Alexander's father was an honest man. That, he was sure of. However, his position as the Mayor of the city might have probably brought him some enemies.
He was so sure this was a planned attack, due to the continuous anonymous death threats he kept receiving, even before his death.
It all started roughly three weeks ago. Alexander had just returned from his studies abroad, hoping to start up his business, when he began receiving the text messages.
The last text was gotten just last night when they were celebrating his anniversary. He had wanted to finally inform him about the threats, but,
He sighed, again. His best friend, Jonathan was not spared as well. Leaving him to wonder if there might be something he must have missed.
It could not possibly be a coincidence. But the more he thought about it, the more his grief increased.
Just then, there was a slight knock on the door and the knob turned.
A pretty young lady in tight clothing and long heels, stepped into the room. Upon seeing Alexander, she quickly rushed to him, her voice high and chirpy, "Oh, Alexander. I came here as fast as I could."
She held his shoulders, trying to get a look at his face, but Alexander simply gave her a blank look.
He stood from the desk, but she cupped his face with both hands, "It is me, Desire. I came here as fast as I could. I am so sorry."
She snaked her arm around his shoulder, engulfing him in an embrace. "Your father was one of the simplest men I have ever come across. He does not deserve this. He,"
Her words caught in her throat as Alexander quickly pulled away from her, the single action making her almost trip on her heels.
"Get the hell away from me!" He lashed out.
Desire was stunned as she stared at him in shock. "Alex, it, it is me, Desire. Your, your fiancée."
But Alexander seemed to be out of it, he took a few steps, walking past her in a daze.
He stepped out of the study, but Desire went after him. Catching up to him, she quickly held his arm from behind, causing him to halt.
She then circled her arms around his waist and rested her cheeks on his back, "I know what you must be going through right now, baby. But please, do not forget that I am always here for you. And I will always be."
We would get past the grief, okay?" She turned to look at him, staring into his eyes. His piercing blue eyes, now filled with hurt and worry stared back at her. He shook his head, about to say a word when a guard stepped in.
"You have a visitor, Sir."
Desire quickly spoke, "He can not see anyone in the meantime. Tell them to go away."
"They are from the Central Intelligence Agency, ma'am." He responded.
Alexander's eyes brightened at the words, and he quickly detached himself from Desire and stepped out to the living room.
At the same time, Lucas Webster stood in the penthouse elevator with Zara by his side, as they slowly made their way up.
The elevator halted, just as Alexander stepped into the living room. As soon as the doors opened revealing the C I A Director, Alexander quickly went up to him, offering a handshake.
His voice was low and husky as he spoke, "Welcome, Mister Webster. I have been waiting for you."
Lucas Webster returned the handshake with equal fervor. His voice, was clear and crisp as he replied, "Thank you, Mister Bennet. It is a pleasure to be here. Once again, I am deeply sorry for your loss."
Alexander's lips thinned as he nodded curtly, gesturing to the cushion so they could have a seat.
"Oh, Yea. Mister Bennet. Permit me to introduce you to our special Agent," he motioned toward Zara, who stood behind him, carefully observing her environment as well as her host.
She moved forward, just as Lucas completed, "A special Agent of the C I A. Nova. We have entrusted her as your personal bodyguard for your security purposes."
Alexander's eyes settled on Zara, and he said in a deep voice, his expression unreadable, "I do not need a bodyguard, Mister Webster. What I need is to find the mastermind of the killings."
Lucas stepped forward, "I am afraid this is not optional, Mister Bennett. You are a high-priority target and the C I A has deemed it necessary to protect you."
"Very well. But I do not need a bodyguard. I just need to find my father and my Jonathan's killer. And that is why I have you. What are the developments?"
They walked over to a cushion and sat down. Lucas continued, "I think it is safe to say, we are working on it, and in no time, we will have them in our palms. I also believe we have a very strong lead. "
Zara's ears perked up at that. But she maintained her composure. She stared at the man sitting in front of her and she did not miss the way his eyes darted to hers every second.
She was not disturbed. She was careful and knew no one saw her that night.
*********
Meanwhile, on the first floor in a dimly lit furnished lair, hidden beneath the city's street. The renowned assassin leader, Shadow, sat on a recliner, while a man in his early thirties stood before him, trembling, as he relayed information to him.
His voice was low and menacing as he regarded him with a cold expression. "Remind me, again. How long have you been under my lair?"
The man stared up at him with frightful eyes, stuttering, "Five, five years Boss."
Shadow nodded his head slowly, rubbing his hands on his long beard.
"Five, years." He annunciated slowly, "Five years, and you still do not understand the gravity of your actions. The repercussions when you fail to deliver as instructed."
His tone was low as he spoke, but was enough to imbibe fear into anyone who heard his voice. Shadow had been the initiative and leader of the Assassin's Crib for as long as anyone could remember.
He was given the name, Shadow because he leaves little to no clue of his identity whenever he acts. You might only see his shadow but would never know his identity.
He was the reason the C I A were on tight grounds these days, trying day after day, months after months to uncover the mysterious killings befalling the city.
What the C I A didn't know was the fact that a member of the Assassin itself, was under their nose for quite a while, their sole mission, was to obstruct any and every evidence they might have laid their hands on.
However, their main purpose, ordered by a top politician, was to retrieve a file that was over a decade old. The file in question was deemed highly sensitive, containing dangerous information, and could be catastrophic if the contents were ever to be revealed.