Tobias's Laboratory
Northern DC
2016
Xander and Tobias had just exhaled a short rejoice finding a key hole within one the Arabic characters inscribed on the stone. A long silence followed. Together their minds raced through different alternatives and variables that now opened up before them.
"Further down the rabbit hole," Xander commented.
Every answer leads only to more questions. What is in this box? Is it the target? Who would have the key? The box was intended for me. The contents are obviously another piece of Agent Zero's elaborate puzzle. Do I have the key already? I don't think I do.
It was just then that the back computer beeped. They had almost forgotten about the fingerprint search during their discovery. They rushed over to the computer and saw a bearded man that was graying on all sides. Xander recognized him from the Korengal Valley, but hadn't known his name.
"You N...N...know him?" Tobias could tell by his reaction.
Xander had already gathered his height and weight from his sniper scope. He just wanted his name. Hamal Abadi.
"This was the man who met Vashad in the Korengal Valley. Judging by his known associates in the region, he most likely runs Agent Zero's operation in Afghanistan."
"D...d....do you th...th...think he could bah... bah...be Agent Zero?" Tobias asked. It was an entertaining thought, although one he had already ruled out.
"It's a possibility but not likely, terrorists like this are very rarely seen in public, the meeting spot was in a village. And I don't remember this guys having anything to do with Project Sparta."
Xander scanned the profile and committed it to memory. There was nothing leading about it, for it was a standard 'watch list' profile from the FBI. After looking over the file it was obvious that the Bureau didn't know anything about Agent Zero. It was the CIA file he needed and he knew that Tobias's didn't have that information.
"I need to know everything I can about him," Xander noted as he collected his things.
"W...w...well g...g...go see Ma...Ma...Mac then," Tobias referred him with a wave of the hand.
"Thank you for everything, Tobias. I'll be in touch." With that Xander spun on his heel and exited Tobias'ss warehouse.
~ ~ ~ ~
Xander's house was a three story retreat in the woods of Great Falls. Most of his neighbors were State Department officials, Supreme Court justices or pro sport athletes. To them he was Phillip Temple, a business consultant who traveled a lot. He would attend the occasional neighborhood barbeque to keep up appearances but mostly kept to himself. His home was tucked far back in the woods just as he liked it. Visitors, which he had none, would have to cross a bridge and drive alongside a small fishing crick to arrive.
Xander parked his beat up pickup truck in his driveway. He called it Old Red and it was the furthest thing from a Bond car one could have. He grabbed the flowers from the front seat and trudged through his delirium into the kitchen. He placed the flowers on the counter top and headed upstairs.
He kicked his boots off and threw his jean jacket across the room as he collapsed on the bed, murmuring a parting prayer to God. His hand reached out to the other side of the bed. It was empty and cold. His hand gripped the sheets and a sadness settled over him. One word parted his lips before he faded to a deep slumber.
"Fiona..."
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