Published August 13, 2023

"Redemption"

Returning to civilian life with his memories of being a criminal still intact was more difficult than Graham anticipated.

He managed to get his old job back, though this time his employers made him promise not to suddenly disappear again. The fact was, they needed someone with his skill level, which was higher now than it had been before he joined V.I.L.E.

Sydney was the same as it had always been, but now a part of Graham was completely alien to it all. And since he remembered his training, he had to resist the urge to pick pockets or imagine plans for heists. Every day, he had to decide what kind of person he wanted to be. Ironically, passivity required a great effort.

The first year went by slowly, quietly. Graham tried to find ways to fill his free time. He read books, drank coffee, and went for walks. One day, he bought a stack of paper at a stationery store and spent a weekend making origami, just to make sure he had not lost the skill. When he had vacation time, he tried hiking, surfing, and scuba diving.

He made regular visits to his old favorite café. If Carmen wanted to see him, she would know to look for him there. But even while he availed himself, he tried not to hope for her reappearance.

It was a healing time, but it also tested his patience. He could not shake the feeling that he was waiting for something to happen, for a change to take place and give him a sense of purpose.

He went on a few dates, but it was hard to truly be himself, since he could not tell anyone what he had been doing for the last few years. He was not sure whether he could, or should, reveal his criminal history if he ever got into a serious relationship.

It did not help that he always pictured how Carmen would have reacted to whichever girl he was seeing. Would she be happy for him, and tease him like a little sister? Or would she feel betrayed, like he was being disloyal to her? It could not be called cheating, because the two of them had never officially been together.

The day finally came, many months after Graham had stopped expecting it to ever happen. He went to the café in the afternoon, and found someone sitting at his usual table outside, wearing a red hoodie jacket, her red-brown hair tied up in a bun.

At first, Graham thought his eyes might be playing tricks on him, or that his brain might not be in its right state. It would not be surprising, considering how much his brain had been through over the last few years. But even after he blinked hard, looked away, and pressed his hands to his head, when he looked again she was still there, nursing a cup of coffee. She was not looking at him, but that did not mean she had not seen him; they both knew how to act casual when scoping out a place or spying on a person.

For a moment Graham stood indecisively, wondering if he should turn around and walk away. But he reasoned that she would not have sought him out if she did not want to see him. As for him—well, he wanted to see her at least one more time.

He bought his drink, and then strolled up to her table, walking in front of her so she would see him approach. She looked up, blinked, and stared—not surprised, and not unrecognizing, but uncertain; and Graham realized she was just as nervous as he was.

They smiled at each other, almost at the same moment, tentative and full of mixed emotions, but also happy.

He did not greet her by name; he did not know what to call her anymore. Instead he asked, half-jokingly, "Can it be the real you?"

Her eyes were soft. "Yeah. I'm real. And I'm finally myself, thanks to you."

"What in the world are you doing here?"

"I was hoping to catch up with a friend."

He sat down in the chair opposite her. "Is that what I am?"

Her smile flickered, though her tone remained even. "I was hoping you could be. Unless you'd rather not have me around. If that's the case, I'll respect that."

"No, no! You've come all this way—please, at least stay a little while."

She nodded, and somehow that very agreement seemed momentous, ambiguous though it was. Graham wondered just how long she had ever stayed in one place outside of her time at V.I.L.E. Had she ever agreed to stay for anyone, for any length of time? He supposed he did not have the right to hope that she would do so for him. But, she was here now, and he was glad for that.

For the first few minutes they just drank and soaked in each other's presence, exchanging smiles now and then. It was strangely normal, like other times they had shared meals or drinks; but there had been so many different contexts in the past, and this one was new as well. They wanted to know about each other, but it was difficult to find a place to begin.

"You look like your old self," Graham observed.

"So do you. How have you been?"

"Can't complain. I got a promotion at work."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks." Graham waited a moment before turning the line of questions to her. "How are you doing?"

Carmen took a moment to consider her answer. "All things considered, pretty good." Graham did not expect her to go into detail—she had little to no reason to trust him—but she confided, "I found my mother."

