Authors: Sara Schoen
I had spent the last few nights looking through my old social media accounts in an attempt to find something useful, but failed. I never used them much, even while I had been in school, and hadn’t touched them since I left, but it was all I had because I didn’t want to use recent photos. I didn’t want to have them be too recent or they could make a connection to me and the deal where I killed the original Marco. Of course, I put it off as long as possible because it wasn’t an easy task to find a photo Danielle wouldn’t know because she had been searching for me for years. I had seen the photos of me spread across her social media, even ones I didn’t remember being taken. She probably spent a lot of time looking through my social media early on and memorized the photos.
I couldn’t think of anything to work with so I wouldn’t be accidentally giving out sensitive information. Luckily, Camden needed a lot of stuff done around the compound, and I made sure to be a part of it as much as possible so I could put off handing him information on my past. Today, I had to help get rid of the deserters while determining if they had told anyone about us. This involved standing in a small warehouse extension interrogating a cartel member. Interrogation was one of my least favorite activities, but it had to be done. André had managed to track down most of the people who’d deserted the Sandtown compound, and now began the process of grabbing them and killing them. Camden felt they deserved it, because they couldn’t take any chances that someone might spread word about the cartel. It would only lead to more unnecessary risk, and Camden had already been on edge with the other agent messing up trades and meetings. I didn’t agree, but I kept my mouth shut as the members were led to their final meeting.
So far, André had tracked down most of the members who ran away and brought them back. They were interrogating them in multiple areas of the compound, and I would go in when I was called for, like now. I tried to make sure I wasn’t the one murdering them in cold blood, but it wasn’t always possible. I could never look away, as it would show a personal weakness, so instead I tried to focus on how to find a photo to pass off to Danielle, and then find some way to get her out of this. I didn’t want her to be a part of this life.
Saying I had died was the easiest way to get her out, but Camden wouldn’t do that until he was sure he had her reeled in for good. Luckily, I had a friend in high school who was a little too camera happy when she got her digital camera. She would snap photos of her friends at a distance, and then post them online and tag the person in it. It was strange to know that at any moment she could be taking a photo of you, doing whatever, and wherever. She rarely deleted them, even the worst ones, and almost all of them wound up on her page.
I shook my head. To those around me, it looked as if I wasn’t buying the deserter’s story. Honestly, I hadn’t heard a word of it. Even if I had, it wouldn’t matter. All of them would be tracked down and killed eventually; this one would be no different. First they were questioned in various buildings, as to minimize panic when the gunshot went off, and that took hours so we could be sure to have all of the information. We wanted to know as much as we could before we silenced them. Which gave me enough time to figure out how I could use those photos to my advantage. Maybe if I did it right, I could keep him off the hunt for the rat a little longer, at least until I found Camo and got her out of here before she was caught.
One of the other men with me, Tyler, had nudged me slightly, noticing I was distracted. I nodded in his direction and muttered something about not having enough sleep. He seemed to understand as I turned my focus back to the runaway. From the way he was shaking, I had missed a couple of steps in the elimination process: questioning, intimidation, and a last chance to explain. Now it was time for the verdict, and it never changed. They were always found guilty, and then killed before they had a chance to speak. Sometimes they didn’t even go through the elimination process, in which case they were shot between the eyes and left to grow cold, or we’d dump them somewhere as a message.
Usually the message was received loud and clear by whomever we sent it to, and they kept out of our business.
“I didn’t run away,” the man claimed, realizing how close to death he was. “I came back!”
Tyler rolled his eyes before he turned to me. “I’m bored with hearing his excuses. Just kill him. I want to go home.” He had his hand on the gun he kept at the waistband of his jeans. If I didn’t shoot the deserter, then he would.
I was torn. I had wanted to waste a little more time before heading home again to find usable photos Danielle wouldn’t recognize, but at the same time I wanted to leave and get it over with. There were a lot of issues associated with logging in to my old accounts, starting with the possibility of being noticed. A lot of the sites I had used in my high school years had updated drastically. Some had changed so much I barely recognized a site I had visited weekly years before. Now most of them had features that allowed others to see when you were online, and for someone who supposedly died years ago, that was a risk I couldn’t take. If someone saw me online, and I couldn’t appear offline quick enough, then they could inform Danielle. She may brush it off as a glitch, or it could snowball and André would get involved to help Camden locate me. Which would only lead them straight to Camden’s loft, and to me.
