Chimera

by Orion Gaudio

  “What happens now?” Turner asked.

  “In terms of what?”

  “The flash drive.”

  “Well, I’m sure it’s encrypted, so I’ll have some of the tech guys take a look at it and see what they can do. Don’t worry about it, though… you did your job.”

  Howard was usually straight up with him when it came to the nature of a mission, but Turner didn’t put too much thought into it. He assumed his boss had a good reason for not explaining what Chimera was and he wasn’t going to push him for answers. Turner felt like the less he knew, the better. If Chimera was as horrific as Howard had made it out to be, he didn’t want anything to do with it beyond securing it for NIA. If he had to guess, Howard would pass it along to the CIA once they cracked the encryption.

  “What happened with Rollins?”

  “Beyond him telling us where the flash drive was?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, it was pretty clear that he was a double agent.”

  “Was he working with the Chinese government?” Turner asked.

  “Yes… sort of.”

  Turner raised an eyebrow.

  “Sort of?”

  Howard sighed and leaned back in his chair.

  “The organization that he was giving the flash drive to… their name is The Dragon.”

  “Never heard of them.”

  “Neither have I,” Howard said.

  “But they’re tied to the Chinese government?”

  “We think so, yes.”

  Turner took a deep breath. It struck him as strange that such a well-equipped and funded organization had the ability to fly under the radar for so long… and that they didn’t know all that much about them.

  “What did they want with Chimera?” he asked.

  “It doesn’t matter now. As far as we can tell, the files were only on the two flash drives… and we have both of them now.”

  “I don’t want to tell you how to do your job, but are they safe here?”

  “Yes, for now. I know they attacked your house, but so far we haven’t seen any indication that they would go beyond that. For them to attack the mine it would take a lot more than a few guys.”

  Turner nodded. He hoped Howard was right.

  “Well, if you need someone to move the flash drives… let me know.”

  “No, we’re good. Not to mention, they clearly know who you are… so I think it would be best for you to take a little time off… just in case.”

  “Really?”

  Turner had been under the impression that when they brought him back to recover the flash drive that he was back in the good graces of NIA. He had done everything they asked, apart from discovering who had killed Rhys and Smith… which had been secondary to recovering the flash drive.

  “What about Rhys and Smith?” Turner asked.

  “What about them?”

  “Did Rollins kill them?”

  “I think it’s unlikely. He didn’t mention anything about them during the interrogation. We asked him, but he didn’t seem to know anything about them other than they were dead.”

  “Weird.”

  “It’s likely that The Dragon is responsible, but there’s nothing we can about it.”

  Turner frowned. The agency always tried to find out the circumstances around the death of one of their own, so he wasn’t sure why Howard was so uninterested in the whole thing. He chalked it up to the importance of Chimera since that was the only reason he could conjure.

  “So, how much time were you thinking I should take off?”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Howard said.

  “What?”

  “I know why you’re asking, James.”

  “Can you blame me?”

  Howard shook his head and leaned forward in his chair.

  “Look, I’m sorry that I pulled you off active duty… I am. I’m glad you were able to come back and get the flash drive. It means the world to me, but you’ve been going non-stop. I don’t need you to burn yourself out. Take a week off, don’t do anything. Just relax, take it easy. I’ll have someone look deeper into what happened to Rhys and Smith… you have my word.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yes… I’m sure. You don’t have to do everything by yourself.”

  “I know.”

  “Seriously… just take it easy. A little time off would do you some good.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Turner said.

  “And I’ll let you know if something comes up before then.”

  “Alright, I’ll try to relax.”

  Turner stood up from the chair.

  “And James… go see Rhonda.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  He sighed and walked out of the office. It was unusual for her to be there at that time of night, so he could only assume Howard had asked her to come in specifically to talk to him. Turner went down the hall and knocked on her door. He opened it and walked in. She was sitting at her desk, sipping a cup of coffee.

  “James… how are you?”

  He shrugged and sat down.

  “I’m alright… how are you?”

  “Fine… a bit tired.”

  “Sorry about that.”

  “No worries.”

  “Howard wanted me to come and talk to you.”

  “That’s what I’m here for,” she said.

  “I’m not sure why, though.”

  She took a drink of her coffee and set the mug down.

  “How have you been since we last talked?”

  Turner understood why talking to her was mandated for all field agents, but he often found it hard to open up to Rhonda and tell her what he was thinking. Being deceitful and bending the truth was considered a skill in his line of work and it wasn’t something he could just switch off at a moments notice.

  “Fine… I guess.”

  “Have you taken any time to not think about work?”

  He shrugged.

