Post by HappyTuesday on Feb 29, 2004 2:07:21 GMT -5
Remorse Chapter 1
This story has nothing to do with Power Plays, Enjoy
Blood…The stench of it clasping his nostrils with every ragged breath, dripping silently; cold collaborated, she lay cradled in a crimson pool, seeping deep into the pavement staining it, red…fierce and invasive the light hit her body, early dawn hours approaching. So was the enemy, he turned, running swift, violent…erratic, pistol clutched to his side ready to fire and any one who dared approach. Sleek black hair…obsidian jacket, framing his brood contour, proud maybe even arrogant but adept to the task before him; ready and adroit he stood now, ears perked to the wind, howling amidst the shrouds of darkness.
“It’s done” The only words spoken, harshly; icily even from the familiar intonation of his husky corrupt voice, into the transponder they went carrying softly waiting to be received on the other end acknowledged only with a simple ok, clearing the profile for the next at hand.
<b>3 weeks later CIA headquarters- Los Angeles Division</b>
“So we actually pulled it off, I’m impressed my friend” Jonathan Murdock quipped while idly sloshing a cold cup of coffee, some what aged from the days transpiration. As District Director of the CIA’s Los Angeles Division it was his job to supervise the well… some what less experienced agents, or deal with international threats involving terrorism, either or: as a senior agent he did his part offering analysis and advise.
“Gee thanks…I think…” came a muffled reply from the figure sitting before him.
“When will this be done? I just…I can’t stand being away from home like this…they’ll all be worried and what about the other’s they think their dead!”
“Shawn get a hold of your self...you did what you had to in order to save lives, Operation Nightfall is almost complete, you’ve already taken out Dania Rosier a crucial asset to the Soviet terrorist network, now once we’re in possession of the virus they can all go free. Come on there liven’ it up at one of our safe house’s in north LA it’s right off the beach, so relax, everything’s going to plan.
“Yes but still, the pain I put my family and friends though the grief they had to live with…it’s not fair.”
“Oh and it’s fair to unleash a weaponized strain of a lethal virus into the population of Salem?! Look son, I know this is hard on you but if we didn’t use this serial killer façade as a distraction they’d all be dead, the virus would be on leashed…now then there’d be grief.
“Perhaps but still,”
”But still nothing! You have a job to do and I expect you to do it!”
Shawn sighed there was nothing much that could be done especially with a guy like Murdock running the bureau, however on some subordinate level he was right, as much as Shawn hated to admit it; they were in the business of saving lives and that didn’t always make things easy.
“When can I go home?”
“Haha you miss the girl friend already eh?... Tomorrow, your flight leaves first thing tomorrow.” Replied Murdock while handing Shawn a neatly compiled portfolio containing the tasks that had already been accomplished, one document in particular caught Shawn’s attention, on the top enumerated the world redound CIA insignia, a large eagle with wings outstretched and the phrase ‘Verbum sat sapienti’ in under it. On the bottom contained numerous neatly inscribed signatures consummating the advocacy of those who had supposedly died by hands of a serial killer, what was thought to be mass murder was really just an elaborate cover up for what was truly going down, a very elaborate sting mission of sorts. Six months ago the CIA had received word that an aggregation of Soviet veterans were trying to sell a virus over the black market, it was passed off to man named Michele Amador, weapons dealer out of the Ukraine. NSA tracked that virus to Salem where it is planed to be disenthralled. Infecting millions with in the first wave, the threat needed to be extracted circumspectly with out alerting the locals, this would only create civil unrest. Murdock knew from past experience that the Salem PD would be a complication and only ran the risk of endangering his personnel so he needed a distraction of sorts, though the serial killer plot seemed a little astringent maybe even cold blooded, it would work and that he could be sure of. Giving each ‘victim’ about a months notice in advance Jonathan made sure they were very well taken care of here in Los Angeles where small town news never progressed, hell the only news around this place was what the latest celebrities were wearing and who broke up with who; that’s why he’d always been a New York Times kind of person. Amazingly the delineation was actually falling in play; they’d had some of the world’s best forensic scientist’s dress the vics up for their final adieu, as for the unsuspecting residents, they were so emotionally evoked with grief they didn’t even notice the difference and the evidence planted kept the cops working round the clock to piece together the puzzle.
***
“Mmm… you know this is the best Valentines Day ever”
“Well Cass technically it isn’t quite Valentines Day for another couple of hours.”
“Even so, I’m not going to love you any less.”
Ryan grinned at this; it had been almost four months since he was assigned to the safe house that the victims currently resided in, love at first sight he was sure of it since the moment he laid eyes on her, so lonely and homesick his hearted pained to see her like that. The next week he had asked her out to dinner and everything just went from there, Cassie was truly something special to him and deserved what was about to come next.
Clearing his throat in a some what nervous authoritative manner, Ryan fidgeted to withdraw a small velvet box out of his pocket, getting down on one knew he took her soft melodious hand into his and stared up into those cerulean eyes he loved so very much. “Cassie…” He started, voice some what cracking from nervousness “will you…will you marry me?”
The tears slid genteelly down her cheek as he revealed a shimmering diamond banded by gold but emblazoned with their blossoming love.
“Yes…” came her soft reply, but the look in her eyes told all, that was the last words ever spoken before he enveloped her in a passionate embrace.
***
Ryan awoke to the caustic intonation of his pager, mind still clouded with sleep and memories of last nights conjurations he rose quickly, lazily grasping the small object in had in order to audit the all to familiar seven digit code displaying to his own disappointment that he was wanted at the agency. Sighing sadly in defeat Ryan glanced back at his soon to be wife still slumbering peacefully beside him, “Lucky” he muttered somewhat jealous of the fact she got to sleep in. He then scribbled a short explanation of why he wouldn’t be there when she awoke and set it down on the bedside table along with a single claret rose; before heading off to work.
***
“So Shawn, have anything special planned for Belle this year?” quipped Ryan as he stumbled his way through the CIA bullpen.
“We’re probably just going to go out for dinner; with this killer running around she hasn’t really been in much of a romantic mood. Ah speaking of romance how are things going with you and Cassie?”
“We’ll…I ah…umm… I proposed to her last night”
“You what!?”
Ryan was now blushing furiously but Shawn could tell he loved her and she loved him too, when he saw those two together it was obvious they were meant for one another; but god he’d hate to be around when Rex finds out.
“Well…um Congratulations” Shawn stammered still a little shocked that Ryan had done this so soon.
“Hey what are you two gawking about?” Murdock interrupted seeming genuinely pissed at the world for now apparent reason but with Murdock there never needed to be reason.
“Shawn you’ve got a plane to catch, Sullivan my office now!”
“He sure is irritable today the whole last name basis thing is never good; well I’ll inform you the moment I arrive back in Salem, we’ve just got to stop this virus so that everyone can just go back to their lives.”
Well that’s the first chapter Please let me know what you think and if I should continue. Working on Crimson Tears tomorrow night.
