The Lives of Tao (33 page)

“I think no matter how you try to justify the good of this mission, it just feels wrong,” Roen said.

Stephen scratched his chin. “I don’t know about that, Roen. One of the agents we lost because of these safe house lockouts was a buddy of mine. Jack and I went back thirty years. Good man. I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for him on more than one occasion. I wasn’t there for him when he was caught out in the open in Austria; I’d like to think that I’m doing everything in my power to make up for it. Gregory and I go back a ways; he was my friend. I know he’d think the same thing.”

He paused. “I checked your files. This is your first high-level field mission?” Roen nodded. “And you have credit for a past kill?”

Roen shook his head. “Guy had two left feet and tripped off a building. I never actually shot anyone.”

“Not a bad thing,” Stephen said. “Just remember to respect the gun. Remember what it can do.”

Roen nodded. “I really don’t want to kill people.”

Stephen shook his head. “Sane men never do. That makes you human. Folks who have no regard for life are the ones you have to worry about. The day you find yourself not caring if someone lives or dies is the day you should hang up your spurs and quit this line of work. It means you’re losing your humanity, and that humanity is what the Prophus are fighting for.” Stephen stood up and patted him on the back. “Just remember, son, always look for a reason not to shoot. You remember that and you’ll be fine.”

Roen watched Stephen rejoin Dylan and continue their card game. Why would Stephen tell him to not shoot? Wasn’t that the reason they were here? To shoot and kill the enemy? The thought of killing someone made Roen nauseous. He just didn’t want taking someone’s life on his conscience. He didn’t know if he could live with himself.

“Tao, I don’t think I’m in the right line of work.”

Roen, what you are thinking is perfectly natural. In fact, I am glad you feel this way. A natural killer who shows no remorse is not the kind of host I want to have, and not one that the Prophus needs when life and death is on the line. Duty and responsibility are heavy things, and not something you should treat lightly. If it is not a burden to you, then you
are
in the wrong line of work.
 

Sonya came by later. She sat down next to him and grabbed his gun, putting it aside. “Hey you, how’s it going?” She put her hand in his and he felt the small calluses on her trigger finger.

“I was kind of hoping our first trip together would be to the Bahamas or Vegas. This wasn’t high on my list of vacation destinations.”

This is the part where I interrupt. You have other things to worry about than flirting with your commander.
 

She chuckled. “Baji warned me about Tao and his hosts. You need to focus on the mission.”

“Warned you?” he mused. “I’m hardly a danger to anyone.”

“You underestimate yourself, Roen Tan,” she murmured. “It’s late. You should get some sleep.”

“Aye, aye, ma’am.” He saluted.

She waved him off. “Military protocol sounds silly coming from you for some reason. Just remember; we’re not in the gym anymore.” She put her hands on his shoulder and leaned over. “You leave in four hours.”

Sleep did not come easily that night. Restless with anticipation, Roen spent the quiet hours tossing around in bed. He envied the two older men sharing a room with him as they slept, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings. It figured that the only time he actually needed to sleep, he couldn’t.

Relax. You are as jumpy as a kid on prom night.
 

“I never went to prom.”

You know what I mean. Settle down a bit. Take a deep breath.
 

“How do they sleep so well?”

Experience, many years of it. One day, you will be like them too.
 

“If I live that long.”

Hush, sunshine.
 

Roen sat up in his cot and started counting seconds of the clock. His lack of sleep just exacerbated his mood. Not a good way to start his budding career as a real spy.

He lay back down and stared at the ceiling, his mind wandering randomly. Would his parents understand? Would his dad be proud? Would they get some kind of severance if he died? Kathy seemed to be getting something. Should he give some to Jill? If something happened to him, would she think he just blew her off?

What about Antonio? After all, he does pay half the rent. What about his cat? Roen had heard about people who put their pets in their will. Maybe he should have a will drawn up. Maybe he should become an organ donor, but who would want organs riddled with bullet holes?

Roen.
 

“Yes, Tao?”

Go to sleep.
 

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

GREGORY

There, in a quiet cove on an icy winter day – with a ship anchored just off the shore – Francisco Cisneros betrayed us and slew Rianno, declaring himself a Genjix. Just as I had committed the ultimate betrayal of my hosts, my friend and brother Chiyva had done the same to me. Grieving for a lost host and friend, I fled into the forest and was fortunate to find a deer. For the next few decades, I plotted my revenge.
 

Roen struggled against fatigue the next morning. What passed for coffee at the safe house didn’t help, and the food stored there was the kind that belonged in nuclear bomb shelters. How this place passed for a bed and breakfast was beyond him.

The one thing that was well stocked here was their selection of teas. He had always thought the British obsession with tea was a stereotype in campy movies. Not so. The sheer combination of tea blends and mixtures and condiments required a series of alchemical decisions that would have befuddled his chemistry professor. When he finally settled on drinking his tea plain, Paula shook her head in amusement, muttering something about primitive Americans under her breath.

Roen and Paula left for the hospital right after breakfast. The car ride was quiet; hardly a word was spoken between them. He spent the time looking out the window and studying his guide. Paula was a somber looking woman in her early thirties with a slender but muscular build. She had a handsome face with sharp Asian features, and the look of someone who was always in control. Roen didn’t want to admit it, but he was totally intimidated by her. She approached her assignment chaperoning him as seriously as if she was about to assassinate the pope.

The car rumbled down the cobbled street with a low growl as the engine struggled to navigate the hilly incline near the outskirts of town. Blackmoore War Hospital was a long-term care facility that treated all sorts of illnesses ranging from cancer to leprosy.

