Chimera

by Orion Gaudio

  She took a deep breath and glanced out the window for a few seconds before turning back to him. He pulled his hand away from her.

  “I… my ex called me this morning. I have no idea how he got my number… but he did. It shook me a little, which is why I showed up at your house. It’s true, I did see you walking down the street, but I just… I felt like I needed to talk to someone. Not about my ex… about anything really. A distraction is what I really needed.”

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine, I’ll be OK.”

  Turner realized why she had gotten upset. She was trying to tag along with him not because she really wanted to spend time with him, but because she needed a distraction from her ex and he was the only person in Altoona she knew.

  “I’d love for you to give me a ride to the airport.”

  She bit her lip and slowly nodded.

  “You sure? You’re not just feeling bad for me?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Because… I didn’t want to say anything. I promised myself I wouldn’t. I’m sure the last thing you want is to spend your day off listening to all my problems.”

  He shook his head. Turner didn’t mind at all. It was a pleasant distraction from the previous forty-eight hours.

  Turner pulled the cash out of his pocket and tossed enough to cover their meal onto the table. They stood up and walked out of the diner.

  19

  Turner walked into his house and grabbed his wallet off the kitchen counter. It took a few minutes, but he managed to find the spare key to his car at the bottom of his junk drawer.

  He walked back outside and waited for Alice. She had gone to her house to make a phone call and get her car.

  Even though they had just eaten breakfast, Turner was already thinking about what they could eat while in Pittsburgh. He’d spent a day there a few years earlier when he had a few days off in a row, but it had been so long that he didn’t remember the name of the places where he ate.

  She pulled up in front of his house a minute later in her brown hatchback. Turner opened the passenger door and got in.

  “Everything good?” he asked.

  She nodded and smiled.

  “Yeah. I was supposed to call my mom this afternoon, so I just called her quickly to tell her where I was going and that I’d call her tomorrow.”

  “Oh… sorry.”

  “No worries, she doesn’t mind.”

  He adjusted his seat and put on his belt as she pulled away from his house.

  “So, Pittsburgh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is there anything fun we can do while we’re in the big city?” she asked.

  Turner chuckled and shook his head.

  “I’m not sure. I don’t want to monopolize your time since you’re already going out of your way to drive me there.”

  “I’d like to do something fun… if you’re into it.”

  “Of course, we can figure something out.”

  “Good.”

  He looked over at her. She had a genuine smile on her face. Even though he’d just finished driving across most of the country, Turner didn’t mind being in the car again. He had forgotten what it was like to smile and joke with someone who didn’t know who he was… someone who thought of him as a good person. It was something that was few and far between for him.

  “So, James… how did you end up in Altoona?”

  He looked out the window. It was killing him that he had to lie about his whole life to Alice. She’d be so upfront about everything she’d gone through. The best he could do was bend the truth.

  “I was looking for a job and it seemed as good a place as any to start a new chapter of my life.”

  “But at a mine?”

  “You sound so skeptical.”

  “It just… it’s hard to imagine you being a miner, that’s all.”

  “Really? What do you imagine me being?”

  “I don’t know… working in some kind of office or something. Maybe in a big bank.”

  “A banker?”

  She laughed.

  “I don’t know.”

  Turner smiled and looked over at her.

  “It’s fine. I don’t think I’d ever want to work in a bank, though.”

  “No? Was that a terrible thing for me to say?”

  “Not at all. I just… I really enjoy the outdoors.”

  “So, if you weren’t a miner… what would you do for a living?”

  “It’s stupid… I don’t even want to say.”

  “It’s not like I’m going to tell anyone, James… you’re the only person in Altoona I know. Your secret is safe with me, I promise.”

  “Well, I’ve always had a dream of moving to Montana and being a fly fishing guide.”

  “Really?”

  “I told you it was going to sound stupid.”

  She glanced over at him and shook her head. It was the first honest thing he’d told her since they met. His dad used to take him fly fishing when he was a boy. His happiest memories from childhood took place on the river not far from where he grew up in Nebraska.

  “No, I think that’s very cool. How come you didn’t do that?”

  “I don’t know. Life just kind of happened. You know?”

  “I get it, trust me.”

  “Maybe one of these days. I’m not going to work in the mine forever.”

  “Do they pay you well at least?”

  “Its enough to get by… and to save up.”

  “Well, I hope that when you retire from mining you can make your dream come true. I can totally picture you living in a little log cabin near a river and taking people out fishing.”

  Turner nodded. That was what he wanted. It had been a long time since he thought about it. The peace and quiet… the sound of the water… just him, his rod, and the fish. That was heaven, as far as he was concerned. With every passing year he spent at NIA, that dream seemed to fade a little bit more.

  “Thanks,” he said, “I hope so.”

  He glanced in the mirror as Altoona disappeared.

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?” Alice asked.

