Eve and the Faders

by Berneta L. Haynes

  Subject: Carlos Manuel Padilla Salazar of Atkins and Salazar Solutions, Inc. Subject possesses Drive 21.

  Background: Atkins and Salazar–US company founded in 1967 and headquartered in Chicago. Company provided government services and information technology support. Company recently purchased by and merged with Venezuelan company, Castillo Science Systems (CSS) for $5 billion. Atkins and Salazar still in the process of transitioning. No indication when transition will be complete. Drive 21 must be retrieved before transition is complete. If not retrieved, Drive 21 may fall into Venezuelan hands, leaving US vulnerable.

  After reading the directions once more, she laid the tablet on the bed. "So how do we know the drive—I'm assuming it's a flash drive or external hard drive—is with this guy?"

  "Our informant has confirmed that Salazar keeps the drive in his office at headquarters, specifically in a small safe box inside his desk," said Agent Yu. "Drive 21 is black, approximately two inches long and half an inch wide. We don't know what other items are in the safe. Or even the code to open the safe."

  "Wait, so on top of sneaking into this place, I'm supposed to crack a safe as well?" she asked with a look of incredulity.

  Agent Yu shook her head. "No, you leave that to us."

  "I see. Okay." Eve was silent for a moment. "But what's so important on this drive?"

  "That's classified."

  "I understand. But I'm wondering...wouldn’t it be helpful for me to at least know what I’m taking? Not knowing what’s on the drive makes me feel like I’m stealing. And if that’s all I’m doing, how are we any better than the people we’re fighting? On our first day, you said SPI didn’t condone—"

  "There are times when the ends justify the means, Miss Cooper. The ends in this case being the safety of our country."

  She sighed, assuming that Agent Yu had uttered that exact statement so often that it was almost instinctual for her. Eve rose and went to the bathroom where she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

  "Well, we should get going," said Agent Yu, gathering Eve's jacket and handing it to her.

  Still staring at her reflection, she slipped her arms through the sleeves, zipped it, and took three deep breaths. She made herself invisible and followed Agent Yu out the room. "Hey, can I ask you one more thing?"

  They stopped at the elevator. "Go ahead."

  "Has anyone ever failed their first assignment?"

  Agent Yu barely moved her lips as she spoke. "Sure. But remember, this is still part of your training. The assignment is real—and we definitely need that flash drive—but you’re still in training. Failure during training is a growth opportunity. Besides, you won’t fail."

  The elevator opened onto the first-floor lobby, and they hurried toward the exit where a car awaited them.

  They rode in silence until the car stopped in front of an unremarkable high-rise building that housed Atkins and Salazar Solutions.

  "Return to the hotel room by no later than five," said Agent Yu, looking straight ahead. "The car will be waiting for you. That gives you eight hours to get the drive and get out. Don't be late."

  "Agent Yu?"

  "Yes?"

  "What makes you so sure I won't fail?"

  The agent smiled. "The fact that it worries you that you might."

  "You've watched a lot of The Matrix, haven't you?"

  Chuckling, she reached over Eve and opened the door. "See you at the hotel."

  Stepping out the car, Eve looked at the towering building and then at Agent Yu. "See you soon," she replied and shut the door.

  ***

  Like every other downtown office building, the floors were marble, and decadent chandeliers hung throughout the lobby. Two building attendants sat at a desk in the ground floor lobby and buzzed people through the turnstiles. Invisible, Eve rushed toward a turnstile and jumped over it.

  Tapping her feet against the floor, she waited for the elevator and looked around to make sure she hadn't drawn any attention. As the moments wore on, she glanced at her smart watch and groaned. "Come on."

  When she stepped inside the elevator and examined the buttons, she noticed something that looked like a key card slot beneath the up and down arrows. Shit, I need an ID card or something. She looked around, hoping to see someone approaching her, someone who could be her ticket up. But she was alone.

