With a lot of effort, I've managed to put together chapter 6. Enjoy!!
LS
6
10 MINUTES LATER...
Levine woke up disorientated. He had no idea where he was or what had happened before. When he was fully conscious he started to remember what had happened through flashbacks.
"Help!" Levine shouted. For his bad luck, he could see through the wreckage that there were no people around to do so.
"I have to get out of here" he thought to himself as he touched his head. It hurt like hell. As he tried to get out, he remembered that Marcia was with him before the crash.
"Crawford! Crawford!" he yelled. There was no response. The flashback of the masked men crossed his head.
"Oh God. They got to her" he said to himself as he struggled to get out. Once he did, he took out his cell phone and tried to call 911. For his surprise the phone still worked and an operartor took the call.
"911. What's your emergency?" the operator asked.
"I was in a car accident. I need medical attention and, uh... the person I was with is gone"
"Where are you now, sir?"
"In, uh... Interstate. Outside D.C."
"Stay there, sir. Help is on the way" the operator said. Levine sat on a side on the road and took out a photo of Crawford that was in his pocket.
"Christ, I just hope you're okay"
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DANIELS WAREHOUSEALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Marcia felt like she just had woken up from a trance. Like Levine, she had no memory of what had happened earlier. She tried to open her eyes, but all she could see was black. Then she realized she was blindfolded and that her hands were firmly tied behind her back. But she could feel footsteps approaching.
"So I see someone is awake. Hello, agent Crawford" a voice said to her. The next thing she felt she felt was a gun cocked against her head.
"Who are you and what do you want with me?" she asked.
"Who an I?" the voice (O'Shea's) laughed. "You get paid to investigate that"
"I get paid to protect my country"
"Shut up!" he yelled. Marcia could felt the gun pressed harder against her head.
"Your people is becoming a problem. But even though they're after me, they've been so busy investigating these recent attacks they're not paying attention to the big picture and when they realize that, it'll be too late"
"So in theory, I'm just another diversion from your plans"
"Correct, my friend. And for that, I need that your people are out of my way. If they do as I say, you'll live. If they don't, you know what happens" O'Shea said. He took the gun away from her head. Marcia felt relieved.
"And you really think they're gonna comply? This country doesn't negotiate with terrorists" she said, willing to control the situation.
"They have no choice but to do it when I tell them what I have in exchange" O'Shea said. He then left the room as a guard kept an eye on Crawford.
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LANGLEY, VIRGINIACIA HEADQUATERS
Benson had just arrived to his office. His face showed anxiety and a growing fear that warned him that something was wrong. To confirm or finish off his suspicions, he called all the agents involved in the Forster case.
"Where are your superiors, gentlemen?" Benson asked. The fear of hearing the worst news grew with every second that passed.
"We don't know, sir. They're not in the office" Stu Mann said.
"Do any of you know if they arrived to the U.S. last night?"
"No, sir. The last time we saw them was in England" the agent replied. As Benson was about to dismiss them, Jen entered the room with a sense of urgency around her.
"Sorry to interrupt, sir. Sargent Lewis from the PD is on the phone. It's about Levine"
"Patch him through" he said and quickly grabbed the phone.
"This is Anthony Benson. Who am I speaking to?"
"I'm sargent Lewis, D.C. Police Department. I have a man named Stephen Levine who claims he works for you. Is that correct?"
"Yes. That's correct"
"We found him on the I-66. He claims he was in a car accident with another person. He says that person is gone"
"Let me speak to him" Benson told the sargent. He handled the phone to Levine, who was in the back of an ambulance with a paramedic.
"Your boss wants to speak with you" he said and went back to his RMP.
"Sir?" he said. Levine's voice was hoarse.
"Levine? Can you tell me what happened? Are you okay?" Benson asked with concern.
"I was driving from Dulles to my place. Crawford was with me. All of a sudden, somebody put his car in front of ours and we crashed. I saw that three men grabbed her. Next thing I know is that I'm in the middle of the wreckage and that she's gone"
"Are you sure she didn't ran away?"
"I'm sure, 'cause I called everyone I can think of. No one has seen or heard from her"
"OK. Tell the sarge to bring you here and we'll analyze the situation."
"Fine, sir. If you hear something, let me know" Levine said and gave the phone back to the sargent.
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"Sargent, I need a ride to Langley" Levine said once the check-up with the paramedic ended.
"Sure. Hop in" the sargent said. They both got on his RMP nd drove off. In the car, the sarge started to ask Levine questions about Marcia and the accident.
"So... what were you doing on the road at this time?"
"I was returning home from the airport. I was in London for a few days"
"And... do you believe your partner is in danger? I mean, is there anything we can do o help you?"
"I think so, 'cause we work for the CIA, so... go figure! Her, uh... her name is Marcia Crawford. She's on her mid 20s, brown hair, hazel eyes. I have a picture of her. Here" he said and took out the picture.
"She's cute. She doesn't look like a CIA agent" the sarge said. Levine was staring out the window.
"Son, we'll find her"
"It's just that... I've seen so much these days that i'm starting to believe that... the sake of this country is in my hands, and..." Stephen said and started to break down in silence.
"I can't say how you feel, because I don't. But I can tell you everything will be alright. You'll do your job and your partner will appear. You just have to have hope" Sargent Lewis said. After a moment of small talk and reflections about life, he dropped Levine a few blocks away from the headquaters. Stephen thanked him and started to walk. He wiped off his tears and prayed that Marcia was okay, and most importantly, alive.
