Chapter 28

The encounter had left Joyce both physically and mentally strained. She didn’t worry so much when Edward and Dan had chatted with the man tied up downstairs. She had taken the opportunity to shower, cleansing her mind and body from the chaotic event with Lucious. What Joyce wasn’t expecting was another round of gun fire and the eventual seeping of tear gas making its way into the bedroom. The hot steam from the shower did not mix well with the gas, making it cling to all surfaces had made it feel more potent. The only thing she could think of was to throw her face onto the pillow and hope that it performed well enough as a filter. The automatic weapons fire did nothing to help alleviate her concern about what was happening. She couldn’t go downstairs, as she was not equipped nor had the proper training to tackle what problem lay beneath the steps. The worry overcame her as she continued to smash her face into the pillow. Are they alright? Will this attacker come up here?

She waited until the noise stopped before attempting to breathe fresh air again. The air was still bitter, but the once searing effects of the gas had mostly subsided. A voice called out, prompting her to rise from the spot she had considered safe for the past ten minutes.

“Joyce? Are you alright?” Edward called out from the bottom of the stairs.

“Yes.” A slight cough was muffled by the hand covering her mouth, but she was regaining control over herself.

“We are good down here. I’m coming up.”

“Okay.”

Edward sprinted up the stairs, taking two and three step strides. “You’re okay, not hurt?”

“I’m fine, other than whatever the hell happened downstairs that crept upstairs. What was that?”

Edward thought of the office that was now ruined with blood, the living room ripped to shred by gun fire, and that Nyx, seemingly rescued, was now gone. “Oh, god. I don’t think that you want to know.”

“I’m not a god; I’m a woman. I don’t want to know. I just don’t want it to happen again.”

“That’s why you need to pack some things so I can take you to your mother’s in the city. They’ll think twice before causing such a disturbance out there. Dan and I will finish this.”

“I’m not going to the city.”

“You have to. It’s the safest option. You’ll have FBI and NYPD watching as a precaution.”

“Not yet.”

“What do you mean not yet? I can’t risk you being around me and getting hurt. This guy has tried three times to get to me, twice in one day.”

“You are taking me to see Jean.”

“Are you serious? This is where it all started. Hell, that might even be the first place these assholes look.”

“It’s not a negotiation. You’re taking me there. Then once I’m satisfied, I’ll go to the city.”

There truly was nothing else like the firm request from a significant other. Like most people, Edward knew the request was more of a demand. Disobeying that demand would lead to consequences, which is something that he could have less of at the moment. “Fine. Just get your things, please. We won’t be coming back here any time soon.”

Joyce collected clothing and other essentials into suitcases while Edward went back downstairs to talk to Dan.

“I don’t think they are coming back,” Dan said while gazing out of the window.

“I don’t think so either. It would be foolish, but Nyx also said something that is bothering me.”

“What was that? I couldn’t hear beyond all of the bullshit going on at the time.”

“His buddy or whatever asked where the others were, assuming you and I, and probably Joyce as well.”

“Yeah, maybe we got lucky, and they didn’t want to waste any more valuable time.”

“But Nyx said don’t worry about them. He could’ve easily killed us. They had the upper hand, and he knew we were in the room somewhere.”

“Like I said, they were probably expecting the calvary at any moment and didn’t want to waste any more time.”

“Perhaps, but it feels like something more. Do you think I said something that registered in his brain, and he spared us as a result?”

“Although highly unlikely, it’s not outside the realm of possibility. These guys are professionals. I just can’t understand how ten minutes of conversation would change someone’s heart.”

“Yes. But still, maybe he went to get some answers, the same as we are about to do.”

“I’m guessing that you are going to revisit Jean.”

“Wife insists, besides, it’s the only way I’m going to get her to stay at her mother’s apartment in the city.”

“Well, I know what happens next. You’re ditching me to go on an adventure while I get the privilege of cleaning all of this up and explaining it to Hurst.”

“You don’t mind, do you?”

“No, by all means go ahead and enjoy your retreat to the Big Apple.”

“I won’t be staying, but I would appreciate it if we could get an agent or someone trustworthy to keep an eye on the place.”

“Of course. Would you like your car to be towed somewhere special?”

“This is no time for jokes. What are you talking about, Dan?”

Dan moved just outside of the house and pointed at Edward’s 87 Corvette. “At least two flat tires are what I see.”

“Son of a bitch.”

“Compliments of Nyx.” Dan smiled.

