The Lives of Tao

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.

“Shouldn’t I shoot them before they get a chance to shoot me?”

Guards will not shoot on sight. Genjix will.

“Well, getting shot at first is a lousy way to find out.”

Shooting an innocent guard is even worse. Turn right here and take the third door on your left. Take the ramp down. There should be a double door at the far end.

Roen obeyed and pushed Gregory down the hall as fast as he could, almost tipping the wheelchair over a few times in his haste. He burst through the double doors, looking frantically for the car. They were in a large gravel lot with only a few parked cars, nowhere near enough cover. Paula was nowhere to be seen.

Gritting his teeth, he rounded the corner and came face to face with a menacing-looking man in black. Roen immediately knew it must be a Genjix agent, not so much because the man dressed like he was a card-carrying member of the assassins’ guild, but because the man was pointing an assault rifle at his face.

Roen blinked, frozen in surprise for a split second, and then dived to the side, tipping the wheelchair over and dragging Gregory down too. Bullets flew overhead, hitting the wall just behind them. Panicking, he tugged at his gun in his jacket, only to fumble as it came out. He stared in horror as the assassin lowered the rifle straight at his head.

Cut the knee. Use the gravel. An image of a gladiator fight appeared in his head. Whoever he was at the time grabbed a handful of sand.

Roen’s training kicked in every time Tao gave orders. He grabbed a fistful of gravel and threw it into the face of the Genjix agent. Then as the man was distracted, Roen kicked out and swept him at the ankle. The Genjix agent tumbled to the ground. Roen picked up his FN Five-seven and put two slugs into the man’s chest. Hands shaking, Roen let his pistol slip from his grasp and crawled over to the fallen man. His eyes were wide open and lifeless. Roen reeled backward in shock, falling onto his butt. He couldn’t tear his eyes from that blank dead stare.

Get a hold of yourself, Roen!

He stared at the small pool of blood expanding from the body, staining the gravel with red.

Snap out of it! We have to get out of here.

Roen put his hand on his forehead, shaking uncontrollably. Whatever shock he thought he would feel for his first kill was nothing compared to the avalanche of sudden remorse that seized him. Another man wearing the same black uniform appeared around the corner and pointed a rifle at him. Roen could do nothing but stare at the gun muzzle. The man mouthed something silently and gestured with his rifle in slow motion. Roen could not hear a thing. His eyes wandered between the man and the dead body lying before him.

Listen to me! Listen to my voice!

He couldn’t make out that incessant buzzing in his ear. What was that from? The man cautiously approached Roen, still waving the rifle threateningly. Then his body suddenly stiffened and he slumped over. Paula hopped out of a car and ran to Roen. She knelt down and shook him.

“Get up, Roen! Damn it, get up!” she yelled.

He looked up at her with a puzzled expression. He could hear the words, but wasn’t quite sure what they meant. Paula leaned back, gave him one measured look, and then slapped him hard. Time sped up again.

“What? What are you doing? You hit me!” He blinked.

“I’m trying to keep your bloody arse alive. That is what I’m doing. You have your wits about you, man?” she snapped. “How’s Gregory? Are either of you injured?”

“He’s... I don’t know.”

In that moment of near death, he had forgotten about his ward. Some protector he turned out to be. He found Gregory face down on the gravel. Roen checked him for any injuries. He seemed unharmed. Then, Roen turned back to Paula just in time to see three more Genjix agents appear around the corner. Instinctively, Roen barreled into her and pushed her to safety. He felt the zing of bullets fly past overhead as they both crashed into the ground. He landed hard and had to reorient himself. Paula, on the other hand, had already taken out one of the Genjix with a headshot and was exchanging fire with the others.

Careful. Marc is one of those three.

Roen recognized the large dark man as the same Genjix who led the attack at the club. His threat advisory level jumped from red to stark terror. He had to keep it together for Paula and Gregory’s sakes. The Genjix agents spread out as Paula desperately tried to keep them at bay. She dove behind the driver’s side door and yelled, “Get in!”

Still too frazzled to think, Roen dumbly did as he was told. He wrapped his arms around Gregory’s waist and dragged him toward the car as Paula laid down heavy suppression fire. The Genjix agents returned fire, kicking up the ground near Roen’s feet. Then just as Roen was about to throw Gregory into the back seat, a concussive explosion knocked him off his feet. Grimacing in pain, he checked his body for the gunshot wound, only to find none. Horrified, he looked over and saw blood dripping down Gregory’s chest. Roen hefted Gregory up and threw him in the car.

“Let’s go!” he yelled as he jumped inside the back. Paula shot off one final burst before getting in and driving away. As they pulled away from the hospital, Roen looked into the rear mirror and saw Marc gesturing at two gray cars that pulled in next to him. He got in one and was soon giving chase.

“What’s the situation?” she shouted as they sped off.

He looked up, still a little in shock.

Snap out of it. People are depending on you.

“How many do we have behind us?” she yelled.

He looked behind them. “One... no, two cars,” he answered.

Tell her the type, number of agents, and armaments you see if possible. Give her as much information as you can.

“Sorry, Tao.” He told her everything he saw before they turned the corner.

“Paula, Roen, I need a status,” Sonya’s voice crackled over the comm. “Is the package secure?”

“The package is secure, but damaged,” Paula confirmed. “We have two incoming: gray four-door sedans, eight agents, at least one Genjix.”

“How badly damaged?”

“Stomach wound. High possibility of bleeding out.”

“Get to the delta and switch cars. Stephen and Dylan are already on their way to intercept. You are to proceed back to the nest immediately. Do not deviate.”

“Roger.”

Paula looked over at Roen. “Get some pressure on the wound.”

“I’m sorry,” Roen mumbled as he pressed down on Gregory’s bloodstained shirt.

“You did fine,” Paula exclaimed. “No time for apologies now.”

“I didn’t mean to freeze up.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She turned to look at him sympathetically. “It happens to the best of us. Now, keep a lookout in the back and be my eyes for the tails.”

Paula weaved recklessly through traffic, but the two cars gained on them bit by bit. Every time Roen thought they had lost them, the gray sedans would appear around the corner. They inched closer and closer until they were only a few car lengths behind. Then suddenly, a white van came out from the corner of Roen’s eyes and rammed into the side of the lead gray sedan.

“Dylan just initiated contact,” Sonya’s voice crackled over the comm. “Get the package back home safely.”

As the second sedan swerved to avoid Dylan, a jeep came from behind and slammed into its rear. The gray sedan swung sideways and flipped into the air. “We got you covered, Paula,” Stephen’s voice popped up on the earpiece. “Get our boys home.”

Paula sped away from the accident. They switched cars at the delta location and drove through several additional back streets before finally arriving at the safe house. Roen bolted for the bathroom and threw up. It was a good thing he hadn’t eaten much that morning. He hung over the toilet and closed his eyes, the images of Gregory and the assassin’s blank face haunting him.

Roen sat on the tiled floor for a good twenty minutes before he felt well enough to come out. Whatever he thought he knew about being a secret agent was completely different than what it really was. One thing for sure... one damn thing for sure; whoever glamorized this in the movies had some serious issues.