I watched the comings and goings from my vantage point outside of the city, never daring to enter until now. The trek took longer as I avoided the security cameras around the city. The skills they taught me to keep the country safe served me well to keep myself out of the kind of jail they denied exists.
I had decided that I couldn’t do the work anymore. One does not retire from this job and disappears completely, but that is what I did. My former employers had issued “shoot to kill” orders, but I had to come.
The people who wanted me dead retained LeAnn Talbot because they suspected she knew where I was. LeAnn had helped me disappear but did not know where I had ended up.
They held her in a black ops house that I knew well, and I was familiar with Russell Long, the agent in charge. I’d worked with him in the “Good Ole Days” when it was fun to be a spy. As I neared the house, I realized this was my last chance to back out, but I couldn’t. I owed her.
Russell opened the door as I stepped on the porch. “I never expected to see you again.”
“You wouldn’t now, would you? I heard you had LeAnn and plan on transferring her to a federal prison tomorrow. A prison she will never walk out of, will she?
He scoffed. “You can’t stop it. Besides, we have what we want now—you.”
“Not going to happen, Russell, because LeAnn and I are walking out of here right now.”
Russell pulled his gun from its holster and aimed it at me. “You know I can’t let you do that.”
I smiled. “Yes, you can, and you will.” I pulled a manila envelope from inside my jacket.
“In here are the details of the Russian mission ten years ago—pictures, names, dates, and video of what happened when the general’s daughter died. It proves you raped and strangled her. We all know the official version and that they bought it. Barely. This will put you where you want to send LeAnn.”
“I can just shoot you.” He stuck the gun barrel against my chest.
“Within five minutes of my death, a copy of this report will go to your superiors and every major news outlet in the world, starting with the Russian press. How long do you think you’d last?”
He started to respond, but I dangled the package in front of him. He crossed the room and unlocked a door. “Get out here.”
LeAnn timidly entered the room and ran to me. “Thank you. I hoped you would come.”
Russell was still holding the gun on me. “Give me the file.”
“Sure.” I raised my arm as if to toss it to him, but instead, in one quick move, I sent an uppercut to his jaw, and he was out cold.
I dropped the envelope onto his body and grabbed LeAnne’s hand. As we hurried from the house, she asked why I had given Russell the information.
“No, only blank paper in the envelope. I mailed the real report to his superiors. Russell will pay for what he did.”
I had decided that I couldn’t do the work anymore. One does not retire from this job and disappears completely, but that is what I did. My former employers had issued “shoot to kill” orders, but I had to come.
The people who wanted me dead retained LeAnn Talbot because they suspected she knew where I was. LeAnn had helped me disappear but did not know where I had ended up.
They held her in a black ops house that I knew well, and I was familiar with Russell Long, the agent in charge. I’d worked with him in the “Good Ole Days” when it was fun to be a spy. As I neared the house, I realized this was my last chance to back out, but I couldn’t. I owed her.
Russell opened the door as I stepped on the porch. “I never expected to see you again.”
“You wouldn’t now, would you? I heard you had LeAnn and plan on transferring her to a federal prison tomorrow. A prison she will never walk out of, will she?
He scoffed. “You can’t stop it. Besides, we have what we want now—you.”
“Not going to happen, Russell, because LeAnn and I are walking out of here right now.”
Russell pulled his gun from its holster and aimed it at me. “You know I can’t let you do that.”
I smiled. “Yes, you can, and you will.” I pulled a manila envelope from inside my jacket.
“In here are the details of the Russian mission ten years ago—pictures, names, dates, and video of what happened when the general’s daughter died. It proves you raped and strangled her. We all know the official version and that they bought it. Barely. This will put you where you want to send LeAnn.”
“I can just shoot you.” He stuck the gun barrel against my chest.
“Within five minutes of my death, a copy of this report will go to your superiors and every major news outlet in the world, starting with the Russian press. How long do you think you’d last?”
He started to respond, but I dangled the package in front of him. He crossed the room and unlocked a door. “Get out here.”
LeAnn timidly entered the room and ran to me. “Thank you. I hoped you would come.”
Russell was still holding the gun on me. “Give me the file.”
“Sure.” I raised my arm as if to toss it to him, but instead, in one quick move, I sent an uppercut to his jaw, and he was out cold.
I dropped the envelope onto his body and grabbed LeAnne’s hand. As we hurried from the house, she asked why I had given Russell the information.
“No, only blank paper in the envelope. I mailed the real report to his superiors. Russell will pay for what he did.”
