Chapter 2 The Return Of The Ace Agent

Jennifer turned toward the path the man had taken and made her way to the coastal lookout tower.

Upon reaching the lookout tower, she spotted the man on the cliff, his movements as graceful and swift as a leopard, dodging the sniper's attempts with ease.

Just as he was nearly out of the sniper's range of fire, Jennifer snapped, "Idiot! Hand over the gun!"

The sniper, upon hearing her, stepped back and passed her the rifle without hesitation.

With the rifle in hands, Jennifer took aim at the retreating silhouette.

The man seemed to sense danger and turned to face the lookout tower. That was when Jennifer fired, the bullet cutting through the air toward him.

Through her sniper scope, Jennifer watched as the bullet hit the man's shoulder, sending a burst of blood into the air.

To her surprise, her aim had been off; the bullet had missed his heart.

The man swayed but remained on his feet. Jennifer swiftly reloaded, preparing for another shot.

Her eyes suddenly widened in shock.

The man on the edge of the cliff lifted his gun. Jennifer could see the ominous gleam of the barrel pointed directly at her through her scope.

In a reflexive motion, she ducked her head to the side, a sharp sting slicing her cheek followed by the warm sensation of blood trickling down.

She raised her eyes just in time to see the man backing away until he was perched atop the cliff's highest rock.

He faced Jennifer, gave a mocking wave, and then jumped from the rock.

Witnessing this, Jennifer hurried down from her perch and ascended the cliff herself.

The rock where the man had stood was entirely black. Jennifer knelt on one knee, brushing her fingers across it, and saw a red smear on her fingertips.

"Ms. Bennett."

Seeing the blood, a soldier trailing her quickly offered her a tissue.

Jennifer wiped her fingers with the tissue vigorously and threw it back to the soldier. "Analyze this blood for a match in the global DNA database."

"Understood, ma'am."

As she stared out at the dark, rough sea, Jennifer's voice turned cold. "I want him found, dead or alive."

"Roger that."

Thirty minutes later, in her office, Jennifer peeled off her mask to reveal a beautiful face scarred by a fresh, harsh wound.

She examined the injury in the mirror and carefully dabbed alcohol on it. The sharp sting elicited a grimace, yet she made no sound.

Once she had cared for her wound, Jennifer addressed the visibly tense security captain. "Now, tell me, what exactly was stolen?"

"It was... File HJ001, ma'am."

As he spoke, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, yet he resisted the urge to wipe them off. File HJ001 was a top-secret file from their training program.

"Hicaerith, Jalster?"

The organization named their files after cities and countries. "H" for Hicaerith, a country, and "J" for Jalster, a city of the country, while "001" denoted the document's utmost secrecy.

This particular file contained details of the notorious 711 international abduction case.

The case had seen the loss of lives of numerous operatives, including special forces and mercenaries from several nations, marking it as highly sensitive.

Jennifer knew she had to secure that file before anyone could crack its encryption.

Lost in thought, she was jolted back to reality when the office door swung open abruptly. A man in camouflage walked briskly to her desk.

Upon seeing him, Jennifer's first question was straightforward. "The man, did you bring him in dead or alive?"

"We couldn't locate him, I'm sorry."

He quickly met Jennifer's cold look and continued, "There were some people hiding beneath the water. The man had allies. Yet, our team has traced their maritime path toward Jalster in Hicaerith."

A sudden ring broke the silence. The phone on the desk buzzed to life, and Jennifer swiftly answered it upon recognizing the number.

"Hello, Leah?"

Meanwhile, in a Urywood manor, a woman in a white dress was on the phone, chuckling softly. "Jennifer, did someone take File HJ001 right out from under you?"

Coldness washed over Jennifer's delicate features as she listened. "Don't worry. I'll get it back before anyone cracks it."

There was a top-secret document that needed to be reclaimed.

"So, are you heading to Hicaerith yourself?"

Jennifer, sitting on the sofa, looked down thoughtfully upon hearing this, her hand tightening around the phone.

Leah Dale waited silently on the other end.

After a pause, Jennifer answered quietly, "Yes, I'll go to Hicaerith myself to recover the file."

"Since you're going back to Hicaerith, why not stay with the Bennetts for a bit?"

"Leah, you..."

"Jennifer, remember the Bennett family is still your family. It would be good if you could reconnect with them. Don't worry about the arrangements; I've got it covered. You'll return as an exchange student and enroll at Jalster University. If staying with the Bennetts feels too much, you have the option to stay on campus."

"I'm heading back to Hicaerith tonight."

With that, Jennifer ended the call.