“That all sounds great in theory, but how are we supposed to keep them from coming up from the basement and getting off of the elevator?” one of the five men asked.
“That’s also simple. Just call the elevator, and then stand in the doorway. They can’t call it if it refuses to move.”
Some of the men grumbled at Nathan’s words. They didn’t know who he was, and they thought that his plan was too simplistic. Why were they using gasoline? Wouldn’t a bomb or some type of explosive device be much more effective? Finally, one of the men voiced their concern.
“No offense, but this plan is incredibly simple. A child could have made it. Why in the world are we using gasoline and matches? We have access to all types of explosives. It just seems to me, and anyone here with an actual brain, that explosives would not only get us out of there quicker, but they would also do a more effective job of destroying the facility,” the man said.
Nathan was a little bit stunned at first. He hadn’t expected someone to basically tell him that his entire plan was stupid. Sam started to speak, but Nathan interrupted her. If an explanation of why his plan had to be this way needed to be given to the idiot in front of him, then he was going to be the one to give it.
“First of all, how many of you are familiar with this area?” Nathan asked.
No one raised their hands.
“If you were familiar with this area, you would know that the facility we’re going to is located a good distance from any houses. That’s a good thing because people around here live for something like a building catching on fire. If there was a loud explosion, then a few hundred people would call the local fire department, and pretty much the whole community around here would drive over to the facility and watch as the fire fighters put it out. It would take no more than two minutes for the fire department to be notified. That would leave us with less time to get away, and it would leave the building with less time to burn. If we do this quietly, the fire department probably won’t be notified until we’re long gone and the facility is a lost cause. Another advantage to this plan is the fact that it won’t become a media eyesore. Remember that normal people don’t know this facility is anything more than a solar panel plant. If something big like a bomb were to destroy it, everyone would assume that this was another terrorist attack. The public would be in a panic, and we don’t want that. They have already had enough to panic about lately. So if no one else has any more dumb questions for me, then let’s get out of here,” Nathan said while glaring at the man who had asked him the question earlier.
There was nothing but silence. Sam walked up and patted Nathan on the shoulder.
“All right, you heard the man. Let’s go,” Sam said.
On the way over to the facility Sam couldn’t help but feel a little proud of Nathan. Yes, this had been a difficult adjustment, and yes, he had certain problems with what they were doing tonight, but he had been able to not only come up with a way for them to avoid losing lives, but also delivered that plan in a confident manner. He seemed to really be coming into his own. Nathan noticed that Sam was looking at him in a way that he wasn’t used to seeing her look at him.
“So what is it? Is there something on my face?” Nathan asked.
“No, I’m just really proud of you,” Sam said.
“Proud of me? Why?”
“Well, let’s see. You’ve adjusted seamlessly to this situation, you’re extremely smart, and you’re one of the most capable people I’ve ever met.”
“I wouldn’t say that I’m very smart, and I know I’m not capable in the same way that a lot of the other people here are.”
“Nathan, the only thing that you aren’t, is confident. We’re going to have to see what we can do about that,” Sam said as she reached over and grabbed his hand.
Once they arrived at the facility, they got out of their car, and all of the other men piled out of the truck and grabbed the gas cans. The five men that Nathan told to stop the elevator did as he said. Nathan and Sam stood on the outside of the small factory and watched as people ran in and out of the building over and over again. The base below was in a panic because of what they were seeing on their security monitors. They were quickly piecing together a plan of escape, but their plan was too late. Inside of just four minutes, Nathan and Sam’s men emerged while pouring a long trail of gas to their location.
“I jammed the door with my gun. They won’t be able to come up for a few minutes. Would you like to do the honors?” one of the men asked Nathan.
“You know what? If you want to, then why don’t you do it?” Nathan asked.
The man looked excited by the idea and immediately lit the match and threw it to the ground. Nathan was glad that he decided not to throw the match after he saw the destruction it caused. The soldiers had really covered the place in gasoline well because it didn’t take very long before the entire factory was engulfed in flames.
“It was great working with all of you,” Sam said as the men quickly began to pile back into their truck.
Sam started running toward their car, and Nathan followed close behind her. As he was getting into the car, he took one last look at the inferno and felt a large ball of guilt build up inside him. This must be how Michael feels all the time, he thought and then jumped into the car.
The ride away from the burning factory was a quiet one. Once they were back in Memphis, Sam finally spoke.
“You didn’t do anything wrong if that’s what you’re thinking over there. If you need someone to talk to you about this, please just talk to me,” Sam said.
“I’m okay, but don’t say that I didn’t do anything wrong. Killing someone, or even making a plan to kill someone, is always wrong,” Nathan said.
