by Martha Carr
“We believe it was a Watcher picking off a Circle soldier. We’re not sure they knew who he was exactly, or what he was carrying. That dead drop may have to be abandoned,” said the Father as they climbed the stairs.
“You think? The Watchers seems to be organizing as their own group,” said Fred.
“Only for the sake of revenge. It’s a problem, but a minor one. One of Clemente’s ever-growing list of distractions. He has played us brilliantly.”
“Well, maybe we have something that will start to level the playing field,” said Fred.
“Let us hope so,” said Father Michael. “Whatever he has been planning for the past few years, it appears to be coming to fruition and if he succeeds the world will change in ways we may not be able to do anything about, or even live with for long. Forget trying to kindle a new democracy, we will be trying to stop an apocalypse.”
“Don’t you think apocalypse is a little strong?” said Fred, arching an eyebrow.
“No, not at all. It will be an event of catastrophic human proportions that will change everything. It will still be possible to slowly go forward, but going back to what we had, well, that door will be close,” said the Father, shaking his head. He let out a deep sigh and rubbed his sore and twisted knuckles, running a finger over the ropey scars.
“Have you given up on hope?” asked Fred, opening and shutting his hands. They ached from carrying the Sergeant.
“An unusual question, coming from you. No, so far I haven’t done that. I believe in the possibilities but I know that a high cost sometimes come with it. So many will suffer and I’d like to prevent that if I can. With my last breath, if that’s what it takes, I’ll give gratefully. Your friend, Helmut has been in touch and has another piece of the puzzle. Perhaps the biggest piece.”
Chapter 5
The two Watchers walked down Main Street in the small city of Georgetown, Texas, easily fitting in with the flow of children and parents who were too busy trick or treating to pay attention to two more adults cloaked in a costume. It made it easier to hide the Glocks they had strapped at their side underneath their costumes.
It helped that Main Street treated the holiday like one of the biggest of the year and the sidewalks were overflowing with children driven in from different locations, toting heavy plastic pumpkins or pillowcases filled with candy.
Strings of small orange lights were strung on the front of porches for blocks and Styrofoam headstones painted a silvery grey were set up in front yards. One yard had an inflatable black cat that was as tall as their roofline and the house at the far end of the street had set up a haunted house with a loudspeaker loudly broadcasting ghostly noises that could be heard blocks away.
“Nice costume,” one of the Watchers said, as he snickered at the taller man walking next to him dressed as Beetle Juice.
“Loved the movie,” said the Watcher. “And didn’t hurt that it went with my hairline,” he said, rubbing the top of his bald head. “You’re one to talk. What are you supposed to be, anyway?”
“Mr. Gadget, it’s obvious,” said the Watcher, unwrapping a small candy bar and eating it in one bite.
“You put on a trench coat and a hat and that’s a costume?”
“And I have a magnifying glass,” he said, holding up the large, round glass with a long metal handle. “Not easy to find these days, too. Had to get it online. What honey?” he asked, as a small girl dressed as Princess Jasmine wearily lifted up her green plastic bag that glowed in the dark.
“Okay, hang on,” he said as he pulled another plastic bag out of his pocket, shook it open and traded bags with her.
“Stupid idea to bring your kids,” said the taller Watcher. “We’re working.”
“We’re observing with strict instructions to not do anything else. Besides, didn’t want to mess up the holiday for my kids. We live two towns over, what’s the big deal?” he asked, digging through the bag of candy. “You think two grown men walking up and down a street without kids would be a better cover?” he asked, looking up. “Be glad this small town of fifty-eight thousand goes nuts for Halloween and all of them show up on this one street. Not sure how we could hide what we’re up to without these costumes.”
“What do you think they’ll do with the family?” asked the Watcher, sidestepping a small child dressed as a bumblebee, quickly followed by a mother bee.
“I don’t ask those kinds of questions. Not anymore, at least. Far as I can tell, the Circle killed one of our descendants. Shot the old guy right in the face. This guy, this Charlie, helped them and then ran away. Should be some kind of justice,” he said with an annoyed grunt. “What, now, you too?” asked the Watcher, as he pulled out another empty bag and traded with a boy dressed as a ninja. “I’m starting to feel like a pack mule,” he said. “Go on, go on, get more candy, it’s okay.” He smiled and waved to reassure the small ninja and watched as the boy ran up the front steps of an old Victorian that had paper strings of small black bats strung across the front of the porch.
“Look,” said one of the Watchers, raising a striped arm. “There on that porch,” he said pointing at a young man handing out candy. “Make sure you get some pictures when your kids go up there for candy. Sitting right out front like we’re too stupid to figure anything out. We’ve got them. We got the bastard,” he said, the anger creeping into his voice as he took a step toward the house.
“Patience,” said the Watcher in the trench coat, putting his hand on the arm of the other Watcher, pulling him back into the darkness of the street, away from the old-fashioned street lamp. “We just observe. There’s time.”
Charlie Foyle sat on the steps of the front porch looking at the steady stream of children dressed up as Power Rangers and yellow minions and other cartoon characters he didn’t recognize as they filled the sidewalk in front of his house.
