by C. S. Won
Jae placed a hand on Clay’s shoulder. “We have a long day tomorrow. Go and rest up.”
Clay frowned but nodded. He stalked off, disappearing along the hallway towards the back. Andrea followed after him but stopped and turned to look at Jae.
“I’ll wait up,” she said.
Jae smiled at her, and she smiled back. She turned and went into her room.
“Before I forget . . .” Tobin dug into his pocket. He pulled out a flip phone. “Secure and encrypted.”
“Thanks.” Jae took the phone and stared at it. “Should I say my goodbyes?”
“A little grim, Mr. Yeon, but if you feel that you must.”
“What about you?”
“I’ve already said my goodbyes a long time ago.” Tobin turned to leave.
“Do you think we’ll succeed?”
Tobin paused to look at him. “Are you religious? Do you pray?”
“Not really.”
“Then I’d start if I were you.” Tobin pointed upwards. “Who knows? They might just be listening.”
Chapter Eight
The sun bore heavily on the earth today. Sightlines, both far and close, seethed in the heatwave, as if the world itself was baking inside an oven. Jae sat on the ground outside the cabin, underneath the shade of its roof, as far away from the sun’s oppression as he could manage. His skin glistened with a coat of sweat, and his butt cooked against the heat-infused dirt, forcing him to squirm around so his ass wouldn’t burn. The damp towel he held in his hand was a defense as ineffective as the shade.
“I knew that son of a bitch was talking shit the moment he opened his mouth,” Gabe said, through the phone.
Jae tossed the towel aside and took a swig of the cold water that had been sitting on his lap. It was only his third sip, but the bottle was already almost empty. “Good to know that at least one person has my back.”
“Blaming you for Daniel’s death? And the bombings too? Anyone with two functioning brain cells could tell you how obvious that lie was. Sadly, we seem to live in a day and age where most people don’t even have half of one, so here we are.”
“What about the others?”
“Don’t even get me started. Half the station actually thinks that puffed up gasbag was telling the truth. Your own co-workers, can you believe that? Some of them you’ve worked with for years. Even our esteemed chief thinks you’re a terrorist. Idiots and traitors, all of them.”
“Damn, didn’t realize it was that bad.”
“And every day, without fail, we always get some intrepid reporter douchebag visiting from some crappy toilet rag of a tabloid newspaper, and spewing off these loaded questions like, ‘did you ever suspect Jae Yeon was a terrorist?’ or ‘What do you think motivated Jae to kill so many people?’ Assholes, all of them!”
“Sorry about the unwanted media attention.”
“I’ve learned how to get a handle on these reporters. Just hurry up and expose Morgan Duffy for the fraud he is. I’m in the mood to gloat.”
“Only if I can rescue my brother. He’s the key to all this.”
“I have faith in you. You’re the strongest man in the world, right? This’ll be a walk in the park for you.” Gabe sighed. “It’s too bad I can’t tag along, though. The whole thing sounds like it could be a lot of fun.”
“Fun? Hardly how I’d describe it. This isn’t some Hollywood movie. I screw up, and I likely die.”
“But we are living in a Hollywood movie. You just described a reality where it’s basically X-Men crossing paths with the X-Files. At this point, I’m half-expecting all of this to be just some sort of computer simulation built by some AI hive mind.”
It might as well be. Jae looked at his watch. A little past 4 p.m. Only a few hours left. “Listen, I need to get going. Let everyone know how sorry I am.”
“I’ll let everyone know how much a lying sack of shit Morgan is, that’s what I’ll do.”
“That’ll work too.”
“Hey, do me one favor before you go.”
“What is it?”
“After you rescue Han, let me be the first to greet him. I want to kick his ass for being such a shitty brother.”
Jae chuckled. “Deal.”
“And one more thing. Tell me about Andrea. I know you’ve been fu—”
“Goodbye, Gabe.” Jae ended the call. Despite the lewd note Gabe wanted to end it on, Jae couldn’t help but smile. Catching up made Jae think of home, coaxing nostalgia for happier times. As great and peaceful the Little Sahara has been, home was where the heart was, and he found himself yearning for it. But it was a desire he had to resist. Tasks had to be completed and responsibilities fulfilled, and until he finished what he set out to do, going back home and drinking beers with old friends was only an aspiration he could dream about.
Jae transferred the phone back into his pocket and walked back into the cabin, away from the sun beating on his back, and into the pleasant environment of cold air-conditioning, which he welcomed with a smile. He closed the door behind him, and as he walked into the living room, he saw everyone gathered around the TV.
“What’s going on?” Jae asked. He finished off his water and threw the empty bottle into a nearby trash bin.
“The president is about to have a meeting with business leaders. Recognize anyone?” Clay asked.
The TV showed footage of Morgan Duffy walking down a hallway in the White House, trailed by a line of suited men and women. A row of cameras flashed his world white with every step he took, and reporters tried hard to bypass a barricade to shout questions at the throng of VIPs. The frenzy of the moment had essentially turned this gathering of industry magnates into the equivalent of a red-carpet Hollywood showcase, with the media playing the part of the adoring masses. Morgan was very much enjoying the attention, relishing the opportunity to launch a sizzle-reel quotable about the dangers of a neo-human at any camera and mic shoved into his face.