  “I suppose.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  He sighed. It wasn’t morning yet. The last thing Turner wanted to do was sit there and have a conversation with Rhonda. He just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep. His mind was fine, if not a little tired, but his body was feeling roughed up. Turner had ignored the aching pain in his chest from the still-healing gunshot wound and it had started to hurt more as the night wore on. It didn’t help, either, that he’d been in what could be described as a severe car accident when he smashed the truck into the Ford. His body would be sore in the next few days, but he knew the sooner he talked with Rhonda, the sooner he could get out of there and head home.

  “I mean… everything is kind of normal.”

  “How did you do on your mission?”

  “Fine.”

  “No problems?”

  He shook his head.

  “I didn’t hold back… I did what I had to do.”

  He decided not to mention the fact that he still couldn’t shoot straight… or that the only time lately when he could was when he’d had to defend Alice.

  “Alright. What’s your plan going forward?”

  “With work?”

  “With anything.”

  “Well,” he said, leaning back in the chair, “Howard wants me to take some time off and just relax.”

  “And how do you feel about that?”

  Turner shrugged.

  “I don’t know. I mean… it’s good I guess.”

  “Why does the idea of taking time off bother you?”

  “I keep thinking about Rhys and Smith.”

  “Was Howard able to shed any light onto what happened to them?” Rhonda asked.

  “Not really. He said that I shouldn’t worry about it.”

  “Were you close with them?”

  He shook his head.

  “No, not really.”

  “So, why do you think you’re thinking about them so much?”

  “I’m not really sure. I guess… I’m not sure. What h
appened to them was unfortunate, that’s for sure, but it could have been me. Howard took me off active duty, but I felt like I should have been the one there.”

  “You can’t blame yourself for their deaths.”

  “I know.”

  Turner sighed and looked down at the floor. He knew she was right, but he couldn’t help it.

  “I just keep thinking that if I were there… instead of them… that maybe things would have gone differently. You know what I mean?”

  “Yes, but it could have ended up with you being dead.”

  “Yeah… I guess.”

  “Is there a reason why you think you wouldn’t have suffered the same fate? Do you think they were incompetent and not capable of doing field work?”

  “Not at all. They seemed quite good at their jobs, at least from what I heard. I figure they wouldn’t be here if they weren’t good agents. I just… I don’t know. I’m not trying to sound cocky or anything, but I always feel like every mission should be given to me because I think I can somehow pull it off no matter what.”

  “It sounds like you have trust issues.”

  Turner shook his head.

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “You honestly believe that you can complete any mission, which is fine… but you’re not the only agent that works here. You have to trust that the other agents are capable. You don’t have to do it all yourself.”

  “I know… but look what happened to Rhys and Smith… and now Holloway.”

  Rhonda tilted her head to the side.

  “What happened to Holloway?”

  “He… we were on this latest mission together… and he’s not back yet. He hasn’t checked in. I talked to him on the phone and he wanted me to meet up with him before coming back.”

  “And you didn’t?”

  Turner shook his head and looked at her.

  “No.”

  “How come?” Rhonda asked.

  “Well… I was on my way, but I had sort of a bad feeling… like something wasn’t right. He should have been out of there already, but he told me to meet him a block over. Holloway had taken a hit to the arm, nothing serious… but still. It just didn’t make sense, why he’d still be in the area after the ruckus we caused, so I messaged back here. I was told to return right away and to not go back for him.”

  “And do you feel like it’s your fault if something happened to him?” she asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Just tell me what you’re thinking. I’m not here to pass judgment. This is a safe place.”

  He sighed and looked around the room. Turner knew she was trying to help him, but it didn’t make it any easier.

  “I guess… I mean… he’s the one that got me out of San Francisco when I got shot, so I feel like I owed him my life. During the mission, I took a risk so he wouldn’t have to… but I don’t feel like it was enough to make up for what he did for me.”

  “Do you think he saw it that way?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Look, you did your job. It’s not easy, I’m sure, but part of it is detaching yourself from personal relationships. They can get in the way and complicate things. It’s not an easy way to live your life. A lot of the agents I talk to here have a hard time relating to other people because they always feel like they can’t form friendships with people. There’s a chance one of them won’t come back from a mission. It’s not easy to lose someone you care about, even if they’re just a friend. Many of them start forming emotional walls and they distance themselves from others. It’s not healthy, but sometimes it’s the only way they can cope with the stress and the reality of the job.”

  “Are you saying I need to be less attached to what happened with Holloway?”

  She shook her head.

  “I can’t tell you to feel or think, James. I’m just trying to let you know that I understand that what you’re going through is not easy… and that you’re not alone in feeling how you do.”

  His thoughts drifted back to Alice and how he’d forced her out of his life because of the very thing Rhonda was talking about—he was scared that if they got close something would happen to her and he couldn’t stand the thought of that.

  “Yeah… I get what you’re saying.”

  “Just think about it while you’re taking some time off.”