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ONE HOUR LATER....LANGLEY, VIRGINIACIA HEADQUATERS
After a quick visit to the agency's medical wing and recieving all kinds of comments from fellow agents, Benson brought Levine to the situation room to openly talk about the accident.
"Asshole" Levine cursed under his breath. Fortunately, Benson didn't hear him.
"What do you think it happened?" Benson asked his subordinate while looking at him in the eye. Stephen didn't answer and this only made Benson more annoyed.
"Did you hear me? Or did the crash affect your cappacity to speak?" Benson replied angrily. Meanwhile, Levine had to bear whis his boss' anger.
"I think that all of this is connected" he said. Obviously, Levine's head was somewhere else.
"What makes you think that?!"
"When we were in England I assumed the car bomb was addressed to Crawford, because Fortster was dead when we got to..." as Levine was trying to explain his point, Benson interrupted him.
"Listen to me. That is not the point"
"What is the point, then?" Levine said, now confused. Suddenly, the phone rang. Benson picked it up.
"This is Benson"
"Hello Director Benson" a deep male voice said on the other end.
"Who am I speaking to?"
"That's the last of your worries. Are you missing something? Or should I say someone?"
"What do you want?"
"Relax. Agent Crawford is with me. If you want to see her again your people must desist any investigations regarding these recent attacks. You have 72 hours. I'll contact you with the details soon"
"Wait. How do I know you haven't killed her yet?" Benson asked. He was very agitated and scared.
"Sadly, you're gonna have to trust me" O'Shea said sarcastily and the call died. Benson looked at Levine's eyes and through that look Stephen understood what was happening.
"This is the situation: Someone just called in and demanded that we must halt our investigations in the next 72 hours or else he'll kill Crawford" Benson said. Desesperation could be felt in the air.
"I guess we're gonna have to get our hands dirty. Do you want me to assemble a team and brief them so that we can get to work?" Levine said, trying to pull out inner strengh out of nowhere.
"Do it" Benson said. Once Levine was gone, he grabbed a piece of paper from a drawer. A phone number was written in it.
"This better work out" he said to himself and dialed the number on the paper.
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DANIELS WAREHOUSEALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Dave Sanders was doing his afternoon guard in the warehouse. He had a serious expression on his face during the entire shift, and this made the other guards afraid of him. But nobody knew his secret: He was a CIA agent that for the past 2 1/2 years had been inflitrated inside the ELA. No one suspected of him, and this made his job easier. As he was opening a can of beer, his phone rang. After looking at the caller ID, he picked it up.
"Yeah?"
"Dave, it's Anthony Benson" he said. Sanders looked at the guard next to him.
"Joe, it's my girlfriend. Could you cover for me?" Sanders said in hopes of persuading the guy.
"Sure" Joe said. Dave moved to a hidden area.
"Sir. What's going on?"
"Where are you right now?"
"Alexandria, Virginia. Why?"
"Do you know if by any chance... there's a woman being held captive where you're at?"
"A woman?... Yes. Yes. I don't know why, but I've heard she's part of something big"
"Listen to me: That woman is one of my agents. I need you to get to her and do whatever you can to keep her alive"
"I'll try, sir. I've gotta go, or else my disappereance will raise suspicions" Sanders explained.
"We're counting on you" Benson said and hung up. At the warehouse, Dave came out of his hideout and returned to the room he was watching.
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When he returned to where he was in the begining, the first thing he realized was that nobody else was around. Good, he said to himself and approached the door. Once he was inside, he silently closed the door and approached Crawford. He put his hand over her mouth so that she couldn't scream.
"Shh. Relax. I'm not going to hurt you" he said. After she calmed down, he took out the hand.
"Who the hell are you?" Marcia asked without knowing who she was talking to. Her hands were now chained to a pipe and the blindfold was still over her eyes.
"My name's Dave Sanders. I'm a CIA agent, just like you"
"I don't believe you" she said at once.
"You don't have a choice. Please" he pleaded. After giving it a lot of thought, Marcia replied at him.
"Let's say this is some sort of parallel universe where I actually believe you. Why should I trust you?"
"I am the only one who can help you. But unfortunately I can't get you out. I would be exposed" he said inspiring a bit of confidence. Next thing he did was to take out his cell phone and call Benson.
"Sir, it's Dave Sanders. I found your agent. You're on with her" he said and put the phone to Marcia's ear.
"Hello?" she said, shakily.
"Crawford, it's Director Benson. I'm glad you're still alive" he said. The fear of hearing the worst news was quickly dismissed.
"Sir, it would really help me if somebody told me what's going on, where I'm at... That kind of stuff" she said, now letting her CIA agent instincts take over.
"Our best assumption so far is that you're being used by someone who wants to stall our investigations"
"Sir, before I forget. How's Levine?"
"He made it from the crash. He's now having lunch with your man"
"Just tell him you spoke to me and that I'm fine"
"I will. And remember: You can trust Sanders" Benson said. Sanders took the phone away and proceeded to walk out of the room when Marcia stopped him.
"Wait. I have a question"
"Shoot"
"If you're a CIA agent, how come our paths never crossed?" she asked.
"I've been there for almost 4 years, pal. 2 1/2 years ago Benson gave me this assignment, and as you can see I'm still here" he said and locked the door behind him.
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LING'S CHINESE PADWASHINGTON D.C.
Stephen and Marcia's soon-to-be ex-boyfriend gathered up to have lunch. They had spoken on the phone earlier and Levine had to make up a lie to explain Marcia's disappereance, but now it was time to come clean with that. He was already waiting in the table when Gavin (clad in a grey suit) showed up.
"Thanks for coming" Stephen said. Gavin didn't reply. For the next 20 minutes, there was a big silence that Gavin decided to break.
