A Mission Remembered

by Tanner Froreich

  The nightmare ended and the pain finally receded. I was back on the balcony. I pushed myself up, but I was still a bit dazed. I had seen him again, that man with those red eyes. I wondered who he could have been. For something to stick out twice, it must have been incredibly important. Was this man a past threat, or a present one? Or could it yet be a threat of the future? I had no answers and no way to get them. I prayed a quiet prayer for a chance to break free from these chains of not knowing. Looking around, I couldn’t find my Bible.

  I looked out over the city again and then further to the street below as before. This time there was a police car in front of the hotel, and I realized that I must have dropped my Bible. They were probably searching the building for the owner of the book.

  Out of nowhere, Agent Kingsley’s voice came over the static of my radio. “Richardson change in plans. We are on our way directly to the capitol building. The Senator wanted to talk immediately to the government officials. Over.”

  Maintaining the calmest demeanor, I could I replied, “Roger, Kingsley, I’ll be there.” I grabbed the gear I would need for that location. As I finished packing the bag, there was a banging at the door.

  “This is the Police! Open Up!”

  I grabbed the curtains and slid them shut, and then turned the lights off. Using my speed, I quickly put on my suit and disappeared into the shadows where I would be shaded from the hallway light. I knew this was probably not the right way to go about this, but it was the quickest.

  The banging on the door turned into pounding, and eventually the police got the manager to open the door. The two officers cautiously wandered their way into the room with flashlights alight. Hidden in the corner, I was going to wait until they left, but then I realized I had another option. Side-stepping out of my spot, yet still cloaked in shadow, I used my speed and ran out of the room without them knowing.

  In a moment, I had my Bible back – I found it in the officer’s car. I ran through the Korean streets, but unlike earlier I was careful not to break the sound barrier. I didn’t need to cause any unnecessary noise.

  Away from the hassle of the police, I arrived at the vantage point, which was on the top of a building looking towards the capital. I set up my surveillance station, which really just included the strange satellite thing that I found to be a sound magnifier. I lay down near the edge of the building and looked over the plaza with my binoculars. It wasn’t long before three SUVs rolled up and three agents and the Senator stepped out. Kingsley wasn’t present, and that made me feel uncomfortable, as he had told me to be here. I wanted to radio Ethan to ask about him, but I was instructed to only radio in emergencies. Being a man down encouraged me to be all the more vigilant. I wondered why the Senator insisted on speaking with the government officials without taking the time to get settled and check to see if there was any hostile individuals about. It all seemed out of protocol to me.

  I turned on the satellite as the group approached a Korean politician who was accompanied by a few armed soldiers.

  The two exchanged pleasantries with the aid of the two female translators, who the politician didn’t seem to approve of.

  The Senator made a comment about looking forward to finally setting up a peaceful relation between the two nations. But when he made a smart remark about how Korea wouldn’t have not stood a chance against the U.S.; he caused the political leader’s face to turn red with anger.

  I heard vehicle engines approaching quickly and when I turned to see, I saw five or six armored vans unloading countless men.

  I grabbed my radio and shouted into it, “Welsh!” but I didn’t get anything else out, because I was hit hard in the back of my head and everything went dark.

  Chapter 15

  Voices

  W hen I came to, I was in a cold, dark room. Again. This time, however, I was not strapped to a table. I was laying in the corner of a cell with my wrists shackled behind me. I tried to stand, but there was a chain that connected my wrist restraints to ankle restraints, which were also connected to the wall. The ankle restraint was a single piece, so that there wasn’t any room to maneuver.

  The cell I found myself in was very rudimentary. There wasn’t even a bed, just a simple cloth that was barely large enough to be considered a blanket. At least it’s clean, I thought to myself. There wasn’t any mold or other filth but there was a stain on the wall. As I wiggled closer, I realized that it was dried blood, with no way to determine how old. With the way the stain was positioned on the wall and the piece of concrete missing, I assumed the last unfortunate resident of this cell was shot.

  Steel bars made up the open wall. The only light came in through the rectangular barred opening, other than that, nothing. The light couldn’t even reach me; I was shrouded in darkness. I could hear something unexpected – singing. I could see the people in the cell across from mine. As I listened to the lyrics, I was comforted by them.

  Let goods and kindreds go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever!

  The voices that sung the song were of an interesting variety – two men and a woman. One of the men looked Chinese but his English identified him to be American. The other two were definitely Korean that were stumbling trying to pronounce the English words.

  From what I knew at the time, the trio began signing the next verse.

  A mighty fortress is our God…

  They were cut off by the sound of Agent Shelly saying, “Please will you stop. Don’t you know you are in the same boat as the rest of us?” Her voice sounded as if she had been crying. “Doomed to die, either here one at a time, or publicly by firing squad. And for what? Just to anger some people back home, but who won’t do anything.” They must have been in the cell adjacent to mine, because I couldn’t see them.

  A calm voice, belonging to the American, which came from the opposite cell said, “We ‘do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ Matthew 10:28. Yes, death seems imminent, but we find peace knowing that we will soon see Christ in Glory.”

