by Jack Parker
"Mako," The Avatar addressed him, interrupting the memory. "You and Charlie share in the extreme failure with Jake and Nova in allowing the target to be assassinated. How did this happen in your estimation?"
"Target was an idiot," Mako said frankly.
Digitized chuckles broke the gloomy silence of the debriefing.
"Answer seriously please agent Mako," the Avatar returned.
"Am serious. Plan was for agent Charlie to lure with sexy view, then we grab target after he exits stage and wants to talk to Charlie. We stay incognito. Rushing stage like Jake is stupid stunt that exposes cover, but target was stupider not to run, even if view is pleasant, ya?"
More laughter.
Now Jake will want to defend being called stupid and accuse me, Mako thought. But he would have to wait, as you were only supposed to speak when addressed by the Avatar. She turned her attention on Charlie.
"Agent Charlie I regret to inform you I will have to deduct five thousand points for the nudity infraction. Does Agent Mako's account match yours?"
"It does your Avatar-ness," Charlie said. "But since when was a little peek a—"
"Please refer to the players guide and contract section twelve paragraph three, on remaining modest on camera after the debriefing," interrupted the Avatar. "For now, please tell me what factors you think lead to your mission failure."
"Hell if I know," Charlie replied, her digitized voice not hiding her displeasure with the Avatar. "I mean who could have predicted a paint bomb like that?"
Good, Devotchka, Mako thought. Make no accusation.
"Do any of the four of you have anything to add?" prompted the Avatar. Mako took a deep breath. It was time to act.
"I would add something."
"Go ahead Agent Mako."
"Paint bomb was probably set in first round to go off in second round."
"What is your basis for this theory?"
"You're debriefing you gave says Rowdy was tackled by body guards, but other agents stood around podium when target was captured?"
"That is correct, Agent Mako."
"Takes too much time to set up bomb during mission. Bodyguards would notice. MANTA agent would still be rewarded for eliminating target at the next scheduled show."
Mako hoped it would not cross the mind of most players that were this real life, Carlo Benedetto would have done only one fireworks show if he did one at all, and that there was a chance he might even have better security. Fortunately players on a reality TV show often did not think too much about the real world. Mako suspected that Nova was the exception to this. Fortunately, his addition to the record need only persuade Rowdy to call for the trial.
"You're theory is now noted," said the Avatar. "Are there any further comments?"
There was no more complaining, no more theories, and no accusations. Jake is smarter than I gave him credit for, Mako considered sourly. Either that, or Nova has coached him well.
The Avatar moved on to debrief the final two players, Robin and Diamond, who were the losers of the third round. Mako was considering his options when yet another wrench was thrown into his strategy.
"Diamond has been KIA," announced the Avatar after her dramatic pause.
Mako noticed several silhouettes begin to tap away at their terminals in earnest.
Govno. A successful hit. This would mean that, should the voting continue, there would only be four players that could be voted on for a burn notice. Mako did not want to leave it up to that vote alone. He needed a trial for Nova. But now each round had a potential MANTA agent, and it was a killer of future alliances right now to call for a trial and not have the proper backing. Additionally, every player who was MANTA now knew for certain that the MANTA of the third round was Robin. Charlie and Salsa, if she was indeed also MANTA, both seemed smart enough to realize they needed to protect Robin as a potential ally. As Mako understood it, it was unprecedented to have this many MANTA agents this early in the game. Maybe he could use that to his advantage. It was time to take a risk. He brought up the texting box for Salsa while the Avatar placed a spotlight on Diamond so everyone could see just how stunned and unhappy the short, thin woman was while her final mission was reviewed.
Salsa, Rowdy will call for a trial on Tora now. I propose an alliance.
Mako could almost sense her suspicion from across the room. If she decided she wanted to work alone, or if he had guessed wrong about her . . .
Why?
Because I am MANTA.
Why would you tell me this now? I should just put you on trial.
True. You could. But you would be getting rid of a MANTA ally.
There was a long moment where he could feel Salsa deciding whether or not to reveal herself. Then,
Alright. Let's assume I do this. Why Nova?
Because Nova is the biggest threat to the four of us.
Four?
Yes. There is one more MANTA in addition to Robin. I will tell you who that person is if you call for the trial. Then we will all talk to Robin. He is in the weakest position and should not be difficult to convince.
I still don't understand how Nova is the biggest threat. Seems like everybody likes her. It will be a hard sell.
The woman was perceptive. Mako realized whatever reason he gave her would have to be more than arbitrary. She was not in danger of elimination like Rowdy and could afford to take the risk and find herself on trial without a very good reason.
Not as hard with four MANTA agents influencing the vote. I've worked with her. She won't buy the story that the bomb came from the first round. She will deduce that I did it. She's a dangerous player that we need to get rid of early. If the trial on Tora fails, she will then suspect you of being the MANTA in the first round.
Mako had to wait again for a reply as the Avatar finished the debriefing and the final rankings were posted. Jake, Nova, Rowdy, and Robin were all on the chopping block. Mako himself sat comfortably in third, with Charlie and sixth, and Salsa in seventh.
