The Three Lanes

Chapter Fourteen

Caleb and his crew reached Milan and set up their base and started surveillance on all banks in the city as they didn't know which one had the account that needed the ¬authorization. Seeing as this would take longer, he called the Director of the Agency to get warranties to check all the banks for new accounts with lots and lots of money coming in.

Once they got their approval, it took a day for the results to come back, they knew which bank to go for and he called the tech guys to check the accounts and let him know once confirmation is done so as to apprehend the culprit.

Early morning the next day they got word that Shambugu was spotted in the city and they moved out to place themselves at the bank and its surroundings, the orders given were to shoot first, take a picture for identification purposes and swiftly move forward onto further targets.

All was quiet at the bank and the tech guys monitoring the bank accounts offsite were checking in every three to five minutes, all agents were positioned like camouflage; some were window shopping around and others inside the bank pretending to be clients.

Mission was declared ready, when suddenly they heard police sirens and the fire brigade heading to some place nearby, worried customers ran outside to see that the buildings opposite the bank were set on fire and this caused chaos as everyone starting running away to save themselves. Caleb announced via radio, "These guys have a plan, stay vigilant and help only when you have no other option."

Exactly one minute after the chaos began, the tech guys called him panicking that the accounts had been verified by a thumb print and the money has been moved already and it was amounting to almost one billion dollars. This proclamation was the worst news ever, they moved inside the bank instantaneously and found the place vacant; one agent found a rooftop access and they followed it out but it was booby trapped.

Caleb was too late to warn them as they all blew up as he watched horrified and his ears were wringing in pain due to the blast, he looked at the two dead agents and his adrenaline levels jumped to sky high, he followed the path to the top exit and saw a man covered in all black aim a bazooka at him, "Fuck" he shouted and jumped down from the roof to the sidewalk as the roof blew up into pieces, his head got hit by something hard, smelled rust, touched his head and looked at his finger to see blood.

He looked around for his fellow agents who were either dead or crawling away to safety, started feeling woozy and hit the earth unconscious.

***

Hours later, he woke up in a medical center feeling light-headed and the smell of blood everywhere, turned to his left and saw his phone and a piece of paper below it, he took the paper and read it which ended up making him furious.

His phone started ringing and saw it was his mother so he picked it, "Hello? Are you okay? I received a BBC notification concerning some attack in Milan and you were last heading there, I have been worried about you." In a groggy voice he told her, "I just woke up with a concussion, broke some bones on my hand, plenty of bruises and to add salt to the wound; a letter of suspension from the bloody deputy director; I will be home tomorrow."

After she was satisfied with him being alive, she hanged up and he called the offices, the secretary informed him that he wasn't an active agent so she isn't allowed to transfer any calls he makes. Having no choice, he called the Director, "Hello what's this business about me getting suspended?"

"Calm down Caleb, my Deputy thinks we should let other government agents deal with this because we were hit hard at our headquarters and during your invasion mission more agents died including the damages made with that explosion, the mayor of the city is up my ass with that, also three super agents died in Milan because of your lack of planning" He explained politely to his favorite agent.

"You mean to say we have been using emotions to go after the culprits? The people we called friends and workmates died and now we should not do anything about it? I have been so close to this guy numerous times and now I'm off the case? What will I tell the wives of my best friends when I come home? I tried but I was taken off the case because I got close to catching the bastard."

He hanged up furiously and tried getting off the bed, but the pain hit him so hard he had no option but to sit tight and think about his next move other than heading home of course. Abel's name came into his head and he knew that the money was transferred by his ideas and inventions and that for his next step he needed someone who had the same thinking capability as him.

Shouting for the nurse to come increase his morphine dose, he asked her, "how many ribs did I break?" she replied, "None, just fractures all over, you got lucky Caleb" he frowned and told her, "Next time don't say someone is lucky when his colleagues are lying dead next to him."

After some hours of rest, he picked his phone and dialed then waited patiently till it was picked, "Hi Nico I have a job for you, you heard about what happened in Milan with the Agency, right? Make it right for me, that's how you pay me back" smiled, then went back to sleep.

***

Gabriel was having a good time chatting and drinking with Britney and her friend and they reminisced about growing up in love together and that the reason she still has a hammock at her living room is to remind her of him always as they used to sleep on it when they were teenagers.

The workmate left after some drinks and they started talking about Natasha, "I don't understand why she just can't say yes and we leave already?" she stood up and asked him, "How long have you guys been together? One year? Two years?" he showed him one finger to signal "one."

"Give her some more time to think about it, if you had asked me I would have needed some time too even though I have known you more than seven years" she explained. "Okay, more time it is for her, it's not as if we moving away tomorrow yeah?" he said confidently to himself though he was a bit drunk.

"Tell me something, what if you guys go together and it doesn't work out and she knows where you are, will she be a threat to you or not?" she asked him wide-eyed. "That's what I'm afraid of Brit, she may betray me or leave me but I can't get her killed for something like that, that's stupid" He clarified.

"Gabriel, if you don't mind me asking, do you really feel you are in love with Natasha?" she asked suspiciously. He got off the table super drunk and headed on the direction of the large hammock and with some effort got himself on it and called her name loudly, when she got off her chair and into the hammock she asked him the same question again.

"Britney you should know that I still and will always love you, what I did to you back then really hurt you and I'd hate myself for ever doing that to you again, you are special to me like the date of my birth because no one can change that." He spoke in pieces and stammers then continued, "Here you are treating me like a king and I don't deserve it, I'm with Natasha now because she's different and doesn't understand me which is better as she's not able to control me like you do" he blubbered off to sleep with those last words.

She looked at his perfect face and knew he wouldn't remember half of what he said in the morning and coiled herself next to him with her head on his firm chest and whispered, "I love you too always."

***