The Assasination Project

Part Two

Eva's POV

Currently, I was in my office of my father's company working out possible tactics to persuade our allies at this afternoon's board meeting. However, I couldn't concentrate at all. My mind kept playing back to the picture of the snail.

I wondered how such an angelic looking creature could be so dangerous. It was so unique, yet so life threatening. I also wondered why Trevor entrusted us to care for such a rare creature. Surely, a renowned explorer such as himself could have given the snail to any zoo, so then why choose ours?

The ringing of a phone startled me and I glared at the vibrating office phone that was stationed on my desk.

"Hello?", I tried calming my rapid beating heart.

"Ms.McLane", the voice of my secretary sounded from the phone.

"Yes Sharlotte", I responded.

"There is someone downstairs that asks to see you", Sharlotte stated. Who wanted to see me? It could not have been a board member or any of our allies. The meeting wasn't until late this afternoon when almost the entire staff left. Then who was this? Nonetheless, it couldn't hurt to see. It may help take my mind of the snail.

"Send them up", I told her and cut the call without waiting for her response. I knew she would ask pointless questions such as 'Are you sure?', 'But the meeting, weren't you planning for it?' and 'Are you absolutely sure? They look shady'. Sometimes I wondered what sort of employees we had here.

Not long after there was a knock on my office door.

"Come in", I responded but didn't take my eyes of my laptop screen. There was not one thing on the internet about the snail and it made me more anxious to agree to taking it. What if it caused harm to any of the workers at the zoo? I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt knowing I was part of the reason someone got hurt, or worse killed. I mean, that thing was poisonous.

"It seems you have your hands full Mrs.McLane", came a deep British accent from in front of me.

"I am not Mrs.McLane. That honor goes to my step mother Nancy", I explained but still didn't look up from my laptop. It must have been rude but I was so captivated on the snail I didn't care, not one bit.

"So you must be Mr.McLane's daughter", I finally looked up from my laptop to be greeted by stunning deep blue eyes staring back at my honey colored ones. The gaze was so captivating that, for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. But I quickly composed myself and stood up to properly greet the handsome gentleman in front me. His skin pale, bark hair styled to perfection and blue eyes captivating.

"Yes", I held out me hands for him to shake, which he did. His hands were so big compared to mines and I caught a glimpse of his muscles bulging out. This was so unprofessional of me. "I am Eva McLane".

"Duly noted. I am Quince Mavoric", he stated as we both released each others hands and sat down, him opposite me, and me on my previous seat. May I just comment on how his name sounded royal.

"And how may I be of assistance to you Mr.Mavoric?" I enquired of him as I leaned back in my seat.

"The snail", did I hear him right? Was I thinking so much about the creature that now I was hearing it coming from others too? Was I going delusional?

"I'm sorry, what?" I enquired once more just to be clear.

"Ms. McLane, you are the owner of Happy Valley Zoo, are you not?" he questioned. Which caused me to be even more confused than I had already become. What was he talking about?

"Yes. It was my mother's and I inherited it after she passed", I informed him and it stung when I said the last bit. However, it was true. It was also the reason why I made the zoo one of my top priorities.

"And you have been entrusted with a rare snail. Possibly the moist poisonous creature alive", I was not liking where he was going with this, "The Red Shrike Snail".

Hearing the name coming from him made it sound even more deadly than the little creature already was. How did he even know about it anyway? It was meant to be kept a secret until further notice. I don't believe Trevor would have told anyone but Davin about it.

"And how do you know of this snail Mr. Mavoric? What exactly do you want with it?", I fired at him. He seemed like a nice man, don't get me wrong. But his intentions, I wasn't so sure they were in the right place. As far as I knew Trevor, he kept his discoveries a secret. He wasn't the type to tell any walking soul about his findings unless they were his allies he planned to entrust them to. At the moment, Davin and I were Trevor's allies, not this man named Quince Mavoric.

He ran a hand through his dark hair. "Well Ms. McLane, I'll have you know that I am the owner of one of the world's most prestigious medicine branches. Two members of Trevor Alec's crew were poisoned by the snail on his expedition, am I right?" he asked me and got up. I instinctively got up as well and watched as he walked to the floor to ceiling window in my office. 

"As far as I know, yes", I responded as I walked up to him where he was standing and staring down at the city beneath through the glass window.

"We can create a cure for them before they die Eva", I didn't know why he suddenly began calling me by my first name, but it sent shivers running down my spine. I tried my best to brush it of, I really did. But the feeling wasn't going away.

"I'm sorry Mr. Mavoric", I said to him eventually, "As much as I want to see them alive and well, I cannot just give you the snail to run experiments on".

We hadn't even gotten the snail yet, it was still with Trevor. But I wasn't about to tell this stranger that. No matter how trust worthy he appeared to be. After all, appearances can be deceiving.

"Very well Ms. McLane", he responded and faced me, "It was a delight to meet you".

He seemed alright as he turned to leave my office, his features and facial expressions seemed unbothered. But his eyes, those stunning blue eyes, they gave away that he wasn't pleased in the least about my response.

Somehow I figured there was more to him wanting the snail than just to treat others. There was some ulterior motif behind it and I needed to find out before the snail got into the wrong hands.