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Episode
136
“First rule of sneaking. Look like you’re supposed to be
here.”
Everett stood by his car, the flashing lights yellow lights at each
corner of the beat-up vehicle keeping him company. On the side of the
deserted road, only the sweeping waves of the trees in the strong breeze
kept his attention. Birds flew down onto branches, as if curious about his
presence, but once satisfied, they flew off, looking for something more
entertaining to occupy themselves. He
pretended not to look down the isolated street a ways, at the gated
entrance to the corporate site just within his sight. He sighed, his hands
stuffed in his pockets as he tried hard to look pathetic and harmless.
“Excuse me.” The young black man said, setting his briefcase
down on the guard’s desk at the entrance of the corporate building.
Dressed in a striking suit with red glasses, the young man looked
intimidating even from a distance. “I have an appointment with a Mr.
Phillip Assanti for two o’clock.” He said humorlessly.
“I’m sorry sir, Mr. Assanti no longer works here, Mr . . .”
The guard said, his gray security uniform straining under his big muscles.
“Richards.” The young man said, handing a card to the security
guard. Ledger watched the familiar steroid-enhanced dexterity of the guard
as he took the fake card. “Is there someone else here of similar status
that I could speak to?”
“Status, sir?” The guard asked deftly.
“Yes.” Ledger nodded. “It was to my office’s understanding
that Mr. Assanti was a head of business management. I was supposed to work
with him on some business solutions that he had requested.”
“I see.” The guard said. He turned from the young man and
picked up the phone. “This will be just one minute.”
The whistled tune of Gilligan’s Island preceded the young man as
he stepped into the elevator. He stepped back against the wall of the
elevator, still whistling. He looked to his left at the old man who stared
at him, then to his right at the two yuppie corporate types as they stared
at him. He smiled, continuing to whistle, his Hawaiian shirt standing out
against their charcoal suits.
“You had an appointment with Mr. Assanti?” Asked the guard
again. Ledger nodded, trying to play up his patience of playing down his
annoyance. “Well, sir. Like I said, Mr. Assanti doesn’t work here, and
I’m pretty sure you’re just going to have to make a new
appointment.”
Ledger nodded. He smiled at the guard. “That’s completely
unacceptable.”
Armand pulled his head to his left, the fabric of his repairman’s
outfit pulling at his shoulders. He looked around at the empty elevator as
it slowed, chiming the multiple numbers over the metal doorway. Finally,
the elevator slowed to a smooth stop and he looked forward as the doors
opened.
Two Hand agents were waiting for him.
“’Scuse me.” He said without hesitation, looking humble as he
tried to squeeze past the two guys.
“Just a second.” They said, not moving to let him past,
trapping him in the elevator. “Who are you?” The one on the left
clarified.
“Donald Rhemsfield.” Armand said, holding up his ID badge.
“I’m here to install a cable hook-up in an office here.”
“All our data connections are done in-house.” The one on the
right said. “Who called you?”
“I, um, I’m really not supposed to say.” Armand tried,
intentionally stuttering. “You see, I, we’re supposed to have this
corporate policy about customer privacy due to the nature of some of the
channels we provide.”
“So you mean, a cable TV hook-up? Not an internet hook-up.” The
one on the left asked.
“Yeah.” Armand nodded, pointing to his Instant Werner badge.
“I’m the cable TV guy.”
The one on the left looked at the one on the right. “No one’s
supposed to have cable TV here.” He said. The right one shrugged. The
two looked at each other for a moment more, then they stepped back.
“Which office?” The one on the left continued.
“Sir, I’m afraid that there is no way for you to see someone
right now.” The guard said.
“I flew here, from Cincinnati, to come for this meeting.”
Ledger argued, his voice subtly rising with every sentence. “And
you’re telling me that the man that set-up our appointment doesn’t
even work here any more.” “Sir,
you have to understand,” The guard tried. “I
don’t have to understand anything.” Ledger bit. “Can you get me an
appointment with Mr. Assanti’s replacement?”
“Sir, I . . .”
“Can you? Yes or no.” Ledger nearly yelled, the volume of his
voice turning heads in the Solaritec corporate lobby.
“No.” The guard said, trying to end the conversation. It
backfired.
“Then why am I talking to you?” Ledger suddenly exclaimed
exhaustedly. “Get your supervisor in here now.”
“Sir, I’m afraid that my supervisor is . . .” The guard said,
standing up in the hope that his height would intimidate the young black
man. “Unavailable.”
