by C. S Luis
“He is on a secret mission. You will find out more when it is necessary for you to know.”
I nodded, disappointed to hear I would not see him again.
“Happy Birthday, John,” Dr. Nicholson said.
“Thank you, Dr. Nicholson.”
He and the staff sergeant left me there with my new weapon, and disappeared out of the barracks. The cadets all returned to their leisure time, except now, they were all gathered around me to see the firearm I had been presented with. All were at awe and all were wanting to feel it.
6
First Day
2 months later…Morris High…
* * *
“Is everything ok? You ready?” The voice of my guardian awakened me as I sat in the car looking up at the dashboard. The ‘67 Mustang white convertible had come to a halt at a space in the student designated parking lot. The car was more suitable for a teenage boy, a popular one, a football jock. At least, that’s what Joseph had said regarding the car.
I exhaled feeling the earpiece in my ear. Not far from where I sat, a few buses were parked in a straight line. Kids were pouring from out of the yellow metal bodies. The buses looked strange, but I remembered their purpose- a method of transportation for a large group of people.
I recalled the awkwardness of entering a new place, the first time training with Joseph, then registering for school this time around.
“Make friends,” Joseph said. “Try not to look awkward or out of place.”
Awkward? Out of place? I didn’t understand. A moment ticked by as I considered his words. I had to fit in. That’s what Joseph had meant; thank goodness for Joseph.
I narrowed my eyes toward the hallway that first day, walking alongside a man in a dark black suit. Joseph could be my father walking down the hall with me.
Joseph put his hand to the knob of the office door. Before we entered, I motioned to him about the glasses, the glasses that were a pure deception, a tool of sorts from our employers, like the many other devices meant to detect. It was just unusual wearing dark glasses inside a building.
He dropped the dark glasses in the pocket of his suit and allowed me to enter. We both walked into the office, with Joseph walking ahead to the secretary’s desk. Inside, there was a counter; behind it, two offices were visible. They both stood open and empty.
I darted my eyes over to the side of the room. Just outside, there was a single desk. On the other side of the counter, there was a lonely woman typing at her computer keyboard. She looked up from the rim of her glasses. She was older, with a graying nest of hair and a few wrinkles on her tired eyes; she looked sternly over at us. Her eyes softened when she gazed in my direction. Joseph had called me pleasant to look at, someone people were comfortable with. “It’ll serve you,” I got that now.
“Yes, can I help you?” She directed her eyes over at Joseph although the same height as me, but brawnier, and much older. He seemed to be the authority figure between the two of us.
“I’m here to register my nephew, John Augustine.”
She took another look at me again, a smile spread on her lip. Like I said, most definitely easy on the eyes.
“Ah yes, so late into the school year,” she said moving documents on her desk.
“Unfortunately, his parents are going through a divorce. John opted to stay with me while his parents handle the divorce back in New York.”
“Oh, I see. I’m sorry to hear. Okay. Well, I have a few documents for you to fill out.”
“I believe you already have that information. Your principal, Dr. Miller, was kind enough to take that from me. I spoke with him on the phone the other day. He might have mentioned me? I’m Joseph Augustine.”
She took another look at Joseph. I could see the hint of recollection in her eyes, as if she had just remembered. Immediately, she looked embarrassed. Joseph had done this kind of thing before and he was a pro at it. I observed him in his tactics, watching him cleverly talked his way into others’ Hearts.
“Oh my, of course. Dr. Miller mention something about you and your nephew, John. I must have forgotten. No need to sign anything. Let me get his class schedule he should be ready to go. Oh, and by the way, thank you for your generous donation for the school band and the ROTC uniforms. I wish we had more people like you.”
When the woman looked away towards her computer, Joseph turned and winked over at me. “My pleasure, it’s the least I can do. My brother and I like giving.” He said. Brother, most definitely his profile cover. Part of our disguise was he was the uncle; I was the nephew, and my parents were getting a divorce. Both he and my father were generous donators.
Joseph cleared his throat. “Isn’t that right, Nephew.”
I glanced at him. He smiled, motioning me to say something but in that between us kind of matter. “Oh, yes,” I said, trying to get my act together. The hunter act, the part I had to practice at. “My dad is always generous. Always giving to hospitals at charity functions, he’s even giving to other area schools and churches.”
The woman smiled. I felt a sharp blow to the side of my ankle. I moved slightly, cringing at the sting.
She blinked over at me. “Are you okay?”
I tried to smile, realizing Joseph had kicked me on the side of the leg. “I’m fine.” I grinned.
She gave me a peculiar look. “Well, bless your father for being a great person. Excuse me for a moment; I’ll be right back.” The woman rose and walked to the back of the main office where the smaller offices were located.
“Thank you,” I uttered. When she was gone, I spun my head to Joseph. “What the hell was that for?”
“Charities and functions? Don’t overdo it, Nephew,” he lectured.
“Sorry, I guess I got carried away. I was trying to think of what to say.”
