started violently and spun around. In
a darkened corner of the room stood a man about his height but
broader across the shoulders. His hands were clasped in front of
him. He stepped out of the shadow wearing a cold smile.
Rakburn’s breath rushed from him. "Sir." He
bowed his head. "You startled me."
The man chuckled. "That wasn’t my intention."
He took a few steps closer. "Though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t
love the hell out of this cloak and dagger thing."
Rakburn returned the smile. "It becomes you,
sir."
The man’s demeanor turned somber. He came
closer and placed a hand on the agent’s shoulder. "What are you
doing, Thomas? You’ve been given your orders."
Rakburn had been expecting this visit. He’d
only received his orders an hour earlier, and already someone had
been sent to bring him in. Except this wasn’t just another agent.
This was a Board member.
Rakburn felt the hand squeeze his
shoulder.
"Relax, I’m not here to hogtie you," the man
said.
It did little to alleviate Rakburn’s
fears.
The man lowered his voice. "They don’t know
I’m here." When Rakburn met his face, he smiled again, this time
softer and more reassuring. "I’m here because I owe you one. Or do
you need reminding?"
Rakburn couldn’t help but chuckle. "So, my
young friend. I saved your life, now you’re saving mine? How cliché
of you."
"Well," the man said, clasping his hands
together again and moving toward the window, his back to Rakburn.
"I’d hardly call it that. You talked me into leaving the
Department. If you hadn’t done that–" He faced Rakburn and
considered his words. After a moment, he shrugged. "I suppose
you’re right. I’d probably be dead if you hadn’t." He clapped his
hands once and laughed. "Yes, I’m here to save you."
Rakburn shook his head, though the smile
remained. "Sam, how did you find me?"
Sam fiddled with the night-vision goggles.
"Oh, you mean your cloak?" He waved one hand. "It’s intact, don’t
worry about that." He held the goggles up in front of his eyes and
turned his head, looking around the room.
Rakburn took a deep breath, telling himself
to stay patient with his superior, even if he had known him
since he was a wet-behind-the-ears rook. "Very good, then."
Sam didn’t seem to hear him. Instead he
whispered, "Cool," and replaced the goggles on the stand. He
cleared his throat and forced his attention back on Rakburn. "You
know how the other agents like to talk. The whole lot of you stay
in contact, even if the Board tells you otherwise." He shrugged.
"Can’t be helped. Personally, I really don’t care. An open line of
communication with others in the field is vital to our success.
Wouldn’t you agree?"
Rakburn nodded. "Yes, I would. This is why I
have never attempted to keep my interactions with the others
secret. We function better as a unit."
Sam paced a circle around Rakburn. "So you
would agree, then, that most agents know the whereabouts, or the
approximate whereabouts, of other agents?"
Rakburn took a moment before answering. Was
this a trick? Was he leading him? "Yes, I suppose so."
"Then you need to be very, very careful of
who knows your location. Unless you want to be caught
disobeying a direct order." He faced Rakburn and raised his
eyebrows. "And then there’s the fact that I know your habits. Of course you’d be at the secondary. Really, Thomas? You’re too
predictable." He patted Rakburn’s shoulder and continued his
pacing. He seemed bored.
Rakburn frowned. "I’m sorry, but why are you
here again?"
"I came here to talk you out of doing
something foolish."
Sam came to a stop in front of the window
again, this time facing Rakburn, arms folded over his chest. He
knew his subtle warning would get across to Rakburn. He was known
by all the agents as the one who was sent in when mind manipulation
was warranted.
The warning had the desired effect. Rakburn’s
shoulders squared as he drew himself up to his full height. He was
an older man,
a darkened corner of the room stood a man about his height but
broader across the shoulders. His hands were clasped in front of
him. He stepped out of the shadow wearing a cold smile.
Rakburn’s breath rushed from him. "Sir." He
bowed his head. "You startled me."
The man chuckled. "That wasn’t my intention."
He took a few steps closer. "Though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t
love the hell out of this cloak and dagger thing."
Rakburn returned the smile. "It becomes you,
sir."
The man’s demeanor turned somber. He came
closer and placed a hand on the agent’s shoulder. "What are you
doing, Thomas? You’ve been given your orders."
Rakburn had been expecting this visit. He’d
only received his orders an hour earlier, and already someone had
been sent to bring him in. Except this wasn’t just another agent.
This was a Board member.
Rakburn felt the hand squeeze his
shoulder.
"Relax, I’m not here to hogtie you," the man
said.
It did little to alleviate Rakburn’s
fears.
The man lowered his voice. "They don’t know
I’m here." When Rakburn met his face, he smiled again, this time
softer and more reassuring. "I’m here because I owe you one. Or do
you need reminding?"
Rakburn couldn’t help but chuckle. "So, my
young friend. I saved your life, now you’re saving mine? How cliché
of you."
"Well," the man said, clasping his hands
together again and moving toward the window, his back to Rakburn.
"I’d hardly call it that. You talked me into leaving the
Department. If you hadn’t done that–" He faced Rakburn and
considered his words. After a moment, he shrugged. "I suppose
you’re right. I’d probably be dead if you hadn’t." He clapped his
hands once and laughed. "Yes, I’m here to save you."
Rakburn shook his head, though the smile
remained. "Sam, how did you find me?"
Sam fiddled with the night-vision goggles.
"Oh, you mean your cloak?" He waved one hand. "It’s intact, don’t
worry about that." He held the goggles up in front of his eyes and
turned his head, looking around the room.
Rakburn took a deep breath, telling himself
to stay patient with his superior, even if he had known him
since he was a wet-behind-the-ears rook. "Very good, then."
Sam didn’t seem to hear him. Instead he
whispered, "Cool," and replaced the goggles on the stand. He
cleared his throat and forced his attention back on Rakburn. "You
know how the other agents like to talk. The whole lot of you stay
in contact, even if the Board tells you otherwise." He shrugged.
"Can’t be helped. Personally, I really don’t care. An open line of
communication with others in the field is vital to our success.
Wouldn’t you agree?"
Rakburn nodded. "Yes, I would. This is why I
have never attempted to keep my interactions with the others
secret. We function better as a unit."
Sam paced a circle around Rakburn. "So you
would agree, then, that most agents know the whereabouts, or the
approximate whereabouts, of other agents?"
Rakburn took a moment before answering. Was
this a trick? Was he leading him? "Yes, I suppose so."
"Then you need to be very, very careful of
who knows your location. Unless you want to be caught
disobeying a direct order." He faced Rakburn and raised his
eyebrows. "And then there’s the fact that I know your habits. Of course you’d be at the secondary. Really, Thomas? You’re too
predictable." He patted Rakburn’s shoulder and continued his
pacing. He seemed bored.
Rakburn frowned. "I’m sorry, but why are you
here again?"
"I came here to talk you out of doing
something foolish."
Sam came to a stop in front of the window
again, this time facing Rakburn, arms folded over his chest. He
knew his subtle warning would get across to Rakburn. He was known
by all the agents as the one who was sent in when mind manipulation
was warranted.
The warning had the desired effect. Rakburn’s
shoulders squared as he drew himself up to his full height. He was
an older man,
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