Chapter 3 - Mr. Director

"Alex! That's your coffee!"

Opening his mouth to answer the tall young man in front of him, Keith heard Theo's voice in the distance. Keith's eyes instinctively shifted to the plastic coffee cup in his hand. Suddenly, a long-fingered hand snatched the coffee cup from Keith's right hand.

Bang!

Keith saw the door in front of him slam shut. Confused, Keith turned around and saw Theo approaching the table from the direction of room K3. Keith stared blankly at the table, guessing that Theo had taken Stephan's cup of coffee to K3 room. Keith saw Gavin gesturing towards him with his index finger raised. With a confused mind, Keith walked over to the drinking water filter next to the sofa in the common room, took out a disposable cup and filled it with water and drank. Throwing the cup in the nearby trash can, Keith sat down on the sofa there because of the confusion that was still in his mind.

Keith, trying to get out of the chaos for a few seconds, saw Gavin came and sat on the single sofa in front of his long sofa which he was sitting.

"A positive response. I was scolded on the first day."

Gavin said as he put his hands behind his head and tingled his body.

"Was it because you brought the coffee wrong?"

Keith asked amusedly, snapping out of his flustered mood.

" No... I forgot the ID!"

Gavin said with a hilarious frown.

Keith smiled.

"On the first day, I had to go to the yard with Alex. When I went to the car, I remembered that the new ID had been left on my table. I ran back here to get it. When I went back to the car, Alex was looking at me in anger like he wanted to eat me alive! That day, he scolded me all the way to the yard."

Gavin smiled and reflected on the memory.

"Then it was fair to be scolded."

Keith rolled over and smiled.

"Did you do partnership with Alex?"

Keith asked.

"Yes, yes,"

said Gavin.

"but only for a while."

"Why can't he work with anyone?"

Keith asked Gavin in a serious manner.

Gavin removed his hands from behind his head, leaned forward slightly and called Keith. Keith guessed that Gavin was probably older than himself.

"It's not like that, man. In any mission, Alex works in harmony with everyone. When anyone here is given to him as a partner for any mission, he works well with support. The problem is that no one can stay with him for a long time. Why?... so I don't have to tell you the reason. You saw it."

Gavin stretched back on the sofa and hummed a song with his hands behind his head.

Before hearing anything else, Keith saw Nathan and another young man emerge from the glass door. It was the golden-haired young man who scolded the tall young man in room K4 earlier. Seeing the two of them, Theo immediately went in front of them.

"I placed your coffees in the rooms"

Theo said happily.

"Coffee?? ... But we both just have...."

The young man who was with Nathan tried to say something, but Nathan did not allow him to finish his sentence.

"It's okay, Theo, thanks. We'll have the coffee!"

Keith quickly realized that Nathan was trying to keep Theo's heart away from hurting. A gentle leader who doesn't hurt his teammates with a word...

A wonderful leader...

Keith felt respect for Nathan. Theo turned to his usual work. Nathan saw Keith and brought the young man next to him to Keith. Keith quickly got up from the sofa and Gavin was still stretched out on the back of the sofa.

"Stephan.... this is our new member. Keith Evans. K10."

Nathan began the words. The young man extended his right hand to Keith with a big smile on his face.

"Hello, how are you? I'm Stephan Brooks. I'm K3. Welcome to the unit."

Keith turned and shook his hand and smiled with genuine happiness. Keith guessed Stephan was only an inch shorter than him as he shook his hand.

"I'm good. Thanks Stephan. I'm Keith Evans, from the FBI Pittsburgh branch,"

Keith said with genuine happiness.

"The twelve of us are in one family. Make yourself comfortably like your own home here"

Said by Stephan, holding out his hands.

"Hmmm... Be careful Keith when the two craziest animals are fighting in the house"

Gavin, still leaning on the sofa, said with a mockery smile. Stephan snapped his teeth at Gavin, who promptly kicked him in the leg.

Keith heard something pulsing and Nathan reached his right hand into his pocket and pulled out something that looked like a small cell phone and held it to his ear.

"Okay sir.."

Nathan replied finally stuffing it back into his pocket.

"Let's go Keith.. Anil is waiting to meet you"

Nathan said motioning Keith to follow him. Keith immediately followed him. Right after exiting the glass door, there was a short corridor to the right of it. The corridor ran to the right and to the left. It was located midway between the K12 Information Center and the K12 Common Room. Seeing the corridor, Keith wondered how he had missed this corridor. The short corridor ended at a brown wooden door a few feet away.