Sam was worried about what Nathan had just said. There was no room for doubt in her profession, and she didn’t want Nathan to let that doubt get him hurt one day. At the same time, she respected that he wasn’t just dismissive at the loss of life, even if it was the loss of enemy lives. Nathan had been studying her face after he spoke, and he felt that he needed to explain what he meant in more detail.
“There really is no reason for you to worry about me. I’m never going to take someone dying lightly, but I know that what we did tonight was a necessary evil. I also know that it’s probably not going to be the worst thing I do during my time with the CIA. I’m not going to pretend it’s okay, but I can live with the things that we’re doing as long as I know they serve some greater good. I guess what I’m saying is don’t worry about me because I’m in this with you all the way.”
“Thank you, and just so you know, I’m glad that you feel something every time you have to be a part of something like this. I don’t think I would like you so much if you didn’t freak out a little bit when we did these kinds of things.”
Sam parked the car in a parking garage, and the two of them walked across the street to a hotel. Once they checked in and went to their room, they began to talk again.
“So what do you think they’re going to have for us tomorrow?” Nathan asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe they’ll have gotten some information out of Chloe by then. If so, we’ll probably be going to get the man responsible for all of this,” Sam said.
“So there’s still one thing that I don’t get,” Nathan said.
“What is that?”
“Who exactly paid Boyd’s company to kill so many people a few days ago?”
“That’s the million dollar question. My money would be on some terrorist organization.”
“Really? Do you think it’s that simple?”
“Believe it or not, it usually is that simple, and Markus has already proven that he doesn’t discriminate against who he associates himself with, so I wouldn’t doubt it.”
“I’m pretty sure that when we find out exactly who paid for this, it’s going to start another war,” Nathan said.
“Honestly, I’m pretty sure that before we even know who did this, some anxious idiot is going to start a war
. Don’t worry about stuff like that. That’s the army’s business.”
“I suppose that you’re right. Well, I think I’m going to take a shower. Care to join me?” Nathan joked.
“Oh, so he’s smart, capable, and now after he put that man in his place, courageous. As tempting as that sounds, I think I’ll have to pass.”
“Okay, but don’t ever say that I didn’t try to be a friend and share the hot water with you,” Nathan said while walking into the bathroom.
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what you were trying to share with me,” Sam mumbled to herself as she flopped down onto the bed. She slowly closed her eyes, and before she knew it, she was out.
* * * * *
The next morning, Michael and everyone else went to work, only Michael wasn’t going to be getting any work done at all. He was going to go to therapy. He had originally agreed to see a professional, but the more he thought about it, the more he hated the idea of going to see another person who would just judge him based on preconceived notions and then spit out advice that was supposed to make everything better. He eventually made his way to Mr. Harper’s office, but he made sure to be at least five minutes late. That was his own childish way of letting the therapist know that he really didn’t care to be there, nor did he think he needed to be there. He knocked on the door and entered.
“Hello, Michael,” Harper said.
“Hey,” Michael said while taking a seat.
The two of them sat in silence for at least a full minute.
“Well, why are you here?” Harper asked.
“Don’t you have all of my information in that file?” Michael asked while pointing to the file on his desk.
“Yes, I’m sure that everything I’m supposed to know about you is in there, but I haven’t even bothered to read it. It would simply be a waste of my time.”
Michael was shocked and a little offended by what the man said.
“A waste of your time! Mr. Harper, if you don’t care about your job enough to read my file, then why should I trust you to give me advice?”
Harper only pulled out a pad from his desk drawer and began writing something. Michael was not only being ignored, but as far as he could tell, the doctor was diagnosing him. He was infuriated.
“What are you writing there? Let me guess. Is it something about my violent and aggressive behavior? No, it’s probably about some unresolved childhood issues, isn’t it?” Michael asked.
“First of all, my name is James. I absolutely hate being called by my last name. Second, I didn’t read your file because what some adrenaline high soldiers may think of your behavior or situation doesn’t mean a damn thing to me. I would rather hear your story and what troubles you from the only person who can truly tell me. Finally, I’m not writing anything about you. I’m drawing a train because your little outburst is boring me. If you’re angry, that’s fine, and if you don’t want to talk to me, that’s fine too, but I’m stuck with you all day and every day until I can clear you, so I think that we should make this the best experience possible.”
Michael was shocked by how upfront James was with him.
“Stuck with me all day? Don’t you have a lot more people to talk to besides me?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, this is the CIA. Most people here are pretty put together. Sure, I may get someone who walks in here once in a blue moon, but besides that, I have a pretty good setup here.”
“So you don’t even like to talk with people? What kind of shrink are you?”
“I’m the kind who doesn’t want perfectly well people walking into my office and wasting both of our times. Campbell sent you to me for a reason. Are you here because you woke up on the wrong side of the bed one day, or do you actually need some help?” James asked.
“You really don’t know anything about me, do you?” Michael asked.
“Not a thing. For all that I know, you’re a Barbara Streisand impersonator who makes model boats in his parents’ basement.”
