The Lives of Tao

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

LOOSE ENDS



I made my way to Spain. By then, the Black Death had passed, and a rebirth, a Renaissance, was sweeping over Europe. I ran into an old Quasing friend, Chiyva, who I thought shared my ideals. Together, we searched the land and found Rianno and Francisco Cisneros, two brothers who would be suitable hosts. The four of us were close, and it was here that I connected with other dissident Quasing, disillusioned with the decisions of the Council. It was time for a change in our approach toward humans. We began to nurture the seeds of that change.



Roen left the safe house shortly after and made the long walk back to his apartment to clear his thoughts about ending Gregory’s life. In a strange way, it felt like fratricide. His head ached and it was difficult to keep his emotions in control. He just didn’t know what to think.

Neither Tao nor he exchanged words as he went home. Roen spent the rest of the morning taking care of personal business. He told Jill that he was being sent to training for work by his new job and would be back in two weeks, declining her offer to pick him up at the airport. He felt guilty for giving her such short notice. She herself was only back for a month before having to head back to Frankfurt in February. Now, the few precious weeks he had planned to spend with her were cut in half. As always, Jill was understanding and supportive. Roen called his parents that he was going on a last-minute vacation with a few friends. Once he had everything packed, he stopped by Antonio’s room to give him the rent check and to tell him to pick up the mail.

Antonio raised an eyebrow at Roen’s explanation when Roen told him about traveling for work. “Again? You were just gone for almost two months. How can you be home only a few days before you have to leave again? These Bynum people seemed to be working you to the bone.”

“It’s a new job,” Roen mumbled, his eyes wandering as he looked at everything but Antonio. “I want to start with a good impression.”

Antonio scrunched his face as he studied Roen. Finally, he leaned back and shook his head. “You got a flush and you’re trying to sell me deuces. You’re bluffing about this trip.”

Guy reads you like a book.

Roen didn’t respond. He knew Antonio was onto him.

Antonio grinned. “You’re trying to think of an excuse to lie to me right now, aren’t you? I can tell. You freeze up like that every time. So spit it out, what’s the deal? Where have you been traveling to?”

“Oh hell Tao, I’m just going to tell him.”

We do not have time for this.

“It’s Tao and the Prophus,” Roen blurted out.

That is it! You are never getting sent out as a covert operative. Your weak mental fortitude will crack under pressure the moment something happens. I can see it now. Border guard: Identification please, Mr Edwardson. Roen: All right! I am a spy! Arrest me now!

“The... aliens again?” Antonio looked taken aback.

Seriously, if you cannot lie your way past your roommate, what chance do you have outside?

“I’m being sent on a mission,” Roen finished lamely. “I have to go.”

“You’re trying to save the world because the aliens told you to?” The disbelief in Antonio’s voice was painful.

I mean, can you stop telling the truth every time someone asks? Or at the very least, just tell him it is none of his business.

“I can’t, Tao. He’s my best friend.”

“Just tell anyone who asks that I’ll be back soon and that I’ll call them,” Roen replied aloud.

Antonio shrugged. “It’s your life, buddy. But do me a favor and just be careful, wherever the hell you’re off to. And if it is some girl, I am not covering for you with Jill. I like her more than I like you.”

“Traitor.” Roen shook his head and grinned. He turned to leave and then stopped. “Antonio, if for some reason, I don’t make it back...”

Tao groaned, inwardly.

“I can have your stuff?” Antonio said cheerfully.

“Of course.” Roen grinned. “But if I don’t, tell everyone I’m sorry.”

Antonio nodded. Roen left his apartment and felt very alone in the elevator as it sped down to the garage. The Prophus had replaced his car yet again with a busted-up black Hyundai. He wasn’t sure who was responsible for picking his rides, but he was sure they were getting a good laugh at his expense. He got into his car and pulled out of the garage.

That was a little histrionic. Are you all right?

“I’ll be fine, Tao. To the airport now?”

Not yet. We have an errand before we head out. Drive west toward the suburbs first. We have to make a stop in Naperville and talk to Edward’s wife.

“What? Why?”

Because I owe it to Edward. Better late than never.