"It saddens me to say that there must be some of you working for MANTA," the Avatar said, not sounding very sad at all. "I will now open the floor for nominations to put agents on trial. Remember that you must be able to back up your nominations with evidence or reason, and all nominations must be seconded. The Agency will weed out all traitors!"
Salsa texted as Rowdy did indeed charge Tora with the crime of being a double agent.
Consider me an ally. I am happy to rally votes for Nova. But I can't charge her without taking a risk that is unacceptable to me. We will never be able to convince enough people to execute her.
Salsa was probably right. As badly as Nova needed to go there was some cause for prudence. Rallying a vote for her burn notice would have to be enough. Mako made his decision with a message to his new ally.
I accept your terms. Get in contact with Charlie and Robin. It's time for MANTA to strike!
Mako added an afterthought to his message out of pure amusement.
Mwah ha ha ha!
Chapter Fourteen
How the hell did I go from first to tenth? Jake thought as he fought the urge to kick the stupid computer terminal in front of him. He had been working with a real spy the whole mission. One would think they would have done awesome. The trouble was real spies didn't play by the rules, and neither did their enemies.
` Jake thought about that taxi ride back to the Bellagio as he tried to keep Victoria from falling asleep on him. It had been no small matter to smuggle her back to her hotel room either, even wrapped in a stylish black coat with large red buttons in useless places that Victoria bought off a streetwalker, she was very banged up and people stared or kept offering help as he supported her under one arm. She had kept pestering for his plan to keep her on the show the whole way, but when he told her he felt certain they could get a few MANTA operatives executed, her face fell.
"It's a nice thought, Jakey," she had said. "But they'll be ready for that. The voting is all digital for both execution and burn notice
votes. They'll just have that rigged to change people's votes to me if they need to."
He had been racking his brain since then, trying to come up with a way - anyway at all, to keep Victoria on her mission. He had suggested everything from causing a power failure so that the voting would be the old fashioned method of drawing slips of paper out of a hat, to finding the right person to bribe. She had finally made him shut up about it by threatening him with a large syringe from the first aid kit in her room. Fortunately, she had opted to use the morphine on herself and out like a light she went.
He had gently tucked her in and left her room - the last place on a long list of places he was not supposed to be. It was that list of transgressions that now landed him in the same boat with Victoria. The woman was trouble incarnate of that there was no doubt.
So why did he care so much about making sure she got to stay on the show? Did he have some fanciful notion of playing the hero and stopping the bad guys with someone real instead of this make believe circus he was in? Was it that he wanted to see her successfully thumb her nose at the authority ruling over her? Was it that he thought he was going to get laid?
Yep, Jake thought. Hoisted by my main mast once again.
Still, if there was one thing Jake was certain of, it was that this mission was of some great personal importance to Victoria. He could see it in her eyes, the way they lit up at any hope that he really could help - the way she deflated when that hope left her. And then there was what she murmured through a hazy mind as he tucked her in . . .
"Don't go. Please. Please stay with me . . . Dean."
Whatever this mission was, Victoria needed it.
Jake was beginning to wonder how he was going to keep himself on the show, much less Victoria. The situation seemed slightly more promising as Diamond got blindsided with a hit. Jake was stunned himself that someone actually pulled one off so early in the game.
This season of the show was full of oddities like this, and Jake was starting to think he could somehow connect all the dots back to Victoria like Kevin Bacon to any actor in Hollywood. Jake had never heard of three, possibly four MANTA agents this early in the show. Of course, the show was only in its fifth season, but that was plenty enough to establish sound strategy that everybody knew about.
Jake found he was baffled as to who the traitorous agent was in the first round, so when a trial was initiated by Rowdy and seconded, Jake didn't even bother to listen to the argument. He had too many other priorities to think about at the moment, Victoria was texting him to vote innocent anyway.
He tapped at his console, leaning close to the screen to make sure he spelled everything correctly in the dim blue light of the room.
I'm going to call out Mako after this.
As he suspected, Victoria was less than crazy about the idea.
Don't you dare! I told you you'll only play right into his hands.
But he's left himself open now. You and I both know that crap about the bomb being planted in the first round is horse shit. I can catch him on it.
Jake, Honey he's counting on you trying for it. Everyone with half a brain knows it's a big pork pie. If you go after him it will make you look insecure about something stupid. And for God Sake's stand up straight when you type!
Jake tried to stand up a little straighter.
Sorry about the slouching. I'm honey now? LOL. Nova, trust me.
Jake only just remembered to use her code name. She had probably told him her real name ruining she would soon not be on the show. Well he would just have to work harder to remember when to use which name, because she was in this for the long haul. He was going to make sure of it.
Jake please listen to me. You can't just say, "trust me," and automatically be right.
She texted him a few more times, explaining how he was being played, how it was all going to backfire, blah, blah, blah. Jake was far more interested in the fact that Tora's vote for execution was split exactly seven for and seven against. She was safe.
Jake thought he could make out Victoria doing a face palm as he summoned the Avatar.
