The Code - Genesis - Book I (22 page)

“Help you learn your future, Agent Natan?”

“To help me…”  Natan struggles.

Christine
leans in, gently patting Natan’s knee. “It’s okay.  You’re in a safe space here.”

“To help me understand what’s happening to me,” Natan reveals.

Christine
flips through her notes. “Natan.  The last session we had, we discussed your intuition regarding the
Boston
incident.  I’m guessing that there is more here to catch me up on…am I right?”

“It would take more than fifty minutes,” Natan quips.

“Give me the quick version,”
Christine
requests.

“Well…” Natan shifts uncomfortably. “I’ve been having visions.”

“Okay, so let me get this straight…during the
Boston
incident you had feelings of intuition, you’ve also been having dreams lately, and now you’re having visions.  Is that right?”
Christine
asks.  Natan nods her head yes. 
Christine
continues, “I see.  Tell me a bit more about these visions.”
             
             
             
             

Natan replies, “They’re like…little snippets of movies in my head.  Some seem like memories, and some are unclear.”

             
Christine
stops note-taking and looks up at Natan. “If you’re having visions or flashes of memories, it’s no
t an uncommon situation. It’s
often brought on by some sort of stress or trauma.”

Natan swallows hard. “They’re not my memories that I’m seeing.”

“What?”
Christine
asks. “Whose memories are they?”

Natan replies, “The p
rofessor’s, I think.”
             

Christine
leans back in her chair. “Well, this is sure an interesting turn of events.”

             
Natan leans back in her own chair. “I guess I should also mention that I am being investigated at the moment.”

An uneasy
Christine
asks, “Investigated for what and by whom?”

“Well, it seems the p
rofessor has a past issue with smuggled artifacts and my contact with him has evoked some sort of concern at the N.S.A.,” Natan confides.

“This sounds troubling,”
Christine
replies.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Natan says. “I’m being followed everywhere I go.  I had to duck out the back exit of the Essential Mart and cross the other shopping area to get here unseen.”  Natan runs her hand over her face. “I can’t believe I’m telling you all this.”

Christine
tries to support her. “I had no idea that you were dealing with so many things at once.  This must be
incredibly
difficult for you.”

Natan feel
s
safe and continues, “Everything that’s been happening lately…it’s all surreal.  It’s like I’m watching myself from the outside and nothing makes any sense.”

Christine
says, “I understand now how difficult it’s been for you to get here and why you needed to see me.  I suggest that you begin journaling your feelings and experiences in between our sessions to help you gain some stability and clarity for yourself.”

“You want me to write down what I’m thinking and experiencing?” Natan shifts uncomfortably.

“I think it would be good for you,”
Christine
encourages.  Natan fidgets,
looking more tense.
Christine
sees her discomfort. “Is that a problem?” she asks.

Natan replies, “I’m just…worried about having written documentation around about all…,” Natan motions to
Christine
’s notepad with her hands. “Well…all of this getting out.”

“I understand,”
Christine
says. “Perhaps you can write things down, re-read them, and then shred them once you’re finished.  This will give you a chance to revisit your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, but eliminate concern for your privacy.”

“I think I can do that.”  Natan eyes her watch, “I have to leave in a moment…I’m on desk duty at work and they’re watching me like a hawk.”

“I’m guessing you’ll want to wait to schedule something for next time?”
Christine
says.

“I haven’t the vaguest idea when I’ll be back.”  Natan gets up. “Let’s just say I’ll be in touch.”  Natan heads for the door.

“Natan.”
Christine
stops her. Natan turns back to
Christine
, who promises, “I will do everything in my power to keep your information safe.” 
Christine
rips several pages out of the notepad, holding the pages up to Natan. “I’ll shred all of these…” 
Christine
and Natan lock eyes.

“Thank you,
Christine
,” Natan replies.

“Take care of yourself, Agent Natan.”  Natan exits, leaving
Christine
looking at the pages in her hand.

Outside
Christine
’s office, Amanda paces as she waits around a corner.  She spots Natan leaving the building and casually begins walking toward the same vicinity. Amanda pretends to window shop.  Natan
spots her.  Amanda wears a t
-shirt with people hanging off of a globe of the earth as they hang on for their lives.  The shirt reads, “Running out of room?  Then help stop overpopulation
.”

“Ms. Clark?” Natan says, shocked to see her.

“Agent Natan.  Please…call me Amanda.  I’ve been meaning to get in touch with you.  What a coincidence that you’re doing some lunchtime shopping also.”

Natan looks around suspiciously. “Yeah, it is.  What can I do for you?”

Amanda replies, “I saw a man snooping around Josh’s office again a few days ago.”
             

“The man…was he the same man who was at the university that day I interviewed you?  Did he look like he was a cop or worked for the government?” Natan asks.

“No way he was a cop,” Amanda replies. “It was a totally different guy.  He had a bunch of tattoos and was almost goth-looking.”

“Did you notice anything else?” Natan asks.

