{"id":1180,"date":"2022-02-28T17:19:25","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T23:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=1180"},"modified":"2022-02-28T17:19:25","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T23:19:25","slug":"part3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode13\/part3\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Part 3<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAshes to ashes, dust to dust\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

It was raining that Sunday afternoon, but Dr. Rough was warm and dry inside his temporary lair. He had rented the house — a cozy yellow cottage with a red roof — for its convenient location rather than its colorful appearance, although the purple front door in the photo had caught his attention when he\u2019d clicked on the Airbnb listing. The cottage didn\u2019t have all the comforts of the FANS headquarters, but it would have to do until his work here was done.<\/p>\n

Sitting in a big red armchair with Dr. Twitches curled up in his lap, he watched the funeral service on the screen of his laptop, which sat open on the side table he had pulled in front of him. The live stream was courtesy of his undercover agent, who stood alongside the mourners from Himitsu Takana, secretly capturing everything with a hidden camera embedded inside his suit coat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is how we do it from now on, Dr. Twitches,\u201d Dr. Rough told his ferret as he leaned back leisurely in his chair. \u201cWe make the decisions and then delegate the dangerous missions to our minions. After all, delegation is the key to effective leadership.\u201d He let out a sinister laugh as he scratched Dr. Twitches behind the ears. \u201cIt also keeps us safe, and that\u2019s what really matters. The other minions are expendable, but FANS would fall apart without the two of us. Isn\u2019t that right, my sweet?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Twitches squeaked in reply and rolled over onto his back, exposing his belly for Dr. Rough to rub.<\/p>\n

After surviving two near-death experiences — first the helicopter crash, then the literal cliffhanger at the winter Olympics — Dr. Rough wasn\u2019t taking any more chances. (Nor was he crossing the Canadian border again. Nothing good ever came from Canada — except for Celine Dion.) In recent months, watching the minions do his dirty work had become his favorite form of entertainment. It was like reality TV. He missed the wall of monitors he used to spy on all of his minions back home, but for now, his sole focus was on the feed from his mole.<\/p>\n

He leaned forward as the pastor finished his sermon and the mourners formed a line to pay their last respects. His mole hung back, allowing those who knew Ashavari Desai best to go ahead of him. Dr. Rough recognized Jay and K amid the other high-ranking agents of HimTak, including his nemesis 00Carter. A smile spread across his face as he watched the men bow their heads solemnly beneath their umbrellas while the women blotted their eyes with tissues. He wished he could drink the sweet milk of their tears, but just seeing their sorrow gave him strength.<\/p>\n

The camera angle shifted, following Carter and K as they approached former CIA Officer Brian Littrell, who stood alone at the foot of his girlfriend\u2019s grave. The mole didn\u2019t get close enough for the camera\u2019s microphone to pick up the words they exchanged, but that didn\u2019t matter. Their body language was enough. Dr. Rough could see the despair in Brian\u2019s hunched shoulders, the pain and anger in his expression as he turned toward K, his face streaked with tears and twisted with grief. He could feel K\u2019s frustration as the older man lay a comforting hand on his cousin\u2019s shoulder, only for Brian to pull back from him as if he had been burned. Yet he also knew how Brian felt: betrayed.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough was all too familiar with that feeling. Betrayal, like rejection, led to the desire for revenge. If Brian had become disenfranchised with both the U.S. government and his cousin\u2019s agency, then perhaps he could be lured to the other side, like so many forgotten agents before him. His experience and knowledge of the inner workings of the CIA would make him a valuable asset to FANS. Plus, HimTak considered him an ally. Dr. Rough was eager to exploit that partnership if he could. The Rok would be his greatest acquisition since Drums.<\/p>\n

\u201cPatience,\u201d he said softly, stroking the sleek fur of his ferret\u2019s belly. \u201cWe must be patient, my sweet, and bide our time until the right opportunity presents itself. When it does, we\u2019ll be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