“Nice to know the president is making time to meet with this asshole,” Andrea said.
“Him and others. He’s only there because of his wealth and so-called business acumen. But you’re right, he is an asshole,” Clay said.
“I guess this confirms Morgan won’t be at the compound.”
“He was never going to be there in the first place. Morgan is smart enough to have separation between himself and his more illicit activities,” Tobin said.
Jae turned the TV off. He couldn’t stand the sight of him. “Let’s reiterate what we’re going to do later.” All eyes turned to him. “First, does anyone want to back out? You can, if you want to. I’m not going to force anyone to go. Andrea? Clay?”
“I’m definitely going,” Andrea said.
Clay pulled his lips in and looked at the ground. “I’m not going to put on a brave face and say I’m looking forward to this. I’m scared shitless, to be honest. Feels like someone is having a tug of war with my guts.” He looked up. “But my son needs me, so I’ll be there.”
Jae patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t get hurt.” He looked at the group again. “Once we’re inside the compound, do not let go of Clay. If you let go, you expose yourself, and we’ll be forced to expose ourselves too.”
“Got it,” Andrea said.
“Tobin—” Jae nodded at him. “Will serve as point. He will port us to the first security room. Once we’re settled in, Tobin and I will port over to the security room in the compound below the surface, leaving Clay and Andrea upstairs.” He looked at Andrea. “I need you to take out the entire room the moment we leave.”
“I’ll handle it,” Andrea said.
“Tobin and I will take care of the security below. If all goes well, we’ll leave them blinded and disoriented, hopefully long enough for us to trek through the length of the facility, find my brother and Marlowe, then get the hell out of there.”
“We’ll need to develop a contingency just in case we cross paths with Pax and Rena. A fight may be unavoidable,”
Tobin said.
Jae thought it over. “The moment you see Rena, immediately teleport her away, far from the compound. You’re the only one in this room who can do that.”
“Understood,” Tobin said.
“The rest of us will deal with Pax. With Clay, Andrea, and myself, that shouldn’t pose a problem, hopefully.” Jae looked around. “Any questions?”
“What if Morgan has more neo-humans at the facility, ones that we haven’t seen before?” Clay asked.
Jae hadn’t thought of that. Morgan claimed he only had three under his employ, but that very well could have been a lie. “Then we may need to cut our losses and run, especially if we’re outnumbered.”
“Are you sure?” Tobin asked.
“My number one priority, even before Han and Marlowe, is to make sure no one gets hurt. If the situation turns dire, I’m not going to jeopardize anyone for the sake of the mission.”
“But that’s the whole point of this incursion, isn’t it? To rescue them? Wouldn’t it be a waste if we leave empty-handed?” Clay asked.
“It means nothing if one of us gets left behind.”
Tobin intervened. “We’ll cross that bridge when we reach it. Let’s make the attempt first and see what happens.”
“Anything else, then?” Jae asked the rest of them. No one spoke up. “Remember: protect each other. Have each other’s backs. Only together will we be able to do this.” Jae looked at Andrea, who smiled at him. “We still have some time before we go, so rest up. Everyone needs to be sharp for this. Make your calls if you haven’t already.”
The group dispersed, everyone going their own way. Clay exited towards the back, Andrea headed to her room, and Tobin made his way over to the kitchen. Jae followed him.
“What should I do with our prisoner?” Tobin asked.
“He’ll have to stay until we get back,” Jae said.
“And if we don’t?”
Jae thought it over. “How confident are you that he doesn’t know about this location?”
“Very. There’s no way for him to know where we are.”
“Then before we embark, we’ll send him on his way. Not to his home though, obviously, but someplace where he won’t have easy access to an US embassy, like the middle of the South American rainforest or something.”
“I can do that.”
“Have you contacted anyone yet?”
“I have no family or friends. Han, I suppose would be the closest, since he always treated me well, but I have no one.”
“I see.”
Tobin shrugged. “Life as a mercenary is a lonely one. People were simply a complication. Guns, money, and drink were our companions, and in my case, also my consciousness. If we were in the mood for something more, then well, we’d find a lady of the night and be done with it.” He opened up a can of beans and started digging in. “Some days I wish I can ignore the consequences of my work and continue the grind, but once your eyes are open, there’s no going back. You can’t will amnesia onto yourself, sadly.”
“Was it one specific instance that made you rethink what you were doing?”
Tobin shook his head. “It was years of doing the devil’s work that chipped away at me.”
They stood in silence inside the kitchen, Tobin spooning away at his beans, Jae leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. In the past few months, it seemed that the whole ugliness of the world was being exposed to Jae, like peeling back the covers of a horrific car accident. Starting with Adam Erste, then Daniel Duffy, and continuing with Morgan Duffy, Jae had come face to face with the depravity and pettiness that lurked within the soul of man, and he himself had not come out of it unscathed. He wondered if this was simply the way the world worked, and if there was any point in opposing it. How could he, as one man, change all that?
“Have you called anyone yet?” Tobin asked.
“I have, but there’s still one more person left I need to talk to before I’m done,” Jae said.
