The Phantom Prince ✔️

Chapter 3

I went to the cyber crimes divisions. I was starting to get really curious about the case that got Eric so spooked.

Uhhh... Now I can imagine his voice in my head singing spooked by the spooks.

"Hey there Rodriguez. Eric told me you guys needed some help with a case." I said to the person with glasses who always seemed to be glued to a screen.

He ignored me and kept typing some code stuff that I did not and would never understand on the screen considering how bad I was with technology stuff. I almost felt bad for the keyboard at being pounded on like that.

"Haha.. I am in... Thought you could get in my server foolish mortals hehehe" he muttered to himself and was creeping me out.

I lightly tapped his shoulders to get his attention.

"Gwaaah... I didn't eat your chocolate pudding with extra strawberries and cream chief" he exclaimed and fell off his rolling chair startled.

He suddenly noticed me and sat back on his chair, pushed his glasses up and acted like nothing happened.

"You have some business with me Agent Marcus?" he said raising his eyebrows and trying to look all cool and professional.

Sometimes I think he has two personalities. A professional serious one normally and a crazy maniac when he does anything computer related .

"Eric said you had a case for me?" I asked.

If Eric pranked me or something he would be so very very dead.

Rodriguez suddenly looked nervous. He looked at me with a serious expression. "Marcus this one's really bad. We got some information about the organisation but we need someone to infiltrate from inside."

Oh. So it was an undercover operation. Just like Eric, he also said it was bad.

"Don't worry my team would cooperate with your team. If you are going to brief us I can call the team."

I was temporarily the unit chief of my division since my boss mysteriously disappeared.

"The briefings are going to be the day after tomorrow. Oh... And we don't need any credit for this one.. It could be dangerous to attract any unwanted attention." he said nervously.

One of the reasons why so many different divisions cooperate with us on cases is because we don't insist on getting credit if they want it.

Well... Its mostly so we won't drown in paperwork...But they don't need to know that.

"No problem Roderiquez. Your team has our full cooperation but I am still curious about what the case is generally about." I said and offered him a charming smile that no one could resist.

He looked totally creeped out and slowly backed away from me then suddenly looked cautiously around him like a suspicious drug dealer in the middle of a trade deal.

"Don't attract any attention and just follow me quietly" he said seriously.

Yup. Totally suspicious.

I followed him to an empty conference room. He locked the door and brushed his hand across his hair looking tired.

"Rodriguez just what exactly is going on?" I was dying to know the answers.

"Have you ever heard about Red rooms?" He asked seriously.

"A room that is red?" I asked blinking in confusion.

"Uhhh.. How much do you know about the dark web?" he asked

"Like a dark spiders Web?" I was totally lost.

Just what was he talking about?

He looked at me in horror and exasperation. "You seriously never heard of the dark web?"

I felt annoyed. He was looking at me like I was an idiot.
"It's about some weird cult thing right...that has red painted rooms and some spider stuff." I muttered guessing what he meant by it.

He sighed in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose and tried to explain it to me in a way that I explained to my daughter why she shouldn't eat candies and ice cream for breakfast.

"The dark web is part of the internet that isn't visible to search engines and requires the use of an anonymizing browser called Tor to be accessed."

"Oh I see... So it's some computer stuff that is invisible to you unless you are Thor" I nodded. I think I got this computer stuff.

Maybe I am not so bad at this technology stuff after all.

"Just how are you so bad with technology? Do you live in the bronze age or what!" he exclaimed passionately.

It was not my fault that computers are so hard. I am good at other stuff... like I can punch straight through a computer and destroy it completely without needing to do any of the hacking stuff.

I didn't tell him that though. I felt like if I kept talking, he would strangle me or something in this empty abandoned room with no witnesses and I still hadn't written a proper will.

He suddenly looked really tired. Maybe the cyber division had really stressful jobs.

It was a good think that I didn't have to stare at screens all day long. I looked a t him in sympathy and pity.

"Okay.. Okay then I will explain it to you in a way that even you can understand". he said taking deep breaths and trying to calm down.

"It has to do with human experimentation. They basically let the spectators decide what to do with the experiment subjects....and some other experiments...most of them are children...We need your help to carry out an infiltration and rescue operation." he said looking at me with such sadness that broke my heart.

I finally understood what it was about and I realized why it was so sad, repulsive and gruesome.

If something like that happened to my Amy... I couldn't even begin to imagine something like that.

It was shocking and I swore that I won't let anyone else get hurt. I always had a soft spot for children and the thought that they were being used like that was terrifying.

I swore to myself that I would get those bastards.