The Memory Agent & Fool Me Once

by Kane, Joany

  “Whatever has happened in the past, is in the past. It's how we move into the future that matters.”

  “I liked it better when I couldn't remember.”

  “So you have a few more thoughts happening in that head of yours, it doesn't change anything. Not for me.”

  Duke's eyes lock with Claire's. He really needed to hear her say those words and looks grateful for it. He takes her hand is his, their eyes still locked.

  The moment is broken when the cop guarding the room peeks in. “Nurse, you’re needed.”

  Claire removes her hand from Duke’s and leaves the room. She joins Whitmore who has just arrived.

  “You should interrogate him, Whit. I’m keeping the nurse ruse up until he makes it out of surgery.”

  “Fine,” Whitmore responds.

  “Duke is at a fragile point. With the right encouragement you could get him to cooperate. Please be kind, gentle.”

  Whitmore takes out his cell-phone and hits a button. “I'll be on line two.”

  Whitmore enters Duke's room leaving Claire in the hallway with the cop. She turns her cell-phone onto line two so she can listen in to Whitmore's interrogation.

  Whitmore approaches the bed where Duke lays handcuffed. Whitmore’s demeanor is anything but kind and gentle. He’s doing his best to act commanding, intimidating, menacing. He's gung ho to play bad cop and ignore Claire's advice.

  “Duke Reeves,” Whitmore snarls.

  “I know it now.”

  “So you know what you did.”

  “I was on look out. I got to the scene just as the security guard shot at my brother.”

  Whitmore puts a photo of Brent on Duke's lap. “He wasn't a security guard. He was an undercover agent for the FBI.”

  “You're a fed?” Duke sounds surprised.

  “Yes. That agent is dead.”

  “He shouldn't be, my shot was a flesh wound.”

  “It wasn't your shot that killed him. It was your brother's. He hit the young agent straight between the eyes. He fired the kill shot after you fired the wound shot. The agent, Brent Langer, was newly married. His wife is pregnant.” Whitmore informs Duke with venom dripping off of every word.

  Duke is mortified to hear this. “He wouldn't do that, why would he do that, why would he kill if he didn't have to?”

  Whitmore places a photo of the dead jewelry store owner on Duke's lap. “Why don't you ask this woman's daughter? Your brother shot and killed this woman for no other reason than he's a psychopath.”

  “There's no way, not my big brother.” Duke looks like he's been pierced in the heart learning this horrible information about his beloved brother.

  “You already did time for your brother once, don't do it again, because this time, we're seeking the death penalty.”

  Duke is overwhelmed and it's affecting him physically.

  “Tell me where your brother is!!” Whitmore hollers.

  Whatever hope there was that he'd help the investigation is now gone. Duke, his head in serious pain, shaken, turns away from Whitmore. He’s physically and emotionally spent.

  Whitmore storms out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

  In the hallway Claire paces like a caged dog. She. Is. Pissed.

  Claire glares at Whitmore. “What the hell was that?! Did you have to be so hard on him?! He's having major surgery tomorrow.” She hisses at Whitmore.

  Whitmore steps back, stunned by Claire's attack.

  “You completely blew that interrogation!!!” Claire continues with her verbal assault on Whitmore. “Duke was ready to talk, all you had to do was guide him there. And you had to play John friggin' Wayne!!!”

  Whitmore's eyes fill with anguish. “Ohmygod.”

  “What??!” Claire flabbergasted asks.

  “You care,” Whitmore responds quietly, the pain in his voice evident.

  “About getting Riker.” She snaps, covering. She stomps away from Whitmore and enters Duke’s room.

  Duke's back faces the door. Claire approaches the bed.

  “How did it go?” She quietly asks feigning ignorance about the interrogation.

  He turns to her, upset. His emotions are most definitely affecting his brain/head trauma. He's beet red and wracked with emotional and physical pain.

  “I need to see my brother. Find out what's going on. This fed just told me that Riker's killed two people. In cold blood. Could that be true or would the fed say that as a ruse to get me to turn on him? My big brother is no murderer, Claire,” Duke says firmly believing this to be true.