“That one’s Rey. You know, Star Wars? Force Awakens?” said his younger sister, Maggie, her long, brown ponytail flipping from side to side as she talked. She had a large bowl of candy in her lap and was making a face at him. “You are lame,” she said, rolling her large brown eyes.
“You’d have to go back about ten years for me to get any of this,” said Charlie, forcing a smile for the sake of his sister. He went back to watching the street.
“Do you think the Circle knew about this street, you know, their obsession with Halloween before they put us here?” asked Maggie. “Can’t imagine they would.” She had an edge to her voice. It was the way she took a small piece of revenge for having her life uprooted so suddenly just six months ago.
Charlie still saw it all as his fault. He had barely escaped with his life after all of the years of working undercover first in Management, and then right next to George Clemente as his most trusted accomplice.
After his sudden decision to blow his cover in Richmond, Virginia and roll out of a moving car, Charlie and his family were quickly moved into the Circle’s idea of witness protection. They had to be quickly hidden from the opposition, Management’s Watchers, and worse, George Clemente’s rogue Watchers.
Charlie had watched Clemente quickly sacrifice anyone who was necessary for his plan or worse, was just annoying, usually with a quick bullet to the head. The older Management leader who lay dead in the Jefferson Hotel back in Richmond was a pawn in a plan. Charlie was never able to gather intelligence on the details of the bigger plan, other than frame Wallis Jones, but a year was enough time around George Clemente.
He was either going to burn his cover or shoot Clemente just ahead of one of his rogue Watchers shooting him. He chose the first option and still replayed the moment every day, wondering if he made the right choice.
Before nightfall his entire family was picked up and delivered to a safe house with only the clothes they were wearing when they were found. No one was allowed to take their wallet or a purse and all pockets were emptied before they got in the car.
Everyone was safe. Charlie felt an enormous rush of relief and a new sense of fr
eedom at first, relishing being able to stay with his family without having to think about keeping up appearances in case anyone was watching. He was no long Clemente’s stooge.
But freedom came with a lot of sacrifices until he wasn’t sure of the definition of the word anymore.
They were given new identities, new background stories, new phone numbers, and a new address. There was to be no contact with their old friends, or their extended family of aunts and uncles and cousins. Their old jobs were left behind without two weeks’ notice, much less an explanation. It wouldn’t matter. Charlie’s parents weren’t going to be able to ask for a reference from them, anyway.
Maggie had to leave college and start over at Southwestern University in the small town of Georgetown, Texas.
“Come on, you like it here,” said Charlie, trying to smile. “You’ve made a lot of new friends.”
“Here you go, honey,” said Maggie, holding out the bowl to a small fairy in an emerald green costume and glittery fairy wings. Maggie looked up at Charlie, blinking back tears as she wiped her face on her sleeve. “I don’t want to blame you, I don’t. But, don’t say this was easy.”
She held up a hand to stop her brother from interrupting her. “Of course I’ve made new friends. What choice did I have? But I did it while trying to remember my new name, where I come from, what I hope to do with my life. I feel like I’m constantly lying about something. And I can’t just join in a conversation or share some funny story because I don’t have any.”
Her lip was trembling as more trick or treaters ran up the steps. She sat up straighter and bit her bottom lip. “Take two, they’re small,” she said, managing another smile. “I didn’t sign up for any of this,” she said, once the little ninja had his candy and ran back to his father.
“You think I did?” asked Charlie. “I was raised into it and why is it you think turning your back on the right thing to do is a better answer? You’re right, none of this is ideal but woe is you. The whole time you were spending time going to high school and then college, doing whatever you wanted, I was already pretending to be something I’m not for the greater good. And you know what I remember from that old life? Not one thank you from you. Not one recognition that you stopped thinking about you for just long enough to feel a grain of gratitude, for one second.”
Charlie looked up and saw his father stepping out onto the porch. He looked like an older version of Charlie with a slight paunch around the middle and graying hair.
Maggie looked up as if she was about to argue her point and looked to their father for support. He held up his hands in front of him.
“He’s right,” he said. “Charlie has given the biggest sacrifices here and we’ve enjoyed the benefits without any of the pain. Now, we share the burden. I’m sorry you don’t get that, Naomi,” he said, using her new name given to her by the Circle.
“I hate that name,” she whispered.
“Then change it,” Charlie spit out, “and change the attitude while you’re at it. At the very least, grow up,” he said, standing up abruptly. A few of the children stopped for a moment on the stairs, frozen, looking back at their parents.
Charlie immediately let out a deep breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and smiled. “Come on up, plenty of candy. Happy Halloween!”
“Both of you need to end this eternal argument,” said their father, “Or you’ll end up giving away more than you intended. Do that and we’ll have to redo everything, all over again.”
Charlie turned to go inside and as he did he saw out of the corner of his eye someone turn back and take a few pictures with his cell phone. Years of having to observe everything had taught him to quickly scan an area and assess if the pieces fit together.
Something wasn’t fitting into place.
