Code X: Episode 1

by M.R. Vallone

  The leader tells Parks, “Watch what I do with this.” He approaches, then smiles as he starts to pound him unconscious. Parks’ vision fades back to the present...

  He shakes his head to clear it of the ugly scene he replayed to himself. Abruptly he returns to...Vicki.

  She sees tears streaming down his cheeks. Vicki grasps his face. “Nick, snap out of it. I’m here.”

  Parks says, “Honey, when we met at rehab…”

  “Shhhh...We beat our addictions together. We are stronger now.”

  “No...I killed her.”

  “They murdered her.”

  His shoulders sag, “I fought them. They took it out on her.”

  Vicki, “You defended her. I won’t let you blame yourself.”

  “I’m afraid I could lose you,” he confesses.

  She pulls off a fractured heart necklace dangling from her neck. She takes the two heart pieces in her hand. “My mother said this broken heart was her heart, but she would always love me in spite of my mistakes. Here...”

  She puts one piece in his hand, then closes his fist around it.

  Parks says, “That was her gift to you before she died. No...”

  She puts her finger on his lips, “Don’t say anything...I want you to keep this as the symbol of our love Nicholas. Keeping that half lets you know that my heart can only be whole as long as we’re together. To Hell with Alomet.”

  She kisses him with passion and love.

  Chapter 8

  Vicki is sitting inside Dr. Landau’s office, with a serious look on her face. “It’s no use. My fiancé’s against it. I’m not going anywhere without him.”

  Dr. Landau paces nervously back and forth behind his desk with his putter as a cane. “I understand. Maybe I could talk to him, try to make him understand how important this project is to the country; appeal to the patriot in him.”

  “I don’t think you understand doctor. That’s impossible. Once he, no, not he, we, decide to do something, we will never change our mind. Nicholas Parks is one stubborn man, and I love him for that. We decided no together.”

  He changes into a calm demeanor, leans over and shakes her hand. “My dear, please call me if you change your mind. You’re always welcome to join our team.”

  “No, I’ll never join...no thank you” as she exits through the door.

  Henry has been standing, arms crossed, with his back to the wall, watching, like the Sphinx, smiling like always. The man seems almost giddy with that smile of his.

  Dr. Landau’s face tenses, and his eyes narrow into cracks, no longer looking like the cool TV doctor, but now a force of evil boils from within. Through clenched teeth he hisses, “My dear Henry, Dr. Collins boyfriend is going to stop my project.”

  “Should I implement Clear Sail?” he asks the doctor.

  Dr. Landau trembles as he tries to regain control of his emotions, “I’m running out of time.” He moves to the putting ramp and pulls a ball towards him, but whacks it back so hard it jumps the ramp and slams into the wall. “Nobody will stop our project. It’s too important to the cause.”

  His breathing becomes deeper as he works himself to a frenzy while his eyes dart, twitching back and forth, seeming to change into fireballs from Hell to Henry. He raises the putter above his head like a sledgehammer, hits the ball return and smashes it to pieces. He’s in a crazed fury, turns, and spots the aquarium, then sits down softly in his chair, slowly smooths his hair back. Now, he takes a deep breath, expels it very slow.

  But immediately, his breathing quickens, faster and faster until he leaps out of his chair. “No one ever tells me ‘no’!”

  He swings the putter like a ball bat, destroying the front glass of the aquarium. The water gushes out in a slow motion, the aftermath is shattered glass and expensive flopping fish on the floor.

  Landau’s exhausted and relieved as he straightens his tie. He quickly places himself back to a settled silence. The man now says in a clear, calm voice as he sits down, “My dear Henry, terminate the problem.”

  Chapter 9

  Inside their condo, Parks readies a candlelight dinner in the dining room. He wants to give a welcome home and thank you meal to Vicki for turning Landau down. He moves to the oven to check on the roast, pinches a taste off of it, smiles, and then shuts the door. He pauses, turns his head side-to-side.

  Hell, they would not even know where they were going to live. The secret life would be theirs in total isolation from the outside world. The worst part would be that they would be under the control of Alomet enforcing the National Secrets Act on them. Put Vicki in a lab working and she’s totally happy, even out in La La land. But what about him? He shakes his head no again with emphasis, then he says it out loud. “Hell… no!” He moves to the candle-lit living room and grabs the bowl holding rose petals, then sprinkles them on the floor as he walks to the bedroom.

