Symphony

4. Weapon

"Let me get this straight." Eddy stared incredulously at Clark. The clock on her desk read 4:48 AM.

"You want me to partner with this guy?"

The woman sighed, picking up Brett's file from her large desk."Chen, you're one of my smartest agents. And frankly, you and Brett have quite a lot in common—your age, your race, your shared classical music background..."

At this, the agent winced. "That's not really something that I want to revisit—"

"Regardless, I need him," Clark continued. "That means I need you. If you can cooperate, if you can work with Brett, gain his trust..."

"Why on earth are we trusting him, though?" Eddy countered. "It's obvious that he came here to steal something. What's so important that you're giving him a break?"

The woman raised her eyebrows. "Why don't I show you both?" She pressed her earpiece. "Bring me Yang from holding. And Sophie, too, with the research."

Within a minute, Brett was escorted into the office, his hands cuffed behind him. Upon seeing Clark, he wiggled his arms in exasperation. "Is this really necessary, mate? Last I checked, I'm not a fucking serial killer."

Eddy stifled a laugh. Clark remained straight-faced, but nodded at the guard beside Brett, who removed the thief's handcuffs and walked out. "Take a seat," she told Brett, motioning to the chair besides Eddy. He sat down, rubbing his wrists thankfully.

A moment later, light footsteps approached the office, and a light, staccato knock rang through the room. "Hello?" A voice spoke softly from the other side of the door. "It's Druml."

Clark pressed a button on her desk to unlock the door, which slid open with a click. A younger woman entered the room, her long, brown hair askew around her shoulders. In one hand, she held a cup of coffee; in the other, a laptop that was crammed with scribbled notes and haphazard sketches. Although her hazel eyes were tired, they were also bright and warm, filled with an invisible music. They lit up when they met Eddy's.

"Hey, Sophie," he said, returning her smile. The two agents had been recruited at around the same time, so they shared years of experience in the League. They also shared a discerning and creative nature. However, while Sophie was more adept to research, preferring to work her magic behind the scenes, Eddy worked primarily as a field agent.

"Yang, meet Sophie," Clark said, nodding at the other woman. "She'll be briefing you and Agent Chen on your mission."

"Wait a minute," Brett responded, eyes darting between Eddy and Clark. "Our mission? As in...I'm working with him?"

The head of the ADL nodded.

"Look...ma'am—"

"Clark," she said coldly.

"Ms. Clark, whatever—" the thief continued, "— I work alone. Always have, always will."

"Yang," Clark articulated. "Do you really think I'd let you out in the field by yourself? We stuck a deal, yes, but you're still a criminal." She motioned at Eddy. "Chen will be working with you to ensure your compliance, and your success."

The thief clenched his jaw, crossing his arms moodily over his black, long-sleeve shirt.

Eddy sighed. "Believe me, mate. I'm just as psyched as you are."

Brett said nothing.

The tense silence was cut by Sophie's soft voice. "Well, then...let me show you guys what I have been researching."

She spoke with an accent—somewhere European, Brett thought, but his geography was pretty miserable. He watched as Sophie folded her laptop in order to make it a tablet, then turned the screen so that him and Eddy could see.

On its screen was a single photograph of what appeared to be a syringe. It was filled with a blazing blue liquid.

"I have had my eye on it for a while, now," Sophie said. "I believe it is some sort of...biological weapon."

Brett raised his eyebrows.

"I don't have many specifics, but the research I am gathering indicates..." she swallowed. "...indicates it is an extremely powerful weapon. It holds the capability, I believe, for mass destruction."

The thief leaned forward, adjusting his glasses as he took a closer look at the syringe in the picture. Its needle was long, poised—ready to strike. "So, steal a syringe, then back to the symphony," he said.

Clark shrugged. "In the simplest of terms, yes. We need a sample of this drug, this serum, whatever it is, before it leaves the continent. Then, we can figure out what exactly it is, and how to combat it."

"Most of my intel is from chatter on the black market." Sophie continued. "I am not sure who, exactly, is making it. But I do know one person who has bought it." She swiped to reveal another picture.

A dark-haired man with piercing brown eyes stared at them from the screen. Defined cheekbones led down to his mouth, which was turned upwards in a confident smirk. "Ray Chen, 31." Sophie said. "Owns a night club here in Sydney. Side business is drugs, which brings him good money...but until now, his illegal activity was not serious enough for us to get involved."

The man looked vaguely familiar to Brett, but he couldn't put a finger on where he had encountered him before.

"So...break into the club, and steal from him?" Eddy said.

"If you can," Clark responded. "Or at least get more information about the serum and its other possible whereabouts." She stood up and nodded to Sophie. "Forward the intel to Chen," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Sophie responded, packing up her laptop and notes.

"Chen, Yang, you may leave." Clark said. The pair stood. "You have a lot of prepping to do."

Sophie made a move to follow them out the door, but Clark grabbed her arm.

"Stay in my office for one moment, Druml," she said, motioning with her other hand for her to sit.

"Oh—yes, ma'am," Sophie swallowed, taking the seat previously held by Eddy. The head of the ADL closed her office door, then made her way back to her desk, where Brett's case file laid wide open.

The two women were alone now.

"Sophie, you were part of the team that looked into Brett's history this morning, correct?"

The agent slowly nodded.

Clark pulled out a piece of paper from the file. "It says here that his parents were ADL agents. Killed in 2000, when Brett was 8."

"Yes," Sophie answered, furrowing her brows. "They died in a car crash. A...a drunk driver, I believe."

"Car crash..." Clark murmured.

Then, her eyes widened.

She remembered.

"Is...is that all?" Sophie asked, clutching her laptop. She didn't like what had shifted in Clark's cold, blue eyes.

"Yes, yes," Clark said, waving her hand to dismiss the agent. "Thank you, Sophie."

As soon as the agent exited her office, Clark grabbed her phone.

"It's Clark." She paused.

"I need all data on and Tao-Yi and Grace Yang erased. Immediately."