by Chase Austin
“Karen, I know what you are thinking.” The voice said.
Do you? Karen thought, but said nothing.
“This world is a terrible place and we all have problems that seem insurmountable to us. But there are bigger predicaments. Problems which, if not solved ahead of time, will lead to mass destruction, murders, and faltering economies. There are no random acts in this chaotic world, except for us forgetting our car keys. There are organizations and agencies working overtime to topple America and its allies. And despite the alphabet soup of agencies we have, we are still always two steps behind the schemers and perpetrators of these acts. That’s because to stop them, we need to be like them, think like them, and act like them. No government will ever authorize any of its agencies to function like this in an ideal world. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. This world is fucked beyond recognition and we are just about surviving it. It’s mine and my team’s job to rein in this chaos and take care of American interests and Americans while working in the shadows.”
“What do you call this team?”
“Task Force-77. You will not find us anywhere. Like I said, in an ideal world, we don’t exist.”
“What do you want from me?”
“As I mentioned, my team saw some potential in you. Your abduction was a test to make sure everyone knows what you can do and where you need training. My team will make sure that we harness your skills to keep this country safe. The best people in this country will train you but, if you fail, you will go back to your old life, or maybe a completely new life. If you pass, then you will get a new life and your father will be taken care of for the rest of his life by the U.S. government. Now, the question is what you want, and you have to choose now.”
“What if I say yes? What happens then?”
“Mark will escort you to a secure training facility after you sign a few papers.”
“What about the people in the department, my father, my belongings?”
“To them, you will be dead. My team will find a reason and a way to do it. You will get a new identity.”
“So, I cannot meet my father ever.”
“Accepting this job means that you will have to leave people behind. Even if you fail the training, you cannot meet or see him. This is a one-way street, from here.”
“What about Hudson?”
“What about him?”
“The way he did what he did, I’m sure I’m not the first one whom he did this to. Someone has to make sure that he can’t get away from his deeds.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“I don’t know, but I want him removed from society.”
“We don’t kill people for revenge, and neither can you, even if you don’t join us. I’ll make sure of that. The law of the land has to be upheld.”
“If I have to leave my family and my friends for a life where everything is uncertain, then this is my one condition.” Karen was taking a huge gamble with the meager options that she had. But whoever these people were, they had gone to great lengths to convince her to stay and join them. She looked at Mark, whose blank gaze gave her no sign if what she had asked was even worth considering.
The silence that ensued was far longer than she had expected. Her thoughts were running in multiple directions, from imagining that her file was being re-analyzed to her usefulness being a topic back on the discussion table. This also gave her some time to weigh her options. Not being able to see her father was one thing but being dead to him was a different thing altogether. He only had her. Her mother had left them when she was eight and, since then, she was his everything.
But a dead daughter was still significantly better than seeing her getting humiliated in the public courts. They didn’t have the means to take on people like Hudson head-on. She knew that if it came to that, her chances of winning would be extremely low. Her faith in the American justice system was bleak, despite being a law enforcement personnel. But the things she would lose were huge—her father’s happiness, her own reputation, her savings, her benefits, her 401K, and so much more. By choosing this, though she would at least be able to serve her country, and they would take care of her father, even if she wasn’t there.
She felt like crying, but couldn’t here. Her efforts still failed, and her eyes became moist. She lowered her head as if she was thinking of something deeply and then casually raised her hands, rubbing her face, eyes, and forehead as if she was trying to keep herself alert. Once sure that her tears were wiped away, she raised her head and, from the corner of her eye, checked on Mark. He was still in the same place, alert and expressionless.
After a silence of over fifteen minutes, the voice reverberated in the room again. “If we agree to your condition, then you have to sign a special contract with us.”
“What special contract?”
“Legal will share the details with you once you let us know your decision. Now is the time for it, so what is it?”
Karen was in a fix. She had already taken the leap of faith once she put forth her conditions, but these last few steps of the journey still made her pause.
“The offer won’t last forever.” The voice pushed her.
“I agree.” Karen blurted out.
“Mark, please take Karen to her house for now. She will be moved to the facility on Wednesday night. Explain the protocol that she has to follow until her transfer.” The voice ordered Mark, who just nodded his head.
“Karen, we don’t accept any deviation from the protocols so closely listen to Mark and follow his every word. Any deviation will jeopardize your successful relocation and this arrangement. My team doesn’t leave any loose ends so if you deviate from the plan, then we will have no other option but to eliminate you. Do not contact anyone until further notice, not even your father. Mark will tell you what you need to do next.” This time, the instructions were for her.
