The TALONS Files: the chronicles of telepathic agent Ryan Dart

Another Rogue Agent Visit

41

Ryan woke in a cold sweat.  It was still pitch black in his living room, save for the digital wall clock's glowing emerald numbers.  The clock read 2:30.  There was still half a night in which to sleep, yet Ryan didn't feel like closing his eyes. 

The vision of Mr. Wheely falling from the sky was a horror film clip, playing on a continuous loop. What made it worse: Ryan was not only watching the whole scene from Scam's perspective, he could feel Scam's emotions.  He felt the anger of betrayal, he felt the delight in Mr. Wheely's pleas, and he felt the satisfaction of watching the mole drop to his death.  Those emotions, linked with those events, caused a sick feeling in the pit of Ryan's stomach. 

Ryan sat up, deciding to get some juice.  He thought it would wash away those horrible images and emotions.  Anything that would get that sicko's thoughts from Ryan's mind would be welcome.

Then, as subtle as a gentle breeze, a breeze that was the the last straw in bringing down a large, diseased tree,  Ryan's head swam from the haze of his mental link, and realized something wasn't right. 

He felt something light fall from his chest.  As the item fell, he remembered that he had fallen asleep on the couch while watching TV.  The TV must have automatically turned off, being on sleep mode or something.  Yet, he didn't remember anything being on his chest. 

He reached for the light on his end table.  After fumbling around for it a bit, he found the switch.  As the room lit, he searched the hardwood floor where the object had fallen. 

Ryan was shaken to see a gold greeting card against the stained oak.   Immediately, he realized Esmeralda had been here- while he was sleeping.  He scanned his surroundings, wary that she might be somewhere in his apartment. Yet, nothing appeared out of the ordinary, as the front door was shut.  'It's like she's a ghost.'  Ryan thought with a shudder.

He opened the card, and inside was another message in neat and attractive cursive.  'Now do you believe me?'  Meet me at titletown brewery.  At noon on Saturday.  We'll do lunch, my treat!!'

Ryan thought about the words written on the card.  Did she mean that someone in the government was trying to get their hands on the doomsday weapon?  How the heck would Esmeralda even know about his mental link?  And how did she know when the meeting was going to happen, much less what Scam Likely would do or say during the mental link?

Ryan turned his thoughts to Scam Likely.  He might not be the most dangerous man Ryan would have to face.  Somebody, particularly in the US government, was trying to get his hands on this weapon.  Why?

It was already determined that TALONS would secure the data, and hand it over to the federal government.  Yet, some government official had sought it ought secretly, or in apparent secrecy.  It bothered Ryan that a government official was using SCARE agents on his own..or maybe he wasn't alone.  How did this man infiltrate SCARE? Was this man acting on his own? 

    Something didn't make sense, and it seemed that Scam Likely, as dangerous and evil as he was, might be a puppet in this whole thing.  He facilitated the development of this weapon.  Was it someone else, someone smarter and equally evil, that was behind the workings of this weapon?  Someone who wished to be kept from sight, a phantom puppeteer sending this evil work in progress? Suddenly, Ryan felt compelled to answer these questions.