  “I don’t want to sound rude, but I imagine that your dream isn’t to work in an office. I know you wanted to find somewhere new, but was this what you had in mind?”

  Alice laughed and shook her head.

  “No, not exactly. It’s fine, though. If I had my druthers… and I mean, we’re talking ultimate dream that’s probably never going to be attainable… I’d love to own a few acres of grapes and have a boutique winery.”

  “Really?”

  “I know… it’s probably impossible.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I think that’s very interesting and a good goal to have.”

  “It’ll probably never happen, but a girl can dream.”

  “How come?”

  Turner looked over at her as she shrugged.

  “It’s not exactly a cheap endeavor… so at this rate, it’ll probably never happen.”

  “Well, if it’s really your dream and something you want in life, you can make it happen.”

  She looked over at him and smiled.

  “Thanks, you’re sweet. It’s just an expensive endeavor and it’ll take me until I’m an old lady to save up enough money for something like that.”

  “If that’s your dream, though, I don’t see any reason why you can’t make it happen one of these days.”

  “I hope so.”

  “What prompted your interest in wine?”

  “Well, it’s a bit of a long story.”

  “We’ve got time,” Turner said.

  She laughed and shook her head.

  “I suppose you’re right. Well, back in high school I took French as my foreign language. When I graduated, my grandmother, bless her heart, she surprised me with a trip to France. I spent a month there over the summer. I’m not a total booze hound or anything, but since I was eighteen and could drink there… let’s just s
ay I took advantage of it. It was an amazing experience, really. I learned all about French wines and traveled the countryside, drinking and learning about the winemaking process. It was an amazing experience that has stuck with me ever since. I guess the whole lifestyle appeals to me, so… yeah. I’m sure it’s probably not as glamorous as I thought it was at the time, but it still has a certain appeal. You know?”

  “That’s amazing.”

  “Have you been to France?”

  “No.”

  A complete lie. He’d been in Paris on a mission eighteen months earlier.

  “It’s wonderful. Just a truly magical place.”

  “I’m sure.”

  “You’ll have to go one of these days.”

  Turner nodded and looked out the window.

  They sat in silence for the next few minutes, but Turner was OK with it, because just being in her presence was soothing. It was the first time in a long time that he felt like he had connected with anyone. Turner enjoyed her company and it was nice to have someone to talk to about normal things. He wished he could tell her the truth, though. It was something he’d never struggled with. Part of stipulations of his job at NIA was that he’d been sworn to secrecy. If he ever told anyone the true nature of his work, he could be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Twisting the truth seemed easy for him, but for some reason he felt guilty about everything he had told her.

  When Howard pulled him from active duty, it made Turner think even more about what it was he did for a living. He loved his country and was proud to serve, so he pushed the desire to tell Alice the truth from his mind. It was a weight he’d have to carry the rest of his life because the alternative wasn’t worth the risk. It wasn’t just about what might happen to him if he told her… he would be putting her life at risk and that wasn’t something he could live with. His life hung in the balance every time he walked out the door, but that was a choice he alone had made and there was no way he’d ever put her in harm’s way because of it.

  20

  “So, where to?” Alice asked.

  Turner took his phone out of his pocket and did a quick search for something they could do while in Pittsburgh.

  “Take the next exit.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “The botanical gardens.”

  “Nice.”

  Alice put on her signal and took the exit. She followed the signs and pulled into the parking lot a few minutes later. They got out of the car and walked toward the entrance. Turner glanced over his shoulder, a habit of his from years of training.

  “What is it?” Alice asked.

  “Oh… nothing. I thought I heard something.”

  He took a deep breath. It wasn’t easy for him to relax, but he planned to force himself to live in the moment and enjoy his time away from NIA. He still planned to go back to the mine in the evening, under the guise of getting his wound checked and treated, and he would talk to Howard.

  “Everything OK?”

  He turned and looked at Alice.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “You looked deep in thought.”

  “I was just thinking about work.”

  “Itching to get back in the darkness?”

  He shrugged and took out his wallet as they reached the ticket booth.

  “Two adults, please.”

  “Thirty-five.”

  He handed the girl behind the glass forty dollars. She gave him his change and the two tickets.

  “Thanks.”

  Turner handed one of the tickets to Alice and they walked toward the entrance.

  “Thanks.”

  He wasn’t sure what to expect since he’d never been there before, but it was one of the highest rated attractions in the city, and he figured it would have a calming effect on both of them—something they each needed for very different reasons.

  The air was clean. Turner took a deep breath and smiled. It wasn’t like being out on a river in the middle of the wilderness, but it was refreshing after all the time he’d spent in cities the past few weeks.

  “It’s so lovely here,” Alice said.

  He nodded and looked around. Green as far as he could see. Pink and blue flowers. Everything perfectly manicured. He could see why it was one of the top places around to visit—it was an oasis compared to the city where it was located.

