February 2008
April 13 B.G. ~ Wester
“Your resume is impressive.”
“Thank you,” said the strange man, whom no one had ever seen around before. Wester
“So, tell me, what brings you to our little town?” asked the pizza shop owner, Mike.
“I needed a change of scenery, and I remembered Wester Jeffersonville fondly from my days at the University. And, of course, I always loved Pilot’s Pizza,” he said.
“Of course,” said Mike, although something about this seemingly perfect man seemed off. Not necessarily in a bad way, but like everything he said just couldn’t be true. For instance, Mike had never heard anyone refer to Wester Jeffersonville as ‘the University’. “Well, you certainly seem more than qualified. Do you have a family?”
“No. I’m just a single man. A roving bachelor,” said the man, flashing a charming smile. Mike frowned slightly. The man had to be at least forty, probably older. And while he probably still had money left over from the dot com company he used to run, according to his resume, why choose this quiet, peaceful village? And why this job?
“Why do you want to be a pizza manager?” asked Mike, voicing his musing.
“I’ve done many things, and like I said, I needed a change. Something simple, yet challenging,” said the man.
“And you think that managing some shifts here will fit the bill?”
“Yes, I do,” said the man.
“I see,” said Mike, still studying the paper.
“You seem hesitant. Is there anything I can do to set your mind at ease?” asked the man.
“No, no. You’re definitely qualified,” said Mike. “Over qualified, in fact. It’s just… It feels like I knew that you were coming before you got here,” said Mike.
“Did you?” asked the man, with curiosity.
“Well, you’re perfect for the job anyway, as long as you don’t mind the salary,” said Mike.
“Money isn’t so important to me anymore. I looking for something I can love doing,” said the man. “Do I get the job?”
“Yes. Yes, I think you do,” said Mike. “Louis will get you an apron and show you around while I fill out a little paperwork. Louis!” A large man appeared in the doorway of the small office. “Louis, this is our new manager.”
“Hello,” said Louis. “I’m Louis Ratcliff. Welcome to Pilot’s Pizza.”
The strange man stuck out his hand to shake Louis’s. He said, “Nice to meet you, Louis. I’m Mark Hall.”
“So what’s your story, Mark?” asked Louis. The two were the last two left in the restaurant. Louis was mopping while Mark counted the money.
“Nothing special. I went to college here in Wester Jeffersonville, then I moved out to
“I’ll bet you’ve seen plenty of interesting things,” said Louis. “And after building a successful business, why come back here to work in a pizza shop?”
“Just looking for something to do besides sit around and county my money, I guess,” said Mark with a smile. “What about you? Why do you work here?”
“I only put in a couple shifts a week. I’m a prison guard, but my boy’s almost a teenager now, and college costs keep going up. I figured I’d earn a little extra money,” said Louis.
“You have a son?” asked Mark.
“Yep, Vince,” said Louis proudly. He pulled out his wallet. “Here’s his picture, and that’s my wife, Mandy.”
“You have a very nice family, Louis,” said Mark, smiling at the picture and pushing his own feelings aside. Mark missed his own wife in
“Thank you,” said Louis, smiling. “I’m done here…”
“Go ahead and go home,” said Mark. “I’m almost done myself.”
“I can wait for you,” offered Louis.
“Nah, I’ll be fine. Thanks, Louis. See you later,” said Mark.
“Bye,” said Louis, grabbing his jacket and heading for the door. Mark watched him go, and then immediately dropped the pile of twenty dollar bills in his hand. He had finished the closing count ages ago, and had just been waiting for Louis to leave. Mark dropped below the desk and grabbed the knapsack he had stuck there. He pulled out a series of small cameras and began placing them in various spots all around the restaurant.
Sticking a dozen of so of the tiny, stickable recorders Mark headed for the back door. As he opened it, he almost knocked over Louis.
“What are you still doing here?” asked Mark in surprise.
“My car won’t start,” said Louis, eyeing him. “Is something wrong?”
