The Royal Contract

Mike was going on a mission.

It was nothing unusual from what he used to do. He had walked into that building a million times before.

This time, he could be walking into a trap. So far, he had not seen any sign that their enemies suspected anything. Still, he did not want to put his guard down.

"Hey, are you up to do this?" His partner tapped his shoulder, snapping him out of a trance.

Guiltily, he knew his focus should be on the task ahead. But somehow, his mind seemed to wander somewhere else, thinking of someone in particular.

"What?" He was slightly surprised, but glancing at his friend, he realized his situation. "Of course, I am ready." He rotated his neck and shoulders, relieving a tension building inside him.

As much as he wanted to act brave and unafraid, he knew he would be risking his life if he got caught. Therefore, he had to be cautious.

Gerald had always been better than him, especially in covert operations. But he was still the second. So he was confident he could do this.

"Great!" Gerald let go of him and moved to check on his gadgets. "Then, shall we do this?" Of course, it was time.

He took a deep breath before nodding at his friend. Without saying a word, he exited the car and strolled on the pavement, acting like it was another day. Then, he crossed the street to reach the entrance to the old building.

"Do you hear me?" His friend asked, talking into his microphone.

"Loud and clear." He responded as he heard him in his receiver, hidden inside his ear.

He just hoped that no one would notice the hidden wire in his body. Or maybe, he could catch them on tape dealing with their illegal activities if they could not get the papers.

"Be careful. If you think things are going south, get out of there as fast as possible." Gerald reminded him before he turned silent again.

He remembered Gerald saying he was more valuable than any papers in there. "If you don't want to do this, tell me." His friend said.

"But I want to do this. You have bailed me out in so many situations before. If not for you, I will be nothing. So, let me do this. It is the least I can do." Mike knew he owed his friend his life.

He would be nothing or probably dead if not for his friend and mentor. Now, it was his turn to return the favor.

"Hey, Mike. That is one fancy suit you are wearing." One of the security guarding the entrance greeted him.

"You know me. I need to look the part. Just came from one lucrative negotiation." He pretended he had been in a meeting, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary.

"I guess a fancy lawyer needs fancy suits." The man looked at him with approval.

He always liked the man. He was funny. But he would not trust him. He was a cold killer. He would never take a second thought about shooting a man.

"Yep." Mike showed off his suit before walking passed the man. "Anyway, is the boss inside?" He had to confirm if their intel was correct.

His eyes roamed the lobby, checking how many men were inside. But he kept his attention on the man, reassuring that the man did not suspect anything.

"No, he is out. Are you here to see him?" The man asked, slightly raising his eyebrows at him.

"No, not actually. But I hoped the boss was here because I had something to tell him." He explained. "But I will just go upstairs to my office to get some things." He shrugged, acting like it was no big deal.

He was here just like the other days he had come and gone in this building. He had to act the part before someone noticed that he was lying.

"Ok. Mike." The guard waved him off as he turned his attention to something else.

That was the easy part, he thought. But the mission was only beginning as he rode the elevator to the upper floor.

From another perspective, this place was just another corporate office, but it was the central headquarters of their operations.

"Mike, wait." The guard called his name. He was waiting for the elevators to open but had to turn to look at him.

Suddenly, he could not help but wonder if something was wrong. Did he somehow blow his cover? Despite his bravado, he still felt a slight uneasiness.

"What is it?" He immediately asked, hoping to sound normal.

"Do you think you have time later or even tomorrow? I have a case that I wish to consult with you." The guard said, making him breathe a sigh of relief.

It was common for this guy to ask for his help with the law. Most of the time, they needed a good lawyer to get out of a jam with the law enforcers.

"Sure. Text me the time tomorrow." Mike answered the man just in time for the doors to open. "But I have to go."

He walked through the doors and waited for it to close. Finally, alone, that was the only time he could relax a bit.

Being the friend of the previous head of the organization had its perks. And one of those was his office on the same floor as the big boss.

Although it was a ghost office, they kept skeleton employees to keep up with the pretension of a daily legal operation.

But it was just a front for a larger company that handled most of their underground distributions.

"Hey, Sweetheart." He greeted the woman sitting outside the boss's office. "Would you mind helping me out with a minor problem?"

"What is it, Mike?" The woman asked, batting her eyebrows at him.

He always knew that the woman wanted him. However, he never liked mixing business with pleasure. But who said he could not flirt with her when he needed something from her?

"I have a few things to do, but you see..." He slowed his speech, wanting her to catch up, and finished the sentence for him.

"Say no more. I can do it for you." She willingly volunteered, which was precisely the plan.

"Oh, I can't impose on you like that." Pretending to decline her offer of help. But, of course, that was just his ploy.

"Don't be silly. So, what is it?" She insisted as she stood from her chair.

"If you are sure..." He still pretended to hesitate, leading the way to his office.

He asked her to do some work for him. But the most important one was tricking her to leave her post for a long time. She was the only one standing in his way to get access to the boss's office.

"This is a piece of cake. Just give me a few minutes to take care of this." She declared as she started working on the papers.

He also pretended to work on his table, waiting for his opportunity. He was not worried. He had plenty of time. Their boss was not returning to his office until the next day.

Besides, he just needed a few minutes to access the office and the files. Then, he would be home free.

"Thanks, Sweetheart. You are a darling." He knew he should keep the praises coming so she would be more encouraged to do what he asked her.

Soon enough, she excused herself, leaving him alone in his office. He knew it was the chance he had been waiting for.

Quickly, he moved to the door to check on her. Then she saw her carrying the files toward the elevator. He knew that was it.

"Once she is inside the elevator, I am moving in." He spoke on the microphone, watching every second as it ticked by.

"Ok. You are clear to go. The coast is still clear." Gerald spoke on his receiver. It meant his boss had not unexpectedly decided to show up.

"I am walking toward your office." He said, waiting for his further instructions. Who would know the place more than his former boss?

"Just go to the end of the left corner cabinet..." Gerald said, giving him instructions leading him to the secret vault where he had stashed most of the evidence against their enemies.

On the other hand, Gerald also safeguarded a few secrets inside that vault. He could not let their enemies get them.

"Ok." He carefully followed his directives until he found the secret hiding place. With his guide, he opened the vault without any problems.

Click!

The sound that he needed to hear. Quickly, he opened the solid door, revealing him inside the metallic secured cabinet.

"Oh! Shit!" He hissed under his breath when he saw the content.

"What is wrong?" Gerald sounded anxious as he waited for him to answer him.

He bent forward, scrambling to search the vault. Bundles of money covered one side. Then, a few nuisance documents he did not need.

Nevertheless, he already knew something was wrong.

"Houston, we have a problem."