The Prophus as well as the Genjix had long used facilities like these all over the world to house their people. Schizophrenia and other mental illnesses were common among their hosts. According to their research, two per cent of documented schizophrenic patients were hosts overburdened by the strain of their Quasing.

Roen realized that no matter what type of fieldwork he did, there was lots of waiting. After an hour-long car ride through morning traffic, they reached the hospital only to wait another thirty minutes before the dour-faced woman at the front desk called his name. There, they were escorted to the psychiatric ward holding room by a bored orderly, where they waited another twenty minutes before a young nurse in pink scrubs finally took them to Gregory’s room.

“Is this it?” Paula asked as they moved to the room labeled 3005.

Roen nodded. He moved his hand to the handle and slowly turned it. However, something stopped him from opening it. He froze, a wave of intense dread sweeping over him. Roen stood there immobile for several seconds. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

I am not sure if I can either.
 

Paula put her hand on his arm. “You all right?”

He didn’t answer. He kept on staring. This opened the way into a part of Tao’s past that he wasn’t ready to confront.

“Do what you have to do, Roen. I’ll stand watch outside.”

He glanced at her worried face once and then back at the door. Summoning what seemed an unnecessarily exorbitant amount of strength to finish turning the handle, he finally went inside and closed the door behind him.

Roen stood in a barren room barely larger than his closet at home. There was a small table and chair against a wall and a bed on the far end. An old looking man in a common green hospital gown sat in a wheelchair facing the wall. This must be Gregory. He made no sign that he heard Roen enter. Roen stood at the door, unsure if he should announce himself.

Moments passed; Gregory didn’t even twitch a finger. Roen had never seen a picture of him, but somehow felt an immediate kinship with him. Gregory had a faraway empty look as he stared forward. Roen grabbed the chair and scooted it closer to Gregory. The metal chair made a fingernail-to-chalkboard screeching noise as he dragged it along the tiles.

“Hello, brother,” Tao whispered in a hushed tone through Roen as he sat down.

Gregory didn’t respond.

Roen leaned over and caressed the other man on his forehead. He repeated Tao’s words the best he could, though much of it was so painful for him to say. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit as much as I liked. I see that the years haven’t been kind to you. You lost all your hair and you stopped working out.” He tried to chuckle as he spoke, but it came out as a sob. Gregory continued staring forward, still showing no signs of life. Roen bit his lips and continued. “You might not recognize me, but it’s Edward. Well, it’s not really Edward anymore, but it’s Tao. Can you hear me?”

Gregory gave no answer. A bubbling despair began to boil from Roen’s stomach and stopped short at his throat. While the man sitting before him was technically not his brother, the emotions he felt from Tao nearly overwhelmed him. A tear escaped his eye, and he found himself shaking. This was the man he was supposed to kill today. He was a Prophus agent. And now that Gregory was no longer of use to them, they wanted Roen to kill him. One day in the future, it could very well be Roen sitting here in a plain room of a psychiatric ward.

“I... I know what you’re thinking,” he managed. “I say I’m Tao, but I don’t look like Edward. Well, I have some bad news; Edward’s dead. I’m Tao’s new host. You know how it goes. The body dies, but the spirit lives on. Who would’ve thought that you’d live longer than Edward, huh? The world’s a crazy place. I’m Roen. I guess this makes us half-brothers in a way.”

Roen couldn’t stand sitting there any longer. He stood up and exhaled. Grabbing Gregory’s hand, Roen started shaking it desperately for any signs of life. The reality of the second part of the mission came crashing down on him as hard as any punch from Lin or Sonya. The very thought of euthanizing Gregory, even in this state, made Roen nauseous.

Tao sorted through his memories with Gregory and Edward. “Do you remember what happened when you felt Yol’s presence? You said it was like you just met your soul mate. Remember when I teased you about that? How I said now that you found your soul mate, you never had to leave the house again? I was proud when you joined the Prophus family. I hate what’s happened to you. That’s why I’m here, brother. The Prophus need Yol back badly. You need to wake up right now.”

His earpiece crackled and Sonya’s voice came over their secured frequency. “Paula, Roen, we need to bring you in right away! Intelligence just reported that one of the Genjix satellites altered course last night and moved over Ireland. It’s on a trajectory toward Dublin. You’ve been compromised. Secure Gregory and take him to the delta spot. Switch cars before you bring him back.”

Paula opened the door and ran in. “Did you get that, lad? Time’s up.”

Roen opened his mouth, dumbstruck. His memories of the Genjix from the night club returned as if it were yesterday. He stared at her, unsure of what to do. Paula drew her pistol. “Take the wheelchair,” she commanded. “We’re getting out of here now.”

“But I still need to check him out,” Roen protested. “They’ll think we’ve kidnapped him.”

“No time. If the Genjix have tracked us, they can take out both Yol and Tao in one attempt. We can’t let that happen. Take Gregory to the back entrance. I’ll get the car and rendezvous with you there. If anyone stops you along your way, take them out.”

Roen released the safety on his gun as Paula left the room. He put it in his jacket pocket. Nervously, he gripped the handle of the wheelchair and felt his heart racing. Roen tried to block out his fear as he pushed Gregory out the door and wheeled him down the hallway. The fact that Gregory’s life was in his hands gave him that extra amount of courage to focus on the task at hand.

The back ramp can take you to the first floor. Do not take the elevator; it might be watched.
 

“Was it the third or fourth door? I don’t remember. What if someone tries to stop me?”

The security guards here are armed. Talk your way through or knock them unconscious. Do not draw unless they fire first.