Book I: The Others - Chapter 10 - Options (Part 2)

Bob Danann had been backlit by the window having just moved the game board out of the way.

“I’m here to discuss your options,” he had said. While he spoke, Catherine could only see his silhouette. Something tickled her memory but she couldn’t quite get a handle on it before it flittered away.

By the way he said it, with such finality, she knew he wasn’t going to be especially gentle. Thinking about it, she thought she’d prefer whatever news he had to be coming from Mac. Why would that be? She didn’t have time to answer her own question before Bob began his “discussion”.

He walked forward and sat down on the chair to the right of the bed. As he sat she noticed a manila envelope in his hand. “Catherine, here’s the situation,” he began. “As you know, officially you were killed in a botched mugging. Under the circumstances, we felt that that was the safest action for you and Jesse considering the situation.”

He paused, expecting some reaction from her. Not getting any, he continued.

“Our investigation shows that you and Conner were attacked with a very special weapon.

Although it looks and acts like a conventional handgun, the projectile inflicts massive targeted and collateral damage but leaves no obvious trace. Your husband was the target, and you were the collateral.”

From the envelope he pulled a stack of papers. He handed the photo on top to Catherine and set the rest on the Monopoly board.

“This weapon is only used by Blackman’s organization. It takes special and reportedly, very painful training to master its ... idiosyncrasies.” She could hear the revulsion in his voice. As he talked, Catherine looked at the photo.

In the photo was what looked like a standard semi-automatic handgun, and next to it, a round ball with some wires hanging out of it. They were sitting on a table with a piece of paper with the letter ‘A’ written on it. She recognized this as an exhibit for a court case. As she looked closer, she saw subtle difference from a regular gun ... it seemed organic, smoother. She didn’t know why, but looking at it made her a little queasy. She looked closer at the ball but couldn’t make out the markings.

Bob continued. “After months of various surgeries and mind conditioning, each weapon is physically and psychically grafted to its owner. The owner’s eye is replaced by an implant that provides targeting assistance and also administers a counter agent for the poison that is released from the grip of the weapon when it is held. This antidote prevents death, but the intense pain of the poison remains. It is powered by and its ammunition is a physical manifestation of this pain and the hate that goes with it. If a stranger attempts the use the weapon, he will be killed by it.”

She looked back at the photo and saw that the ball was in fact a prosthetic eye. She was definitely feeling sick now.

“Judging by your recollection of the attack, Conner was killed as his memory block was failing.

This suggests that someone was expecting this to happen. Since up until that time, he was a trusted courier for Blackman’s organization, and we assume that what facilitated his breakthrough was your intervention, we can only assume that it was you who was followed and not Conner.

“As we see it, you have ...”

“Why?” She interrupted his train of thought, causing it to stumble bit.

“... two ... Uh, pardon me?”

“Why?” She was trying to approach the problem logically. “Why would anybody be following me? You had already determined that Conner’s block was unbreakable.” She felt the bitterness and anger build as she thought about the events leading up to the attack and everything that she’d been through since.

“According to your report, a confrontation should have done nothing.” Her mind raced with images of a young Conner teaching her to shoot, Conner swinging baby Jesse in circle under a tree, Conner as he left her for that last time to start his undercover assignment, and finally his last words before it all went black ... “I love you so much.” Then, like watching a movie in reverse, everything backtracked to the moment she’d opened the letter that started it all. As much she tried to control it, her anger welled up in a flash and burned away everything, leaving only rage.

She lunged forward and grabbed Bob’s arm pulling him out of his chair. She pulled him towards her forcing him to look her in the eyes.

Through clenched teeth, she said, “This is all your fault! You brought us here. You said we’d be safe ... and now I’m ... DEAD! You son-of-a-bitch!”

Bob could feel the rage radiate outward like a shockwave. It singed his mind before he could protect himself. He was shocked by the power of it, but recovered quickly.

For Catherine everything slowed down. She looked into his eyes and saw only calm. Looking down she saw his arm where she held it. She could feel his blood pumping ... slow, regular. She saw her knuckles turn white with the strain and his flesh turn red around her grip. Then she saw the smallest trickle of blood flow from where her fingernails punctured his skin. With a start, she released him.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry.” Her anger faded as quickly as it had come. She looked back at his face and saw only calmness and serenity.

“It’s alright,” he said as he withdrew a little, rubbing the circulation back into his arm and reached for a tissue to dab at his wounds. “Just lie back and calm down.” He sat down as well.

Bob spoke again in even, soothing tones. “Catherine, everything you said is one hundred percent correct. We had no right to interfere in your life. However inadequate it is, we ... “ He paused, breaking eye contact with her. With a sigh he continued, “No ... I apologize. I take full responsibility. But since I can’t change what’s happened, I’ve put all of the resources at my disposal toward finding out what happened and making sure that you and Jesse are well taken care of.”

Not yet completely calm, Catherine spoke with a tense voice, “You still haven’t answered my question ... Why was I followed?”

“Well, Catherine, we just don’t know. By all accounts you should have been talking to a stranger when you confronted Conner. Emmanuel and Mac are looking into it. I should have their results in a few days.” He paused. Looking at her, he could see her tension decrease even more, especially after he mentioned Mac’s name. He filed that away for later.

“So ... my options?”

He settled back into the chair, silhouetted against the windows. Catherine again felt a tickle of memory, but she ignored it as Bob continued.

“Your options ... As we see it you have a couple options available to you. The first alternative would have you and Jessica remain here and work with us in our struggle against Blackman and his organization. We would, of course, provide you with whatever you’d require and all of our resources would be at your disposal. There are other benefits as well, but I can not discuss them with you unless you agree to stay.”

He paused trying to gauge her reaction, but as usual she made no indication as to her feelings, one way or the other.

She spoke up. “And the second alternative?”

“The second option ...” This clearly wasn’t his favorite. “We will provide you with a new identity and a sum of money deposited in an off-shore account that should allow you to live comfortably anywhere in the world for the rest of your lives. If it is your wish, we will provide for you the means to effectively disappear from Blackman’s prying eyes ... and our own.”

He stopped talking and just looked at Catherine for a few heartbeats, letting what he just said sink in. As he stood, he said, “I’ll leave you to your thoughts.”

He was about to leave the room when she spoke up. “I’ll need more information before I can make a decision.”

He stopped and turned to face her. “Mac will answer what questions he can.” With a final look, he turned again and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Chapt. 10 - Options (Part 3)