Legacy

Chapter 13

  September 13th, 2222. Jade was searching alone in Omnia. She was hoping to come to some answers, visibly stressed from the weight of her work. Looking to close the case on the rogue hunters, the case with Skell and gain intel on Holly Jeong of the Mages. She felt she was being handed down the hardest tasks and none of them seemed any closer to a definitive answer than when she started. Eventually, she gives up for the night and makes her way towards town, near Farnhardt. She knew her primary mission was to gain intel in Holly, but at this point she were second guessing herself. Her upcoming joint task force would be a great way for her to do that, but with all the other stuff going on, she was no longer sure what this mission was for. Unless Omnia was behind the release of the rogue groups and the attacks. As she thinks about this, she walks past a bar. She was too lost in thought to notice two men exited the alley between the bar and next building and had begun to follow her. "Perhaps, I can use Silas and the task force I'll be assigned to in order to hunt Skell faster as well." She thinks to herself. Just as she completed that thought, she suddenly heard the noise of a fight breaking out and turned around. Behind her was one man lying on the ground and the second man being held by the collar of his shirt by a tall woman with a stern look on her face. 

  "Creeps, following a girl like that." She says, then looks at Jade. "Sorry about that. This city is usually more decent. But with the way the world is changing, I guess everyone these days is out and looking for a new way to get what they want in the world. The name is Felicia. Felicia Keyes. And you are?"

  "Jade... Jade Haskell." Jade replies.

  "Jade..." Felicia says as she steps closer and inspects Jade's face. "I know that posture, that composure... you're a federal agent, aren't you?"

  "What!?" Jade asks.

  "FBI, I'm assuming?" Felicia asks. "What are you doing in a rural town in Omnia?"

  "I-I'm not FBI!" Jade claims.

  "You can't hide it from me." Felicia says. "Believe it or not, my husband and I are from the same line of business." 

  "Wait... you used to be a federal agent?" Jade asks skeptically.

  "FBI SWAT, worked with the Secret Service many times." Felicia says. "Look, it's not safe to talk about these things out in the open. People will talk and I don't need rumors spreading around. This town is small, so everyone knows everyone here. My daughter starts school next year and I don't need this going around while she's starting school. Follow me, I was just about to pick up some food. I need to ask a few questions."

  After walking to a store and following Felicia home, Jade arrives with Felicia home, keeping track of every place and field they pass in case she needed to make a plan, just in case Felicia proved dangerous. "So, you used to be an American agent?" Jade asks. "What made you move out here?"

  "What is she talking about?" Henry asks as he comes out and sees Jade. "Who is she?"

  "Calm down, Henry. I have this under control." Felicia says. "Look, Jade, was it? I know you're super weary of me right now, but I promise I just need to understand a few things. For instance, we've heard from the Mages that a joint task force was being set up-"

  "How do you know about that? That's proprietary information!" Jade yells as she stands up.

  "Sit down!" Felicia demands. Jade hesitantly takes a seat again, then Felicia continues. "Look, we're personal friends of the Mages and The Six Guns. Which I know sounds like a bad thing to... well, your kind. Judging by your reaction, that means you're the American they selected to form this task force with, right? I want to know... why is America trying to get so close to the Mages after sending out rogue hunters to various countries to cause havoc?"

  "I'm sorry?" Jade asks.

  "You see, we have... connections." Felicia says. "One of them being Silas who I am to understand you've met before?"

  "How did you know that?" Jade asks.

  "I didn't." Felicia says. "That one was a bluff. I just had a feeling because the poor little sob called here blabbing his mouth off about some American girl and helping or blah-blah-blah. I just figured that might've been you. Look, Silas is a naive idiot... but he's amazing at his job. Earlier today, he passed on some intel to us. Proof the Americans have a hand in setting up the rogue Hunters, as they're currently initiated in Brazil for a weapons development operation that Silas is trying to shut down. Your government is having rogue Hunters make bombs, Jade."

  "Why are you telling me this?" Jade asks, in disbelief and getting visibly uncomfortable and anxious. "Why would you tell me about all of this?"

  "Because, as dumb as it sounds, that kid placed faith in you." Felicia says. "So, us getting to meet feels like fate. I just want to ask one thing. When you come to a crossroads, when you're forced between a rock and a hard place, I want you to make the right choice. Because I know it will happen."

  "She's right." Henry adds. "We were treated the same way when we were feds and learned more than our pay grade. It's a matter of time. You're either part of their little 'in club' or you're not. If you're not already in their loop, already in the know before this, then knowing too much always puts you on their shit list. They like control."

  "I don't know why you are taking part in this task force." Felicia adds. "But be careful where you step. Those guys you work for, they're not who they say they are."

  "Will you stop!?" Jade yells. "All you two have been doing this whole time is spout your nonsense. Not who I think they are? And what do you think it is I think they are? Angels? You think I trust the government to begin with? Any government for that matter? I'm here so I can use my own eyes and judgement to make the world a better place, to protect my family, to protect my people that I love back home. You're nothing more than simple cowards who ran from the force... don't preach to me about making the right choices, you... you traitors. You're just a couple of paranoid lunatics. I know they're not worth trusting, but my government sending rogue Hunters? Seriously!? What would they gain from that!? You're crazy and you can keep your conspiracy nonsense to yourselves." Jade then stomps out of the front door and slams the door. 

  "Well, I know it was a long shot..." Felicia says. "But I just wanted to help out the kid. If she won't help, then she won't help."

  Back in town towards the bar she passed earlier, Jade enters the bar and goes to the counter and sits down, grumbling and visibly annoyed. A middle-aged man at the counter overhead Jade mumbling something about Hunters and America and he looked back towards three other men in the back of the bar and nodded his head, the looked at Jade. The three men moved a little closer to Jade and waited for her to sit down and start drinking. As she occupied herself, one of the men pulled out a small recording device with a directional microphone, and discreetly pointed it at Jade. Jade began mumbling and complaining about how ridiculous the idea was that America was sending rogue Hunters into Seeira and Brazil. However, the only part the men heard was that America was sending Hunters and then she finished just the one drink and was already on her way. "Leaving already?" the bartender asks as she places money on the counter.

  "I'm not much of a drinker. Just been a shit year." Jade replies. "Goodnight." Then she stomps out of the door and finds somewhere to rest for the night. 

  After Jade left the bar, one of the men pulled out a phone and after someone picked up from a speed-dial number, the man simply says, "She knows too much."

  "Noted." A voice on the other side of the line replies. "Moving forward with operation. Thank you for tracing her movements since Seeira. Well done."