A Mission Remembered

by Tanner Froreich

  I approached the site where our shelter had been, but Phineas wasn’t anywhere. There were signs of a fight all around the area. The last of the light had vanished and I was surrounded by the shadows. IODINE must have found him when I was gone!

  I shouldn’t have left. With the night posing a severe hindrance in finding and tracking the agent’s trail, I didn’t know what to do. For all I knew, they could have taken the river back upstream.

  The sound of an engine in the distance rang through my ears. That’s how they were able to find us so quick, but it also just gave their position away. I sprinted in the direction of the sound and saw an entire caravan of men and vehicles.

  Not wanting to give the agents even a chance to shoot me, I zoomed back and forth across the path, knocking agents off vehicles with each pass. A truck tried to drive away, but I was much too fast. With a single pass, I grabbed both the driver and passenger and tossed them into the woods.

  Phineas was in the back with three other agents, who were soon suspended in midair with the rest of their comrades while I moved at supersonic speeds. Phineas wasn’t injured other than a bleeding knot on his forehead. With every agent taken care of, I slowed down.

  When I did, two things happened. A sonic boom rang out through the woods. I hadn’t really considered them until the thunderous sound almost burst my eardrums. Apparently, I either was already gone when they went off, or I didn’t move fast enough to make them.

  The second thing that happened, was all the Agents, at the same time, yelling and flying off into the forest. It was rather humorous, but I knew most of them would be getting up.

  I grabbed Phineas, which was easier than I thought, and ran off into the woods at highway speeds. I was concerned that if I moved to fast, the whiplash could kill Phineas. However, even just moving running at highway speeds, I put enough distance between us and IODINE that they shouldn’t find us again.

  It took some time, but I eventually made it back to the community of cabins. A full moon had risen in the sky and the temperature was dropping. Running in the stream had covered Phineas and me in water. I was concerned what the dropping temperature would do to Phineas. So, without a second thought, I walked right up to the first cabin I saw.

  Hoping on the kindness of strangers, I knocked on the door. Before the door opened, I remembered my mask. The door swung open before I could take it off. A middle age woman opened the door and gasped upon the sight of a blue armored man holding a bloody unconscious one.

  “Please, we’ve been wondering in the woods and he needs medical attention,” I pleaded.

  She stammered, “Oh, um, of course, come in.”

  I thanked her and stepped in. A masculine voice called from within the house, “Who is it Odette?”

  She couldn’t answer before a seven-year old boy shot up from the table across the way and shouted, “It’s the Blue Blur!”

  Chapter 22

  A Choice

  The Taylors had a spare room where I laid Phineas on a bed. Aside from an inch long cut on his forehead, he was ok. The boy, whose name was Patrick Jr., looked in with excitement while, with Mrs. Taylor’s help, we cleaned Phineas’ wound.

  “What were you and your friend doing this far into the woods?”

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I said as I finished tying the bandage on Phineas’ head.

  “I am talking to the Blue Blur, so I think I would believe anything you said.” She got up with the bowl of water we had used to clean Phineas, but the previously clear water was now a pale red color. “Why don’t you come and have some dinner. We just finished, but there’s probably enough leftovers.”

  I agreed and followed her. Patrick walked by my side. “Is it true that you run faster than a bullet?”

  We sat at a dining table for four and I answered, “You know, Patrick, I can catch bullets!”

  “Wow! Daddy, did you hear that?” He laughed with excitement, as his father sat across the table watching me without speaking. “My friends at school are never going to believe that I met the Blue Blur!”

  Mrs. Taylor came back in the room with a dish. “It’s just rice and meat, but it’s something.” I thanked her and took the dish. I didn’t realize just how hungry I was. As their prisoner, IODINE had been supplying my body with the nutrients it needed through injections. I didn’t recall ever actually eating anything. She added, “Patrick, maybe if you ask nicely, he might let you take a photo.”

