In a remote location, strategically hidden off the main road from view of any prying eyes, a building stood on its own. The sky rumbled behind the glass structure warning of an impending storm to come. The building would have been thought to be abandoned if not for the ever rotating flight of black SUVs parked out front and the unfamiliar logo on the front of the building that glistened in the disappearing sun. It was thought, by locates, to be a chemicals disposal facility and therefore a place to stay away from but the truth was even more terrifying than they could have imagined.
The door to the building swung open silently to allow a man in a dark suit to enter with his black ray ban sunglasses pushed against his eyes and his black suit neatly pressed and ironed. It wasn't even sunny outside anymore, so one would wonder why the need for the glasses. He pulled an identical ID card from his pocket upon entering as the man that Adam had stolen one from. The entrance hall could have been thought to be a little odd with no other halls or doors into the interior of the building but a sole elevator parallel to the door. The receptionist never even looked up from her morning magazine as a gum bubble escaped her brightly painted cherry red lips. The pop echoing against the hollowness of the hall. The man looked in her direction with a disapproving glare resounding on his face, his eyes never faltering from behind his glasses. She didn't even look up to glare back, just continued in her morning routine of reading the monthly Cosmo and clicking her pen against the edge of the desk repetitively. Reaching the elevator, the man pressed the up button as normal but a space opened in the wall in front of him and he leaned in letting the machine inside scan his glasses for entrance. It gave an approving beep before blinking green. The doors opened in front of him and he stepped inside, taking one last look at the girl seated behind the desk with an evil glare. She'd be fired by the end of the day, he thought with a laugh but not wasting another minute on her fate.
The doors closed with a heavy bang and the man removed his sunglasses, rubbing his tire eyes. The whirl of the elevator clicking on signaled an image to appear on the side of the elevator wall.
"Good morning, Agent Trakes. You have no new assignments in your interoffice mail. You have two assignments pending completion and one new message from the director. Shall I play it for you?" The automated voice asked with a sweet monotone voice. The man looked to the image before he nodded his approval.
"Yes, please do." The man stated. Placing the glasses in his jacket pocket before standing up straight to listen to the message. The screen switched to that of an older man with thinning grey hair on the top of his head and a scowl on his face. He looked much like the man in the elevator, a nearly pressed suit and no no-nonsense attitude.
"Trakes, where the hell are you? I've been trying to reach you for an hour and you're still not in your office!" The man shook his head in disbelief of his staff this morning. "Listen, I need you to take care of an issue of high importance to your country. Agent Williams was to report for his next assignment in Europe almost 3 hours ago and he has yet not reported in. It is with good reason we believe he may be dealing with a personal matter on company time." Again the man paused to shake his head. "I need to get your ass down to Texas and find out what the hell is going on. His last know whereabouts have been loaded into your tracker. If necessary, you are authorized to eliminate any security risks that may be present as well as assess the threat of possible compromise of Agent Williams. I expect updates every 6 hours until the job is completed. If you are killed or arrested the agency will deny any involvement, you will be on your own. We're counting on you, Trakes, don't let us down." The man nodded in reassurance before the screen went blank and the man in the elevator looked down.
"Guess I'm not making it into the office after all today." He joked, a smile forming on his lips as he pressed the button again to open the exit doors to let him back into the lobby.
The musky morning dew of the woods wafted into Julie's nose as she inhaled deeply, coming out of a blissful sleep that she'd been enjoying for the last couple of hours. It was amazing that she'd slept pretty well against a tree in the middle of the forest and was more refreshed and relaxed than if she had been at her home in her bed with Greg lying next to her. She let her eyes fall back shut for a moment before opening them again and looking around for Adam. She spotted him swatted in the bushes a few yards away, looking off in the distance. Yawning again, she stood and moved towards him at a steady pace, wrapping her shirt tighter around her form from the night chill still left in the air. They hadn't been able to start a fire for fear of someone seeing it, so they had huddled together in the night air to keep warm against the wind that had picked up. She had to admit it had been comforting but in the same sense, she had been afraid to fall asleep for fear someone would attack them in the middle of the night while they were defenseless. She shook the feeling aside and approached Adam where he was huddled, it looked as if his wound was still seeping a bit of blood but the flow had slowed considerably. Julie walked to him, leaning down next to him and looked in the direction he was facing.