"Why didn't tell me over the phone that Marcia had gone away by herself?. I've been looking for her like crazy" Gavin said as both men ate.
"She made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone" Levine pleaded. Gavin looked him in the eye for a while and realized he was being lied to.
"I don't believe a word of what you're saying" Gavin said. Tension was rising on the air.
"What?!"
"I'm not stupid, Levine. I can read your face and I'm sensing you're hiding something" he said. Rage was now taking over Gavin.
"That's the truth" Levine pleaded.
"Cut the bullshit, man. Tell me what really happened!"
"Okay. You wanna know what happened? Here it goes: We were driving to MY place last night, and we were involved in a car accident. When I regained consciousness, she was gone. She was taken by some guys, and now her fate is uncertain. Is that what you wanted to hear?!" he yelled. Gavin's response was a punch in the face.
"Son of a bitch!!!! It's your fault, you lying asshole!" Gavin yelled as he kept on punching Levine. 2 men and the owner grabbed Gavin and led her outside.
"She was right about you, Gavin. You're an idiot and that's why Marcia wanted to break up" Levine said as other people helped hom to get on his feet again. Once he felt a bit better, he got on his car and drove himself back to work.
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LANGLEY, VIRGINIACIA HEADQUATERS
It's been already a little less than six hours since the lunch incident. Levine (now with a black eye) was at his desk, compiling information for Benson. He seemed lost and thoughtful because he felt his feelings for Marcia were violently changing. He looked at the clock. It was alost 9 PM. He was the only one in that area, and tireness was taking over him. But none of that mattered now. The intercom quickly brought him back to reality.
"Levine, bring your ass to the situation room" Benson said.
"The older he gets, the ruder he is with all of us" he said to himself. Once Levine got there, the first thing he saw was that his boss was sitting on one of the sides of the table. He was silent. Levine approached his boss, slowly.
"You... wanted to see me, sir?" he asked, not sure of what to expect. After all, Benson was unpredictable.
"Have a seat, son" he said. Now both men were facing each other.
"I have something to tell you. First: Does the name Dave Sanders mean anything to you?"
"Sanders was my partner before Crawford was hired"
"Okay. He's infiltrated inside the ELA. He knows where Crawford is at. I spoke to her. She's fine"
"Thank God. Where?"
"Somewhere in Alexandria. Tomorrow he'll call me with the exact location"
"Good. Has our man called?"
"No. I'll let you know when he does. Now go home and rest, son" Benson said. Levine went back to his desk, grabbed his things and walked out to the cold night. Meanwhile, Benson was alone in the room, and with the night illuminating him, he fixated his eyes on Marcia's file.
"You have just written your death sentence, Mister"
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THE NEXT DAY...DANIELS WAREHOUSEALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Sanders arrived early to 'work'. He was carrying multiple coffee cups for the guards. One of them recieved him on the front that looked like a mechanical shop.
"What's going on?" he asked. On the inside, he just prayed that his cover wasn't blown.
"The boss wants to see you" the guard said. He led Sanders to an 'office' where O'Shea was already waiting for him.
"Sit down"
"I'd rather stand"
"Fine by me" O'Shea replied.
"I have a job for you"
"Just say it, boss" Sanders replied.
"I need you to extract as much information as you can from the woman. You can use any means necessary"
"Yes, sir" Dave said and was escorted to the holding room. Once they were there, Sanders attacked the guard from behind, leaving him unconscious. Now that no one was around, Sanders opened the door.
"Hi... What happened to your face?" he said as he caught a glimpse of Crawford's face. It was full of bruises and swollen. Sanders got close to her and lifted the blindfold.
"You look like a punk, man" she said and giggled.
"Maybe your vision is a bit blurred. Here" he said and took out some food.
"Did you tell Benson where we are?" she replied while she chewed a sandwich.
"No. I'll tell him tonight. And you still haven't answered my question"
"Some guards came in and started to beat the shit outta me"
"You look like hell, pal... Can I ask you something? Is there anything you would like to come clean with? I mean, we both know there may not be a later"
"No. I just want to get out of here alive, and then... move on, I guess"
"Well. We still have today and tomorrow to make up some kind of plan"
"You know... I don't know how I'm going to thank you for everything you've done for me these past couple of days"
"Maybe we can go out together someday"
"When I get out of here, punk, I'll think about it" she replied.
"I gotta run... but I'll come in a bit, ok?" he said and put the blindfold over her eyes again. As he was getting out, he ran into O'Shea.
"Boss" he said in shock.
"Did she speak to you?"
"No. She's very stubborn"
"Well, she will have to talk to me, then. Open the door" he said. O'Shea entered and Sanders headed to his hideout in the back of the warehouse. From there he called Benson to inform him of the location.
"Sir, this is Dave Sanders. I got a location"
"I'm listening" he said.
"It's a place called Daniels Warehouse. It's located south of Alexandria, and it looks like a mechanical shop. Also..." Sanders' speech was interrupted when he heard a loud female scream coming from the room.
"Oh my God...Crawford" he said to himself.
"Sanders? Are you there?" Benson said. He had also heard the screams.
"Send people as fast as you can" he said and hung up. Sanders sat on the floor as desesperation was taking over him. He could hear the screams and was helpless. He grabbed a box from there and threw it into the ground as a sign of the growing rage inside of him.
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LANGLEY, VIRGINIACIA HEADQUATERS
Right after Sanders' call, Director Benson was in the situation room gathered with a few other agents, among them Levine.
"Gentlemen, time's running out and we have to do something before it gets worse"
"What are we gonna do? I mean, we have less than two days" Levine said.
