Agent 002... With One Direction

Chapter 12: The Masquerade Gala

Harry's POV

"Harry! You got mail!" Mum shouts from downstairs.

"If it's fan mail, leave it on the table and I'll go in a bit!" I reply, putting on a shirt after the shower I just took. Gemma comes in few seconds after and she hands me an envelope. "It's not. One of your representatives dropped by to give you this."

"What is it?" I grab it from her and start unsealing it.

"Seems like an invitation of some sort." She shrugs, walking out.

"Thanks, Gem." I mumble lowly, unaware if she heard me or not.

The invitation is for one of those galas they held every year. This time in one of the famous mansions south of London. Apparently, this year's theme is a masquerade ball.

I grab my phone to message the boys about it, but they have already beat me to it with 247 unread messages in the group chat.

I'm guessing they're going as well.

#####

Catie's POV

"A masquerade ball?"

"That's what it said on the information Agent McAdams sent to us a few days back. An invitation to the annual winter gala held southern of London. It seems like the Canberria has a meeting planned in one of the rooms of the mansion that same night." Sir Flannigan explains.

He mentioned earlier that they received a report from an Italian agent who was part of a mission to investigate how the clan works, in able to bring to an end the wave of crimes over the past decade in southern Italy. During the process, his partner and him got discovered by a loyalist, and they had to fleet. He apparently was able to escape, but his partner was killed.

They are that dangerous.

"Why would they make a meeting in the middle of a gala packed of celebrities?" Cassie asks, kind of breaking the ice.

"To have the officers do exactly what you're doing." Max explains. 

"The whole idea is to confuse anyone who is after them. No one will even notice that there will be a mafia group having an important meeting on one of the hundreds of rooms in the mansion." I give her a more detailed explanation, thinking thoroughly on what could the meeting be about. 

"Exactly what Agent Martinez has said." Officer Kyla Lyke, Cassie's mission partner and friend agrees with me. "They don't tend to do this often, but there is a possibility that something or a certain someone at the CIA headquarters have triggered the attempts of this past Thursday." 

Max and I turn quickly turn out heads to the officer, hoping that we heard wrong. Max chooses to speaks up before I lose my shit. "Care to explain, Ms. Lyke?" 

She looks at Sir Flannigan, who fixes himself before continuing. "We believe that the attacks at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence were caused by this mafia group called Canberria, since Senior Agent McAdams managed to obtain classified information about this clandestine group and connections to several cases that were not truly answered, including an incident that has occurred in March of 2009." 

Did I just hear right?

"Five years a--?"

I interrupt Crawley's question with a slam on the table. "What classified information."

Sir Flannigan clears his throat. "Ms. Martinez--"

"What classified information."

No one dares to say a single word; everyone's eyes are on me. 

"Ms. Martinez, if you could please sit down--"

"Sir, I do not think that would be possible at the moment when there is direct involvement." I keep my stare firmly. Max seems to have caught on with what is happening that he tries to tug my blazer in order to calm and sit me back down. "Catrina, please..."

It takes a small deathly glimpse for him to stay quiet and let me go. 

"Ms. Martinez."

"Sir Flannigan." I return my attention to whatever bullshit he has to tell me. 

"I understand your frustration at the moment, but I do not have the exact information you are wanting to hear. I am aware of this investigation and your participation with it, but all we know and what we can assume is that this group is connected to the incident of 2009 and the bombings at the CIA headquarters." The chief officer explains without his eyes averting from mine, a sign of straightforwardness and sincerity. "From what I was able to analyse from the message she sent me hours before the attempt, she was able to unfold some details but as she tried to opened the file, she encountered unexpected obstacles."

"Are you saying..." 

"The cause of the bombings were due to an auto-destructive hack?" Max jumps into that question, glad that I'm not the only one thinking the same thing. I thought I would sound crazy. 

"The scene autopsy is not concluded. All we know for now is that there are no death tolls, but for sure severely wounded. McAdams' whereabouts remain unknown. All she gave us were instructions on the upcoming operation you both would have to undergo, if you are willing to."

I grit my teeth but don't say anything. He has giving me all the answers he was able to collect, I can't insist him for anything else since he doesn't know.

"Agent McAdams and I are old colleagues. I acknowledge her skillful and stupendous work ethic and believe me, I am sure you two will hear from her soon enough..." He gives a smile of sympathy and reassurance. "For now, we will be helping you with the upcoming mission she wants you to fulfill. However, this will all depend on your decision."

At this point, I can't help but feel helpless and ashamed of the scene I have caused in front of the people who are only trying to help me. 

I feel Max's hand pat my shoulder, giving me the bit of enthusiasm I need to continue through. 

It takes me a moment before I can finally look up once again.

"What are we going to do?"