by Matt Lincoln
“You’re lucky,” I remarked. “Most of the other people who took this drug to the point of becoming violent are dead now.”
“What?” she blustered. “No way. A lot of my friends take it. Wouldn’t they have all dropped dead by now?”
“Are you saying this stuff is still in circulation?” I asked.
“Not really,” Penny shrugged. “It was all over the place a few months ago, but then it seemed like all the suppliers were running out. It’s hard to come by these days, so it’s gotten expensive. You can still find it if you know where to look, though.”
“And where would that be?” Naomi prompted.
“I’m no snitch,” Penny snapped. “I’m not just going to rat out my friends.”
“Don’t be stupid,” I snarled at her. “Do you really want what happened to Robbie to happen to someone else? Do you want all your friends to start dropping dead? Because that is going to happen. Sooner or later, they’re going to go too far trying to reach the same high, and they won’t be able to come back down.”
“Of course I don’t,” Penny argued.
“Then tell us who your supplier is,” Naomi urged. “The sooner we can trace where this is coming from, the sooner we can get it off the street and ensure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Penny looked between Naomi and me as she wrung her hands nervously.
“Fine,” she finally answered. “His name is Anthony. I don’t know his last name. He hangs out at this bar on the strip called the Silver Horseshoe. Whenever I want drugs, I go there, and he’s usually hanging around.”
“Thank you, Penny,” I put my hand on her shoulder. “You’re doing the right thing.”
“Narcing on my friends to the feds?” she huffed. “Doesn’t feel like it.”
“Well, it is,” Naomi replied sourly. “At least your friends will remain alive long enough to hold a grudge. Let’s go, Miranda. We should call in and give a report about this.”
“Yeah,” I nodded in agreement. We now had confirmation that the drug wasn’t only being circulated via the cough syrup but also through the streets as a designer drug. We needed to regroup and re-strategize with this new information.
My phone buzzed in my pocket just as I was getting into the car.
“It’s Fiona,” I informed Naomi as she climbed into the driver’s seat. I tapped the answer button and put the phone up to my ear. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Miranda,” Fiona’s panicked voice yelled over the phone. I could hear a dull pounding and what sounded like screaming in the background. “I need help. Something’s really wrong. Come back to the office fast!”
16
Fiona
I sighed in frustration at my computer screen. It was stressful not being able to do more, but I wasn’t a field agent, and if I was being frank with myself, I didn’t have the investigative prowess that the other agents did. Sure, I could dig up pretty much any piece of digital information anyone could ask for, but when it came to actually interacting with people and working with suspects the way everyone else did, I was miles behind. I knew that I was an essential part of this team and that my technical skills were often what gave us big leads, but it was hard not to feel useless sitting there on my butt while everyone else was out hitting the pavement and getting real answers.
I got up from my chair and took a walk over to the break room. The office was mostly empty again, save for me, Howard, and Nelson. Since we each had our own office, the bullpen was completely silent as I passed through on my way to the break room. Something about the stillness put me on edge, like the quiet before a storm. I tried not to dwell on it and focused on brewing a fresh pot of coffee instead.
I was just about to add the beans to the machine when I froze. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to get out of the office and go for a walk instead. There was a coffee place just a few blocks away that served pretty good pastries. Some fresh air might help me clear my head.
I nodded to myself as I made my decision and put the coffee beans back into the cupboard above the machine. As I left the break room and passed by Howard’s office, I wondered if I should invite him to come with me. I’d been dwelling on the conversation I’d had with my fellow agents a few days prior about how Howard was always so solitary and never joined us in doing anything social. It made me a little sad. I knew that I would have loved for someone to invite me to something back when I still hadn’t learned to make friends.
I approached Howard’s office and tentatively knocked on the door. Miranda had told me how upset he’d been that she came in without knocking, and I didn’t want to aggravate him. However, I got no response. I knocked again, a little harder this time, but was still met with silence. I wondered if he was even in there. Maybe he’d had the same idea and had gone out to get a bite to eat.
“Agent Howard?” I called uneasily. I didn’t want to disturb him if he was very busy, but now that I’d committed to this, I didn’t want to back down either. A moment later, the door opened just a crack.
“What is it?” Howard cleared his throat.
“Oh, I thought you might not be in there,” I smiled sheepishly. “I hope I’m not bothering you. I was about to go get some coffee, and I thought you might want to join. Maybe get some fresh air and sunlight?”
Howard sighed. He sounded frustrated, almost angry.
“No, thank you,” he snapped. I could see that there was a thin sheen of sweat over his face. “I’m busy right now.”
“Oh, ok,” was all I managed to say before he slammed the door shut. I felt a rush of shame, and a nasty little voice in the back of my head sneered that I was stupid for thinking he’d want to hang out with a loser like me, anyway.
I forced the negative thought away. I knew that it was just my anxiety talking.
“Whatever his problem is,” I muttered to myself, “it’s because of him, not me.”
