Fallout - Where Now?
#6 of Fallout
This was mental. I was simply over reacting. Why was I throwing together a suitcase of essentials and planning to flee Fairchild just because some idiot JIA agent was following the wrong snow leopard. But, no matter how hard the voice of reason tried to get me to quit, a stronger voice, the voice of logic, was telling me to keep going, and go faster. The sooner I got out of town, the better.
But that was the problem wasn't it? This would have been easy had I just kept to myself after the accident. Now I had brought an innocent girl into my problems. Jaimie would have to leave too. The officials who were having me tailed would know that I had been living with her, making Jaimie another potential target. I dropped my computer in the bag and zipped it shut before reentering the bedroom.
Jaimie was asleep, with the hint of a smile on her face. I felt bad waking her, but knew it had to be done.
"Jaimie, wake up," I said sharply.
"Huh? What is Xavier?"
"I need to talk."
"Can it wait an hour?"
"No."
She sat up and turned on the lamp beside her.
"What s'up?"
"I need to go, you need to go. The hare, wasn't looking for someone else, Kirian is me, I'm Kirian. Need to go, they know you know me," I blurted out, stumbling over my words.
"Xavier, you're babbling, slow down. What's wrong?"
I took a deep breath.
"Remember that JIA agent?"
"The one who was following us?"
"Yeah, well, he said that he was supposed to be following a snow leopard named Kirian Harper. At the time I assumed that he had just found the wrong guy. Earlier though, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to see if I could find out who this Kirian was. I'm almost certain he's me."
Jaimie's expression changed as what I was saying sunk in.
"See, I was going through old news paper articles, and found a few about an albino snow leopard named Kirian Harper. When I looked at the photos, he looks just like me, and he fits within the right timeframe for me four years ago."
I handed her the articles which I had printed out. Jaime examined them closely, looking between the portrait and my face several times.
"So what do we need to do?"
I distinctly noticed that she used the word "we". Though I appreciated it, I couldn't let her come with me. I had already endangered her life enough. I didn't have the right to any more, especially not now that I was aware of doing it.
"You need to lay low for a while. Someone knows you've been in contact with me so, I don't know. Take some time off at work, go visit a relative, go on vacation, whatever, but get out of town."
"What about you?"
"I'm going to leave. Lead them away from you, try to lose anyone who's following me, and see what I can find out."
"That's very noble of you and all, but I'm going with you."
"I can't let you do that. I already feel guilty enough for unknowingly getting you involved."
"I wasn't asking," she said sternly, and then a soft expression lightening her features, "Xavier, since I met you, my life has definitely taken a turn for the better. I plan on keeping it that way, so I'm staying with you."
Jaimie's words disarmed me just long enough for her to grab my suitcase and throw it into her car. I couldn't find the words to object. I had had no Idea that Jaimie felt anything like that for me.
"Hey, mister urgent, don't just stand around."
I realized that I had been frozen in one place. I shook myself mentally and physically. Get moving. I helped Jaimie pack a few things and then started the car and departed the condo for the last time, Jaime at my side. A few stops to make, and we'd be long gone from town.
"So where are we going?" she asked.
"Northeast, the Highland Mountains on the far side of the desert. I know it's crazy, but I think that's where I was in my dreams. I've nothing else to go on, so, unless you have any suggestions, may as well start there."
***
-Jardine Department of Defense, Division of Advanced Warfare
"What do you mean you've lost him!?" the wolverine shouted.
"Look sir, the JIA agent said he was ambushed, knocked out, and drug into the police station under charges of assault and armed robbery. By the time he got everything strait, the target was gone. He reported that the house appeared to have been left in a hurry."
"Do we know anything else?"
"Yes, the target made a series of maximum cash withdraws from several ATM's in Fairchild before disappearing entirely."
"Obviously doesn't want his electronic transactions being tracked. Do you have a team looking for him?"
"Yes sir, we're using every resource available."
"Good. What about the girl he's been with? Do we have anything on her?"
"Not yet sir, but I've got a group working on getting her background and identity put together. As for her whereabouts, it appears she left with him. We believe they took her car, but we're having trouble getting the registration information on it.
"Okay, it's a start at least. Let's get a move on it. They have a six hour lead on us. Begin by putting them on the do not fly and do not ride list. That'll keep them off the planes, trains, and busses. Next, freeze any of the targets remaining assets. We can't do anything about the cash for now until we can get a warrant and information from the treasury. I also want you to double the guards on the other four."
"Sir?"
"We don't know what's going through Kirian's mind right now. For all I can tell, he's had a memory relapse and next move may be to get the old squad back together. Not an easy task to be sure, but if he gets someone else, this could become trouble."
"Yes sir!"
"Also, get me the director of Jardinian intelligence. I want the agent who lost them docked a pay grade, and suspended until a disciplinary hearing. His actions were completely unacceptable and possibly endanger the lives of members of this office.
"Lastly, make preparations to activate Katana."
"General, did you say Katana?"
"Is there a damn echo in here? Yes, Katana! Until we know what his intentions are, I want every resource available to me. I hope you haven't forgotten what these individuals are capable of. I think it's time we started field testing anyway."
***
"Xavier, what's this all about anyway? I thought you decided to stop worrying about your old life," Jaimie asked gently, runner her paw across the white fur on my arm.
"I did, but that's hard to do when it comes and finds me. Especially if it's going to threaten you. That's why I decided to leave."
I drove in silence for a while longer, watching the horizon lighten in front of me as a few cars began to join us on the highway.
"You do understand that I have no idea what's going on, or where I'm going, and that you'd be safest getting as far away from me as possible?" I asked.
"Yes, I do, but like I said, I'm staying with you no matter what,"
More silence.
"What do you expect to find anyway?" Jaimie inquired.
"I don't know, probably nothing. But I don't know what else to do and I need answers right now."
"Well, then we can look for answers together," Jaimie stated confidently, before curling up in the passenger seat and going back to sleep.
I glanced over at her. We were in this together, as we had beef from the moment she had decided to drag my body out of the snow, linking our destinies. Now our rolls were switched and I was in charge of protecting her. As my life was uprooted again, my only fear was the cost of failing that job.