"That's the thing: For those of you who don't know, and that's for most of you: I have an undercover agent named Dave Sanders. He just called in 5 minutes ago with the location. Stu Mann is coordinating with local police and FBI on site as we speak. Levine will leave to Alexandria to be the person in charge..." as he was explaining, the phone in the middle of the table started to ring. An agent pressed a button on a recorder and Benson put the call on speakerphone.
"Yes?"
"I can see you're very persistant, Director Benson"
"What do you want?" he replied in dislike as the rest of the agents listened in.
"You haven't fulfilled your task and we both know what's at stake here. So it's best for both of us if you desist. Tick tock..." O'Shea said and hung up. Benson looked at the agent with the recorder.
"Take that to the lab and let me know when you have a match" he said. The agent quickly walked out and Levine and the rest of the agents were dismissed.
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THAT NIGHT...THE GREEN'S IRISH PUBALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Sanders was in the middle of the bar holding a big glass of beer. He and Levine were supossed to meet there not only to have a good time, but to discuss the last arrangements for tomorrow's operation. As usual, Levine joined him in the table 25 minutes late.
"You're late, my friend" Sanders said.
"I've been driving all the way from Langley, so don't come give me a lecture on punctuality" Stephen said and laughed. Sanders told one of the waitresses to bring Levine some beer.
"So... did the old bastard brief you?"
"Yeah. Yeah. I just hope that we can capture that bastard AND save my partner. Speaking of her, how's she doing?"
"Not so good. I saw her this morning and she was in really bad shape. I really don't understand why all of this has to happen, do you?"
"No. Ultimately he knows we'll catch him. Let's go over the plan again2 Levine said.
"I'll go to the warehouse, just like everyday. You, accompanied by an FBI agent and 3 police officers will head to the so-called mechanical shop to repair the van. Once you're inside, and when they're off-guard, you will execute the plan. I will lead you to the man responsible for this and to Crawford. Are we clear?" Sanders explained as precisely as possible. Levine nodded as a sign of his response.
"Now go home and rest. Tomorrow's when the real fun begins" Sanders advised Levine.
"And you should do the same, man. And quit drinking. Beer may cloud your judgement" Levine said and headed for the door. Sanders leaves shortly after that.
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9:00 OF THE NEXT DAYDANIELS WAREHOUSEALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
"Let's do this" Levine told the rest through an earpiece. The black van rode through the streets of Alexandria until they reached the warehouse. Sanders was waiting for him outside.
"All right. Everyone knows what to do?" he said. A massive 'YES' was heard.
"Get in your positions, and good luck gentlemen" Sanders said and entered the warehouse. 5 minutes later, the van honked the horn outside. 2 men opened the door and one of the police officers got out of the car.
"Good morning. What can I do for you?"
"My car has been failing lately, and I would like you to take a look at it"
"Sure. Enter" the man said, unsuspecting of what was about to take place. The car was left in the middle as everyone constantly shared looks. It wasn't the time to act yet. Any mistake would endanger them and Marcia. As the men were 'repairing' the car, Levine made a hand gesture to indicate the time had come.
"Don't even try it, folks. This is a raid" one of the police officers yelled as guns were drawn from both sides. Shots were heard from O'Shea's place. He quickly grabbed all the important data and got out through a secret back door and said to himself that he would outsmart the americans over and over again until the day of the great end arrived. He drove south until there was no sight of him and no traces left behind.
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Meanwhile, back in the warehouse, a confrontation had taken place. Bodies were all over the room, mostly those were from low-level ELA members. But there was also the body of one of the officers. He couldn't escape from one of the bullets that were shot. He died instantly and now his partner was next to his body, mourning him. Sanders bursts into the room.
"What the hell happened here?" he said as he looked around.
"Doesn't matter. Lead me to Crawford. Fisher, search the rooms" Levine ordered. The FBI agent headed west and Levine and Sanders headed east.
"I called 911. Medical assistance is waiting outside" Sanders said and he opened the door and they found Marcia half passed out, half dead. He handled the keys of the chains to Levine and between the two of them got her out.
"I'll take her. Join Fisher and help him. I'll meet you outside" Sanders said and quickly left the room with Crawford in his arms.
"Goddamnit!!!!" Fisher yelled from the other side of the warehouse. Stephen ran in his direction.
"What?"
"I checked every goddamned room. They're all clear. The son of a bitch is gone!"
"How the hell did he got out?"
"No idea. Look, stay here and if you find something relevant, you know where to find me. I have to go with the ambulance" Levine said and ran out to the main entrance. He and Sanders hopped into the back of an ambulance that quickly sped off to an emergency center in DC
"Just hang on" both men said to an unconscious Marcia. They think it's over, but it's far from that...
TO BE CONTINUED...
M U S I C G U I D E
* "Alexis" by Sean Callery. Song when O'Shea plays with Marcia at the begining of the chapter.
* "One night in Tokyo" by Colder. Song playing in the warehouse when we see Sanders for the first time
* "Pride" by Syntax. Song playing on the restaurant when Stephen and Gavin are having lunch.
* "A Song for the Lovers" by Richard Ashcroft. Song playing on Stephen's laptop when he stays at night at Langley.
* "Who's that Kat?" by The Salads. Song playing on the warehouse when Sanders goes to work.
* "Old Town" by The Corrs. Song playing on the irish bar.
* "Colliseum Finale" by Sean Callery. Song of the shootout and O'Shea's escape.
* "Kim and Terri's escape from the Safehouse" by Sean Callery. Song when Sanders and Levine go to find (and find) Marcia.
