Chap 5
Broken and Mended
Amber’s POV:
“Ringggg!... Ringgggg!!!.... RINNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...... ”
“Arghhh!!” I slammed my fist on my alarm clock. It was only February and I had already broken like nine alarm clocks. Damn… make it ten. I think I would need to set aside a sum of money just to buy alarm clocks soon.
“Arghh….” I pressed my fingers on both my temples. Great… my mind was still full of events from last night. I thought I would feel better after sleeping. Okay maybe not a sleep, a nap. Anyway I still feel like crap like last night.
I dragged myself to the bathroom. As I brushed my teeth, I noticed that my eye bags and dark circles were worse. I think I only got like 1 or 2 hours of sleep last night…. Damn… Now I am going to look like a train wreck in front of Nicole… What a way to impress her.. Wait a sec… why do I cared about how I looked in front of Nic?? Weird me, it’s not like I’m interested in her right??
“Yea.. well just keep denying your true feelings then. Keep saying that, loser.” Replied Sub-Amber.
“Shut up and go back to sleep. It’s still early for you to be popping out like this.” I went to my fridge and gulped down my ‘energy drink’. I wouldn’t want the fainting situation to happen again and Nicole to worry. To see her cries just break my heart into pieces. Make me upset too. .. I should stopped talking like this. Not healthy. Especially in my current situation.
“Self-denial is even more unhealthy, more deadly too.” Damn… nosy sub-Amber.
I walked to my garage in a hurry. I hoped to at least talk to Nic regarding last night before the meeting started. Randomly, I picked one of the car keys hanging from a small cabinet securely fixed at one of the walls. Pressing the unlock button, the headlights of my red BMW convertible flashed.
Checking that I got my ID badge with me, I began to drive to HQ.
----End of Amber’s POV----
The red BMW cruised effortlessly along the streets towards the direction of HQ. The HQ was where all the secret service agents working for the government meet and was brief about each mission. And of course, the unlimited supplies of weapons, ammunitions, tools, etc necessary to get the mission completed were also supplied by HQ.
The main purpose of having secret service agents was mainly to get hold of evidence and then eliminate any forms of threats to the Korean government in secrecy. All agents report to the Chief of Secret Service who then reports to Head of Ministry of Defense who then reports to the Korean President. Other than that, no one knows the existence
In order to appear normal and to avoid suspicion from outside world, secret service HQ was disguised as a high-tech pharmaceutical company called Inton which was funded by the government. To avoid further suspicions, all agents (all were females) were employed as a team of professional lab chemists – which was termed as SLC (Special Lab Chemists) – working for the most top secret and confidential projects for the company.
Meaning, the SLC have their own space and office. Interactions with the rest of the ordinary employees were kept to a minimal in order to protect the integrity and secrecy of the secret service.
The offices for them were located at the basement level. Basement 1 (B1) was ordinary offices where paper work and admin stuff were done. Basement 2 (B2) was the high-tech labs itself (it’s more for cover up than actual labs work done here). To get access to these 2 levels, a special lift was designed and placed in another corner of the building lobby, with at least a dozen security guards armed with automatic shotguns on standby, a dozen security cameras installed. To activate the lift, a valid ID badge and thumbprint from any of the SLC were required. In case of security bleach, the lift will shut down by itself and released toxic gas into the chamber of the lift unless the right code is pressed in time at the number pad beside the level buttons.
So far, all the ordinary employees only knew the existence of B1 and B2. Little did they know that B3, B4, B5, B6, B7 and B8 existed. B3 was where all the briefings of missions were conducted and the location of the control station. B4 and B5 were training grounds for both physical trainings and weapons trainings. B6 was where all weapons, tools etc were issued. B7 was the infirmary for agents who got injured or sick. B8 was basically an underground path leading to the carpark specially for ‘lab chemists’. You can’t possibly carry a grenade launcher and machine gun through the lobby as though they were laptops and external hard disks without attracting unwanted attentions so that was why B7 existed.
Inton also has strict policies and rules regarding workplace behaviors. Any ordinary employees found to be stalking, harassing or even gossiping about the lab chemists will be terminated immediately. Rumors also spread that not only will they be terminated from Inton, they will also be terminated from the surface of the earth.
But since Inton pays generously to each of their employees, resumes from all over the country still flooded the fax machine, mail box and emails too, everyday. There was no shortage of manpower and Inton knew that. Therefore, the ordinary employees knew better than to get into trouble with the SLC.
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The red BMW stopped briefing at the security booth at the entrance of Inton to flash her ID badge before zooming in towards the SLC carpark and to her designated slot. Each SLC was given a designated lot. Amber’s lot was just beside Nicole’s.
Pulling the key out of the ignition, Amber noticed that Nicole’s BMW S1000RR bike was already neatly parked in the slot.
Climbing out of her convertible, she took a deep breath before grabbing her stuff and walked nervously to the lobby.
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