{"id":1173,"date":"2022-02-21T15:31:09","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T21:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=1173"},"modified":"2022-02-21T15:33:24","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T21:33:24","slug":"part2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode13\/part2\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 13: \u00a0A Lost Odyssey<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 2<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Humming to himself, Nick headed down the hall towards the elevator. The meeting wasn\u2019t in the normal location. This one was on the lower restricted levels where access was only given to those of 00-rank. That was the other reason he\u2019d wanted to make sure he made this meeting on time, though he couldn\u2019t say so to Brian. Not that he didn\u2019t trust him.<\/p>\n

He pushed the button and stepped inside. If anything, he probably trusted Brian and Opal more than anyone else outside of the agency. But with recent events, there were just things that couldn\u2019t be said to just anyone. And that included his shadow agent as well — the message had specifically said not<\/em> to bring his trainee.<\/p>\n

Nick felt kind of bad about it. Because as crazy as Styx drove him, he also saw so much damn potential. Not to mention, to be trusted with a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 after everything that had happened, hiatus and all\u2026 well, it meant a lot. The elevator dinged again, a soft voice announcing the floor level.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want my body, and you think I\u2019m sexy\u2026 come on, sugar, tell me so\u2026\u201d<\/em> Nick would never say so, but he was nervous about this meeting, too. Most people at HimTak didn\u2019t realize this, but his singing wasn\u2019t just a way to amuse himself. It wasn\u2019t always because he got distracted (though it sometimes was). It was his way of coping with nerves. A way to mellow himself out with something he loved: music.<\/p>\n

A retinal scan and fingerprint pad later, he walked into the meeting room. He was, as usual, the last to arrive. But at least he was on time. \u201cIf you really need me, just reach out and touch me. Come on, honey, tell me so\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Diamond immediately looked up with a flirty grin. \u201cYou know I will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emerald just rolled her eyes. \u201cThe jukebox has finally arrived, I see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Canada deport you, Avril?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl chuckled from where she stood beside K, which caught Nick\u2019s attention more than Emerald\u2019s biting reply. \u201cPearly! Where were you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHelping K set up for the meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pouted. \u201cI was waiting in your lab for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, but you survived.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay was checking his phone, possibly going through notes though Nick wasn\u2019t too sure. \u201cAnd no weapons for him to set off,\u201d he added with a chuckle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, he\u2019s<\/em> why no one\u2019s allowed in her lab anymore?\u201d Vitruvian asked. He snorted. \u201cOf course he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not why.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides, I\u2019m<\/em> still allowed, so ha!\u201d<\/p>\n

K cleared his throat. Rather than continue, Nick plopped into a chair next to Diamond. Resisting the urge to pull her into his lap was a struggle, but he did since the tone of the meeting was a serious one. No need to piss off his boss this early into it. He could save that for later. He did give her a smirk and mouthed, \u201cMeet me later?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Diamond just smiled. He could feel the glare coming from Leo across the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake that, Di-Crapio.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re all finished\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick nodded, at least trying to look focused. He was really curious about what the meeting would involve, though he could venture a guess. Since the discovery of missing security footage and items stolen from Pearl\u2019s lab, K had kept the breach at HimTak hush-hush. To lower ranks and more casual staff, he had played it off as a drill — something they admittedly hadn\u2019t done in some time. Most people bought it. Access to Pearl\u2019s laboratory had suddenly become restricted. As far as Nick could tell, only himself, Jay, and K could access the room without her. Jay and K were obvious choices, of course. Nick was only slightly surprised that he\u2019d been able to pass the scans earlier.<\/p>\n

Amidst all the playful jokes and the flirting, Pearl was quite possibly his best friend within the agency, and he knew she saw him the same way. (Though if she ever saw him as more, he\u2019d probably do the longest happy dance known to man. He always wanted what he couldn\u2019t have.) She trusted him the way she trusted few others. Not that she didn\u2019t trust Diamond or Red, who also might still have access, for all he knew. Red probably did, actually. It would make the most sense. All the \u201cCarter Girls,\u201d as he called them to himself, had a solid bond. He would usually see the three of them catching up on downtime whenever they actually had it.<\/p>\n

He needed to schedule some Red Time, too, now that he thought about it…<\/p>\n

\u201cFor now, I\u2019m limiting missions. Between that bomb implantation upon myself and the latest hack, we don\u2019t want to make ourselves more vulnerable until we seek out the mole we seem to have within our agency.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shitballs, did I just tune out K\u2019s whole talk?!<\/em> He nodded like he\u2019d been paying attention this entire time. Fuck. Hope he didn\u2019t notice.<\/em><\/p>\n

