Cat and Mouse game

Chapter Eighteen

For Elias and Eric, the workweek flew by unnoticed, dissolved in the whirlwind of routine. Slightly tired from the monotonous life of "ordinary" office workers, the agents were looking forward to Saturday and the pompous event at the gallery.

And today was finally the day.

An expensive red-and-black car slowly pulled up to the gallery, followed by a row of equally expensive cars that indicated the extraordinary social status of their owners.

Two handsome young men, smartly dressed in elegant tuxedos and with their hair neatly styled, got out of the car. Eric, or rather Owen at the moment, handed the car keys to the parking attendant to park his vehicle. And, of course, he didn't skimp on a generous tip for his services.

After exchanging glances, the agents confidently approached the counter, where the person who was checking invitations stood. He allowed or denied people entry. And any uninvited guests who were not on the list had to turn around and leave. However, Mateo Torres and Owen Grant were not among those.

The two guards on either side of the entrance watched Elias and Eric with scrutinizing eyes. The guy behind the counter carefully examined their invitations and, after checking his list, gave a brief nod to the new arrivals. Wishing them a good evening, he welcomed them inside.

This time the gallery was different from what Elias remembered. Along the walls of the main hall there were long tables covered with smooth white tablecloths. They were full of all kinds of appetizers and drinks. A crowd of luxuriously dressed people were walking or standing around, making small talk. Their expressions suggested they were discussing something important. In one corner of the room, a small chamber orchestra was playing, filling the room with its wonderful string music.

Elias hadn't expected that this seemingly small gallery would hold so many people.

The agents paused in the middle of the room, looking around with keen eyes and taking in their surroundings.

"And what do we do next?" Elias asked his colleague in a whisper.

"Well, Rhino is nowhere to be seen yet. I'm going to chat with some of Owen Grant's business associates. In the meantime, you keep an eye out for our main target," Eric replied, also whispering.

"Great, you go do the talking. And I will have a bite to eat and a drink."

Eric frowned and gave Elias a disapproving look.

"Okay, I won't drink anything, except maybe some juice," Elias added, feigning disappointment.

Not that he was actually planning to drink while on an undercover assignment. He was just trying to piss off Raven a little bit.

With a short sigh, the blond left his partner alone and disappeared into the motley crowd of guests. Elias wasted no time in approaching one of the tables with food and began to check out today's "menu". His attention was drawn to a big plate of skewers with slices of meat, cheese, vegetables and fruit on them - canapés. Smiling contentedly, he picked up one of them and plunged it into his mouth.

The harmonious combination of salty and sweet slowly spread over his tongue, delighting his taste buds. Without noticing it, Elias ate several more canapés. Well, there was at least something pleasant for him at this event.

"Mateo, good evening!" a familiar male voice sounded from behind Elias. "What a pleasant surprise to meet you here!"

Not expecting to meet Rhino so soon, the agent nearly choked on his canapé and had to swallow a huge piece of it without chewing. Then he exhaled softly through his nose and, with a charming professional smile on his face, turned to the man who had called out to him.