CHAPTER 6

Alex tapped her pen on the file she had printed out and read through the description she had of Zach Montgomery, or she had cynically called Mr. FBI on a late Thursday night. She knew the moment she met his eyes that first night is that he is someone that she should be careful of. He’s someone that she’s not going to depend on to keep her background classified.

“Harvard Law,” she commented with a smile. “Well, well, well. Touché, Mr. FBI.”

She read through the file that was sent to her.

Zachary Montgomery, born March 28, 1985, to parents Nathaniel Montgomery, a well-known criminal lawyer in the country and was formerly a District Attorney back in his days and Marian Montgomery, a top cardiothoracic surgeon. Zach is the third child and son in a brood of seven. While his two older brothers, and one younger brother, followed in the footsteps of their father, he somehow had a changed of mind because after he finished Law School, he instead entered the bureau.

Alex then noted that his two female siblings and the brother after him followed in the medical footsteps of their mother. He was the only one who somehow had a different career path.

“Probably seeking a different kind of action,” he muttered as she placed the file on her desk when her phone rang. She looked at her phone before answering the call. “Alex.”

“Meet me at the corner of Emerald and 5^th in ten minutes,” the caller then ordered her. “I’ll pick you up.”

The call was then ended, and Alex let out a curse.

She then stood up, grabbing her jacket and cap. Before, she took off, she checked first her sister and aunt, who are sleeping on their beds deeply. She then went back to her room and slid up one panel of the only window in her and silently pushed herself out. She closed it back, securing it with a concealed stopper before swinging herself down on the semi-bright alley, keeping herself in the shadows.

Alex put up her hoodie as she walked towards the street corner she was told. She looked at the time on her phone and noted that it was thirty minutes pass eleven in the evening. She stood casually at the sidewalk and waited for her to be pick up.

Right on the dot, a black Honda Civic drove and stopped beside her.

She looked around before going in the passenger seat.

The car then drove off after she buckled her seatbelt.

Alexandra remained silent and waited.

“That FBI you requested for information, the director wants you to keep tabs on him.”

She turned to Damon Buchanan, her senior officer back when she was still working under him in the agency. She gave him a look of surprise.

“I’m pretty sure the director knows that I already quit,” she pointed out.

“Inactive.” He corrected. “Your papers were never processed because you didn’t come back.”

“Try going through what I did and let’s see if you have plans in coming back,” she scoffed as she leaned back on her seat and stared straight ahead. She gripped her fists. “Why the hell was I the one he requested and not others?”

Alex was met with silence.

“You told him?!” She exclaimed. “Sh1t, Damon, that was just a favor that I was asking because Malcolm brought him one night to the diner!”

“There’s a folder in the compartment,” Damon said instead as he turned left and drove through the streets. He waited until she opened the folder and look through the files of report. “The audio that they obtained as well as the agency, are speaking in Arabic. Something, I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with. The USB is taped at the back.”

She removed the USB and looked at it.

“So, what do you want me to do?” She asked tightly.

Damon nodded at the USB she is holding. “That’s just some extracts we got to prevent any suspicions from them,” he answered. “Montgomery is known to be an ass when his work will be intervened by others. Others meaning us. They’re looking for translators.”

“There are others who’s knowledgeable of that,” she argued. “Besides, I’m doing fine running the diner. I don’t mind waiting as well since it helps pass time until I finally know what to do with my life.”

Her officer stepped on the brakes and immediately put the car into park, grabbing the folder from her. He flipped through the papers and then showed her one paper that contains a profile photo of one man.

“Saood,” she stated, looking at the profile of the man she is very familiar with.

“Intelligence believes that he is still alive and well,” Damon then continued seriously. “He was able to recover from the blast and is now giving orders from his hideout.”

“Well, I’m not going to go after him,” she insisted. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she recalled the torture she went through when she was tailing him. “You know why, Damon. No way!”

“Sooner or later, Alex, you will be going after him,” Damon argued calmly. “But, for now, the director wants you to extract those audio files that Montgomery has. We need it fast! Saood’s men might be here already, and we don’t want it more than we can handle.”

Alex balled her first and threw it to his fist, which he easily avoided.

“Stop acting like a baby!” He scolded. “Is this how I trained you?!”

“No, but it’ll make me feel better,” she spat out angrily. “Fine! Tell director that I don’t come cheap! That as$hole! There he goes letting us do the dirty job while he basks in glory over it.”

“That as$hole you’re talking about is listening right now, Walters.”

“F8ck,” she cursed, looking daggers at Damon.

“If I don’t have the need of you, I wouldn’t have Buchanan drive all the way there,” Marshall Davidson, the director of the agency barked. “Were you already brief of your mission?”

“Yes, sir,” she answered, gritting her teeth.

“Very well,” he scoffed. “I’ll have the rest of the files sent to you by tomorrow. Come Monday, you will be reporting to that FBI officer as the translator they are looking for. I already made the calls.”

Alexandra listened to further instructions and by the time Damon had driven back to where she was picked up, she was already rubbing the sides of her head.

“That man still never stops talking,” she commented wryly as she unbuckled her seatbelt. She then turned to him. “Shall I be seeing you around here for a while?”

“We’re occupying that flower shop across the explosion site,” Damon answered as he handed her a business card. “It’s owned by a retired officer, and she was willing to let us use the third level above the building that her husband had left for her.”

“Fine.”

“How’s your back?”

She remained still at the mentioned of her back. “My back’s doing fine,” she finally answered tightly. “Except for the fact that I can’t wear any backless dresses or bikinis temporarily until those scars will heal.”

She heard him let out a chuckle.

“At least I’m assured that your mouth and mind are doing well,” he commented. “I’m sure your aim is doing well, too. Fancy a game tomorrow with me?”

“I’ll knock off that smug look on your face tomorrow,” she scoffed as she finally opened the door and went out. “I’m working tomorrow so call me up in the afternoon.”

Alex watched the car drove off and she stood there for a while before finally deciding to head back home.