LS
6
10 MINUTES LATER...
Levine woke up disorientated. He had no idea where he was or what had happened before. When he was fully conscious he started to remember what had happened through flashbacks.
"Help!" Levine shouted. For his bad luck, he could see through the wreckage that there were no people around to do so.
"I have to get out of here" he thought to himself as he touched his head. It hurt like hell. As he tried to get out, he remembered that Marcia was with him before the crash.
"Crawford! Crawford!" he yelled. There was no response. The flashback of the masked men crossed his head.
"Oh God. They got to her" he said to himself as he struggled to get out. Once he did, he took out his cell phone and tried to call 911. For his surprise the phone still worked and an operartor took the call.
"911. What's your emergency?" the operator asked.
"I was in a car accident. I need medical attention and, uh... the person I was with is gone"
"Where are you now, sir?"
"In, uh... Interstate. Outside D.C."
"Stay there, sir. Help is on the way" the operator said. Levine sat on a side on the road and took out a photo of Crawford that was in his pocket.
"Christ, I just hope you're okay"
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DANIELS WAREHOUSEALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Marcia felt like she just had woken up from a trance. Like Levine, she had no memory of what had happened earlier. She tried to open her eyes, but all she could see was black. Then she realized she was blindfolded and that her hands were firmly tied behind her back. But she could feel footsteps approaching.
"So I see someone is awake. Hello, agent Crawford" a voice said to her. The next thing she felt she felt was a gun cocked against her head.
"Who are you and what do you want with me?" she asked.
"Who an I?" the voice (O'Shea's) laughed. "You get paid to investigate that"
"I get paid to protect my country"
"Shut up!" he yelled. Marcia could felt the gun pressed harder against her head.
"Your people is becoming a problem. But even though they're after me, they've been so busy investigating these recent attacks they're not paying attention to the big picture and when they realize that, it'll be too late"
"So in theory, I'm just another diversion from your plans"
"Correct, my friend. And for that, I need that your people are out of my way. If they do as I say, you'll live. If they don't, you know what happens" O'Shea said. He took the gun away from her head. Marcia felt relieved.
"And you really think they're gonna comply? This country doesn't negotiate with terrorists" she said, willing to control the situation.
"They have no choice but to do it when I tell them what I have in exchange" O'Shea said. He then left the room as a guard kept an eye on Crawford.
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LANGLEY, VIRGINIACIA HEADQUATERS
Benson had just arrived to his office. His face showed anxiety and a growing fear that warned him that something was wrong. To confirm or finish off his suspicions, he called all the agents involved in the Forster case.
"Where are your superiors, gentlemen?" Benson asked. The fear of hearing the worst news grew with every second that passed.
"We don't know, sir. They're not in the office" Stu Mann said.
"Do any of you know if they arrived to the U.S. last night?"
"No, sir. The last time we saw them was in England" the agent replied. As Benson was about to dismiss them, Jen entered the room with a sense of urgency around her.
"Sorry to interrupt, sir. Sargent Lewis from the PD is on the phone. It's about Levine"
"Patch him through" he said and quickly grabbed the phone.
"This is Anthony Benson. Who am I speaking to?"
"I'm sargent Lewis, D.C. Police Department. I have a man named Stephen Levine who claims he works for you. Is that correct?"
"Yes. That's correct"
"We found him on the I-66. He claims he was in a car accident with another person. He says that person is gone"
"Let me speak to him" Benson told the sargent. He handled the phone to Levine, who was in the back of an ambulance with a paramedic.
"Your boss wants to speak with you" he said and went back to his RMP.
"Sir?" he said. Levine's voice was hoarse.
"Levine? Can you tell me what happened? Are you okay?" Benson asked with concern.
"I was driving from Dulles to my place. Crawford was with me. All of a sudden, somebody put his car in front of ours and we crashed. I saw that three men grabbed her. Next thing I know is that I'm in the middle of the wreckage and that she's gone"
"Are you sure she didn't ran away?"
"I'm sure, 'cause I called everyone I can think of. No one has seen or heard from her"
"OK. Tell the sarge to bring you here and we'll analyze the situation."
"Fine, sir. If you hear something, let me know" Levine said and gave the phone back to the sargent.
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"Sargent, I need a ride to Langley" Levine said once the check-up with the paramedic ended.
"Sure. Hop in" the sargent said. They both got on his RMP nd drove off. In the car, the sarge started to ask Levine questions about Marcia and the accident.
"So... what were you doing on the road at this time?"
"I was returning home from the airport. I was in London for a few days"
"And... do you believe your partner is in danger? I mean, is there anything we can do o help you?"
"I think so, 'cause we work for the CIA, so... go figure! Her, uh... her name is Marcia Crawford. She's on her mid 20s, brown hair, hazel eyes. I have a picture of her. Here" he said and took out the picture.
"She's cute. She doesn't look like a CIA agent" the sarge said. Levine was staring out the window.
"Son, we'll find her"
"It's just that... I've seen so much these days that i'm starting to believe that... the sake of this country is in my hands, and..." Stephen said and started to break down in silence.
"I can't say how you feel, because I don't. But I can tell you everything will be alright. You'll do your job and your partner will appear. You just have to have hope" Sargent Lewis said. After a moment of small talk and reflections about life, he dropped Levine a few blocks away from the headquaters. Stephen thanked him and started to walk. He wiped off his tears and prayed that Marcia was okay, and most importantly, alive.
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ONE HOUR LATER....LANGLEY, VIRGINIACIA HEADQUATERS
After a quick visit to the agency's medical wing and recieving all kinds of comments from fellow agents, Benson brought Levine to the situation room to openly talk about the accident.
