CHAPTER 2 - The Mission That Started It All
The time for the mission exchange was 10 PM, but when you're a professional, you have to take the extra step to mitigate the errors that a mission could bring along, especially with a mission of this scale.
His gear was arranged on the desk, filled with tools ranging from a pocket knife to two cell phones, a lighter, and some protective clothes and items. His dark curly hair waved slightly as Kael quickly suited up, taking into great detail the location of each of his tools, like smoke bombs, his baton, amongst others.
His face was hidden behind his jumper's black hood and a face cover to cover his identity. It was already dark outside, so no one would really notice him wearing a face cover. After making sure everything was set, he came out of his apartment, winding down the flight of steps.
Location - Abandoned Warehouse
Time - A Few Hours After
The colours of the warehouse had already faded to time's erosion. Graffiti, amongst other paintings, littered the walls of the building. Looking ahead, Kael noticed the broken windows, overgrown moss, and plants, which signified that this building had long since been abandoned.
The huge iron door that led to the building's inner was slightly opened, a gap big enough to fit a person at a time. The person who gave this mission definitely wasn't a greenhorn. Walking into the darkness within, Kael heightened all his senses, his body fully tensed up for any attack from any position.
"Are you the courier that goes by the codename Ender?" a voice deep and militaristic sounded within the dark embrace. Spending so much time being a courier, Kael had conditioned himself to let as few emotions surface, especially on missions.
With his heightened hearing, Kael turned his body in the direction of the voice. "Is this how you greet your employees, Mr?" He reaffirmed his stand, with no intention of backing up.
"Indeed," the same voice sounded, and immediately, the entire building illuminated, the flare having a bit of effect on Kael's eyes. "I apologize, but due to the importance if this mission, we couldn't afford to be careless."
His eyes took some seconds to readjust to the light, and when they did, Kael quickly made a brief but detailed observation of the room. Five men, fully geared and with weapons, and their leader standing a bit closer to him.
"Yeah, I can see that," Kael stated, as he made a more obvious glance through the room. 'They're truly professionals, which means they don't need a courier unless there's some shady ploy at hand. First picking this building with no camera within a two-mile radius, the door opened enogh for one person at a time, and while they waited in the darkness. This get-up was enough to deal with inconveniences. Better to keep alert during this mission,'
The leader waved his hands, and two men came out of their stations, with one of them holding a fully sealed and protected black box. "This is the mission item, Ender."
"Mission target acquired and secured." Kael spoke, addressed to both the person at the other end of his cellphone and to the man who handed him the package. The man in front of him, a face knitted by the hardships he had survived, offered a small nod back.
He turned back and, with the rest of his team, entered the black SUV parked in the corner. The engine started with a hum as the mechanical parts of the car that made this beast of a machine work came to life, accelerating the car out through the open back door.
"Good luck to you, Ender," the voice at the other end of his cellphone commented as he cut off the phone. In the lit building, stood Kael, his dark coat making him visibly stand out. He took the note placed on top of the box, which was placed in an envelope that stated it was Confidential.
[ If you are reading this note, then that means you have accepted the mission and are now in charge of delivering the box to its target location. Things to note for the mission :
- The content inside the box is very valuable and important, so ensure the item's safety, or the mission is void.
- This mission will be automatically completed when the courier hands the black box back to the on-field agent at the target location, and inspection results are accepted
- Mission Location - East Harbor, Container Storage, Container Identification Number KVL-91281324 ]
Taking in the entirety of the note, Kael removed his huge black coat and dumped it into a can in the building. He was left with his black hoodie, a beanie on his head, and a canvas trousers with too many pockets along their sides. As his hands closed on the handle of the box, a strange static buzz travelled through him, an unexplainable warmth enveloped him as silent whispers grazed through his ears, "My Anchor," a voice that sounded earthly yet timeless, mysterious.
'Sigh. I don't need this now,' Kael chucked it up to one of his episodes, he had hallucinated hearing someone talk to him.
Within some seconds, he had shed his dangerous and mysterious persona for a more down-to-earth and casual look. For missions as high-stakes as this, Kael believed that it was better to blend in with the crowd. From one of the trousers' many pockets, he took out the lighter and set his coat, some newspapers, wood, and plastic on fire. Even when an investigation goes on, the remains of burnt paper and plastic will help to identify the possible remains of his coat, which could be analysed.
Kael walked out through the back door, with a navy blue bag behind him, his every step calculated and guarded. It was a one-hour walk to the harbor if nothing else happens during this transportation.
In a hidden location, the black SUV, which should have left a while ago, could be seen hanging around in the corner. The leader had a phone in an ongoing call with the number saved as "Boss".
"He's taken the package, sir. Should we follow him now?" he asked, his voice serious and lethally dangerous. "Hmm…give it a few minutes, then begin the plan. Make sure it can't be traced back to us," the voice behind the other end of the phone ordered, his voice sharp.