  Another voice, masculine this time, called out, “There is no life after death! It’s all religious hogwash. If you find ‘peace’ then keep it to yourself and do not try to spread your false hope!” It was Agent Welsh. I hung my head to hear just how lost my fellow agents truly were. He continued his discouraging rant, “We work with some of the world’s smartest, strongest, and fastest people, and I am certain that none of them adhere to your beliefs.”

  I shouted, “I believe! I believe in Christ’s death for sin, and his resurrection for assurance of life. I believe He is the everlasting Son of the Father, begotten not created. He was, and is, and is yet to come!”

  There was silence for a moment in that jail, and eventually Ethan said, “Is that you Richardson? I figured you abandoned us or were killed.”

  “I wouldn’t abandon my post. Someone came up behind me and knocked me out. I would show you the bump, but there’s this steel in the way.”

  Thinking about it, my head felt fine. I couldn’t reach with my hand to find out exactly how bad it was, but my hair felt like it had dried blood in it. I continued to speak, “You shouldn’t speak this way to these people. We find our identity in our God, and you cannot take that away.”

  There was silence again. This time Ms. Shelley responded, “How long have you been one? Your mind was wiped not that long ago, and you’ve been in the agency ever since.”

  I sighed. “Derek told me I had been missing for three months before IODINE tracked Mindsweeper down and rescued me. But even from the moment I first started remembering, strapped to a table being tortured by Mindsweeper, I knew who my God was. There was nothing he could do to remove God from my mind.”

  The American prisoner who was singing added, “Or better yet, you from God’s care. John 10:28 says, ‘And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck th
em out of my hand.’”

  Ethan interrupted, “What does it matter? Apparently the mind tech was not perfected, and it doesn’t prove anything.”

  A new voice, quiet and meek, spoke, “But sir, one of my companions was part of the science team that inspected the gear. It wasn’t flawed. It should have erased everything, making Wallace a blank slate.” It must have been the other linguist.

  Ethan's voice was cold, “Quiet, Agent Johnson.”

  Ignoring Ethan's dominating behavior, I called out, “What did you say your name was stranger?”

  “My name is Phineas Wong; I was born in America and I’m over here on what you could say is a mission trip.”

  I smiled under the veil of shadows. “Really? What do you mean by that?”

  He lowered his head. “I was sent by some friends to find someone who went missing two weeks ago, but I can’t really do that behind these bars.”

  “How did you end up in here?”

  He sighed and chuckled discouragingly. He proceeded to explain how he received an anonymous tip to come here, and because he desperately wanted to find his friend he didn’t worry about risk. Apparently, as soon as he landed and started asking around, he was arrested at his hotel. In his opinion, he felt like he was set up, that someone was preying on his desire to find his friend. Being both Christian and American, he was quickly placed in this jail with our fellow brother and sister in Christ, Jung and his wife, Kwan. He shared how they had become Christians a few months ago, and while trying to share the gospel with family, were reported and put here.

  “Do you know what they are going to do to you?” I asked, though I thought I already knew what the answer was.

  “I’m not sure. It’s illegal to be Christian here, so Jung and his wife…” His voice trailed off as he considered the punishment his friends had waiting for them. I heard him inhale a deep breath and then he continued, “They are looking at the death sentence. I, however, have friends in high places in the American government and BDI. So, I’ll unfortunately be lowered to nothing more than a bargaining chip.”

  Though his tone was downcast, I could sense the hope within Him, knowing God would take care of them. Considering the mention of the Government, I asked my fellow agents, “Where’s the Senator! Is he alright?”

  Ethan huffed. “Don’t know. If he’s alive he will be used to bargain with. Sorry Mr. Wong you may share in your friend’s sentence.” He didn’t sound sorry.

  Everyone was silent for a while, thinking about what fate would befall them. I despised the idea of fellow Christians waiting to die. I started wondering about the man I once was again. I was certain that I was never part of IODINE. The cold hearts of these agents are not the kind of people I would’ve surrounded myself with, but it was refreshing to meet people like Phineas. I couldn’t let them die at the hands of these communists.

  I tried to break my bonds but couldn’t. I slammed them against the wall but did more damage to my hands than the cuffs. I tried to vibrate my hands as fast as I could, hoping that I could phase out of them. Unfortunately, reality had other plans.

  I was getting frustrated and slammed myself against the wall again. Agent Welsh shouted, “Wallace what are you doing!” I was tired of hearing that fake name, and I didn’t respond. Instead, I slammed my wrist against the wall again. “Richardson!”

  “That’s not my name!” I exclaimed as I slammed my wrists against the wall again. The force of the blow broke my left wrist. The pain shot up my arm as I let out a cry of agony. Sinking to the ground, I tried my best to nurse my wrist behind my back. The pain subsided much faster than I had anticipated.

  Ethan asked, “What did you do, Wallace?”

  Breathing heavy I responded with, “I- um- broke my wrist trying to get out of my bonds.”

  “You’re cuffed? That’s odd, none of us are,” Phineas curiously chimed in. “How are you cuffed?”