Vitruvian raised his hand once K finally paused. \u201cNo disrespect, Pearl\u2026 K\u2026 but how do we know it was a mole and not someone who was able to get past the security system?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl\u2019s usually kind blue eyes narrowed. \u201cBecause they\u2019d have left a coding trail for me to track, first of all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay snickered, unable to hold it in. \u201cI warned you not to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSecond of all, with the way that I programmed our current security, the only way for a breach of this level to be possible would be for them to do it at the control station. That means they would\u2019ve had to have had access to it to try and get in. I suspect they had a USB drive with a virus to bring down a few walls long enough to disable it before the system detected it and kicked them out, which it did. There\u2019s only been one hacking attempt that got anywhere\u2026 about a year ago.\u201d She shared a glance with K. \u201cAnd trust me, they didn\u2019t get very far at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, in geek speak, it was an inside job, and she\u2019s pissed you tried to say otherwise,\u201d Emerald said with a smirk.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, well\u2026\u201d K looked around at everyone in the room. \u201cExpect your workload to increase despite us prioritizing only high-level missions. As for now, all agents lower than 00-rank will be grounded. Grasshopper is meeting with them now to inform them that, going forward, we\u2019ll hold back from giving them missions until they\u2019ve received \u2018new training\u2019 under his guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo wonder he\u2019s not in here giving us confusing wisdom\u2026\u201d Diamond mused, putting away her phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a good cover as well,\u201d Jay added. \u201cWe\u2019ll keep them training and working on becoming better agents while we snuff out the asshole who thought he or she wouldn\u2019t be found.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there is a mole,\u201d Leo muttered, still looking a tad perturbed that his thought hadn\u2019t been considered more seriously.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is,\u201d Pearl fired back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about Styx?\u201d Nick finally asked once everyone settled down again. Though seeing Pearl pissed off at 009 definitely amused his soul. Any other time, he\u2019d probably be rubbing it in. In fact, he planned to later.<\/p>\n

K shook his head. \u201cI know he was your shadow, Carter, but for now, we can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we can trust him; I know we can. Please–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d It was one word, but the heavy tone and intense green-eyed stare said a lot more than words ever could.<\/p>\n

Still, Nick felt like he had failed his prot\u00e9g\u00e9.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, if there are no other questions, you\u2019re dismissed. Remember, none of this leaves this room. With our security being threatened at this level, our circle of trust has to get smaller.\u201d<\/p>\n

For someone who felt like he\u2019d found a second family within Himitsu Takana, which had always been the case for Nick, this fact bothered him. But, unlike Leo, he knew and trusted the fact that no one would have been able to achieve such a breach from the outside. So if that was true, then someone was betraying them. Had already betrayed him. It felt like a sick deja vu, another Drums all over again. And why had that happened? Because Nick had failed his partner. He didn\u2019t know the reasons someone had stabbed them all in the back this time, but he wanted to. He wanted to understand, to know why. That was all he wanted: for someone to tell him why<\/em>.<\/p>\n

For now, however, he\u2019d shove those thoughts aside.<\/p>\n

He owed Brian a phone call, after all.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The next few days at the Himitsu Takana headquarters reminded Nick of his days on hiatus, only eerier. He was used to being grounded, and it made sense that the lower-ranked agents were also grounded. What was unusual was that while K had said everyone\u2019s workload would increase, it hadn\u2019t; seeing everyone else grounded was just\u2026 odd. At first, Nick bounced from employee to employee like an excited kangaroo — a little time with Pearl here (though she was too distracted by her lab to be any real fun), a little time with Red there, a little time with Diamond everywhere. He even made some time for K, Jay, Emerald, Lancy, Styx, and even Vitruvian and Grasshopper (though he suspected some of them enjoyed that time more than others). Only the elusive 007 managed to avoid spending any quality time together.<\/p>\n

But by the second day, Nick shortened his visits to only the people who accepted (and deserved) his distractions. And today, only Diamond and Lancy wanted any kind of company; Di was probably just as bored as he was, and Lancy had said, \u201cThis is the most exciting thing that could happen on a Thursday!!!\u201d Admittedly, Nick wasn\u2019t quite sure why he\u2019d mentioned Thursday in particular. Did more exciting things happen for Lancy on other days of the week? Just what did Lancy do all day when Nick was gone or focused on his domino train? If this kept up, he\u2019d have some time to figure it out. But for the moment, Nick had hidden himself in his dorm.<\/p>\n