Graham paused mid-stir. That was big news.

Carmen continued, "She runs an orphanage, and I've been working there part-time. It's actually pretty fitting. Mamá never got to raise me, but during all those years we were apart, she put her heart into taking care of kids like me."

"That's amazing, Carmen. I'm happy for you."

Her smile was full of gratitude.

"So … what are you up to these days, other than working with your mum?"

"The same as usual. Keeping an eye out for thieves. Helping the authorities get them."

"And what about Shadowsan?"

"He's retired. And my sidekicks are making careers of their own. We've been taking down what's left of V.I.L.E."

Graham looked down. "I don't know what happened to anyone besides me."

Carmen guessed what he was thinking and informed him, "A.C.M.E. dismantled the system. Tigress and the faculty were among the first arrests. No one's found Le Chevre or El Topo yet. I'm hoping they'll find some other way to make a living."

Graham nodded his thanks. He had cared about those two, and they were not particularly vicious, at least compared to other V.I.L.E. operatives. Perhaps they would be able to live out their lives as decent civilians, as he as trying to do.

"You seem to have gotten off the grid," Carmen said, nodding to him over her mug. "Chief's doing?"

"Yeah. I've been trying to keep a low profile. Not that I haven't thought about trying the life of crime again."

"Why haven't you?"

He smiled wryly. "I knew if I tried, you'd probably get wind of it." He turned more serious as he added, "I didn't want to disappoint you … again."

There was something bleak in her expression now. She set aside her cup and leaned toward him. "Gray … I owe you an apology, and my thanks."

He frowned at her. "You don't owe me any—"
"Please, just let me say this. As much as I've tried to move on from that night, I can't forget what you did for me—and what I did to you. Shadowsan put the last piece in place when I was fighting him, but you were the one who started the process. I wanted to visit you, when you were in the hospital, but I felt guilty for putting you there."

"It wasn't as bad as it could've been," he assured her. "I set the EMP stick so it couldn't do more than stun."

"I'm glad you did. But I meant to hurt you, and I did it without regret. I'm sorry."

"I tried to do the same to you in Paris. So I'd say we're even." He hesitated. "I wanted to reach out, when Chief and Shadowsan visited me. But I thought having me in your life would only complicate things for you."

"Our lives are complicated. We'll always have this history." Carmen paused to take a drink and gaze around the street. "It feels weird to say this, because I spent so long trying to uncover my past … but now, I don't want to dwell on the past. I'm just trying to make the most of now, and look toward the future."

Graham could hear the optimism in her voice, and guessed the reason she had come there. He pushed aside his own empty cup. "Carmen … you know what I'm really like. You know I'm not a good person deep down."

Her brown eyes regarded him with an earnestness he recognized from their past conversations. "I meant what I said in Nepal. It's never too late to change. Shadowsan taught me that. He and I, and you, are living proof. I don't care so much about who you were as who you're trying to be now. And I'd love to get to know him."

"Well, if that's how you feel … I'd love to get to know the real you."

"Martina."

"Sorry?"

"My given name—the one I was born with—is Martina Adolfa."

He considered her, and then shook his head. "Yeah, sorry. I'm not calling you that. Carmen suits you."

"If you think so, Gray."

He decided not to correct her. Instead he asked, "Are you staying here a while?"

"If I have a reason."

He gestured down the street. "I'm still working at the Opera House. I can get backstage access, if you'd like to see a show."

Her smile held more emotions than he could name, but happiness was definitely one of them. "I'd like that."

"Tomorrow night?"

"Sure."

"Dinner beforehand?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"As long as you don't stand me up this time."

They smiled at each other, and it was impossible to say how comfortable they were in that moment, their banter so familiar, their trust so new.

When they both stood up to leave, Carmen stepped forward and kissed his cheek, surprising him. "I couldn't do that before, with V.I.L.E. and A.C.M.E. watching," she said, almost apologetic. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He grinned as he watched her leave. "You are a cheeky one." He was glad that some things did not change—and that he could remember them.

The opera currently enjoying its run in Sydney was The Flying Dutchman by Howard Wagner.

