John II:
“Get her out of here.”
The words were simple yet they carried a certain weight to them John and the rest couldn’t quite understand. The woman, the masked dealer of the A.L.F, apparently knew their captain.
She was dragged off by agents, offering no resistance. The girl had an odd look in her eye. With her capture unavoidable she had a certain look in her eyes. It was as if she was far away from here, seeing something they couldn’t.
John glanced to the captain. His stoic expression was back, giving out orders and rounding up any guards who survived the attack. However it was too late for that. They had seen the look on his face when her mask crumbled.
A CIA agent attempted to grab the virus suitcase, quickly Chris snatched it before it even entered his hands.
“This belongs to the P.A.L now. Once our investigation is through you’ll get your damned evidence.” He spoke, leaving no room for argument. Yet the agents tried anyway. One in particular even reached for case, prompting Chris to lightly shove the man back. He was clearly inexperienced trying something like that. Even though it was a weak shove from Chris, the agent stumbled back barely keeping his footing.
Guns were drawn, eyes were met. Luckily the agents leader seemed to have a brain. This would end with a conflict bigger than all of them if those triggers were pulled. He called his men off , the CIA dispersing quickly.
Chris slowly turned away not wanting them to take any easy shots. When Chris finished his business, one glance was all it took for them to know it was time to leave. John boarded the truck, sitting beside Ada in the middle row. Emma was directly behind. Chris and Ben in the front as usual. The drive was silent at first, trucks tires rolling against the the road sounded around them.
“Emma. I expect next time you’ll understand the importance of stealth in a mission like that. Otherwise you will be left behind. Understood?” Chris’s question wasn’t much of one at all, but she nodded meekly anyway. Her gaze focused on her lap.
Chris addressed the other issue.
“Ada. When I give an order I expect that order to be followed. Regardless of your personal feelings. If you don’t want to follow orders, I’ll find a Lieutenant that will.” The threat hung in the air, drowning out even the loudest sounds. Chris’s voice said he was extremely serious.
“Yes sir.” Ada spoke, her head lowered in shame.
The rest of the drive was quiet after that, John wondered if Chris would criticize him or Benjamin. Despite the fact he knew they didn’t do anything wrong in particular. The captain just carried an aura that spoke volumes of the state of his mind.
He was pissed beyond relief.
After a few hours, the sight of their familiar old base gave him a sense of hope. Their mission was completed. Which meant they could somewhat relax a day or two.
John didn’t waste any time exiting the truck. He glanced to his teammates, wondering what they’d do now that it was over.
Ben dragged Emma with him for drinks.
Ada stalked off to the shooting gallery.
Chris lit up a cigarette, before heading off to the gym. John was ready to go about his day, but he found himself walking next to the captain.
“Captain, can I ask you something?”
Chris didn’t even glance to him.
“You already are.”
“No I mean…who was that girl? How’d you know her?” John clarified, a little annoyed at the way his captain attempted to dodge the question.
There’s a silence for a few moments and John wonders if he spoke too freely and too soon.
“I met her yesterday. At the Freetown park. She seemed a lot more..normal then.”
John furrowed his eyebrows.
“But that would mean she came to the town a day early. Or was she already there?”
“Don’t know. We’ll find out soon enough in questioning.” Chris replied, his voice was cold and distant, matching his gaze well.
“Mission accomplished I’d say right?, we got the researcher and samples of the virus.” John attempted to find light of the situation. He wasn’t necessarily wrong either this was a good outcome. A great one even. Yet it took a toll on the captain more than anything.
‘Why?’ John found himself thinking. He wanted to ask more, to understand. Their captain never spoke much about himself, making situations such as this hard to understand. Why would he care if a civilian had been a double agent?
The pair stopped walking, ending up in the empty hall just before the gym of their base. Chris turned to him, reading him like a book.
“When I met her, she was stressed. Showed signs of an ensuing panic attack so I helped her. Got her to talk even. She was stressed, stressed about some job opportunity. And I encouraged her, when all she wanted to do was give up. Knowing what I know now, I can’t help but ask if it was obvious from the start.”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
John listened intently, the complexity of the situation now dawned on him. The captain felt responsible. The deal might not have happened under different circumstances.
“Permission to speak freely sir?”
Chris raised an eyebrow, before nodding affirmatively.