  “I will.”

  “And take care of yourself, James. Try not to blame yourself for what happened to Rhys and Smith… or Holloway. They all knew what they were signing up for. It’s a cruel business, but somebody has to do it.”

  He nodded and stood up from the chair.

  “Thanks, Rhonda.”

  “Of course. My door is always open if you need to talk.”

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  He turned and walked out of her office.

  36

  Turner stood in front of his house and just looked at it. Yellow police tape was still strung across the door. He sighed, shook his head, and ripped the tape off. It slowly fell to the ground as he opened the door and walked inside.

  The Police had removed the bodies from his living room, but the stench of death still lingered. He turned on the light and shook his head. The carpets were ruined—the blood had soaked in within minutes and he’d have to replace it all.

  Turner walked into the kitchen, grabbed a beer out of the fridge and leaned against the counter as he twisted the top off. It didn’t even taste that good to him, but the idea of having a drink to calm his nerves appealed to him. He couldn’t stop thinking about Holloway. Turner felt shitty about how the whole thing went down and he continued to question the course of events that led to him leaving his fellow agent behind.

  He sipped on the beer as he walked down the hall to his bedroom. It was the only part of the house that didn’t smell like death. Turner laid down on the bed and set his beer on the nightstand.

  Having a week, or more, off from work would have normally appealed to him… but not anymore. Turner already knew that he’d have to figure out a way to keep himself busy so that his thoughts didn’t stray to Holloway and Alice. He kept telling himself that Howard would be true to his word… that he’d send someone else to track down Holloway if he didn’t show up at work. Alice, though, was a different story.

  He glanced from the bedroom door to the wall. Bullet holes in both. The house was going to need some work, but it would have to wait. Turner didn’t want to spend any more time there than necessary. The Dragon could still be looking for him and they knew where he lived. Howard seemed confident that they wouldn’t go after their headquarters, but he didn’t have the same kind of protection in his house. A few hours wouldn’t make a difference, though. He decided he’d get a little sleep and then figure out what to do next.

  Turner pulled his phone out of his pocket and reread the last message from Alice. He sighed. Even though they had barely started to get to know each other, he felt like she was one of the best things to happen to him in years. Turner gave in to the temptation and wrote her a text.

  Hey, I’m sorry about everything that happened. I hope that you made it back to Charleston, and I hope that you’re safe.

  “Stupid.”

  As soon as he sent the message, he regretted it. Turner knew that Alice would never be safe if she were a part of her life, but he felt like he couldn’t help himself.

  He shook his head.

  Turner picked up his beer and took another sip.

  The first rays of morning sun were coming through his window as he closed his eyes. His body was achy and his mind was tired. Sleep was what he needed more than anything, yet he knew it wouldn’t be easy. It was always the same for him—he closed his eyes and saw their faces. It was something he knew would haunt him for the rest of his life. The one thing he could never tell anyone.

  37

  Turner pulled his fly rod and reel out of the closet. He walked into the living room, taking care to step around the damaged carpet, and set them on the couch. As he tur
ned around to go back for his flies, there was a knock on his front door. He paused. He had a feeling that if it was someone there to kill him, they probably wouldn’t knock like they did the last time.

  Turner walked over to the door and pulled it open. It was his attorney.

  “Claire.”

  “Mr. Turner.”

  He stood aside and motioned for her to come inside. She wrinkled her nose as she stepped into the living room.

  “Sorry about the smell.”

  “It’s fine.”

  “How can I help you?”

  She looked around the room and her eyes settled on the fishing gear.

  “Where are you headed?”

  “I thought it would be prudent to get out of town for a few days.”

  “I can’t say I don’t agree,” she said.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “I just wanted to stop by and check on you… and update you on the situation.”

  He walked into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee.

  “Do you want anything?” Turner asked.

  “No, I’m fine… thanks.”

  Turner lifted the mug to his lips and took a long sip. He watched as Claire looked around the living room with an uneasy look on her face.

  “Why don’t we talk outside,” he said.

  She nodded in response and walked back out the front door.

  “Sorry.”

  “No problem. It’s a bit of a grisly mess in there.”

  “So, Mr. Turner… I won’t take up too much of your time… but I wanted to update you on what was happening. The police will not be filing any charges, as I assured you they wouldn’t. They are convinced it was a case of self-defense, which we both know is true. As your legal representation, though, I would advise against having this sort of thing happen again.”

  “I don’t plan on it. It’s not like I invited them over and they decided to try to kill me.”

  “Right… sorry.”

  “I was trying to be funny. It’s early… and I didn’t sleep much.”

  “Of course. Anyway… I would think it best if you could perhaps keep your head down and get out of town for a little while.”

  “Well, as you saw… I’m getting ready to go do some fishing.”

  “Right.”