Stratagem

by Christina Hagmann

  I walked numbly behind. My father wrapped his arm around my shoulder. They took Aaron and Dan one way, but we were led a different direction. “I want to go with them,” I said, but I lacked conviction. If they didn’t need me, it wasn’t necessary I go. I didn’t want to be in the way.

  “Your family needs you,” the man directing us said and nodded at my dad, who looked scared and confused. We were led to the elevator that took us to our suite. I shifted back to myself in the elevator. My dad noticed my shifting but did not let go of me.

  We made it through security, and as the door slid open, Ginger was the first one to start crying. She was shaking. I was surprised. I wasn’t sure she’d even remember me. I reached out to her, and she ran to me and threw herself at me. I crouched to catch her. Her arms gripped me tightly around the neck as she sobbed in my ear, and my breath caught. I tried to pull back so I could look at her, but she wouldn’t let go. “Ginger, Gingy, it’s okay,” I said, choking on the words. Tears started spilling around my face, and I felt another tiny set of arms reach around me. “Georgia.” I looked up and grasped my sister’s arm.

  I held them for a while, feeling their warmth and their tears of happiness. Then I looked up at my father, and I crumbled. My father, who was stronger than most men, was crouched down in tears, as if the sight of his daughters in such an embrace had broken him. It occurred to me that I could go away with them. That we could run, hide out somewhere. The Opposition might help us. Just then, I had the chance to feel a moment of hope before it all came crashing down.

  chapter 19

  Men were stationed by the door, and with no sign of Brody or Aaron, I quickly went to change into some different clothes. I found an oversized sweater and some stretchy jeans. The temperature had dropped, or maybe it was just me.

  When I re-entered the living room, my father and sisters sat comfortably on the couch. They were playing a board game that had materialized out of one of the closets. I made eye contact with my dad, and he could see I was worried, so he kept my sisters distracted.

  I paced nervously, waiting to hear about Dan. He was bleeding badly, but it couldn’t have been that bad because he had been talking, right? I wasn’t sure if I was being honest with myself. I was on edge, and when the elevator opened, we all turned, alert. The men at the door stepped forward to cover the entrance, but it was Brody who entered the room.

  I held my breath when I saw his face. His eyes were red around the edges, and he had blood on his shirt. He didn’t make eye contact right away. I froze, waiting for some response, some confirmation of what I was already dreading to be true.

  Then he looked at me, and I saw the pain in his eyes. I still didn’t want to believe it, so I moved towards him. I wanted to hear him say it. I knew I was being cruel, but I couldn’t believe it until he said it. “What is it, Brody?” I noticed he had a drop of blood on his neck. I searched his eyes, back and forth, willing him to lie to me. “Is Dan okay?” Finally, his head made one sharp movement to the right, and tears broke loose down his face.

  I couldn’t breathe. The vast room suddenly felt claustrophobic. I was going to be sick. I grabbed my stomach and ran to the bathroom, wanting to get away, and as I leaned over the toilet, I let loose all I’d eaten.

  “Meda?” my dad called at the door. I couldn’t respond. I dropped my face in my hands and began to sob. It was all my fault. Dan was the only one who had never fit into the equation. He was too innocent. Forced into these events because of what I had indirectly done to Aaron’s family. I pictured what his life would have been. He probably would have worked at a garage, married young, had two children. He would have been content with that. But now?

  “Meda?” It was Brody’s voice. I didn’t want to face him. He would say it wasn’t my fault, but how could he deny it? He should resent me. He should be mad at me. Then I thought of Aaron. Aaron had every reason in the world to hate me, and now he had one more. “Meda, open the door,” Brody said firmly.

  I couldn’t disobey, not after all he had done for me. I pushed my hair back and smoothed my clothing down. As I slowly opened the door, Brody stood, emotionless. My dad stood further down the hallway, looking over Brody’s shoulder to see if I was okay.

