by Brad Raylend
“Well … I’m satisfied,” Todd said, as he began making his way towards the mall entrance.
“I am as well,” Kara replied.
After they found the car and buckled in, Todd adjusted the rear-view mirror and slowly backed out of the narrow parking space. She studied him in his deep concentration as he navigated through the tight parking lot. His eyes never ceased to study his surroundings.
“What do you think about?” she asked with an innocent curiosity. She was oriented towards him in her seat, hugging her left leg. He head was against her head-rest.
“What do you mean?” he asked, glancing over at her.
“You always appear as though you are lost in thought. As if you are always waiting for something, or something is constantly troubling you.”
Todd smiled, glancing in the rear-view mirror, then over at her. “I guess it’s habit. When you spend most of your life trying to stay alive by being quicker and smarter than the people trying to kill you, it can be hard to relax sometimes.” He pulled out of the mall parking lot and sped down North Miami Avenue.
“That sounds exhausting,” she said, tilting her head. “Certainly, you must feel at ease sometimes?”
“I do. It’s funny actually …” he looked over at her. “I feel at ease when I’m around you.”
Within milliseconds after saying it, he began to wonder if his statement was inappropriate. He looked over to see her gazing out the window, and he couldn’t see her expression. He immediately began feeling sick to his stomach and an overwhelming feeling of embarrassment. As they drove in silence, he continuously ran the statement through his head, looking at it from every perspective and analyzing it every way that it could be interpreted. He then began to curse at himself for his complacency. He had lost his edge for a split second and now he was paying for it. He tightened his grip on the wheel, returning to his aggressive and observant state of mind.
Todd took the exit off of the I-95 express way and onto the Julia Tuttle causeway towards Miami Beach. The sun was beginning to drop behind silhouetted buildings on the horizon. The radio station continued to play familiar tracks which gave a pleasant soundtrack to the long drive. Artists such as Phil Collins, Mr. Mister, Survivor, Pet Shop Boys, Lionel Richie, and Van Halen had Todd subtly tapping his foot at the first few songs, but by the time they were crossing the Causeway to Miami Beach, Todd was smacking the steering wheel and bobbing his head, lip syncing the lyrics to ‘Burning Heart.’ Kara laughed as he dramatically pointed at her as if she were part of the song.
Miami Beach was just as Todd had expected with colorful pedestrians filling the sidewalks and crowding the building corners. Limber individuals danced out of pure enjoyment, while their comrades held large boom boxes on their shoulders. Todd continued east and eventually came to the famous Ocean Drive, where he and Kara gazed around in astonishment at the sight of the sprawling paradise. Kara stared at the ocean with a gaze that made Todd wonder if this was the first time she had ever seen it. A few moments later, multiple women wearing bathing suits stole Todd’s attention from the road and he watched them as they rolled past on shoes with small wheels attached to them. Kara looked at him and then back at the road with irritation.
“I believe that was a stop sign that you just drove through,” Kara said, her arms crossed.
Todd quickly turned his attention back to the windshield. He began blushing as a car behind him honked.
“Sorry, I was looking at the uh … wheel shoes or whatever those were,” he said, shaking his head.
“Roller skates?” Kara suggested with a hint of sarcasm.
“That’s what they’re called?” he asked, scratching his jaw.
Kara looked at him with her thin eyebrow raised. He shook his head slightly and exhaled with aggravation. She wondered if perhaps she had made him feel uncomfortable for pointing out his natural curiosity.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
He placed his elbow on the door, resting his chin on his thumb, his index finger on his temple. “That was stupid,” he said.
“What?”
“Me … staring at the girls … I could have gotten us into a car accident.” He exhaled once more. “I’ll be more careful.”
“Todd, I … I did not mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“No, you only pointed out the obvious. That I wasn’t paying attention.” He flexed his jaw, glancing in the rear-view mirror. His voice started low but began to rise and intensify as he spoke. “I promised Brian that I would keep you safe … that I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you. Yet here we are, and I’m putting our lives in danger because I can’t focus on the fucking road!”
