Prologue
The operatives watching the subject were certain that he was unaware of being observed. They had had him under observation for about two months-they had learned his routines, kept eyes on him practically at all times, and they were confident of a successful extraction and resettlement.
He was not an easy man to keep track of during the day. His morning was easy enough to follow: he would leave his residence at or around the same time each day and his commute rarely varied. He preferred to take the subway rather than drive, and his doing so made it easier to keep tabs on him. Occasionally he stopped for coffee at a coffee shop. Once at his workplace, they had to wait. There was far too much security to contend with while he was at work. Often he would leave his workplace with his team at various times to take care of cases out of town or to speak or host a class at one of the nearby universities. Once he attended a conference. Sometimes he would be gone for days, but once he returned, they could continue observation. They'd had orders from higher-up not to follow him if he left his city of residence.
At the end of his workday, he would take public transit again to a variety of places. There were parks he liked to frequent, sometimes to play chess and other times to sit and read. Sometimes he would just walk about, lost in thought. There were cafes he liked to visit, and his local public library was visited frequently. Other places would be bookstores. He made a weekly run to a nearby grocery store, purchasing food that would keep well in the freezer or cupboard. Notes were made of his dietary preferences and tastes and were submitted to headquarters regularly, along with a daily itinerary of his movements and activities.
If he socialized, it was primarily on the weekends and with members of his team. He would meet them for lunch, dinner, a film, or other activity and observation would continue while he was occupied. Preferred activities were noted and submitted. If he did not go out, then he was observed at home. Discreet security cameras and microphones had been posted in his apartment during one of his trips out of town and his routines and activities noted. At home, he would read a great deal of the time, write articles for publication, write letters, watch films or television, or spend time online. There were periods of creativity in the kitchen that led to him either enjoying the fruits of his labors or placing a call to a pizza restaurant or take-out establishment. In the evening he would retire usually around ten or eleven o'clock and any sleep disturbances were noted and submitted.
His observers found him intriguing. He lived quietly for the most part and his most active periods seemed to be while he was at work. It was frustrating in the extreme that they could not observe him there. It wasn't until one night that one of their members had the idea of putting a microphone in a seam on the messenger bag he carried everywhere with him that they were able to keep some sort of tabs on him at work.
The audio they received over that microphone was incredible. They listened as their target chatted with coworkers, worked on cases, and once, horrifically, he was threatened by an "unsub" with a gun in his workplace. All four of the operatives observing him could feel their hair turning gray as he talked the gunman down and got him to surrender. All of that talent and potential could have been lost with just one bullet.
It was horrifying. Once the situation was successfully resolved, they sprang into action. Within moments they had their home base on the phone and they were describing what had happened. Once they finished relating the last horrific detail their call was transferred immediately to the director.
"This is the Director. I was told why you've called. Are you certain that is what happened?"
"As certain as any of us can be," the team member on the phone averred. "We heard our target say, 'You don't need to hold a gun to my head.'"
Silence on the other end, and then, "I see. I had hoped to have more observation done before we brought him in, but it may be prudent to bring him now. If he's in such a risky occupation, I doubt we have much choice." The Director paused. "All right. You have a go for extraction and resettlement. Bring him in, but make sure you make the experience as easy and as pleasant as possible for him. He's been through a great deal, and an asset such as he is...well, I don't need to go on, do I?"
The operative smiled. "No, sir. I understand. We'll extract him tonight and head your way."
"Be careful, son," the Director said kindly. "See you soon."