"What are you looking at?" She asked, trying to make out shapes in the distance. He sat for a moment to hold his shoulder.
"There's a town over there but I can't tell if Greg's been there or not. I need to get closer but if we do and they're there, I won't be able to fight them off again." He said in all honesty. Looking to her bruised face, he decided quickly that he would have to scout alone. "I think you should stay here and I'll go check it out before we head that way." He whispered, touching her cheek with his palm. his touch was soothing against her burning flesh but she couldn't think about that now when he wanted to run off on his own. Her eyes widened in shock.
"What, no. Adam, with your arm the way it is? I don't think so. I should be the one to go." She asked in disbelief.
"Jules, please just stay here. I'll be fine." He mumbled, rising from his place and sneaking ahead through the bushes before she could protest again. He probably should have gone when she was still asleep but he didn't want her to wake up and fine him missing. Julie tried to get him to reconsider but her pleas fell on deaf ears as he could no longer hear her when he moved away. She didn't want to risk calling out and drawing attention to herself more than she already had if the town was a trap. She moved back in defeat, gathering their things in the backpack and moving back over to the spot where he had been to be ready to move quickly when he returned.
Adam's "cat" like skills was nothing to match Julie's back in their days of hockey and with his shoulder the way it was, he could not move in the stealth the way he used to. He fumbled over some brush and cracked a couple branches on his way into town. The village seemed to be deserted save a few people coming and going from place to place but none resembled Greg or his black suits. He couldn't imagine the town consisted of more than a few dozen people to begin with. Adam decided to get closer and take a better look to ensure no one was around before he went to get Julie.
The sun poured down from the clear blue sky in the desert heat, Keri Clark thought, wiping the sweat from her already sweaty brow. It definitely was not the day to have horse and barn duties, she thought with a sigh, lifting the heavy bucket of feed in her hands to begin her walk to the gate.
"Keri, don't forget to give those horses water, it's hot out there..." Her Mother yelled from the back window, ringing her hands on her apron as she watched the young woman struggle with the bucket. Keri didn't turn around, it would have taken too much effort in the heat to do so but she nodded in acknowledgement and waved her hand in her mother's direction to signal she's heard her and would do what she asked. Mary Clark closed the window behind her with a click to keep in the cool air conditioning she was enjoying as she sat down to do the sewing of the families laundry while she hummed to herself. Her husband, Ted Clark sat on the other side of the room watching the hockey game that was playing on ESPN and yelling at the TV. How he ever understood that game was beyond her, they could never dream of having ice in the deep south of Texas to be able to play such a sport. She knew her sister's boy had played back in the day but that had to have been almost ten years ago now. She nodded her head with confusion as a player was hit against the glass before going back to her task at hand, not noticing her daughter out the window, climbing the horse fence with ease.
Keri Clark was only 15 years old but if asked she would have told you she knew everything there was to know about the world. She'd visited her Uncle Paul in North Carolina a few times and she'd seen the ocean, what more could there be? Her cousin Dwayne had went to get a fancy education and came back to tell her all about what he had seen, so between the two of them, she was pretty sure she had this life figured out. As she climbed the fence to take the bucket over to the horses, she contemplated this thought. Nelly, her favorite horse, ruffed and neighed, coming over to sniff the food she was offered and Keri patted her head to let her know it was alright to eat.
"Easy, girl. I know you're hot out here." Keri whispered, looking to the forest off to the right of the stable. it must have been much cooler in there, she thought, longing for the days when she could play in the boundaries of the forest. It seemed to be a clear day but something wasn't right about the feeling in the air. Between the strange men dressed in black suits that had shown up the day before claiming to be looking for a loose criminal, to the uneasy feeling in the air that stirred her thoughts, she wanted to return to the safety of her home and not come back out for the rest of the week. Nelly snorted next her, bring her from her thoughts and back to the task on hand. The hose was just beyond the barn; Keri could run there and back in a moment before anyone even knew.