After kicking off his lime green sneakers and flopping back on his bed, Nick crossed his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. A small part of him worried that if he only focused on his antics, he\u2019d slip back into old habits… and a lot had happened since then. Mr. Roboto. Drums. Moonwalking penguins. Playboy Carter Girls. Disney World. Pirates. FANthrax. Lancy\u2019s Olympics. Worldwide Leo-nerdo. K\u2019s bomb. The breach.<\/p>\n

Replaying all of those things in his mind made them sound less serious than reality. But he had to get more serious. So he sat up, pulled a sketchpad from beside his bed, and began to draw. While singing helped him calm his nerves, drawing helped him think. Helped him think about things that happened, things he wished happened, things he would have done differently. And as focused as he was on the events since his hiatus, those were the things he drew. A comic about a suave agent who stood on the edge of each disaster and kept the world running like clockwork from the shadows. The kind of agent he really wanted to be.<\/p>\n

This would make a great TV show,<\/em> he thought to himself. And as he began to think of his comic as a show, his mind began to turn as he worked, piecing together the perfect melody to accompany his art. Eventually, engrossed in his work, he started singing out loud to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cA star shining brightly, a diamond, a ruby,<\/em>
\na treasure to find brings a smile to my face.<\/em>
\nShake off all your troubles; they roll right off your back,<\/em>
\njust like an old stray dog when he\u2019s caught in the rain.<\/em>
\nAnd I know that someday we\u2019ll find what we\u2019re looking for,<\/em>
\na new you, a new me, a new start.<\/em>
\nI won\u2019t stop moving forward, feel the strength that truth brings.<\/em>
\nThe love we spread shines like a jewel within our hearts\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

As he brushed away some stray eraser crumbs from his paper, he laughed at the thought that this hypothetical theme song sounded more like Grasshopper wisdom than things he would actually say. But before he could refocus on his work, \u201cMambo No. 5\u201d blared through his thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrian has perfect timing,\u201d he grumbled. But as he picked up his phone, he began to frown, feeling guilty as he thought of their last few conversations. Brian had been going through a lot, and he probably just needed someone to talk to. Secretly, Nick was happy Brian decided he was that person, but he\u2019d never say it to his face. Instead, he greeted Brian with \u201cGot a BBQ stain on your white tee shirt?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n

That wasn\u2019t Brian\u2019s drawl! That was Opal! He hadn\u2019t heard from her since before Brian called him about their fight; it was good to hear her voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello? Nick?\u201d Her voice shook as she spoke.<\/p>\n

Nick frowned, wrinkling his nose as his surprise became concern. \u201cOpal? What\u2019s going on? Are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cO–\u201d<\/p>\n

A piercing sound interrupted him.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpal?\u201d<\/p>\n

A sharp, loud crack that decayed into silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpal!\u201d<\/p>\n

Even a rookie would recognize it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOPAL!\u201d<\/p>\n

A gunshot.<\/p>\n

\u201cOPAL!!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The familiar tap of keyboard keys surrounded Brian as he worked in his office at CIA headquarters. Though he portrayed himself as a typical upstanding member of the Central Intelligence Agency, he liked to fill his office with pops of personality, such as the Star Wars poster hidden behind the door and the framed University of Kentucky basketball jersey on the wall. Meanwhile, he kept his desk fairly work-focused except for two personal items. The first was one of those cutesy wooden block signs with sayings. Ashavari had painted a cross on it and written one of his favorite verses from the Bible, Philippians 4:13: \u201cI can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.\u201d<\/em> The second was a framed photograph of him and Ashavari.<\/p>\n

Brian paused his research, picking up the photograph. Ashavari continued to stand firm in her decision to leave the CIA. The day after their first fight, she\u2019d started clearing out her desk — a reminder that they no longer saw eye-to-eye on the organization that had brought them together. That twisted Brian\u2019s stomach into knots, but he wasn\u2019t quite sure if that was a deal-breaker yet. After all, they had plenty of history together since then that had nothing to do with their work at the CIA. They couldn\u2019t discuss it now anyway. She had left a note on their fridge\u2019s grocery store list a few days ago: \u201cI\u2019m going to stay with my sister for a couple of days so I can think. I love you. See you soon.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

As he ran his hand along the frame, the iPod that Pearl gave him with the untraceable connection blared \u201cMambo No. 5.\u201d Brian chuckled, hardly surprised that the contact list would play the songs if the person called. He\u2019d also had several conversations with Nick since Ashavari\u2019s announcement that also hadn\u2019t gone well, since Nick was firmly supportive of her recent \u201canti-government\u201d stance.<\/p>\n

