The Secretary

Chapter One (The Mysterious Murder)

     Dreaded and stuck on what to do next as she fumbled for her keys,the dim parking lot lights seemed to flicker in sync with her racing heart.She had stayed late at the office,and now the deserted garage felt like a trap.She finally found the right key and inserted it into the car door,but it wouldn't budge.Panic set in as she struggled to open the door,her eyes darting around the empty spaces.

     Suddenly a figure emerged from the shadows,his face a cold calculated mask.He moved swiftly,his long strides closing in on her she tried to scream,but her voice was frozen in her throat.

     With a surge of her screams echoed off the concrete walls as he dragged her away from the car,she saw a glimmer of metal in his hand,and then ....nothing.The sound of her struggles ceased,replaced by an eerie silencer.The only movement was the assassin's swift departure, disappearing into the night like a ghost.

     The parking lot was left to it's darkness,the only witness to the brutal scene the woman's abandoned car,it's door still open in a futile attempt to escape.

      In Rancho Cordova the natural beauty of the town couldn't stop Anne Riley to dream beyond her residence.She had just turned twenty six and had just failed her third interview of becoming Senator Ben's secretary.Senator Ben was one of the two senators of California and two months ago he had lost his secretary in a brutal killing which experts haven't figured out who the culprit was.

     The Senator called upon capable individuals to compete for the position.However rumors had it that there was a hidden reason to why Senator Ben Foster had made his appointment of the new secretary viral.Senators usually appoint their secretaries privately without making it public just as Senator Ben.

     Anne had just resigned from CIA something which pissed off her Dad and Mum.They didn't see the reason why their daughter needed a spot at the Senator's office.
      "You will never stop watching news about Senator Ben,"Anne's father asked as he grinned his old jaws.
       "You know how much i believe in myself and am always mystified because at first I thought this is what you want me to be,"Anne replied shrugging her shoulders.
      "I always wanted you to be a CIA just like me,watching my daughter fitting in my footsteps was my dream but now ....mhhh,"the old man nodded his head in disillusionment.
         "I know that you and Mum are worried that being a secretary to Senator Ben will subject me to high chances of meeting my death just like Liz Thompson but trust me am going to be keen and i won't disgrace you,"Anne replied as she forced a hug in her Daddy's tired chest.

    Her Dad Richard Riley always backed her but this time round he followed Theresa who was already biased with issues concerning politics.They know that if their daughter becomes the Senator's secretary she may have sacrificed her life.

     The opulent mansion,nestled in the heart of Sacramento,was a testament to Senator Ben's wealth and power.The grand foyer,adorned with crystal chandeliers and marble floors,led to a sweeping staircase that curved like a golden ribbon.The air was thick with the scent of fresh flowers and the soft hum of politics.

     Senator Ben,a man in his early fifties with a commanding presence,stood tall,his piercing blue eyes flashing with anger.His silver hair was perfectly styled and his tailored suit seemed to shine in the soft light.His voice,deep and authoritative,boomed through the foyer as he confronted his wife Agnes.
      "Why don't you stop all this,your spoiling our family's reputation,"shouted Agnes.
       "You already spoilt it.Don't pretend,"replied Senator Ben with aggressiveness in his blue eyes.

     Agnes,a petite woman in her late fourties with auburn hair and a sharp jawline,stood opposite her husband,her green eyes blazing with defiance.Her designer gown seemed to shimmer in the light,and her diamonds sparkled like ice.Her voice husky and confident,cut through the tension like a knife.
     "My Dad gave you everything and helped you to be where you are now,you are treating us like lumpens.Is this way you are rewarding our kindness,"Agnes objected.
      "Your family helped...mhhh but the bad thing you want to take everything from me,am also human and have feelings,i won't let your family ruin me completely,"Said Senator Ben.

     He got in his car,his son Harry following him as Agnes stood stranded.She got her phone and called her Dad.She told him that Ben is not willing to stop and his suspicions are just increasing.

    In the Vehicle Harry was blaming his Dad for mistreating his mother.Senator Ben told him that he is too young to analyze anything but with time he will figure out everything.They were going to a press conference where Senator Ben was expected to reveal his new secretary after screening capable individuals for three times.
     "So Dad,whom are you going to appoint,"asked Harry
      "There is a girl who surprised me when I was interviewing her,when I asked her why she wants to be my secretary,she answered that because she wants to use me as her stepping stone,she sees herself on top of this country in the coming years,she is called Anne Riley a daughter to Richard Riley a former CIA."

     Anne was at home and through the news on Tv,it was revealed that she emerged out to be the newly appointed Secretary of Senator Ben.She got happy and her phone immediately rung only to inform her when she will start her duties.The entire environment of Rancho Cordova was excited on how the little heroine had managed to hit the jack pot.

    As in life everyone corresponds his or her dreams to the will of God.Our prayers seem to be polite but as we pray,the Sovereign also has different plans of our lives.Entering the political world was mean to everyone else but according to her perspective,Anne believed in herself.Being a trained and experienced CIA,she wanted to taste other waters by serving as a Senator's secretary amidst all the tension which gyrated around the fate of the former secretary of Senator Ben which left audiences inquisitive and curious.Anne was really ambitious and obsessed with her dreams.