Tony Keating jumped several feet in the air.
You’d think, after all the years of being around this guy I’d expect this. But no, oh no. Just have to give the heart the old jumpstart once in a while it seems. You never know …
“For heaven’s sake Sentinel! If you want the directorship couldn’t you just shoot me?”
“Too obvious.” Sentinel deadpanned.
Tony sighed in exasperation. Whenever the dark man was around the control center seemed … smaller somehow. Like his presence filled it up. “My fault for asking. Rather tell me about the condition of the young pickpocket you brought in. Nimzicky reported he was banged up pretty bad.”
Kevin walked over to the map screen, his intense eyes tracing the path of the orbital scanner known as Fido. “His main concern is a shattered hand. A man crushed it with the heel of his work boot. The damage is extensive. He will need a great deal of treatment for it to mend properly. He also has bruised ribs and several serious bruises.”
“Will he co-operate with the search for the purse?”
“He says he will.”
“But you don’t believe him?”
The Sentinel took a moment before answering. Turning around he said: “No, I believe he will help us. I just think he will need extra encouragement. He is genuinely frightened of this man. He will do almost anything to avoid crossing paths with him again. He will need to be assured.”
Tony had seen the look that Sentinel’s eyes now held before. Three times before in fact. “You’ve already taken pity on him, haven’t you?”
Sentinel, the most feared and respected agent in the free world sighed. A sigh that gave a glimpse of the gentle heart at the center of this nearly impenetrable fortress. “He has been through so much. If I can give him some form of safety and comfort, then I will do it.”
Tony smiled. If people only knew the depth of this man … “I’ll trust in your judgement on the matter. But Sentinel, we have very little time. Where is he now?”
Sentinel inclined his head, stating his understanding. “I asked Doctor Dorough to take him to the cafeteria. What news of the Order?” And just like that it was back to business.
Tony walked to the large screen covering one wall. “A funeral notice. Unfortunately not the one we would like to hear. Spotters saw someone, apparently Keric, through a member of the think-trust out the window. Obviously he’s beginning to loose his sense of humor about this. They captured these images,” he said pointing to the screen. The images showed the south side of the impressive white tower that Keric had built to house his think trust. Surrounded by a lush forest it was breathtaking really.
Sentinel walked closer. “This is encouraging.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Not at all. If Keric is starting to lay blame on the think-trust for plans that fail, then that means he is loosing the absolute faith he had in them. Even if he argues that he has removed the weak link, the seed of doubt has already been sown. He will question and second-guess everything they say from now on. Which gives us the advantage.”
Director Keating thought for a moment. “Well if you put it that way.” He smiled slightly as he turned back to the image on the screen. He stared at the figure of Keric. “Why? Why this? We are standing on the brink of the greatest advance in human history. Why is he doing this?”
“You know why.”
“I know the psycho mumbo-jumbo the reports tell me. I know what he himself says. I want to know what you think.”
“Because he wants to.”
*********************************
Two men were approaching AJ’s table. They were dressed in the same black outfits that the six men who helped capture him in the junkyard did. AJ wondered if they were from that group … team … whatever.
“How’s the hand? Nimzicky squeezed it pretty hard there.”
Well that answers that question …AJ wished Howie didn’t have to leave, and then immediately felt guilty about his selfishness. How could I want him to stay when there’s a medical emergency! “Uh … it’s okay. It’ll be alright.”
“That’s good to hear. He was a bit rough, but in these times you can’t ever be sure anymore. He was just doing what he thought was needed. I’m Balthazar by the way.” The man extended his hand to AJ.
AJ couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows at the name, but he shook the man’s hand awkwardly. The man resembled a bear in more than one uncomfortable way. He was large, not quite as tall as Kevin was but not far off either. “Er … AJ …”
The other man laughed at this. “Just don’t ask him about the name, okay? He gets all touchy!”
“I do not!”
The other man winked at AJ. “See what I mean?” He laughed when he saw the look his partner gave him. “Alright, alright! Hi there, I’m Roger.”
The awkward handshake again. This guy, AJ thought, could really pass for one of those guys you see in a toothpaste ad on TV. He had the healthy look and the light blond hair and that same goofy grin pasted on his face. “Hey.” AJ said rather timidly. He did not feel very comfortable in the presence of either.
“Mind if we join you? Least we can do after this morning’s situation is keep you company until Doc returns.”
“Er … okay. Sure.”
Roger sat down next to AJ, Balthazar taking the opposite chair. He seemed to squeeze a bit to fit and for a fleeting moment AJ wondered how he was going to get up again. It looked like he might get stuck …
“So you have any idea when their gonna take you out again?”
AJ looked up, worried. “Umm … what? What do you mean ‘out’?”
“You know, to catch the other bad guy. You told Sentinel you’d help us get him. That’s not the man you want to upset, believe me.” Balthazar said. His expression one of pure conviction.
“Umm … I don’t know. He didn’t say anything … yet.” AJ looked down at this food for a moment. “Why did you say that? The part about not upsetting K … umm … Sentinel?”
Roger and Balthazar exchanged looks. “Think we should tell him? I mean he has the right to be warned and all …”
Warned? AJ paled a bit at the exchange. “Warned?” AJ whispered.
“Yeah.” Balthazar sighed. “Look kid, right now you’re probably all grateful to him for taking you out of Nimzicky’s hands. But believe me you’d have been far safer with him than you are with Sentinel. Seriously, that guy is bad news. Never ever turn your back on him, know what I mean?”
AJ became upset. “No. No I don’t know what you mean!”
Roger took up the explanation. “Well it’s just that ... Look. It’s not like we don’t respect the man, alright? He is a brilliant agent, and a very honorable man. He would do anything to protect this cause, the company and the people in it. But I do mean anything. You don’t know what that man is capable of. We do, or we suspect anyway. There is only one person who knows more than us, and he’s absolutely terrified of the Sentinel.”
AJ swallowed hard. Out of the frying pan into the fire? Is that how that one goes? The restaurant smells that seemed so pleasant mere minutes ago now threatened suffocate him. “What do you mean? I don’t understand. And who is this person you say … knows?”
Roger answered again. “Well … okay … there was this case we worked on. A terrorist group we were to either shut down, or take out completely. Now these guys were all world-class scum. One day, without warning, Sentinel just decided we were going in right then and there. But when we got there we were ambushed. Only one of us actually made it into the building. That someone was Sentinel. When we finally got through and into the house – everyone in it was dead. Very dead, if you catch my drift. And Sentinel just walked out of the door, with an unconscious young boy in his arms. That poor kid is still traumatized for the experience.”
“The boy is the person that … knows … that saw what he’s ‘capable of’?”
“Yeah. It’s Nick, the young man that does the odd jobs around here.”
