2024

Chapter Four

The office no longer felt familiar to Amanda Bright. It had been three years since her name was typed on a piece of paper, laminated and stapled onto the door that now just read 'Rufus Stewart'. The entire department no longer felt like it had any movement or inspiration. The fire she and Michael had built here using the sparks of their conversation had burnt out. They all had burnt out since that day. She hit her knuckles on the closed wooden door twice.

There was a long silence before there was even sound coming from the office.

'Okay you can come in now Miss. Bright.' His voice was formal but not intimidating.

She opened the door with a push. A smell of freshly printed papers, coffee and sweat hit her nose with familiarity. The only thing that was missing was Mike.

'I bet you don't miss this place' he laughed resentfully.

Amanda took a minute to look around the place that she once could have easily called home. The grief for Mike tried to hit her again but she quickly dismissed it to focus on the task at hand. She took a seat without invitation, directly opposite the head of the CIA with only a table in between them.

'I just want to know what is going to be done about Mike' Amelia said strongly.

Rufus laughed and wrinkles engulfed his old face. His hair was grey and thin, and a comb over was trying to conceal the effects of aging. His belly got rounder every time she saw him, and his discontent was more obvious. 'You have to be joking.'

'You were there with us. You know the risks we took, you know we must have enemies somewhere. What is going to be done about Mike?'

'Go down to the police station. You are completely in the wrong place and you know it.'

'They told me he wouldn't even get a funeral' she whispered.

'Come on Miss Bright does he deserve one?' his voice rose but his tone did not. His upper lip twitched.

'Everyone deserves a funeral Rufus.'

His lip twitched again and he held his index finger up. 'First of all, we are no longer on first name basis.' He raised a second finger. 'And second of all, no one wanted to go through with that plan. And instead of listening to us, you guys gave John a death notice along with everybody else!' His hand slammed down on the desk. He still didn't yell, just rant. His face was turning as red as his hair once was.

Amanda looked down, the only notion that got her through her days since that time was knowing that only very few people knew what had taken place that day. It was just unfortunate for her that Rufus happened to be an ex MAGA founder himself.

'You guys don't deserve a funeral, I will happily cremate his body myself after I have pissed on it.'

'Rufus if you want to be professional, maybe you should have just asked me to leave your office before saying any of that.' She was trying to take some control over the conversation.

His eyes widened with a maniac laughter. 'Since when do you give my opinion a thought? You'll just do what you want anyway.'

Convenient for both of them, Amanda wanted to leave.

3 hours and 6 minutes later Amanda sat in her lounge absorbed with grief and embarrassment.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket to see an unknown caller trying to contact her.

'Hello?' she answered cautiously, still shaken up from her confrontation today.

'They've said you're allowed to bring 2 guests and you have to contact his family. We will tell you a date on the day, as you can understand, we want this on the down low.'