  His face lit up. “Can we?”

  I was about to let the kid have his picture, but I realized IODINE could probably intercept the image and then know where we were. I politely declined his request. I took another bite of my food and noticed I still had my mask on. Without another thought, I took it off and continued eating.

  The boy gasped and I asked, “What, did I do something wrong?”

  He leaned close and whispered, “Super-heroes aren’t supposed to take their masks off.”

  I widened my eyes. “I didn’t know that.”

  Mrs. Taylor said, “So you’re not worried about your identity at all?”

  I placed my fork back on the table. “Well maybe, if I could remember my identity.”

  Mr. Taylor finally spoke. “You mean you don’t even know who you are?”

  I thought for a moment. “Not really. Something happened a while ago, I can’t remember when, and I can’t remember many details. Since then, all I’ve remembered is that I’m a Christian.” I dared not mention anything about IODINE. God knows what they would do to this nice family if they knew.

  “Well, don’t take your mask off again,” Patrick said, still whispering. “And don’t worry, I’ll won’t tell anyone who you are.”

  Playfully, I looked into his eyes. “Do you know who I am?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I still won’t tell.”

  Mrs. Taylor and I laughed. Mr. Taylor actually cracked a smile. I took my dish to the sink and Mrs. Taylor said, “We have a mat you can sleep on in the guest room.”

  Mr. Taylor suggested, “I think I may have some extra sleeping clothes that may fit you. That suit must be dreadfully uncomfortable.”

  I felt the suit. It was sturdy, but definitely not soft. “That sounds nice, thank you.”

  Mrs. Taylor took Patrick to bed and Mr. Taylor got me the pajamas while I checked on Phineas. Putting the shirt on in a bathroom, I noticed all the scars that bore the tale of my tortures. I hadn’t ever had a calm moment to consider them.

  They marred my body and deformed my figure. My body always healed, but the scars remained. I feared I didn’t even resemble a human anymore. The sheer amount from my arms to my abdomen was disturbing.

  They, however, did not stand out as much as the huge scars across my back. These were much larger and significantly older than the ones scattered across the rest of my body. What horrors had I gone through to receive these?

  In that moment, the weight of my trial bared down upon me. My mind, as my body, was in shambles. I was finally free from IODINE, but the wake of Mindsweeper’s damage was still causing ripples in my mind. So much of myself remained locked away within my mind. Could that portion of me be forever deleted from existence? I felt as if a load as heavy as the earth was placed on my spirit.

  I fell to my knees. Voices from within my mind whispered doubts and fears. I was free, but I would never be whole. How long would I be on the run? IODINE would most assuredly pursue me until I was trapped under their thumb again. Could I evade them forever? Should I even return home, as I would be putting unknown loved ones in danger. I decided then and there that I would rest for tonight, but in the morning, I would ask Phineas where my family lived, and run as far from there as possible.

  ∆∆∆

  That night, I had a horrific nightmare. I was in that same grim room again – scripture on the wall, and the horrid door. I was curled in a corner listening to the young woman begging to be remembered to my agony. The sound of a car crash startled me to my feet. Opposite of the doo
r was another opening in the room. I wasn’t going to go through another one of those. Against my will, the room morphed into a scene I would dread.

  When things were clear, I was on a highway. Not far from me there was a large van turned on its side. An unearthly roar sounded in the distance. I felt like I had been running for hours. The feeling of fear, shock, and an unendurable pain coursed through my body. Without thinking, I was running hard to the van, which had another vehicle embedded into it. I had no speed.

  I noticed the van was on fire, but it didn’t deter me. Without even thinking about it, I slid to the ground and kicked the windshield out. My movements were frantic. I could see the form of a person among the flames. I crawled through, feeling the fire licking at my skin.

  I grabbed a young woman and pulled her out. My body felt like my skin had melted off, but there was a moment of uncertain peace holding this young woman in my arms. She was absolutely beautiful.

