by Sweth Water
If he started looking in the records, he would find so many people who would stammer while talking. But how many were related to Coal or Rose? Starting from our own house and families will be good for the beginning; Rose doesn’t have many links to the outer world. Maybe. Both the families were decent families. There would be no-one on the list if he started making one. And it was a time-wasting thing.
Soon his eyes were close and he slumbered.
At the last stop, his eyes opened; he had come very far from the house. He stretched and slid his phone.
It was Holl.
“You know where Rose is? I am ... I am very worried about her.” Holl said.
“No, Holl. The police are still trying to find her. Don’t worry. She will be safe.”
“People want her dead. She was attacked once.”
“Calm down. I will come to you. Where are you?”
“I am in ... I am out of the city. Please tell me as soon as you know about her.”
“Sure.”
He hung up.
Holl was concerned about his sister. Even Coal was worried about Rose. He still didn’t know where she was. She was alone and people who wanted her dead were still out. Holl was right. He needed to find his wife now.
He sighed and hailed a taxi.
He sat in the back seat and thought about his conversation with the prisoner. There was something he was missing. Whatever the story that he told Coal believed that. He had every reason to agree that a man was behind Rose’s life. Wanted to kill her.
Passing through the streets brought nothing in his head. Soon he started looking at the people standing alongside the road when the taxi stopped at the signal. Some children were running to his right side and singing the songs, very unusual. How many times did he see that? He closed his eyes, only darkness was there. Darkness that would show him the path.
He relaxed.
He slid his phone and dialled Rose’s number once again. A long ring, like the last time. Was she running away from everything or in trouble? Rose was in the middle of bears. They would tear her apart if she didn’t get someone’s help. Last time she survived but ...
He let the thought go.
The prisoner said the man stammered when nervous. How many people had he met who stammered? Hell, he didn’t even know if it was really a man or woman. The prisoner had not met the person. There were so many mimicry artists who would ready to do that for money. Woman? Some women he had as friends and he was sure none would kill Rose. All were kind.
So it should be a man. His fingers were drumming on his legs. He opened his eyes.
Holl called him.
He stammered.
It was foolish to think that Holl had something to do with it. To his own sister. They were very close to each other. But, still, he didn’t want to leave the thought. What if Holl was the person who attacked Rose and me? It could be the case. People who looked innocent always betrayed him. Why not this time?
Coal didn’t even know what Holl did for a living. Where the money came from? He never asked. There was no need of that. Even Rose never mentioned about it as if she didn’t have any idea. These brother and sister were not easy to understand. Was it because of some genes running in the family? There was a smile on his face.
Then he frowned. He was certain that Holl’s patriotism would come in the way to make him do that. There were thousands of people who’d readied themselves to do anything to prove their patriotism. Agents from RAAD were among them.
Holl was in the city when the accident happened.
He dialled Baldwin’s number.
Chapter
34
Rose had Coal’s sweater in her hands. She hugged it and tears fell from her eyes. It had been months when they talked with each other. She missed him so much.
His bedroom was a mess. She had told him many times to keep it clean, but he never listened to her.
She had so many memories of this room. The pictures of babies were still on the wall. Coal must have found out about her being alive. He would definitely think of her as an immoral wife. Maybe he would soon realize that it was nothing of being moral or immoral; sometimes we have to listen to our conscience without caring about laws and rules.
What she did was right; there was no doubt in that. Stupid people wouldn’t agree, and wise people wouldn’t be listened. She was used to that.
It had been one hour since Coal got out. She had to go before he came back. She checked the wardrobe and found flash drive connected to the laptop. He was surely working on the encrypted files, and there was no possibility that he would find out what that was. She created the encryption program and she had the key to decrypt it.
Actually they were the documents that she scanned with her phone and stored on the hard disk. She didn’t know that she’d forgotten it in the Department. It was a dumb thing to do. It was the only leverage that she had, and yesterday she realized that it was not with her.
She’d checked the things that the local PD took from the so-called Anons at the Headquarters; it was still easy for her to hack into the system and get the details. Taking had surely removed the device in the motherboard, but all the damage was done and they wouldn’t be able to do anything now. It was the only way to have the access to any satellite she wanted. Base was working in the house with Gin. She’d seen the picture of the hard disk in their system and Coal working on the laptop in the morning.
She powered it on and checked the files.
Yes, it was what was needed.
She took the flash drive and closed the wardrobe.
She didn’t want to leave. Didn’t want to get away from Coal. But it was not the right moment. She lingered there for few more minutes.
She smiled at the mess that he created in different rooms. She missed it more than anything. In the kitchen, all the dishes were in the sink, and she was sure he didn’t do the dishes for two days. Did he even bathe? She smiled and shook her head.