  So Eve waited inside the elevator, quiet and invisible. Minutes passed and she looked at her watch, wondering how long she'd have to wait before someone arrived with a key card. This is ridiculous. Why didn't they give me a card or a way to get up here? Just when she was about to sit on the floor and get comfortable, the elevator opened and a woman entered. The woman slid a key card in the slot, which lit up. To Eve's relief, the woman pressed 26, and the elevator door closed.

  When the door opened to Atkins and Salazar Solutions, the bright yellow and white walls of the office almost blinded her. Turning left toward the colorful cubicles, she swept her gaze over the numbers above the doors. As she crept along, it didn't take long to spot Salazar's office in a far corner.

  She peeked through the hazy glass door to see if anyone was inside the office. Empty. Good. As quietly as possible, she opened the door and went in, making sure to close it behind her. The office was enormous, far too large for one person. That was the first thing she noticed. Next, she noticed the stunning view from the floor-to-ceiling window behind the large desk. Framed university degrees and certificates were strewn about the beige walls, along with framed photographs of serene landscapes.

  Okay. Snap out of it. You're here for the drive. Where's the safe box?

  Eve hurried to the desk, opened the drawers, and searched for a safe box. Nothing. She noticed the two locked drawers and sighed. After searching for a key and finding none, she groaned and sat. She thought back to the session when a senior operative demonstrated how to pick a lock. Paperclip. I need a paperclip. Her eyes scanned the desk and landed on a paper clip attached to a manila folder.

  At once, she went to work with the paperclip, twisting it every which way. Yet, after a few minutes, she dropped the paperclip and threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. Wait...oh my God, I’m such an idiot. Breathing in, she clutched the handle of the locked drawer and applied the smallest amount of extra force to pull it open. It was the first time she’d used her super strength since that day on the playground.

  She gasped when she saw it. A small safe box. Wasting no time, she slipped it inside her backpack.

  As she stood, the door opened. Her heart dropped.

  At once, Eve backed up and pressed herself against the window and tried not to breathe.

  A man walked in, a middle-aged man who looked like the image of Salazar she'd seen in the assignment description. His wavy black hair hung over his ears. He wore an earpiece and was talking ninety miles per hour to someone. He didn't sound happy. When he ended the call, he removed the earpiece and sat behind the desk.

  Eve inched away, tiptoeing toward a corner where she planted herself and held her breath. She looked at the door. It seemed so far away. Even if she reached it without being detected, wouldn't he notice the door opening and closing on its own? She had to find another way, without drawing attention to herself. But how...?

  A soft whistling, popping sound, like a champagne bottle being uncorked cut through the silence. Salazar froze at his desk. What the...? She watched a small red dot appear on the breast pocket of his shirt. His eyes widened in shock then terror as he breathed in raggedly and clutched his chest before slumping forward against the desk.

  Staring at Salazar's petrified eyes, Eve thrust her hand over her mouth to silence the scream before it came. Blood, more than she'd ever seen in all her life, dripped from the man and spilled onto the floor. The room seemed to spin a little as she leaned against the wall to steady herself. No, no, no. This isn't happening. It can't be real.

  She closed her eyes while her brain wrestled with reality, only to be interrupted by a thud that came from
somewhere near the desk. A desk drawer slid open, and she stepped away in sheer terror as her gaze stopped at Salazar's body on the floor. Lifeless. His eyes wide open just as they were before he'd fallen against the desk.

  The reality hit her like a sack of bricks. Wait. Someone else is here.

  "Stop," she whispered, “you’re like me? Did they put two of us on the same assignment?” Why would Agent Yu not tell her that another trainee would be sent on the same assignment? It didn’t make sense.

  Next came the familiar whistling, popping sound, and she ran left to avoid the path of the bullet. Breathing hard and crouching, she rubbed her aching ribs and tried to approximate the location of the shooter. "Please, I have the drive." She covered her mouth with both hands. Fool. Why would you say that?

  "Where are you?" said a deep male voice she didn’t recognize.

  She racked her brain, thinking about all the trainees and trying to match the voice with a face. When her eyes flashed on Salazar’s dead body, she realized there was no time to hesitate. "I'm here." She approached the desk, following the sound of his breathing. He was standing somewhere behind the desk, she determined. "Someone's going to find him, and it won't take long. We need to get out of here."