She stared at him, trying to understand his almost obsessive self-criticism, yet somewhat intimidated by it. She raised her hand, wanting to place it on his arm, but stopped herself out of uncertainty, brushing her bangs away from her eyes instead. “Todd … I did not intend for you to feel so badly. It is quite alright for you to be drawn to such things, and I hope you know that I do trust you.”
He looked at her, his hard expression relaxing slightly. Up to this point, he had believed that she did not trust him at all and was only along for the trip out of moral responsibility. But to hear her say that she trusted him gave him a different outlook on the mission. It gave him a sense of encouragement, and a warm feeling grew inside him.
“Thanks …” he said. He loosened his grip on the wheel, the soft sunset matching his newfound relaxed state of mind. The bright neon lights of the buildings to his right, and the fading light on the beach to his left gave a festive feeling to the already intriguing setting. The radio station announcer had changed to a louder individual who announced each song as if it were a boxer who was making his entrance into the ring. Kara smiled as Todd reached over and turned up the volume to “The Promise” by “When in Rome.” Todd didn’t say a word as he slowly drove south, the fading sunlight casting an orange and pink haze over the skyline. Although the sun had left, the warmth remained, as if the lights had simply been turned off and the atmosphere of the city compensated for it with neon lights and loud music.
They came to The Palms, which was a large building with blue neon lights lining the flat roof and the borders of the flashy sign. Tall palm trees neatly lined the sidewalk in front, and a long line of extravagantly dressed people eagerly awaited their access inside. Todd studied the front entrance, turning down the volume to the music. He could see video cameras posted above the front entrance and above the awning along with what appeared to be two bouncers. He slowly drove around the side of the building, looking for any possible structural and/or security shortfalls that he could exploit. He came to the back lot, which was filled with flashy cars. An emergency exit with no camera in sight was secluded in the dark corner near the alley way. He looked at Kara and grinned. “Well, if they don’t just let us in … that will be our entrance.”
He then drove around the block and found a rundown five-story building with a partially broken sign displaying the flickering word “Vacancy.” He pulled into the back parking lot, and he and Kara made their way to the front desk where he purchased a room for two on the top floor. The view was not as advantageous as he had hoped, being as it overlooked an old strip club across the street. He set his bag on the bed and gazed out the window at the bright pink neon lights casting horizontal shadows onto his tired face through the blinds.
“Well, I was hoping that we would have a good view of the night club, but this is the only hotel that’s this close,” Todd said with a look of displeasure.
“I’m am sure it will be fine, Todd,” Kara said, sitting down on the adjacent bed, her hands folded in her lap.
Todd rubbed the back of his head, a grimace overtaking his face as his fingers touched the broken skin on the back of his scalp. Kara stood up and walked towards him, her hands fumbling.
“Would you … like me to take a look at your injuries?” she asked.
He moved his head side to side, wor
king out the stiff aches from the long drive. “No, that’s okay,” he said, dropping his hand to his side. “I’ll be fine. I don’t know about you, but I could use a bite to eat.”
Kara nodded, a small smile presenting itself, with a look of worry accompanying it. They left the hotel room and drove around the city in search of a restaurant that interested them. They ended up settling on fast food and then on a movie.
After the movie, Todd and Kara began making their way back to the hotel, being held up at each stop light and crosswalk. Kara didn’t say much and Todd could tell something was on her mind. Although he found himself attracted to her tranquility and mysteriousness, he couldn’t help but feel slightly offended by her lack of words. As time continued to pass, being that it had been almost two months since he had met her, all he wanted was for her to talk to him. It wasn’t that he wanted a relationship necessarily, but rather a friendship and an understanding between them.
“You okay?” he asked.
She looked at him, her saddened eyes forcing his to become fixated on her.
