, immediately catching her attention. There stood a man surrounded by mostly female agents. He stood at a striking height of six foot five inches. Bright blonde hair was messily done on the top of his head, bringing the color of his hazel eyes out profusely. The man was buff, however he wasn't extremely muscular. The man's skin was a golden brown, clearly he was of Latino descent. No piercings or tattoos, as well as clean shaven.
He sat down, legs crossed over one another. Sporting a basic get up for a man: white long sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and classy sleek black shoes. Showing off valuable and fancy watches on his wrists.
She points to him, "Yes?" At her questioning, he stands. The man crosses his arms over his chest, sighing in amusement. Amelia hadn't said anything amusing to her knowledge, eyebrows raising at his casual behavior.
"Sorry, are you the boss here? I didn't think a woman so small and young would actually be a leader of a team so large." His tone was careless, sarcastic. It earns a few chuckles from some amongst the crowd. Even from Amelia herself, walking around her table.
A comment she had heard many times before. Sexist men walked into this room thinking that her gender had anything to do with how she performed her job. Ideals like that had no place in her team, nor in society altogether.
Amelia walks towards the man, fingers snapping as she finally reaches him. He towered over her, but that didn't phase her. She knew exactly who he was now after getting a close look at his face. Carter Walter: he was an agent on Dallas' team. When she had left, Dallas decided to merge some of her team with his. Carter was one of the men picked from the pile, he should be grateful to be in the same room as her.
A shame that someone with such skills was a sexist pig, even with this being their first time meeting face to face.
"You must be Mr.Walter. Allow me to fill you in quickly." Amelia sighs, pulling her hair up quickly in front of him into a messy bun. On her lips pulls a sweet smile, the man mimicking the same expression back.
She steps forward, all eyes watching the two of them.
"Well, Mr.Walter you are undeniably handsome." Her tone is sweet, purring her compliments towards him. She wanted to butter him up, watch him think he had power over her. She leans forward, "As well as being charismatic, charming."
Carter chuckles, running his fingers through his hair in triumph. "Why thank you–"
Amelia had him right where she wanted him. Her facial expressions souring right in front of his eyes, her stare like daggers to his body. The tension was so stiff, you couldn't even cut a knife through it.
"But you lack the knowledge to know any woman of any size could easily be in my position.." His eyes go wide, surprised by her words. "I am younger than you and yet I am 4 positions higher."
He was a cocky one, but her harsh words wiped the smile right off of his lips. Clearing his throat as others in the room laughed at him. Amelia wasn't done making a fool of the man just yet, bold behavior as such was not tolerated within her agency. Although he was taller than her, she grabs a fistful of his shirt.
Yanking him down with brute force, Carter grunts at the sudden pull. Bent over in an uncomfortable position no doubt, squinted eyes as he stares eye level with Amelia. Her emerald eyes shooting a glare that would not budge from his face. He was clearly uncomfortable by her dominance, being a woman in his eyes made her febal.
"You may work for Dallas Linch but I will not tolerate fucking disrespect from anyone, no matter their poistion just due to my gender and stature. '' Amelia snarls, another pulls on his shirt to have him stumble.
"I–"
She stops him from speaking, "Now shut the hell up and listen to the meeting like every other agent." Amelia scoffs, letting go of the man's shirt. A harsh shove to push him back as he stands straight once more. "You aren't special to be in this room."
Arrogance was an awful thing to have, in many ways. It clouded judgment, made those feel more important than they actually were. Carter already had two red flags in both hands to Amelia, a sexist man with an arrogant like he was some superior to his peers. Like he believed he was the teacher, rather than the student amongst the class. She could add narcissistic to the list as well, with how cocky he became when she had complimented him falsely.
Now the man stood silent in front of her, Amelia pointed her finger towards him. "You act like you're the only one who has worked their asses off to fucking get here." Her hand pulls back, eyes narrowing up at him. "Now, keep your mouth closed."
Carter's lips purse together, but he says nothing in response. Only giving her a slow nod before stepping back to the table he sat at. The room was filled with light whispers as he sat down in his chair. The silence from his once confident lips had her pleased, turning on her heels back to the table her computer was placed on.
Quickly she plugs in her laptop, turning on the projector to their agenda for the evening. The agenda had to do with her of course, and what the next steps would be for the agency if she was killed. It had to be brought up, being a very serious possibility.
No matter how much she didn't want to think of defeat, Amelia had to be thorough.
Amelia clears her throat, "As I was stating, those on my task force please continue working on the case under Dallas Linch. Your focus should be on the case you are assigned." Her hands are folded behind her back. "I am under my own private mission, my own affairs. "
She sighs, slightly dropping her head. The multiple pairs of eyes staring at her were getting to her, but for all the wrong reasons. Not because of the case and what they needed to know, but because they all stared with scared faces. For her, for the unknown that she was to follow. The looks of strangers had her stomach tying in knots, it wasn't supposed to feel this way.
"If anything happens to me, Agent Ellis will take my position as your new boss."
There's a scuff of a chair moving, Amelia looking up to meet Ellis' gaze. The whispers and murmurs grow louder around the room as the two stare towards one another. Ellis' expression displayed distaste of her words, hand pressed on top of the wooden table.
Ellis shakes her head, scoffing as she crosses her arms over her chest. "If something happens to you? I don't want your position due to you disappearing and never coming back, Reston."
It was bound to turn out this way, Ellis was someone who wanted promotion through hard work. Not with her disappearance, or even untimely death. Any agent would be upset in her position, but Amelia didn't care about how she felt. There was no emotion for remorse or empathy in the slightest, she was supposed to do her job.
"Ellis it is not up for discussion, the paperwork is already filed in case of this scenario." Amelia holds her hand up in dismissal, which has Ellis lowering herself back into her seat.
What a way to go out for an operation, a conference that had mixed emotions all around the room. Deep and personal emotions for her, her safety, whatever the minds of those in the room could cook up. She was always harsh on her team, this time was no different. Yet, a part of her wished it was. With the possibility of her never returning, shouldn't she display the opposite demeanor?
A kind woman, filled with emotions and void of aggression and dominance. To be able to connect with the people who worked for her, under her. Sadly she knew that could never be, she didn't feel any of those softer emotions anymore. Trying to keep any form of relationship at bay, for the safety of others. It was the only way no one would be harmed because of her, to be alone but so close.
She sighs, hands clasping in front of her. Eyes scanning the room once more, Amelia shakes her head. "Please know you all are in safe hands, I will hopefully return in mere hours if an arrest goes smoothly."
Amelia wanted to give them a drop of hope. Maybe she wanted to believe her own words, but she didn't. Hollow words, as always.
"Thank you, you're all dismissed." The room erupts with chatter once more, Amelia collecting her stuff together to put into her bag. She didn't want to be caught in any sort of chit-chat, not when time was ticking away.