“Nope…that was pretty freaky all by itself,” Amanda says.

             
Natan looks at Amanda again curiously. “Well, thanks for letting me know.  I’ll see what I can find out.”
             
             
             
             

Amanda replies, “I hope you can find
out something soon because the p
rofessor’s been kinda edgy lately.”

“What do you mean?” Natan asks.

Amanda fidgets. “He just seems like he has a lot on his mind.”  She looks around nervously. “Well, anyway, it was good running into you…it saved me a call.”

“Yeah,” Natan replies, “I’ll get back in touch if I find anything.”

“Thanks.  Have a great remainder of your day.”  Amanda walks off, waving goodbye as she leaves.

“You too.” Natan’s reply is a little delayed as she ponders this chance encounter.

Chapter Thirty-nine

Inside the N.S.A. building Natan gets off the elevator on
Alice
’s floor.  She sees workmen moving furniture out of
Alice
’s office and rushes over to it.  Natan stands in the doorway watching
Alice
’s expressionless face as she sits in a chair that used to be behind her now-missing desk.  The room is nearly empty.

Alice
is deep in thought, remembering her last encounter with Agent Knight.  Knight sits working on his computer in the general office area as
Alice
approaches.

“Agent Knight.”
Alice
’s voice resonates aggression.

“
Alice
.  Agent Natan’s not here right now,” he says, beaming.

“I’m looking for you, Agent Knight,” she replies.

Knight smiles at her warmly. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Get that smug smile off your face.”  Knight’s smile fades. 
Alice
continues, “I know that you’ve been working to bring Natan down.”

             
Knight gets up from his desk and squares off with
Alice
, hovering a good foot and a half above her. “What’re you talking about?”

Unwavering,
Alice
replies, “Save it.  I know and I’m bringing all of this to light.”

Alice
starts to leave. 

Knight grabs her hard. “I wouldn’t do that…sticking your nose where you don’t belong can be a hazardous thing,
Alice
.”

Alice
shakes off his grip. “You can do what you like…but this is over, Knight.”

Knight pushes
Alice
against a file cabinet. “Who do you think authorized this whole thing?  It’s not just me you’re screwing with…you sure you want to mess with the head of the N.S.A.?”

Alice
pushes Knight’s large frame back. “You’re lucky I don’t carry a weapon anymore.”

“Think about it,” Knight threatens, “You wouldn’t want Agent Natan to have an accident on the job, now would you?  Working for the N.S.A. can be a hazardous thing.  We’ve lost two agents already this year.”

Alice
heads for the door. “Go to hell!”

“Baxter will never let it happen,
Alice
.  Think about it.”

Natan stands in the doorway of
Alice
’s office, watching her friend sit as she sits alone in the vacant space.  She knocks on the door jam as she stands in the doorway.  “Something you want to tell me,
Alice
?” Natan asks.

Alice
looks up. “Oh, you startled me.”

“Everything all right?” Natan says.

“Yeah…sure,”
Alice
replies, “They’re moving me to another floor.”

“Since when?” Natan asks.

“Since today.” 
Alice
gets up.

“Why?” Natan probes further.

Alice
replies, “Well, they’ve needed extra space up here for a while now and they figured it would be a good time to do it since I’ll be gone for a few weeks.”

“Gone?” Natan says. “Where’re you going?”

Alice
cloaks her true feelings, holding it together perfectly. “I’m finally getting that vacation I’ve wanted.”  She smiles at Natan.

Natan is shocked. “What? 
Alice
, you’ve been wanting a vacation for the last five years…and yet, you never took one.  Why now?”

“It’s now or never, right?” 
Alice
turns to sit back down.  Natan gently reaches out to her.

“Something isn’t right here,” Natan says suspiciously. “You’ve been trying to talk to me for a while now.  Does this have anything to do with what you needed to tell me?”

Inside Baxter’s hidden office chamber, Knight and Baxter stand over a monitor observing
Alice
’s office.

Natan waits for an answer in
Alice
’s old office.  There isn’t one.  She tries again, “
Alice
…talk to me,” she says.

Alice
looks up to the ceiling at a pin-sized hole in the corner. “Oh, Agent Natan, don’t be silly.  Everything is fine, really.  You should be happy for me.  Like you said, I haven’t had a vacation in forever.” 
Alice
’s smile widens.

“Uh.”  Natan runs her fingers through her hair. “Okay, then.  I’m happy for you.  What do you have planned?”

Alice
replies, “
Mexico
sounded good…can’t beat beaches and margaritas, right?”

“That’s for sure,” Natan says, dumbfounded, as she tries to get her bearings.

             
Alice
gets up again.  “I’m leaving first thing tomorrow.  I’ll need you to water my plants for me at home while I’m gone.  Do you think you’ll be able to do that?”

“Of course,” Natan says.

Alice
looks into Natan’s eyes. “I won’t have time to deal with them before I leave, but they don’t need much attention, just the ivy in the living room…that poor plant barely holds on unless I pamper it to pieces.”