  In a split second, all peace was gone, she was dead, and a deep harrowing pain pierced the deepest parts of my heart. The pain felt more real and worse than any of the tortures I had endured. It overwhelmed me as I let out a cry which could only be described as the essence of agony.

  Then, in a moment of relief, she coughed and awoke. Her gorgeous blue eyes were red from smoke, but she was alive! She smiled. “Arf? Don’t forget me!”

  I was pulled awake by Phineas who was sitting up shaking my shoulder. “Arf? Are you ok? Where are we?”

  I couldn’t answer his questions, as my mind and heart were still trapped in that alarming dream. I stared into space trying to regain mental control. When I was in my right mind again, I explained what happened. Remembering my plan, I asked, “Where are we going? Where is my family?”

  Phineas felt his bandage and tried to stand, but then sat down. “You’ll be pleasantly surprised. Who’s the kid?”

  I looked to my right. Patrick was standing in the doorway staring. “Is this your sidekick?” he said in eagerness.

  Phineas sat up straight. “Sidekick! You hear that? Sidekick, my goodness.”

  “He’s a friend, Patrick. Now run along,” I said and he obeyed. “Where’s home, Mr. Wong?”

  “Why is this so important all of a sudden? I think you should be more worried about yelling in your sleep.”

  I wasn’t able to answer the question. Mrs. Taylor came into view and said, “Good to see you awake. Breakfast is on the table.”

  During breakfast while Patrick was off somewhere, I said, “I don’t know how we can repay you.”

  Mr. Taylor answered, “No need. I haven’t seen Junior this happy for a long time. He’s a big fan of yours.”

  With that, Patrick ran up with a t-shirt with a self-drawn symbol on it, which matched the one of my suit. “Could you sign it?” he begged.

  Replying to Mr. Taylor I said, “I can tell.” Turning to Patrick, I signed the shirt. “Me and my friend must be on our way.”

  Patrick frowned. “I knew you would.”

  Mrs. Taylor comforted her son. “I’m sure he’s very busy. Lots of bad guys to fight and stuff.”

  Phineas finished a drink of water and added, “And places to remember.”

  After a gift of fresh clothing, which I wore over my super suit, we gave our final farewell to Mrs. Taylor and Patrick, who was more than excited to go tell all his friends at school his unbelievable sleep over with the Blue Blur. Mr. Taylor drove us to a bus station.

  We thanked him. Before leaving us, he gave us some money to help us along. However, I still had to get the information from Phineas about where we were going and I think he knew I was planning something.

  “You’re going to run away aren’t you?”

  “How could you tell?”

  He sighed. “Because I know you Arf, probably more than yourself. You’re determined. Once you’ve made a choice, you are not changing it. In this situation though, you will have to bend. I know you don’t want to put your family in danger, but right now you need them.”

  “But what if me being there leads IODINE to them?”

  With an unsettling chuckle Phineas said, “IODINE’s going to use them against you anyway. You might as well be there to make sure they don’t.”

  He bought two tickets for a bus to Greenleaf. The bus was actually leaving while we had this conversation. Phineas stepped onto the bus and looked back. “I can’t make you come but believe me it will be the best thing for you.”

  He extended his hand out and waited for me to make my choice.

  Chapter 23

  A Decision

  I stood there struggling with my thoughts. I could run off, protecting my family, and Phineas wouldn’t be able to stop me. Hiding from IODINE would be easier on my own. It would also give me more time to find out what I was going to do about IODINE.

  On the other hand, if I went with Phineas, the secrets of my past would be revealed. Going back would arm me with the knowledge that may reveal IODINE’s true nature. Maybe the people Phineas was leading me to could answer the questions to the dreams I had been having, even that dream from last night. The thought caused me to shiver. A wave of emotion almost overcame me, but I forced myself to maintain my composure.