Karen nodded. Wednesday was three days away.
CHAPTER 12
As soon as the voice stopped, Mark took out his cell phone. He pressed some keys and the wall opposite to the door made a noise. Then, as if a lever had turned inside the wall, a small square-shaped box moved back and slid left. Mark looked at Karen and found her looking surprised. Without saying anything, he walked towards the new exit and ducked to get through it. Karen looked around. There was no one in the room but the cameras were still pointed at her. She was still being watched. Without thinking too much about it, she followed Mark. Once she got to the other side, the box slid back to its original position. If no one looked closely enough, it was just a wall.
She looked around. This was a bigger room, with better lighting. The walls were white, making it look like a hospital, but she knew better.
“This way.” Mark signaled to his right. This time, it was her turn to lead. She was still wary of him, but the way he looked at her left her with no choice. Mark was walking a step behind her.
“You fight well.” He suddenly spoke, making Karen miss a step. A stumbling thank you escaped her lips.
“They’ll make you better.”
“Who?” she asked this time; she was interested. Maybe this Mark wasn’t so smug and closed as he seemed to her.
“The instructors.” He said nothing further. Karen waited, then changed the topic.
“What is this Task Force-77?”
“A Black ops team.” He gave an answer that Karen already knew. She wanted more.
“Who runs it?”
“I don’t know. All I know is that not even the U.S. President can tell them how to execute their missions.”
“What about you?”
“I’m in the recruitment team.”
“So, you chose me.”
“That is the job of another team. They brought you here to test your skills.”
“So, there are more like you in this team.”
“Like me? No, Better.”
“Better than you?” Karen was surprised. Mark was a good fighter and could easily hold his own against a
competent fighter.
“Yes. I couldn’t get through the last leg of the training, so I had limited options to choose from.”
“What happens if you fail the first leg?”
“No idea. Trainee reports are confidential, so no one knows the final recommendation, but they tell you your options at the end of the training. And who could be a better judge of your own performance than you?”
They walked for twenty minutes through various corridors and then stepped in front of a large door. Mark took out an oversized sack mask from his back pocket and handed it to Karen. He said nothing, but it was clear what he wanted Karen to do. She took it without question and wore it, covering her face. He tightened the surrounding strap, though making sure she didn’t suffocate. It was still better than the mask they forced on her earlier. She then stood still while Mark used a combination of a retina scan and a code to open the gate. A gyrating sound meant that the door had accepted the code.
“I have to hold your hand to take you to the car.” Mark said politely. Karen extended her left hand and felt Mark’s rough palm gripping it softly.
After walking for ten minutes, they stopped. Mark took out car keys and pushed a button on the key fob. The button sent a 40-bit code along with a function code, telling the car what it should do. Opening the passenger side door of the front row, he helped Karen get in and strap on her seat belt. Then coming back to the driver’s seat, he fastened his own seat belt and started the engine. The engine made a smooth sound, and Karen soon felt the car gaining acceleration. Sitting in the car, Karen tried to guess the distance from the facility to her house but then considered that Mark would probably take additional turns and unconventional routes to her house. It was common sense and she would have done the same. After approximately two hours of travel, the car stopped.
“You can take off your mask,” Mark ordered. Karen complied. Coming from darkness to light, her eyes took some time to adjust. She checked the car. It was a BMW. She watched Mark, opening his side of the door.
She checked her purse and found her apartment keys. Standing outside the car, she looked at him.
“You’re coming with me?”
“No, I’m good. Just remember no contact with anyone and don’t go outside. Order any groceries you need online. I’ll be in touch with you once your relocation plan is ready.”
“What about Hudson?” Karen shot the parting question.
“One thing at a time, but a plan will already be in the works when we talk next, and we’ll talk soon.”
They shook hands and Mark got behind the steering wheel. Karen checked the car, but there was no license plate on the vehicle.
CHAPTER 13
Two Days Later
The water lay still in the bathtub that was filled up to the brim with ice cubes. Bubbles were forming and bursting on the surface as if coming from an air vent hidden beneath the surface. Suddenly, the liquid moved and Karen appeared, breaking the stillness of the icy water.