Roen said nothing more as he drove along Highway 88. He occupied his mind by weaving in and out of traffic. Driving in Chicago was bad all year round, and today was no exception.

Tao spent most of the trip prepping Roen on what he needed to tell Kathy. It was still going to be a lie, but at the very least, it might give her closure. An hour later, Roen exited toward a suburban neighborhood, wrinkling his nose in disapproval at the single family homes with their freshly cut lawns.

Not your kind of place?

“I’m a city boy.”

You will sing a different tune maybe when you have children one day.

“If I live that long.”

Such a pessimist. Turn in here and go up three houses.

Roen pulled up next to a large blue house with an enormous yard. He got out and looked around, whistling at the large houses that dotted the block. It was a very nice neighborhood. Everywhere he looked were watered lawns, neatly trimmed bushes, and large trees not found in the city. A group of kids were playing across the street, and birds flitted among the trees. “This place is nice, if you like that kind of stuff,” he said reluctantly.

One day, my friend, one day.

Roen walked up to the door and rang the buzzer. He felt uneasy and anxious, though he wasn’t sure why. What did Tao need to talk to Mrs Blair for? Surely it had nothing to do with him? He heard footsteps on the other side of the door.

“Who is it?” a voice said.

“It’s um... Roen. Roen Tan,” he answered.

The door opened, and an attractive woman in her mid-forties appeared. She had blond hair and still looked youthful, though Roen noticed there was a touch of weariness about her, despite her friendly smile. She was dressed in jeans and a blue flannel shirt.

“I’m sorry, I don’t recognize that name,” she continued. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Mrs Blair, I’m here to talk about Edward,” he said.

The smile disappeared, and she gave him what he could only describe as a stink-eye. “Who are you?”

“A friend,” Roen stammered. He began to recite the story they had agreed on.

Her stare intensified and she cut him off. “Edward and I were married for fifteen years. I know all of his friends and you, Mr Tan, are not one of them.”

“Tao, this isn’t working out very well. Did she have any idea about you?”

No. Edward was very careful about keeping his Prophus operations hidden from her. She thought he just traveled a lot.

“I... I know... Edward and I worked together,” Roen stammered.

“Really? Doing what?”

“Business consulting,” he said.

“What’s the name of the company?” she asked.

“Bynum Consulting,” he replied promptly. They were getting back on script. “I wanted to offer my condolences, and that...”

“You’re a little late, Roen. My husband died ten months ago.”

“I know it has been a while. I’m sorry that it took so long...”

“So do you still work at Bynum?”

“Yes. Yes, I do. I was a colleague of his for only a short time, but...”

“That’s interesting.” She smiled.

She is on to you.

“On to me what? I have no idea what I’m talking about.”

“It’s interesting,” she said, “because after Edward disappeared, I tried to contact Bynum to find anything that might help me find him. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Bynum was some dummy corporation in Brooklyn.”

“Um... well, it’s complicated, Mrs Blair,” Roen replied.

“Complicated? Maybe you should have been the one to talk to those men from the FBI. The ones who came to my home to ask about the guns they found in his deserted car.” Roen felt like a deer in headlights. This was way off script. “Or maybe you can tell me why I couldn’t even pull up his information when I looked up his Social Security number!” He gulped anxiously, wilting under her gaze as she stuck her finger in his face.

“So what exactly do you do then, Mr Tan, that you worked with my husband on? Consulting? Or did you two rob banks together?” she asked.

Edward was not a criminal!

“Edward was not a...” he stammered. “It’s not like that, Mrs Blair. It’s not what you think.”

“Frankly, I don’t care anymore,” she hissed, closing the door.

Roen stuck his hand through the opening as it closed. He began to talk quickly, repeating Tao’s words. “I know a lot about you. I know you and Edward met shortly after West Point. I know that you wish you had a green thumb, but you’ve never been able to keep a plant alive for more than a month. And I know that you pretend to be a terrible cook to your in-laws because you worry his mother would try to compete with you. I know you have a bottle of Mouton-Rothschild ‘82 that you were saving for your twenty-year anniversary.”

The door stopped just short of crushing his fingers and opened. Kathy, her eyes watering, stared at Roen in disbelief. “How did you know that?” Her voice came out a hoarse whisper.