“Marco,” Tyler said, snapping my attention back to the matter at hand.
I didn’t wait for him to ask why I wasn’t focused again. “Leo,” I called, gaining the attention of a blond man in the back of the room. “Kill him.”
As soon as the order left my mouth, I turned to walk out of the building. The gunshot echoed off the metal walls of the building, and the chair fell to the ground along with the body. I didn’t look back. Instead, I tried to look forward. I tried to think of a way out of this, and get everyone out safely. I didn’t want to lose any more people to this cartel.
***
I went home almost completely unaffected by that man’s murder. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or disturbed by it. Either way, I pushed it aside and focused on the matter at hand. I logged on to the laptop I borrowed from a girl on the second floor, who had taken an interest in me since I had moved in with Camden. I knew she wouldn’t tell him I’d borrowed it, and then I made certain I appeared offline for the duration of my visit on each site. Thankfully, there had been videos showing me how to do it, so I was once again a ghost before anyone could notice my presence.
I scanned through my old friends until I managed to find the girl’s page. The second I clicked her page, I regretted the awful thoughts I had of her. According to posts on her page, she had died in an accident a few years ago. No one else was injured, and it seemed as if the other car had never been found. A hit and run, unsolved and probably never would be. I took a deep breath, letting the information sink in. It’s so strange to think someone I knew growing up had died, and I didn’t know. It felt shocking, how little I heard about others I once knew after I’d left high school. It also made me wonder what she could have become, had she lived. She could have become something great, but fate had decided she wouldn’t see her full potential.
The feeling deepened as I looked through her photos. She had started studying biology and environmental science, to help animals and focus on resource consumption. She had a lot of potential, but it was destroyed in a flash. I knew all too well that lives could change in a matter of seconds, but I didn’t like the reminder.
I tried to push past the overwhelming sorrow, focusing on my main goal. I scrolled until I found the photo I had been thinking of since I left the compound. I had been hanging out with her and a couple of friends in town when she had snapped a photo of me. It was at just the right distance, reminding me of when I had to watch security footage from the cameras around the loft. Miguel had put them in after someone broke in, and had a few extras placed around the building. He didn’t like that Camden had refused to move, so he made sure he could keep an eye on him. If anything suspicious came up, I had to watch and make sure Camden was safe. Most times, somebody was just lingering outside too long, or something shook the camera. Sometimes it was hard to tell due to camera angle, making it easy to miss something. In fact, the more I thought about it, the easier it was to miss something.
The idea had formed quickly from there. I knew how to turn a computer on and do basic tasks, but if it broke I wouldn’t be able to fix it. I wasn’t a computer person. Technology and I had an understanding, in the sense that I wouldn’t throw it across the room as long as it worked properly. The truce only worked half the time, maybe not even that often. I knew the perfect way to give Camden information, appease Danielle, and keep Camden distracted a little bit longer. Thankfully, I had a neighbor with an amateur photography hobby. She let me borrow her laptop to get away with it. I had everything I needed, even tutorial videos to show me how to follow through on my idea.
I opened Photoshop and started to layer the images I had found, the one of me, and a screenshot from a security camera I found on Google. I was amazed by what I could find in the images provided. I would be able to create any story I wanted around this image. I knew Camden wouldn’t look too closely at it, but it had to pass Danielle’s scrutiny, so I took my time with it. I made the image darker in certain spots, so it covered some mistakes I had made, and added a time stamp to the video feed to match a few weeks after my first deployment when I had tried to visit her before Demon interrupted. It looked pretty good to me. Then again, maybe I was just sick of working on it after an hour. Either way, I had finished just in time for Camden to return.
The front door slammed shut, quickly followed by the stomp of his feet as he entered the common area. He seemed irritated. I couldn’t blame him after spending hours in a meeting with his father, but I tried not to focus on that. It was time to put my creation to the test, and hope for the best. I closed all the tabs on the computer and printed out the photo. Camden was shuffling through the loft as I waited impatiently for the image to print out.