"Asshole" Levine cursed under his breath. Fortunately, Benson didn't hear him.
"What do you think it happened?" Benson asked his subordinate while looking at him in the eye. Stephen didn't answer and this only made Benson more annoyed.
"Did you hear me? Or did the crash affect your cappacity to speak?" Benson replied angrily. Meanwhile, Levine had to bear whis his boss' anger.
"I think that all of this is connected" he said. Obviously, Levine's head was somewhere else.
"What makes you think that?!"
"When we were in England I assumed the car bomb was addressed to Crawford, because Fortster was dead when we got to..." as Levine was trying to explain his point, Benson interrupted him.
"Listen to me. That is not the point"
"What is the point, then?" Levine said, now confused. Suddenly, the phone rang. Benson picked it up.
"This is Benson"
"Hello Director Benson" a deep male voice said on the other end.
"Who am I speaking to?"
"That's the last of your worries. Are you missing something? Or should I say someone?"
"What do you want?"
"Relax. Agent Crawford is with me. If you want to see her again your people must desist any investigations regarding these recent attacks. You have 72 hours. I'll contact you with the details soon"
"Wait. How do I know you haven't killed her yet?" Benson asked. He was very agitated and scared.
"Sadly, you're gonna have to trust me" O'Shea said sarcastily and the call died. Benson looked at Levine's eyes and through that look Stephen understood what was happening.
"This is the situation: Someone just called in and demanded that we must halt our investigations in the next 72 hours or else he'll kill Crawford" Benson said. Desesperation could be felt in the air.
"I guess we're gonna have to get our hands dirty. Do you want me to assemble a team and brief them so that we can get to work?" Levine said, trying to pull out inner strengh out of nowhere.
"Do it" Benson said. Once Levine was gone, he grabbed a piece of paper from a drawer. A phone number was written in it.
"This better work out" he said to himself and dialed the number on the paper.
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DANIELS WAREHOUSEALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Dave Sanders was doing his afternoon guard in the warehouse. He had a serious expression on his face during the entire shift, and this made the other guards afraid of him. But nobody knew his secret: He was a CIA agent that for the past 2 1/2 years had been inflitrated inside the ELA. No one suspected of him, and this made his job easier. As he was opening a can of beer, his phone rang. After looking at the caller ID, he picked it up.
"Yeah?"
"Dave, it's Anthony Benson" he said. Sanders looked at the guard next to him.
"Joe, it's my girlfriend. Could you cover for me?" Sanders said in hopes of persuading the guy.
"Sure" Joe said. Dave moved to a hidden area.
"Sir. What's going on?"
"Where are you right now?"
"Alexandria, Virginia. Why?"
"Do you know if by any chance... there's a woman being held captive where you're at?"
"A woman?... Yes. Yes. I don't know why, but I've heard she's part of something big"
"Listen to me: That woman is one of my agents. I need you to get to her and do whatever you can to keep her alive"
"I'll try, sir. I've gotta go, or else my disappereance will raise suspicions" Sanders explained.
"We're counting on you" Benson said and hung up. At the warehouse, Dave came out of his hideout and returned to the room he was watching.
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When he returned to where he was in the begining, the first thing he realized was that nobody else was around. Good, he said to himself and approached the door. Once he was inside, he silently closed the door and approached Crawford. He put his hand over her mouth so that she couldn't scream.
"Shh. Relax. I'm not going to hurt you" he said. After she calmed down, he took out the hand.
"Who the hell are you?" Marcia asked without knowing who she was talking to. Her hands were now chained to a pipe and the blindfold was still over her eyes.
"My name's Dave Sanders. I'm a CIA agent, just like you"
"I don't believe you" she said at once.
"You don't have a choice. Please" he pleaded. After giving it a lot of thought, Marcia replied at him.
"Let's say this is some sort of parallel universe where I actually believe you. Why should I trust you?"
"I am the only one who can help you. But unfortunately I can't get you out. I would be exposed" he said inspiring a bit of confidence. Next thing he did was to take out his cell phone and call Benson.
"Sir, it's Dave Sanders. I found your agent. You're on with her" he said and put the phone to Marcia's ear.
"Hello?" she said, shakily.
"Crawford, it's Director Benson. I'm glad you're still alive" he said. The fear of hearing the worst news was quickly dismissed.
"Sir, it would really help me if somebody told me what's going on, where I'm at... That kind of stuff" she said, now letting her CIA agent instincts take over.
"Our best assumption so far is that you're being used by someone who wants to stall our investigations"
"Sir, before I forget. How's Levine?"
"He made it from the crash. He's now having lunch with your man"
"Just tell him you spoke to me and that I'm fine"
"I will. And remember: You can trust Sanders" Benson said. Sanders took the phone away and proceeded to walk out of the room when Marcia stopped him.
"Wait. I have a question"
"Shoot"
"If you're a CIA agent, how come our paths never crossed?" she asked.
"I've been there for almost 4 years, pal. 2 1/2 years ago Benson gave me this assignment, and as you can see I'm still here" he said and locked the door behind him.
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LING'S CHINESE PADWASHINGTON D.C.
Stephen and Marcia's soon-to-be ex-boyfriend gathered up to have lunch. They had spoken on the phone earlier and Levine had to make up a lie to explain Marcia's disappereance, but now it was time to come clean with that. He was already waiting in the table when Gavin (clad in a grey suit) showed up.
"Thanks for coming" Stephen said. Gavin didn't reply. For the next 20 minutes, there was a big silence that Gavin decided to break.
