495 The Company

A black Volkswagen sedan parked in front of an abandoned research facility on the outskirts of Harbor City. Dressed in a light grey suit and long trench coat, Parker Green got off from the backseat of it and scanned the other cars that were parked nearby. He let out a small sigh and a fleeting misty cloud formed before him. It was almost December and the weather became colder by the day.

He headed towards a door to the side of the building and entered, leaving his guards outside. He walked towards the innermost part of the building. It was dark and the only light that illuminated his path was from an emergency light at the end of the hallway. He stopped in front of an elevator, pressed a button, and entered as soon as it opened. Pressing another button, he tapped a card onto a panel and an automated voice sounded from the speaker.

"Welcome back, Mr. Green. I hope you have a pleasant evening."

Then, the elevator car descended several meters down towards an underground level. The ride didn't take long and he stepped out after a few seconds of the ride. Walking along the long hallway with walls made of concrete, he passed by several doors on both sides and only stopped when he reached the last door to the right. He faced a small panel and pressed a button on it, and in the next second, a scanner cast green rays of light on his face.

"Your name, please," a robotic voice sounded from the scanner.

"Parker Green," he said.

"Voice recognized." Then, the metal door opened. "Welcome, Director Green."

As Parker entered a dimly lit room and walked towards a round table, all heads turned in his direction—a group of men and women dressed in business formal attire. They were talking before he came inside and when he arrived, they all cast him a look and waited until he took his seat before one of the women spoke, "You must already know why you are being summoned."

Looking unperturbed by the intimidating tone of the woman, Parker sat comfortably in his chair and crossed his legs. "Senator Jones, you sounded urgent in the phone call."

"Mr. Green," a man to his left called. "How is the situation regarding Mr. Curtis? I heard that he was sighted at Hillcrest Hospital."

"It has been two days and you still haven't contained the situation. We are all in jeopardy here. We cannot afford this rogue to be out there!" another man exclaimed.

Parker examined the faces of the people at the table who stared at him with grave concern and fear in their eyes. They called themselves 'The Company'—the organization behind Shadow that was composed of public figures. "I understand your frustration. But I have already sent out all my best agents to Esmea, so if you hadn't called me in tonight, I would have been on the floor and overseeing the procedure. We have been operating for decades. Have I ever disappointed you?" he asked.

Leaning forward, Parker raised his chin and addressed the people sitting at the table. "Instead of worrying about this tiny matter, why don't you focus on your tasks? The shipment will be arriving this weekend… I need all of you to do your part. As for my agents, you need not worry yourselves about it. Let me do my job, and you do yours. Is there anything else?"

When he saw that the members did not rebut, he got up from his chair and walked out.

However, before he could reach the door, Senator Jones said, "You have forty-eight hours, Green."

Parker paused and his jaw clenched when he heard her deadline. The metal door clicked softly as he left the room, leaving the members of The Company behind.

…

Harbor City, Esmea

A round of applause filled the concert hall at the last note played and the conductor struck his beautiful ending. Damien and Katherine got up from their seats and clapped like the rest of the audience.

She leaned towards him and whispered to his ear, "You know, I love you… and this is indeed a nice experience and the music was phenomenal. But please don't make me sit like that for a long time again. I prefer my upbeat music."

He laughed, placed an arm around her waist, and kissed her cheek before whispering back, "You and me both. Let's go home soon."

Just as they left the concert hall, Styles spoke through their comms. "Gus just called. He's on his way to his apartment. I've already done my clean up. Mission accomplished."

"Great job," said Damien. "We'll see you back at home."

"Copy that. OUT." Then, their comms went silent.

Walking out of the building, the cold air hit their skin and she rubbed her hands together. Damien wordlessly placed his trench coat over her shoulders and held her hand as they headed to his car.

Several photographers took pictures of them and other celebrities who attended the concert. Katherine kept a beautiful smile on her face—when one sees it, they would think she enjoyed a lovely evening with the Resort King, but only the two of them knew that her smile was because of their successful operation that night and had actually nothing to do with the concert.

Once they got inside the car, Damien sped off towards Golden Phoenix Residences.

Letting out a long sigh, Katherine stretched her limbs and smiled at him. "I feel like drinking tonight. And I'm starving too..."

He cocked a brow as he glanced at her. The thought of Katherine and liquor caused his brain to stir and he had to think for a bit before he could answer. And then he nodded. "Okay… I guess we can celebrate a little when we get home."

"Really?" She clapped her hands together. Their operation tonight—although it was only a small step towards their goal—was already a big achievement. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt like everything was going to be good after tonight. 

Damien nodded. He reached for her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. "I think we all deserve a little break."