“What have I always said?” Joseph continued his lesson. I exhaled.
“A good hunter thinks on his feet,” I muttered.
“Correct. Practice kid.”
I looked passed the counter. The office doors read “assistant principal Lawrence” and “assistant principal Weber.” While she was gone Joseph began to fidgeted with the breast side of his suit.
Donation? I glared over at him. Since when did our employer secure such a generous donation? But that wasn’t for me to worry. I just had to play the role. “I still can’t believe they chose the name Joseph Augustine?” I said in regards to his name choice, wrinkling my eyes over at him.
“Actually, I chose it. Kind of catchy don’t you think, Nephew?” He smiled. Perhaps it was, but we both knew a hunter in training by the same name.
“Hello?” I heard Joseph’s voice again from the earpiece. “John, did you hear me?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” I wrinkled my lip slightly, he already treated me like his kid. Was it supposed to be that way?
“So, let’s get moving,” he said. I pictured Joseph in his black suit, and the black tie.
“I’m ready,” I said to Joseph as I sat there staring straight at the car dashboard.
“Check through the backpack and make sure you have your tools?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. Do it,” he ordered. I pulled open the backpack and went through the items in the bag. I picked up a cell phone. “And take the cell phone out.”
“Why does it matter if I have the phone out?” There was a sigh through the earpiece.
“Besides the obvious, every teenage kid has one glued to his hand. We don’t want you to look out of place, do we, Nephew? Tweet, text, act your age, get into your social media accounts. One has been created for you by The Company on all the popular platforms.”
Social media accounts? They were thorough, weren’t they? I furrowed a brow. Seriously?
“Yeah, seriously,” he said. How did he do that?
I heard a tapping from the other end of the earpiece when I fell quiet. “Concentrate. Kids do that a lot and you have to look the part, Nephew.”
I nodded even though we we
re only connected via the earpiece, everything seemed to come at me fairly quickly. I was ready.
“You got it?” he said when I went cold. The obvious silence was stirring emotions in the both of us. I was ready. There was no training for what I was about to embark on. This was simple, I could do this. It was only high school.
“You got this, kid,” he said again. I took a breath.
“I’m ready, Uncle,” I stated boldly. He fell quiet. I tried to imagine the look on his face, and almost laughed when I had the image formed. If he was my uncle, then who was my father?
“That’s my boy.”
I wrinkled a brow as heard him try to hide a laugh.
The whole idea felt strange, but he had done this before. It wasn’t like he didn’t know what he was doing.
“Now, stop talking to yourself before someone sees you.”
I made inaudible sounds.
There was a small pause, before he said: “You’ll do well, kid, everyone is nervous the first time.” Those words revealed a little more about him without saying too much. It made me a little less nervous.
“Take the phone and carry it as you walk in, but remember to hide it. I want no teachers to confiscate it, other adults are a kids’ social enemy.”
“Social enemy?” What did that even mean? That made no sense.
“Come on, kid, I briefed you on the characteristics of each type of individual.”
“Right, of course,” I whispered.
“I’ll text you from the car, so you look productive as you step in. I’ll be texting instructions on your private application; check those often, but only when you are alone.”
There was tapping again from the other end as if he were there pointing at the screen of the phone to instruct where to find the application. Something beeped on the phone and an application popped up. He sent me instructions, so I knew what he was talking about. I knew regardless of the time, I was ready. It had been two months since we captured our first Mindbender. This was my first actual hunt.
“The application can only be activated with a thumb print. Make sure no one gets a hold of your phone, especially adults. You know what happens when an unauthorized person gets a hold of the equipment?”
I did. I didn’t want that to happen. Not on my first time.
“Finally, the last thing, make friends, socialize, and try not to look so god damn awkward and out of place. I know that’s asking too much, Nephew.” I rolled my eyes. He was starting to sound like a nagging father. I knew all this. He sounded nervous, or like a first time parent sending his child to pre-k for the first time.
“I know, Joseph,” I muttered.
“It’s just part of the job, John, to remind you.” I got it.
“By the way I’ll be your uncle on social calls or any mission interruptions.” Obviously, regarding the nephew reference.
“Remember what I taught you. You need anything, you call me. I’m at your disposal; that’s my job.”
It was a warmth feeling to know Joseph had been put in place to assist me and make sure I was out of harm’s way.
He whistled through the earpiece it startled me.
“You got that?”
I forgot he couldn’t see me nod. “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
I was about to open the door when he whistled again. “You forgetting something, hot shot?”
What the hell? How did he do that? I turned, grabbing the backpack I had left on the passenger seat.
I opened the car door again, ready to continue, “Take the earpiece off!” He shouted loud enough I had no choice but to pull the darn thing out. Just before he said, “Stay sharp—Out!” he yelled.
I placed the earpiece in my pocket and closed the car door.
A few kids passed me by looking in my direction, I hesitated. With the schedule in my hand, I moved with the masses toward the grand school building, Morris High. I had been briefed on all I needed to know, but the nerves in the pit of my stomach were making all the information swirl inside my head. It was hard to concentrate.
