41. More than just a Secretary

Just as they were about to walk up to see the old Michaelson, they were all shaken by a loud sound. Brianna quickly jumped at Lucien to cover him. She can tell it was a bomb. She quickly looked around to check from which direction did the sound came from. 
"Damn it!" She grunted. "I should have checked him thoroughly."
Brianna saw the guy she painstakingly brought for questioning blow himself off. He must have had a bomb hidden in his body for instances like he was in. Brianna overlooked that idea when she saw the cyanide. She thought that was the only thing the guy had with him to commit suicide, avoiding torture and questioning. She just realized they would never allow such things to happen if they had any chances. 
"I should have questioned him first," she knocked her head. 
Lucien was still beneath her as she secured the place for any other invasion before she stood up and grabbed the bag with everything she picked for her needs earlier.
"I need to go," she faced Enzo.
Lucien was startled to hear her speak to Enzo and not to him. She sounded dead serious.
"Go where?" he stood between Brianna and Enzo. 
"I need to finish them now. We don't know if that guy had already sent a signal to his comrades of this location," she started to walk behind a wall. Lucien followed her with a nagging face and argued with her.
"You are not going anywhere," Lucien firmly stated. But he turned around quickly when he saw what she was about to do behind the wall. She was taking off her office attire to put on the black suit she got from the clothes rack. 
"Anna, stop this nonsense right now," Lucien spoke with his back to her, frowning and starting to get upset as he worried for her safety. He just heard a loud blast of a bomb. He was with her, but she was quicker to cover him for safety than he doing that for her. 
But Brianna did not listen to him. Wearing a black bodysuit, she walked out to gear up. She wound a leather belt with gun and knife holsters. Then a shoulder gun holsters. She skillfully equipped and packed herself with everything she knew she would be needing. She also carried the bag Enzo gave her earlier with the other explosives and things she could not carry on her body with convenience. 
All this while Lucien was nagging at her to stop. Brianna gave Enzo a meaningful look, and Enzo seemed to receive her message. He stood behind Lucien and prepared himself to hold the young Michaelson if he tried to stoop Brianna from leaving. 
"I will meet you, Master, next time if I make it alive. But I strongly suggest you stand prepared. We do not know when they will come to attack this place," Brianna walked to Tatum and lent her hand out in front of him. "Keys," she clearly demanded. 
Tatum looked at Lucien. He saw his boss shake his head. He was in between following his immediate boss' orders or handing over the key to a ferocious-looking Brianna in front of him. He could feel himself having a broken bone or two if he did not comply with her request. He was looking back and forth, from Lucien to Brianna.
"Keys!" Brianna clenched her jaw as she felt enraged, having been waiting.
"I'm coming with you," Tatum hurriedly replied. "Don't mind me, just do your thing, and I will be your driver, that's all." 
"You don't know what you're walking into," Brianna retorted. "Just hand me over the keys!"
"If you don't let Tatum go with you, I will!" Lucien argued. He agrees with Tatum's idea. At least she won't be alone. He could not be willful to fight against Enzo's hold on him because he knew too well his grandpa was somewhere watching this scene as it was happening. 
"I don't work well with a company. I don't know what the cooperation word means. I get in there alone, and I get out of there alone. That is the way to stay alive. Now, out of my way if you don't want me to put a bullet in your head." Brianna fiercely demanded. She wasn't holding a gun in her hand before she said so, but in a blink of an eye, Tatum had a pistol pointed in his temple with Brianna far from his arm's reach. Had she been closer, he could grab her hand and fight her in combat. But Brianna knew that, so she took a step back before pointing a gun at him. Tatum was helpless. He was still hesitating when he heard a swiss sound pass by his left ear. 
Brianna gave him a warning shot. But as her gun was with a sound suppressor, it only made a swiss sound. 
"I don't have much time to waste with you," she extended her palm-up-open hand to catch the keys from the driver and turned to Enzo again when she got what she needed. "I told you, you can send your men if you want, but let me warn you, I don't like anyone standing in my way. I do my job, and I can care less of any collateral damages." She carried the bag on her shoulder and got into the car, and left.
"Enzo, what did you have to hold me down?" Lucien complained.
"She asked me to," Enzo replied without hesitations. 
"She...? She what?!" Lucien was flabbergasted. He did not hear Brianna say anything like what Enzo was claiming she did. Then he gave up his complaint when he remembered Brianna turned to look at Enzo before Enzo walked behind him. These two speak in eye language, so much for body language.
"Please send her a backup. The car can be traced, so please make sure she returns alive, will you?"
"Yes, Young Master. Please come to see your grandpa," Enzo led Lucien after giving orders to clean up the mess in the basement. Just then, a call from Leandro Michaelson came to Enzo. 
"Yes, Master? Yes, sir. I understand." Enzo only said a few words and turned to Tatum.
"Tatum Elliot, the Master wants you to lead the team to follow Miss Anna. He said you know her somehow compared to everyone else in the team." Enzo stated the old Michaelson's orders.
"What are you talking about? Why send my drive to a mission. First Anna, now Tatum," Lucien was feeling his head would break in indescribable pain. 
But before he was answered, Tatum had already rushed to gear up and leave with the rest of the team. He was ordered to lead the mission. He has the most important role in attending to. Besides, he missed this kind of thing, going into missions. He had been by Lucien's side for a few years now, and the crucial situation he ever had to handle was keeping him safe inside his car. No actions like what happened today with Anna around them. He was decided when he offered his assistance to Anna earlier. He was excited to be of help. It would hit two or more birds in one stone. One is, he will be able to feel the rush of going to missions again. Another thing is, his boss' attackers will be dealt with. 
But aside from being turned down. She even gave him a warning shot. Good thing it had a silencer. If not, Tatum was sure to say he would have lost his sense of hearing. She was just a little out of his arm's reach, after all. 
Tatum saw how fierce Anna could be. Her beauty expressed a different side of her. It was actually fascinating. He had not seen a woman as fierce and capable as her. She was also quick to cover his boss when she heard the loud sound in fear for his safety. But Tatum neglected his task to his great surprise. The sound came too unexpected. They were in the secured walls of the Old Michaelson's very own home. He not even Enzo have thought for anything to happen. Yet Anna was alert. She moves too fast, even with her guns. Tatum was sure she wasn't holding any when she came to him asking for the keys, but when he did not give her what she asked right away, with just a very brief moment, he was already pointed with a gun in his temple. And with a smart distance to secure her position. 
Tatum is convinced, Anna is not just a secretary by profession. Well, she claimed she was a bodyguard. She must have been trained very well. But he can also see that even if his boss, Lucien Michaelson, can see what Tatum's eyes can see about Anna, the young Michaelson is not willing to accept the fact that she is so carefree to do such dangerous things. 
Now he must do his mission. And do it well. He must make sure to bring Anna alive and safe. It should be his way to compensate for his failure to do his job a while ago. He felt shameful to call himself Lucien Michaelson's personal driver and bodyguard when he could not even do as how Anna is willing to do her job. If Anna is willing to go after his Boss' attackers, Tatum should make sure he is there to help Anna come to his boss in any way possible. He is willing to do whatever is needed to be done. He is even willing to give his life in the line of duty.