“No, you just startled me,” said Mark.
“There are some jumper cables in the closet. Mind helping me out?” asked Louis.
“Not at all,” said Mark, forcing a smile as Louis disappeared back into the pizza shop. He looked over at Louis’s car. Louis delivered pizzas. His car was his income. He kept it in good shape. Suspicious, Mark scanned the bushes for any signs of the activity he had been sent here to find. He saw nothing, but that didn’t make him feel any easier. He scanned Louis’s battery and engine, looking for any sign of a booby trap.
“You interested in cars?” asked Louis, and for the second time in a few minutes, Mark jumped in surprise. He mentally berated himself. He was a spy, for goodness sakes, and a good one, too! He shouldn’t allow himself to be spooked so easily.
“Not really. Just seeing if I saw anything obviously wrong,” said Mark.
“I looked already. Everything seems fine. Open up your hood,” said Louis.
“Sure thing,” said Mark, moving to his own truck, parked beside Louis’s little car. He opened the hood, but continued looking inside the car for anything out of the ordinary.
“That should do it,” said Louis, clicking the jumper cables into place. This time Mark avoided a jump, but he inwardly flinched, half expecting something to happen. Louis moved to his car to start it.
“Wait!” said Mark.
“What?” asked Louis, looking at him in confusion.
“Give me the keys. I’ll start your car,” said Mark. “Stand back.”
“Um, ok…,” said Louis, hesitantly handing over his keys. Mark took them, ignoring the strange reaction.
“Further,” he told Louis as the delivery driver stepped back about ten feet. “Further.”
“It’s just a jumper cable, Mark,” said Louis.
“Better safe than sorry,” said Mark. He swallowed. If this was how he was going to die, he had no regrets. He had a good life and a good family. He certainly didn’t want to be blown to pieces. He hadn’t seen anything wrong with the car, but he was still suspicious, and he wasn’t about to risk an innocent man like Louis to find out if he was right. Closing his eyes, he turned the key.
The car rumble to a start. Nothing else happened.
“Thanks, man,” said Louis, eyeing Mark oddly as he unhooked the cables and slid into the driver’s seat.
“No problem. Have a good evening,” said Mark, trying to be friendly and pretend like he hadn’t just made a total fool of himself. He waved as Louis drove away, then returned to installing cameras. Now, though, he stopped every few minutes to scan the bushes. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.
“Do you have a report for me?” asked Dr. Smith as soon as Mark made the connection on his laptop. Mark’s middle aged boss looked at him from his own control center, a building only about twenty minutes away. Mark could have given his report in person, but Dr. Smith liked to stay cautious. He didn’t want to raise questions about Mark’s coming and goings from the office if the agent was being watched.
“I still think there’s something here,” said Mark. “But I just don’t know what.”
“That’s how I’ve been feeling for months. That’s why I sent you,” said Dr. Smith.
“Have you figured out who my charge is yet?” asked Mark.
“No. I just know it is someone that works at Pilot’s Pizza,” said Dr. Smith. “The goose network is way beyond my modest hacking capabilities, but that file I glimpsed in
“There could be dozens of Pilot’s Pizzas in the world,” said Mark.
“There are seventeen,” said Dr. Smith. “But I have seen other signs of geese in Wester Jeffersonville, and I’m not about to abandon my hometown. I want you to figure out who the geese are after, and bring them in to me. I can keep them safe.”
“Easier said than done,” said Mark.
“You finished wiring the shop?” asked Dr. Smith.
“Yep. You should be able to access the cameras now,” said Mark. Dr. Smith looked off screen and hit a few buttons. He turned back to the camera with a smile.
“Excellent job, Mark,” said Dr. Smith.
“Any idea how much longer I might be here, boss?” asked Mark. “Judy’s birthday is coming up…”
“I am truly sorry that you might have to miss your daughter’s birthday, Mark, I really am,” said Dr. Smith. “But you know what’s at stake here.”