“Get a grip, John. You’ll do just fine.” I whispered to myself.
Joseph was a single call away, but I wouldn’t go down like that. I stared up at the entrance of Morris High, considering how I had gotten here in the first place. It was time to get to work.
Swinging the backpack over my shoulder like one of them. I had to get a hold of myself and remember this was just a school with normal kids. And I was a kid, wasn’t I?
7
The Target
Present day…24 hours before the assignment.
* * *
Outside an empty warehouse, in an abandoned part of Chicago downtown…
* * *
I stood outside an empty warehouse, putting the desert eagle back into the holster. The figure laid at my feet; the drug had calmed him, and the zip ties had secured him.
Behind, the team arrived. The pickup crew, I thought. I observed as three black SUVs surrounded me from each side.
A man in a white suit emerged from within one of the black SUVs. A group of dark uniform troopers emerged from one of the other vehicles and rushed the figure on the ground. I moved to leave as they lifted the figure, securing him in a strange metal device. It was all mere procedure, everything by the book: I took them down, the team followed up, retrieved, and secured.
The parking lot lamps above lit the surrounding warehouse buildings as light over the horizon was dimming. I caught sight of Dr. Nicholson approaching from my right.
“He’s not a mindbender…and he was alone” I answered before he asked. I knew he would; he always did. He wanted to find the minder, the one that he claimed had escaped him. The same one Joseph and I had captured a year earlier. He looked troubled by my news. “But he is gifted,” I added.
He wrinkled a brow and his lips curved. I sensed his interest reemerge. “That’s reassuring,” he said. “I had come to the conclusion we had no more to account for…or none at all.”
I didn’t know what that meant.
“What is it?” he asked in reference to the figure. The men passed carrying the case; they stopped at his command. He examined the figure inside through the glass window. Then, he waved at the men in a gesture to take him away.
“Another anomaly, perhaps?” I answered. “He was a jumper, a teleporter.” A jumper could leap from place to place within seconds. He’d disappear and reappear in another area; sometimes, in the same location. “Didn’t seem to be quite in control of his ability. He looked disoriented.”
Dr. Nicholson fell into deep concentration considering what I had revealed to him, I assumed. He always seemed to take in my observations with care.
“There was something else…He seemed to be controlled by something.”
“Controlled?”
“Something dark. It appeared twice. Once when I secured him, and again when I made contact.”
“Did his eyes darken?”
I furrowed my brow. How had he known? “Yes, they did.”
He moved to leave, but changed his mind mid-stride. Not turning to face me, he said: “Very good work, John. A transfer has been made to your account…”
“Will there be anything else, Director?”
He smiled as he turned to face me. “As a matter of fact, yes…I have an assignment I believe you will be well suited for. Joseph will brief you. Until then, I will be in contact.”
I nodded and turned to leave, but Dr. Nicholson’s voice stopped me again. “Once more, good work, John.” His words made me swell with pride.
The team leader, dressed from top-to-bottom in military gear, approached Dr. Nicholson. “The target is secured, sir.”
“Good, pack up and move out. We have another assignment.” Dr. Nicholson climbed into the awaiting SUV and disappeared with my capture.
After another job, it was time to prepare for the next assignment. One didn’t stay fit by sitting around. A day training then I would head out to the next mission.
Joseph w
as on the side street outside the rental property setup by the Company, when I drove up. He was eating an apple. Dressed in his black suit and dark tie, like always, he leaned against a black SUV Lincoln. As soon as I got out and walked over to him, he handed me an envelope. He took another bite of his red apple, wiping at the side of his lip. His actions contradicted his professionalism. It amazed me how calm he was when he was so quick to act whenever necessary.
He finished the apple and dropped its remains through the car’s open window.
I opened the envelope and read through it briefly before peeking at him.
“You know this person?” I asked.
“I know of him, I’ve been in contact with him since I was given the assignment. It was required for the part we are playing,” Joseph answered.
I rarely knew what the assignment entailed, but I would learn full details from Dr. Nicholson’s briefed. Right now, Joseph would give me just enough information- what I would need, the location of the mission, the place to meet, and when.
“He’s our main contact at the school. Once we settle in, we’ll establish our own investigation and we’ll proceed from there accordingly.”
“What does it involve?”
“Dr. Nicholson will brief us once we have arrived at the location and give us our mission directive. From there, we’ll receive further instructions, as the director sees fit. You have a day as usual before we’re sent off.” He grinned. He hadn’t answered my question.
“You know what’s more important than discovering the location of the ET Product. Finding the source is first priority.”
I nodded. He was right. We were given the location of the assignment, and then we investigated, identified, and secured the specimen. Ideally, completing the task without detection from those around us. That was the most important part, avoiding detection by ordinary people. They weren’t ready for all this, but if we had to engage there were always ways to handle it… mental deletion being the most frequently administered.