by George Nagle
***
“Everyone is going to be against this idea,” James stated.
“Really?” asked Master.
“Well, aside from Tim and me, that is.”
“Assuming you are right about Tim, that means the two people who are the most affected are okay with it. What’s the problem?”
“Aside from everyone else thinking it’s a bad idea, you mean?” asked James.
“Since when do you concern yourself with what everyone else thinks of a situation? You see a path and you go for it. As things come up, you adjust. Tim is as safe in your hands as anyone’s. If he wasn’t, would you consider taking him?”
“I …” began James.
“This sounds like self-doubt and emotion. You walked through a decision tree and exceeded 50 percent. You have a path.”
***
James walked down the hall to room D1 and entered. At a glance, he saw that Tim was in rare form, pacing along all four walls as if doing laps and talking nonstop in a rather scattered way. He did this when he was nervous and felt like he was out of control.
“She was trying to make an appointment, she said. Well, that does not make sense. Who needs to make an appointment? You simply add the acid. It’s not a hard thing to remember, and of course, if you don’t, you get complications. Complications that can cause harm. Harmful burning that is very bad and painful, yes.”
Like Tom, Tim was in his early thirties, with brown eyes and hair. He looked a great deal like Larry from The Three Stooges, though without the baldness.
Tim’s eyes found James. “James needs sleep. He has been up for too many hours and also needs to eat today. Those pants are new, though. Only washed once or twice, but the shirt is old. Very old. The excuse she made, well, I do not see why she said it. The lies are obvious and she will have to go to jail for a long time for killing her husband and son. This is very irregular, very. We did not have a time set up to meet.”
“Hello, Tim. I’m happy to see you,” James said, stepping into Tim’s path.
Tim dropped his head slightly. “Hello, James. I am sorry I commented on your clothes. They are nice, I am sure.”
James allowed the silence to go on for a moment before he spoke. He wanted to let Tim gain his own sense of things.
“Tim, thank you for the help on the code for the Rose operation. It made everything work. We could not have done anything without your help. You are the man with the plan,” James said.
Tim looked up, smiling. “Yes, obviously, the encryption—it was just a number system. Like the telephone hierarchy, of course. Very obvious once I saw it. You caught the bad guys and they are not coming back, right?”
“All thanks to you, buddy. You are the man, as always,” James said, taking a seat.
Tim copied him and also sat. He was making prolonged eye contact, something he rarely did. James knew Tim loved praise and being called “the man.” Apparently his parents had never praised him, which did not help his introverted nature.
“Tim, I was wondering if you could help me again, please,” James said.
“Obviously, yes,” said Tim, his legs bouncing. James wasn’t sure if that was out of excitement at the thought of a new project, or out of nervousness at having his routine disrupted.
“We have a problem that is very far away near a town called Osh in K …” began James.
“Kyrgyzstan, yes. Obviously. You do not speak the language, or do so poorly. It is how your tongue and lips move together. You can roll your tongue, so it makes it harder for you. I can speak in Latin and Spanish and French and Italian and Thai and Cantonese and Mandarin and Vietnamese and ...”
James held up a finger. Immediately, Tim dropped his head and was silent. This was a Pavlov-style response instilled by his parents in his childhood.
“Tim, you are awesome at everything. I wish I could do things like you, but I can’t. I need your help,” James affirmed.
Tim looked up and began looking frantically around the room. “Well, where is it?” he asked impatiently.
“This time, we do not need to you translate something for us on paper. This time, I’ll need help out in the field,” James said, slowly and clearly.
Tim’s response was mixed, but very literal. He froze, and a moment later he started to shake. He then froze again, his physical response indicative of the battle going on inside him. He had constantly insisted he was as capable as anyone of doing fieldwork. In fact, he felt he was more capable, but it went against his need for routine. This was truly two worlds colliding.
They waited in silence for two minutes, Tim’s response becoming more and more drastic.
“Tim, you don’t …” came Tom’s voice, but James moved so quickly to keep Tim’s field of vision and attention on him that Tom had to take a step back. James held out his left hand behind him to signal Tom not to talk.
Tim continued to sit still except for his bouncing left leg.
“What do you think, Tim? Will you help me?” James asked.
“Obviously, yes, but it is my operation and I call the shots?” It was a question filled with anxiety, not his normal matter-of-fact tone.
“No, Tim. You and I will review, and I will give you instructions that I need you to follow, no matter what. Can you do that?”
“Obviously, yes,” Tim replied, dropping his head.
“Tim, going on the trip means you will be very far away. You will have a different name, and your schedule will be very mixed up. You will miss all your activities while you are gone,” Tom said.
“Tom, I am not stupid!” Tim screamed. “What is my new name?” he asked James with a hungry look.
“What do you want it to be?” James asked.
“Tim Ferguson,” Tim said instantly.
“I like the last name, but do you think we should change the first name, too?” James knew it was better to ask Tim than tell him.
“Fine,” he replied with a roll of his eyes. “Jim Ferguson.”
