The Agent

by C Paradee

  Megan backed up against the wall and pulled the cellular phone from her purse. Dialing 911, she requested assistance and then, after identifying herself, she asked that Sgt. Davies also be notified. Disconnecting the phone, her eyes stayed focused on the scene in front of her

  Tony and Dwayne moved counterclockwise feinting in and out. Tony was very careful to stay out of his reach and tried to draw him off balance. Lunging at her, she side stepped, attempting to disarm him. Surprisingly, though, his reflexes were quicker than she anticipated and allowed him to escape the movement, her hand grazing his arm. Lunging in and out, it was a dance of predators each matching the other's move with a counter move. Dwayne's gestures became more frenzied and he began taunting, "You got lucky last time bitch. You're mine now." Tony absorbed the words and realized this was the bastard that had stabbed her. Deciding to put an end to this quickly, she thrust her leg up and out in a lightening quick move dislodging the knife from his hand. Gaining the advantage, she moved forward quickly, kicking the knife across the floor. Dwayne countered with a spinning sidekick which she partially deflected with her arm while simultaneously leaping away before the impact could be felt. Taking advantage of Dwayne's forward momentum, she threw the weight of her body behind her fist and aimed for his solar plexus. Dwayne's face reflected surprise as he grunted in pain and gasped for air. While he struggled for breath, she followed up by sweeping his legs out from under him knocking him to the floor

  Tony reached down, grabbing Dwayne by the shirt, with every intention of slamming his head into the floor when she heard, "Tony," and felt Megan's hand on her shoulder. For a long second she was frozen before releasing some of the tension from her body letting Dwayne slump to the floor. Keeping the prone figure in sight, Tony turned to Megan

  Megan watched the two face off praying for the cops to get there. Tony had put herself in danger to protect her, and there was nothing she could do to help.

  Megan asked, "You ok?

  Tony quirked a half smile and nodded her head. "I'm fine. What about you? Didn't mean to push you so hard." Her attention was drawn to Dwayne who had struggled to a sitting position. "That's about as far as you need to go," Tony growled at him

  His retort was lost in the commotion of the arriving police cars, as patrol officers with guns drawn moved quickly toward them. Shouting obscenities at Tony, Dwayne was handcuffed and led to a patrol car. Tony was giving a patrolman her statement when Brian arrived. Walking over, he said to the patrolman, "I'll take it from here."

  Looking at Megan and Tony he asked them, "You two all right?" Tony shook her head and Megan answered, "yes."

  "Tony would you mind coming down to the station to give your statement? From the looks of him, he's going to be nailed for more than attempted assault and I want an iron clad case. So let's do everything by the book."

  "Ok," Tony said. "I'll meet you down there." Looking at Megan, she said, "I forgot something upstairs."

  Riding the elevator up, Tony once again asked, "are you ok?" Megan smiled at her, "Yeah, I'm fine. What did you forget?"

  Tony cocked her head raising her eyebrow slightly, saying, "My gun," knowing Megan was not fond of them. "Oh," said Megan

  Entering the apartment, Tony began to walk toward the bedroom, stopping when she felt Megan's hand on her arm. Turning around, Megan threw both arms around her in a fierce hug. Returning the hug, Tony asked, "What's this for?"

  Megan rested her head against Tony's chest, the whole scene playing over in her mind, and she knew she would be lost without this tall, dark woman standing there holding her. She could never go back to the way her life had been before. The thought flickered though her mind, what life. "I was so worried about you. He could have really hurt you. He had a knife. I never want to go through that again."

  Tony rested her chin on Megan's head, "I'll do my best to make sure you never do," she said unhappy that she had worried her lover. "But Megan," she paused, lifting her head and gazing into the hazel eyes looking up at her, "he wanted to hurt you, and I'm going to do my level best to make damn sure no one ever does that, no matter what it takes."

