I think my hearts finally slowing down, trying to collect my thoughts. Its not like I don't got time, going up to 206th floor in an ancient elevator lift like this isn't exactly the fastest means of getting home. But i need time to think. What the hell did that askar want from me? He didn't want to kill me, otherwise I wouldn't of made it to the coffee shop in the 1st place. A better question I'm asking myself is, just what the hell does the UEA want with an old dog like me? Iv been out of the game a long time. I may just have some reliable contacts still in the service, ones who know just what the hell is going on, and how I'm involved. I might have to call in a favor from an old friend.
The elevators almost at the top, hopefully I can breath easy for a second, but then again I'm never quite that lucky.
When the doors open to my floor, I'm greeted with that old familiar smell of rusted walls, and pissy hallways... there's no place like home. Walking through the hall I get this sinking feeling. Its a little too quiet for me, I get to my door and examine around it to see any tampering, slowly putting my ear on the door, but hear nothing. Maybe its just my nerves.
Placing my thumb into the sensor to unlock it. I notice something I don't like, its still warm. A little saftey procaution I set a while back. The door opens, and I pull my gun out. "Lights", I whisper, and everything turns on like usual. I hear footsteps in my office, another Askar? No, sounds much smaller, human. I inch closer, gun ready, preparing for all types of shit to hit the fan.
"Mr. Emerson, Eric Emerson. Please lower your weapon. I mean you no harm".
Out comes this well dressed prick walking straight out of my office, drinking from my favorite coffee cup, the nerve of this guy. "We don't want to make a mess here do we", he says sarcastically.
I’m puzzled, this guys so calm, especially with a barrel of a gun in his face. I take a moment to size him up. Dark brown hair, designer shades, tailored grey old-world double breasted suit. His sharp clothes, and expensive glasses can't hide the fact that hes been around, a pro for sure, but he's unarmed. Smells like a government man to me, even though he bares little resemblance to the stiff upper lip jockeys in the Alliance, I might get some damn answers after all.
I take a few steps closer, and lock a bullet in the chamber.
"I'm only going to ask you this once, who are you, and what the hell are you doing in my office" I say with my gun trained right at the middle of his glasses. He smirks at me and continues to pace back into my office, I follow him closely.
He attempts to wipe off the dust from the seat of the chair across from my desk before sitting down, crosses his legs, he gestures to my seat. "Well aren't you going to take a seat Mr. Emmerson", he warmly says to me, then takes another sip of my coffee from my favorite mug again.
This guys must be crazy, don't know what angle this guys playing but I'll entertain him, play it by ear, for now.
I holster my gun and take off my wet coat and throw it on the couch on the other side of the room, I feel like a wet dog shaking myself dry. I put the Askar's gun in my desk. He looks at it with familiarity and I can see a smile creep onto his face. "So you met Ta'Chul I see", he leans back in my seat, "hope he wasn't too rough on you, askar's do have an interesting way of delivering a message", I'm not amused. "Your dog I presume? No, not rough at all, I think he might need help finding his teeth down main street though", his smile quickly drops. "assaulting a federal agent is a very punishable offence Mr. Emmerson, but with your background I think you know that better then anybody".
I lean forward and reach both my hands out, "arrest me then, if you know my background you know I'll be out of your custody in hours".
A crooked smile traces his smug face, "your background and expertise is exactly what I need right now, Mr. Emmerson".
I knew it, a job, no matter how long or how far I pull away, the UEA always finds ways to pull you right back in. Frustrated, I instinctively cross my hands . You know Mr... whatever the hell your name is, you still haven't told me anything yet, and as you are trespassing and breaking and entering, it really would be in your best interest to tell me what you want from me".
He leans forward from my chair, staring at me for a moment, his half cocked smile slowly drops and he reaches in his pocket and pulls out a small data chip.
"My name is Sullivan",
"Sullivan your real name?" I dart back to him, he shrugs off my question quickly.
"My name isn't what's important, what is however, is what's on this chip. Most importantly how it pertains to you and your particular skill set".
My eyes dart to the disk and quickly back at him, I'm starting to get impatient. He sets the disk on the table and leans back.
"You have been out of the service for almost 16 years, but when you were in, you were by far the best tracker the United Earth Alliance ever had. Even in a world where technology advances every day, your methods of hard-gathering information are still being taught in some forms even today".
I can't help but crack a slight smile. "Your flattering me way too much, and giving me too much credit".
He sighs, "its a shame the years haven't been that kind to you".
I don't say a word.
He pulls back his sleeve to reveal a wrist monitor, it glows blue as he presses a few buttons on it, activating the data chip in front of me. In moments my office is filled with images, files, and details of some mysterious man. It takes me a moment for me to understand it all, it's a dossier. Everything glows with a transparent red hue, 'classified' spread across every page and image I see. I reach up to one of the pages and pull the image closer, I read the information under it.