Climbing back over the fence she thought she heard a noise come from the forest just off to her right and then again from a few meters away. The snapping of twinges a distinct sound she'd known well. She shook her head in disbelief when the sound didn't come again, she was just scaring herself in believing something was there. She shook her head with annoyance, she wasn't 14 anymore, she should stop doing that. There were no monsters to get her out her in the broad daylight. The air finally let a small breeze began to blow against her face as the barn came into reach and she ran her hand along the side as she walked, feeling the jagged edges and loose splinters graze her finger tips. The hose was within her reach in another moment and she gripped it in her right hand to turn it on with her left, letting the cool water run out the end for a moment to cool down.
"Pssz." She thought she heard a sound from the woods again, this time behind her. She turned to look and found no one in her sight, it must have been her imagination again, she thought, going back to what she was doing. Her mind must have been paying tricks on her in this heat. She wiped her forehead again, letting the water run over her toes before moving towards the stable again.
"Hey..."A voice caught her attention. She had definitely heard a man's voice this time. Continuing to grip the hose with her right hand she slowly moved towards the brush that lined the forest surrounding their house. it better not be Nelson playing another joke on her, she was beat him to a pulp this time.
"Who are you? Who's there?" She asked out loud, wondering if she'd get a reply or if the man would jump from the brush and scare the crap out of her like what usually happened.
"Have you seen any strange looking men in town today?" The voice asked again, just above a whisper. She immediately thought of the criminal they had been describing that had taken a girl hostage across the state line. She gripped the hose tighter.
"If you're that guy those men in black suits were looking for, you better show yourself before I call the police!" She warned in her best adult voice that she could muster without sounding scared. If it was the criminal, she was ready to hose him and run for the house.
"Okay! Okay..." The man's voice answered as the bushes moved slightly against his form and he stood to reveal himself. Adam stood slowly, his hands in the air to show he was unarmed, at least if someone was going to get caught he would be him and not Julie, he thought with a defeated sigh. The girls eyes widened and she moved the hose slightly in her excitement sending a gush of water in Adam's direction. He coughed as the water hit his face and spat out the unexpected substance. It was cool to his skin but the surprise of it had caught him off guard. He sputtered in response.
"Oh, Gosh! I'm so sorry, Banks!" She muttered, dropping the hose and grabbing a towel from the barn to hand to him. He spit a couple more times before satisfied he's gotten all the water out of his throat.
"It's alright. You know who I am?" He asked surprised. She seemed taken aback.
"Know who you are? you're only like the best hockey player in the league..." She seemed astonished he would think she wouldn't know him. He laughed slightly, causing his shoulder to ache with the new movement. His other hand gripped the limb in it and she noticed the blood still coming from the wound.
"Oh, gosh... we better get you to the Doc; he'll know how to fix that!" She cried, gripping his arm to look at the wound herself.
"No, I need to know if those men are still in town." He asked, stopping her from pulling him along the dirt path to the house. She shook her head, no.
"Nah, they'd was here and left all in the same day." She stated, again trying to pull him towards the house. "My cousin told them we'd not had none criminals here." She reassured, knowing her cousin would want to see him.
"Wait, I need to get my friend... she's alone in the woods..." He tried again to pull back on her grip and this time succeeded.
"Oh, don't worry, I'll go get her." Keri replied with excitement, letting go of his arm and turning to march into the woods by herself.
"I got an idea, let's go get her together." Adam suggested, moving the opposite direction that she had been heading.
"Well, alright but we can't be gone long, my parents will worry and we need to get your shoulder fixed, can't have you damaged for the rest of the season now can we." She smiled, leading the way back into the woods where he came from. He smiled at her but in his mind he was really thinking she was one nuts girl. Glancing back at the town he wondered if they even had television. It looked like something out of a western.
Julie sat still huddled against the nearby tree waiting for Adam to return and tell it was all clear to move. He'd been gone almost an hour and she was beginning to worry that he got himself caught or had lost his way back to her. Maybe she should go look for him, she thought. That was all she needed, for him to be lost or captured. After she'd spent most of the night trying to get him back healthy. She was afraid she wouldn't have any strength if not for him and she sure as hell wasn't going to make it out of these woods without him, which left only two outcomes to her small adventure so far, death or Greg finding her. She knocked her head back against the tree in debate. No she was stronger than that, and she could do this on her own if need be. She stood and began to pace the small area they had made camp at, looking to the supplies they had. It wasn't that far back to the police station, she could make it in a day and radio for someone to help her but would they get there before Greg could? What was Greg anyway? A cop, a spy? It scared her to think she'd known him for all these years but yet she never really did. He had all this anger and rage that he constantly took out on her and yet she never knew why or how he had gotten that way. The questions just kept piling up and her head hurt from trying to make sense of all the things she couldn't understand. She sat down again in her same spot to wait a few more minutes and give her head a chance to catch up with her thoughts.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Keri asked for the 7th time since they'd left her barn to go get Julie. They had been walking for further than Adam had remembered. They had to have been getting close, Adam sighed.