“Kara …?” he said.
“May I ask you something?”
He looked at her; he could tell what she wanted him to do. He quickly turned off the road, parking on an empty space overlooking the beach. He shut off the engine and turned towards her, his heart rate slowly beginning to pick up in his chest.
“Is everything alright?” he asked.
She breathed out softly. “I want to ask you something … something only you can answer. Something I have wanted to know since I first met you.”
“What?” he asked in almost a whisper. He adjusted in his seat, palms beginning to sweat.
She brushed her bangs away from her left eye, her hands fumbling in her lap, shrugging her shoulders briefly. “You know how he thinks …”
“Kara …” He shook his head and chuckled. “What is it?”
She looked down at her hands, speaking in almost a whisper. “If you don’t want to answer I understand, but I must know. Does … he love me?” Her eyes left her hands and shot up to his, eagerly awaiting an answer.
Todd let out a quick breath, looking out at the dark breakers quietly crashing into the white sand. He bit his lip, doing his best to choose his words carefully. The conversation was about York, yet he felt his heart thumping in his chest for reasons he could not understand. He was about to answer when she broke the silence.
“It’s just that … I was so sure that there is … was something between us … that he felt it too. I have always been too afraid to ask him, I didn’t want to become a hindrance in his already complicated life. Nor did I want to make him feel uncomfortable if in fact he did not share the same feelings. I have never loved anyone in such a way. He’s always so kind, so … interesting to me. I want to know what he feels. Can you tell me?”
Todd scratched his chin. He continued to watch the white foamy water crash on the beach and then disappear back into the black surf. He had to force himself to look past what York had done to Luke; he had to look past his own hatred and also his jealousy.
“Well …” he said, raising his eyebrows and exhaling softly. “As I’m sure you know, he is a troubled person; he has seen the very few loved ones in his life taken from him. He is afraid of love … afraid of its grasp.” He continued to describe the man that he knew better than anyone, the man he had followed his entire life. “He wants to love, he wants to be happy … but, I believe he feels that the time for that has passed. He sees it as a luxury that no longer has a place in the life of a man in his position. He blames himself for his losses, for his failures.” He stared at the steering wheel, his hands tight fists in his lap. “He sees himself as the cause for all his pain.” He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts; he then turned, looking into her eyes. “He may not be very good at displaying his affection because he has never truly had anybody, and he fears that he may lose you if he lets himself become involved. But Kara, I promise you … you are on his mind this very moment. No matter how far, or how long ago he may be … you are all he wants in this world.”
Kara’s eyes widened and her breath fluttered. A smile grew on her face and she turned, her fingers covered her lips as she looked out at the dark ocean, the warm breeze softly blowing her hair. Her hopeful eyes made Todd feel a sense of warm fulfillment. Although he knew her thoughts were of York and not himself, it brought him comfort in seeing her joy. He wanted her to know the truth, to know of the dark reality of the man she loved. But her smile was rare, and he would not miss a chance to witness it.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UNEXPECTED
The club’s fire exit would make a suitable surreptitious entrance and would no doubt grant him access without hindrance. It also would help him resolve the issue of having to show any identification. Steven Bohden checked his 2014 Omega watch and saw that it was nearly midnight. The club was just now beginning to pick up, as the line continued to grow. He took note of this, since the big shots and VIP’s would no doubt show up once the place was lively.
He walked across the street, passing a group of young women who shouted at him with unrealistic invitations. He ignored them as he cut through the alley, walking quietly down the dark, trash-cluttered road, his hands in the pockets of his newly acquired leather jacket. He passed through the alley and made his way to the other side of the block. He studied the buildings in the area, most of which averaged three to five stories. He would find a place to hold up for the night, then tomorrow he would stake out the club until he had positive Identification on any of the three Yorks. Only then would he make his entrance.