  They walked down the path and headed toward what Turner assumed was a greenhouse of some kind. Alice reached the door first and held it open for him.

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said, with a smile.

  Inside was an oasis. The smell of flowers filled the air. The greenery stretched to the vaulted ceiling of the greenhouse. Turner could rear running water in the distance. He smiled as they walked deeper into the building. Not a place he’d ever consider going on his own, but he was pleased to share the experience with Alice.

  They spent two hours walking through the various exhibits and buildings on the grounds of the botanical gardens before heading back to the car.

  “Thank you for that,” Alice said.

  “You’re welcome… it was nice.”

  “It really was.”

  “Do you want to get a bite to eat or should we head to the airport?” he asked.

  “I could eat, as long as you’re not in a rush to get back to Altoona.”

  Turner shook his head and laughed. They got into the car and Alice pulled out of the parking lot. He took out his phone and quickly searched for somewhere close to them.

  “How about a gastropub?”

  “That’s fine with me.”

  “Turn right here… and then it’s about a mile down on the left.”

  Alice found a parking spot and they headed into The Front Yard. It was the middle of the afternoon and empty for the most part. The hostess seated them at a tall table in the back corner of the dining room.

  Turner picked up his menu and was instantly greeted by a large section of grilled cheese sandwiches. The text underneath informed him they were ‘world-famous’ and ‘not to be missed’.

  “What are you getting?” Alice said.

  “Grilled cheese, I guess. The menu is very… persuasive.”

  She smiled and looked up at him. Turner was glad to see her happy. Alice hadn’t mentioned her ex the entire time since leaving Altoona, so he hoped he’d been able to help distract her from whatever he had said to her on the phone.

  “What about you?”

  “Grilled cheese, I guess.”

  Turner nodded and just watched her as she looked back at the menu. He knew exactly what was happening—he was starting to develop feelings for her. The old him would have easily emotionally distanced himself from her… for her safety, but he didn’t want to be that person anymore. He had no idea if she was feeling the same way about him, but he decided he’d just sit back and let things unfold naturally.

  21

  Howard walked between the rows of computers. Eyes turned to him.

  “I need an update.”

  Nobody spoke up.

  He shook his head and looked around the room. It meant one of two things. They either had no idea what was happening… or they had bad news.

  “Anybody?”

  Still nothing.

  Howard pointed at Hyde, his analyst that specialized in geo-tracking.

  “Hyde… give me something.”

  He stood up and cleared his throat.

  “Well, I have the last known position on that cell number you gave us.”

  “Well? Where is he?”

  “That’s the thing, Sir, it went dark.”

  “How long ago?”

  “Six hours ago.”

  “And you didn’t think it was pertinent to tell me?”

  “Sorry, Sir. I thought the signal would come back.”

  Howard shook his head.

  “Right. What was the last known position?”

  “The phone went silent at Oakland airport, then came back online in D.C.”

/>   “And then?” Howard asked.

  “Well, I tracked it on approach to Langley… and then it went dead. Nothing since.”

  Howard shook his head. That was the last thing he needed.

  “Right.”

  Hyde sat back down. Howard turned to Gonzales, the analyst who had been tasked with keeping tabs on Smith and Rhys.

  “Where are Smith and Rhys?”

  “Norfolk.”

  “Did you route them to Langley?”

  “Sir?”

  “Did you tell them the last place where we had a fix on Rollins?”

  “Yes, Sir, I did… but they can’t go to Langley.”

  Howard sighed. He was dealing with a room full of incompetent idiots. It had been a mistake not to send Turner to retrieve the flash drive, especially since he knew his agent was chomping at the bit for another chance. He would have sent him in a heartbeat if The Council hadn’t ordered him to proceed with different agents. It was unusual for them to dictate who he sent on a particular mission, which is why he felt like he needed to heed their request. This wasn’t a run-of-the-mill operation and he hoped Smith and Rhys could pull it off… because Howard knew it was his neck on the line if they didn’t.

  “Right… someone get in touch with Smith or Rhys… right now. Tell them to contact me.”

  He turned and walked back to his office and slammed the door. Howard popped a piece of nicotine gum into his mouth and opened his laptop.

  There were times when he felt like he was getting too old for the job. The sheer amount of stress he was constantly under had taken a toll on him, which had become particularly evident the last few years. Every few months his wife tried to get him to retire, and he resisted. Howard had a number in mind—ten million. Once he had that in his bank account, he could buy a boat and they could spend a few years sailing around the world. Until then, though, he was going to keep running NIA... assuming they were able to retrieve the flash drive, because failure to do so could easily lead to his termination.

  A message appeared on his screen from Rhys.

  Amur

  No eyes on target. Please advise.

  Howard sighed and shook his head.

  Gyr

  Last seen near Langley. Proceed with utmost caution. Reacquire target and retrieve package at all costs.