Chapter 12
Outside World
T he man lay nearly motionless on the ground. The lead agent reached for his radio. “This is ER 3, the Troll is down, repeat the Troll is down.”
I slowly stepped closer to the creature and watched as his huge muscular body expanded and contracted with his breathing. An agent noticed me and approached. “I’m sorry, but you are going to have to return to your room, sir.”
Ignoring the agent, I continued to look over the creature. I could see that there was hair all over his body – it seemed to be pouring out of his sleeves. Irritated at my disregard for his remark, the agent cocked his rifle. “I said, get lost agent!”
His threat didn’t scare me at all. However, I didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention to myself, so I backed off and walked away. As I stepped over the rubble, I heard Mr. Phillip’s voice over the radio. “Well done, we are sending a transport team to bring him back.”
∆∆∆
After I returned to the hospital room, it wasn’t long before I was finally discharged. I was cleared to be deployed the following day so I returned to my apartment to await the time I was scheduled to leave. At the apartment, I found out that of all my roommates, Ethan was the one who called for help. He was in his scrutinizingly organized room at his desk when I walked up to his doorway.
I knocked on the door frame and stood in the opening. He didn’t bother looking up. “What do you want Wallace? Can’t you see I’m doing something?”
“Sorry Ethan. I just wanted to… um... Thanks.” He looked up from his work with a curious expression on his face. “For what you did earlier, I appreciate it. I just wanted to let you know. I’ll leave you alone now.”
I headed off to my room, but Ethan stepped into the hallway, “Hey Wallace,” as I spun around he continued, “no problem, that’s what we do. Like I said earlier, Agents have each other’s backs. I hope you’ll have mine in Korea, Cool?” He thrust his hand out towards me and I grasped it firmly. I turned back around to head into my room and Ethan called down the hallway one last time, “Now don’t you think this means that we’re friends!”
I chuckled as I closed the door behind me. I slumped onto the ground next to the bed, and I began thinking about what I had experienced through my headaches and how they were really a huge blessing. I tried desperately to remember anything valuable from my visions, but I could only remember two things – the guillotine and the man with the red eyes. Both were really dark memories, or what if they weren’t memories? I knew some of the things I heard or saw were definitely memories, but I couldn’t remember any of them now.
There was something else about the other two visions. They didn’t feel like the past or present. I considered the fact that I may have seen scenes of the future, but part of that didn’t fit with my biblical understanding. Would God really let me see the future? It was unlikely, but I figured it wasn’t out of the picture. However, horror struck me. If I saw the past, then I knew people had been in danger, either by this masked man, or the guillotine. If I had seen the future, such dangers were to come. I almost started to panic, but something held me back from such terror. I remembered Deuteronomy 31:8, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and understood that God was with me. He would be with me in and through these dark times, whenever they would be.
I spent some time sitting in my room praying and contemplating the place I had found myself in. I could barely wait for the day when I would leave this place of secrets, and I looked forward to feeling the sun on my face again and breathing real air, not the recycled stuff here. I didn’t have to wait as long as I thought I would.
There was a brief knock at my door and then Ms. Spike flung it open. “Wallace! Get up. Someone’s here for you.”
I walked into the living area to see Mr. Phillips waiting patiently. I shook his hand and asked, “To what do I owe the pleasure sir?” He was wearing the same black trench coat as last time, but his scarf was stuffed into his pocket and yellow.
He chuckled and responded, “Please Wallace, you can call me Derek. I have some unfortunate news. The time table for your mission has been moved up to...now. Go get your stuff.”
I nodded and hurried back to my room and grabbed my bag. Coming down the hallway, he added, “You packed light? Good.”
Before we stepped out the door, Rufus called from the couch, “Hey bring him back in one piece Derek. Someone needs to be my fall guy.”
He frowned and said, “That’s Mr. Phillips to you, agent.”
As we quickly walked down the hallway, Derek asked, “One of my Emergency Response teams reported that you aided in recapturing a prisoner earlier today. Good job.” He patted my back. “Bedridden but can still take out a hulking brute.”
I softly chuckled with him. “I didn’t do much. What was that thing anyway? I- I think I remembered him.”
Derek stopped dead in his tracks. “Are you sure you recognized him?”
“I’m fairly sure – like we’ve met before. Have we?”
Derek continued his walking while rubbing his chin, which was sporting a newly grown goatee. He replied, “I’ll have to ask clearance from Jeff, but I’ll get you the information you need before you arrive in Korea. It’s your right to know.”
This response didn’t quench my desire for information at all. Knowing Derek wouldn’t answer any more on that topic, I questioned, “Where was he taken?”
“Who? Oh! He was returned to his cell. He’s a very dangerous criminal, as you could tell.”
