Insider

A Familiar Voice

Next morning, Axel was waiting outside the boss's office. A guard stepped out of the door and grunted, telling Axel to go in.

Axel stepped in to the room see another door in front of him. The guard typed in a key in a keypad and an iris-scanner popped up. The guard's eye was scanned and a green light flashed as the door slid open.

Axel went in and sat on a chair near a glass table. On the other side a woman was sitting with her back towards him. Her blonde hair fell till her shoulders.

She spoke, "Well, well Axel, I get to welcome you again."

Why does this voice seem so familiar?

She rotated on her chair to face Axel, "But this time I welcome you to the other side of the law."

Axel almost fell of his chair when he saw her face. It was Mrs. Shaw!

Searching for answers, Axel spoke in a faint and surprised tone, "How did you come here? Why did you join the villains?"

"Oh, no! I would never think of doing that! I have come here undercover as you have now. And I tell you this, speak freely and no need to mumble. The walls of my office are soundproof and there are no cameras or hidden sensors inside here either"

"What about the ceremonies that took place? Those last rites where your records were burnt?" questioned Axel his voice a little louder.

Puzzled Mrs. Shaw spoke, "Which ceremonies? I remember none. It must have been the clever little Dr. Albert. He must have used his holograms to carry on the ceremony. Nice idea to burn the records too. It prevents them from falling into the wrong hands. He must be doing the same thing with you too, using your hologram, clever little Dr. Alfred Browning."

Axel's racing heart slowed down a bit. "Wow! But how did you progress to become the head the organization?"

"Well, the former head of the organization was on the verge of retirement. With some hard work, loyalty and luck I managed to get nominated by him." explained Mrs.Shaw.

Axel raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's a pretty good achievement, infiltrating into the enemy so deep that you become their head!" What did you learn about them? Anything other than what has already been told?" inquired Axel.

"Yes, in fact. The SIEVE's tentacles have a stronger grasp over the criminal world than we ever thought. Before every bombing and terrorist attack, terrorist organisations call in; finalizing the equipment and the cost in total. Very few terrorist strikes, mainly the ones carried out by localized criminal organisations, ever occur without the connection of the SIEVE. In a way, without the SIEVE, the world of terrorism will virtually collapse without the funding."

"I have already got a plan to destroy Atlantis II, but I need your help." saying this Axel conveyed his entire plan to his senior.
"Being the head of SIEVE I hope that you will be able to assign me to the position I want" said Axel

"I get where you are getting at my boy. Your sharp mind has not dulled over the years, I see, formulating plans already when you have just seen a small part of such a big organisation. But the problem is SIEVE is a suspicious lot. If I assign you to such a high position without you doing anything, then they might suspect a bias towards you and problems will take birth. So, I suggest you to go on at least two missions, prove your worth and then I can try to assign you to the position you want." told Mrs. Shaw.

Axel nodded in agreement, understanding what his senior had just told.

"In fact I got two vacant places in two different missions ready."

Excited to get his first taste of action Axel said, "I'll do what is required. When can I embark on my first mission?"

"The mission is due after two months. I'll suggest you to go look at the different specialized bases of the SIEVE, till then. I'll send a message to Eoin. He will take care of what is required. He is a good person and I have no idea what he is doing here in the SIEVE."

"Thank you Mrs. Shaw. It has been a real surprise and pleasure to meet you again." Saying this Axel rose and left through the doors towards his own room.