  That was an odd question. “My hands are behind my back and shackled to my feet which can’t move because of their restraints, why?”

  Ethan tried to interrupt, “This doesn…”

  However, Phineas was determined to finish his questions. “How is your wrist? Feeling better, or is it still swollen?”

  I felt the wrist with my good hand, and there was no swelling, but it still was stiff and sensitive. “It feels ok, no swelling,” I said in surprise. I knew I was fast, but I didn’t know I could heal fast. “It still feels a bit sore now, but it is improving rapidly.”

  With an ever-increasing curiosity, Phineas said as I heard him stand, “I can’t see your face in the shadows. What did you say your name was?”

  Before Ethan or I could respond, a loud bang of a door flying open resounded through the prison.

  I heard a familiar voice say, “I hope y’all are comfortable?” Hearing the masculine voice solved some egging questions of mine. How could anyone have known where I was unless they knew the plans – unless they were an IODINE agent.

  Chapter 16

  Before Governors

  I heard footsteps approach the cells. I couldn’t see him, but Ethan snarled. “Franklin Kingsley! You backstabber! As soon as this reaches HQ-”

  Agent Kingsley chuckled. “You don’t understand, this is never gonna reach HQ, cause you ain’t gonna make it out of here alive.” He briefly stepped back into my field of view, and momentarily his glance caught mine. I gave him a cold hard stare that seemed to set him off balance. Turning back to Ethan, he said mockingly, “The great Agent Welsh. A level 7 agent, and you don’t even notice that one of your agents was playing you for a fool. But I’ve been waiting for this day, ever since that hazing you gave me my first week.”

  “Why did you do it?” I asked aloud. I couldn’t help but despise the depravity which betrays one’s countrymen. “Why turn against your country, your brothers? We should’ve been looking out for one another.”

  He stepped back into my view. “Well that’s your own fault for being so naive. But I have to say, you disappointed me. I expected more out of you Wallace. After all this isn't our first rodeo.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  He frowned. “You don’t remember me? Oh yes, that’s right, you got hit by Mindsweeper. This situation may have been different otherwise.” He paced around triumphantly. I tried to remember what I could from my previous life, but the attempt was futile. I couldn’t even remember many details from my first moments under Mindsweeper’s captivity. How could I have known this man before getting hit? I doubt I was even a part of IODINE.

  Kingsley continued, “Anyway, on that note, back to the issue at hand. The answer to your question is simple, money. The Koreans offered me more than IODINE does in a year. It was a simple trade off, the Senator for five mill.”

  Ethan growled. “So why are we still alive?”

  Smiling, Kingsley responded, “Because you are worth something. If IODINE ever turns against the Koreans they’ll have you for ransom, and once I tell them who Mr. Richardson is here, I’ll be sittin’ pretty.”

  This idea of selling men for money and turning on your homeland caused a deep bitterness within me. As Kingsley continued to boast about how great he was for getting the upper hand, my bitterness opened up a deep anger within me, one I didn’t realize I had. The hatred of injustice felt so primal that I had no control of it, and that fact scared me. “Traitor!” I shouted as I lunged forward, shaking the entire cell as the chains strained to hold me to the wall.

  Kingsley paused in ranting and pulled something out of his pocket. He placed his hand by the cell door. There must have been a scanner on the wall. The lock clicked and the door opened. He continued as the lights came on and he approached. “I knew I shouldn’t have underestimated your strength; that’s been everyone else's downfall.” With that, he jammed a stunner into my thigh. He smiled as my body convulsed from the electricity. “Not fun getting zapped?” He jabbed me with the weapon a few more times, just for the fun of it.

  He would have continued i
f Phineas didn’t shout, “Hey! That’s enough!”

  Kingsley got up and walked out of the cell, shutting the door behind him. “And you are?” He paused for a moment, but before Phineas could reply, said, “Oh yes, on the ground.” With that, he jammed the stunner into Phineas’ side through the bar. Wong fell to the ground moaning in pain.

  Fully amused, he finished, “Like I was saying, the five mil is nothing, once Korea demolishes the American Government, I will have the pick of the land for my assistance.”

  “You’re a fool, Kingsley,” Ethan mocked. “I was supposed to report back to HQ two hours ago. They should be here within mere minutes guns a blazin. You picked the wrong side. There will be a war for what Korea has done, and you will be tried for treason. If I got what I want, you would be hanged, but the American government isn’t ready for that again, yet.”

  I couldn’t see the look on Kingsley's face, but I hoped he was scared. I listened as he walked out of the cell room, slamming the door as he left. “Was that a bluff?” Agent Shelly asked.

  “No, it was no bluff,” Ethan responded boastfully.

  He started saying something else when Phineas managed to stand up. “I knew it!” He laughed as he looked at me, but then winked and grasped the place Kingsley tased him. “I had a feeling, but I knew it was you. How did you get caught up with IODINE?”

  Though I was recovering from my tasing quickly, at that moment I was having trouble speaking. Ethan answered skeptically, “What are you talking about? How can you know him?”

  He chuckled and groaned at the same time, which sounded weird. “Well, I shouldn’t have forgotten him, I trained him!”