Chapter 1

Relaxing under the beachy sun, the warmth of the sun caressed my skin dutifully.

Laidback enjoying nature's soothing tunes, I gazed at its beauty.

My children, Micheal and Stacy played close to the water as their mother watched them closely.

My wife Quinnette was the epitome of beauty.

I regard her the most understanding wife a man could have.

I am so lucky to have her in my life.

Whenever I think about her, my lips immediately draw a smile.

"Come play with us, dear!" She called out to me

"Who am I to decline the request of a beauty?"

I responded.

I rose from the chair. Joining them in the water, we laughed as we played together, enjoying the breeze of our favorite beach.

I am Derek, a CIA Agent.

I love my job and am pretty good at it.

I love my wife and I am a good husband to her.

Everything is as perfect as can be. I guess this is how it's meant to be.

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I am with a beautiful woman who is not my wife. She has long black hair and deep dark eyeballs. She is so beautiful that my Quinnette with stay aside when she walks by.

We seem to be so happy and in love.

We run hand in hand by the beach and spend good times together. This same beach where I take my family to!

We wake up in each other's arms.

When I am with her, the world seems to be at a standstill and time seems to have taken a nap.

I look into her eyes and love stares back at me.

She calls out to me by a name I do not know.

The next moment she stretches out her arms in desperation.

Her face immediately lets out a frown, as she wonders why I do not reciprocate her gestures.

This woman appears to know me and she seems to be in love with me.

At this point, it seems I don't know her anymore.

But the truth is... I do!

Suddenly, I wake up. And is only a dream!

"Why do I keep seeing this woman in my dreams?" I asked myself.

I keep having dreams about this lady and the dreams seem to be so real!

But I have no memory of her in real life. I have tried several therapies, but the dreams won't stop.

******************************************************

"Good morning honey," Quinnette said.

"Good morning babe.

My night was good. Yours?"

I responded.

"Great... You just didn't let me sleep on time" She said blushing.

I smiled knowing what she had meant.

"Are you traveling today?"

She asked.

"Yes, I am," I replied.

My wife is oblivious of what my job is.

She believes I am a pilot and work for one of America's top airlines.

No one knows where I work. No one is meant to know.

If peradventure I disclosed it to anyone, I'd be putting them in danger.

"Then you need to prepare quickly," Quinnette said.

By 8 am, I had had my bath and dressed up.

"Where are Michael and Stacy?" I asked as I looked around.

They would usually have been the ones to wake me up by jumping on me.

" Oh dearie, The kids were already on their way to school. I warned them not to wake you up because you needed rest". Quinnette replied to me.

"Oh no! I didn't get the chance to bid them goodbye." I said with a sad look on my face

"It's not a big deal dear. I understand you were very tired and you won't be away for a long time anyway". She said.

"I am just so glad we were able to spend some time together again" She added with a smile.

"Yes, baby. Same here" I replied.

At 8:45 am, She dropped me off at the airport.

I waved, watching her as she drove away.

A few moments later, a black Range Rover SUV approached and parked in front of where I stood.

I got in and the driver started moving.

"Hello Derek," said the man who sat beside me.

"Hello Clint" I responded.

"Hope you had a swell time with your family?" Clint asked.

"Sure. I did." I replied.

Clint is my handler in the CIA.

Most of all, he's my friend. He taught me everything I know and I owe my life to him.

We had gone on several missions together before he seriously injured his spinal cord as he saved me from a bullet.

"How was the break bro?" He asked.

"How do you think it was"? I asked with a wide smile on my face.

"I wished it would never end I wish I could stay home all year like you bro!" I added.

Clint burst out laughing and said. "Oh no, you don't!"

"They turned into mean, overbearing, and nagging monsters once they get used to your presence". He said, referring to wives.

"That's not my Quinnette!" I said.

"Let's have this discussion a few years after your retirement!" He said with a smirk on his face.

"So what do you have for me, Clint?" I asked, digging straight into work.

"Mongolia! That's where you are headed." He replied

"Really? Why Mongolia." I asked in surprise.

"There's an international crime ring meeting that will happen there soon, we need to take advantage." He replied.

"Your mission is to go there, infiltrate them, and bring them down. " He added.

He handed a file over to me. "Have this! All the information you need is contained therein" He said.

" Make sure you carefully study as like your life depends on your proper understanding of this task." He added sternly.

The car soon came to a stop in front of Langley, the CIA headquarters.

As I am about to step out of the car, Clint hold me by my arm and asks;

"Still having those dreams Derek?"

"Yes, bro, and it seems there's nothing I can do to make them stop!" I said in frustration.

"I don't want Quinnette to think I'm cheating on her!"