  His cell phone rings and he sees it’s Vicki’s number, he answers. “Hello?”

  “Nicholas?” he recognizes her voice. “Nicholas honey, I had an emergency call out on highway 29. I got turned around and ended up on the old abandoned section bypassed by the new road. My car broke down near the closed manufacturing plant. Since you’re only 15 minutes away, can you come pick me up?”

  Parks replies…

  In a black SUV passenger seat down the street from their condo, Henry hears Parks’ voice come out over the speaker, “I’ll be there in 20 minutes. Where exactly are you?”

  “I’m in the parking lot Nicholas...I’m scared. Please hurry.”

  “Don’t worry, honey-I’m leaving now,” he reassures her.

  With every word he speaks, amber lights flash in sync on a device inside an open suitcase on the seat. Wires run from the device to a microphone strapped onto Henry’s head.

  Henry speaks, “I love you. Bye,” and Vicki’s voice comes out of the speaker! He disconnects the phone, packs it up. With a big smile, he turns to the driver, Jimmy, a young, crew cut, muscled chap like himself, who chews gum fast to soothe his nerves. “This shits great. Every time they make a new Mission Impossible movie, ops comes up with new toys.” He pokes the driver. “Here he comes.”

  They watch Parks exit the building, enter his car, then pull out. The SUV tails him.

  Parks’ car slows as he approaches the old abandoned plant. The place is a dark silhouette against the night sky having been empty for the last 10 years. There are no lights on that five mile stretch of highway or at the plant. It’s an old two lane highway built in the 1930s with uncut brush overgrown in the deep drainage ditches down below the road. He struggles to see in the dark because he can’t see Vicki’s car anywhere.

  Behind him, creeping up slow and steady with no lights on, the SUV approaches within 100 feet of Parks. Henry holds a one-handed mini rocket launcher that looks like a big handgun, except that a 12” long silver-tipped rocket protrudes from the barrel. He twists the red tip on the end of the rocket and the small green light on it turns red.

  “Damnit where is she?” Parks mutters to himself. He stops and as he reaches in to pull out his cell phone to call Vicki, he notices the vehicle’s shadow behind in the rear view mirror. “What the hell, turn your lights on,” Parks mutters. He rolls the window down, motions, and says out loud “come on around.”

  Henry holds the launcher out the side window, “Look, he’s waving bye-bye...Bye.”

  He fires the rocket and Parks watches in the mirror in slow motion as the rocket whooshes towards his car. A loud crash occurs as it smashes through the rear windshield past Parks’ face, then makes a loud thunk as it hits the windshield. No explosion!

  Parks slams on the brakes as his eyes gape at the smoking rocket lying on the floor. He looks back at the stopped car, slams the gas pedal down.

  Henry yells, “Jimmy, it’s a fucking dud! Stop!” He opens the shiny metal case on the floor and grabs the remaining rocket. He sees Parks’ tires smoke as he slides the last rocket down the launch tube, twists the tip
on.

  As his tires scream, Parks spots the plant entrance on the right. He hard turns the car and zooms in. The entrance has a rise and catapults the speeding car through the air. He tells himself, “this is better than that straight line highway 29.” He notices the car behind him has turned his lights on. Parks whips left down a twisting road, but he sees a small mound in front of him and punches it, another airborne short launch is caused by a speed bump. “Let’s see if you can get a lock on me now.”

  “You’re gonna have to speed it up to get me in range of that sports car of his.” Henry’s driver floors it.

  Parks sees small mountains of factory waste dumped in the yard. It’s big enough for him to play hide and seek with the car in pursuit. “Gotta work my way back to the highway,” he says to himself. He zig zags behind the 20 or so piles each as tall as a small hill.

  “Don’t lose him, he’s cornered in here. He’s got to make a run for the highway, so pull back to where I can get a good shot when he makes a break for it.” The driver moves into position and, points the car towards the exit.

