Chapter 2 - Explainations
As she looked at down at his body her mind was suddenly thrown back to their last mission. They were on a dance floor in a grand home, their targets waltzing just inches away. His hand rested lightly on her back as he held her tightly.
Jane's eyes remained on the targets only drifting past his when they moved across the room.
For second their eyes met and he smiled at her. It was in that moment she also realized his hand and moved and was now a lot lower in position. She leant forward seemingly whispering seductively into his ear, "I wouldn't move that hand any lower "she told him . He blushed rather red cementing for others the illusion he'd just received some tantalizing offer. The hand moved higher seconds later. But as their target moved again Jane found herself being pulled forward and kissed rather soundly. "Just keeping up the cover",he told her.
She dared the look into his eyes again and found her heart hammering. "No", she told herself don't go there remember Hanaway. Trying to move slightly apart she only found herself pulled closer, "keep up the cover Jane", he had whispered. Snuggling closer again she had let herself be wrapped in his warmth while trying to fiercely deny she had not felt a spark of interest.
Thank goodness she'd never acted on her feelings otherwise she'd be staring at another dead lover.
Not that staring at her trusted colleague and friend was any easier. "It was at least quick", a subdued Benji stated as he stared at the bullet hole in his colleagues temple.
"Yes but how do you get shot when you are supposed to be sitting behind a desk", Jane muttered as she slipped her warm hand into his cold one.
"All I was told was that he was sent on a mission and it went wrong", Ethan told them.
"The secretary bluntly stated that perhaps Brandt was not ready to be back in the field". What a load of horse shit".
"Oh and by the way it seems our temporary missions are over and we all back together again", he concluded
"Together, shit, we can't be together anymore", Benji muttered. He looked over at his team leader, "does this stink to you as well Ethan", he asked. "We all get split up, then weeks later Brandt is shot, then we are all put back together". It just doesn't sit right with me".
"No, it doesn't. But I can't find out what Brandt was doing as he has already been disavowed and all traces of his existence removed from IMF files", Ethan told them.
"So we will never have any answers, just have to move on and accept it, shit sometimes I hate this job", Jane stormed. She would rarely swear about anything but felt that this situation warranted the language, in fact she like to say a lot worse to the secretaries face. But knew that in relity that swearing at him would not help. He'd just say you accepted what might happen when you became an agent.
The reality was that you could end up dead, just like Brandt was now. Nothing would bring him back.
Jane put the cold hand to her lips and kissed it gently, "goodbye", she whispered through her tears.
She moved back then giving each of her friends a moment alone with their collegue .
Benji swallowed back his own tears as he looked at his team mate. "You taught me a lot Brandt and I thank you for that. Be at peace now".
He stepped back. Ethan had witnessed the death of many colleagues and knew it went with the territory of being an agent. But he still felt choked up as he looked at Brandt. "You could have taken my place one day Brandt," he stated. "Dammit", he hit the bed hard making Brandts cold hand jump . Picking it up Ethan stared at it a moment before placing it under the sheet.
"What happened Brandt", Ethan begged. The dead agent of course did not answer. Ethan reached out one hand and placed it gently on Brandts face. He leaned over slightly, "you were more than just an agent Brandt you were my friend. Goodbye".
He stepped back to join the others. Reaching out for their hands he took them in his own, "let's go now", he told them.
Without looking back the three mourners walked away.
Ethan left Jane and Benji having drinks in a bar and made his way home.
Once there he activated his laptop and used his security codes to tap into IMFS secure site. Navigating the site he tried to get details of any past missions. He was hoping there might be some thread of information on what Brandt had been up to. His mind was still screaming about why they had all been sidelined while Brandt had been sent on a mission. It seemed to him they were kept out of the way while their colleague had been killed. The secretary was not going to give him answers so Ethan was going to find them himself.
1 hour later he had to come to the conclusion that there really was nothing left to find. Well at least nothing on software. Getting up he opened his wall safe and drew out a hefty paper file.
"Agent William Brandt", the file proclaimed. This was the information he had asked for at the conclusion of ghost protocol when he had many questions about his team's newest member.
After another 1 hour of flicking through pages of history of Brandt's prvious missions he could still find no answers. Dammit, he could not let this haunt him.
Getting up Ethan went to get a drink from the stand below the safe. It was a moments glance up into the reflective surface of a picture that saved his life seconds later. He rolled to the ground as the masked gunman behind him fired off a shot.
Flinging himself at the gun man Ethan hit the mans hand hard until he dropped his weapon. Taking hold of the gun tightly himself Ethan pointed it at his assailant, "who are you", he demanded.
