"She's part of us now so why are you still covering your face?" Micheal comically asked the man driving the car. "None of your business s**thead." The man replied grumpily.
Micheal burst into laughter and the man's remark, He has a carefree and bubbly personality.
"Simon," Mr Steve's voice suddenly came on from an invisible speaker in the van, "Yes boss." the man driving replied.
So he was Simon! I have seen him before but why was he still covering his face? "Is she with you already?" Mr Steve asked again from the speaker. "Yes she is!" Micheal boomed from behind us before Simon could say anything.
Simon sighed in frustration and shook his head, He clearly looks done with Michael's never-ending bubbly attitude. "Kira?" I heard my name from the speaker and I threw a glance at Simon who has his eyes fixed on the road before answering.
"Y-yes Mr Steve?" I answered shakily, Folding my palms together. "Don't be nervous, you are in safe hands. Both Micheal and Simon are very nice and cooperative people okay?" He told me and I nodded.
"But where are we going and what are we to do?" I asked Mr Steve my unanswered question. "Your first test Kira," He said.
"We have to Know your strengths and weaknesses, So you will have to take a test for us to know that. Both Simon and Micheal will put you through all the necessary information." He concluded.
"I still don't think she will be able to do this," Simon said in a disapproving tone, "She's way too young for this." He breathed.
"And way too smart Simon, Trust me she wouldn't be with you guys if she weren't." Mr Steve defended me. "Biggie will be on the com for now I have something to take care of." He said and went off the com.
Simon sighed again. He underestimates me but he is somehow right, Even I am not sure what I am capable of or if I am going to pass the test. But Mr Steve seems to trust me so I should trust myself too.
"You guys enjoying the ride?" Biggie's voice boomed from the invisible speaker, He laughed heartily when Simon told him to drop the sarcasm. The temperature was deathly low.
We were on a highway now but I can't seem to figure where we were going. At the same time I hope my parents sleep very soundly this night.
"Yo Kiki, This is biggie talking you've met me before....the big guy," He introduced himself, "Yes I have...Hi biggie." I responded loudly so he can hear me.
"He can hear you clearly," Both Simon and Micheal said simultaneously. Biggie chuckled from the other side of the com.
"The grumpy guy beside you is our main driver, The best in New York City and competition for every other best out there. We are all drivers but we nothing compared to him, So feel safe because no matter how fast he is moving to you.... That ain't fast to him yet." He said and bursted out laughing at the last sentence.
Was that supposed to make me feel safe? He is really having a good time with his sarcastic remarks.
I glanced at Simon but he didn't show any emotions, He must have been used to them a lot that he learned to ignore them. Though I find them funny and filled with vibes.
"That guy behind you, His name is Michael and he's the youngest amongst us before you came, He is twenty two while you are?" Biggie asked and I quickly told him my age. "Fifteen," I said.
"Wow, So Young." Biggie commented, Awe evident in his voice.
"Micheal is our Ace floor planner, Guy's just too good with his job. All he needs to do is to go round the whole building then whoosh he has gotten all secret and non secret entries to that building." Biggie continued with his exaggerated introductions.
"What do you expect from a cartographer uh?" Simon asked now irritated with Biggie's exaggerations, "What's a cartographer?" I asked curiously.
"A person who's in charge of building plans and mappings and that person is me, The Ace cartographer." Micheal said, I could see he was beaming proudly from the rear view mirror.
"What of you biggie? What do you do?" I asked him, "Oh! Hehe, I am the talker of the group, Master trickster and tech assistant," He said proudly. "You can call be tricky biggie." He seems so full of himself.
"What about Shirley, What does she do?" I asked him eager to know what she does in the group that makes her think she's some goddess.
"Oohhh hahaha," Biggie's laughter boomed across the speaker. "Another exaggerated description loading." Simon breathed, eyes still focused on the road.
"That one is a tech guru Kiki, She ain't tolerating no shit. I ain't see anyone type so fast as her, All algorithms loaded in that small head of hers. The best hacker in the wor-".