  Parks stops since he no longer sees the other car chasing him. He gets his bearings then sees the exit a half mile away. He floors it, his tires spin gravel out behind them before they get a grip, then shoots- him forward like a rocket.

  Henry sees the lights on Parks’ car as he is gaining speed to make his move. “Got you, you little prick.” As soon as Parks car hits the highway, Henry fires the second rocket.

  Parks sees the rocket’s flame speeding at him.

  The rocket dips, weaves, locks onto his tailpipe.

  Parks whips his car hard right onto the highway. Against the G forces of his turn, he strains to fling open his door to make the deep ditches off to the side. He tries to dive out. It’s no use.

  The rocket makes the hard right into his tailpipe. Boom! The car explodes skyward. Another explosion as the gas tank explodes, then another as the dud explodes.

  He pokes his driver. “Jimmy, did you see that? His ass has to be toast.” Henry claps his hands rapidly.

  Chapter 10

  Aftermath - Abandoned Highway 29

  On old Highway 29, FOX reporter Jenna and her cameraman, Simon, approach a major police scene. Police lights are flashing everywhere, makeshift road barriers block the highway and, a smattering of black SUVs and sedans also dot the scene. An unmarked tow truck backs up to the charred, pretzel-twisted remains of Parks’ Camaro. No doors, just a black, smoking skeletal hulk is all that’s left, the open trunk bounces up and down as the truck lifts it.

  A lieutenant in the LAPD talks into his lapel radio with an earplug leading out from his belt.

  The lieutenant is agitated, “This guy’s blocked us from this site claiming national security jurisdiction for the NSA Captain. He says it’s a top secret operation on a need-to-know...,” he presses his earplug down, listens…… “Okay…Okay, I got it”

  He turns to Henry, “You were right buddy. Command says I take orders from you. We’re your bitches for now.”

  Henry’s frozen smile continues as he stands next to the cop listening, when he spots the TV news van pull up to the roadblock.

  Jenna, with her overexposed, showy long legs, jumps out. Simon, a young black man, pulls the camera out from the rear of the van, then starts filming the scene.

  Henry barks an order, “Lieutenant seize that film. Then get them the hell out of here.”

  “Shit! I gotta piss the press off.”

  “Be a good cop. Don’t get her itching for more news. The FAA has put a quarantine on the air space blocking any news choppers. The country depends on our keeping this quiet. We’re lucky it happened in an abandoned section of the highway. Have your men block the area off and make sure there are no cell phone pictures taken of the crime scene.”

  Henry strolls around the site ringed by men in dark blue unmarked jackets while keeping his eye on the lieutenant, as the officer moves to the reporter. Jenna argues vehemently. She stomps her foot, points back to the van, wags her finger in the cop’s face. The lieutenant stands frozen, then extends his hand. Jenna slumps her shoulders, finally nods okay. Simon removes the digital film cassette in his camera, then puts it in the lieutenant’s hand. Simon and Jenna storm off to reenter the van. Henry’s smile gets wider.

  Talking to no one in particular she sputters, “Bastards! Film or jail. Who the fuck do they think they are?” Jenna’s spitting mad and can’t keep quiet. “You have 20 seconds to leave immediately or else,” as she greatly exaggerates what was said to her. “Simon, they picked the wrong reporter to make their enemy. I will make it my crusade to get to the bottom of what the fuck they are hiding.”

  They hop inside the van. Simon circles the vehicles, then heads out. They move out heading down the highway.

  Simon asks, “You really think they’re hiding something?”

  Jenna “It doesn’t matter what I think. I can’t report what I think. I’d like to know who was in that car.”

  From behind the seats, a blackened hand grips her shoulder. Jenna screams! Simon slams the brakes so hard the tires squeal to a halt.

  “I was. Keep going. We’ve got to get to Dr. Vicki Collins house. She’s in danger.” It’s Parks covered in soot, who now looks like a burnt marshmallow.

  Chapter 11

  Condo Complex

  Three black vans pull up to Vicki’s condo, the occupants pour out. Ski-masked commandos, weapons ready, signal to each other as they position themselves around her house. Another man brings forward a battering ram. The masked man beside him nods. He busts the door open with a loud crash. They pour into the house. “Fan out. Search,” someone commands. Seconds pass, “clear,” is shouted out loud to alert the invaders.

