Mr. Trager

Removing the Mask

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17th

My eyes burned like fire, only worsening my headache induced by the raging buzz of an alarm clock in my ear.

"Don't worry." I heard Trager groan, feeling him rise from the bed. "We've got time."

He sounded so casual, it was hard for me to believe he'd only just woken up.

"Alright alright." I sighed, lifting myself up tiredly.

The nausea of being abruptly torn from sleep was already weighing on me.
I showered, dressed, and weakly drug my groggy body downstairs to hunt for Rick. He seemed to have disappeared before my eyes.
I found him in the kitchen, of course, reading over some kind of paper whilst he leaded against the island.

"You know, you don't have to go." His eyes never left what he was reading.

"I want to." I assured.

It was already too late for me to go back to sleep.

He nodded somewhat solemnly, "I'll pour you some coffee then."

We were out the door in less than an hour, making the short walk from his doorstep out to the car.

He stopped to look at his watch, standing in the partially opened car door. "Well, there's no harm in being early, I suppose."

I wasn't sure what time it was, nor did I care. My main focus for that moment was trying to read that blank expression on his face. This morning in particular he'd been more distant than ever, and that didn't exactly bode well for my fate.

"You need to be careful, you don't have security clearance..." He paused to think, leaning with his arm against the door panel. "I should be able to get you in and out without a problem, just... Be cautious."

Something in me didn't like the sound of that, but, "I will."

My little episode from the night before must have left an impression. Neither of us dared to break the silence for the majority of the drive, and I'll admit I was almost relieved to see that tall cold brick structure and the old metal sign that stood in front of his parking space.
'Reserved Parking Rick Trager'

"Wait here." He instructed, in his most bold and flat tone of voice.

I had no problem with his request, simply slouching back onto the seat, fatigued from the early rising. My hands were shaking, I was nervous. Of course there wasn't much I could do about it, other than hope and pray that things would turn out for the best. I let my eyes wander for only a brief few minutes, finding an odd bit of pleasure in how the early sun rose over the old masonry building.
A knock on my passenger side window was close to forcing my heart out of my chest. Trager.

He motioned for me to follow him, mouthing the words, "Come on."

We were parked in the same spot as always, obviously, yet I noticed as he was leading me that we were headed in a different direction. This definitely was not the way to his office. He led me up to the building, to the flight of stairs that seemed completely invisible from a distance. As one neared the structure it was clear that they burrowed into the earth, a single pair of double doors waiting at the bottom.
Whatever it was that had been bothering him for the past few days, it certainly hadn't gone away.

He looked at me for moment that seemed to last forever, a troubled look in his eyes, and a determined stoic expression on his face. "You should wait out here."

I hesitated to speak, terrified I might say the wrong thing, that I would say something that could have awful repercussions. "Why?"

"Because I," He paused, to draw a single keycard from his pocket, but it also provided him time to think. "We don't want anyone to see you, do we?"