He kept slowly moving up the stairs, going over what he had just seen, looking for what was out of place. The man dressed as Beetlejuice was taking pictures toward their front porch but he had been standing in front of their house waiting for the ninja who was already a few houses down the street.
Charlie glanced back for a moment and saw the children jumping down his front steps run over to a small cluster of adults waiting for them right in front of the house. As he turned his head back, he caught a last glimpse of the two men walking together down the street.
Definitely have kids, he thought, but they’re either taking pictures of kids they don’t know or of this house. Watchers have found us.
He felt his chest tighten but he forced himself to keep calmly walking up the steps and as he passed his father he lightly tapped him on the arm with two fingers. Their family signal for something wrong. There was no expression on his face, nothing to give him away if there were more along the street.
There had to be well over two hundred adults and children filling the street, moving in both directions. It was impossible to tell if there were more Watchers.
Charlie’s father leaned forward like he was about to say something to Maggie but Charlie gently caught his arm without turning around, stopping him from calling her inside.
“Don’t eat too much of the candy, Naomi,” said his father, gently smiling at his daughter.
“Sorry about all of that, Dad,” she said, holding out the bowl for more children coming up the step. “We’re going to need a refill here soon,” she said looking back as she held up the bowl. There wasn’t much left in it.
“I’ll get it,” said Charlie, holding open the door for his father.
“What is it?” asked his father as they stepped into the front hall.
“Not here,” said Charlie, as he kept walking down the long, wide hall to the kitchen that filled the back of the house. “Let me get Maggie some more candy, first.”
“Make her come in for it,” said their father. “That way she’ll have a reason to come inside.”
“If we do and she doesn’t go back out, they’ll know and we’ll lose the one advantage we may have right now. A little time. Send the signal while I’m doing this,” said Charlie.
“You think it’s come to that?”
“We’re burned. I don’t know which side it was, Management or Clemente but we can’t wait around to find out. Send the signal.”
“Poor Maggie,” said their father, resting his hand on the large kitchen island. “I’ll need to wake your mother. She was taking a nap. Just when we were all starting to get used to the new arrangement.”
“False sense of safety,” said Charlie, picking up the large bag of candy. “We don’t have that luxury to think anything is forever. Look, we have each other, we’ll be okay.”
“We should be telling you that. Your sister had no right to say what she did. Just remember that in the coming days.”
“It’s okay, Dad, I know all of that. Occasionally it gets to me but it’s okay. I’m only sorry I didn’t stop Clemente, just take him out. That was my one mistake,” he said, heading back down the hall.
His father ran after him, grabbing him by the arm. “Don’t say that, son. Don’t ever say that you should have just killed someone because it would have made things easier.”
Charlie winced, thinking about Alphonso, the Watcher he had strangled with his bare hands to keep from getting exposed to George Clemente. That would have meant a long and torturous death.
“I know about what happened in New York. Remember, I have a pretty high clearance,” said his father. “That must have been horrible. I should have said I knew earlier, but I never knew what to say.” He put his hands on his son’s shoulders. “You deserve to have a life too, you know. Yes, your sacrifice is necessary, I’m not going to act like it’s not or that you haven’t given honorably. But you get to have a life outside of that, too. Like the rest of us.”
“And we sacrifice as a family.” His mother was standing on the stairs, dressed in tan pants and a light blue pullover. Two go bags were at her feet. “I heard what you were saying. Didn’t see any point in delaying the obvious,” she said, gesturing toward the b
ags. “I could only carry the two. Go signal for a removal. I’ll go sit with Maggie. Here, hand me the candy.”
His mother patted Charlie on the arm. “We probably didn’t shield you enough, and we protected Maggie too much. Basic parenting 101,” she said, letting out a small laugh. “Look son, sometimes, we make sacrifices for the good of others that no one ever really knows about, and no one ever thanks us for them. Doesn’t mean they weren’t necessary and even valuable. Yes, you took a life, and that’s a tough thing to live with, but you also played a part in saving a life, and that counts too.”
His father had his iPhone out, and was getting ready to send the retrieval code for that month, which would start an entire chain of reactions. No going back once it was sent. He hesitated and said, “Think of how much the Weiskopf family has gone through, for a couple of generations at least. You helped save Norman Weiskopf so he could go back to his family. That counts,” he said. “Go get the other two go bags. We’ll need to be ready.”
He started punching in ‘No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed’. “There, it’s done,” he said.
Charlie looked at his father and saw how the lines in his face seemed to grow deeper as his shoulders sagged. “It’ll be okay, Dad,” he said, hugging his father. His father hugged him as his mother came over and wrapped her arms around both of them.
“It’s a queer little war going on everywhere that most people never notice and yet affects everything they do,” she said.
She took the candy and went outside, pulling the front door behind her till it was almost closed.
“What now?” asked Charlie.
“We wait for contact,” said his father, “and then we go.”
“We’re almost out of candy.” They could hear Charlie’s mother setting up a premise for Maggie to come inside with them and shut off the lights. The trick or treating along that block would continue well into the night.