"Don't worry Bro, everything will be fine. Just take care of yourself". He said with a strange look in his eyes.

"Is everything okay Clint?" I asked.

"Everything is fine Bro, Have a nice trip," He said and he closed the door and the car drove off.

As I walked in, some agents waved at me in acknowledgment and honor.

Like I had mentioned earlier, I was a very successful CIA agent.

**************************************************

"Good morning sir" Stephanie my beautiful secretary greeted me, wearing a bright smile as I walked into my office.

"Good morning Steph," I responded.

"Feels good to be back. Ain't it?" she asked.

"You've got no idea!" I said.

"Well now that you're back, the boss wants to see you." She said.

" Damn it!" I exclaimed.

Whenever the boss requests to see someone it usually doesn't mean good.

"Supposedly, he wishes to discuss the seemingly dangerous and dreadful mission assigned to me." I thought to myself.

"Couldn't I be gifted an easier mission for a welcome back present?" I reasoned.

I proceeded to enter into my office, a transparent glass-built compartment on the penultimate floor of the building.

Even though I knew that The Boss was expecting me, I decided to delay a little in my office.

"Let him wait a little", I thought to myself.

After waiting for about 30 minutes I headed for my boss's office.

**********************************************

"Good morning sir," I said

"Good morning Agent Derek." He replied

"How was your vacation?" He asked.

"Fine sir. It was refreshing." I replied

"Have you been briefed on your next mission?" He asked going straight to the point.

"I thought as much! He couldn't even pretend to care about anything else". I thought to myself

"Yes, I have sir," I replied

The name tag on his table read; Agent Foley.

That was the name given to all bosses in the organization.

No one knew their real names except for top agents who had worked closely with them previously.

This was to secure their identities and protect their families if they had any.

"Well, good to hear you've been briefed on the mission," he said.

Then I stood there, waiting for the real reason for this meeting.

"Derek. I'm sure you are conversant with the name The Shrill company"? He asked

"Finally I thought, He is sending me to the lion's den, and that's what he's called me to tell me. I knew it!" I thought to myself.

"Yes Sir, I replied. They are the largest crime ring in the whole world!"

"They have their hands in drug, human trafficking and are responsible, for several high-level assassinations".

"All these cases are unsolved because no one knows who they are or the identity of any of their agents".

"Very well said". Agent Foley replied.

"This means I don't have to brief you on so many things and the importance of this mission". He said.

"Your task will be to infiltrate and take down The Shrill Company".

"We have intel that the top men in the company are having a very rare meeting with their leader Shantel in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia".

"All their top agents will likely be there and we do not think we would have this sort of opportunity any time soon, so we have to act fast".

"You are clear to kill all, but not the Boss, Shantel".

"Their Leader is a lady?" I asked in surprise.

"Apparently so". Agent Foley replied.

"And I must inform you that this mission is off the book, Derek!" He added

"What do you mean by off the books sir?" I enquired.

"You should know what I mean by off the books!" Agent Foley replied, looking a little frustrated.

" No one knows about it." He retorted at me.

He knew I was having fun with him.

"Okay sir" I responded.

"I do not have to spell it out repeatedly to you that this is a high-level case." He said.

"Many big guns have got their hands involved in it. Tread very carefully." He added.

"Is there ever a case the big guns are not involved in? I asked sarcastically.

Agent Foley smiled.

"You do not know what I mean. I mean the boss of bosses, drug cartels, even government officials." He said.

"A lot of them would fall as a result of the things you would uncover in Mongolia. " He added.

I bowed my head deep in thoughts.

"From what you have said sir, you sound like you know exactly what I would encounter first-hand," I said.

"Not really. We, fortunately, happen to have an up to the task intelligence department" He replied me sarcastically

"Just know that The Boss himself is interested in this case".

"The President?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes", he replied definitively.

"A lot of members of this administration have their hands in shady deals and he wants them all exposed", Agent Foley said.

"Your contact over there in Mongolia is Terra." He stated.

"I must warn you to play your cards cautiously. He is nothing like the other contacts you've worked with." He added sternly.

"Not to worry sir. I can handle it." I replied.

"I know you can. I just need you to be careful." He said.

" Your flight to Mongolia will be taking off at 6 pm." Agent Foley stated.

"Why did Agent Foley go through the hassle of feeding me with so much information pertaining to the mission when it had already been stated in the mission brief?" I reasoned to myself.

"There's surely something fishy going on." I thought.

"Well, who am I but a soldier in his field who must obey the last command? " I thought to myself.

I left for my office with a gloomy look on my face.

"Agent Foley problems?" Stephanie asked with a wry smile on her face

"You aren't wrong dear. No one goes into his office and comes out the same." I replied.