“We will call you Jim for the operation, but your documents will say James Walter Ferguson, and you will have to remember that if someone says ‘James,’ they are talking to you the same as if they say ‘Jim,’” James said.
“What is your name, then?” Tim asked. “Obviously, it is confusing if we are both James.”
“Grant Mathers,” James answered. “Grant Adam Mathers. I’m the son of a rich multi-chain gas station owner. You will be my cousin on our mother’s side, but also with a wealthy father who is an investment banker. No need to change our ages or birthdays. You will get all new documents for the trip from Melissa, and we will have to stay in character the entire trip from the moment I pick you up until we’re back.”
James paused a moment to let Tim digest this. Then he continued, “I will have to ask you to speak as little as possible to others, and when others are around, as little as possible to me. Even pointing or making noises to get my attention will have to be minimal. You will have to pretend you can’t speak unless asked a very direct question by someone in security or something.”
Tim nodded. He still looked anxious, but he was no longer shaking. He took a deep breath and asked, “Obviously, I need a new background with degrees, addresses, pictures, contacts, friends, and things like this. When will I have those? Then there are the trip details we need to discuss, obviously. When are we doing that?” He began to shake again. “When are we going? When will we be back?”
Tom stepped forward. “Tim, are you sure you want to do this? It is very dangerous and difficult.”
Tim paused and gathered himself. “Yes.”
James smiled at Tim. “We will have all that information very soon. Melissa will need a day, or maybe two, to get us new documents. Then I will set up the plans as quickly as I can and tell you the moment I can. I hope to have all of this sorted in three days, but if I don’t, I will give you an update at least. Sound good?”
“Yes, but what about cell phone numbers and rooms and packing? I will obviously need to know th
e exact place we are going so I can pack the right clothes.”
“We will figure all that out in a few days. If I could answer it now for you I would. We just have to go step by step,” James said.
“Just like the song. I like that song.” Tim began to hum to himself.
“Thanks, Tim. I’m glad you’re coming along. It will be an adventure!” James said.
Tim nodded his head in time with the song he was humming. In many ways Tim was brilliant, and in others, he was like a child.
James clapped Tim on the shoulder as he got up to leave, and Tim reached up and touched his hand. Tim generally did not care for physical contact, but he had learned that some touch was what “normal” people did, and he tried hard to participate in “normal” people activities.
***
Tom caught James in the hall. “Wait.”
James stopped.
“You are creating a new ID for this trip. Won’t they know who to expect or have some clue?” Tom said.
“No,” James said. He turned to walk down the hall.
“‘No’?” You’re just leaving it at that?”
“You worry too much, Tom.” James stopped. “Petior is former KGB and went to the trouble of having a fake uncle present the note from his own hand. His real uncle was there as the barman. Petior was protecting me and gave me an out, remember? He didn’t set an expectation of a name so they couldn’t try to trace me. New name is fine. Bye, Tom.”
Tom stood there a second, then walked away.
***
“Hi Melissa,” James said, knocking before opening the door.
Melissa was an expert at identities. She could create anything he needed and had the ability to get into most systems to set up verifiable information. She encountered some limitations on accessing the human resources files of certain companies, but she had over 100 she could use.
She was bright, pretty, and well liked by those she met. It was part of how she’d been able to build her own network to establish full cover stories. She also had a mole on her left ear that had been James’s inspiration in Aberdeen.
Melissa was also an old classmate of Tim’s from their high school days. She was how Tim had come to be associated with the group. She had always been a defender of his and saw him, in a sense, as a little brother, even though Tim was slightly older.
She peered up from her screen and smiled as she rose to give James a hug. “Well, if it isn’t Mr. Enigma himself!”
They hugged briefly.
“You’ve been busy. How are you?” She stepped back and looked at him.
“Doing really well. Thank you for all the help lately on the documents and connections and everything. You’re always so awesome. How are you?” James said.
“Doing okay myself. Got that software I was working on done finally, you know, for Steve. Also made a choice on a house finally; now I just have to fill it. And most importantly, and thank you, thank you, thank you again, Mom is recovering from the stroke. We would have lost her if it weren’t for you. Still don’t know how you recognized that.” Melissa looked back at her screen as she finished.
She didn’t like eye contact when personal things were discussed. This was one of the reasons she wasn’t in field operations; she wore her heart on her sleeve.
“I’m just glad I happened to be there,” James said with a smile.
Though that wasn’t the complete truth of it. The complete truth was that he hadn’t planned to attend Melissa’s party at all, but had decided he needed to be there as the day had progressed. He’d dreamed of it months earlier. It was his mixed dream style, which meant he could alter the outcome, and this outcome showed Melissa’s mother falling into a pool dead.
During the real party, she did fall, and James figured a second fall would take place unless he found out the cause or got her out of there.
“I just had a feeling … You know, she isn’t exactly young. She’d eaten twenty minutes before and was happy and active. It wasn’t too hot, and she didn’t seem to trip, so I just thought it would be worth running her through some easy tests. That was the lifesaver. I didn’t do anything anyone else couldn’t have,” James said, trying to be modest.