“You can’t think that way. What’s done is done. I won’t even bother with telling you it’s not your fault. Because you and I both know it isn’t. We have a job and that’s to prevent bio terrorists from destroying the world. Even pretty girls like her.” The last bit was an attempt at good natured humor. Thankfully the captain cracked the small of smiles. A win in Johns book.
“You’re right. Thanks John.”
A quick pat on the shoulder made him beam with pride. However the captains words and smile didn’t match his eyes. The older man cleared his throat moving on.
“I have a proposition for you John. Been thinking about it for a little while and figured now’s a good as time as any.”
John waited for his next words, tilting his head in confusion.
“I want you to be my commander.”
Everything John was expecting it certainly wasn’t that.
“M..me? Why me?”
“Your skills and contribution.” Chris replied automatically.
“Still, why me? Why not Benjamin, he’s got way more experience than me. Or Ada? You two are practically partners and she’s your lieutenant..”
Chris cut through Johns rant.
“Ben has no interest in being commander. He’s said so himself. In fact he recommended you. As for Ada, you’re right. She would’ve been. But I don’t think she’s ready. You are.”
John felt a mix of emotions hearing that, his words coming up and getting lodged in his throat on the way out. Chris saw his dilemma.
“You don’t have to answer right away, I understand the requests impact on you. The offer stands whenever.”
John let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that. He at least had time to think now.
Chris opened the door to the gym, already hanging up a punching bag. John had a lot to think about, wishing his captain luck he left him to his exercise.
Leaving the area John reflected on the missions events. Spirits were a bit down but one thing was clear.
They succeeded in their mission.
Erik I:
Erik liked to believe himself a calm man. Some might say too calm. He barely reacted. To surprises, arguments and even death. When an emergency meeting was called suddenly, he wondered who would be so idiotic to interrupt his precious time.
Seeing the panicked faces was the first sign something was off.
The topic of discussion being the Freetown deal was the second.
Finally the absence and lack of communication from the team he dispatched was the final sign before the words were delivered to him.
His daughter had been captured.
The virus was stolen.
Eugene as planned set them up.
Questions swarmed his mind right then and there.
How did she get captured? He’d sent extra security because he knew Eugene was most likely a double agent now.
Did they expect his preparations and prepared for even that? Did they truly possess such insight.
“It appears we’ve underestimated our enemies.” He spoke, canceling out the discussion in the room. He noticed Maria standing with a stack of paper in her hands. Her lover and tool, Joseph stood behind her.
“Erik, I’ve already prepared a defense just in case any information regarding the virus is traced back to here. That way we can keep getting funded and produce as planned without interruption.”
Erik stared at the woman for several moments. His face unmoving. Her confidence chipped away slowly under his gaze. Her plan was helpful not doubt, she took initiative as well. Maria was ambitious and intelligent. It was why he picked her up in the first place.
However one thing about her preparations bothered him.
“In case any information regarding the virus is traced back here?” He mirrored her words, walking closer to her.
She looked around her nervously, beginning to shift her weight to one leg instead of both. A common sign of distress.
“You believe my daughter will reveal anything to them?”
Maria shook her head frantically, the papers rattling in her hands.
“No of course not! I only meant..”
“I know what you mean and I don’t like it. Remind me again, what are you? What is your position?”
Her confidence shriveled away by now, she choked out her words.
“Laboratory assistant..”
“Exactly. So act like it. Go to the lab and do your job. There’s extra work to be done now that my daughter is absent. See it finished.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. He could hear her heels clacking against the tile as she left the board room sniffling.
He turned to the rest of the room.
“Now, let’s discuss getting our head researcher back. As soon as possible.”
Charles spoke from his seat, twirling the pen between his fingers.
“I believe our first course of action should be dealing with Eugene. He knows far too much and that could prove beneficial in getting her back.”
Erik nodded approvingly, gesturing Charles to the rest of the room.
“That sounds like someone deserving of their position. Remind yourselves of that whenever you think your standing is set in stone.”
The uncomfortable coughs and shifting of seats told him his message was delivered. He looked back to Charles.
“Locate Eugene.”
Charles nodded, already standing to leave for the investigation. He stopped before he left the room, turning to Erik.
“Who would you have me send?”
“There’s no need for that. Locate him. I will deal with him myself.”
He’d have to get this done quickly. The sooner he retrieved his daughter the better. Her stay at the base threatened his plan. She’d step closer to the truth.
He could not have that.