  “Brody, I’m so sorry,” I finally said, my voice shaking. I didn’t step forward. I wasn’t sure if he was angry with me, and then I saw it. In his eyes.

  “Smith wants to see you.”

  I studied him. “I’m sorry about Dan.” I had to make him hear me. He had to know.

  “Would you quit being sorry and just do something.” I barely heard what he said, and it took a moment for his words to register. He seemed cold.

  “Brody, what do you…”

  “Just stop, Meda. Stop talking and just…do what you’re supposed to do. You aren’t helpless.” I didn’t know what he meant. His words were sharp, jabbing. This was a side of Brody I’d never seen. My stomach was boiling, but I followed Brody anyway. I owed it to him. I owed my life to him.

  Everyone was on alert, even though my sisters seemed unaware of what was going on. After seeing I was okay, my father had settled back down with them. Men were talking into radios. It occurred to me that none of us were safe now, because any one of us could have been followed back to the hotel. There were traitors everywhere, possibly on both sides. No side could be trusted, the Opposition or the Agency. Isn’t that what Dan told me?

  I once again returned to the office behind the oak door. Smith was not as calm as he had been at our last meeting. I took a seat across the desk from him. Brody sat down in the seat next to me but didn’t look at me. I tried to pretend everything was okay between us. I wondered where Aaron was. What he was doing at the moment? He hadn’t returned to the suite.

  Smith spoke. “Now that your family is secured, we will get them to a safe house and provide new identities for them. They will have someone from the Opposition watching over them.” I thought back to what Dan had said about the three types of people in the Opposition and wondered who would be in charge of making sure my family was safe. “What we need in return is your help.” I eyed him suspiciously. I stayed quiet, so he continued. “We have a mission for you.”

  “So soon?” I blurted out. I couldn’t help it. “But Dan…” my voice trailed off. I didn’t look at Brody. I couldn’t help but feel trapped. Yes, the Opposition had done a lot for me, but after what happened with Dan and how wrong this all had gone, couldn’t we take a breath? Couldn’t we be human for a minute?

  I started to get the feeling I’d traded one cage for another. Yes, they would keep my family safe, but I still wouldn’t be able to see them. I was trapped. I felt the walls closing in. I would never be free. No one would ever leave me alone. Even when all of this was over, one side would want me on their team.

  I looked at Brody, sitting stiffly in his chair. He glanced at me. He seemed sad, but I felt that this time it was pity for me rather than the loss of Dan. In that moment, I knew I would do whatever Smith said, for Brody, and Aaron, and for Dan. Not because I wanted to.

  “You’re going to need to help us stop the mimic. They already have their plan in place, and you’ve seen what she’s capable of.”

  “Which one?” I asked. Smith looked at me. I began to tell him about the young man who was with Isi. The young man who had shifted at the last minute to reveal my mother’s face. Smith cut me off.

  “The Agency has a plan to either take over the President, much like their previous plan, or initiate a public assassination. Either way, our President will be dead. The only person who can get as close as we need without being detected is the First Lady.”

  I wanted to ask again about my mother, but when Smith mentioned the First Lady, he had my full attention. The Opposition, thus far, had seemed to be a reactionary group. The fact that they were going to send me out on a mission, a mission much like one the Agency would have set up, took me by surprise. I was hesitant. “So, what do you need me to do?”

  “The mimic will be in
place. Either as the President or the President’s security. We need you to kill her.” Smith closed his hands on the desk in front of him.

  I tried to speak, but my voice cracked. “But I don’t kill people. That wasn’t my job.” I lifted my palms up, feeling helpless.

  “Well, you’re going to need to. You are the only one who can surprise her, and they would not expect it from you. We wouldn’t normally have the power or resources to put a plan like this in place, but with you, it’s our only chance.” Smith leaned forward across the desk.

  I planted my palms on the desk, forcefully. “There has got to be a better way. How do you know when she’ll be placed? How will I know who she is?” I had a million questions running through my head. Questions that I wasn’t sure they had thought of. They weren’t in the business of planting mimics in assignments the way the Agency was.