  "We?"

  "I'm coming toward you now."

  "Stay back."

  Eve stopped. "Look, to be honest, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing right now. But we have to get out of here." She waited for him to say something, but he remained silent. "Just take my hand."

  The door to the office opened, and she froze. She didn't dare move or turn around to see who had entered. When a woman let out a shrill, ear-piercing scream and ran out the room, Eve knew their time was up. She could hear the woman hollering in the distance, "Call an ambulance!"

  Eve took her one chance. She reached out to grab the mysterious man.

  After some awkward clasping at air, she gripped his clammy hand, and they bolted moments before several employees rushed toward Salazar's office. She ran to the elevator and cursed while they waited for it to open. "Come the fuck on," she groaned, tapping her feet and glancing over her shoulder.

  As soon as the empty elevator opened, they ran in and exhaled as the door shut.

  "Thank you for not shooting me, by the way. I mean, after missing the first time."

  "I'm sorry to do this, Eve," said the man, still invisible.

  "So you are one of the trainees? Why didn’t Agent Yu tell me—"

  In the next moment, a shattering pain ripped through her forehead as though she'd been hit with a hammer. Stunned, she stumbled to the floor as everything grew dark and quiet.

  ***

  Eve squinted and shielded her eyes from the blinding light. She tried to sit up, but her head throbbed and her face felt hot. Lying against the pillow, she groaned. "What happened?"

  Doctor Thomas and Agent Grobeck stared at her.

  "Why does it feel like my head went through a grinder?"

  “A guest found you unconscious and bleeding outside the hotel entrance and called the police. It seems you made it back to the hotel, although we’re not sure how,” said Agent Grobeck.

  “The hotel? I was in the elevator at Salazar’s building. I don’t understand.”

  "Do you remember anything before you left Salazar's office?" asked Agent Grobeck.

  Eve noticed Agent Yu was sitting in a chair near the door.

  "I got the safe box that the drive is in. But then there was another cloaker, and Salazar..." Eve's eyes filled as the vivid image of Salazar's lifeless stare filled her head.

  "He died, Miss Cooper," said Agent Grobeck. "We're aware. But we didn't recover a safe box on you."

  "What are you talking about? The safe box was in my backpack."

  "What backpack?" he asked.

  "The one I was wearing. You don't have it?"

  He shook his head.

  "The other trainee, the shooter...he must've taken it," Eve muttered, sitting up and wincing through the pain.

  Agent Grobeck shook his head. "Miss Cooper, I'm not sure I follow. We recovered the gun in your jacket pocket, but there was no backpack."

  "Gun in my pocket? What are you—"

  "While we'd hoped you could obtain the drive without harming the subject, we were prepared for that outcome. Your termination of the subject is not at issue here. The missing safe box, however, is," Agent Grobeck went on.

  "My termination of the—I didn't shoot him. You guys didn't give me a gun. What's going on? Where's the other trainee? Where's my backpack?"

  "Agent," said Doctor Thomas, "I think we need to let her rest."

  Agent Grobeck softened his tone when he spoke to Eve again. "We'll check in on you in a couple of hours or so. Hopefully, we can help you retrace your steps then and get to the bottom of this. Okay? Get some sleep."

  She was left alone with Agent Yu who hadn't stirred or moved from her seat during the entire exchange. She cleared her throat, her expression inscrutable as she observed Eve. "Do you care to tell me what the hell happened, Miss Cooper? You never struck me as the murdering type."

  "I didn't kill anyone," Eve shouted, causing a sharp pain to dart through her head. "I didn't have a fucking gun. You know that."

  "Keep your voice down," said Agent Yu, approaching Eve and lowering her voice to a whisper. "Look, I know you didn't have a gun, at least not when we separated. But that means something else is going on. We shouldn't talk here."

  "Why not?"

  "They should be discharging you today. What's a good location for you to meet me this evening?"

  Eve ran her hands through her hair and rubbed her throbbing temples. "None of this makes sense anymore."

