Learning Romance

Chapter 5

"So how exactly did you guys pass the impossible course? I've looked into all R7 Agents and they're serious no joke, but you guys? I mean, sorry to say but you don't look so scary to me?" Stacy had been talking since they got into the car on their way to Rhina, Chelsea didn't mind at first but this last comment almost broke her silence shield.

"More so talented" Albert added laughing.

The three turned to look at him not understanding the joke, his fun time was instantly suppressed by the piercing gaze he was receiving.

"Umm James, the road?" He asked trying to restore his lost pride.

"So what's the plan James? says here we're only 20mins away," Chelsea asked.

"I believe Karen and Kelly will both be at the meeting and will be expecting us, she has my badge and probably thinks this will be easy so play the part. Stacy you'll stay here in the car, I respect your skills with complicated tech but please careful what you do, ask anything through comms and I'll be sure to answer, Chelsea and Albert, stay close to Karen, I'll take Kelly in and no one should report anything about this mission, to the military Kelly is an asset, Karen will not expect us to capture such talent so she'll believe she has been crossed since she has a problem with the military anyway. The strike team will stay close, I hope we don't have to call for them"

"Now look here boy, we're not outlaws, this is not Codesus, the military is our country's main defense force alright, I will not go against the law" Albert warned from behind, the thought of having to keep a mission out of record was against his principles as DVl chief. James team was out of his jurisdiction but he had yet to clear the team for the go so he followed to see thier field skills.

James stepped on the breaks and the car came to an instant stop on the bridge connecting Rhina with Atratia.

"If you come we do things my way, and my way is keeping Atratia's citizens safe." the car became silent and not even Albert made to get off.

"Good," James said and continued on his journey.

In a few mins they arrived at the Rhina, it was a very small town but every house had beautiful flowers decorating it, the roads were very busy and they had some trouble getting to the military camp where the meeting would be held.

"Split up" James whispered into the comms as they entered the hall where the meeting was to happen, they were a few minutes early so James had time to speak with the Council Chairman. The man seemed to be in his mid-thirties and was a very open person who didn't judge people, to James this was the reason why he'd be an easy target, if only he knew that the chairman was safe but himself was a whole new story or did he already know?

James was grateful though that the Chairman was humble and that would make directing him quite easy.

"Sir, James Lewis, DVl R8, we have reason to believe there is a threat to either your life or freedom"

"Oh my God, please tell me this has nothing to do with the formula"

"No Sir, to be honest, we're not quite sure why you're a target, I'd like to know Sir, is there a reason why you asked if it had anything to do with the formula?''

The Chairman stiffened at James question, it was as if he was struck with an invisible bolt of lightning. He pulled James to a corner of the hall and began his confessions.

"The formula was my idea, an advanced OLS operating system, it has access to all digital records and undetectable access to anyone's digital space, I realized Souter would do anything to get it so I made Codesus promise to take it away from Green Laboratories if there was ever a threat" the man took a deep breath and raised his head to look into James' eyes.

"Thanks very much, Sir for co-operating, truth is, no one ever explained the formula that way before"

"It alright son, I know I can trust you, I'm a friend of Daniel, and I know your relationship with Codesus, Please tell me you don't believe the lie that I'm a target, I don't even know how the thing works or what it looks like. I mean if they don't want the formula then I think they want whoever will be forced here by the sudden arrangement of this meeting"

James looked around him before answering the Chairman's question.

"No I do not, I think they want me here. I let my guard down and my badge was stolen, they doubt I deserve my rank because of that so I'm playing the part. I'd really appreciate it if you play along."

The man nodded his head in understanding and James walked him to the podium, he stood behind him facing the other high-ranking officials who sat in the seats before them. As the chairman began his speech James spotted Kelly and Karen walk in, his eyes immediately scanned the crowd for his team, he only turned back to face Kelly when he saw Chelsea's nod indicating she had seen them too.

"Subject has entered the building" James announced over comms, in a tone loud enough to be heard by his recipients but unnoticed by the crowd before him

"Guys we have a problem, we spotted about 53 armed men approaching the hall, they don't look friendly" Stacy announced after the Chairman's speech. James was still on the podium keeping an eye on Karen who was absorbed in some files in front of her.

As soon as James got the message from William, he realized he had lost visual of KS, and at this time Karen had found a chair in the front row.

"Anyone got eyes on KS"

"She's speaking with the chairman James, if what William says about those armed men is true, we need to end this meeting now, I think Karen is going to give them some sort of signal" Chelsea suggested after noting Kelly with the Chairman who looked very nervous, he was having a conversation with his assumed assassin after-all.

"William have a talk with those armed men see who they are, do not engage military, approach with caution" As soon as he said those words, he went down to KS (Kelly) and the Chairman to join in their conversation.

(Outside the Hall with strike team)

Williams approached the men with his gun raised, he had three from the Strike team follow him and they too were prepared for the inevitable exchange.

"Who's there? Advance to be recognized" William ordered as he got about twenty feet close to the men. There was a noticeable hesitation but the men eventually lowered their weapons and slowly walked closer to him.

"We fight for the same cause, let us finish what we came for and we'll let you keep your life," a masked man said from behind the two huge figures, the two made way and William could see a short black Atratian who seemed to be in his late forties, but he wasn't sure of the age range since the man's face was covered. He did see something though, and he made a mental note to bring that to the team should he survive, it was a pendant dancing on the leader's chest, it looked like the military symbol, a dove crossed with a short gun.

"I'm going to need you to drop your weapons and raise your hand slowly" William ordered again, unfazed by the man's words.

"Listen to me kid, you can't win this one, trust me, you are innocent and ignorant, and only for that will you be spared of you cooperate." William was sure the man was smiling under that mask, he stayed silent for a while until he noticed the other two raised their guns, everything seemed to be in slow motion as his three men dropped dead, he remained frozen on the spot even as the guns started turning towards him, by this time the leader had walked back into the car he came in and was leaving. Before William's murderers could pull the trigger, a knife flew past him into their foreheads and they slowly dropped to the ground. He was still frozen when someone took him by the hand and hid behind a car that very much resembled James.

"William put yourself together or we're going to die, man, come on, I can't hold them all" the faint words seemed so distant, he was sweating profusely and was about to collapse when a bullet flew past his face, it was so close he could hear it call for his life.

"What's going on?"

"You were close to earth bottom, that's what" Chelsea answered and returned to throwing knives.

"Eagle I'm out of darts, we got to move!!"

"In ten" William heard James voice and turned to find James firing from a pistol.

He threw knives at the attacking men, counting along, before opening the passenger door and crawling over to the wheels, William and Chelsea crept in after him and they drove off back toward Atratia.

"Where's Stacy?" William asked looking around him, the hall where the meeting was being held was burning, there were armed men everywhere and each one of them fired at James's car, how the car was holding those bullets out was confusing to William.

"This is no Audi A7" He whispered to himself.

"She left with strike team when they started pouring in, the Chairman is safe but there were a lot of casualties, we had to look for you before we left since we couldn't find you with the team. We lost both Karen and KS" Chelsea reported before returning to the machine gun at the top of the car firing furiously at the soldiers trying to stop the car.

William looked at her in amazement, as he observed her, he noticed she was blood-soaked and he turned to James, James seemed to have a knife cut in his abdomen and it didn't look good.

"What the hell happened?" He whispered again.

"Right, what the hell happened to you?" James asked taking a glance at him from the rear mirror.

"I don't know" He whispered in a low tone.