John Astor stared at the report the two agents had handed him earlier. “Boy, those two can be a handful,” he thought to himself right as someone knocked on his office door. “Come in.” William Taylor walked in and handed Astor another manila folder. Astor flipped through Matthew’s new life. “You’re sending her to Montana?” he asked.
“I heard that she grew up on a farm,” Taylor replied.
“Well, it looks good to me. We’ll send her ASAP.”
“I’ve got to ask you, Astor, is Nick’s real name really Herbert?”
Astor couldn’t keep a grin from spreading across his face. “You looked him up. Yeah, yeah, it is really Herbert Cartwright.” They spent a while laughing, and then Taylor asked, “Why does everybody at the Bureau call him Agent X, then?”
“He is really touchy about that name. Why, I don’t know, but he likes being called by his last name. That and the fact that he’s so mysterious got people calling him Agent X. Why did you decide to call him Nicholas?”
“Oh, when I was in 12th grade, I had a classmate named Nick. He was always quiet, rarely spoke. At graduation, one of the kids pulled out a gun and started shooting. Nick took him down so quickly, we almost didn’t see him do it. We were all pretty shocked. No one knew Nick could do that. Anyways, only one person was shot, one of the teachers, and he lived. I guess our Nick just reminds me of him, quiet and overlooked until he snaps into action.”
“Will, you had a messed up childhood.”
Nick groaned. Could the Volvo in front of him be going any slower? He fought off the temptation to blare his horn and the urge to sleep. Mmmm…..wuh? I almost did it again. I should have just asked Taylor to drive me home, me and my pride. Nick watched as the black Volvo turned on to a side street. His mood improved until he realized that the only reason the Volvo had turned was because there was a roadblock ahead. He followed the black car onto the narrower side street. Nick started to drift into sleep when he realized that the Volvo had stopped. Stupid Volv—two cars swerved out of the alley behind him and blocked off any escape route. A trap! If only I wasn’t so sleepy, I could’ve seen this coming. Nick unbuckled his seatbelt and clicked off the safety on his gun, but it was too late. They had the element of surprise. Two of them had already reached the car and disarmed him with three more coming closer. Nick leaped out of the car and struck the taller man that was trying to subdue him in the throat with enough force to collapse his trachea. Nick followed up with a powerful kick to the other man’s groin. The others were on top of him now, striking any part of his flesh that happened to be available. “Stand him up!” a voice barked. Two of the men held onto Nick as a distinguished looking man with sandy blonde hair and cold, blue eyes stood before him. The two men Nick had struck were still lying on the ground. The one he had hit in the throat was clearly dead. The other was whimpering quietly.
“Bayer,” Nick said as he spat out blood.
“Ahrens or Herbert. Figures you would have a wimpy name. Of course we found out who you are.” He paused long enough to punch Nick in the stomach. “You caused me a lot of trouble taking Matthew’s like that.” This time he punched his captive in the face. Then he grabbed Nick’s face gently but firmly.
“What? You want a kiss, Bayer? Sorry I killed your boyfriend over there.”
“Cute,” Bayer said as he tightened his grip on Nick's face, “you still have a little fight in you. Don’t worry; we didn’t come here to kill you…yet. We’ll have her soon. You might want to worry about Taylor though.” He chuckled as he kneed Nick in the groin. “Message from Mayhem: don’t play the game unless you know the rules.” With that, he struck Nick on the side of his head. The last thing he felt was being dragged into an alley, thrown onto something that was soft and hard at the same time, and having something pressed into his hands. “Sweet dreams,” came Bayer’s cold chuckle, and Nick finally succumbed to cold, deep slumber.
**********
“I brought you some food,” Agent Taylor said as he came into Matthew’s holding cell, “You look like you can use it.”
Jean turned around and smiled when she saw what Taylor was holding. “Chocolate, how did you know?”
“My sister always said that she didn’t need my sympathy; she needed my chocolate. Look, you don’t have to be afraid. We’re going to get through this.”
“How can you be sure? What if relocating me isn’t enough? I’m surprised that Mayhem hasn’t found me already—“Worrying never helped anyone, so calm down. Bad things can happen, but you have to keep fighting for the good. Now, eat up. I’ll be here to check up on you in the morning, and there will be two guards posted outside your cell at all times,” Taylor said as he got up to leave.
“Agent Taylor?”
