Project Sparta (The Xander Whitt Series Book 1) (11 page)

Chapter 19

The Compound

December 1
st
2010

When Xander woke up in the Infirmary, Senator Bashfield was smiling down at him. Xander wiped his eyes awake and her face came into focus.

“Senator Bashfield…”

“Hi Xander!” her smile grew even wider.

“What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to take a moment while we have this time to ourselves to ask you, have you thought anymore about my proposition?” she got down to business. Xander looked up into the corner of the infirmary where the camera was mounted. “Don’t worry I have disabled it.” Feeling guilt for even being in her presence, Xander was put at ease upon hearing this.

“Do you mean your offer to take me from Project Sparta and put me into active field duty?”

“Why, yes…” She straightened the end of her suit coat.

“Senator, I don’t think it is a good idea for me to leave my training. I am needed here.” Xander thought of his mission to monitor Fiona, reminding himself that he was taking on active field duty.

“Xander…” her tone grew more patronizing. “You are by far the best recruit in the Project and I don’t think you should deny an opportunity in the name of humility.”

“I could
take
you out of the program, but I will yield to your wishes. I need someone who
wants
to work for me. Who doesn’t need Hardy or Sparta. An operative who is self-sufficient. You, Xander, are the most complete and well-rounded recruit we have. I wish you would come with me.” Xander remained fixated on her eyes with firm purpose.

“I’m sorry, but I wish to stay here in Project Sparta,” Xander, again declared.

“Well, if you would like to come see me after you graduate, feel free to do so and we can maybe accommodate some of your wishes. Or you can ask Hardy at any time and I will contact you.”

“Yeah… okay,” Xander scoffed. An eerie feeling struck him. It was that moment that he realized he had no patience for government bureaucrats.

Chapter 20

Tobias’s Laboratory

Brookland – Washington, DC

June 30
th
2016

A long silence followed the discovery of the keyhole. Xander’s mind raced through the 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.

The computer at the back of the room chimed. They had almost forgotten about the fingerprint search and rushed over to see a photo of a bearded man whose hair was graying on all sides. Xander recognized him from the Korengal Valley, but hadn’t known his name. His eyes scanned the file until he found the man’s name – Hamal Abadi.

“This is the man who met Vashad in the Korengal Valley.” Xander continued his processing of the file. “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 b-b-be Agent Zero?” Tobias asked. It was an entertaining thought, though 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 he has no connection to Project Sparta.”

Xander scanned the profile and committed it to memory. Nothing about it stood out or offered any leads; it was a standard watch list profile from the FBI. It was also apparent from the file that the Bureau didn’t know anything about Agent Zero. He needed the raw data on him and he knew that Tobias didn’t have that information.

“I need to know everything I can about him,” Xander noted as he collected his things and tucked the box into his jacket.

“W-w-well g-g-go see M-M-Mac, then,” Tobias said with a wave of his hand.

“Thank you for everything, Tobias. I’ll be in touch.” With that, Xander spun on his heel and left Tobias’s warehouse.

«————————»

Xander’s house was a three-story retreat in the woods of Great Falls, Virginia. Most of his neighbors were State Department officials, Supreme Court justices or pro athletes. To them, he was Phillip Templeton, 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 the way he liked it. Visitors, of which he had none, would have to cross a bridge and drive alongside a small fishing creek to get to the house.

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 a spy could have. He grabbed the bouquet of flowers he’d purchased from the front seat and trudged through his delirium into the kitchen. He placed the flowers on the counter and headed upstairs.

He kicked off his boots 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. He gripped the sheets and a sadness settled over him. One word parted his lips before he faded into a deep slumber.

“Fiona…”

Chapter 21

The Compound

December 2
nd
2010

Xander’s pain had dulled to a deep ache, as he finished his recovery in the Infirmary. It had been three days since he jumped off the roller coaster at the end of the first battle. To pass the time, he had begun devising a plan on how to set up reconnaissance on Fiona. Not only was he determined to carry out his mission as assigned, but he had to know for sure—for himself. He knew he had been emotionally comprised, but he had to stay on point. He was deployed for active service—investigating Fiona— but since he was confined to the bed, he was left to the storm of his own speculation.

Nursing a few fractured ribs, a sprained ankle, and a concussion, Xander remained in the infirmary bed for three days. He was mentally exhausted from his analyses of different courses of action. He had created a plan, the only question that remained was whether his body would be ready to carry it out in time.

Xander sucked in a deep breath. A crippling pain shot through his abdomen as his lungs inflated against his fractured ribs. He briefly thought about his point total from the battle, but he would not let the leaderboard concern him.

Am I the only Spartan who is currently on assignment? Is someone monitoring my activity? Will there be surveillance in my house when I return?

His eyes found the high window above his bed.

I’ll need to retrieve the surveillance equipment tonight. I can’t be seen by anyone. Cusick should be in the Mainframe, where he usually is late at night, but how do I get there unseen?

Xander’s looked at the corner of the ward. There, a camera angled down over the room. It was the only surveillance camera in the Compound, and it was used only in cases of medical emergencies. Xander wondered if the nurse was watching from the other end. Regardless, he would have to make his move.

Xander could see the dome illuminated in the blue of twilight overhead through a skylight in the Infirmary. Doctor Rodgers had left for the night, so the only attendant in the Infirmary was Nurse Jenny. He noticed a new issue of
People Magazine
poking out of her bag when she first came to check on him. He knew this would keep her busy in the office for the time he needed.

Nurse Jenny brought Xander two orange pills in a paper cup. “Okay, these sleeping pills will help you rest through the night.” Xander thought how nice sleep would be and threw back the pill like a shot. He swallowed. Nurse Jenny saw his Adam’s apple drop and left him to his bed.