Edward had sat quietly in the passenger seat of the Mercedes SUV during most of the trip. It had at least given him a chance to use Joyce’s phone charger in the vehicle, which he had desperately needed for days. Joyce knew that both of their vehicles were a sensitive subject right now. She had respected his desire to be alone in his thoughts, but as they neared Andrew’s old house, she needed him back to his vibrant self.

“It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve been down here.” Joyce broke the silence.

Edward could have continued playing the role of the bitter agent who had been bested by Nyx, but the innocence in his wife’s voice brought him out of deep thought. “If only we could roll back time. At least one last visit with Andrew would have been nice.”

“It certainly would’ve been. It must have been so lonely down here.”

“Yes. But he did have Jean.”

“Surely Jean was of great value to him, but he still needed human interaction. A computer can’t possibly have the same level of compassion and physical presence.”

“I don’t know. Japan has been making some wild and freaky advancements in robotics lately,” Edward said in a lower tone as Joyce neared the house.

“What was that?”

“It’s right here.”

Joyce slammed on the brakes. “Oops. Like I said, it’s been a while.”

“Indeed. Keep that up, and you’ll need new tires as well.”

Joyce glared at him but quickly changed to a smile once they entered the driveway. She parked the car, and they both exited. She immediately walked up to the front door and tried to turn the knob until Edward interrupted her.

“Please don’t go in there.”

“Isn’t that where Jean is?”

“No, she’s in the guest house around back.”

“Guest house? When did he add a guest house?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Follow me.” Edward motioned his hand toward the side of the house and began walking while Joyce caught up.

Edward typed the not-so-secret code into the keypad of the guest house.

“What’s that about?” Joyce asked.

“Andrew had a special code that activates Jean. Mine is my name spelt on a number pad.”

“Interesting.”

The door unlocked, and both of them went through it. Edward flipped on the lights and immediately called out for Jean. “Jean. I’m back, and I brought Joyce with me. She wanted to thank you personally for sending the warning that saved her life.”

There was no answer. The guest house was eerily quiet. There had usually been a very low noise from within the walls, seemingly from the hardware that powered Jean. But Edward could no longer hear it.

“Jean?”

Joyce sniffed and scratched her nose; something about the air was bothering her. “Do you smell that?”

Edward did the same, but the odor was more recognizable to him. He had noticed that smell before. He just couldn’t quiet place it. “Yeah. What is that?” As soon as he said it, it dawned on him. It was the same smell he remembered from the room underneath Andrew’s office. The result of electronics being overloaded and fried. “Oh shit.”

“What?” Joyce looked at Edward, who had an overwhelming presence of concern on his face.

“Jean?” Edward called out one final time, but he was now doubting a response. “That smell. It’s burning electronics. Something happened. Something bad. Jean is in trouble.”

“Oh my god. What do we do?”

“We need help. I don’t know where her equipment is located. I need to call some guys.”

“Hurst will see you now,” the lady said as she set the phone receiver back down.

Dan knew that this was inevitable after the occurrence at the Brandt residence. He had been lucky that the police were tasked to handle the crime scene and did not want to even try to make sense of the paperwork that would ensue. He would still have to try and explain things as delicately as possible to the big man. According to Hurst, the FBI still could not be bothered with such ‘low rent’ and obvious ‘gang activity’ while they were still looking into the potential sabotage of the President’s plane.

“Thanks,” Dan acknowledged as he entered the door leading to Hurt’s throne.

Hurst was sitting quietly at his desk, hands folded and fingers locked as he stared at Dan making his way toward the desk. “Have a seat.”

Dan was surprised; it may have been the first time ever that Hurst had offered a member of his own employees to sit at his desk rather than standing in an uncomfortable position for the duration. “Thank you, sir.” He took a seat and got a good glimpse of the side of the face that Edward’s fist had once made contact with. The swelling was obviously gone, but the redness and almost certainly tenderness were still prominent. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

Hurst wasn’t the type to feel vulnerable in his own office, but the apparent look from Dan towards his face made him a little uneasy as he rubbed the area with his hand. “Yes. It’s almost gone, and Agent Brandt is still on the radar. Now, what do I need to do?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t follow.”

“I have an agent who is supposed to be on administrative leave but has turned an urban area into a warzone. Now I have you, who is supposed to be his senior, colluding with him while I specifically said that the Andrew Simmons case is closed. I want to be reasonable here, but you two are giving me very little confidence that you belong here. So, tell me the story, and tell it straight.” Hurst sat back in his chair, his arms folded, waiting for Dan’s explanation.