“Then get his.” Ledger said clearly, unbothered by the height
difference. “Because I am not going to . . .”
“Richards?!”
Both the guard and Ledger turned their heads in surprise at the
interruption as Errol came rushing over to the two. Dressed in a gray
suit, his black hair blended well with the fading bruise on his face.
“Hey!” He said, grabbing Ledger’s hand before he could recoil.
“It’s great to see you, buddy. How’ve you been?”
“Oh, they got rid of Phillip. Really suddenly, too” Errol said,
his smile just a little too big. “Hey, listen you doing anything?”
Ledger took the opportunity to look back at the guard.
“Apparently nothing productive.” He muttered with annoyance.
“Let’s go get some lunch.” Errol said, putting his arm around
Ledger and nearly pulling him out of the office.
Armand got a running start, stepping up onto the car in the corner
of the parking lot. Without a hint of hesitation, he took one step onto
the car, threw his ‘cable TV’ bag over the wall, and then vaulted
himself over the walled perimeter of the corporate site.
He landed roughly, rolling from the long drop. But when he came up,
Roland was waiting. “Nice landing.” The white knight said, stabilizing
the younger knight and helping him up. “What was that? Ten feet?”
“I don’t know.” Armand said, groaning from his impact. He
stood up straight and looked at Roland. “Why’d Everett call us
back?”
“Were you really getting anywhere?” Roland lamented, as he led
Armand through the thick underbrush around the corporate lot.
“No. I had two Hand goons looking over my shoulder as I pretended
to know what I was doing to install a cable TV wire.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t get anywhere, either.” Roland nodded.
“That’s cause you’re dressed like a corporate’s son.”
Armand pointed out.
“That’s the idea.” Roland said as the two finally stumbled
out to the edge of the forest and onto the street. Without any traffic,
the car in the distance stood ominously before them. However, even at this
distance the lack of the flashing lights was obvious. And as the two
knights neared it, they could see three figures waiting, not two.
“Who are you again?” Roland asked to the man in the middle of
the car. In his mid-thirties it seemed, he looked untrustingly at the
four, but tried to keep himself as small as possible as Everett drove like
a demon away from Solaritec.
“My name’s Errol. I am the second-in-command of the North
American Investigator’s Clan, directly underneath Aaron.”
“Do either of you have last names?” Armand asked. Errol looked
at the young knight as if he had spoken a foreign language.
“Why’d you want to get out of there?” Everett asked, looking
into the mirror.
“The Brotherhood’s getting ready to go to war.” Errol
explained. He looked over his shoulder, then back to Everett. “Listen, I
know you guys are knights.” He said, his words drawing a silent worry
from each of them. “But I need your help. I will give you whatever
information you want or need to stop the Brotherhood, but only on one
condition.”
“And what’s that?” Ledger asked from the passenger’s seat.
“Save my team mates.”
“Jericho’s in charge again.” Errol explained, as he sat in
Everett’s apartment, the six knights gathered around with Marilyn,
Victor and Malcolm sharing the shock with them. “Somehow, he survived
the Triumvirate and killed them all. Now, he’s pretty much in control of
the Brotherhood. At least, in America.”
“Is there any chance the Brotherhood from other countries could
help you stop him?” Malcolm asked, looking down at the only person
sitting in the room.
“No one has the prowess to.” Errol said. “When Jericho came
in, he pretty much single-handedly reinvented the Hand. No one comes close
to his abilities at commanding them martially.”
“It can’t be.” Everett said, shaking his head.
“Can’t be what?” Errol asked, looking worriedly at Everett.
“What can’t it be?”
“It can’t be the same Jericho we knew in high school.” Sydney
said, looking at the defector.
“Same Jericho?” Marilyn said, looking at Everett, as he stared
down.
“You knew this psychopath?” Victor nearly yelled.
“How come you never mentioned this before?” Marilyn said,
verbally pushing past Victor as she stared in hurt surprise at Everett.
“Well, to be honest, it just never really came up in the
conversation.” He said, as if it was an apology. “Besides, I didn’t
know it was Jericho, our Jericho, until after the sniper incident, after
Eli told us.”
Malcolm’s head turned slowly to Everett. Marilyn’s face went
cold. “Eli never mentioned anyone named Jericho.” She stepped back
from Everett, a fearful look on her face. “What did you do?” She
breathed angrily, the rage in her eyes growing. |