UEA private document
Real name: Classified
Race: Human
Alias: D-Sniper
Eye color: Grey
Hair color: Grey
Height: 6"2'
Weight: 185lbs
Occupation: Classified
Military status: Classified
I stare through the transparent image and look at Sullivan, waiting for answers to what exactly I'm looking at, and why.
He reaches over and grabs the image, staring at it for a moment and gives another long sigh, "he is... Well was, one of our best soldiers, has been for many years. Leader of the fabled 'last chance unit' covert operations team. He was under my command for quite some time before that. An optimum man, a perfect soldier".
He looks up and sees the curious, perplexed look on my face, he's waiting for some type of response.
"So did he go missing or something" I ask.
"No, not missing. 7 years ago, after a botched mission, he disappeared without a trace, presumed KIA".
Now I'm starting get intrigued.
"What mission are you referring to"? He pauses for a moment, the look on his face tells that he's trying to figure out if its a good idea to tell me or not.
"A reconnaissance operation on a small off-world colony, a uranium refinery. We got word that Askar rebels were about to launch an attack on the refinery, so we dispatched the unit to look out for any signs of trouble, a routine operation. Unfortunately the information they received was misleading, rebels attacked in mass and we lost everything, including a lot of good men, it was a tragedy".
I remember that being a big story on the news, even though when the press ran it the story was a lot different. They said it was an accident and the refinery malfunctioned and there was a melt down.
"We lost contact with Sniper and the Last Chance Unit, when the recovery team arrived, we found the surviving members of the unit and and workers who escaped the blast from the refinery. Sniper was missing, believed to be dead by most... until recently".
I pauses for a moment, "I always thought he was alive, my superiors thought I was crazy, but me... I always knew".
"If you found him, or have an idea of his whereabouts, what do you want with me"?
Sullivan directs his eyes to a small image, glowing slightly blue, not classified, public image.
I grab it, too small to make out exactly what it is, I enlarge it. I see two men, in a random warehouse, not exactly sure what I'm looking at. I look to Sullivan for answers.
"This picture was taken by an undercover agent a month ago, the man on the left is a well known arms dealer who mainly operates inside the wash, Marcus Sanje, specializing in selling unsecured UEA weaponry for the lowest bitter, he supplies many extremists with weapons they usually would never be able to get their hands on. We have been watching this guy for months, but unable to apprehend him. What's alarming is the man on the right of him is a 84 percent match of D. Sniper. Needless to say if that is in fact Sniper, and he is back from the dead, we definitely need answers, and if has any real connection to a known terrorist, its imparative we find out D. Snipers whereabouts to question him. I know with your particular skills, we can find him".
I lean back in my chair, silent. thinking to myself just how crazy I would have to be to take on a case like this. I've done plenty of tracking cases. Mostly rich snob daughters running away with there bad boy would-be boyfriends, but this, tracking down ex-special forces, brings me back to a much more dangerous territory in my field. Sullivan, looks at me, concerned about the look on my face. "I realize what I'm asking you is unusual", "unusual? try stupid, dangerous, life threatening, the list can go on and on". He, doesn't seem to know what to say at the moment. After a moment, of what seemed like too long of complete silence, Sullivan looks at his wrist moniter and appears to be reading something from it. "Eric, I know from your track record in the service, enticing you with monetary gain isn't going to make you take this case. My supiriors don't know about this intel yet. What I'm asking you to do is help me track down a fellow soldier, a war hero, who's done more for the UEA then I'm at liberty to discus. You being the best tracker on earth, You helping out in this particular investigation would be beneficial for all of us".
"You've made your point already, and if you have so much information about me already, then you already know I'm in". A smile traces across his face once more, I'm not laughing.
He begins to get up, dusting himself off a bit.
"I'll send all necessary Intel to your telelink Mr. Emmerson, and you have access to all the files on the data chip on your desk". He raises his arm to shake my hand. I hesitate, but return the gesture. My grip is a little firmer then he expects, in his surprise he continues to smile. He takes a sip out of my cup one more time before walking away, I follow him out my office. He turns as my door opens next to him, to my surprise. The askar I had a run in witg earlier is standing right on the other side.
"I'll keep in touch Mr. Emmerson, anything you find out let me know... and please, don't disappoint". The smug bastard walks out while the brute, brused face and all starrig at me. My door close behind him.
There's a lot Sullivan isn't telling me. In time I'll find out, i always do. My eyes ares are starting to get a little tired. I'll go over files a bit and rest. Its going to be a long morning.
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