“Of course, sir. I was only asking. I wasn’t requesting to be taken off of the assignment,” said Mark.
“Of course not,” said Dr. Smith. “I’ll check back with you in two days. See what you can find out.”
“Will do,” said Mark. He closed the connection, then opened up his mission observations. There were thirty-three employees at Pilot’s Pizza, and anyone of them could be a target for the geese. At this stage, Dr. Smith wasn’t sure why certain people were being watched. Mark had done a number of reconnaissance missions of this type, and while he had identified targets, he still had no idea why they were targets. And so far, there didn’t seem to be a connection between the people that were being surveyed. They were old, young, of different ethnicities, and lived in all corners of the planet.
Mark pounded his fist in frustration onto the desk, making the laptop jump slightly. Just what were those little beaked bastards up to, anyway? And who were they after?
A feathery shape watched Pilot’s Pizza in the twilight, secure in her hiding spot behind a clump of bushes. She watched the delivery driver, Louis Ratcliff, pull away from the curb. She made note of it in her log, as she always did. Then a strong arm grabbed her around the neck and yanked her backwards. She was unable to make a sound, as a heavy body pressed her face into the ground. She felt he wings being tied to her torso, and a hood went over her head. Then a sharp thump on the head knocked her out.
When she came to, she was strapped to a chair made for geese in a plain looking basement. A man sat staring back at her from a human-built chair. He was about forty-ish, with a hint of grey at his temples. Muscular, yet slim. Toned would be a good word to describe him. The look he was giving her sent shivers up her spine.
“Who are you?” she asked, but the man just stared at her.
“I’m Mark, but that doesn’t matter. Let’s start with, who are you?” suggested Mark, eyes blazing.
“Like I’d tell you,” scoffed the goose.
“Look, I’m going to find out,” said Mark. “I’ve done this many times before, and I’ve never once not broken a goose that I’ve questioned.” He made the word question sound like a threat. Her eyes drifted to a low table full of tools, all of which looked like they would inflict no small amount of pain on her.
“Which one of those are you going to use first?” she asked, trying to appear brave.
“I’m hoping to not have to use any of them,” said Mark.
“Then just how do you expect to get me to talk?” asked the goose. Mark didn’t answer, but just stared at her indifferently. “Brilliant. Silent treatment. I guarantee you that I am perfectly content to sit here in silence. Maybe I’ll even take a nap.” Again, Mark didn’t respond. He was obviously a professional. She didn’t doubt for one minute that he had tortured geese before. She thought of her young daughter, and hoped that she wouldn’t hear the details of her mother’s death. The goose had no doubt this would end with her dying.
“Let’s try again. Who are you?” asked Mark.
“Ah. You can’t take the silence either. Good, good,” said the goose, as if she had just gained a valuable piece of information.
“I don’t play games,” said Mark, standing up. “Until you have something to say, we’re done here.” He turned and headed for the stairs, but paused as he passed the table of scary looking devices. “While I sincerely hope to not have to use these, that doesn’t mean that he won’t.”
“What have you found out?” asked Dr. Smith anxiously from the screen.
“The goose’s name is Jiki. She works for a female named Visna. I don’t know what branch of the Goose Intelligence Network Visna works for, but I’m assuming that she is GIN,” said Mark. “I still don’t know who Jiki was sent to spy on.”
“A bit slower than usual, eh Mark?” asked Dr. Smith, but despite the wording, neither man found the situation amusing. Dr. Smith was glad that Mark could stand doing a little torturing, because he knew that he would never be able to if their positions were reversed. Mark, for his part, detested this part of his job above any other.
“Jiki is not the usual captive. She is more resolved,” said Mark. “To be honest, I’ve never met a goose as strong as she is.”
“Still, she is breaking. She gave up the name of her boss,” said Dr. Smith.
“Yes, she did, but she’s barely able to physically talk. I’m not sure I’ll be able to get much more out of her,” said Mark.
“Have you located her cell?” asked Dr. Smith.