“Marco,” he said as his footsteps quickly approached my room. “Tell me you have good news for me.” He looked ragged and worn down. The meeting must have been rough on him, but I wasn’t going to ask him about it. Otherwise, I’d have to hear about it, and frankly, I didn’t care.
“I think I do,” I said, leaning over to grab the photo. “Take a look at what I found.”
He glanced over the image, seeming in a daze, before recognition raced across his features and his face lit up. “Is this him? You actually found something on him?”
“Yeah, but there’s not much else to go on right now. I spent a while looking, but the guy is like a ghost. He’s there one minute and gone the next. I’ve tried finding other photos, but it’s like he just vanished. He’s not in any of the other footage in this camera, or others around it. He’s going to be hard to track down, but I can do it,” I promised, hoping to keep André off the case a little longer.
“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. We don’t need a lot on him, just enough to keep her around a bit longer.” Camden looked over the photo, letting a smile crease his lips. I guess I had given him the good news he wanted. Now I wondered what happened with his father tonight, but I would have to find out about it as slyly as possible to avoid upsetting him. I wanted to know if he told his dad about his suspicions.
“Maybe this will keep that girl around a little longer,” I said. “Let her know that it’s possible to track him down. You just need more time or something.”
“Yeah, I just wish I knew how to get more time,” he muttered. “I don’t have any to spare with Dad breathing down my neck about everything.”
I could tell he wanted to say more, but something stopped him. My gut told me it wasn’t in my favor. Something had happened, and it would only be a matter of time before I figured it out. “Well, you could say the girl’s brother came back as a John Doe. Take a big book of John Does and have her look at the photos that look most like Jackson. I haven’t found a death certificate yet, so it’s a real possibility, and at least it shows you’re trying.”
“You’re right,” Camden agreed. “That’s a great idea. I’ll call her right now and get her to meet up with me for coffee tomorrow morning before her classes. Thanks, Marco. I needed this.” He walked out of the room while dialing Danielle’s number, leaving me alone to figure out what had happened during his meeting tonight.
“I can’t believe I’m helping him lie to my sister just so I can save this damn rookie,” I muttered under my breath. “If I find her, I’m going to have some constructive criticism for her that will hopefully keep her out of the field for good.” Unless this mission ended us both, as well as the rogue who hadn’t arrived yet.
The mission would crash and burn. I could feel it.
I sat alone in the loft the next morning, waiting for Camden to return so we could go to the compound. He had gone to have coffee with Danielle in order to show her the ‘unclaimed’ John Doe pictures. I offered to do it, but he wanted to be the one to bring the news to her, giving her a shoulder to cry on in case she found him in the pictures. She wouldn’t, because I was alive and well, but hopefully Camden and his father wouldn’t be for much longer. When he left, he told me not to wait for him, but I couldn’t show up without him, or Miguel would want to know what was going on. I was pretty sure Camden had kept his relationship with my sister away from his father, and I didn’t want to be the one to tell him. He would have one of two reactions: joy, which meant everyone would have a great day, or irritation, meaning everyone around him would be miserable.
So I sat and waited.
I almost laughed at how Camden convinced her to meet up with him. Camden had told her they would have to look through a few John Does in hopes of finding me. He said he wanted her help in order to speed up the search. Family would be able to look through the photos faster because they were familiar with the person. It was true, but too bad none of them were actually me. It wasted time in searching for me, but Camden needed this to get her alone a little longer. He was still hoping she’d forget about it.
But I knew she wouldn’t give up easily. Not after years of searching for me. Or would she? Learning I was dead would end her. She would have no choice but to move on, and if Camden remained his usually charming self, she’d stay with him. Maybe even marry him if she felt it was right, that he was there for her like family.
I clenched my fists, hoping to get rid of the fear and anger steadily rising in my system. Camden couldn’t make her forget about me, no matter what he did or how he played this. She was my sister, so I would always be important to her. I had to admit to myself that Camden had a way with women. He could make them forget about their family and friends, make them think of nothing except him. I could see it in how they followed him around. Whether for his money or his looks, they stuck around until he sent them away. I had seen it before, and when he dropped her for one reason or another, she would have no one to turn to.