  “We have watched you, Meda. Your strength is that you are observant. You see everything. She doesn’t. She destroys everything. You should be able to identify her before she can identify you. The Agency won’t be expecting you.”

  I shook my head. “But why wouldn’t they deviate from the plan? They know we know it.”

  “Now is a critical time for our nation. I will tell you something few people know.” Smith crossed his arms. “The Agency tried every possible way to compromise the President. He was unshakeable, which is good for our country, but bad for them. There was no way for the Agency to manipulate the changes they need.” He leaned back again.

  “But what exactly is the Agency?” I finally asked the real question I’d been wondering about. “What kind of changes do they need?”

  “Meda, the Agency is funded largely by other countries.” He looked at me expectantly.

  I furrowed my eyebrows. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Terrorism. The Agency wants the President to authorize certain events so that there is some kind of crisis.” He said it so plainly, like it was something I should have considered. But I was stunned. I hadn’t thought of how large the chain of events really was. Had I still been in place, I would have been the one signing off on the papers they needed in order to get the results they wanted.

  “By why would the Agency work with other countries?” I was still trying to wrap my head around how big this was.

  “Other countries and terrorists pay well, which is why we, the Opposition, have never had the resources for an effective counterattack. Luckily for us, there are some people in place now at the Agency who don’t believe in their end game. Not enough though. The members of the Agency know they will be protected during whatever crisis comes about.”

  Again, I was shocked. I looked at Brody, who stared at Smith. He didn’t outwardly look surprised, but I could tell much of this information was new to him.

  The three of us jumped when a sudden, shrill beep came from Smith’s phone, which was sitting on his desk. He lifted it to his ear and gave quick directions, then pulled it away. “We have a security breach. They must have followed someone back.”

  chapter 20

  I jumped out of my chair. This was a massive building with many floors. I wasn’t sure what “security breach” even meant. Did it mean they entered the building? Was the intruder on our floor? I felt trapped. I wanted to be out by my dad and sisters. I just got them back, and I didn’t want to lose them again.

  Smith had the phone back at his ear. “Take the family down in the elevator to the second floor, then use the employee staircase out.” I moved to walk out the door, but Smith stood in front of me. “You are not going with them. We are evacuating them to a secure location, but you need to stay with us. You’ll only be a danger to them.”

  “At least let me say goodbye.” I was firm about this, but Smith shook his head. I turned to Brody.

  It was clear he had no say in this and was as confused as I was. “They’ll be fine,” he said, trying to calm me.

  Smith cut in. “They’ll be safer if they aren’t around you. The Agency is after you, Meda. They’re trying to recover a stolen asset.” He said this with no regard for my feelings, but that was to be expected. I knew he was right, but that didn’t stop me from being angry. Smith turned from me. “Brody, I need you to check the perimeter and bring back security detail.” Brody looked at me, nodded, and walked out the door.

  “So, what are we going to do? Sit here and hide? Wait around until the mimic busts in?” I impatiently sighed as Smith listened into his phone. Minutes passed, and he didn’t say a word to me. I could hear movement outside the door but still didn’t know what kind of security breach we were talking about and how much danger we were in.

  Finally, Smith spoke. “Okay, we’re clear.” As he said those words, two men in suits came in. They both had guns. When they opened the door, I glimpsed some of the chaos outside the room. Three men moved quickly down the hallway and another was stationed right outside the door. These were men I hadn’t seen before, though it made sense that if this was Opposition Headquarters, there would be Opposition agents on other floors.

  “Security has been breached on the upper levels,” one of the men said to Smith who, in turn, saw the look on my face. He said to me, “Your family made it to the safe car.” I sighed with relief.

  Suddenly, there were gunshots.

  Smith gripped my arm, and the two men in suits placed themselves in front of me. “We have you covered,” one of the men said, and he plunged out the door. Smith pushed me from behind, and we moved the short way down the hallway, paused to search the living area, and then moved forward.