  One of the monitors begins to beep, activated by Duke's elevated blood pressure.

  Claire, worried first and foremost for Duke's safety, tries to calm him with her touch and soothing tone. “Duke, please calm down. The only thing that matters right now is you and your health. We'll figure everything out after the surgery. Blank all this stuff out of your mind right now. Please.”

  The doctor rushes in to check the monitors. “What's going on?”

  “A federal agent just interrogated Duke.” Claire tells the doctor as she steps out of the way so he can examine Duke.

  Claire keeps her eyes on Duke. Her warm, reassuring smile calms him. Until his eyes flutter shut and he goes unconscious.

  “What happened? Is he okay?” Claire asks sounding concerned.

  “I just gave him something to settle him. We’re going to move up the surgery.”

  Claire sits in a pew in the hospital’s multi-denominational chapel. The place is empty, except for Claire. The lovely stained glassed windows illuminate the small area with a warm, colorful glow.

  Aunt Rita enters. “Now this is the last place I ever thought I'd find you. Thankfully you gave me the coordinates.” She says as she takes a seat next to Claire. “I smell jasmine. Nice.” Aunt Rita compliments.

  “You and your ‘stop and relish the fragrant blooms’ is what got me into this mess.”

  “No mess is ever so big you can't mop it up.” Aunt Rita reassures Claire.

  “Not this time, Aunt Rita. I've crossed so many lines in the last few days I'm a bigger criminal than he is.”

  “Than who is?”

  “Duke. And really, the one serious crime he's committed is having too much blind faith in his brother.”

  “Are you about to share things with me that could send me into witness protection?”

  “I've been pursuing his brother for over three years. And now the only thing I can think about is Duke. How horrible is it that I want Duke to live, to survive the surgery so desperately I would willingly sacrifice getting Riker.”

  “It's not horrible, it's human. Knowing you and how tenacious you are, I bet you'll get your man.”

  “Which one? If I do my job right I have to sacrifice one for the other.” Claire says as she wipes tears from her cheek.

  *****

  Claire composes herself and takes a deep breath before entering Duke’s room.

  Two orderlies are prepping Duke's bed, getting ready to wheel him to surgery.

  As soon as Claire enters Duke turns his head towards her and smiles, the vulnerable Duke is back. “Jasmine.”

  Claire looks at the orderlies. “Would you mind giving us a minute?”

  The orderlies leave the room, leaving Claire and Duke alone.

  Claire approaches the side of Duke's bed. It's been raised so he's now at chest level.

  Duke looks at Claire, at her red eyes, concerned. “When was the last time you got any sleep?”

  “Before I met you. And I don't plan on getting any until you are safely out of surgery.” Claire tenderly touches the side of Duke's face, giving him an encouraging smile. “Everything will be fine.” She reassures him.

  “You sound so sure.”

  “I am sure.”

  “What about afterwards?”

  “We'll figure it out then. No worries now. Focus and fight, Duke. Please.”

  Duke, knowing that this could very well be his last opportunity, looks intently into C
laire's eyes. “There's only one thing I've ever truly wanted in this world, with or without my memory,” he whispers.

  Claire leans closer so she can hear it. Duke, with his lips inches from her ear utters. “A kiss from you.”

  She turns her head. Her lips meet his. It's tender, sweet. She pulls away.

  Inspired by feeling and not reason, she goes back down for another kiss. This kiss has way more meaning, heart, heat, passion. If they had their way, it'd go on forever.

  Claire reluctantly pulls away. “You'll get another one of those after the surgery.”

  “Now that gives me something to fight for,” Duke smiles.

  The orderlies re-enter the room. “We need to get him to prep.” They inform Claire.

  Claire stands aside. The orderlies wheel Duke to the door. Her eyes stay locked with Duke’s until he’s out of the room.

  *****

  While Duke is in surgery Claire waits in the chapel for about an hour. She waits in the solarium for about an hour. She waits in Duke’s room, sitting by his empty bed, listening to the ipod, the very song that was playing when Duke regained his sight.” Finally, Claire takes a seat next to the guard outside of Duke’s room and dozes off.