“Get some sleep, you’re going home tomorrow,” she said with a comforting smile.

Xander couldn’t help but chuckle.

Home? Are you kidding me? I’ve never had a home. I live in a house in a top secret compound deep underground. You really mean to tell me this is supposed to be
home
?

Nurse Jenny had retreated to the back office, which was detached from the Infirmary ward. She hit the lights on the way, leaving Xander in the dark. After a few moments, he heard the flapping of magazine pages. He knew that was his cue, and he stuck out his tongue, the two orange pills steadied on it. He inserted them into the crack between his mattress and frame and then grabbed the top pillows off of three nearby beds to stuff under his blanket. Xander then stepped up on his bed and wriggled through the high window overlooking the room. The pain shot out from his ribs, but Xander swallowed it down before it could escape his lips.

He dropped onto the snowy Compound floor and jogged low and discretely to the Armory. He fought the falling snow all the way to the side window where dropped into the Armory and whimpered upon landing. After the pain subsided, he found his footing and realized that he was standing in the middle of the gun range. He turned to the shooting mats and was surprised to see someone aiming a gun down the range toward him.

“Freeze, dirt bag!” It was Duke.

“You better watch where you’re aiming that, Duke. You could put someone’s eye out with that thing.” Duke didn’t lower his weapon, clearly enjoying the momentary position of power. He eyed Xander’s infirmary robes and then his bare feet as Xander stepped closer.

“What are you doing? You’re supposed to be in the Infirmary. Why didn’t you come in through the front door?”

Xander stopped within an arm’s reach of Duke’s outstretched 9mm Remington. It was obvious from Duke’s demeanor that he knew something was amiss. Xander realized that the curiosity of a teenager mixed with the ego of a school bully was a dangerous combination.

Xander was not nervous because of the gun pointed at him, but because of the question that was directed at him. His mind was working at the speed of light, diagnosing the problem and the consequences of each possible answer. The highways of cognition sped around his head like stock cars. Xander found the best answer and went with it.

“I came here because I’ve been given a top secret mission by our commanders to set up surveillance on Fiona. I snuck out of the Infirmary through the window to avoid being seen by any of the others because I figured I should make my move while people still thought I was in the Infirmary.” He hadn’t taken a breath throughout the whole confession.

Duke eyed Xander up and down, as if he was trying to get a read on him. Duke cocked the pistol, putting a bullet into the chamber. He aimed his sight over the barrel of the gun at Xander, combing him for nerves, clearly relishing the moments of intimidation.

All of a sudden, Duke uncocked the gun, released his aim, and started laughing. “I didn’t know you orphans had a sense of humor! Play your games, Xander. I thought you were getting too old to play make-believe, but then again, you are the youngest here.”

Duke shook his head, still laughing to himself, as Xander walked across the armory and exited out the side window.

“What a weird kid…” Duke muttered.

Xander was momentarily exposed as he dropped down from the window onto the compound floor but his white infirmary gown helped him blend in with the snow that continued to fall. He huddled over a jog, low and fast.

Then he stopped dead.

Chatter approached.

Xander ducked behind one of the many air conditioning units along the side of the Mainframe. He lay flat against the unit, frozen as Jooles and Seamus passed. His bare toes gripped the frost and started to go numb. He could hear Seamus’s impression of Captain Axle, barking orders over the hum of the air conditioner units and Jooles’s laughter in response. When clear, Xander bolted for the front door, the blood flow returning to his feet as he ran.

Inside the Mainframe, an electronic beat thumped through the speakers—it was “Idioteque” from Radiohead. The lights were off so the only illumination came from the computer monitors suspended from the ceiling. Cusick sat at the head chair, navigating computer language platforms at such a quick speed one could think there was a glitch in the system from the feverish activity on the screen. He got to a stopping point, cut the music, and spun around to see who had just entered.

“Xander? Is that you?” Cusick squinted through his glasses.

“I believe you have something for me,” Xander said, after surveying the room to ensure they were alone.

“Yes, yes… I’ve been expecting you.” Cusick waddled over to a corner cabinet and produced a small case of surveillance equipment. With one swipe of his arm, he cleared the hardware clutter from the table and set the case down.

“I’ve got some great cutting edge tech for you, some of which I programmed myself,” Cusick explained with pride. He snapped the locks on the case and revealed the contents to Xander. There before him were seven button-sized cameras, a few coils of connecting wires, a tube-shaped device, and a monitor with a small antenna folded at its side. Cusick picked up the camera and held it up.

“You have seven mini-cameras, all with a high definition lens on one side and cyanoacrylate adhesive on the other. These cameras will relay a feed to this monitor here, it is touch enabled, so you can view multiple feeds at the same time.” Cusick placed the cameras back into their proper places within the case.

“What about that?” Xander asked, pointing to the tube-shaped device.

“I call this the Launcher. You will most likely want these cameras at high vantage points. You can load this lightsaber-looking device and press this button here to shoot a camera out. The adhesive will hold upon impact.”

Cusick demonstrated by pointing the Launcher toward one of the computer monitors in the Mainframe and pressed the button. A camera flew out of it, like it was shot out of cannon, and clung to the monitor at the point of contact.

“Impressive!” Xander smiled. “Thanks, Cusick.” But his smile fell as the realization of his mission resurfaced. He paused a moment before closing up the case and exiting.

“You don’t think Fiona could be…” Xander led the question. Cusick’s lips crumpled at the thought, his empathetic eyes settled on his student.

“I don’t know. I’m not a spy, Xander. I’m just a computer nerd. But there is one thing I know, when it comes to Project Sparta, nothing is as it seems.”

Xander nodded as he picked up the case and hastened for the door, but before leaving he responded over his shoulder. “Let’s hope that’s the case.