"Yes, I marked the path with these stupid little berries." He reminded her with frustration, picking one up and crushing it between his fingers. The juices squirted out over his thumb and he almost wanted to eat it. His stomach growled with approval, he hadn't eaten anything since the day before last and he knew if he didn't get something soon, he was pass out.
"Don't eat those..." Keri warned, knowing the look on his face as she studied the berries. Adam looked to her with confusion, dropping the fruit to the ground.
"Why, what's wrong with those?" He asked, continuing to walk in front of her.
"Their poison. One berry and your throat will swell up like a balloon." She said, coming to stand next to him. Her nodded in response.
"Good to know..." He said without much enthusiasm. Just one more thing that he didn't need right now. Keri looked to the path of berries laid in front of them.
"It seems like we've been walking a long time. How far away did you leave her?" She groaned, stomping on a plant to her right to clear a path. Adam groaned too, of all the towns they could have ended up in and of the all the people for him to meet, he had to meet his#1 fan and she had to be a 15 year old girl with a big mouth. At least she knew her way around. He groaned again finally coming into the clearing that he left Julie in where the berries ended. The space was empty and silent.
"Jules?" He questioned, looking around, a hint of fear in his voice as he searched the tree line. Keri too looked in the brush for any sign of the girl they were supposed to have been looking for. Adam looked around the area again before being hit in the arm with a branch. The force would have knocked him down if it had hit him a little harder. He grabbed the stick, pulling the own from the bushes when he yanked it free. Julie was on the other end, her eyes wide with terror expecting to find Greg on the other end. Her face distorted as if she thought she was coming face to face with her husband again and she turned away, expecting an impact.
"Jules." He cried, taking the stick away from her and pulling her to him in a hug. She cried out in relief, gripping his good arm in her hands and burying her face in his stained shirt.
"I heard someone coming and I didn't know who it was, so I hid in the bushes. I didn't mean to hit you!" She apologized, gripping him against her but being careful not to touch his shoulder.
"It's okay. It's okay." He reassured her, "We need to go now." He responded, taking her hand and turning back to Keri. She smiled awkwardly towards Julie, pretty sure that her cousin would know this girl as well. She could have sworn she saw pictures of her too in his picture frames.
"Hi, I'm Keri..." She mumbled, going to shake Julie's hand. Julie resisted, not knowing the girl in front of them and looked to Adam for reassurance to trust the girl. He nodded, nudging her forward.
"It's okay, she's from the town, and she's going to help us." Adam nodded, watching as Julie silently shook Keri's hand. The two women looked at each other for a moment before Adam gripped Julie's hand and began leading Julie out of the clearing.
"It's okay, Miss. I'm Adam's biggest fan; I would never do anything to hurt you." She assured her, trying to put a smile on her lips to assure Julie she meant no harm. Julie nodded, slightly, grabbing the pack from the ground where she'd left it and gripping it against her chest. She looked to Adam as she leaned against the nearby tree and supported Adam as best she could with his weakened shoulder to help him walk.
"We need to get him to a doctor." Julie questioned, knowing they would have to have some sort of medical treatment in the town if they were self-sufficient. Keri nodded,
"Come on, this way! I'll take you to Doc. He's the best we got her. He fixed up my head two summers ago when I fell off Nelly's back during the annual bull roping contest." Keri said excited, showingthem a scar tucked up under her hairline. Julie's eyes looked to Adam before Keri headed out of the clearing, leading the way out of the forest and to wherever Doc was. Julie's eyes questioned Adam with confusion.
"I know, just follow the girl." He mumbled, not really having the energy to explain why they didn't have much choice.