Mark was in his hotel room arguing on the phone with John Burrows.
"Listen John, I can take care of myself. I don't need an agent to protect me." Mark said.
"No arguments Mark, me and Agent One will be down early tomorrow." John said.
"Agent One what kind of name is that?" Mark asked.
John laughed.
"It's just a code name really; Agent One was the first in a new training program introduced years ago, therefore the name." John said.
Mark had known John for years, they had been neighbors in Texas, but he had only vaguely known he worked for the government until this mess had come up.
"Listen I really can handle this prick." Mark said.
"Mark your way out of your league, your ex really hooked up with a psycho. We have been after him for years, but he always disappears. He is a cold blooded killer, he runs drugs, prostitution, child porn, you name it, he's into it, and we want him. He is nothing but slime. If he threatened to kill you he won't stop till he does and he already tried once." John said.
"Okay, I'll at least talk to you and your agent." Mark said sighing.
Mark got off the phone and sat down. This guy sounded like a real slime ball. He guessed he should cooperate and get him off the street.
John looked up as Abby walked through the door. She was a beautiful girl if only she would smile, but then what the hell did she have to smile about. He had turned her into a cold killing machine. He should have got the girl in therapy and took her home and raised her like a normal child. But he hadn't you couldn't go back.
"Victor has hooked up with Jeannette Calloway, Mark Calloway's ex. Jeanette wants him dead, and probably cause Mark dumped her because he caught her cheating. They have one child aged 3 who lives with Mark's sister. They are now hiding out to protect the child. Mark has custody, but Jeanette would get custody and control of Mark's estate if anything happened to him. Victor has made one attempt on his life and as you well know will try again. I have three CD's you can watch on your laptop on the plane ride that will give you all the background info on Mark. Memorize it. You are going to be Mark's new wife, met and fell in love while he was off for three weeks. Get the story straight." John said.
Abby nodded and took the CD's.
"No arguments?" John asked.
"Not where Victor is concerned, I'd marry the devil himself to get to him." Abby said.
"Let me make myself clear, you're to bring him in if at all possible, no revenge." John said.
"Of course John, I'm a well trained agent, I know that." Abby said meeting his gaze.
"Yea well you killed the other two." John said.
"Those were perfectly legal kills you know that. They had me cornered shooting at me I had no choice." Abby said.
"Yes so it would seem." John said looking at her.
"You know Abby, you have 14 years in, you're still young, you inherited your father's estate, not to mention the money you've earned over the last 14 years, you could retire, start a new life. Why don't you let another agent handle this? "John said.
Abby stared at him and stood up.
"What else would I do John this is all I know?" Abby said.
"You're still just a kid; you could do anything you wanted." John said looking at the beautiful young girl.
"Guilt eating at you Uncle John?" Abby asked quietly.
They looked at each other a moment and she turned and left.
John sighed and ran his hands through his dark hair. In all these years he had wondered if she had realized how he had used her to further his career and his project. She had never complained once or said anything to indicate she had. Now with that one statement he realized she knew he had stole her childhood, betrayed his friendship with her father. He knew Jason would have never wanted this for his little girl. Jason had always been adamantly against Project Cradle, saying it would damage a child to be raised in an environment with no love only daily instruction in the art of killing. It was too late to go back now, what was done was done. He picked up the phone to arrange for a flight to New York where Mark was at.
Abby sat with her headphones on watching the CD's that John had given her. She glanced down the isle every once in a while to glance at John. He looked miserable. She knew his guilt had been eating him over the years and she knew the man had used her to his own advantage. Over the years she had sometimes hated him. Her childhood had been anything but normal, filled with classes and covert training, shooting ranges. She had been lonely. There had been no more picnics, playgrounds, bicycles, video games, fighting with her brothers. She had been left with a black hole in her life and she filled it with the WIA, a poor substitute. She had only let herself cry at night in her room in the dark when she was sure no one else could hear. She had to be strong not weak. She had learned to push down her emotions till they were practically non existent. She turned back to the CD's. This was to be the most important job yet. She was going to kill this bastard that had laughed over her family's dead bodies. Then her job would be done.
