Note: See Part 1 for disclaimers.
THE ONLY EASY DAY IS YESTERDAY
"The Journey of Jeremy Keller"
by OldScout
Part 10
Late in the evening after meeting Agent Ropper, Tim Parker was
leaving his campus office when he felt the rush of the quickening. Tim
placed his brief case on a near by bench and drew his sword. He held the
short weapon close to his body hiding it so a distant onlooker couldn't see
it.
"Who's ever out there," he said in a subdued voice "lets see ya'."
A figure emerged from behind the corner of a building and
approached across the freshly cut lawn. It was a thin man wearing a
long, expensive trench coat. In the dim light of the sparse street lights
Parker couldn't make out any features but he could tell the man had short
hair and was neatly groomed. The stranger opened the tie on his coat as
he approached, but did not draw his sword.
"I'm not here to fight, Commander." the man said as he stepped
into the light. He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties very
well dressed. In the spotty light, it appeared that the London Fog
protected a very expensive designer suit.
"It appears you have me at a disadvantage." Parker said in lieu of
asking for the man's name.
The man smiled "I think that is highly unlikely." he stopped two
sword lengths from Parker and said "My name is Peter Gattlin, and I was
hoping you could help me find a friend of yours."
Tim lowered his sword and returned it beneath his coat but did
not secure it. "And which friend is that?"
"I'm looking for Lieutenant Keller."
"Your the second person today to ask about Keller. Why?"
"Agent Ropper and I are sort of on the same case." Gattlin said.
"Only she doesn't know about me."
"You work for the government?"
"In a fashion, just as you still do."
"What does that mean, and what do you want with Keller?"
"I'm head of an office in the CIA that occasionally recruits our
kind."
"The government knows about us?"
"Not at all, only a few key individuals who are involved in
working with the agents."
Parker was dumbfounded "You recruit immortals to be spys, I 've
never heard of this."
"Actually, we are quite choosy who we approach, usually new
immortals who do not care to play the Game. Your Lieutenant Keller
seems to fit the bill perfectly."
"That's why I've never been approached?"
"Exactly." Gattlin said with a smile. "From what I've been able to
piece together, once you joined the Game, you hunted with a fervor."
"I haven't been a hunter for over two hundred years."
"Yes, but all of those centuries you did hunt are still part of you."
Gattlin looked at his watch holding it toward the street light. "Now about
Lieutenant Keller, I do have an appointment to keep."
Parker looked at the man in front of him perhaps this was a good
place for Jeremy, perhaps it was a trap. My best bet is to try to control
the play. "Best I can think of, is Jeremy once mentioned a friend in
Seattle. I couldn't tell you his name though."
"Thank you, at least Lieutenant Keller will have a chance of a
productive life with us."
As the man walked away, Parker called after him "Gattlin, if your
lying to me or betray Jeremy, I'll come for you. I have the resources to
find you were ever you hide."
Gattlin half turned around and looked Parker in the eyes "I would
expect nothing less."
Once he got back to his car, Tim Parker punched a long series of
numbers into his scrambled satellite phone. "Duncan, hi, it's Timothy
Parcon yes it has been far too long. Listen, Mac, I think a young friend of
mine, who I once mentioned your name to, is coming for your help...."
As he spoke, he pulled Agent Ropper's card from his pocket and studied
the celluar number printed there.
to be continued................