The ‘80s seemed to be a time of lax and leisure, as if the country and its citizens were enjoying the splendors of living in the most powerful nation in the world. The Cold War was still present on people’s minds, but with such an aggressive leadership in the White House and no major conflict to bring upon any finger pointing, most Americans were sleeping soundly and were seeing a bright future ahead. It had been a long time since Bohden had stepped into the past himself, not since the early operations conducted by the facility. He still did not find it as fascinating as others, but rather still viewed it as a method of waging the world’s most innovative and secretive espionage. Like the host country of a target location, he saw the odd clothing and atmosphere of 1980’s Miami as simply another place in the world. He would do whatever was necessary to blend in and complete his mission.
* * *
It took York less than two minutes to pick the lock on the sliding gate covering the sports store entrance. He glanced back to ensure nobody was near, then he slowly pushed the gate open, revealing the glass door. Using the butt of his fixed blade, he hit the lower section of the glass door on the top right corner. The glass instantly broke into large shards and fell from the aluminum frame. He stepped through, turning on the built-in LED light on the helmet’s temple. He began searching for an appropriate weapon system. He busted the glass of the front counter, immediately setting off an alarm.
He looked over the handguns within the cabinet. Most were six shooters of a few varieties and some nickel-plated semi-automatic pistols, too flashy for his liking. He ended up settling on an M9 Berretta. Far from his preferred side-arm but the high capacity magazines would come in handy. He loaded up six magazines and stuffed them in the suit’s web gear. He then grabbed a double barrel twelve-gauge shotgun from the rack behind the counter. Using a hand saw that he found within the store, he sawed the barrel down all the way to the hand guard; he then sawed the stock off, leaving a stubby wooden grip, all the while the alarm continuing to ring out into the night.
Blue and red lights danced outside the store and the tires of a police cruiser came squealing to a stop. York casually stepped out of the broken door and walked down the street. The cop ran in directly behind him, completely missing the transparent suspect. York chuckled as he rounded the corner into the alley where his Mercedes was parked. It was another few blocks to The Palms, but he was in no rush as he had a
lmost another twenty-four hours before Michael would make an appearance. Starting the car, he backed out of the alleyway and drove down the street to what appeared to be an abandoned twelve-story building with the top floors not completed. Graffiti and overgrowth consumed the outer walls like the underbelly of society competing with nature to reclaim what had been abandoned by the city.
York turned off the lights and coasted to a stop next to a metal door on the side. He stepped out, softly closing the door to the Mercedes, and moved up to the door with his M9 at the ready. The door knob squeaked as he turned it, the sound echoing throughout the dark interior. He stepped inside and observed the interior through night vision. Garbage and obvious signs of life cluttered the corners of the dark walls and filled the building with a foul stench. With his pistol raised he walked softly, checking each corner and each open doorway as he passed by. He did this on each level, hastily checking each open room until he reached the fifth floor. He came to the doorway at the landing on the fire exit stairwell. The door had been replaced with a hanging rug and behind it he could faintly hear movement. The helmet amplified the surrounding ambient noise, while muting any loud noises that measured a high enough decimal that could harm the wearer’s ears. Thus, making small noises like whispers and the faint rustling of movement easier to hear, yet muting gunshots and explosions.
The amplified hearing came in handy. He could make out the subtle snoring of someone inside the room and the rustling between blankets. He removed his knife from his sheath and held it against the grip of his pistol, giving him instant access to two close-quarters weapons. He very gently pulled back the rug and stepped into the room. Switching to thermal vision, he could see almost twenty heat signatures laying in pallets on the floor. He covered each body with his muzzle as he passed them, carefully taking each toe to heel step. Up against the walls, the muzzles of assorted weapons systems lay next to their owners. He proceeded even more carefully now since he had no doubt entered a criminal headquarters. He contemplated leaving but decided to stick with his plan—which was to hole up on the roof since it was the tallest building only a few blocks away from the night club. He headed up the stairs.