  "Miss Cooper, what's a good place for you to meet me so that we can discuss this without being overheard?"

  "The lake," whispered Eve, rolling her eyes. "At Foster Avenue."

  Agent Yu stood and, before she exited the room, whispered, "Nine sharp. Not a minute later."

  ***

  As Agent Yu approached, she glanced over her shoulder and looked left and right. The woman's nervous behavior unsettled Eve who was sitting alone under a veranda at the lake shore. Her head ached despite all the ibuprofen she'd taken, but she was relieved that the pain was subsiding.

  "I'm going to make this quick, Miss Cooper," said Agent Yu, arriving at the veranda and not bothering to sit. She looked over her shoulder once more. "You need to be careful."

  "Well, no shit," Eve mumbled. "I hope that's not all you've come here to tell me."

  "No, it's not. I've begun reviewing CCTV footage of the day of the incident. It's twenty-four hours of footage, so it'll take me and my assistant a bit more time to wade through it. I think there's something Agent Grobeck isn't telling me, and I think it explains what happened on your assignment."

  “Where’s the other trainee?” asked Eve. “He’s the one who killed Salazar, who did something to me. He’s the one who probably has the backpack and the drive.”

  “You were the only trainee assigned to Salazar.”

  Eve stared at her. “I’m confused. The person was like me, could cloak.”

  “Which is exactly what concerns me. From what you said earlier, this person likely had knowledge of the drive and was there for the same reason you were.”

  “He didn’t just know about the drive. He knew about my assignment. Agent Yu, he said my name.” What the hell is going on?

  Agent Yu’s gaze widened.

  “I thought you all were keeping checks on people like us. Like how SPI watched me for years. How could you not know about this person, too?”

  Agent Yu shook her head. “It’s impossible for us to find all of you. Some of you are better at hiding than others.”

  Eve regarded the woman incredulously and folded her arms across her chest. She suddenly wondered why she should trust her. "Why are we meeting here instead of at the office? Come to think, why are you being so sneaky? I’ve wondered about it ever since that weird call when you warned me ab
out Agent Grobeck."

  Agent Yu met Eve's gaze but was silent. After a moment, she glanced over her shoulder.

  "I've seen the way you interact with him. It's a little...hostile. I'm thinking you don't like him very much. Am I right?"

  She stared at Eve with a look that was a cross between admiration and concern. "You're perceptive. It's a good skill for an operative to have."

  "You didn't answer the question."

  "I didn't answer the question because it's not relevant. The point is shady shit is going on, and I don't want you or any of the new trainees caught up in it. That's it."

  "Right," replied Eve, studying the woman. "Have you found anything suspicious on the CCTV footage yet?"

  "There's some strange activity right before you arrive at Salazar's floor. A man who seems to be, I guess you could say, lurking. He's there one minute and gone the next."

  "The man who attacked me?"

  "We don't know. My assistant is hoping to identify him soon."

  "What does he look like?"

  "We can't make out the details of his face yet. And he's wearing a hat, a fedora."

  Eve laughed. "No way some hipster in a fedora attacked me."

  "Like I said, we're reviewing the footage. I wanted you to know I may soon have a lead on this person you mistook for a trainee." She looked at her phone. "I have to go. My advice regarding Agent Grobeck is the same as it was before. Keep your guard up at all times with him. And don't mention a word of this meeting. Got it?"

  Eve agreed. “Before you leave, I have one more question. Why couldn’t you tell me this earlier, in the hospital?”

  “Rooms can be bugged,” said Agent Yu, not turning to face Eve. “Do yourself a favor and learn to think like the operative you’re in training to become. It’ll stop you from asking naive questions like that.”

  At once, the agent departed, and Eve watched her hurry to her car. Once she was gone, Eve sighed and leaned back on the bench. She gazed at the full moon casting a gray glow over the lake and giving the dark expanse a shiny shimmer. She closed her eyes, wondering why she'd agreed to meet with Agent Yu. The conversation had increased her anxiety and aroused more questions. What had she gotten herself mixed up in, she wondered?