Wow, Dan thought to himself. Edward must have really knocked some sense into Hurst. He had never seen him so approachable. Usually, by this time, the yelling would be heard throughout the entire building. “Okay, sir.”

He proceeded to tell Hurst about the chronology of events that took place earlier in the day. The meeting at Andrew’s all the way up to Nyx’s escape. Dan carefully left out all parts involving Jean. He mentioned that Edward had done all of the research in solitude relating to the people involved in Andrew’s murder. And the alert of the intruder’s presence was simply sent to Edward’s phone.

Hurst groaned, and his face showed that he was seriously struggling to keep his rage under control. He took a moment to breathe in and out, hoping that he could continue to keep whatever calmness he wanted Dan to perceive. “Alright.” He said with a restraint to burst out of his chair. “Let’s see if I got everything straight. You and Edward broke about a dozen traffic laws on the interstate and in town.”

Dan had already known where this was headed. All he could do was answer the questions and brace for the repercussions. “Yes, sir. We needed to get there fast.”

“Uh-huh, while endangering the lives of others. Did it occur to you to call the police? They would have had a faster response time.”

“I tried, sir. I was on hold for the longest time, and then the signal cut out. Eventually, the battery died.”

“Okay. Noted. So, Edward had already killed someone before you even arrived?”

“Yes, sir. I arrived in time to see someone else attempt to gain access to the house.”

“Yes. This Nyx character. Whom you both questioned without bothering to call it in.”

Dan didn’t have a convincing answer to satisfy Hurst, so he just stated the obvious. “It all happened so quickly. We didn’t know if others were soon to follow. Which they obviously did in the end.”

“When this other guy rescued this Nyx person?”

Dan nodded his head. “In the end, we were lucky to receive the warning in time and a little bit of extra information as a bonus.”

“Where is Edward now?”

Dan knew that Joyce had gone with him back to Andrew’s house. Giving up the precise information was not going to help either of them. He decided to forgo that bit and tell Hurst that Edward was dropping Joyce off at her mother’s.

Hurst turned around in his chair to hide the redness of his face and the grinding of his teeth. “I see Agent Brandt is not going to let this one go. He was properly warned and disobeyed his superiors. So, I am going to do something for both of you. Since you know him best, you will have him surrender his badge and issued weapon to you while a full investigation is underway. Something tells me you’ll see him soon anyway. We still have other, more important things to do around here, so don’t expect him to be reinstated any time soon, if ever. Can you do that?”

That was pretty close to what Dan had expected to hear from Hurst, minus the yelling and desk pounding. “Yes, sir. I can do that.”

“Good. The second thing that I want to address is your insubordination.”

Oh damn, here it goes, Dan thought to himself. There was no saving grace for him today; he just had to endure the rest of Hurst’s wrath.

Hurst turned back around to face Dan, this time his face was pale as if all blood had escaped it. “You are one of our most senior and respected agents here. So, I am offering this as your final warning before you meet Agent Brandt’s fate. You will no longer pursue Brandt’s theories or even entertain his ideas. I do not want to hear another word about computers and internet assassins. It’s already going to be tough enough to explain what I can about rogue agents to the police chief overlooking your mess. Second. After obtaining the badge and handgun from Agent Brandt, you will have no more contact with him until after the investigation has concluded. I expect you to sit at your desk and do the job you are asked to do. Can you live with that?” Hurst stared intently into Dan’s eyes.

Dan’s mind said no, but his lips said, “Yes.”

“Alright. Now get the hell out of my office.” Hurst shooed Dan away as he started reviewing a piece of paper on his desk.

“Roger that.” Dan turned around and swiftly made his way to the door.

“Remember. If you screw me on this, you might as well throw your badge in the trash too.”

“Yes, sir.” He knew there was more Hurst wanted to say, but he quickly exited the office before more threats could be issued.

The receptionist was typing away on the computer, no doubt doing Hurst’s work for him. She looked up at Dan and shrugged before going back to work.

The phone started to vibrate in Dan’s pocket. Great. Perfect timing, just what I need. He grabbed the phone to look at the sender. Edward. Of course. This was going to get interesting, and he was now deeply conflicted. He unlocked the phone to read the message.

Jean is no longer responsive and may be in trouble. We don’t know the location. Would you send the STB to help out? – Edward

Dan sighed. He wasn’t sure if he should use the opportunity to collect the badge, or risk it all and continue to help his old friend. “Shit.”