Rogue

Isaac-Chapter 3

Robert Kroon began coming to and it took all Isaac had in order to push away the guilt he felt. This man had to be at least eighty years old. Definitely not in any condition to travel or get kidnapped for that matter.

Robert glanced around the room with wide eyes, lastly taking in Isaac who had discarded the doctor's uniform for his own tan jeans and black shirt.

In his raspy old man voice, Robert said, "You... You're the doctor from earlier."

"Yes, I am." He noticed that the man's hands started shaking which couldn't be good. Robert needed to get back to the hospital as quickly as possible, which meant that Isaac just might have to pull the thread on this charade for just a little bit longer. "The gas leak had been worse than we anticipated. The leak started from one of the men who had tried to kill you last week. I'm here to protect you, don't you worry. But I need you to give me as much information as you possibly can about these men."

The old man began groaning, his eyes looking far away. "I didn't do anything wrong. Well, my daughter pays my taxes. And I get up each morning to have a bite of oatmeal. Sometimes I like to turn on the music player."

It was so hard to be patient, but he needed to. "What else about these men? Why did they take you? Where did they take you? What did they look like?"

Robert began moaning again, fiddling with his blanket that covered his lap. "Americans. We were all Americans. I think. I don't know. I was on a boat. A big boat. There were more of us. But the men they handed us off to, they weren't Americans. Oh, the water was so cold." He began shivering relentlessly, almost as if he had just been dumped into the Baltic. "I can't remember what I did. You should ask that nurse. She knows everything. She told me how nail polish is made."

Isaac squatted so he was eye level with the old man. "Where were they taking you?"

More moaning. "They all died. I can't. I can't. I can't."

"You have to," Isaac coaxed. "More will die if I don't know. Where were they taking you?"

"I don't know. Boatonia."

"Estonia?"

"Yes, yes. I think that's it. Where the nurse? I think my blood sugar is getting low."

Isaac stood up and gazed down at the man. It wasn't much information, but it was enough to go off of. Besides, he had a hunch that Robert didn't know any more than that. It was time to leave.

Making it so his phone was untraceable, he called the local police station. In a higher pitched voice speaking in Swedish, he said, "Hi, I think an older gentleman has become lost in this basement. He's mumbling something about the ocean." He rattled off the address and knew that the police would arrive at any minute. Time to leave.

Gently giving Robert's shoulder a squeeze, Isaac said, "It was great to meet you, Robert. Just sit tight for a few minutes. The police will escort you back to the hospital. Looks like they were able to fix that leak after all."

The old man let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I thought I was going to miss my show."

Holding back a laugh, Isaac made his way back up the three steps that led to the door to outside before escaping into the night. He'd leave for Estonia in a couple of days. For now, he needed to find a place to sleep.

He walked for another thirty minutes before he felt comfortable enough to make camp. As quietly as he could, Isaac snuck into someone's backyard before climbing up the drainpipe and up onto the roof. He dug into his backpack before pulling out a small, insulated sleeping bag and rolling it out onto the roof. This view definitely beat the one he had back at the house he stayed at before. He could see the entire city reflected off the bay in a colorful array of greens, yellows, blues, and even purples.

"Perfect view, perfect weather, just no one to share it with." He sighed as he thought about what he had to give up to do this. He gave up his job. He gave up his reputation. He gave up the woman he had fallen in love with.

As that thought crossed his mind, Isaac took out his wallet and pulled out a picture that he had kept in there for the past year and a half of him and his former coworker, Grace. They had their arms around each other in a side hug as Agent Ryder took the picture. He could see the laughter on both of their faces as they had the time of their lives every moment they spent with each other.

He had wanted to call her. He really did. But what he got himself into was too dangerous for her. So he had to give her up.

Isaac forced those dreary and depressing thoughts away as he curled up into his sleeping bag. It had been quite the adventure tonight, and he looked forward to the next adventure tomorrow too.