The Dark Chamber

He was here. Finally. The years he had spent searching for this group had finally yielded some results. At least he hoped it would. So far, all he had garnered was the fact that this group operated in the dark and were very secretive about their identities.

         He adjusted the blindfold that had been placed over his eyes upon his entrance and stumbled over a step. The people leading him gripped his arms tightly, making him wonder if this was a trap. But it was too late now to do anything about it.

         A week ago, his source and fellow agent had sent him a slip of paper. On it was the address of the place the secret society was meeting and the time. Nothing else. No name. No background info. No warning. It was the way their agency worked, but it still made him uneasy even as he burned the note.

         Still, he had donned an all-black outfit and followed the directions until he was there. Upon arriving, he had noticed a nondescript building. Gray walls, no wording on the outside, and nothing but trees surrounding it. He had almost missed it when driving by.

          Before entering, he had walked around the perimeter. He had checked for people, escape routes, and hiding spots. But the only thing he had found was the fact that the only escape he would have if something backfired was the front entrance. No secret tunnels or hidey-holes, at least none that he could spot from the outside.

         And now that he was inside and blindfolded, he would have a very hard time finding his way out on his own. Still, he used the skills he had learned in training, and counting every step he took, every turn, and every sound he heard along the way.

         Finally, the two people leading him stopped and pushed him into a room. The blindfold was yanked from his head. He expected to be assaulted by the light, but the room was dark even after his eyes adjusted. Strange, he knew they were secretive, but he had not expected them to be this secretive. It must be worse than he originally thought.

         He held his breath and tried to guess how many were in the room. He could wager that there were at least ten men present in the room. Just as he had gathered prior to this meeting.

         The door opened again and another man entered. He immediately felt the tension in the room. This must be the boss. For so long, he had tried to find the name of anyone in this organization, not that he had been successful, but now he was closer than ever. If they decided to ever turn the lights on.

         He stiffened as the footsteps passed by him and wondered how the man seemed able to walk in the darkness, but surely it was something they mastered if they did this with every meeting. He wondered if they did this every time or if it was because he had not yet garnered their trust. But garner their trust he would. He needed to, or else many would be harmed by the group’s schemes.

         A voice, presumably the boss, spoke. “We must welcome a new member into our midst.” The voice was not strong as he would have imagined, but a puny voice. Yet despite that, the voice held authority.

         Suddenly the lights were turned on and he was blinded by the sudden change. After he blinked a couple of times, he looked around. This was the moment he would see the faces of the people he had searched for.

         Or at least, it would have been the moment, if they had not all been wearing cloaks over their heads. He was the only one whose face was shown. He stiffened once again. It seemed even more like a trap now.

         But they could not know who he truly was. For all the years, he had been tracking down this group, he had used a different name, disguised his voice, and had even changed much of his appearance. There was no way they could know who he was, at least he said that to reassure himself.

         The voice, coming from the cloaked figure in the center of the group spoke again, “What is your name?”

         His real name, Beauden Lawrence Heath. But that is not what he told them. Instead he told them the name that the agency had given him the moment he had joined. No one, other than the people in the agency who had assigned him his new name, knew his real name. Not even his source who had helped him into here. “My name is Eugene Julian Browne.” He made sure to keep his face impassive as he spoke.

         “And why you do wish to join us, Eugene?” The way he said the name Eugene made him think that the leader knew that it was not his real name.

         Beauden focused on the explanation he had planned when asked this question. “I can no longer abide the way things are run and wish for a change in power. When I found out about your group, I knew that it the perfect thing for me. Of course, if you will have me.” He allowed a little bit of challenge creep into his voice.

         The cloaked figure took a step forward. “Whether we will have you is debatable. But first, you must prove yourself loyal to our cause. There is something you must do before we can or will accept you fully into our circle.” He motioned to the man on his left and the man handed him a rolled-up piece of paper. He took it and then sent the man out of the room.

         Beauden knew that he would have to do whatever they asked of him. He needed to get deeper into the group so he could find the names of all the members and put a stop to it once and for all.

         The leader walked toward him and handed him the paper. Then he turned and made his way back to his position.

         Beauden allowed his gaze to sweep over the group before opening the paper. The words on it soured his stomach. He could not do this. He could not. Yes, it would ingrain his further into the group, but at what risk.

         He must have taken too long to answer because the leader motioned two men towards him. He stiffened once more and tried to think of what he should do.

         The leader spoke again. “You are not loyal. So that makes you a traitor. Apprehend him.” The two men advanced.

         He froze…