By the dead men? Yeah, I could tell, I thought. I was hurt that Derek wouldn’t just tell me about my history with the prisoner. If it was my right to know, why would he need to get clearance to tell me? With all this secrecy, I was even more eager for my escape into the outside world.
∆∆∆
Derek directed me to a garage that I had never been to before. It was more of a hangar, because all the vehicles within this space were helicopters. There was something interesting about each copter though, they were all painted like emergency response helicopters. IODINE knew that no one would think anything about one of these flying around the forest. I could see a few men and women gathered around one of the copters. I figured this would be my ride out of here.
We approached and Derek stopped before we were within ear shot. He grabbed me by the arm and said quietly, “When you get out there, be careful. There will be a lot of things that may be hard for you to see. I need you to control yourself and make wise decisions. Remember, be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
I nodded. He shook my hand and gave me a brotherly hug. I continued towards the group and Derek returned further into the base. It was bitter-sweet knowing I was going to be separated from my only friend for a time, but the idea of feeling the sun again chased away any downcast feelings. I approached the group and smiled. “Hey everyone! Hope you weren’t waiting on me.”
Ethan, who had been put in charge of our squad, shook his head. “No, Mr. Richardson, we are waiting for our other combat expert. He should be here within minutes. Then we depart.”
I nodded as a man, who was not part of our outfit, came and took my bag and placed it in the cargo space of the helicopter. We didn’t have to wait long before our last man arrived, and then with incredible speed we bordered the copter and were off. I watched as the roof opened from the center, letting warm blinding light pour into the hangar. The sound of the rotors quickly overwhelmed us and we put on the necessary hearing protection, which were also large headphones. In the air, I looked out across the land. It was extraordinary. Staring at the vastness of the forest revealed another part of the world that, until now, had been kept from me. We flew just over the treetops, and looking down to the forest floor, I could see a quiet stream flowing through the land, supplying all God’s creations with water.
In my headphones, an automated voice said, “Agent Shelly request audio connection.”
I pressed a button on my headset and Agent Shelly started to speak into her mic, “Hello, you're our backup plan, right?” I nodded. She smiled and continued, “Cool, looks like you haven't been out in a while, judging by the way you are looking out of the heli.”
I nodded again and added, “Yes, this is my first authorized time out of the base.”
She inquired what I had meant by that. I relayed how I had got my memory wiped on a previous mission and the only time I had been out was by breaking protocol. She shifted in her harness. “Wow, I’m sorry dude. That explains why I haven't seen you in any of the recreational areas. You're probably still a bit shaken.”
I shrugged. “Not really, but I am concerned about what I can’t remember.”
“What do you mean?”
I looked out the window again as the trees began to thin out. “I wonder about family. Do I have one or not? As I a husband, or father, I can’t stop thinking about what my life was like without IODINE.”
She raised her hand to her mouth and rested her index finger against her lips. After a moment of thinking, she stated, “I don’t know quite how to answer that. If it’s any comfort, very few agents come into the agency married, only about fifteen percent. I was recruited out of the FBI. My father died when I was thirteen and my mom kicked me out at eighteen, and most of us agents come from similar situations. None of us have families, so in a way IODINE is our family. I wouldn’t be surprised if you are the same.”
I didn’t respond. From what Derek had revealed to me, I knew my family was out there. I was going to respond when the voice of Ethan said, “Ok Agents, we are coming in for a landing. Our plane will be thirty meters to the north, so grab your bags from the cargo area and head straight to the plane. Let’s make it a quick and efficient transition. Kingsley, I can see you have an idea. What are you thinking?”
I looked to my left to the other combat expert. He was a middle-aged man with a scar on the corner of his mouth. He gestured to me and said, “We were briefed about Mr. Richardson’s abilities. If he’s as fast as we were told, he can get all the bags in the plane before we even exit the heli.”
I must have missed the part of the briefing where they mentioned my powers. It took me a moment to register the comment, so I almost missed the commander asking, “Do you think you can do that Richardson?”
I nodded as the vehicle lurched downward. It was a bit of a rocky ride as we touched down. As the door automatically opened the commander looked at me with anticipation. As I was instructed, I used my speed and unbuckled myself. I also unbuckled all my fellow agents for good measure. I leapt out of the helicopter with the speed of a jet, however, I was cautious not to break the sound barrier. I raced towards the plane we were to be leaving in. It was a simple and inconspicuous aircraft, and a man was preparing to open the cargo compartment, but at the speed I was going he appeared to me to be moving slower than a snail with its shoelaces tied.