"All right that's enough for now," Simon said and turned off the speaker from one of the buttons beside the steering wheel.
"Michael tell her where we are going and what we plan to do," Simon said and steered the van under a bridge directly from the highway.
"Are you ready Kira?" Michael asked me to be sure if I truly was.
"Yes." I nodded.
"A pharmaceutical industry has been involved in some illegal activities lately," He started but I didn't let him continue what he was saying before I threw a question at him.
"What illegal activities?" I asked, "There are different types of illegal activities which you would catch up on later but this particular industry has been involved in smuggling of illegally acquired golds, Hard drugs and weapons." He explained and my eyes widened at once.
Simon smirked and shook his head, I immediately knew what he was thinking at that moment.
"So what are we going to do? Steal them?" I questioned him but he just laughed showing his white teeth and shook his head.
"Nahh we don't steal from them all the time Kira, Sometimes we warn them, Sometimes we expose them which is what we are going to do now." He explained and I nodded in understanding.
"Can I go on?" He asked with twinkling eyes, I nodded in approval.
"We have some really intense crime organizations here in New York City, And most of them are deadly. The supposed heroes of the city aren't the heroes they seem to be in the eyes of the citizens, Most of them work hand in hand with some of the most dangerous and bloodthirsty criminals lurking around the dark and vile corners of this city."
Michael took a paused and stared directly at me through the rear view mirror to see if I was following up with his explanations.
When I nodded for him to continue he did so without hesitation.
"The mayor and most of the politicians are involved in these crimes and embezzlements. For their own personal benefits they double up the taxes and use the money to smuggle these drugs and weapons with the help of these criminals and sell them to make more money through them."
"Due to the high rate of drug consumptions in the city, They earn billions of dollars which are made into golds and other valuable items. So take back those items from them in the most quiet way possible." He continued his explanation calmly.
The whole information was too much but I made sure I processed every bit of it correctly, He also made sure I was following up as he would pause to ask if I was grabbing.
"Now it's seems they are running out of storage facilities to keep all their wealth and riches so they have been using this particular pharmaceutical company for a while now and it has begun to affect their drugs resulting in few deaths during the last two weeks." Micheal went on, But I was too dumbfounded at this new information I was being exposed to.
Really? Are they so heartless to do this to the people who look up to them? Are they that wicked? All these questions ran through my mind at once while I kept on listening to Michael's explanations.
"They have been lying to the media, Trying to protect and defend their company's name and denying that the cause of the deaths came from them, All because they are receiving shares from the profits of the illegal business." He continued, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking.
"But all that ends tonight, And it depends on you," Simon took off from where Micheal stopped. I didn't noticed the van had come to a halt because I was busy listening to Micheal.
"What?! Me?" I blurted out in surprise, "Yes, it's your first test Kira," Simon said indifferently.
We have arrived at the pharmaceutical company but are at moderate distance to the entrance.
"But what am I going to do?" I asked already getting afraid, "Relax, All you need to do is to get in there with these," Micheal said handing a cellphone and an earpiece over to me.
"Don't worry Kira we are here, and are watching you. All you just need to do is not get caught, You will be able to speak to us with that," He said pointing at the earpiece in my left hand.
"I will be guiding you in where to go and where to pass and at what time should you do so through the earpiece. Only speak in hushed tones, We will be able to hear you clearly." Mike said, he was looking calm as if this were a piece of cake.
Simon helped me put the earpiece on. They were both ignoring the fact that I was already shaking like a leaf in Winter season.
"All you just need to do is to get in to the main storages, Open the three boxes and take a picture of what is inside, just three clicks for each storage would do," Mike said smiling but I could see some worries in his eyes.
"I don't know if I can do this," I said tears pooling in my eyes, "Yes you don't know, not until you try." Simon said assuring me. They both encouraged me and told me to be very quiet in my movements and tone.
I was told the route I was going to take to get in, And soon I found myself feigning confidence and walking silently along the walkway towards the big secured gate of the pharmaceutical company with a phone in my pocket and earpiece in my ear.