“Agent Gardner!” a voice called out from my right, and I snapped my head up to find Nelson watching me from the entrance to his office next door. I flushed even harder, embarrassed to think that he might have seen the entire altercation. “Is everything alright? Are you heading out somewhere?”
“Oh, yes, I am,” I answered awkwardly. “I was just going to go get some coffee and maybe a muffin or something. Have a little walk to clear my head.”
“Of course,” Nelson smiled warmly. “The office can get stifling, especially when it’s so quiet. You don’t have the advantage of being able to go out regularly like the other agents.”
“Yeah,” I nodded, feeling a little less insecure at his reassurances.
“Do you think I could trouble you for some coffee as well?” he asked. “I’d join you, but my leg is acting up today. I’m not sure I’m up for a walk right now.”
“Of course not,” I replied quickly. “I mean, of course, it’s no trouble. Yes, I’ll bring you something. What would you like?”
“I think I’d like a latte,” he answered. “With a lot of sugar.”
“Got it,” I smiled before turning to leave.
“Thank you,” he called. “It’s on me next time!”
Nelson was such a nice guy. I’d often wondered why he wasn’t officially titled as the Assistant Director when that was clearly what he was. He oversaw things around the office just as much as Wallace did, and he was the one who handled travel arrangements and dealt with the media most of the time. I think it had something to do with his leg injury, which in most cases would have led to immediate early retirement. Regardless, I was glad that he was part of our team.
I’d told Howard I was stepping out for some fresh air, but that probably wasn’t the best term to use in hindsight. The atmosphere in downtown Las Vegas could hardly be described as fresh. It wasn’t unpleasant, necessarily, but it certainly wasn’t the clean, crisp air I might find in a suburban area of Nevada or even out in the desert. Las Vegas was constantly permeated by a kind of smoky scent that could only be found here. Car exhaust billowed up from
the never-ending traffic. The smell of cooking emanated out of buffets and restaurants. Concentrated cigarette smoke wafted out of casinos and onto the street. Dazzling pyrotechnic explosives went off every night at shows across the city and filled the area with the scent of fire. It all conglomerated into a distinct smell that never really went away.
It helped to clear my mind, though. I watched as a group of overly energetic frat boys marched down the street chanting some mantra as they tossed back shots. On the other side of the street, a couple wearing matching oversized cowboy hats and carrying oversized drinks excitedly pointed at a giant electronic billboard that showed a short clip of an acrobatics show. Just walking through the city helped me forget, just for a moment, that I was tasked with protecting it.
The air inside the cafe was much more pleasant. It smelled of sugar and vanilla and freshly-baked pastries. I eyed the display case greedily as I attempted to make my selection.
“I wonder if I should get Nelson a pastry, too,” I muttered quietly to myself.
“I recommend the mixed berry scone,” a voice murmured in my ear, and I jumped away reflexively and looked up at the person who’d spoken. It was a man with curly brown hair and hazel eyes that were currently sparkling with amused mirth.
“Sorry,” he laughed. “I didn’t mean to startle you. You were staring so intensely, I thought maybe you couldn’t decide.”
“Thank you for the recommendation,” I answered a little dryly. I hadn’t liked hearing someone’s voice so close to my ear, and that side of my body was still prickling uncomfortably.
“No problem,” the man smiled charmingly. “So, is Nelson your boyfriend?”
“I’m sorry?” I raised an eyebrow at him.
“You were talking to yourself,” the man explained. “You said something about buying a pastry for Nelson.”
“So you were eavesdropping,” I retorted.
“It’s not really eavesdropping if you’re talking to yourself,” the man corrected. “And besides, I can’t help but listen when a beautiful woman speaks.”
I pursed my lips and refrained from rolling my eyes at his lame pickup line. He was very attractive if I was being honest, and I might have been charmed by his clumsy compliment if he hadn’t come up and whispered in my ear like a weirdo.
“He isn’t my boyfriend,” I replied. “He’s my boss, sort of. And I really need to be getting back to work.”
“You can’t stay for a little longer?” he asked.
“No,” I replied. “I’m a very busy woman.”
“Can I at least pay for your coffee?” He smiled at me.
“No,” I responded curtly, a little annoyed that he wouldn’t just take the hint. “I don’t think my boyfriend would like that.”
“But you said-” the man attempted to protest.
“I said that Nelson wasn’t my boyfriend,” I snapped. “Which he isn’t. That doesn’t mean I’m not spoken for, and even if I wasn’t, you should really learn to bug off when a woman clearly isn’t interested.”
I huffed and turned around to put my order in at the counter. I could hear the man grumbling behind me, but I tuned him out as I ordered the coffees and pastries I’d selected to go. Luckily, the man was gone when I turned back around, so I could wait for my order to be ready in peace. I fidgeted uncomfortably as I went over the encounter in my head. I wasn’t used to dealing with that kind of stuff.
I’d suffered from depression and anxiety for a lot of my life, and vanity and personal appearance had just never been something that I prioritized. I’d always kept my hair cut short for convenience and just wore whatever was baggy and comfortable. It wasn’t like I had zero experience with men and dating, but I’d never gotten attention from random men on the street like that. Well, not until recently.