  The doctor approaches. The cop shakes Claire awake. She darts up. “How did it go?”

  “He was a fighter –“

  "Was???" Claire tries not to sound freaked.

  “Is. It was touch and go for a while, but he would not give up. He's in ICU. He'll be back up here shortly.”

  “Thank you, doctor,” Claire walks down the hallway heading for the solarium.

  She enters and approaches the window, looking out at the nighttime cityscape skyline.

  She can't hold them back, tears of relief and joy. She regains her composure, wipes her face and leaves the room.

  Back in his room, Duke is sound asleep, handcuffed to the bed. Claire enters. She is incredibly happy to see him.

  She takes a seat in the chair next to the bed. She folds her arms and rests her head on the bed up next to Duke's hand. She falls asleep instantly.

  Duke wakes up. He looks just as incredibly happy to see Claire as she was to see him. He’s especially happy to see her sleeping peacefully. He runs his fingers through her hair before falling back asleep.

  Duke and Claire are both still sound asleep. The doctor is in the room; he coughs loudly awakening Claire. She sits up and comes to attention right away. What’s the prognosis?” She asks.

  “He's doing remarkably well. He'll be able to be released in a couple of days,” the doctor informs Claire.

  Duke wakes up. The doctor checks out his eyes. “How does your head feel?”

  “Not bad. Only a minor headache,” Duke answers.

  “Good. I was just telling nurse Claire that you'll be able to be released in a couple of days.”

  Duke’s face drops knowing what that means. The doctor leaves the room.

  “I guess I'll be going to jail while my brother drinks tequila in Mexico.”

  “Is that where is?” Claire asks, her FBI instincts now taking over.

  “Could be there, or maybe still at his cabin.”

  Claire’s mind is moving a mile a minute, thinking how best to proceed. “What if I busted you out of the hospital, brought you to your brother?”

  “Are you serious?”

  “You're the one who mentioned it, the day I brought you to the solarium.”

  “I was kidding.”

  “I'm not.”

  “I couldn't have you do that, Claire. You're no criminal. And I certainly don't want to turn you into one. Bonnie and Clyde ain't the life I was dreaming about before I went under the knife.”

  “I want to do it. For you. I can deal with the consequences.”

  “The consequences would be jail time or a fugitive's life.”

  “There could be other options, Duke, if we both end up doing the right thing.”

  *****

  Whitmore sits at his desk. Claire enters.

  “I heard he made it,” Whitmore states without any sort of emotion.

  “I'm breaking Duke out of the hospital,” Claire announces.

  “What?” Whitmore is incredulous.

  “I'm breaking Duke out of the hospital. Tomorrow night.”

  “I won't authorize that. You’re too close, Claire, your judgment has been compromised.”

  “He's taking me to Riker who hopefully is still holed up in a cabin in the woods somewhere.”

  I’m putting a tracking device in my bracelet.” Claire places a tracking unit on Whitmore’s desk and then puts a small tracking device inside her wide band silver and turquoise bracelet. “One request, please stay completely out of sight during the tail. This is our last shot at getting Riker before he crosses the border.”

  “Did you hear me? I'm not authorizing this,” Whitmore firmly declares.

  “You better. If you hadn't blown the interrogation, we wouldn't be stuck with this option.

  If you don't authorize it, I'm going rogue.”

  “What's going to happen when Duke finds out you've been working him?”

  Claire tries to let Whit down gently. “It hasn't been all work, Whit. I'm sorry.”

  “This is not going to end well,” Whitmore warns.

  Duke lays in bed, awake, handcuffed, looking conflicted and nervous.

  Claire enters. She pushes the wheelchair over to the bed. “Are you ready?” She asks with a warm, encouraging smile.

  “I don't think we should be doing this,” Duke responds.

  “I'm determined,” Claire says as she unlocks the handcuffs freeing Duke’s wrist.

  “I don't want to be the one responsible for ruining your life.”

  “If anything, you're responsible for the opposite,” Claire’s eyes widen at her own admission. She may need to say it to execute the plan, but she also said it with meaning. Meaning that Duke fully appreciates and reciprocates. He smiles tenderly, gratefully at her.