“That’s the other odd thing. I’ve seen no sign that Jiki came with any other goose,” said Mark.
“They always work in a unit,” said Dr. Smith.
“I know, sir,” said Mark, frustrated. “This entire situation is very confusing. Believe me, I have looked, and I don’t miss much. If there were other geese around, I would have found some sign of them by now.”
“You are the best, Mark,” said Dr. Smith. “This development just makes me uneasy. Is it possible that we’re dealing with some sect of geese that weren’t aware of before this?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Mark. “I do believe she’s GIN, but she’s different. It’s strange. It’s like she actually fully believes in what she’s doing. I feel more like a bad guy when I interrogate her than I ever have in my entire life. I’ll have to get back to you on that.”
“See that you do,” said Dr. Smith.
“Did you send Judy the present I requested?” asked Mark.
“Of course. I wrote her up a nice birthday card personally,” Dr. Smith assured him. “She’ll never know that you didn’t write it.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Mark gratefully.
“Of course. Good luck,” said Dr. Smith, signing off. Mark glanced back at the basement door. With a long sigh, he headed back down to continue his work.
“You’ve seemed off lately. Everything going ok?” asked Louis, mopping once again as Mark did the closing paperwork.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” said Mark distractedly.
“We can go and get a drink if you want to talk about it,” said Louis.
“No, seriously, I’m good,” said Mark. “But thanks.”
“No problem, man,” said Louis. “Offer stays open.”
“You about done?” asked Mark.
“Almost,” said Louis. “Anxious to get rid of me?”
“Anxious to get home. It’s been a long day,” said Mark.
“How come you never got married?” asked Louis. “A smart, rich, good looking man like you? It just doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Never found the right woman, I guess,” lied Mark. The right woman is half a country away right now, and he wished desperately he could be back with her.
“Uh, huh,” said Louis, unconvinced. “There’s plenty of right women out there.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve had other priorities,” said Mark.
“You don’t seem to anymore. I’ve got a friend…,” began Louis.
“Thanks, but I’m good,” said Mark.
“I think you’d be a lot less tense if you just got laid, at least,” said Louis.
“Louis, I’m fine. Please just let me count the money,” said Mark.
“Fine, fine. I’m done anyway. See you tomorrow,” said Louis sourly.
“Yeah. See you,” said Mark, not looking up as the back door closed. When it opened again, though, he did look up, though he couldn’t quite see the door from the office. “What’d you forget Louis?”
“I’m not Louis,” said Mike, coming around the corner. “You should really lock the back door at night. Don’t want you getting robbed.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Mark, hand leaving the gun hidden under his shirt. He had gone for it on pure reflex. In his keyed up state, Mark almost wished it had been a burglar. He wouldn’t have gotten any money. “What’s up, Mike?”
“The security cameras have been getting some interference lately,” said Mike.
“Oh?” asked Mark, looking up and hiding his surprise. Could he have been sloppy enough to mess with the legitimate cameras when placing his own stealth ones?
“Yeah. I figured I’d come in while it’s quiet and see if I can figure it out,” said Mike.
“I’ll do it, Mike,” said Mark.
“Oh, I wouldn’t ask you to do that. Just finish up, go home, and get some rest. Louis said you’ve been a little out of sorts lately,” said Mike.
“Really, it’s no problem,” said Mark. “I’ve had training in that sort of thing.”
“Seriously? They train internet CEO’s to run cheap security cameras?” asked Mike.
“Well, it’s more of a hobby,” said Mark.
“Look, I know there’s something you’re not telling me,” said Mike. “Just tell me right now if I’m going to regret trusting you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mike,” said Mark. “Anyway, I’m done with the deposit. I’ll look for that interference now.”
“Ok,” said Mike. “It only seems to be affecting the one above the sink.”
“Hmm,” said Mark, following the owner into the kitchen. The camera installed by Mike was clearly visible, and though Mark knew where his own cameras were, he didn’t see any that would cause what Mike was talking about. He scanned the ceiling, both men not spotting anything.
