Down the Rabbit Hole

[Centurius]

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before improving the world

It was still uncomfortable, the presence of military in the streets of the Federation. Paradise lost as so many had started to call it. Traffic wasn’t much better as a result either, though in the defence of the Hellenic Forces. Being delayed five minutes when you could already expect a two hour commute was not unreasonable. However today was a day Leon could not be late. As an agent for the Committee for State Security he was tasked with the very protection of the Athenian Federation and its institutions. Where he would normally engage in operations abroad his superiors apparently deemed him a better fit at home for what they had planned. As he looked on his watch he saw it was 7.45, he still had fifteen minutes before they expected him. As he approached Mateus Palace he finally had the streets mostly to himself, after all the real purpose of the palace was by now an open secret and not a lot of people wanted to be found near it. Once he approached the gates he stopped his car as a guard approached it.

“Identification please, sir” The guard said as soon as Leon had opened the window, he took a card from his pocket and showed it to the guard who went to verify his identity.

“Thank you, sir” He said before giving back the card and opening the gates so Leon could continue. With just five minutes left Leon parked the car and walked inside the palace. As was to be expected it was busier than normal, every element of Imperial Intelligence was working overdrive and of course the CSS even more so. Giving the guards at the entrance a nod he would continue up the stairs and to the office of his supervisory agent. Once there he identified himself to the secretary who immediately let him through. To his surprise the office was empty.

It however wouldn’t be for long, mere minutes following his entrance into the office the doors behind him opened again as a middle-aged man walked in. “Agent Bertrand, glad to see you could make it in time. Please sit” The man said as Leon nodded to him and took a seat in front of the desk.

“I realize this is not one of your usual areas of expertise but considering the circumstances I need my best and subtlest man on the case. The Initiative has put us in an awkward position, we have no clue who they are, where they came from or even how to fight them. For all we know their next attack could already be in place. To find out more about them I need you to travel to the site of the car bomb in Damascus” The man stopped as he saw some surprise on Leon’s face.

“Sir, wouldn’t I be better off in Rome?” Leon asked, expecting Damascus to be a punishment for something he might have done.

“Everyone is in Rome, from our own teams to the local police departments. Rome was their grand move, the play they were going for all along but we can learn only little from it. Damascus was their first and something made it so important that they needed to attack there. I want you to investigate what this was and how we can use it. “

Leon nodded. “Will this be a solo operation or is a forward team in place?”

“You will have no CSS back-up and the other agencies aren’t aware you are even there. We also believe the IIA is there so be on guard”

Leon nodded once more. “Thank you sir, I will leave right away.” Leon said as he shook the man’s hand before walking out of the office and back to his car. By the time he was in it the tickets for the flight to Damascus would probably already be booked.