The room was dark, almost eerie, with people standing in black robes, their heads bowed. The only source of light was a spotlight on a throne-like chair at the front. The sound of incoming footsteps grew louder, heightening the ominous atmosphere. As the footsteps increased, the tension in the room seemed to loosen like a rope on the brink of snapping. His silhouette was the first thing to appear before he fully emerged from the darkness, flanked by his guards on either side.
He wore a black robe like everyone else in the room, but his was distinguished by a red serpent design running across his shoulders. He was also masked, exuding an aura of mystery and danger.
“Today is a very special day in the history of the Craig family,” his loud yet cold voice reverberated through the room. “But first, let’s review the outcomes of our recent missions. Shall we?”
These words sent a shiver through the crowd, as everyone knew the consequences of making a single mistake.
“Agent 67, you go first,” he commanded.
The spotlight immediately shifted to Agent 67, amplifying his already intense fear. He had no choice but to begin speaking.
“My mission was to intercept the shipment of ammunition meant for the Black Devil Mafia family, but...” he stammered, only to be cut off.
“Seize him and take him to The Den. I hate ‘buts’; they never lead to good endings,” the mysterious man ordered, his voice colder than before. His guards promptly carried out the command.
Everyone in the room knew what was coming next for Agent 67. Being taken to The Den meant only one thing: torture and eventual death. The Den was a place designed solely for that purpose, staffed by people trained in the art of pain.
The briefing continued, with some people meeting the same fate as Agent 67 and others receiving new assignments. Finally, it was Anita Craig's turn, the last to be called and also known as Agent 1.
“Here comes the star of today's show,” the mysterious man announced with an unsettling joy as the spotlight illuminated her. She was the focus of the special occasion, her presence starkly contrasting the room's gloomy atmosphere. With her red and black hair and red-tinted lips, she radiated confidence and elegance. However, beneath the facade, she was as scared as the others.
“I...” Anita began to speak, but he interrupted her.
“You don’t need to say anything. We all know you've never failed a mission. You’ve proven yourself to be a true Craig, inside and out. That’s why you’ve been assigned the ultimate mission. If you succeed, you will succeed me as the leader of the Craig Mafia family.”
To the other agents, this might have sounded like a great honor, but for Anita, it was a nightmare. Her heart sank at her father's words. She had no desire to become the next leader. In fact, she had been diligently completing her missions to earn the freedom to leave the family someday. Now, she realized her efforts had only made others believe she was aiming for the top.
“Your mission is the long-awaited one, making it special. Everyone in this room knows our long-time enemy is the Hills family. It’s time we face them head-on. And who better to do it than Agent 1? You are to infiltrate the Hills and uncover all their dirty secrets to bring them down. This can only be achieved through their sole heir, Aiden Hills, whose details have been erased and who has never been seen in public for twenty years. He took over the Hills family business five years ago and operates through a personal assistant. All his household staff are bound by Non-Disclosure Agreements
NDAs
, with severe consequences for breaking them. You are to find Aiden Hills and uncover anything that can destroy him and his family’s business.”
If Anita’s heart had dropped before, it shattered now. The Hills were not people to mess with. Their security was top-notch, and they were ruthless to enemies. Their company controlled over fifty percent of Macabre’s economy and had a formidable international presence. No one dared to cross them. Anita couldn’t understand why her father believed she could take them down or why he wanted to challenge them. Logically, their family should be aligning with influential people like the Hills, given their role as a Mafia family. The Craig Mafia family was significant too, one of the largest underground groups in Macabre, dealing in ammunition and helping the corrupt rich with their problems, excluding drugs, which they forbade. They operated like a military organization with a hundred special agents handling top-secret missions directly assigned by the leader. Anita, as the leader's daughter, was an exception to the anonymity maintained by the agents.
None of these considerations mattered to Anita now, as she knew her doom was sealed by her father’s next words. “Meet me in three hours for a personal briefing, and bring a perfect plan to execute this mission. The operation starts tomorrow; we have no time to waste,” he said urgently, offering no solace.
“Yes, sir,” Anita replied, trying to mask the fear in her voice.
“This concludes today's briefing. Your next missions will be sent to your email,” the leader said, rising and leaving the room the same way he entered.
As everyone dispersed, so did Anita’s three hours, which she spent frantically trying to gather information on the Hills. Her efforts yielded nothing, and she found herself standing before her father in his office at the Craig family mansion.
Hilary Craig was a bulky man with a clean-shaven head, including his eyebrows, giving his head an egg-like appearance, except it had eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Now, with his mask off, he looked even more mysterious and intimidating, the kind of scary you wouldn’t want to explore.
“I’m here,” Anita said, but received no response as he continued to focus on his tablet. After what felt like an eternity, he cleared his throat and got straight to the point.
“So, what’s your plan?” he asked without any formalities.
“I wasn’t able to find anything about the family,” Anita admitted, her voice trembling slightly.
“If you were anyone else, you know what would happen,” he responded coldly.
“I was hoping you could help me,” she replied hesitantly.
“I knew you’d ask, and we have no time to waste. I've done my research. The Hills heir resides in their estate in South Hampley City, heavily guarded. But I've arranged an opening for you. His personal maid has gone missing, thanks to us, and they’re looking for a replacement. You’ll go there not as Anita Craig but as Shirley Hampton, a graduate of Cook’s Culinary School in England. You have three months to complete this mission, assume your role, and marry the Johnson family heir. I trust you're securing your position with him; we need to acquire their assets too,” he concluded, dropping another bombshell on Anita.
“You may go now,” he said, resuming his previous activity.
As Anita left, her mind raced with thoughts about the mission and her arranged marriage. Although she had been engaged to Jamie Johnson for a year, she never intended to marry him. She simply played along because Jamie was a nice guy who made her feel comfortable, but she only saw him as a friend. However, her father never entertained such ideas. Now, she had to prepare for her three-month suicide mission, doubting she would survive even a day. These thoughts weighed heavily on Anita as she readied herself for the daunting task ahead.