“Yeah?’
“Thanks. I just never want Mayhem to get his hands on my work.”
“Me either, Miss Matthews.”
“I heard that she grew up on a farm,” Taylor replied.
“Well, it looks good to me. We’ll send her ASAP.”
“I’ve got to ask you, Astor, is Nick’s real name really Herbert?”
Astor couldn’t keep a grin from spreading across his face. “You looked him up. Yeah, yeah, it is really Herbert Cartwright.” They spent a while laughing, and then Taylor asked, “Why does everybody at the Bureau call him Agent X, then?”
“He is really touchy about that name. Why, I don’t know, but he likes being called by his last name. That and the fact that he’s so mysterious got people calling him Agent X. Why did you decide to call him Nicholas?”
“Oh, when I was in 12th grade, I had a classmate named Nick. He was always quiet, rarely spoke. At graduation, one of the kids pulled out a gun and started shooting. Nick took him down so quickly, we almost didn’t see him do it. We were all pretty shocked. No one knew Nick could do that. Anyways, only one person was shot, one of the teachers, and he lived. I guess our Nick just reminds me of him, quiet and overlooked until he snaps into action.”
“Will, you had a messed up childhood.”
**********
Nick groaned. Could the Volvo in front of him be going any slower? He fought off the temptation to blare his horn and the urge to sleep. Mmmm…..wuh? I almost did it again. I should have just asked Taylor to drive me home, me and my pride. Nick watched as the black Volvo turned on to a side street. His mood improved until he realized that the only reason the Volvo had turned was because there was a roadblock ahead. He followed the black car onto the narrower side street. Nick started to drift into sleep when he realized that the Volvo had stopped. Stupid Volv—two cars swerved out of the alley behind him and blocked off any escape route. A trap! If only I wasn’t so sleepy, I could’ve seen this coming. Nick unbuckled his seatbelt and clicked off the safety on his gun, but it was too late. They had the element of surprise. Two of them had already reached the car and disarmed him with three more coming closer. Nick leaped out of the car and struck the taller man that was trying to subdue him in the throat with enough force to collapse his trachea. Nick followed up with a powerful kick to the other man’s groin. The others were on top of him now, striking any part of his flesh that happened to be available. “Stand him up!” a voice barked. Two of the men held onto Nick as a distinguished looking man with sandy blonde hair and cold, blue eyes stood before him. The two men Nick had struck were still lying on the ground. The one he had hit in the throat was clearly dead. The other was whimpering quietly.
“Bayer,” Nick said as he spat out blood.
“Ahrens or Herbert. Figures you would have a wimpy name. Of course we found out who you are.” He paused long enough to punch Nick in the stomach. “You caused me a lot of trouble taking Matthew’s like that.” This time he punched his captive in the face. Then he grabbed Nick’s face gently but firmly.
“What? You want a kiss, Bayer? Sorry I killed your boyfriend over there.”
“Cute,” Bayer said as he tightened his grip on Nick's face, “you still have a little fight in you. Don’t worry; we didn’t come here to kill you…yet. We’ll have her soon. You might want to worry about Taylor though.” He chuckled as he kneed Nick in the groin. “Message from Mayhem: don’t play the game unless you know the rules.” With that, he struck Nick on the side of his head. The last thing he felt was being dragged into an alley, thrown onto something that was soft and hard at the same time, and having something pressed into his hands. “Sweet dreams,” came Bayer’s cold chuckle, and Nick finally succumbed to cold, deep slumber.
**********
“I brought you some food,” Agent Taylor said as he came into Matthew’s holding cell, “You look like you can use it.”
Jean turned around and smiled when she saw what Taylor was holding. “Chocolate, how did you know?”
“My sister always said that she didn’t need my sympathy; she needed my chocolate. Look, you don’t have to be afraid. We’re going to get through this.”
“How can you be sure? What if relocating me isn’t enough? I’m surprised that Mayhem hasn’t found me already—“Worrying never helped anyone, so calm down. Bad things can happen, but you have to keep fighting for the good. Now, eat up. I’ll be here to check up on you in the morning, and there will be two guards posted outside your cell at all times,” Taylor said as he got up to leave.
“Agent Taylor?”
“Yeah?’
“Thanks. I just never want Mayhem to get his hands on my work.”
“Me either, Miss Matthews.”
1 comment:
Awesome. Best one yet.
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