“You think that I’m a Barbara Streisand impersonator?”
“Ah ha! You don’t deny that you make model boats in your parents’ basement,” James said while laughing.
Michael didn’t know what to think of this guy. He was kind of all over the place.
“So where do you want me to start?” Michael asked.
“Well, first of all, why are you here?”
Michael explained to him how he had frozen up in Atlanta, how he felt that he had gotten his squad killed, and how he had felt on edge ever since the events.
“I see. Is there anything in your past that would have triggered such a reaction? Have you experienced these sorts of feelings before?” James asked.
Michael reluctantly told him about his past and how the feelings of guilt, and ultimately rage, had followed him ever since his days in the army. James just sat there, saying nothing, even after Michael finished talking.
“So Doc, do you have any advice for me? What about meds?” Michael asked.
“I don’t do medicine unless you really need it, and how can I give you advice? I have never lived your life or been in your situation. To think that I could even tell you what you should do in such a situation would just be arrogant. I will tell you this, though. I believe there’s a lesson here to be learned, but I think that you’re the only one who can teach it to yourself.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that there’s more to this situation than even you can see. When you understand why you react the way you do in combat situations, you’ll be able to alter your thinking process,” James said.
“I know exactly why I react in a negative way in combat. I don’t want to kill people, and I don’t want to see people die. Even now, I’m only here to prove to myself that I can do something that I obviously can’t.”
“That’s an awful lot of I’s, Michael,” James said.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that all you’ve told me is how much things affect you and how you need to prove something to yourself. Let me ask you something. Do you have a girlfriend or a wife?”
“Kind of.”
“I would be willing to bet that your ‘kind of’ girlfriend does most of the heavy lifting in your relationship because you’re too inwardly focused.”
Michael was angry at his words, but he couldn’t deny them. Jess had always been there to comfort and take care of him. He had never really done a thing for her. Their relationship had always gone one way.
“Suppress any feelings that you may have for one night and bring home some roses, cook her dinner, and then talk to her about her day and not your issues,” James said.
“What good is suppressing my feelings going to do?”
“It isn’t going to do you any good, but it will give her a night that’s about her and not about you. It’s not my place to tell you how you should feel, but I can’t help but see a pattern in your behavior. Killing those people in the army wasn’t all about you. Did you never think of all your brothers around you that you were protecting by doing what you did? Do you not think that they too struggled with the same sickness of the mind from the things that they were forced to do there in the desert? Then in Atlanta, you felt as if you got your whole squad killed because you didn’t fire. Your squad was annihilated, and you think that you, one man, could have stopped that. How self-absorbed or arrogant do you have to be to believe that? Do you really think you were the only one who froze up that night? Are fear and guilt exclusive to you?” James asked.
By this time, Michael was fed up, and he stood and began to leave.
“Wait a minute. I’m not saying how you should feel. I’m simply trying to tell you that life becomes a lot easier when you stop living for your own expectations and health. Try letting your actions be motivated by others just for today. If you don’t feel better concentrating on and living for the loved ones around you, then I’ll sign whatever sheet of paper you want me to, and you can get out of here.”<
br />
“So roses, huh?” Michael asked as he exited the room.
* * * * *
Early that morning, Trish and Lee found Jason.
“I need to talk to the man who killed David,” Trish said plainly.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Jason said.
“Look, if you want him to give you the information you need, then point me in his direction.”
“I’ll show you where he is, but please try to stay composed. If you do something crazy, I could get in a lot of trouble,” Jason said as he led the two of them two floors up and into the room where the man was being held.
“What do we know about this guy?” Lee asked before they were about to enter the room.
“We know absolutely nothing. He won’t even tell us his real name,” Jason answered.
“Well, that’s about to change,” Trish said as she and Lee entered the room.
Lee sat down across from the man, but Trish stayed standing.
“So who are you exactly?” Lee asked him.
The man stayed silent. Trish, meanwhile, toyed with an object that she had in her pocket. The object was a small pocket knife. It wouldn’t do much damage, but a well placed slice to the throat would be enough to accomplish what she wanted to do.
“When he asks you a question, you will answer him!” Trish snapped.
“And why is that? I see no reason to tell you anything,” the man said.
“You do not want to find out the answer to that question,” Trish said.
“I won’t answer that question, but I will answer another one. I’ll tell you why I killed David. David, the man who you were obviously so soft on, was quite soft himself. He was about to betray his own comrades for some woman he barely even knew, a woman who betrayed him by blowing his cover. David was weak, and that’s why I killed him. You could also argue that you had as much to do with killing him as I did, considering the fact that you put him into this situation,” the man said.
Trish slipped the blade open and flung herself across the table onto the man. As she pulled her hand back to deliver a killing blow, Lee grabbed her arm and pulled her away from him.
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