Cat and Mouse game

Chapter Eleven

During the lunch break, Elias and Julia wandered around the company, exploring it. The interior was designed with taste and was no different from that of most other companies: soft colors, moderate but stylish decorations and modern furniture. Elias couldn't tell if the interior had always been like this or if the CIA had customized it before the operation. But it indeed made the company "perfect" for undercover work.

Each office had a dozen employees. While some of them were undercover agents, others were real office workers who had no idea that the company was fake. They were needed to create the visibility of staff diversity, in case someone from outside wanted to check up on the staff.

All the employees were just going with the flow. Both the real ones and the undercover were buzzing over their work routine, flying back and forth like worker bees. And outsiders could never have guessed what was really going on behind the glass doors of this not-quite-real pharmaceutical company, about the true activity that were taking place there.

Elias spent the rest of the day in the lab with Julia, pretending to be busy with the work of a chemical scientist. However, he did not pretend to be busy with some part of his work: he really was gathering information about the pharmaceutics, the latest research in the field, and other companies in the industry.

Julia was doing her real job as a chemist, trying to find out more about Dahlia from the bits of data they had. Even a small step forward could open the door to the unknown and bring them closer to the truth.

Evening quietly knocked on the windows, signaling the end of the workday. The scientists took off their lab coats. Elias looked around his temporary, but nice workplace with a thoughtful expression. He thought that if things had turned out differently, he might have followed in his mother's footsteps and became a real scientist in some good company.

After turning off the lights in the lab, two scientists walked to the exit of the building. Outside, Eric was waiting in the parking lot, leaning against the bumper of his car. When he saw them, he motioned for Elias to come over.

"Goodbye, Dr. Hoffman!" Elias said to Julia.

"See you tomorrow!"

Julia also nodded goodbye to the "boss" and then walked away in the opposite direction. Elias followed her with his eyes until she disappeared around the corner. Then, he reluctantly approached Eriс.

"Well, shall we go home?" Raven asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Go on your own. I have other plans."

"Oh, and what are you up to?" the blond narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

With his nose turned up, Elias did not answer and just cast a stern glance at Eric.

"Aren't you going to inform your partner?"

"I don't have to tell you about every step I take," Morales said in a serious tone, with his arms crossed over his chest. "Even though we are working together, I am still free to conduct my own investigation and act as I see fit, don't you think?"

"Fine. As long as your actions don't jeopardize our work, I don't care what you do," Raven said in a condescending tone, smiling with his lips pressed together. "See you at home, then!"

Slightly annoyed, Eric got into the car and slammed the door rather loudly. With the roar of the engine, the car sped away and soon disappeared from Elias' sight.

In fact, Elias did not plan anything big. He simply wanted to visit that gallery in the city center. He thought it would be beneficial to learn about the paintings and artists exhibited there. Elias did not tell Eric about his intentions because he would probably want to go with him. And Elias had absolutely no desire to be around his new partner for any longer than necessary.