His smile grew as he returned his attention to the screen, watching the grieving government agent walk away from the vantage point of his mole. So many of his previous plots had failed, but it finally seemed as if everything was falling into place for him and FANS. Their successful infiltration of Himitsu Takana was his greatest triumph to date. Having one of his own minions on the inside, hidden in plain sight, had made all the difference in the world. Dr. Rough had done what he had to do in order to protect his mole\u2019s cover, and he had no regrets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right, Dr. Twitches,\u201d he said as the ferret chattered in response, writhing with pleasure in his lap. \u201cWe won\u2019t let them thwart us again. With this new technology we\u2019ve obtained, we\u2019ll finally be able to defeat HimTak once and for all!\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Seven Days Earlier<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Rough glowered into the camera of his laptop, trying to look as menacing as possible. He could feel his left eye twitching madly as a dull flush crept up his neck, but he struggled to keep his emotions under control.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t ask you again,\u201d he said, dropping his voice to a deathly whisper. \u201cIf you don\u2019t deliver the information within one day\u2019s time, I will go public with this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The faces of the FBI agents filled his screen as they leaned closer to their own camera, trying to hear him clearly.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want the world to know the truth?\u201d Dr. Rough went on, his voice rising again. \u201cThat the U.S. government has indeed been hiding the existence of extraterrestrials from its own people, covering up an alien plot that could threaten the survival of our species? The conspiracy theorists will have a field day with it! Finally, the general public will be forced to admit that they were right all along!\u201d<\/p>\n

He saw the two agents turn to look at each other. The red-haired woman raised her eyebrows at the sullen-faced man, who squared his jaw before shifting his gaze back to the camera lens. \u201cLike we\u2019ve already told you, we don\u2019t have any information to give you. We\u2019re still trying to decode the alien language, which we believe is the key to unlocking their technology. Until we do that, it\u2019s completely useless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUseless?\u201d Dr. Rough scoffed. \u201cThen you\u2019ll have no problem with me playing that high-pitched frequency I found on the flash drive my associate acquired from your department. Perhaps I\u2019ll play it at the upcoming royal wedding, which the whole world will be watching. If it\u2019s so \u2018useless,\u2019 it won\u2019t have any ill effects. Isn\u2019t that right, Agent Mulder? Agent Scully?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t,\u201d the woman said softly. \u201cIt could be dangerous. It appears to cause changes in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that\u2019s responsible for problem-solving, decision-making, and self-control.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh… so you do<\/em> know something about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mulder frowned at Scully, then focused his attention on Dr. Rough once more. \u201cThe FBI doesn\u2019t respond well to threats, Rough. But if you\u2019re willing to work with us rather than against us, maybe we could combine forces to uncover the rest. Because you\u2019re right: we do know some things, and clearly, so do you. Return what you took from our department and hand over the device you stole from Himitsu Takana — a device they never should have had in the first place — and we might be willing to share what\u2019s been decoded so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGive me the information first,\u201d Dr. Rough countered, \u201cand I might refrain from going public with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The FBI agents glared at him. Dr. Rough smirked back, knowing he had the upper hand. He had already caught them off-guard by hacking into their system after his right-hand man had proven just how weak their defenses were. Apparently, Drums had broken into their office in the basement of the J. Edgar Hoover building by impersonating a computer technician from the IT department.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough was confident that his own fortifications were impenetrable. Here he was, hiding in a tiny cottage less than ten miles away from the FBI\u2019s headquarters, safe in the knowledge that they would never be able to trace his location. He had even hung a black drape on the wall behind him to hide the conspicuous yellow striped wallpaper from the camera\u2019s view, having learned his lesson in Vancouver, where 00Carter had managed to track him down after recognizing the logo of the lodge he was staying at on his coffee cup. He wouldn\u2019t make the same mistake again. This time, he had made sure no one could find him.<\/p>\n

But at the very moment that thought crossed his mind, there came a knock at his door. Dr. Rough\u2019s heart leaped into his throat as he heard the lock click and the doorknob turn. Someone was breaking into the cottage!<\/p>\n

\u201cHoward?\u201d called an unfamiliar voice.<\/p>\n

He hurriedly clicked his laptop, disconnecting the video call just as a strange man jogged into the living room. Dressed in a green striped rugby shirt and pleated khaki slacks, the intruder didn\u2019t look like a threat, but Dr. Rough instinctively reached for the handgun hidden in the inside pocket of his jacket.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi!\u201d the man said, smiling. \u201cSorry, I didn\u2019t mean to scare you. It\u2019s me, Steve! I\u2019m your host! I\u2019m so glad you\u2019re here! I actually live in the house next door, so I thought I\u2019d drop by to introduce myself and see how you were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough stared at him. \u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d he growled, his hand tightening around his gun.<\/p>\n