I raced up and finished opening the compartment and shot back to the helicopter where I found the storage area and opened it. Grabbing as much as I could, I made the trip back to the jet, carefully placing the bags in the compartment. The work-man had just started to turn around in shock. Upon my second trip to the helicopter, my fellow agents were preparing to disembark, also moving quite slow. Ms. Shelly was descending from the step and was suspended in the air, but I knew this was simply an illusion caused by my speed. I grabbed a second load of bags, and then a third. It took five trips to grab all the bags. Luckily everyone had packed light. I made one more trip to double check and make sure I had gotten everything. When I had made sure that every belonging was aboard the other aircraft, I checked the passenger area for anything that may have been left behind. I ran back to the jet and organized the bags into their storage area. The work-man now had taken a step back with a look of surprise upon his face, as my sudden movements must have startled him.
I even had time to pull open the door of the jet. I lowered the footsteps and stopped by them. The rest of my party had only traveled about five feet from the helicopter when I returned to a normal perception of time. I heard the work-man shout, “What in the name of Swiss cheese!” He glanced over to me in utter astonishment. I smiled and saluted the man.
My fellow agents finished their race over and each one jumped into the plane. Ethan patted my shoulder as he entered the jet, then finally, I entered as well, pulling up the stairs and closing the door. I had not turned around before I heard my companions applauding. The commander said, “Well done Richardson, I must admit I didn’t believe it when they told me, but you are as fast as the Blur!”
I chuckled. “The what sir? I don’t understand that reference.”
When I said that, the man’s cheerful expression changed. It was like he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to have said something, or he realized something.
“I was told you had suffered memory loss, is that right?” I nodded and he responded, “Ok, he’s someone you should definitely look up. You may not be as unique as you think.” With this rather confusing comment, he retreated further back in the plane where he took his seat.
I actually remembered that I was the Blur, the Blue Blur, but I had made my comment to help conceal my identity. From behind me in the cockpit the pilot looked back. “Ok Agents, please find your seats. We will be taking off shortly.” Before I could sit down the pilot added, “Agent Richardson! Message from Mr. Phillips.”
He handed me a piece of printed paper that read, Jeff denied the clearance request, sorry. I had to restrain myself from getting angry. I knew that I knew the man, the Troll, from my previous life. He knew me too. So why was Jeff withholding information that may be beneficial for me? I pushed the frustration to the back of my mind.
I walked to the nearest window seat and looked out the window. I hadn’t taken in my surrounds when we landed, and they definitely helped the stress of not knowing anything about myself. We were on a runway of an airport. Large passenger planes sat docked at the terminals. I looked off past the airport, and a mountain stood tall in its majesty and grandeur. Its bold features were covered by a forest of evergreens. I wondered where we were. Ms. Shelly came and sat next to me. Her companionship was nice, but the way she was looking at me made me feel uncomfortable.
The plane started forward and within a few minutes we were up in the air. As we ascended I inspected the landscape and before we were too high to miss specific details, I saw a peculiar building. Apart from it’s interesting shape, what sat on the roof was intriguing, a life-size T-rex.
My head hurt. I recognized this feeling, as I had had it right before I had all those flashes of memories. I gripped the armrest in preparation for the pain. The pain did escalate, but not as much as I had expected. I watched as the Rex disappeared and memories flashed in my mind. I remembered a beautiful young woman, but, to my agony, couldn’t remember her name. There were so many thoughts and memories about her I couldn’t keep track of them all. The only one that stood out was me and her standing underneath that Rex, as I pulled out a ring. I had proposed! Who was this woman? If she had said yes, I had a family to take care of! The memory faded and my head stopped hurting. All of the memories disappeared with the pain.
∆∆∆
To my shock, I felt a tear fall from my eye. I knew this building; it held some incredibly personal sway on me.
Ms. Shelly noticed the tear and commented, “I know, the view of this city is beautiful. The way the city doesn’t overrun the natural landscape, but instead complements it. Its name is very fitting.”
; “And what is that?”
“Greenleaf.”
Chapter 13
North Korea
Greenleaf. Something deep within me pulled me toward the city that was quickly disappearing further and further below and behind us. It was an odd sensation, but I had the sudden urge to fling myself out of the plane back to the city. I could find my way back to the building with the dinosaur. Maybe the people there would have the answers I so desperately desired. I smiled at the thought of going AWOL and thinking what thoughts would cross the other agents’ minds as I jumped from the plane. However, I held back from doing such a foolhardy act.
I continued to stare out the window, completely forgetting about Ms. Shelly’s company. So, when she asked my age it startled me, which caused her to giggle softly. I pondered the question, which surprisingly, had never been asked, by myself or anyone else. I pulled out my identification card and did the math in my head, born 2014, the year is 2037 so… “Twenty-three”.
She giggled again. “And you needed your ID to find that out? You are a funny guy, Wallace.”
I smiled uncomfortably but didn’t respond. I considered making an excuse to get up. Sitting next to Ms. Shelly made me feel uneasy.
“So, I was wondering, from our conversation on the helicopter, why did it concern you that you might be married?”
A Mission Remembered Page 8