“Mrs Blair, it’s a long difficult story, one I need to explain. But the first thing I want you to know is that your husband was a great man. He died fighting for a good cause.”

“He... fought? Was he in the CIA?”

“Something like that, but even more covert,” Roen replied. “I can’t get into details, but that’s the first thing you should know. That’s why he had to use Bynum as a cover. Please, I know I have a lot of explaining to do. May I come in?”

She hesitated, and then beckoned him in. He thanked her and followed, feeling very uneasy as she motioned for him to take a seat in the living room. “Please excuse the mess,” she said, “I wasn’t expecting company. Is there anything I can get you?”

Roen smiled. “Edward joked that you would always apologize for a messy house even though you always kept it immaculate.” She looked at him in shock. Roen sat down and said solemnly, “Mrs Blair, did Edward ever talk to you about Tao?”

“Edward used to talk about Tao in his sleep. What is Tao?”

“I think you better sit down,” he replied.

Then Roen told her everything; Tao felt that he owed that to Kathy. Full disclosure was something Tao rarely did, but Kathy would see through any deception, especially with a poor liar like Roen. He skipped over much of the history of the Prophus, but went into detail on Edward’s life, using specifics that no one else could have possibly known. “So, this spirit... Tao, was with Edward when he died?” she asked through moist eyes.

Roen nodded.

Kathy wiped the tears that were streaming down her face and shook her head. “How did he die?”

“Please don’t. It won’t do any good. He was a hero and missed by all of us. You were his last thought. He told Tao to tell you that he loved you and that he was sorry.” Roen paused. “Tao misses him too.”

She blew her nose on a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. “I think this story you’re telling me is too fantastic to be true, but it does explain a few things. No wonder Edward knew so much about history. I always thought it was unusual for a meathead majoring in political science to know more about the French Revolution than I did.”

Kathy is a history professor.

She looked Roen up and down and laughed dryly. “And it explained how he always came home from his business trips looking like he got into a fist fight. Whatever you do with these aliens, Roen, you seem to have the same problem he had. To be honest, I don’t know what to believe anymore, and I really don’t care. I just miss him.”

Roen said, “I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

“I’m still receiving checks from Bynum. Who is sending them?”

“Our organization,” Roen replied. “You’ll continue receiving them for two more years. The Prophus try to take care of their own.”

There was a rustling at the door, and a boy of about five walked in. He was a solemn boy with brown hair and hazel eyes. He carried a brown stuffed dinosaur in one arm. The boy studied Roen for a few seconds, and then offered his dinosaur to him. Kathy walked over and gave him a hug. “Roen, this is Tyler. Honey, this is Roen Tan. He’s a friend of your daddy’s.”

Roen’s heart sank. Edward had a son? His stomach churned at the thought of the boy having to grow up without a father. He thought back to his own family and what would happen to them if he didn’t make it back. Who would tell them? Would it happen like this? One day, years after he died, some stranger would walk up to their door and try to explain how he passed away?

He stood up and went to Tyler. “It’s an honor to shake your hand, young man. Your father was a dear friend of mine and a great person.”

Tyler shook his hand timidly and then hugged his mother. They stood there for a few awkward moments before Tyler spoke. “Are we eating soon, Mom?”

She patted him on the head. “In a moment, dear. Would you like to stay for lunch, Roen?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mrs Blair. I can’t. I have a flight to catch.” She nodded and walked him to his car. As he stepped outside, he turned and offered his hand. “Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs Blair.”

“Call me Kathy,” she replied, giving him a warm hug. “Listen, Roen, I don’t know if what you said was true. But if it is, remember those around you who love you. Make sure whatever sacrifices you make are worth it.” As she spoke, more tears began to well up in her eyes.

He hugged her back and got into the car. As he drove off, Roen looked in his rear-view mirror and saw her sobbing on the driveway. He thought about his own family again. What would his parents do? He never took into consideration the consequences of his actions and how it would affect the ones he cared about. It was selfish of him.

“Tao? If something ever happens to me, you will tell my family, right?”

Of course.

“Do me a favor, tell them immediately after... after my death? Don’t make them wait.”

I will.

“Thanks. Where do we go now?”

Head toward O’Hare. The jet is waiting for us.