While leaving the house, she saw a frame having their picture. They were on the vacation and had a wonderful time. She had that at her working place but then she placed it in the hall. Both were smiling; she lost in the thoughts of them roaming the streets and forgot about what she did behind Coal’s back.
It was just a daydreaming now. It would come true one day.
She could wait till that day.
She heard the stopping of a car outside the house.
Coal?
She was in trouble.
Through the kitchen window, she peeked outside. A man came out of the car, his back to her. He fixed his T-shirt and removed the shades.
It was Taking.
He put the shades in his pocket and rang the bell. He had told his findings about the motel at the Headquarters. Fog was persisting to inform the President, and Taking said the same thing again. Telling President Earl would raise a finger on Gin’s character. Before apprehending her, he needed to hear her story too.
Nobody showed up. He rang again.
No answer.
Maybe Coal was not at home.
Rose was behind the curtain. There was no other way to get out from the house. Rose asked for this house for that specific reason: no thief could come through the back door because there wasn’t any.
It proved to be a big disadvantage for her.
What if he waited until Coal came and they found her inside the house?
She was going to jail for a long time, they wouldn’t even let her make a call to any lawyer. She would be on the national channels and Coal would be degraded in public if not already. No, she shouldn’t think of it.
It was wrong.
She was so close to finish it and now it was ...
She closed her eyes and thanked God when Taking left her there and opened the door of the car. And then he saw March.
“Excuse me.” Taking said to the woman outside the house.
“Yes?”
“I am looking for Coal. He lived there, right?”
�
�Yes.”
“Is he at home?”
“He should be. I have not seen him leaving the house.”
“I rang the bell. He didn’t come outside. His car is parked there. Any idea?”
“Maybe outside then. You can wait for him.”
“Actually, I am in a hurry. You are a neighbour, so if you have a spare key, I can look into the house.”
She took one step back. “Who are you?”
“I am from Top One.” He flashed his badge. “I want you to cooperate with me, ma’am.”
“Is Coal in trouble?”
“He would be if you don’t do as asked.”
“But the officers checked his house and took him to the Headquarters.”
Taking raised his brows. “Let me put it in this way, ma’am. I think you are aware of Rose being alive. And we have a strong reason to believe that there is something in the house that Rose might need. Another search you can say. Last time Coal was spared because of Fog’s intervention. But now the situation is very tense.”
“I need to check with Coal first, Agent. I can’t let you go inside the house without him knowing about it.”
“Sure. You can call him and tell him about me, and if he comes here it would be good for all of us.” He smiled.
She got inside the house and Taking waited outside.
Her heart was beating very fast. March should not be fool enough to give him the key. It was not given to her for this reason. March was like a sister to Rose, so a spare key was given to her when she lost her key and Coal was out of city for a week. She stayed in March’s house for the night. Coal returned next day and they thought of having a key at March’s house in case of any emergency.
She thought of running outside without caring what would happen if he found her outside the house. It was a risk. And then she shook her head.
They were coming in her direction; March had the key in her hand.
A fearful scene it was, like death going to have its hands around her neck. Her body was numb. Brain stopped working. She was sweating, and she could feel the heat on her face. She rubbed her palms on her pants.
She lowered herself.
And the key was inside the lock.
“I appreciate your help, ma’am.” Taking said as she opened the door.
“Call me March, please.”
“What did Coal say?”
“He is on his way here.”
“Oh ... I knew that he was not in the house. He is a nice man, telling you the truth. He wouldn’t be locking himself in the house.”
“Please have a seat.”
March sat on the couch and Taking looked around and finally sank in the chair.
“Can I ask you something?” Taking said.
“Sure.”
“What you think of Rose’s involvement in this? Would you have suspected that?”
“Never. Coal told me about it and I didn’t believe.”
“What about Coal?”
“I think he believed whatever was told to him. He said that Rose was alive and guilty of stealing some data from the Department.”
“So, Coal was not aware of it too?”
“Definitely not. He has seen the worst days of his life, Agent Taking, when Rose was dead to us. If you are implying that Coal had anything to do with Rose’s action then you have mistaken.”
“That is our task to do, not yours. But I like the confidence that you have. I am sure you had the same for Rose too.”
March said nothing.
“When will he be here?”
“Thirty minutes.”
He went through some magazines on the table. Killing the time became boring. Around him, it was so ugly that he had no desire to sit here for even one more minute. How Coal lived here? Was he an animal? Or maybe he was devastated, not about the death now but the lies that Rose might have told him.
When he met Coal at the Headquarters it was different. Even though he had asked him about his wife’s role, but he was certain that the man was clean. In his life, he had met hundreds of criminals and suspected them with his eyes. And then there was Rose. Biggest mistake of trusting Summer ... Rose. She was a very cunning woman.