Steve\u2019s brown eyes lit up. \u201cYou are? Great!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. Now go away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay!\u201d His goofy grin never wavered, as if it were permanently affixed to his face. \u201cJust let me know if you need anything, Howard!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Dr. Rough<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoctor, huh? Wow! You must be in town for the proctology conference!\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough\u2019s eyes narrowed. \u201cNo. I\u2019m not that<\/em> kind of doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh! I\u2019m sorry! I hope I didn\u2019t interrupt anything important,\u201d said Steve, looking around the living room. As his eyes shifted from the black sheet hanging behind Dr. Rough to the laptop sitting open in front of him, his smile finally faded. \u201cOh\u2026 were you watching pornography?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?!\u201d Dr. Rough\u2019s face flushed with outrage. \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay if you were,\u201d said Steve with a shrug. \u201cWe all have needs, I know. If you could just keep your cum off my thinking chair, I\u2019d really appreciate it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour thinking chair?\u201d Dr. Rough repeated, his eyes dropping to the overstuffed red armchair he was sitting in.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Steve\u2019s smile returned. \u201cIt\u2019s really special to me! I\u2019ve done some of my best thinking in that chair!\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough blinked, wondering if \u201cthinking\u201d was code for something else.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I guess I\u2019d better get going now. Bye-bye!\u201d said Steve, waving as he turned to leave. \u201cSee ya later!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, don\u2019t come ba–!\u201d Dr. Rough started to call, but the door closed before he could finish his sentence. Cursing, he went to the window and pulled back the curtains to watch Steve jog past the purple mailbox by the curb. Then he jerked the curtains closed and locked the door with a huff.<\/p>\n

\u201cYo, who was dat whitebread mothafucka?\u201d asked Drums, coming out of the yellow kitchen with a box of graham crackers tucked under one arm and his phone in his hand.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough rolled his eyes. \u201cOur host, Steve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Well, next time he come back, tell him we outta milk. I want some milk in a cup wit a straw to go wit these graham crackers, yo!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe won\u2019t come back if he knows what\u2019s good for him,\u201d muttered Dr. Rough.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, hey — while you was talkin\u2019 wit da feds, our informant called.\u201d Drums handed him the secret communicator Dr. Rough usually wore around his wrist. \u201cYou left dis lyin\u2019 by da sink from when you was washin\u2019 dishes earlier. Give him a call back; you gonna wanna hear what he gotta say.\u201d Biting off half a graham cracker, Drums walked back into the kitchen, crunching loudly.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough slipped on the wrist cuff and slid back its hidden panel to reveal a touchscreen. He tapped it a few times until his mole\u2019s face appeared in the small window. \u201cTell me you have good news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do, Dr. Rough,\u201d the double agent replied. \u201cI heard it through the HimTak grapevine that Professor Pearl and that CIA cryptographer have succeeded in cracking the alien code.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d He felt his frown fading away as his face relaxed into a triumphant smile. \u201cNot according to the two feds assigned to the case. They acted as if they knew almost nothing. Clearly, they were lying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey may not know yet. Pearl\u2019s still angry at them for confiscating all the alien technology at the Playboy Mansion, and there\u2019s been tension between Opal and the FBI ever since they accused her of stealing those books from the Library of Congress. It wouldn\u2019t surprise me if the two women were holding their cards close to their chest, if you know what I\u2019m saying.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough nodded. \u201cOf course. But it doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d he replied, his mind racing to formulate a new plan. \u201cWhy continue dealing with the feds when I could go directly to the source of information? Or, better yet, bring one of them to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll never get to Pearl. She\u2019s too well protected here at HimTak. Her lab\u2019s been on lockdown ever since I broke in and stole the device. Your best bet is Opal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen Opal it shall be,\u201d Dr. Rough decided. \u201cGive me all the intel you have on her.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he got off the phone with his mole, he summoned Drums back into the living room. \u201cDRUMS!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat up, D-Rough?\u201d Drums said as he sauntered out of the kitchen, wiping graham cracker crumbs from the corners of his mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a new mission for you,\u201d Dr. Rough told his right-hand man, reopening his laptop. \u201cBring me the cryptographer Ashavari Desai, otherwise known as Opal Odyssey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDead or alive?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlive.\u201d He clicked on the folder containing the confidential files from the flash drive Drums had stolen. \u201cHer body is useless to me,\u201d he said, his eye twitching eagerly as he pored over the strange symbols. \u201cIt\u2019s her mind I want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drums nodded. \u201cI\u2019m on it, Dr. Rough.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 4<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 13: \u00a0A Lost Odyssey Part 3   \u201cAshes to ashes, dust to dust\u2026\u201d It was raining that Sunday afternoon, but Dr. Rough was warm and dry inside his temporary lair. He had rented the house — a cozy yellow cottage with a red roof — for its convenient location\u2026<\/p>\n

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