  Megan found herself captivated by the deep blue eyes that radiated a love she never thought she'd find. "I love you so much," she murmured placing her hands in the long dark hair covering Tony's neck, gently urging her head down meeting the soft lips with her own

  Tony held her for a few minutes before saying, "I have to go. Reluctantly releasing her she went to get her gun. Slipping the gun into place before going back to the living room, she said, "Why don't you go to bed? I don't know how long I'll be."

  Megan looked at Tony and smiled, "I think I'll wait up," raising her fingers to Tony's mouth to stop the rebuttal. "Just humor me, ok?" Tony placed her hand on Megan's face, gently caressing it and said, "Ok."

  Brian watched Tony walk gracefully across the squad room toward him, her beauty not lost on him. He was very fond of the tall FBI agent and impressed with her skill. How she had disarmed that lowlife tonight, he didn't know. But he intended to find out,

  He nodded his head in greeting, "Want to fill me in?"

  When Tony finished relating the events to Brian she noticed a quizzical expression on his face. "What?" Taking a calculated risk, he asked, "You two stay together?"

  Tony felt herself overcome with anger, "I don't see how that's any of your business."

  Brian was not fazed. He had expected the reaction. "Tony... I asked you as a friend not a cop. I happen to like you and I care about people I like. So if you don't want to answer, fine. Don't. It's no big deal anyway."

  Tony willed herself to calm down. "Sorry. There's just been so much going on lately. The attack last week and then tonight. And if that's not bad enough, all the Shadow killer's victims look like her." Tony paused, piercing Brian with her eyes, "But to answer your question, yeah, we stay together," adding, "and I just happen to be in love with her. So if you don't like that..."

  Brian interrupted her, by saying, "Good. I thought so. So when are you two coming over to meet my wife and kids?"

  Tony was so surprised her jaw dropped open causing Brian to start laughing. Snapping her mouth closed, and clearing her throat, she said, "You thought so?"

  "Hell, Tony, your face gives it away every time you look at her. It's a dead giveaway."

  Tony felt her face redden and said, "Um... maybe we could have a rain check for after we solve this case." Brian agreed that sounded like a good idea

  "You ready to interrogate that dirt ball?"

  "What are ya crazy? He'll never talk to me. He did nothing but cuss me out the whole time he was being led to the patrol car."

  "It seems he's had a change of heart. Now he's asking for you."

  Tony rolled her eyes. Just what she needed. So much for getting home anytime soon. "Did he asked for a lawyer?"

  "No. He waived his rights. Said he'd only talk to you though."

  Dwayne had been most cooperative. He drifted from cursing Tony out for taking a man's job to bragging about what he did to women who didn't know their place. He spent the remaining time confessing to a multitude of crimes, including all of the rapes on the near west side, and the Shadow killings. He delighted in telling Tony in graphic detail exactly how he had perpetrated the crimes, including his attack on her. He was relating each rape case in excruciating detail and they had already been at it for 2 hours.

  Tony was repulsed by his graphic depiction of the crimes he committed and thought about all the irreparable harm he had caused to the victims that were still alive. She decided to take a break, more for her sanity than anything. Walking out of the interrogation room, she decided to call Megan and tell her not to wait up. This was going to be an all nighter

  "Hi," she said smiling into the phone as Megan answered

  "Hi yourself. When you coming home?"

  "I got stuck interrogating Dwayne. He wouldn't talk to anyone else. So why don't you go to bed? It's going to be a long night."

  "How about I come do
wn there? I'm really not tired and I've got to give a statement sometime anyway."

  "There's no reason for you to come down here. Your statement can wait until tomorrow, and besides, you'll just be bored."

  "I'm bored here. Besides you're down there and that happens to be reason enough for me. I can take a cab down."

  "No. I'll have Brian send someone for you, if you really want to come down here."

  "I really want to. See you soon," Megan said ending the conversation before Tony decided to argue the point some more. There was no way she was sitting in the apartment by herself as keyed up as she was. Even if Tony was busy, there would be cops to talk to, and that was much more appealing than staying here. The fact that it was close to midnight was no big deal

  "Hey Brian," Tony said walking over to the big man, "Megan wants to come down and give her statement tonight. Her car's in the shop. Is there anyone that can pick her up. Otherwise I'll go get her. It wouldn't take long."