"Avatar, I charge Agent Mako with treason against the Agency."
The Avatar lit up his screen, a smooth featured blue face cocked her head at him in an imitation of curiosity.
"Agent Jake has the floor. On what grounds do you charge Mako, Agent Jake?"
Jake spoke with care, annunciating as clearly as he could in his digitized voice. It was critical that his next words sank in.
"As everyone knows, I was awarded a special gadget. This gadget was a pair of sunglasses that allowed me to identify any agent in the field if I looked at them. Can you confirm this for me for the record, Avatar?"
"I can. Let the record now show that Agent Jake was secretly awarded special gadget Identification Friend or Foe glasses for his performance on mission codenamed Wanderlust."
"Thank you, Avatar," Jake said. "With this device I was able to pinpoint Agent Mako's location during the critical phase of the mission. He was not waiting at the side of the stage as he claims, but I witnessed him leave the restricted area as I approached, and then put as much distance between the stage and himself as possible. His notion of a bomb being planted in the first round is a poorly conceived lie."
Digital murmurs confirmed for Jake he had surprised at least a few people. Victoria texted. What did she want now?
Not bad you cheeky bastard. Watch yourself. You just stirred a nest of vipers and I can't be the one to second you.
Jake smiled. He wanted to tell her to sit tight and watch him work, but there was no time. He was in the thick of it now. She was probably still worried because she knew the accusation was not completely true. Thanks to her incessant nagging during the mission he never actually identified Mako with the glasses, though he was confident the man he ran into leaving the restricted area was indeed the man he now accused. Jake had to trust his gut.
"Does anyone second these charges?" asked the Avatar as if she were some hot blue congresswoman.
"Agent Charlie seconds the nomination," said a higher-toned female voice.
Wait, what?
Jake was stunned. He had expected it to be Rowdy or Tora, even Robin, who was also in danger of a burn notice but had so far been quiet. But Charlie? Charlie was supposed to be Mako's accomplice. Were he and Victoria wrong about her? Maybe there was some falling out between Charlie and Mako that wasn't apparent.
This is bad.
"Do you have anything to add to the charge Agent Charlie?" the Avatar questioned. "I remind you that you are on record stating Mako followed your described plan exactly."
"He did so far as I could tell. But come to think of it, we separated and he could have slipped in that restricted area real easy. I don't know why I didn't think of it before."
"The charge stands," announced the Avatar. "Agent Mako, do you have anything to say in your defense?"
"Most certainly, Comrade Avatar."
There was something comical about the way Mako used the word comrade. It was used like it was a joke that only Mako got - transparent to anyone who bought into the stereotype of the Russian background listed in his profile. The Avatar did not care about either stereotypes or humor and continued the trial without pause.
"Proceed then, Agent," said the Avatar.
"Gladly. Ladies and gentlemen my poor partner and ally is confused. We had a good mission together and she would never turn on me, except if she suspected I might be with MANTA. Then she would wisely want to disassociate herself as quickly as possible from me. Agent Jakes accusations are compelling, but let me assure both you and my lovely partner that his words are only lies."
Nice try comrade. It's really still just your word against mine.
Jake was still wary. Charlie seconding the charges against Mako already made her look rather loyal to the Agency. Now Mako had just made Charlie look more Anti-MANTA than ever with that little speech. She was going to be free of MANTA suspicion until almost the end of the game if she didn
't make any stupid mistakes. Was that all they hoped to achieve?
"And I can prove this is lie. You see comrade agents, I have the gadget sunglasses."
Oh . . .uh oh. Jake thought hard about his rhinestone speckled white suit. Had he even checked his pockets for the glasses after the mission. No. There was no way Mako got them. Jake's heart began to pound in his chest, its angry beat somehow thrumming in his temples as his mouth went dry. An awful memory flashed through his mind—a man dressed in a faded black duster, the same man that Jake was sure was Mako . . .bumping into him. A casual apology in an accent Jake could not quite place at the time.
Oh! Oh no. Oh shit. Shit. Shit!
"Did you bring the glasses with you Agent Mako?" asked the Avatar. Suddenly even her softly glowing blue eyes seemed to stare accusingly at him.
"Of course," Mako said in a polite tone that sounded to Jake like nails on a chalkboard—or perhaps one final nail in his proverbial coffin.
"Please hold them up for all agents to see and then place them in your item draw for scanning." The Avatar instructed.
Mako did as he was told, waving the glasses like a little flag of victory.
"How did you come by the glasses?" The Avatar asked, as if on cue.
"I lifted them from a careless agent," Mako said, his digitized voice failing to hide the explosion of pretentiousness. "He never recognized me, never saw me. If he had, he would have chased me down for these. That how you know what he says is lie."
Any moment now the text from Victoria would come—the I told you so. I'm such a dumbass. How could he have not realized his glasses were gone? He had been too eager at the chance to save Victoria. Well at least he was about to get executed and Victoria would have to stay in the game. There was no way they were getting rid of three people this early. Victoria's text finally came as the Avatar confirmed the glasses to be the one and only special use gadget. His partner surprised him.