“Hey, is that something in the vent?” asked Mark suddenly.
“What? Where?” asked Mike.
“Better get a ladder,” said Mark.
“I’ll be right back,” said Mike, casting a wary eye towards his manager. He disappeared out the back door to get a ladder from the shed. As soon as he was gone, Mark pulled out a device from his pocket and began waving it around. The scanner should pick up any electronic device transmitting a signal. Bingo. There it was, stuck in the wall, looking like a screw that was no longer used. Mark quickly yanked it from its spot, just as Mike came back around the corner.
“I don’t see anything up there, Mark,” said Mike, peering into the vent.
“My bad. Maybe I am just tired,” said Mark. “I think I will go home and get some rest.”
“Ok. See you tomorrow,” said Mike, still looking into the vent.
“It’s not like any GIN camera I’ve ever seen before,” said Mark. He shook his head. It had been ringing for an hour, since he got home. He didn’t know why.
“What is it?” asked Dr. Smith from the screen.
“I don’t know,” said Mark, turning the screw over and over in his hand. “I’ll mail it to for analysis.”
“It must be some new model we haven’t seen before,” said Dr. Smith.
“I thought you said that geese didn’t develop new models of anything,” said Mark.
“I could be wrong. It was just a theory. Or maybe we’ve just never encountered this,” said Dr. Smith.
“I don’t know. Something doesn’t add up,” said Mark. “I still can’t break Jiki, and I get the feeling that she would never be so sloppy as to plant a camera near one that it could interfere with.”
“Everyone makes mistakes, Mark,” said Dr. Smith.
“Yeah, they do,” said Mark, still looking at the screw. “Myself included. Hang on a minute, will you?”
“Of course,” said Dr. Smith. Mark ran out towards the back of his house, which was slightly outside of town. It was modest, but had a nice pond behind it, bordering several spread out houses. He picked up speed as the annoyance in his head grew stronger. He pitched the screw as far as he could into the pond. A brilliant explosion erupted above the surface. One that could have taken out half of Mark’s house.
Mark ran back to his basement as fast as he could. “You son of a bitch,” he said, grabbing Jiki and slamming her against the wall. “Where is it?”
“I don’t know… what you’re talking about,” managed Jiki from her cracked and bleeding beak.
“Shut up. You’re still communicating with your bosses,” said Mark. He pulled out his scanner again and quickly found a small transmitter inside Jiki’s ear. He yanked it out and threw it on the ground, smashing it with his boot. He did another scan of Jiki, found nothing, then returned to the computer.
“You ok, Mark?” asked Dr. Smith.
“Fine now,” said Mark, hearing the far off fire engine approaching. “It wasn’t a camera. It was a bomb. I didn’t scan Jiki for hidden electronics. Whoever she worked for must have planted it, knowing I’d find it and take it home.”
“You’ve been home for an hour, Mark. If they wanted to kill you, they could have done it,” said Dr. Smith.
“They wanted to kill us both,” said Mark. “I hadn’t been down to see Jiki yet.”
“If they failed this time, they’ll try again,” warned Dr. Smith.
“I know,” said Mark. “Unless they don’t think they have anything to gain. I need to get rid of Jiki and finish this mission.”
“Do what you need to do. I’ll be in touch,” said Dr. Smith, closing the connection. A knock came from the front door. Mark rose and calmly walked towards it.
“We got reports of an explosion. Did you see anything?” asked the police officer at the door.
“I heard it, of course, officer, but I was on my computer. I didn’t see a thing,” said Mark.
“Thanks. Here’s my card. If you hear anything, let us know,” said the officer.
“I will,” said Mark. “I most certainly will.”
“Morning, Mike,” said Mark, walking into the pizza shop.
“I need to speak to you in my office,” said Mike angrily.
“Um, sure,” said Mark, following his boss in. Mike closed the door hard. Mark had never seen him angry, let alone furious, as he was right now.
“You’re fired. Get out of town right now,” demanded Mike.