'Anil Davis - Director of K12 / FBI agent Level 5'

Keith instantly remembered who this person was. Six months ago, on the day he was selected for the K12 unit, he discussed with Keith through FBI Personal Face technology. Nathan knocked on the brown door with his hand and a loud but clear voice heard from the room.

"Come in"

Nathan turned around and nodded to Keith to come into the room with him. Keith entered the room with Nathan.

It was a pleasant clear room. There was a window opposite of the door, and in front of it was a modern table and a comfortable chair. Sitting on the chair was a handsome man of around 49-50 years of age with a short moustache. As soon as Keith and Nathan entered the room, the man stood up from his chair and extended his right hand at Keith.

"Welcome Evans! Anil Davis K12 Unit Director"

He greeted Keith with a clear voice and a slight smile.

As usual, Keith with his right hand to his forehead and saluted Anil as a defence officer and then shook Anil's right hand and accepted his greeting.

"Sit down"

Anil extended his hand to the few comfortable chairs in front of his desk.

"Thank you sir"

Nathan and Keith sat down in two chairs.

Keith reflected on the first meeting between himself and Anil. Anil, who was Indian origin, had been a member of the K12 unit since it was established about 18 years ago. He said goodbye to the K12 unit when he reached his middle age, and got appointed as the director of the K12 unit, due to the extreme competence he showed during his service in the K12 unit.

6 months ago, an official announcement was made throughout the FBI that a new member would be selected for a vacancy in the K12 unit, and the announcement was released under the official announcement of Anil Davis to apply to all who were willing to apply. Keith's application was directed by his Pittsburgh branch boss, Arnold.

After several selection rounds, Keith met Anil Davis after being informed by Arnold that he had been selected for the K12 unit. Accordingly, Keith got the opportunity to talk to Anil for the first time through the FBI Personal Face technology from the FBI branch in Pittsburg Street.

"So, Evans! The new team has broken the ice, hasn't it? How is the unit? Is there a difference in this one compared to your previous branch?"

Anil asked, leaning back in his comfortable chair. Keith grinned.

"Yes sir. Everyone is supportive and very friendly. I did not know that the K12 unit is so relaxed."

Keith said.

Keith's heart said that not only he but also Nathan and Anil must have known that half of the words he said were true and half were false.

Everyone is friendly .....

yes ...

except one crazy fellow ...

Maniac!

Keith's mind said.

Anil shook his head.

"Rogers! It is your responsibility to orient Evans here."

Then he called Nathan.

"Don't worry sir"

Nathan replied with his usual little smile, shaking his head.

"Good"

Anil took a black box out from his desk drawer. Placing it on the table, Anil began to unlock it. When Keith looked at the box, he could see the words 'Confidential' written on the back of the black box about a foot long. Opening the lock, Anil turned the box towards Keith.

Taking a closer look at the box, Keith could see his new ID card with a chip card, two new technology revolvers specially developed for K12, FBI swat belts, a vest badge with the official symbol of the K12 unit, a small cell phone, a tab device, a black color file, a walkie-talkie, a hearing aid and some other gears. Looking at the cell phone, Keith remembered that Nathan had a similar device in his hand a few minutes ago.

"These are yours.. unit uniforms have already been sent to your locker. Nathan will explain about the uniforms."

Anil said and he took a cell phone similar to the one Nathan was holding from his coat, touched it with his finger and brought it to his ear.

"Come to my room"

Anil said to someone through the device. Then he put it back into the coat.

Keith looked at the black box and the first thing he picked up was a mobile phone. It is actually a smartphone but with a few differences.

"It's called K-Con. A phone unique to our unit. A phone specially designed by the American government for K12..."

Nathan began to explain.

"When talking on a normal phone, someone can easily be traced and hacked. That's why we have this special phone. No one can break the unique technology barrier in it. Therefore, use this when talking about duty matters with K12 team members"

"And you have a K-Con tab in that suit case."

Nathan explained further.

Keith's heart fluttered with excitement. He remembered the joy he felt the day he entered the Defense University of Texas and received his ID card and uniform.

"Thanks sir"

Keith nodded and greeted Anil with a smile. Anil also gave him a smile.

"Keith Evans ... so from today, you are one of my twelve boys. I hope he will continue to pull whatever problems come the way."

Saying that, Anil closed the lid of the black box and brought it closer to Keith.

Knock...knock...knock..

Just then, there was a sound from the door.

"Come in,"

Anil commanded.

Keith turned his body back from his chair to see who was entering the room. A very tall young man entered the room. He had a long face and wore his black hair down to his neck with half of it pulled back in a ponytail.

Keith's heart began to beat strangely.

To be continued

©Diran Athularachchi