For that reason, Brian decided to tease Nick with similar tactics, answering the call by loudly singing, \u201cYou, you-you are, you, you-you are\u2026 Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBrian!\u201d Nick shouted.<\/p>\n

A lump rose in Brian\u2019s throat at Nick\u2019s serious tone, and he set the picture frame back on the desk. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOpal called me\u2026\u201d The fact that Nick trailed off was equally concerning.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d Brian pressed his lips into a thin line.<\/p>\n

\u201c…and I heard a gunshot on the other end of the line. I traced the signal to your house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGotta go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cB–\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Nick could finish, Brian hurriedly ended the call and logged out of the system. For a moment, he worried that maybe Ashavari hadn\u2019t called him because she was still angry about his insistence that the CIA wasn\u2019t at fault for everything that happened. Just as quickly, he brushed the thought out of his mind and shut down his computer. If something had happened, time was of the essence.<\/p>\n

After locking his office, Brian raced through the halls of CIA headquarters, pushing past anyone in his way. As he sprinted, thoughts of Ashavari slowly bleeding to death in their home buzzed around his mind. She should have called him! Regardless of what had been said between them, he would always come as soon as she asked. Especially in a life or death situation.<\/p>\n

Driving back to his home was equally blurry. Brian didn\u2019t even glance at the speedometer, knowing full well he broke several speed limits. He almost certainly ran several red lights as well, but selfishly decided he could get away with it by flashing his CIA badge — a move he normally avoided using.<\/p>\n

Once he reached their home, he slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop in the driveway, and yanked the keys from the ignition. Catching sight of the ajar front door, he sprinted toward the steps, leaving the car door open behind him.<\/p>\n

Inside, the home was eerily silent. Oddly, everything of clear value remained in its proper place; perhaps the robbers were still inside. Brian grabbed an umbrella from a coat rack beside the door, brandishing it like a sword, and began walking around their home.<\/p>\n

In the living room, glass crunched beneath his shoes from a broken vase and broken picture frames. CDs and DVDs were scattered across the carpet. The pillows from the couch lay on the floor as though they had been tossed.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the kitchen was a warzone. Broken dishes covered the floor and the cabinets hung open. Ashavari\u2019s favorite fruit bowl had been overturned; its contents rested haphazardly on the counter and floor. The back door remained shut.<\/p>\n

The home office they shared mimicked the living room. Brian grimaced at the shattered and mangled frame for his crumpled diploma. At least until he noticed that Ashavari\u2019s laptop was missing from its usual perch on her desk. His stomach churned; finally, something of value. After setting the umbrella on his desk, he kneeled beside it and pulled open the large bottom drawer, unearthing a 9mm Glock from beneath a false bottom. Now that he had proof that something was stolen, he had to be ready for whoever was inside.<\/p>\n

After rounding the corner back to the living room, Brian crept up the stairs toward the second floor. Immediate unease swept over him at the sight of their open bedroom door. Brian swallowed away the gnawing feeling in his stomach and flipped off the gun\u2019s safety. Rather than running into the room, he crept toward it, holding his wrist to steady his shaking hand and prevent a misfire.<\/p>\n

Inside the room, Ashavari lay sprawled on the bed with her hand clutched around the opal necklace Pearl had gifted her. Brian\u2019s heart clenched, and he almost dropped his weapon; she wasn\u2019t careless enough to sleep with the doors wide open. Thankfully, he caught himself and reset the safety on the gun before placing it on the dresser, then rushed to her bedside, ignoring the realization that the robbers Ashie had worked so hard to fend off could still be inside.<\/p>\n

When he reached her, he collapsed beside the bed. Though tears streamed down his cheeks and his heart yearned to scream out her name, his mouth couldn\u2019t form sentences as his sadness mingled with his boiling rage. Only a trickle of dried blood seeped from the clean bullet hole just above her eyebrows, the sign of a marksman that couldn\u2019t be any ordinary robber. Coupled with her missing laptop, the evidence was clear. Ashavari had been correct. This was a government hit.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 3<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 13: \u00a0A Lost Odyssey Part 2   Humming to himself, Nick headed down the hall towards the elevator. The meeting wasn\u2019t in the normal location. This one was on the lower restricted levels where access was only given to those of 00-rank. That was the other reason he\u2019d wanted\u2026<\/p>\n

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