"Why didn't tell me over the phone that Marcia had gone away by herself?. I've been looking for her like crazy" Gavin said as both men ate.
"She made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone" Levine pleaded. Gavin looked him in the eye for a while and realized he was being lied to.
"I don't believe a word of what you're saying" Gavin said. Tension was rising on the air.
"What?!"
"I'm not stupid, Levine. I can read your face and I'm sensing you're hiding something" he said. Rage was now taking over Gavin.
"That's the truth" Levine pleaded.
"Cut the bullshit, man. Tell me what really happened!"
"Okay. You wanna know what happened? Here it goes: We were driving to MY place last night, and we were involved in a car accident. When I regained consciousness, she was gone. She was taken by some guys, and now her fate is uncertain. Is that what you wanted to hear?!" he yelled. Gavin's response was a punch in the face.
"Son of a bitch!!!! It's your fault, you lying asshole!" Gavin yelled as he kept on punching Levine. 2 men and the owner grabbed Gavin and led her outside.
"She was right about you, Gavin. You're an idiot and that's why Marcia wanted to break up" Levine said as other people helped hom to get on his feet again. Once he felt a bit better, he got on his car and drove himself back to work.
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LANGLEY, VIRGINIACIA HEADQUATERS
It's been already a little less than six hours since the lunch incident. Levine (now with a black eye) was at his desk, compiling information for Benson. He seemed lost and thoughtful because he felt his feelings for Marcia were violently changing. He looked at the clock. It was alost 9 PM. He was the only one in that area, and tireness was taking over him. But none of that mattered now. The intercom quickly brought him back to reality.
"Levine, bring your ass to the situation room" Benson said.
"The older he gets, the ruder he is with all of us" he said to himself. Once Levine got there, the first thing he saw was that his boss was sitting on one of the sides of the table. He was silent. Levine approached his boss, slowly.
"You... wanted to see me, sir?" he asked, not sure of what to expect. After all, Benson was unpredictable.
"Have a seat, son" he said. Now both men were facing each other.
"I have something to tell you. First: Does the name Dave Sanders mean anything to you?"
"Sanders was my partner before Crawford was hired"
"Okay. He's infiltrated inside the ELA. He knows where Crawford is at. I spoke to her. She's fine"
"Thank God. Where?"
"Somewhere in Alexandria. Tomorrow he'll call me with the exact location"
"Good. Has our man called?"
"No. I'll let you know when he does. Now go home and rest, son" Benson said. Levine went back to his desk, grabbed his things and walked out to the cold night. Meanwhile, Benson was alone in the room, and with the night illuminating him, he fixated his eyes on Marcia's file.
"You have just written your death sentence, Mister"
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THE NEXT DAY...DANIELS WAREHOUSEALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Sanders arrived early to 'work'. He was carrying multiple coffee cups for the guards. One of them recieved him on the front that looked like a mechanical shop.
"What's going on?" he asked. On the inside, he just prayed that his cover wasn't blown.
"The boss wants to see you" the guard said. He led Sanders to an 'office' where O'Shea was already waiting for him.
"Sit down"
"I'd rather stand"
"Fine by me" O'Shea replied.
"I have a job for you"
"Just say it, boss" Sanders replied.
"I need you to extract as much information as you can from the woman. You can use any means necessary"
"Yes, sir" Dave said and was escorted to the holding room. Once they were there, Sanders attacked the guard from behind, leaving him unconscious. Now that no one was around, Sanders opened the door.
"Hi... What happened to your face?" he said as he caught a glimpse of Crawford's face. It was full of bruises and swollen. Sanders got close to her and lifted the blindfold.
"You look like a punk, man" she said and giggled.
"Maybe your vision is a bit blurred. Here" he said and took out some food.
"Did you tell Benson where we are?" she replied while she chewed a sandwich.
"No. I'll tell him tonight. And you still haven't answered my question"
"Some guards came in and started to beat the shit outta me"
"You look like hell, pal... Can I ask you something? Is there anything you would like to come clean with? I mean, we both know there may not be a later"
"No. I just want to get out of here alive, and then... move on, I guess"
"Well. We still have today and tomorrow to make up some kind of plan"
"You know... I don't know how I'm going to thank you for everything you've done for me these past couple of days"
"Maybe we can go out together someday"
"When I get out of here, punk, I'll think about it" she replied.
"I gotta run... but I'll come in a bit, ok?" he said and put the blindfold over her eyes again. As he was getting out, he ran into O'Shea.
"Boss" he said in shock.
"Did she speak to you?"
"No. She's very stubborn"
"Well, she will have to talk to me, then. Open the door" he said. O'Shea entered and Sanders headed to his hideout in the back of the warehouse. From there he called Benson to inform him of the location.
"Sir, this is Dave Sanders. I got a location"
"I'm listening" he said.
"It's a place called Daniels Warehouse. It's located south of Alexandria, and it looks like a mechanical shop. Also..." Sanders' speech was interrupted when he heard a loud female scream coming from the room.
"Oh my God...Crawford" he said to himself.
"Sanders? Are you there?" Benson said. He had also heard the screams.
"Send people as fast as you can" he said and hung up. Sanders sat on the floor as desesperation was taking over him. He could hear the screams and was helpless. He grabbed a box from there and threw it into the ground as a sign of the growing rage inside of him.
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LANGLEY, VIRGINIACIA HEADQUATERS
Right after Sanders' call, Director Benson was in the situation room gathered with a few other agents, among them Levine.
"Gentlemen, time's running out and we have to do something before it gets worse"
"What are we gonna do? I mean, we have less than two days" Levine said.