I entered my office and prepared for my flight.

Our flight took off at 6 pm prompt and it would take three hours until we arrived in Mongolia.

We were not cleared for landing as it was a covert operation.

Our presence in Mongolia was illegal and a touchdown would brew trouble.

By 9 pm, we were flying over the Mongolian forest.

Soon, the rear hatch was opened and I was cleared to jump.

Jumping out of the plane, I parachuted down into the forest, landing at the spot I was told to.

On landing, I navigated my way through the forest using the map provided.

By a tree marked "X" was where I ought to meet Terra.

On reaching, I waited for about 6 hours with no contact from Terra.

I was beginning to feel uneasy in my guts.

"Something is definitely not right." I thought to myself.

Just when I was about to run out of patience and leave, a vehicle approached where I had crouched.

It was a Land Rover. It stopped right in front of me with its headlights almost rendering me temporarily blind.

Two men stepped out of the vehicle. They held guns in their hands and spoke in a foreign language.

I understood many languages but Mongolian was an exception.

With hands raised in the air, I asked shouting, "Do you understand English?"

The two men glanced at each other and back at me as though they were clueless about what I had said.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" They shouted in English to my surprise.

"This wasn't the way things should play out". I thought to myself.

"I have no identification," I answered.

I could see their muscles tense up as they cocked their guns.

"Identify yourself or we shoot!" One of them shouted with a deep Mongolian accent.

"Okay. Things are getting way out of hand right now." I thought to myself.

"There was probably a breach of information". I reasoned. They were not supposed to ask me for any identification.

Usually, when there is a breach of information, things got messy and that was the last thing I wanted.

"Terra? Is anyone of you named Terra?" I asked.

A third man came down the car and walked towards us.

He was scruffy in his looks, but the manner at which others adulated him with their hand gestures seemed as though he was the one in charge.

"Terra." I thought to myself. "I hope this is you."

He walked towards me and they circled around me as if he was scanning me.

And then he said; "Where the crocodile swims..."

"The antelope should not drink," I replied

"Phew!" I sighed heavily.

I had thought I was faced with trouble and was likely about to get my hands soiled with more blood.

Usually, it was a bad idea to kill beyond those I was meant to kill on a mission.

As much as possible, I should complete my missions without any casualties.

Intentional efforts should be made to avoid them.

In my past experiences, however, there had always been casualties.

They ushered me to the car. Before I entered in, they offered to help me put my luggage in the boot of the car.

I politely declined their offer and went in with it. I couldn't trust anyone on a mission.

The driver started the car and we began wading through the Mongolian Forest.

It was a silent drive as no one spoke to each other.

We were five men in the car. Seating in front was the driver and a bodyguard.

At the back seat of the car, I was flanked by Terra and the other man.

"This is very unusual." I thought to myself.

Normally, contacts are more receptive and interactive.

To get good reviews from the CIA they would try to gain trust by striking conversations. But this one couldn't care less.

He was on the phone most of the time using a language I perceived was Mongolian and I was left clueless.

We drove for about two hours until it was almost dawn. We were still in the forest.

Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt and everyone stayed still.

"What's going on?" I said turning to Terra.

"Shhhh!!!" Terra hushed me as he looked around, with worry etched on his face.

He looked really flustered at this moment.

"The natives of the forest are close by," he said.

"And how does that affect us?" I asked him looking confused.

"If you do not want to be someone's breakfast, you had better keep your mouth shut and stay still." He replied.

But the driver left the engine running.

I assumed it was to allow for a quick escape if we were eventually discovered.

I didn't know the terrain, so I had to obey Terra's instructions.

It would be a disaster if they all deserted the car and left me behind.

We were there for about an hour. We kept low in the car and made no sounds.

Moments later, the driver spoke to Terra using a language I couldn't understand still.

Afterward, they all sat upright.

Terra turned to me and said, " They are gone now but we have to wait around till nightfall."

"What? You mean to say we'll be sitting here for an additional twelve hours doing nothing?" I said in frustration.

"We cannot afford to waste much time, We need to head out to the city as soon as possible," I said.

Terra looked at me with a smile on his face. " Feel free to step out of the car and find your way." He said.

"But if you wish to get to the city in one piece, You had better follow my instructions". He added.

Unfortunately, I had no other option but to stay back.

" I am definitely putting this in my review when I return to the agency," I said to myself.

Suddenly the feeling of uncertainty hit like a hard rock.

"Will I be lucky enough to return? There's something off about this mission." I pondered.

Everything felt so wrong at that moment. I never usually had this feeling on my past missions.

"I wished I could reach Clint right now. I don't trust This Terra of a guy!"