  "I'll find someone. There is no way you can leave now. Not with Dwayne singing like a bird. You've only been out of there 5 minutes and he's already asking for you."

  Tony groaned, her eyes darkening, "You know what I'd like to do with him?"

  "Somehow I don't think I want to know," Brian said. "Go ahead and get it over with. I'll find someone to pick up Megan."

  "Thanks," she said walking toward the interrogation room

  Megan put on a pair of jeans and a pullover top. A short time later the door bell chimed. Depressing the button on the speaker, she said, "Yes."

  "I was sent to pick you up," came the distorted voice through the speaker.

  "Ok." Megan depressed the button to disengage the lock on the downstairs door. When the knock sounded on the door, Megan looked through the peep hole and opened it, smiling at the familiar figure. "How'd you get elected?"

  Mark smiled a lazy smile and said "I heard what happened on the scanner so I went over to the station waiting for them to arrive. Tony's been tied up in the interrogation room and a semi turned over on dead man's curve again. All the patrol units are tied up over there because it happened at the same time the Michael Bolton concert let out. So Brian asked me to come and get you," he related

  "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

  "No problem, I'm just glad I'm not stuck in that traffic. You ready?"

  "Yeah. Let's go."

  Tony took another break. Her mood was very dark after spending another hour in the interrogation room. Dwayne had started describing the murders, but for some reason he refused to go into detail like he had on the rapes. He was toying with her and she could think of some very creative ways to make him talk. Unfortunately, she couldn't do that here.

  Her thoughts quickly brightened at the thought of seeing Megan. She'd be here now. Even though she had tried to discourage her from coming down, there was no one Tony wanted to see more right now.

  Tony walked through the squad room and then to the conference room. Not seeing Megan, she asked Brian, "Do you know where Megan's at?"

  "She'll be here any minute. There's a big accident on 90 and they got tied up in all the concert traffic. Mark just called in and told me why it was taking so long."

  "Mark, as in the reporter?" Seeing Brian shake his head affirmatively, she asked, "Why did you send him?"

  "The patrol cars are all tied up on the accident and besides, he and Megan know each other."

  "Oh, that's right." Tony turned and walked into the task force room. Trying to focus her attention away from Dwayne, she saw an envelope with the familiar FBI logo on the corner resting in her in-box. Walking over, she picked it up and opened it. Sitting down at the table, she began to read. She had requested this background check over a week ago, but had had to call in a few markers to get the military file. St. Louis wasn't real fond of releasing information, even if it was to other government agencies

  Megan looked over at Mark and asked, "Why are we going this way? It'd be shorter to just cut through on W. 3rd."

  "We should miss all the traffic this way. A lot of other people are probably using that cut through," Mark said steering the car down the hill leading in to the Flats

  Megan was still puzzled at the route Mark had chosen. If they followed the Flats straight through they would exit right into downtown Cleveland. And if the concert had just let out, they would be right in the middle of all the traffic

  "Anything new on the case? Did the newspaper article help? Do you think the killer got the message?" Mark asked amiably

  "Nothing new that I know of. But you really did a good job on the newspaper article. If it doesn't send a message to the killer nothing will," Megan said

  Exiting the west side of the Flats into downtown, they became embroiled in traffic. While they were sitting in the stand still traffic, Mark picked up the cellular phone mounted on the dash and called Brian. "Hi Brian, it's Mark. We're stuck in the traffic downtown, but we should be there shortly. I figure another 20 minutes or so."

  Mark said, "Damn," when he missed a turn, unable to get into the right lane. Trying to maneuver through the traffic to the left lane so he could turn and go back, he ended up being forced to make a turn putting them on the road leading to the east side of the Flats

  "Looks like we get to tour the other side now," Megan quipped, amused at his uncharacteristic slip of the mild curse. She had never heard him utter anything worse than darn.

  Just then her cellular phone rang. Pulling it out of her purse, she answered, "Hello."