  I looked over to the window where, not long ago, Brody, Aaron, Dan, and I put our heads against the glass and looked down. The room was still as bright and cheery as it had been then. I scanned the room for Brody, but I couldn’t see anything right away. I couldn’t see any danger either, but then I noticed a group of men surrounding the door by the elevator.

  One of the men who stood in front of me spoke to Smith. “The intruder has not gained access.” It had to be the mimic or mimics. Even though there were secondary security procedures to guard against mimics, I was positive the Agency could easily find their way around those guards.

  Shots went off again. They were muffled but were still deafening when they hit the door. The men that came out of the office with me placed themselves in front of me. Smith stepped around me, talking in low tones with the men. The intruder must be pinned down. Not able to enter and not able to go back down. It seemed like a stupid plan, breaking in here. Obviously, they didn’t intend to get caught, but what was the back-up? There always was a back-up plan. What did they expect to accomplish? Maybe they hadn’t realized how heavily armed the Opposition was.

  Brody came up from behind me. The men in suits were too busy to notice. I looked around, wondering where he had come from. “Quick, we have to go. No questions.” I was confused. There was nowhere else to go. Smith had it covered.

  He pulled me backwards, down the long hallway, and towards the rooms. The men didn’t see us leave. More shots fired in quicker succession, and the men pressed forward and knelt, ready to shoot if anyone broke through the entryway door.

  I bumped into the wall and knocked a piece of artwork loose, then turned to watch where Brody was leading me. Then I remembered. The roof.

  “Brody, is this a good idea?” I asked, but he didn’t answer. He kept moving towards the back stairwell. It seemed unsafe. Did the Opposition have the back stairwell covered? They had to. They’d be stupid not to.

  Brody pulled me through the exit door and into the stairwell, then stopped a moment. There were no lights in the stairwell. I remembered the last time we were here, there were security lights. They weren’t on now, but I could hear people a couple of flights down that sounded like agents, barking orders. They were probably making sure no one made it up the staircase the back way.

  Brody didn’t go any further. He pushed me up against the wall and shined a flashlight in my eyes. I didn’t even see that he was carrying a flas
hlight. The brightness took me by surprise.

  “What the…?” I held up my hand, trying to shield myself. He pulled the flashlight away so I could open my eyes again, then shined the light on his own face. I had a hard time seeing because there were still spots in my eyes, but I noticed his pupils didn’t change with the light. “What are you doing, Brody?”

  “I needed you to see, Meda. I’m not Brody.” I immediately struggled to get free, but he had me pinned. I was about to yell out when he put his finger to my mouth to silence me. It took me by surprise, but not as much as his next words.

  “Meda. I’m your mother.”

  I didn’t react. I didn’t know how. She shifted, faster than I could. When I saw her face, my mouth fell open.

  “I need to talk to you,” she said.

  “I…I…” I struggled for words. “How do I know it’s you?” I knew I shouldn’t trust anyone, but I wanted to believe.

  “Your favorite movie growing up was Beauty and the Beast. You made us watch it a million times.” I stared at her. Anyone could know that. My dad could have told anyone that. “And the last thing I said to you the last time I saw you was that you would always be my girl.” She studied me, trying to gauge my reaction. “Do you remember that? You will always be my girl.”

  “But how? What are you doing here?”

  “I’m Plan B. Your assignment. I’ve always been Plan B.”

  “Wait, what are you talking about?” She let go of me and took a step back. She still gripped the flashlight in her hand but covered it with her other hand to give the illusion that we were alone in the dim stairwell. I could still hear people talking below and the crackle of their radios.

  “I know you know about Plan B. That’s me.” She gestured to herself.

  I shook my head in disbelief. “You’re the assassin? But what about Isi?” My mother’s eyes grew wider, as though she knew no one at the Agency would ever have mentioned her to me. As though I wasn’t supposed to know her name.