The masked man said nothing just keeping his hands out slightly to his side. "Answer me", Ethan demanded cocking the trigger of the gun.
"Shoot", came back the gruff reply. Ethan was not about to just shoot this man without finding out why he was here. "Get down on the…",he barely registered another hand coming out of nowhere and making a grab for the gun. He held on, but found his grip slipping away as a second assailant robbed him of his weapon. It was a clever maneveur and one that was also shockingly familiar. He only knew one man who could disarm him that effectively.
Taking no chances he kept his arms out. "Shoot him and get it over with", the first man muttered.
Ethan felt genuine panic began to seep through him. But before it could get a firm hold he was stunned to witness the second assailant smack the first one soundly on the back of the neck.
The man dropped like a stone to the ground and did n't move. "I suppose you are going to explain this Brandt", Ethan asked the masked man.
Pulling off his ski mask a very much alive William Brandt smiled. "I see you picked up on my little deception", he stated.
Ethan pulled himself down on the chair behind him. "At first I believed it Brandt. Then when Jane picked up your hand I noticed this little mole had seemingly appeared from nowhere. That made me touch your face and sure enough I felt the thin line of a mask."
"But since IMF told us you were dead and are not the type to make mistakes I said nothing to the others."
"So I came back here and tried to find out what had happened. Only I seemed to have attracted attention", Ethan pointed at the unconscious man.
"I knew would happen, but could do nothing to warn you", Brandt told him.
"What is going on Brandt", Ethan insisted. Brandt paced the room, "the others should be here to listen to my explaination", he said. "But Ethan understand none of you are going to like what I have got to say."
Ethan just nodded, if Brandt had faked his own death and IMF did not know about it then something bad had happened. He needed to know what that was.
So he made the call. Brandt calmly came and curled up in his sofa. Now he was in a better light Ethan could see that he had actually been in a fight. "Are you alright", he asked.
"Not really Ethan but it is nothing serious", Brandt told him.
A knock sounded at the door and Ethan invited in Jane and Benji. "Guys I have a visitor", he told them.
He said it in such a serious tone that Benji pulled out his gun and sprung into the living room with it drawn. Only to drop it in shock seconds later.
"That really is rather sloppy Benji", Brandt chastised. Paling Benji reached for a chair and sunk into it.
Jane looked equally as shocked but recovered quicker coming over to throw a heavy punch at Brandts arm. "You bastard, we thought you were dead", she cried.
Brandt rubbed his arm, "I am dead Jane', he told her solemly. Unable to feel angry any longer Jane went over and pulled him close and held him. Feeling the warmth of her grip Brandt relaxed for moment.
The sound of Ethan pointedly clearing his throat brougth him back to reality.
"Tell us what all of this is about", he ordered. Brandt paced the floor looking over at them. "I told Ethan you would not like what I have to say but it is actually worse than that."
"I came here to ask for your help", he explained. "Will of course we'll help you", Jane told him frimly.
Even though her words filled him with warmth Brandt still shook his head. "You need to understand what helping me will mean Jane. IMF thinks I am dead. In fact it was them that arranged for me to die".
"It is all because I know something the new secretary Harold Denver doesn't want to hear."
He could see the shock was building by the way their eyes changed. "Ethans life was just put at risk because he began to ask questions about me."
"If you help me the IMF will consider you their enemy. You will be asked to either have me taken into custody or to take me out yourselves. Disobeying them will lead you to be disavowed permanently".'
"That is the price you will pay for helping me". I would not ask it of you but I desperately need help", Brandt told them. "What will happen if we don't help you", Ethan asked.
"It will be our country that will suffer", Brandt replied.
Ethan could hear from his tone that he was very serious. But there were still many unanswered questions. "You must choose now", Brandt told them. Ethan noted he had not relinquished hold on the gun. The others seemed to be not too concerned about this but Ethan's attitude was very different.
Brandt had been disavowed for a reason and was now wanting to drag them into an argument with their own agency. If they said 'no' what was Brandt's reaction going to be.
Their last mission had required him to stage a fight between himself and Brandt making it realistic as possible. It had been vicious, stunning both Jane and Benji with its physical intensity.
They had been afraid even though they knew it was just fake. If the fight had not required Brandt to take a dive then Ethan would not have known if he could have actually beaten him.
It had been like seeing another side of Brandt .
He looked just midland unassuming just standing their watching them and awaiting the decision. But Ethan could see his finger twitching on the trigger of the gun.
Looking over at Benji and Jane Ethan wondered if they understood the gravity of the choice, help Brandt or help IMF. The two were no longer wound together. Either choice would bring consequences.