“Who?”
“That’s what I need you for. I’d like to ask you for a favor.”
Chapter Nine
The gravel walkway crunched beneath his heels.
Jae knew how many steps he needed to take to reach his destination, the precise number of it burned as an imprint on his brain. He had walked this same path before countless times over, listening to the same music his shoes made when they tapped against the stone. He watched the small hills roll as they always did, lit by the warmth and light of the sun, the grass swaying against the wind, sighing as it passed through. Gravestones dotted these hills, small monuments arranged side by side, row by row in a near endless series of columns and formations, many of them decorated with flowers or ornaments of remembrance, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other trinkets placed as signs of respect and love for those who had long passed. Far behind him was Tobin, standing next to a mausoleum.
The walkway made a cut to Jae’s left, and he followed suit, pivoting his heels. Not too much farther now, he thought, and he was not wrong. Taking shape near an oak tree that stood on a summit of a hill, and darkened by the shade it provided, Madeline’s gravestone began to emerge. He slowed his pace as he climbed that hill, and with each step he took his emotions began to flare—anger, sadness, and frustration roiling in his gut, threatening to overwhelm him. He tried to control it, but the moment was too much, and as the gravestone began to take definition and shape, he felt the hurt flickering up his throat.
He went to a knee on a slow bend and touched the cool stone that marked her final resting place. It was smooth against his hand, and with a light touch he traced the inscription carved onto the stone.
In fondest memory of Madeline Rose Ewing
August 1988 – February 2016
Here she rests
Loving daughter, sister, and friend.
“I’ve brought you something today,” Jae said. He slipped the engagement ring out of his pocket, and held it in the creases of his hand. It was still lustrous and beautiful, a gold band studded with a diamond gemstone. He placed it on top of her gravestone, and even in the shade it glimmered. “It’s been a while.” He plucked a few of the taller stalks of grass growing near her gravestone and tossed them away. “Gabe sends his regards, of course. He’s doing well. He’s taking his lieutenancy exam in a few weeks, which I’m sure he’ll easily pass. I’m proud of him.” He paused, forming the words. “Your sister also came by to visit a couple of months ago. We had lunch and caught up on a few things. She misses you a lot, but she’s learning to cope, and getting better about it every day. She didn’t cry, which was a first for her.” He fell silent as he listened to the wind sighing through the branches above him. “I’m coping too, I guess. I think about you every day, even though I try not to. Not because I don’t want to, but because it hurts too much whenever I do, and if I dwell too long on the memories, then that hurts turns to anger, and I tend to not be a very pleasant person once I get to that point.”
He was starting to feel that anger again. It was a struggle to control sometimes because of how seductive it could be. Sometimes it even felt good to give in, to let loose the rage, to lash out and let the world know his fury. But he couldn’t give in. Not today. Not here. Not where she rested.
The ground took on a pattern of brightened sun spots, highlighted by the beams of light piercing through the thin openings in the leafy branches above. The pattern lulled him into calmness, and he rested his hands on the ground and closed his eyes, taking in the warm air through his nose, holding the pressure for a few seconds before breathing it out slowly through his mouth. The exercise soothed his rage, vanishing back into the darker recesses of his heart.
He opened his eyes and placed a hand back on the gravestone. “I might be seeing my brother soon. Crazy, right? Remember how you always tried to get me to look for him? Well, twenty years later and we’re finally going to meet at last. Unfortunately, the dumb bastard is in trouble. He’s being held prisoner by some really scary people, so I have
to go rescue him. But I’m not sure if I’ll make it back. There’s a good chance I might not succeed. It’s a grim assessment, I know, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m walking into a trap.” He adjusted the ring on the gravestone, turning it ever so slightly. “So I guess, in a way, this might be goodbye, or maybe more appropriately, see you later. I don’t know. If things go sideways, we might be seeing each other again a lot sooner than I anticipated, which honestly, doesn’t sound so bad when I think about it. I’ve missed you, Mad. You’ve got your claws sunk into me, and I can’t stop thinking about you.”
His regrets with Madeline’s death were not new, so he tried not to dwell on them, especially not here. This was supposed to be a sweet but subdued moment, and the last thing he wanted was to break down into a pile of wallowing self-pity in front of her resting place. No matter how hard he cried his tears, she was not going to come out of that ground and embrace him.
Jae leaned over and kissed her gravestone. “Lend me your strength and blessing, Madeline. If this is the last time we see each other, just know that I always loved you, no matter what.” He stood, brushed himself off, and took one long, final look at her gravestone, eyeing the ring he left as a crown for her marker. A breeze came in from the east and shifted the branches ever so slightly, tugging the golden patterns on the ground towards the stone and painting it a bright hue of yellow.
He turned and walked back the way he came.
Chapter Ten
“Something is wrong.” Tobin was low against the grass, dressed in all black to blend in with the darkness. A bullet-proof vest shielded his torso. “It wasn’t like this the last time I was here. It wasn’t as busy.”
Jae put his binoculars down. Twenty guards, armed with assault rifles, marched around the perimeter of the compound with notable alertness. That doubled the ten Jae had originally counted a couple of days ago.