Her strong athletic body was a patchwork of bruises and cuts from the fight a couple of days ago. The pain had subsidized, but she needed a quick fix to ease the rest of it fast. Stepping away from the cold water, she pulled a towel across her body and poured two fingers of vodka into a glass. She looked down at the label and then to the mirror. She opened the vanity drawer. Next to the cosmetics was a framed photo of her and her father in front of a blue country house. She stared down at the photo for a moment, held by memory, before reaching for a compact. Slowly, she started to cover her contusions with makeup and then dressed in a navy crepe wool skirt suit, with heels and sunglasses. Simple and sexy.
She pulled a cigarette from the pack, stepping out of the bathroom. She glanced at her empty bed and lit her cigarette. And then she walked out of her apartment door.
Outside, Mark was waiting for her in an SUV. A bag was waiting for her in the back seat. As she opened the bag, she saw a Glock at rest. She checked the weapon. It was loaded, and awaiting her command.
CHAPTER 14
Mark was in the driver’s seat and Karen was sitting behind him. Their eyes scanned the theater’s gate. As per their information, Hudson should be out of the theater by this time. It was ten at night. Hudson had a flight in a couple of hours, so he needed to be at the airport by eleven. But they had no option other than to wait in silence. Both were alert and wanted this to end as soon as possible. They were here for Hudson—the superintendent of the New Jersey Police force—and that meant that, if anything went wrong, the fallouts would be unimaginable, especially for Karen. But despite Mark’s reservations, she had decided to go ahead with the plan.
She was only worried about one thing: what if Mark flipped at the last moment? This was her second meeting with him, and she still knew almost nothing about the man. Suddenly, as if a train had reached its destination, the theatre doors opened and a flurry of people started to leave the theater building. Amidst all this, they had to find Hudson. Two pairs of eyes scanned the crowd like crazy. And then she saw him.
“There.” She pointed. Mark saw him too—Hudson, walking away from them. He softly pressed the accelerator and SUV lurched ahead. He kept a 30-yard distance between the SUV and Hudson, who was on foot and now looking for a taxi. Once the crowd thinned, Hudson had still not been successful in getting a cab. Standing not far away from the theater, he checked his watch and then looked back at the street, searching for any cab. Nothing. He looked frustrated. He then took out his cell phone and called someone.
“We need to move, now!”
“How?”
“Offer him a lift,” Karen said from behind.
“What?”
“That’s the only way. He doesn’t know you. Tell him you work for the department.” She quickly gave him a primer on what he should say to gain Hudson’s trust and get him in the vehicle voluntarily. Mark was wary of the plan, but maybe she was right. Whoever Hudson had called would arrive soon. He gradually increased the speed and then slowed the SUV as it neared Hudson. Karen slouched in the back seat.
“Chief.” Mark opened his side of the window and spoke loudly to get Hudson’s attention. He was still engrossed in his phone.
“Yes?”
“Sergeant Charles Mckenzie. We met at the ball, sir.”
Hudson looked confused, but Mark’s confidence made him believe his story.
“Are you waiting for someone?” Mark asked.
“I have to catch a flight and I’ve called someone to drop me at the airport.”
“No issues, if you are in a hurry, I can drop you. My house is near the airport.”
“No… no, Sergeant. I don’t want to trouble you.” Hudson now sounded calmer.
“No trouble, Chief. In fact, it would be an honor. Let me help you with your luggage?”
“Just this bag. I prefer traveling light.” Hudson gestured to his leather attaché case.
“Great.” Mark opened his side of the door and got out. He then scurried to the other side of the SUV and opened the front passenger door. Hudson, who liked the gesture, walked to him with a smile. Sitting in the dark, Karen stared at Hudson. Her body was tense, and she felt a surge of anger rush through her body.
Hudson slid inside the SUV and Mark slowly closed the door. He then ran back to the driver’s side and took his position behind the wheel.
“You said something about someone coming to pick you up. Do you want us to wait for them?” Mark asked politely.
“No, no… we must rush, I will inform them.” Hudson said, looking at his cell.
“Sure.” Mark sped up amidst the thin traffic.
“Yes, I got a ride…. No need to come… I’ll call you once I reach the airport… Thanks.” Hudson spoke briefly on the phone.
Once they reached the main route, the traffic thinned further. Mark drove in silence. Hudson was looking ahead when his cell chimed.
“It’s a remarkable time to be in America.” He said, reading a text.
“I agree.”’
“Th
e music, nightlife, and great restaurants. You’ve got any suggestions?”