Past, Present and Future - The Devereaux Case Files Book 6

Chapter 10

Almost the very minute Seth stepped out of the training gym, his mobile phone rang. He was so taken by surprise that he instantly moved to answer it, before realizing that it couldn't be his mobile because it was switched off. He had kept it off while he was in the office, and while watching the recruits do their training, so that no-one, including himself, was disturbed. But all the same, he knew that ring tone. Seth pulled his mobile out of his back jean pocket and frowned at the fact that, not only was it switch on and ringing, but he didn't recognize the number. No-one had his mobile number except the agency, so with a building curiosity, he pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ear.

"Seth, we need to talk. I believe you've discovered the existence of Area 12." A mysterious voice explained to him the moment his ear was to the receiver. Seth was so stunned that he just frowned and looked around him to see if anyone was watching. But the corridor was empty. To get some privacy, he ducked into the nearest room, which happened to be the empty conference room which he, Gideon and Sammy usually used for their trainer meetings. At least if anyone discovered him, he would have a reason to be there.

"Who is this? How do you know that?" He asked in a voice barely above a whisper. He hated people spying on him, but he was also intrigued as to how anyone could know that he had been snooping around about Area 12. Unless Gideon had opened his big mouth after their chat about it previously. But then he thought back to the blank computer screen after his Google search and the weird no result finding in his search through the agency database. He was intrigued.

"Who I am is simple. I am Mordecai and I am, what you could call, the boss of Area 12." Gino explained, glancing at his watch as he realized that he really could do with another cup of coffee. Dakota was still in the living room, trying to talk the kids round to their agreement to move to New York. It seemed that Callidora had been so impatient and eager to retire that when he had sent her the text with his agreement to take up her position, she'd had a messenger deliver the papers to him, handing over the job officially. Her signature and that of her husbands were already on the forms, in their code names, of course, and Gino had to sign himself as Mordecai.

The moment they were signed, the courier left his house and claimed the job was officially his. Which was just as well, since it hadn't been long after that, that Seth had made his discovery. And since he needed loyal men, and Seth had once worked for the Raidon who had hired him, he figured turn around was only fair. "I am not calling to reprimand you. I would like to offer you a job." He explained happily, hoping he would agree. It would be one less task for him to complete when he got to New York. He needed the best, and most loyal men and women he could find and since Area 12 was a secret, it wouldn't be easy.

"In Area 12?" Seth wanted to make sure he understood the offer correctly before risking giving an answer. This Mordecai, who he knew to be a big shot agent through reputation within the agency, could simply have been offering him an undercover job. Or some temporary clerks position to exploit his knowledge of a secret sector of the agency.

"That's right. We are a secret department within an already secret agency, so you can understand why I was not pleased to see that you had discovered us. I see that you were reading a file on our infamous mutual acquaintance Yukio. Most interesting. May I ask why you are interested in his case files?" Gino smiled a little into the phone as he thought of Yukio, the man whose real identity he knew only too well. Hadn't he been snooping around in Reed's files when he had been drafted into Area 12? Hadn't it been the agency's continual watchful gaze of Reed that had inspired him to speak his mind and get a promotion quite by accident? It seemed like history enjoyed repeating itself. But he didn't want to presume anything. Just because Seth had once been on Reed's team didn't make the years since any less. Anything could have happened over those years to destroy his character.