Carmen dressed up for the occasion, even though they watched from the control room where Graham was working. He was not entirely prepared to see her that way—formal dress, high heels, hair perfectly styled. She looked stunning, yet she seemed unselfconscious, as if she was used to such fancy outfits, or simply did not know how beautiful she was.

It seemed like yet another reminder how little he knew her, despite how close they were in some ways. How had she gone from being an endearingly annoying kid to a woman totally out of his league? And why would she want him in her life now, when she had found the family and home she always wanted?

Thankfully, Graham had his job to keep him occupied. He had seen the show several times by now, so he explained the story to Carmen before the curtain rose.

"The Dutchman was once a regular sailor, but he invoked Satan, so he's cursed to roam the seas. He can only walk on land every seven years. The only way to break the curse is by finding a faithful wife. So he asks to marry this captain's daughter, Senta, and she's pretty happy about that. But she has an angry ex, and he tries to sow doubt about her loyalty."

"So how does it end?"

Graham winked, smug that, for once, he was the one who knew more than her. "You'll have to wait and see."

This detached summary did not do justice to the emotional arc of the story. Carmen was in tears as they watched the Dutchman despair of his salvation and leave his betrothed behind. But she was even more shaken when Senta followed him, vowing to be true, and threw herself into the sea. The ending was similar to Swan Lake, with the two lovers ascending to Heaven as their community looked on.

When the curtain fell, Graham glanced at her and was surprised and concerned to see how emotional she was. "Are you alright?"

She smiled sheepishly, wiping away her tears. "Sorry. I didn't expect it to get to me like that."

"I guess I'm used to that kind of story," Graham said with a shrug.

"Love redeemed him. Maybe both of them."

After the opera house closed, they went for a walk, arm in arm. They did not talk much. Carmen's mood was pensive, and Graham was afraid to ask why.

Finally, when they were looking out over the ocean, she shared what was on her mind. "Gray … I still can't get over the fact that you had me, and chose to let me go—and even risked your life. I know, you reprogrammed the EMP rod, but still—I could have found another way to kill you." She gazed at him, looking more vulnerable than he had ever seen her. "Do you truly care about me enough to die for me?"

The question caught Graham off guard. He had not quite thought about it that way at the time: it was his freedom and his memories that had seemed most at risk. Nevertheless, he knew the answer. "Yeah. I do."

Her eyes filled with tears again. The next thing he knew, she was hugging him. As he put his arms around her, he realized it was the first time he had done so without being in danger of falling. At least, not literally.

"I'm sorry," he said, surprising them both.

"For what?"

"For letting them do what they did to you. And the times I let you down before that."

She leaned into him. "I forgive you."

The relief that came from hearing those words was even greater than he had expected. He had not thought he needed or wanted forgiveness, but knowing that she did not hold it against him … that was a gift he had never expected, and something he never could have stolen.

He hugged her more tightly, and the feeling reminded him of the other times he had done so.

Hold on tight and don't let go.

"Carmen …"

"Mm?"

"I need to ask you something."

She let go of him, her demeanor calmer now, cooler. "Shoot."

He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, and his words came out haltingly. "You once said you thought of me like a brother, back in the day … but, for a while after that, I didn't even remember knowing you as a kid. So I wasn't exactly thinking of you as a sister when we met again. And, well … even now that I remember … we're older now, and—well—if you want more—"

She cut him off: "Yes."

He stopped, searching her face in confusion. "Yes …?"

"Yes, we're more than that. Or we could be."

For the first time either of them could remember, he looked at her with true hope and joy in his eyes.

She grasped his hand. "I know we're making our lives on different continents, but … do you want to stay in touch? Be a part of each other's lives?"

He took a step closer to her. "If you want to, then yes. Absolutely."

She smiled. He smiled back. It was impossible to say who moved first to close the distance, but when they kissed, Graham Calloway finally felt like he was truly home.

Author's Note: The opera music used in "The Himalayan Rescue Caper" is from The Flying Dutchman, and when I looked up what it was about, it seemed perfectly suited for Carmen and Gray's situation, which I think must be why the writers chose to use it.