ACRO

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Washington, D.C.

Headquarters of ACRO:

Sam and Harry entered the director's cabin, pushing through the door that had a metal plate stuck to it saying 'Ian Peterson'. A man, in his forties, with fawn coloured hair and cold grey eyes was seated on a chair in front of which was a table and two other chairs.

The man had a magnetic persona and a nature that demanded attention even without uttering a word. A room full of people would turn silent when he would walk in it. He was rugged and bulky, with a demeanour of a polished and refined man. His eyes were stone cold, zero emotion in them.

His eyes moved from Harry to Sam and softened a little, the tiniest amount of emotion filling in them.

"Mission report." he said, his deep voice piercing through the silence of the room.

Harry, the co-leader of the mission reported everything that happened on the mission, while Sam spoke only a few times.

He nodded quietly.
"Dismiss, Wallbanger." he said, his eyes landing on Sam again.

"Royce, you stay."

Harry left the cabin.

"There was one who got away, and he knows who you are." he said, quietly.

The impassive layer hooded over her eyes now vanished as she talked to him.
"Don't worry," she said, assuringly.

"Moodley blew the jeep."

"Only after it stopped, Sam." he said.
"We don't know if the guy was still inside when he blew the jeep."

"Harry shot him." she said.

"He didn't kill him. He missed the head."

She let out a breath, shaking her head.

"24 is too young an age, to have a terrorist organisation coming after you. You worked undercover in the League for eight months. They might have gained something on you." he said, concern showing in his features, which was a rare sight.

"They're all dead. We wiped them out. And chances of one guy who was already shot, to come after me are almost invisible." She said, her tone silent.

"What if the headquarters are located somewhere else and not in Lebanon? You said there was a possibility." he said.

A slight chuckle left her lips as warmth filled her eyes for the man before her.
"You trained me. If someone comes after me, I can protect myself. Stop worrying, I can do this."

Ian sighed.

He looked up at her and smiled oakily.
"You may dismiss. Enjoy your vacation."

"You too." She said, softly and left the cabin.

He wasn't her father, but he was more than family.

***

Sam entered her apartment, in the same city as the headquarters of ACRO. She was off duty for now and had both the time and money to spend on a vacation abroad. But she wasn't exactly planning to do so, neither were most of her colleagues, especially the ones living in D.C. All the super-agents were instructed to live near the headquarters to be summoned immediately in case there was a new issue that had come up.