"That's the thing: For those of you who don't know, and that's for most of you: I have an undercover agent named Dave Sanders. He just called in 5 minutes ago with the location. Stu Mann is coordinating with local police and FBI on site as we speak. Levine will leave to Alexandria to be the person in charge..." as he was explaining, the phone in the middle of the table started to ring. An agent pressed a button on a recorder and Benson put the call on speakerphone.
"Yes?"
"I can see you're very persistant, Director Benson"
"What do you want?" he replied in dislike as the rest of the agents listened in.
"You haven't fulfilled your task and we both know what's at stake here. So it's best for both of us if you desist. Tick tock..." O'Shea said and hung up. Benson looked at the agent with the recorder.
"Take that to the lab and let me know when you have a match" he said. The agent quickly walked out and Levine and the rest of the agents were dismissed.
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THAT NIGHT...THE GREEN'S IRISH PUBALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Sanders was in the middle of the bar holding a big glass of beer. He and Levine were supossed to meet there not only to have a good time, but to discuss the last arrangements for tomorrow's operation. As usual, Levine joined him in the table 25 minutes late.
"You're late, my friend" Sanders said.
"I've been driving all the way from Langley, so don't come give me a lecture on punctuality" Stephen said and laughed. Sanders told one of the waitresses to bring Levine some beer.
"So... did the old bastard brief you?"
"Yeah. Yeah. I just hope that we can capture that bastard AND save my partner. Speaking of her, how's she doing?"
"Not so good. I saw her this morning and she was in really bad shape. I really don't understand why all of this has to happen, do you?"
"No. Ultimately he knows we'll catch him. Let's go over the plan again2 Levine said.
"I'll go to the warehouse, just like everyday. You, accompanied by an FBI agent and 3 police officers will head to the so-called mechanical shop to repair the van. Once you're inside, and when they're off-guard, you will execute the plan. I will lead you to the man responsible for this and to Crawford. Are we clear?" Sanders explained as precisely as possible. Levine nodded as a sign of his response.
"Now go home and rest. Tomorrow's when the real fun begins" Sanders advised Levine.
"And you should do the same, man. And quit drinking. Beer may cloud your judgement" Levine said and headed for the door. Sanders leaves shortly after that.
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9:00 OF THE NEXT DAYDANIELS WAREHOUSEALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
"Let's do this" Levine told the rest through an earpiece. The black van rode through the streets of Alexandria until they reached the warehouse. Sanders was waiting for him outside.
"All right. Everyone knows what to do?" he said. A massive 'YES' was heard.
"Get in your positions, and good luck gentlemen" Sanders said and entered the warehouse. 5 minutes later, the van honked the horn outside. 2 men opened the door and one of the police officers got out of the car.
"Good morning. What can I do for you?"
"My car has been failing lately, and I would like you to take a look at it"
"Sure. Enter" the man said, unsuspecting of what was about to take place. The car was left in the middle as everyone constantly shared looks. It wasn't the time to act yet. Any mistake would endanger them and Marcia. As the men were 'repairing' the car, Levine made a hand gesture to indicate the time had come.
"Don't even try it, folks. This is a raid" one of the police officers yelled as guns were drawn from both sides. Shots were heard from O'Shea's place. He quickly grabbed all the important data and got out through a secret back door and said to himself that he would outsmart the americans over and over again until the day of the great end arrived. He drove south until there was no sight of him and no traces left behind.
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Meanwhile, back in the warehouse, a confrontation had taken place. Bodies were all over the room, mostly those were from low-level ELA members. But there was also the body of one of the officers. He couldn't escape from one of the bullets that were shot. He died instantly and now his partner was next to his body, mourning him. Sanders bursts into the room.
"What the hell happened here?" he said as he looked around.
"Doesn't matter. Lead me to Crawford. Fisher, search the rooms" Levine ordered. The FBI agent headed west and Levine and Sanders headed east.
"I called 911. Medical assistance is waiting outside" Sanders said and he opened the door and they found Marcia half passed out, half dead. He handled the keys of the chains to Levine and between the two of them got her out.
"I'll take her. Join Fisher and help him. I'll meet you outside" Sanders said and quickly left the room with Crawford in his arms.
"Goddamnit!!!!" Fisher yelled from the other side of the warehouse. Stephen ran in his direction.
"What?"
"I checked every goddamned room. They're all clear. The son of a bitch is gone!"
"How the hell did he got out?"
"No idea. Look, stay here and if you find something relevant, you know where to find me. I have to go with the ambulance" Levine said and ran out to the main entrance. He and Sanders hopped into the back of an ambulance that quickly sped off to an emergency center in DC
"Just hang on" both men said to an unconscious Marcia. They think it's over, but it's far from that...
TO BE CONTINUED...
M U S I C G U I D E
* "Alexis" by Sean Callery. Song when O'Shea plays with Marcia at the begining of the chapter.
* "One night in Tokyo" by Colder. Song playing in the warehouse when we see Sanders for the first time
* "Pride" by Syntax. Song playing on the restaurant when Stephen and Gavin are having lunch.
* "A Song for the Lovers" by Richard Ashcroft. Song playing on Stephen's laptop when he stays at night at Langley.
* "Who's that Kat?" by The Salads. Song playing on the warehouse when Sanders goes to work.
* "Old Town" by The Corrs. Song playing on the irish bar.
* "Colliseum Finale" by Sean Callery. Song of the shootout and O'Shea's escape.
* "Kim and Terri's escape from the Safehouse" by Sean Callery. Song when Sanders and Levine go to find (and find) Marcia.
posted by Nicodrina at 8:48 AM
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