Thoughts of how the scenario could play out swirled in my mind. She needed someone, and Camden wanted to be that guy. She was so hopeful to find me that she wouldn’t see past it. She would need someone to lean on when he told her I was gone, and it would be him. Once again, Camden would get what he wanted. I just didn’t want him to.
A loud knock dragged me out of my thoughts before they could dive deeper into the rabbit hole and consume me. I thought I imagined it as I caught myself looking toward where the sound had come from. The window. The loft was on the top floor. How could someone knock on the window from the outside? It didn’t make sense, so I tried brushing it off as I turned away, but the second my gaze left the glass another knock sounded out.
Quickly, I made my way to the window and forced it open. As expected, there was no one there. I had hoped to find Camo so I could warn her to get out now before it was too late. I knew Camden hadn’t given up on searching for the rat, but I couldn’t look for her without it seeming out of place. She was a new member. Other than not knowing what she looked like, I didn’t seek out other members. They came to me when their usefulness had run out.
I started to shut the window when a voice called down to me. “You’re not very observant,” the familiar female voice called out from the roof.
I glanced up to see two pairs of legs dangling over the ledge. I wondered who the other pair belonged to. Maybe it was Night Stripe. “You must be Camo, am I right? You’ve caused a lot of trouble recently. They think there’s a rat in the cartel.” I paused, letting the information sink in. “You’re going to get caught if you aren’t careful, rookie, and I don’t want either of us to die for this mission. I’d like to live to see what life is like outside of being a killer for the cartel.”
She sighed. “I see Demon told you who I was.” She didn’t mention anything else, but from the somber tone in her voice, I knew she understood the severity of what I had said. That’s all that mattered. I needed her to understand we had to make it out with our lives. There had been too many deaths already, and I refused to be one of them.
“Yes, he did, and he said you had a couple of friends too.” I tried to get a better look, but there was no way I would be able to see their faces. “Is that the other rookie? Is she Night Stripe?”
A laugh resonated above me, but from whom it originated I couldn’t tell. “No, Night Stripe’s still being trained. She’s going through most of the mission without us, and left to be on her own for a while. We were told it would be better for the mission,” she replied. “This is my friend, Spit Fire, who is also helping my mentor train me. Thanks for getting me in trouble, by the way, but enough about us. There’s a note for you on the ledge of your window. I told Demon you would want another meeting before the other rookie,” she said, mocking my tone, “joins us.”
It was clear Demon had told her to be vague with the information she shared about the mission, but maybe I could find out something else. “Are you the ones who have been following my sister around?”
“Yes, but don’t worry, she hasn’t noticed us and neither has Camden. They do seem to enjoy each other’s company, though. I feel like I’m watching a romance novel right before my eyes!”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes at the thought. Camden had even tricked them into thinking he had true feelings for my sister, and wasn’t just using her so he could take over the cartel. That meant Danielle had probably fallen for it already too. I had to finish this before he could win her over, and that meant I needed Night Stripe, no matter how she acted on a mission.
“Can you tell me about the rogue agent?”
“You mean Night Stripe?” Camo asked, before she let out an, “
ouch
.” If I had to guess, Spit Fire hit her to warn her not to talk.
“Yeah, her. How does she work? Is she dangerous to this mission? Will she risk lives to finish it? I have to know if she’s going to get us all killed, because if it comes to it, I will end her. Tell her that before she acts out!”
There was a long pause. I looked up to see both pairs of feet gone, and felt a pang of annoyance. Once again she had left without filling me in on anything, or answering me. The cool air of the night relaxed me slightly before I pushed away from the ledge, grabbing the small piece of paper. Before I could close the window, Camo called down to me again.
“Night Stripe doesn’t risk other people’s lives. She risks her own for other people. Don’t think you know her from what little Demon has told you. She saved my life at the risk of her own, and she can save your sister’s and countless others too if you let her, but if you fight her, you’ll be the one to destroy the mission.”
I didn’t say anything else as I closed the window. There was a brief pause as I thought over what she had said before I read the note in my hand.
Same place, same tim
e
.
It was a relief to know he would be back, and even more of a relief to know I had been thinking incorrectly about the other agent all along. I needed her. I don’t know what she would do, or how she would do it, but I needed her to end this. I needed Demon to send her in.