He yawned two times before he heard a sound.
He stood up with a jerk and pulled out his gun.
“You said he was out.” His muscle tight, gun pointing towards the stairs.
“Yes, he is.” March was scared.
“Anyone else in the house?”
“Rose’s brother was there, but he left yesterday I guess.”
“Stay here.”
He climbed the stairs; his hands grasped the butt of the gun strongly.
In the first room he found nothing. Over his head, no shelf was there. He moved to the next room. If he was not wrong then this room was above the hall where he sat in. Under the bed he looked. Nothing. Inside the wardrobe only clothes were there. He opened each of them and got outside the room. At the corner he looked.
Choosing his steps carefully, he tilted his head to left. There was someone. He inclined and aimed behind the big table. His finger on the trigger, he squeezed his eyes and opened again.
“Hello!”
The gun was over Rose’s head.
He pulled her. She was trying to get away from him. The muzzle was behind her hand.
“Stand still, Rose. I don’t want to shoot you.”
She stopped struggling.
“That’s it. Nice and steady. We go down, and then to the Headquarters. Simple and easy.”
Rose raised her hands and got down in the hall. March was standing there, her mouth open. She walked until Taking told her to stop.
“You need to go to your house, ma’am.”
“I ... I ...”
“Now. Out.” Taking shouted.
Rose turned her face to Taking. “We can talk.”
“I don’t talk with criminals.”
“I am not what you think I am.”
“Everybody says that to save themselves from the crimes they’ve committed.”
“Only five minutes I need. Have some phone calls and then we do it in your way.”
“No phone call and we will do it in my way.”
“You have no idea what is happening.”
“Stop talking, Rose. I am losing the patience.”
“You are doing a big mistake.”
“I will call at the Headquarters, and then we will move.” He looked behind Rose. “To your home, ma’am. This is not what you should be seeing.”
“Go, March. You don’t need to witness this.”
“Why, Rose?” March asked. She was nervous and scared. If Taking had not been there, she would have cried. March was like a delicate child, no-one should hurt her.
“You will know soon. Right now, do as Taking says.” There was a firmness in Rose’s voice. She said that without turning her head, eyes fixed on the gun.
Taking pointed his gun down and asked Rose to sit on the couch. He pulled his phone and was going to dial the number when he heard the voice.
“Drop the phone, Taking.”
He turned and found Gin standing at the door. Rose sighed and swallowed. Base’s house was not very far from her house. She had said that she would come back in fifteen minutes. Of course, Gin would come looking for her. She still needed the documents. Mean woman, Rose thought.
Gin had a gun, pointing at him. Base’s. Gin gave him for protection. March moved away from the door, inside the house.
“Partner in crime, Gin? I just started thinking that you were not with your friend here. Maybe I figured all this wrong. Thank God, you proved me right.” Taking said.
“You can say what you like.”
“The police are looking for you.” He pointed his gun to Gin. “Same charges you are going to have. Treason for sure.”
“Drop the weapon, Taking. I don’t have the courage to shoot you.”
“You have the courage to betray your country, but don’t have it to kill me? That is absurd. Point
ing a gun at an agent assures few more months in prison. Your weapon on the ground. Now.”
“Don’t make me do it.”
“Why would you do that, huh? I always thought of you as a good friend.”
“I am your good friend, but the situation let us have the guns pointed at each other.”
“So, you are going to shoot me?”
“If you are not going to listen, yes.”
“Listening.”
“This operation was so covert that even you were not aware of that. Rose was working under my command and planned to take whatever we thought was happening in the country. Giving the weapons to other countries to start a war. Let them do the killing, and the businessmen will be making money out of it. You know this very well. Wars start because of two reasons: political control of the situation and money. Those days are over when the wars and battles were to fight against injustice.
“Rose got the evidence in the Department. She was involved because there was no other way that we could have gotten to it without alerting some people in the government. It took days to plan everything. We have the evidence with us. You just need to look and then decide. Big arms dealers have not known about Rose being alive and that she has proof against them. But they will make their move soon.”
“‘We’?” He frowned. “I remember that Base guy. The third culprit with you.”
“Not culprit.”
“So you knew Rose was alive?”
Gin looked at Rose and shook her head. “She found out that someone wanted her dead and she planned it without telling me. I found it yesterday when she rescued me.”
“So you were really kidnapped?”
“Yes.”
“By whom?”
Gin didn’t say anything.
“My brother. Holl.” Rose said.
“Trust me, Rose, I can’t trust on a single word that you will say. But I still trust Gin that is why I am listening.”
“She is telling the truth, Taking. We were in the motel last night. We escaped before he could kill us. You can check that on the satellite.”
“Satellite?” Taking laughed. “Your friend still has the access to that, and we are blind here because she changed the parameters.”