  I looked around. People were just going about their business. Several buses were loading passengers and baggage. I was standing on a loading deck that was separated from the two-story building that stood as the center of operations.

  “Are you going to get on or not kid?” The bus driver shouted from behind Phineas, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  “Arf, come with me. It is the best choice,” Phineas pleaded, his hand still stretched out.

  I was about to reach to take his hand when a masculine voice spoke from behind. “Mr. Fredrick, don’t trust him.”

  I spun around to see Rufus, one of the first agents I encountered.

  “So now you call me by my real name,” I said. Behind me I heard the bus doors close and the bus drive off. Looking behind me, Phineas was still there, as he had gotten off the bus.

  “Forgive me for that. It’s for the good of the Cause.” He then looked behind me. “Phineas,” he said with a distasteful tone in his voice.

  “Rufus,” he said with an almost equally distasteful voice. “Why am I not surprised that you are here?”

  “Because IODINE always knows to send the best person to deal with traitors.”

  “I’m not a traitor; I was never a part of your agency,” I said. He didn’t have any weapons on him that I could see, only a silver wrist watch.

  He looked at me and replied, “I’m not speaking about you.”

  I looked back at Phineas. His unflinching gaze showed no sign of concern. “Were you IODINE?”

  Phineas said bluntly, “A long time ago, long before I became a Christian. Long before I went to work for BDI.”

  Rufus laughed in contempt. “He didn’t tell you? He used to be one of our best agents. What was your name again? Jason Bond – I remember I helped you pick it from two of our favorite characters.”

  “That was a long time ago Rufus. I’m a different person now,” Phineas countered.

  He shook his head. “Are you sure? I know you have a gun on you – you always do, but you rarely need it. Did he ever tell you Arf, that he has over a hundred confirmed kills, plus multiple assassinations? He’s probably killed more people with his hands than he’s fired a weapon.”

  I sighed. “Is he right?”

  Phineas didn’t look me in the eye. His silence only confirmed my concern. I wondered what I should believe, as he didn’t seem like the person who would do that, but he had. I questioned whether or not Phineas really was leading me back home.

  “I know what I did was wrong Arf. I still have night-terrors about the things I did. You still have night-terrors about the day of the accident, I can see it in your eyes when you wake up. But you did nothing wrong. I have to deal with the ghosts that won’t go away. The men, women, and even... children I’ve murdered in service to IODINE. But I
know Christ has grace even for me.”

  My thoughts were all over the place. I had been traveling with a murderer. Even though the look in his eyes established the testimony of repentance, he was a murderer still. I knew Rufus was trying to undermine Phineas in my mind, but he still continued to show that he knew who I was. He knew of my dreams, and it seemed that he knew about the events they were sourced in.

  “What accident?”

  “We have the answers you want Arf,” Rufus said, “back at IODINE.”

  “You’re mad if you think he’ll return with you!” Phineas blurted out.

  He shook his head again. “What you suffered through, boy, was the work of an overzealous science department. They did their work in secret and will be severely reprimanded for their actions.”

  I didn’t believe a word he said, as silver tongues were standard issue for these agents. “I’m not going anywhere with you. Phineas knows where to go, and though his sins are great, I will trust him. He’s proven that he’s worthy of it.”

  “Last chance to make the right choice. You can’t trust someone just because they claim to have known you before Mindsweeper.”

  “Isn’t that what you want me to do? Whatever Mindsweeper did to me, it hasn’t changed who I am. I still trust in God, I still believe Christ is Lord, and I know He will keep me near though all other loved ones have gone from my mind. I am going home, that is my decision!”

  “Fine. We’ll do this the hard way,” he said as he pressed a button on his watch. Within a moment multiple laser pointing dots were on mine and Phineas’ chests and heads. The few people who were on the platform slowly got up and ran away.

  The situation should have been rather tense, but I felt a surge of confidence and said, “Really? Haven’t you learned guns aren’t that effective on someone faster than the bullets?”