“What? I don’t understand. Why?” asked Mark.
“You know why. I almost had them off my back, and then you showed up. You’re ruining everything!”
“Mike, calm down. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Mark.
“Yes, you do, and I’m not going to spell it out,” said Mike. “I know they’ve been watching me for months, and I had left them enough evidence to make them stop watching me that they were finally leaving. And then you came, and started poking your nose around. I followed you home last night. I saw the explosion. I don’t know who you’re working for, but you need to leave.”
“Mike…,” said Mark, still mostly confused.
“I’m serious. I didn’t ask for any of this. I don’t want any of this. I just want to be left alone to run my pizza shop in peace,” said Mike. “I don’t want them watching me, and I don’t want you watching me.”
“With all due respect, I’m not watching you,” said Mark.
“I know about Dr. Smith,” said Mike.
“How do you…?” began Mark.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m telling you, leave me alone,” said Mike. “I’ve already sent an e-mail to Dr. Smith this morning asking him to do the same.”
“Mike, if you do know who’s watching you, surely you know that they won’t just go away,” said Mark.
“They will,” said Mike. “But not with you around. Will you leave?’
“I need to consult with my boss,” said Mark, finally admitting that he was here for reasons other than working in a pizza restaurant.
“You do that. Don’t take this the wrong way, Mark, because I think you’re a nice guy, but I never want to see your face again in my life,” said Mike.
“Mike…,” began Mark.
“Go,” said Mike. “Now.”
“Ok,” said Mark. “I’m not promising I won’t be back…”
“GO!” shouted Mike angrily. Mark backed out the door and drove away.
“I got his message,” confirmed Dr. Smith. “Take care of Jiki and leave. Maybe you’ll get home in time for some left over birthday cake.”
“I have seven kids. There’ll always be more cake. What’s going on, sir?” asked Mark.
“Mike knows me because of who his family is, and he’s suffered enough. I’ve done a little digging myself, and I think he’s right. I think he was being watched because of his family connections, and not because he’s actually done anything. The geese will leave him alone if they don’t think he knows that they are around, and if they think that he poses no threat. He has convinced me that is the case,” said Dr. Smith.
“So we just leave?” asked Mark. “That time, that goose… It was all for nothing?”
“Sometimes a mission is, Mark,” said Dr. Smith.
“Not this one. Not that goose,” said Mark. “Jiki is different. I’m not convinced she’s GIN.”
“Then who can she possibly be working for?” asked Dr. Smith.
“I don’t know,” said Mark.
“I don’t think there’s anything here, Mark,” said Dr. Smith. “If you had a lead you wanted to follow up on, great, but if you don’t have anything, let’s get you out of town before Jiki’s employers come after you.”
“I don’t like this,” said Mark. “Something just doesn’t feel right about the whole situation.”
“I know,” said Dr. Smith. “I’m satisfied with Mike’s explanation, but what you’ve told me about Jiki has me worried. However, as you have gotten nothing out of her, nor found any sign of her compatriots in town, I don’t think anything will be accomplished by you staying, and out of respect to Mike’s family, I don’t want to risk him any more. Your presence does that. Pack up and go home.”
“Understood, sir,” said Mark. “And Jiki?”
“The usual disposal,” said Dr. Smith darkly. Mark knew what he meant. He would be expected to kill Jiki and hide the body. He’d probably put this one in the pond. He’d done it plenty of times before, but for the first time, he didn’t feel right about it.
But Dr. Smith was right. Even if Mark did stay in town, he had no idea where to look. It was a series of dead ends, and now that it was apparent that he was doing more harm than good to his mission, namely protecting Mike, it was time to cut his losses. Mark couldn’t think of a single argument for staying.
“Ok, sir. I’ll see you soon,” said Mark, closing his laptop. He headed for the basement. He couldn’t help but feel that this story was far from over, even if he didn’t think he’s see the ending.
posted by Jerome Wetzel | 4:01 AM