  “Let's get you out of here.” Claire helps Duke out of bed and into the wheelchair. She strategically places the handcuffs on Duke's wrist and the arm of the wheel chair making it look like they're locked. Claire wheels Duke out of the room.

  Claire stops by the cop on duty. She hands the cop the handcuff key. “We're going to the solarium. We'll be back in about an hour.”

  Claire pushes the wheelchair down the hallway heading for the solarium.

  As she reaches the solarium, she looks around to make sure no one is nearby. No one is. She turns the corner and pushes the wheelchair towards the elevator.

  She reaches the elevator and stops. She pushes the down button. A couple of nurses walk by. Duke looks nervous, Claire smiles at the nurses. The elevator arrives. Claire pushes the wheelchair into the elevator. The doors close.

  The elevator doors open. Claire pushes the wheelchair out into the parking garage.

  She wheels Duke over to her car, a Jaguar sports coup.

  Duke is duly impressed. “This is your car?”

  “Yuup.”

  “Nice.”

  Claire removes the handcuffs and helps Duke into the passenger seat. “I picked you up some clothes and shoes. They're in the trunk.”

  Claire shuts the door, pushes the empty wheelchair next to the wall and then gets into the car. Claire starts the car, the engine purrs like a kick-ass kitten.

  “Where to?” She asks.

  “North.”

  Claire drives out of the parking garage and turns onto a city street. It's the middle of the night, so it's dark and quiet. The car passes a parked SUV with tinted windows.

  Inside the SUV…

  Whitmore, seated in the passenger seat, reads a tracking monitor watching as the jaguar bleeps along revealing it's pinpoint location.

  Whitmore turns to the agent in the driver's seat. “Let's go, but do not get within her view.”

  Inside the Jaguar…

  Claire drives along a country by-way. The night sky is slowly brighten
ing into day cloaking the world in a light grey tone.

  Her hand is on the stick-shift, her bracelet on that wrist. Duke touches her hand.

  “How are you doing?” He asks her.

  “So far so good. How about you?”

  “Nervous.”

  “How much further?”

  “A few hours.”

  “Maybe we should think about stopping somewhere, to wash up, change up, get you your meds,” Claire offers.

  “Sounds good,” he responds.

  Claire and Duke check into a highway motel. They enter the motel room, Duke is still in his hospital pajamas.

  There are two queen sized beds in the room, Claire puts a suitcase on the first bed. She opens the suitcase and removes a pair of men's jeans, a men's tee shirt and a pill bottle. “Clothes and pills, what more could a man want.” She quips.

  She locks eyes with Duke, his penetrating look tells her, without a single word, exactly what more he wants. She wants it to. She drops the clothes and the pills on the bed.

  Duke sweeps her up in his strong embrace. He carries her to the second bed, places her on the bed and lowers himself on top of her. Their eyes locked the entire time.

  He kisses her. A tender kiss. They linger with the kiss, passion and desire growing as their tongues explore each other’s mouths. They’re savoring the feeling, the moment.

  He nuzzles his cheek into her neck, “God, I love how you smell,” he whispers in her ear. The feel of his scuff on her neck shoots an intense wave of pleasure through Claire’s body causing her to quiver. She presses her hips into his feeling his hardness.

  With the passion building, they sit up to take off their clothes. Claire removes Duke’s hospital top. She caresses his muscular chest, relishing his warm skin. She kisses the very spot where he had spilled the chili. “This is where I wiped the chili from your chest.”

  “I remember. Every moment with you has been unforgettable, Claire,” Duke tells her as he gazes intently into her eyes.

  Duke removes Claire’s nurse’s top and sports bra. He fondles her breasts, her nipples hardening under his touch. He suckles first one breast and then the other as Claire runs her fingers through his dark wavy hair.

  She unties the strings on his bottoms and pushes them down around his hips exposing his long, hard manhood. She takes it in her mouth kissing it, licking it as Duke moans with pleasure. Neither can wait, the ache, the need, the longing are too great.