“Yes, you did. I wouldn’t have thought twice about her little spill. No one else paid attention to all that stuff. And they didn’t ask her to smile or roll her tongue or even who the president was. You did. You saved her life by getting her to go to the hospital. That in and of itself was a miracle. She is so stubborn. Without you, Sammy wouldn’t know his Grammy … Anyhow, you’re the best, and our family is eternally grateful.”
She turned her head the moment she finished speaking.
James pretended not to notice, but the crack in her voice gave her away. “How is your nephew?” he asked, changing the topic. “That kid is a bundle of energy just waiting to explode. Made me tired just watching him run around that day.”
“Sammy never stops! He’s even like that when he sleeps. It’s like watching a dog having a dream, the way he moves and kicks. He stayed with us last weekend and crawled in bed with Isaac and me at some point. I didn’t know he was there, and neither did Isaac, until he kicked us both awake at the same time!”
She and James laughed.
“Isaac and I woke up and both said ‘Ow’ and ‘What was that for?’ and ‘Are you okay?’ at the same time. Sam just kept on sleeping. Isaac grumbled something, scooped him up, and flung him over his shoulder to take him back to the guest room. Two seconds later, I heard him go ‘Ugh.’ Apparently Sam left a big old drool on him. Crazy kid.”
Melissa had been facing him during this funny recall and now looked James over more critically. “You sure you’re okay? You look, I don’t know, different somehow.”
“I couldn’t have gotten that ugly since you saw me last,” James quipped.
“No, smart guy. I don’t know what it is.”
“Tired looking?” James offered.
“No … More alive, or happy, or a mix. I don’t know.” She shook her head briefly. “So how can I help you?”
“And how do you know I didn’t just stop by to say hello?” James smiled with raised eyebrows.
Melissa turned back to her screen. “Because you knocked as you came in and asked me how everything was going. If it was just social, it would have been you just coming in and asking how I was. You aren’t the only observant person in the world who recognizes patterns to human nature.”
James laughed and said, “Someone has taught you well.”
“Blah blah blah, don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back. So what’s up?” Melissa said, making it evident it was time to get to business.
“I need two identities made up,” James stated.
“My God, you have more IDs than everyone else combined. How on earth can you need two at once?” Melissa asked with a combination of sarcasm and disbelief.
“I need one as Grant Adam Mathers, and Tim will need one as James Walter Ferguson. Use our actual birthdates and …”
“Tim? Tim who? You can’t mean Tim Smithfield, whom I actually saw come in today.” She looked aghast at James.
“The very same,” James said calmly.
“No, you can’t be serious.” Melissa looked at James with incredulity. “Come on, you know Tim can’t go into the field. I can’t go into the field, let alone Tim. He’ll fall apart. How the hell is Tom allowing this? And what are you going to tell the people at his residence?”
Melissa glared at James. “Now I see why you got me in a good mood before introducing this. You can’t do this, James, you simply can’t.” She stood up, her tone changing.
James’s expression didn’t falter. He wasn’t happy or sad or mad.
Melissa, on the other hand, went through a variety of emotions, ending with anger.
Slap!
Melissa struck James across the face and he had to admit Melissa had a great left hook. Her finger caught his ear canal just right, increasing the pain for James.
After a moment, she took two deep breaths and puffed both out. Then she sat down and began to access records. “What are the names again?” Her voice was grim with disapproval.
James gave them to her, along with the background he’d given Tim. He was so detailed that she knew he’d somehow gotten Tom to go along with it, but that didn’t stop her from making it clear she disapproved as they sat going over potential background builds with educations and the like.
They were almost finished when James explained that it would be essential to hide all the languages Tim could speak and to only list Spanish in his education transcripts.
“Are you sure? I mean really sure? Have you really considered the 51 percent values? I know you have great consideration for people and place extreme value there, but we are talking about Tim. He’s limited. I have seen him struggle so much. I know he wants to do this, and he’s really good with you, but James, please.” Melissa’s fingers hovered above the final keystroke that would send the documents to the needed databases to generate fake documents overnight.
“I’m as sure about this as I can be. I will take every measure to protect Tim—you know that. As long as I do this set up properly, we’ll be fine. This is an information retrieval, nothing more. I just need his language expertise. There’s no one else who can do it or I would take them in his place in a heartbeat.”
She hit the key.
“Thank you for the help, Melissa.” James turned to leave.
“Hey,” Melissa called. “I still think it’s a bad idea and not sorry I slapped you.”
“That’s why I thanked you.” James gave her a smile as he backed out the door, closing it with his left hand, and Melissa gave a deep sigh.
Chapter Nine
The alarm went off at 1:21 a.m. James clicked it off and switched on the light. Two minutes later, he was calling the number on the instructions he’d gotten from Calum.
“Hiioo,” is what James heard from the answering voice.
“I was calling about A S pirit,” James said, slowly and clearly.
“Oh, you wish to talk about the A S pirit. This is a very hard to find vehicle. Lucky we are only deal to have this, sir. We have to make arrangements for you to come get the vehicle. When you come for the vehicle, sir?”