  The words of the file burned themselves in to Tony's mind, and she was momentarily stunned. Panic reared its ugly head when the ramifications of what she had read settled to the forefront of her brain. Standing, taking a deep breath and forcing herself to focus, a familiar coldness came over her. A very capable FBI agent had entered the room. One of the best and most deadly FBI operatives left the room a short time later

  Adrenaline racing through her, Tony walked around to the side of Brian's desk, placing her hands on his shirt and literally pulled the large man to his feet. "You bastard. If anything happens to her, I'll kill you."

  Brian was shocked as he was lifted to his feet. No one was that strong. He hardly recognized Tony. He had watched her intimidate the hell out of the informants when she interrogated them, but that image paled in comparison to the woman standing before. Looking in to the dark hooded eyes glaring at him Brian had no doubt she meant exactly what she said

  "Tony, calm down. What the hell's going on. I'm on your side," Brian said with a forced calmness he did not feel

  Tony let go and in a voice so cold it was devoid of emotion, she said, "Mark is most probably the Shadow killer, and YOU sent him to pick Megan up. Get some men down in to the east side of the Flats now. Make sure they understand to use land line only. You make it damn clear no one plays hero. I don't want anyone approaching him," she growled. "While you're contacting them and waiting for the call backs, I'm going to try to reach Megan by cellular phone and warn her."

  Tony was so relieved to hear Megan answer the phone, she had to sit down. "It's Tony. Just listen and don't say anything. I think Mark may be the Shadow killer. If you get any opportunity to get away from him take it. Now just act like I'm asking you when you'll get here."

  Megan was surprised at Tony's words. Answering nonchalantly, she said, "We'll be there shortly. We got forced in to a wrong turn downtown and ended up in the east side of the Flats. So probably around 10 minutes or so," Megan said playing along with the charade.

  < FACE="Arial, Helvetica">"Ok. We're on our way," Tony said

  Putting the phone back in her purse, Megan thought about what Tony had said. She was having a hard time thinking of Mark as a killer. She had been out to dinner with him several times and he had been nothing but a perfect gentleman. Even tonight, although they were taking a round about way to get to the station, he had made no threatening overtures. But she knew Tony would not unnecessarily alarm her either. Maybe she could draw him out a little

  Sh
e needn't have worried, Mark was ready to talk. "Who was that?"

  "Tony. She was just wondering when we were going to get there."

  Mark pulled into the one large parking lot of the Flats. Megan started becoming alarmed. She looked around and saw the Flats were still busy. "Mark, why are we stopping here?"

  "I wanted to talk to you. I knew once we got to the station, I wouldn't get the chance," he said smiling over at her. Mark watched Megan as he began talking. "You look a lot like my aunt did when she was younger. I lived with her after my parents died. She took me in out of a sense of responsibility. You know, family and all that. She didn't like me though. She blamed me for my parent's deaths. She was right too. But she couldn't prove it. After all, I was only 10 when they died."

  Megan felt a chill at Mark's words and slipped her hand toward the door handle. Trying to keep Mark from noticing what she was doing, she asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

  "I just want you to understand why I'm going to kill you," he said, with the pleasant smile still firmly in place on his face

  Megan forgot all about stealth, the cold reality that she was sitting next to the Shadow killer sinking into her mind, and she grabbed the door handle lifting it. The door did not open. Mark said, "Oh, you can't get out. The door has safety locks. Only I can control them. Now how about just sitting there quietly. It wouldn't do to have someone notice you struggling to get out of the car."

  "Why are you doing this? What's it going to accomplish?" Megan asked deciding her only option at this point was to keep him talking. Help would be arriving soon. If she could just keep him occupied until then. "I thought we were friends."

  "So did I. I really thought you were different. But I was wrong."

  "Mark, what are you talking about? I've haven't done anything to you."

  "Oh but you did. Remember when I asked you if you agreed with the statement your FBI friend issued. That kind of put everything into perspective for me," Mark paused, and chuckled. Continuing, he said, "You almost fooled me. Gotta give you a lot of credit for that."