NaNo Chapter Three

Chapter Three
The mystery grows, deepens, widens, and expands into the fourth dimension

It was a rookie mistake, following someone into a dark building and letting them end up behind you. But then, I was a rookie, at least when it came to skulking about dark buildings. Now, ask me to wheedle information out of a crook’s acquaintances over the phone and I was a pro. Somehow, I didn’t think my ability to talk my way out of things was going to help me now.

“Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean you can’t die again,” a gruff voice said in my ear. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Trying to figure out who wants me dead,” I retorted. I thought I sounded pretty tough for a person in a stranglehold. But then I had to ruin it. “Or, more accurately, who wanted to make people think I was dead. Because if really did want my dead, you wouldn’t be here trying to switch out my dental records so that people think I’m dead. Obviously, you’d just have killed me then. So technically I don’t think you’re my enemy, at least not a deadly one at this point, but until I know why you want people to think I’m dead then I can’t really say if you’re an ally, either.” Great. I was babbling.

The person holding me chuckled and let go. I whipped around and put a few steps between us before I looked up. I thought I’d recognized that voice. It was Jason. He grinned, his teeth a brilliant white slash in the dim light. How do people get their teeth that white? I’d even endured some long and tedious teeth-whitening procedures in this very office, but nothing would make my teeth that obnoxiously white. It was unfair, the hand that genetics dealt. Ah well. Of all the things going on, his dental hygiene should be the last of my concerns.

He’d simply stood there while my mind raced over inane things, and it was apparently up to me to break the silence. “So, which are you?”

He paused, considering the question. “Neither, really.”

“Would you care to elaborate?” I folded my arms across my chest and attempted to look imposing. His amused expression told me I’d failed.

“Not really.”

“Bastard.”

He nodded. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a little work to do to make sure you stay dead.”

My heart stopped for a moment until I realized he was talking about the folder he held in his hand. I chided myself for being so jumpy, and followed him over to the row of records. I felt annoyingly like a puppy seeking attention, but I didn’t see any way around that.

“But why?” Okay, now I sounded like a two-year-old. But if it worked, I was going with it.

“You really don’t need to know that,” he said. He found my records and slipped them out of their folder, substituting the other set.

“I think I do, if you want me to stay dead,” I said stubbornly. “If I show up to work tomorrow, I can pretty much spoil your game.”

He spun around and pinned me to the wall. I’d like to lie and say I wasn’t frightened, but I was. I’d also lie and like to say it wasn’t the least arousing, but… it was. A little. Have I mentioned Jason is very good-looking? Tall, dark, handsome, impressively muscled… he’s pretty much the whole package. I tamped down my libido and focused on the problem at hand. I was stuck, and there was very little chance of my wiggling out of this.

“No, you won’t.”

“How are you going to make sure of that?” I tilted my chin up stubbornly. I wasn’t going to look frightened or cowed, not if I could help it. Then he gave me a chilling smile and I realized I couldn’t help it. I started to shake a little.

“I have my ways.” It was clichéd, but for him it worked.

“But if I hadn’t shown up here, how would you have been sure I didn’t go to Andrea or anyone on the team and tell them about the mistake? How did you know I wouldn’t go to the police?” And why hadn’t I? That’s right, I’d seen both him and Andrea at my house. Which he had to have planned, knowing if he didn’t catch me there it would at least spook me. Like I said, even us non-field spies are completely paranoid and jumpy.

He just grinned at me, but at least the menace was gone. Then his face grew serious. “Look, I really don’t want to tell you what’s going on right now. It’s for your own safety. I know, I know, that sounds condescending and high-handed, and perhaps it is. But it’s also necessary. I’m not the one who set fire to your house. You’re just very, very, very lucky you stopped at that yarn shop today.”

“How many people know about me still being alive?”

“Discounting anyone you were foolish enough to tell, one.”

“You and one other person, or just you?”

“Just me.” He turned to leave, but hesitated. “You do have someplace you can go to hide out, right? You will keep your head down? Can I trust you to do this?”

I considered. Keeping my head down was what I was good at. But it didn’t mean I couldn’t do any digging. The internet is a wonderful thing. So I nodded. “For now. But one question – do I have to stay dead forever?”

“Possibly, it depends. Here, something you might need.” He shoved a manila envelope full of papers into my hands. “This is a new identity for you. There’s a fairly hefty account set up, plus a comparable work history. I wouldn’t go to work for the government again, but any private company would be happy to have an IT person with your skills. Or you could start over at something completely different. It’s up to you.”

“Um, thank you.” It was an awkward moment. It was nice that he’d taken the time and energy, not to mention money, to set me up like this, but then again, he’d also killed me off without asking. As it were. “Okay, I lied, I have one more question. You said people were going to kill me tonight, regardless, and it was only dumb luck that I wasn’t there.” He nodded. “Then how did you know to get the body – which I don’t want to know about, for the record – in place?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” He raised an eyebrow. How do people do that? It’s such a cool move. I made a mental note to try that in front of a mirror.

“Probably, but enlighten me anyway.”

“I was one of the ones sent to kill you.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that. And I have two guesses as to who sent you. It was either your buddies in the crime world, or my buddies at the agency.” I really wanted it to be the former, but I had to admit the latter made much more sense.

“I’ll give you one guess.” He looked meaningfully at me.

“I was afraid of that.”

“You’re a bright girl. You’ll be fine.” And with that, he was gone. I wanted to yell at him that I couldn’t relock the office or reset the alarm. I wasn’t trained in those sorts of things. But I didn’t have the energy. So I shuffled out of the office and back over to my car, where I sat and shuffled through the packet of stuff he’d given me. Driver’s license, passport, bank books, credit cards, and an apartment key. I checked the address on the license. Not a great part of town, but not a bad one, either. I started the car and drove over to my new place.