Tiger nodded after my questions. "Truthfully, we were never in contact with Bruce. I myself do not even know who he and I guess I will nolonger have to read reports as you can tell me, He was your father, right?"
I simply nodded. Guy was maybe avoiding my questions. I did not want you to answer as I was sure Tiger would bail out with the introduction of a new topic so …
"Apparently David worked for The Order, our nemesis. I have never heard his name before, the day I was called and told to dispatch Mara was the first. Apparently these guys don't give us many explanations, they just howl and puff and just expect us to follow their commands."
So this group had a hierarchy, I had certainly figured that out and my guess was probably that they were just the guys who also envied the power and benefits enjoyed by The Order. Maybe I was wrong.
"They called and asked for you to be convinced to brought here, to be convinced to be one of us. It was supposed for you to come willingly but from Mara's report it seems she didn't put much of an effort. It seems Zeus; Oh God I hate that guy, it seems he convinced you to follow Mara. David did our job for him there."
"Well so you are telling me the higher ups wanted to recruit me and I guess that's just to anger The Order. But seriously, considering you think Zeus' actions helped you, is he working for you or does The Order have a mole here and are sure when they want me they can easily bombard this place or convince the so called higher-ups to give me up."
Tiger looked a little shocked at this. "Are you an undercover agent for an intelligence agency because with your words, anyone may think you are one and may label you a danger, including me?"
Seeing his serious expression I couldn't help wonder this guy thought that was intelligent. " If that deduction scared you, it seems then you just assumed I was David's son and since the higher ups requested for me you did not even bother to do a background check. Your intelligence department is lacking in the group, I think that's the position I would take then." I smiled at him."
"Where did you learn that?" he asked me.
"If you had done a background check, you would know I am a writer, not famous but still a writer. You learn that from studying and research for novels." I answered but quickly added my own question, "Who is The Assembly?"
He relaxed a bit but I am sure the issue of a background check had gotten to him. "The Assembly is mostly made up of people in many positions. Some powerful some not but the duty is to keep the influence of The Order in check. We are successful though because of sponsors of which a lot are part of The Order apparently forced to join and for those, they don't know each other. They just send the dollars and we help make sure The Order keeps looking over it's shoulder."
"So what is it you do I asked him to keep them in check?" I asked him.
"Our core duty is sabotage. We try to disrupt everything of theirs. We burn warehouses, we help the police arrest drug lords, we are basically the big time informants to the CID. Sometimes we resort to assassinations, we make sure to root out those people that control the relationship between those in suits and the small time fish, so we target middlemen."
"So who actually formed The Assembly and who did you refer to as the 'higher ups'?"
It was now that he looked at me closely before answering."The higher ups are typically the guys above me, those who also recruited me. We are ranked with time joined and also achievements." He paused to look at me. Seeing me try to ask another question, he cut me off, "…and I have heard your life is in danger, why would The Order kill the son of one of their late top celebrated members?He was the best according to these reports, your father I mean."
Yeah, just reminded he was my Dad. I loved him, he had tried to be there for me. When he made them that truce with the gun he had been protecting me. I still don't know what that call said but it seems it is the one that ended the truce. Maybe he stole something or he hid something that only he had.
I looked at Tiger and answered, "Apparently, I am supposed to be a guy full of deadly secrets that may be helpful to The Assembly and that makes me a threat to The Order."
"You are supposed to have secrets….so does that mean you don't?" Tiger asked his face serious.
"I don't know maybe I do. Maybe I don't but I only got to know about something called The Order the day before yesterday and that is after Mara had left a warning letter. But apparently, I'm the last person David called. He was supposedly drunk I think, or I ws the one drunk, I had been drinking, loud music also. What he said did not make sense then."
"Do you remember what he said?"
"Noooo….like I said, I was a bit drunk, I woke up with a hangover and I only recalled the call after someone mentioned it so I'll be lying if I say I do." I watched his face and it betrayed a look of disappointment.
"Thanks Adrian for your time, go and rest. I've got some people to call and also welcome to the group, intelligence guy. Hope now we will never fly into missions blind."
I got up and exited but just before closing the door I saw Tiger pick up his phone. Pity, Mara wasbin the sitting room so I couldn't wait to catch what Tiger was saying.