The Janus Discord (ONC2024)

Chapter 15

Marshal saw the news and blanched. How could so much go wrong all at once? He packed everything he needed from his office, and stared at the computer. Even shredding his files, there was still so much that went to the servers, it would be impossible to destroy it all. He locked the door and left by a service exit to his car.

As he loaded the things into the trunk he heard a voice call him, and when he shut the lid he saw his aide, Frank, striding toward him.

"Marshal, did you see the news? I think we may have caught Zero. Well, not us, but whoever you gave that information to the other day."

"Yes. Yes, I saw it.' He headed around to the driver's door.

"Where are you going, we should be making noises about getting a shot at these people. We don't want to lose an advantage."

"There's a few things I have to take care of."

"What things?"

"I haven't got time, Frank." Marshal opened his door and ducked inside.

"Wait a minute, what's going on?" A moment later Frank jumped into the passenger seat.

"What are you doing? Get out of the car."

"I want to know what the hell is going on."

"Get out, Frank!"

Angry and determined, Frank made a grab for the key, and instinctively, Marshal swung his arm, catching Frank across the throat with a karate chop. He slumped down, wedging himself between the seat and the dashboard.

"Frank!" He tugged the body back up onto the seat. "Frank! Oh, Jesus." He started the car and sped away from the security headquarters.

Several frantic miles later, Marshal pulled the car behind a closed boat rental house by the lake. He checked all his mirrors and did a nervous scan of the area. He swallowed hard, and his heart raced as he glanced over at Frank's lifeless form against the passenger door. Climbing out of the car, he hurried around to get Frank out, struggling with the heavy mass as he dragged him across to the back of the boat house. He covered him with some old boards that were lying about, did a cursory scuff of his footprints and hurried back to the car.

******

At his house, Marshal did another sanitation, gathering everything the least bit suspicious, burning what he could in a large tub in his basement, and stuffing the rest into an old suitcase, to be disposed of elsewhere. The buzzing of his phone startled him, and he hesitated, seeing, unknown caller, on the little screen. Only Zero members had that number and they were all exposed. He knew it had to be a trap - yet . . . 

"Yes?"

"Arctic?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Lyle gave me this number. We need to meet."

Marshal chewed his lip. Real or fake? "You have the wrong number."

"Bullshit! I know you and Rebecca are always in touch, and now she's in custody - with Lyle and that goon Rolph."

"Who is this?"

"Your B and S agent, remember?"

Tate! Marshal wet his lips. Not good, this needed shutting down. "Two hours, Island Ferry dock." He hung up, his mind scrambling for a plan. He shook his head and looked around. Had he done everything? He grabbed the suitcase and went upstairs. Another frantic look around and he decided it had to be enough. The gun from his wall safe was loaded, and slipped into his coat, then one last sweep of the room and he was out to his car with the suitcase.

******

"Another secret call from Level Three?' The question carried a hint of annoyance, and Matt leaned on the refrigerator, a small sigh escaping his lips.

"Wylie, you know this has been taken over by my people. With Devon gone and you here, your department has stepped down."

"I'm not an invalid."

"You're telling me." He pulled out a chair and sat across from her at the kitchen table. "That call was to inform me that Rebecca and Lyle both gave up Marshal Hunt as the contact inside the military." He hesitated, then spoke again.  His code name was Arctic."

She started. "That was Devon's designated handler! And the one you wanted to call."

"I know. You were right back there on the island. Clears up a lot of questions though. Problem now is, he and his aide, Frank Walther have scarpered. So, along with our friend Arthur, there are three Zero members still at large."

"They called you for a reason, Matt."

"They did." He smiled to himself at her perspicacity. "SR triangulated a call from Marshal's burner; he's still in the city. Somewhere in the east end near the lake."

"And what, you're supposed to track him down?"

"No . . ." he placed a hand on hers, "we're supposed to track him down - and not just him, but the others too."

"That wasn't their order was it?"

"Wylie, why are you so suspicious of everything I say?"

She went poker-faced. "Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're wrong."

"You're lying."

"I know." His smile had her cheeks flaming, and he squeezed her hand. "No way I'm leaving you here alone. But you are to observe only, no action."

They sat dewy-eyed for several minutes, emotions doing all the puzzling things emotions do, then he told her how they hoped to get a more accurate location on the asset.

"That's fine if he answers his phone. I can't believe a security agent would keep the same phone." Sheridan opined, packing up their gear in the ever present satchel

"Unless he needed it to receive from a source that only had that number."

"Who?"

"I have no idea. Someone other than his aide, they would have protocols, surely."

"Tate, maybe?" She ventured.

"That's a possibility. Although if I was Tate, I would have gone to ground the minute the others were picked up."

"Disappearing requires a lot of preparation. You think Tate would have a go bag? He was just an agent in place, not some- some Level Three super spy."

Her eyes registered the tease and he grinned. "Wylie, you still amaze." He got up and took her hand. "C'mon, I'll help you change that dressing, and we'll set forth to save the world together."

17,178 WP word count to this point