Lucas stood in his office, his back to the door, watching the city's view from the glass walls, his thoughts were conflicted as he stared deeply at nothing in particular. A lot seemed to be going on all at once, and the responsibility on him was immense.
A knock sounded on the door, and he heaved a sigh, "Come in."
The doorknob turned, and Zara stepped in slowly, her sharp eyes casting a glance in the office, before settling on the elderly man, whose back was to her.
She cleared her throat, announcing her presence, and he turned to face her.
"Nova," he acknowledged, as he walked behind his desk, and sat on a fluffy chair.
"You called for me, Sir,"
"Yes. Have a seat." He gestured to the seat opposite.
Zara hesitated for a bit, but he spoke again, "I am afraid this is a rather delicate matter, Nova. You will have to take a seat."
Zara let out a breath, as she Slowly sat on the plush leather seat. The director's eyes rested on her for a few minutes, before reaching out to a file on his desk.
He cleared his throat, saying, "I understand that it is your day off today. But there is an urgent matter at hand, which we need to tackle as soon as possible,"
Zara nodded slightly, silently urging him to continue.
"But, before we get into that," He sat up straight and regarded her with a keen look.
"I saw your file, I went through your progress for the short period you have worked with us, and,"
He paused, taking a deep breath, " I must say, you have been doing a really good job. There is something about you. Something I cannot seem to place my hands on. You have been working with the Central Intelligence Agency, for how long now?" He asked.
"Three months and a week, Sir," Zara replied.
Lucas nodded softly, his voice was low as he said, "Three months. A pretty short amount of time with the number of achievements you have made so far. I am quite impressed."
Although Zara maintained a composed demeanor, she was a little surprised at his words. At least, not so soon.
Of course, she knew she had done, and was still doing an incredible job at the Central Intelligence Agency. However, it was for a sole purpose. A purpose she intends to accomplish as soon as possible, before her cover gets blown.
For a moment after she had gotten the call, she had thought something had gone wrong, but her little fears were washed away now.
In a calm voice, she said, "Thank you for your kind words, Sir. They mean a lot to me."
He nodded, staring at her for some time and then he handed the file he was holding onto, to her.
"I am sure you must have heard of the recent murders, happening in the city now. Especially, one that befell us, just last night?"
Emily's brows shot up at that. She glanced up at the file in her hands and responded in a cool voice, "Yes we are all aware of the continuous killings in the city now"
She feigned a surprised voice, asking, "Although, I did not hear anything about last night. I must have missed it."
Lucas stood from his chair, his mouth curled up in a frown. With a heavy voice, he said, "Well, that is because it has not been made public, he glanced at his watch, "Not yet, anyway. The Mayor was shot last night at his Penthouse where he was celebrating his sixtieth anniversary."
A slight gasp escaped her lips as she stared at him in what anyone would call a genuine shock.
Lucas continued, "We believe the frequent killings were done by the same set of people. A week ago, it was the Central Executive Officer of Barnes Pharmaceuticals. Three days ago, it was the Bank Manager," He let in a deep breath.
"Anyways, we noticed a pattern in these killings and we are observing a thorough investigation on these attacks and drastic measures have been put in place. "
Emily nodded slowly, and then she asked, "What do I have to do, Sir?"
He raised a hand, gesturing at the file in her hands, "That, is a contract, awaiting your signature. You have been entrusted with the task of protecting the Mayor's son. Read the terms carefully and sign them."
She opened the file and her eyes scanned through the words. The task was a big one, with a lot of responsibilities attached to it. Although, deep within, Emily knew she had to accept it, regardless. A recognition by the Director himself does not come easily to any agent.
Of course, there are other professional agents in the building. But the task, as delicate as it was, was entrusted to her alone. That wasn't something that comes easily.
"Where do I sign?" She asked, picking up a pen on the desk.
"Check the last page," Lucas said, nodding approvingly.
She signed them, and she stood, offering the file to him. "I am grateful for the opportunity, Sir. I will do my best to make the team proud." Zara said.
Lucas simply nodded, "Good. Very good. Now, you are going to need a little briefing. But first, we need to leave. "
**********
Meanwhile, back at the Mayor's penthouse which was nestled at the heart of the city, Alexander Bennet stood on a desk in his father's study, of which numerous files littered through.
The office room was messy, with papers and books thrown all over the place. His hands were on his head and his shoulders were slumped.
For the life of him, he still could not understand why his father got to die unjustly. Why anyone would want to kill him? He could barely catch up with the killer last night, but he just was not quick enough.
He grabbed a fistful of papers from the desk and flung them over the room. His eyes glanced around the room, on the desk and he let out a shaky breath.
He had sat here since he came back from the hospital, hours ago. Just after his father was pronounced dead.