Ever since Junior and I had started dating, I’d started to put more effort into my appearance. I didn’t change anything drastic. I just started growing out and styling my hair and wearing a bit of makeup to work. Naomi had been ecstatic when I’d asked her to help me update my wardrobe, and she’d helped me pick out clothes that were still comfortable, but that fit much better and were honestly a lot more professional than what I’d been wearing to work before. Ever since then, I’d noticed that I’d been getting a lot more attention from men. It was a nice boost for my ego, but it was also annoying when I ran into someone like this man who just wouldn’t take a hint.
“Fiona G.!” the barista called as he set my order on the pick-up counter. I carefully picked up the paper bag filled with treats in one hand while balancing the coffee carrier in the other. The office was only a few blocks away, so I didn’t think it’d be too hard to make it back unscathed.
I breathed a sigh of relief as I made it the last few steps into our building. I’d nearly run into a catastrophe when one particularly excited tourist had almost bumped right into me while staring at something through his phone’s camera. In the end, though, I made it back to the office with my haul intact.
“Nelson!” I called as I entered the office. “I have coffee and also chocolate croissants and eclairs.”
“That sounds amazing,” Nelson replied as he made his way out of his office. Even with his cane, he seemed to be struggling a little to walk today.
“I thought you might enjoy taking a break,” I replied. “Why don’t we head into the break room to eat?”
He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, we both heard a loud crash. I looked at Nelson in shock, unsure where the sound had come from.
“What was that?” I asked as I set the coffee and pastries down on one of the desks in the bullpen. As soon as I did, I heard another loud crash and what sounded like yelling.
“It’s coming from Agent Howard’s office,” Nelson remarked as he took a step forward.
I rushed toward Howard’s office and threw the door open.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I stepped inside. I gasped as I took in the scene in front of me. Tables were overturned, and computer monitors and other lab equipment were scattered all over the ground. Broken tools and shattered glass littered every surface of the office. At the end of the room, Howard was hunched over, holding his head in his hands.
He snapped his head up to glare at me as I spoke. His eyes were glazed over, but I could still feel the rage and anger radiating from his stare.
“You,” he spat angrily.
“What’s wrong, Agent Howard?” I asked weakly, unsure what else to do.
“Step back, Fiona,” Nelson instructed calmly.
“Little Miss Tech Expert,” Nelson sneered as he took a step toward me. “Think you can just come down off your throne and pity me?”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, unable to keep my voice from trembling.
“Fiona, move away from him now,” Nelson commanded.
“Come out and get some fresh air and sunlight,” Howard taunted in what I assumed was supposed to be an imitation of my voice. “You think you’re so much better than me just because you know how to hack. My job is just as important!”
“I know it is,” I argued. “Everyone knows that, Howard.”
“Stop pitying me!” he roared as he suddenly flew toward me.
I screamed and backed away from him, but he was on me in an instant. I barely managed to get my arms up over my face before he started punching me. I flinched as pain exploded across my forearms and collarbone where his fists made impact. The realization that my gun was in my office hit me. I never carried it with me since I wasn’t a field agent and practically never needed it.
A second later, the attack ceased as Howard was thrown off me. I looked up to see Nelson standing over me. His cane was gone, and I wondered if he’d dropped it in his haste to get over to me. He put his hand over the gun in his holster but stopped short of drawing it.
“I need you to calm down now, Agent Howard,” he said calmly.
I scrambled to my feet and stood beside him.
“You’re going to sho
ot me?” Howard asked. His eyes were wild, and there was an unsettling smile plastered across his face. “I knew that little Miss Hacker was everyone’s favorite, but to think you’d try to kill me off! I shouldn’t be surprised. Everyone here just treats me like an extra.”
“That isn’t true, Agent Howard,” Nelson responded calmly. “We all value you as a part of this team. We’ve been depending on your expertise for this entire case.”
“That’s all I’m good for, right?” Nelson barked. I flinched as he suddenly began pulling at his coarse brown hair. “Running tests and turning over results. None of you would even notice if I suddenly stopped showing up to work. You know how I know that? Because I’ve done it before!”
I could feel bruises forming along my arms where Howard had punched me. There was a searing pain along the right side of my collarbone, and the nausea that was building made me suspect that he’d broken it. Still, I couldn’t move an inch, and I kept my eyes fixed steadfastly on Howard as he continued his rant.
“I don’t understand,” Nelson replied slowly.
“I skip work all the time,” Howard laughed bitterly. “Sometimes, I’m just too strung out to haul myself out of my apartment. I was so scared the first time it happened. I was certain I was going to be reprimanded for failing to show up without warning. Imagine my surprise when no one said anything about it the next day. Not even Wallace.”
His words were laced with anger, but there was an undeniable sadness there as well. Despite his violent behavior toward me just a moment ago, I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him, as well as guilt. Had I really not noticed him missing all those times he just didn’t show up for work?
“I’m so sorry, Howard,” I mumbled. He turned to look at me as I spoke, then gritted his teeth and glared at me venomously.