  One of the masked men moves out to the porch, then speaks into the mini-mic mounted near his mouth. “Sir, he’s not here.”

  A voice comes back, “secure the doctor. I’ll meet her at the vehicle to settle her down.”

  Inside Vicki’s bedroom, the loud commotion terrifies her. She scrambles for her cell phone. Dials 911. Puts it to her ear, silence, no dial tone. Frantic, she dials again. She slumps down on the bed. “what’s happening?”

  Commandos burst through her door. She jumps up and backs away until she hits the wall. The lead man snatches the phone from her hand.

  “They cut your service Dr. Collins. Come with us. You’re the target of an assassin.” He speaks loud and clear to assure her, they’re the good guys.

  “That’s absurd. I don’t believe you.”

  “Doctor, there’s no time for talk. Boys, take her.” He steps aside as two men rush to her and grab her arms, half dragging her out.

  “This is insane! Let go of me!” She fights back as best she can.

  Two officers drag Vicki downstairs.

  Chapter 12

  The TV van approaches Vicki’s condo community. “Slow down Simon; I got a feeling Parks is right.” As they enter Vicki’s complex, they see a beehive of police activity that signals bedlam. A SWAT van now sits in front of her house. Cruisers with lights flashing rush past the van, police scurry to set up crime tape around the condo.

  Jenna orders Simon, “Pull over here. Let’s see what’s going on. This entire block is blacked out for some reason.” The van’s police radio bursts to life.

  “Attention all cars! All-points bulletin from the F.B.I. NSA Priority 1. Be on the lookout for Nicholas Parks, white male, 32 years, 6’1”. Suspect armed and dangerous. Newest known photo broadcast on your terminals following this message.”

  Parks shoots Jenna a look of disbelief. “Bullshit! That’s a lie.”

  Jenna shoves Parks’ head back. “We believe you, keep your fucking head down.”

  Vicki exits the condo surrounded by commandos. They usher her over to a government car.

  “They’ve got Vicki! What the fuck’s going on?” Parks can barely hold himself back, so Jenna shoves him again.

  “Simon, park over there. Uncle Sam�
��s skunking up the works again,” she declares.

  A few LA police brass with shiny medals on their dress uniforms encircle the car Vicki is led to and an occupant gets out and holding the door open for her it’s...Dr. Landau! Parks eyes spew fury. He wants to leap out of the van. Landau follows behind Vicki as she enters the SUV.

  “Landau! He’s behind all this shit.” Again, he moves to open the door and wants to jump into action.

  “Hold it. If they snatch you up, you’re in the slam for good, isolated. We can’t help. You’re a wanted man.”

  Parks replies, “Follow him.”

  “No! You’re hot. Use your head. You were damn lucky we didn’t lock the doors on our van. We’re in a driving billboard that shouts, look at us. Here comes the TV people. Why are they here?”

  Parks slams his fist against the van wall so hard the bam sounds like a rock slammed into it.

  Simon and Jenna both jump out of their seats at the noise.

  “Holy shit! Man, you scared the piss out of me.” Simon finally speaks up.

  “One hour ago I was getting dinner ready. Vicki calls and asks me for help. I’ve been chased for no reason, had missiles shot at me, thank God the blast knocked me out of the car and into a deep ditch, or I wouldn’t be here now. I’ve been put on the most wanted list, and for what?” Parks’ eyes narrow. His jaw clenches. He means business. Then, he lets out a big breath of air, and when he breathes in again his chest swells. He sits taller, stronger, the opposite of what he was moments ago.

  He moves his face close to Jenna and stares her down so hard, it sends a shiver running through her. “I’m not going to lose her,” he declares with a ring of finality in his voice.

  “Parks, tell me all that you know. Who’s Landau?”

  “He’s the bloodsucker that wanted Vicki to sign with Alomet, Concannon’s conglomerate. She turned him down today and now this. It makes sense now.”

  “I’ve never heard of him before. Concannon put all his stock and holdings in a trust, so he’s completely severed from any dealings with his company. It's against the law for him to be involved in any way.” Jenna is intrigued and searches for more answers. “What else can you tell me about Landau?”