He started to set up database and multiple screens. His space was limited to two small tables, he ordered new furniture online with several other things. Garage was part of basement but car was still outside. Suddenly a door at the top of stairs opened, Caroline yelled at him.
“Come out from that damn cellar John! We have guests.”
Then a softer female voice said.
“I can just go down, no need to yell at someone.”
Soft footsteps on the stairs helped John remember one thing… he has all his weapons on a table behind him. There was no time to hide them and there was nothing to cover them with.
“Hi, you must be John.” The soft voice said from behind him.
He turned around.
“Obviously. And you are?”
He faced a black haired girl about his age. She smiled, he couldn’t see much more in dim light of computer screens.
“I’m Emily Stonebridge, I’m your neighbor. Why are you holed up in this dark basement anyway?”
John thought of a lie that would explain why he has to wear gloves and long sleeve clothes.
“I prefer darkness over sunlight.”
“Why?” She looked confused.
“I’m allergic to sunlight, it affects arms and legs. I can be out for some time but not too long. That’s why I’m down here.” He was a good liar, years back C.I.A. agents taught him in case he is interrogated by enemy. Shock in her face changed to surprise.
“I didn’t know that.”
“I don’t blame you for that. Let’s go upstairs it’s complete mess down here.”
She looked around.
“You’re right. Let’s go.”
John hoped that she couldn’t see the guns.
“Good. You can help me get UV filters on the windows.”
He wanted to put screen foil they used back in facility on the windows so he can have bigger screens for computers. Now he had someone to help with that. While they worked she asked a lot of questions.
“What do you like to do in your free time John?” Questions like this. Questions he didn’t have answers to.
“I like to read, run, computer stuff and sometimes I went shooting with my father. What about you.” Lies, lies, lies except running.
“I prefer hiking over running, I can take you with me if you want. Mountains around here are so beautiful. I also like to take photos.” She had sweet voice, Gillian would hate her.
“That would be nice. I could use seeing some trees after so many years in desert.” That was truth. He saw almost every terrain during training, but spent last year in desert.
“I’ve always wanted to see desert.”
“It’s overrated.”
Like this it went on for about thirty minutes until all second floor windows had screen foils on them. They stood in front of the big window on front side of house.
“Why those UV filters have wires in left upper corners?” She asked after installing last one.
“Check if laptop in my bedroom is turned on and I’ll show you.”
<Claire, you ready?>
<Always.>
Emily came back from his bedroom. “It’s turned on.”
“Now watch this.” John watched lines of code on his HUD.
<Configuration is complete.>
All screens lit up with data from John’s memory drives. Photo of Gillian was on the biggest part of screen.
“It works.” He knew it will, but didn’t really believe it.
“Who is that? Your girlfriend?”
For once John rather decided not to lie. “Yes, she is. I miss her.”
“What is her name?” Damn it, she’ll never stop asking.
“Gillian.” The more he was thinking about her the more pictures appeared. He just raised his hand and swept them away from screens. He really missed her, after less that 24 hours.
“Will you ever see her again?”
“One day maybe.” And anyone in my way will die a horrible death. John added for himself. His thoughts summoned pictures of fighting.
“What’s that?”
“Just some games.”
When their guests left the house it was late afternoon and John was hungry. When he came down to the kitchen Caroline was expecting him.
“How much you told her?” She asked with interrogative face.
“She has no clue who I am, thinks I have sun allergy. What about the other one, Miranda it was?” John inspected contents of fridge.
“Good, I hope you behaved nicely. Anyway what were you two doing upstairs? Don’t worry I told Miranda same thing, Claire sent me message with details. What a smart A.I.”
She gave John a plate with few sandwiches.
“She helped me set up the screen foils. What else Miranda wanted? Except the thing about you having a son without her knowing.”
“You used that? Good idea. They want to put some meat on the grill tomorrow, we’re invited.”
Their conversation in the kitchen lasted for hour. After it John went back upstairs to have a look at something, computers in basement can wait for now. He took the sheet of paper from Briggs and began to work. There was a small version of living room upstairs so he was comfortable. All he knew was on the big screen. Soon he added a photo to each name, later a personal file from C.I.A. database. It was hard to hack through it. At first he tried if he has access with his ID. Few times he went down for something to drink. Most of the time Caroline was on the phone. When he sat down again he had no ideas how to move forward. He started to focus, slow down breathing, focus. Sub-reality was same as he left it. Instead of thinking about the names he decided to find out more about Emily.
“Why do you spy on her John?” Claire asked.
“I want to know something more, that’s not spying.”
“So you’ll have a file on her, some dirt if you need to blackmail her.”
“You think I’ll have to?”
“Maybe.”
When he gathered what he could, there wasn’t much dirt he could dig up but lots of information on her. He woke up from sub-reality. Sun was about to go down judging from light. Twenty names, photos and some personal details were on the big screen.
“Where are they?”
“I don’t know yet but I’ll find out.”
“Good, good.” He was satisfied with Claire’s progress.
“What do you want to do with them?”
Most of the men were from special forces. Recruited in early stages of project.
“They know how to kill hybrids. They already killed some of us. If they ally with wrong people we’re all dead. These men must be eliminated.”
Chapter 10 – “Normal” life
“If I may ask. What happened at that oil rig? Frontier?” Caroline said over Sunday breakfast.
“We screwed up.” His memory played it again as many times before.
He was in the helicopter heading for oil rig hijacked by some terrorists. He was young but it was his sixth real action. It was just before dawn, he could see first light on the horizon.
He turned his NOD’s on to see the rig not so far away. “One minute!” He pulled charging handle of his M4A1 backwards, round was loaded into the firing chamber. It wasn’t so long after he was woken up when Pentagon gave “greenlight” for them to go in. Four squads of Hybrids alongside with two squads of SEALS were about to attack from air and sea. They landed on the rig. All lights were out. Then the hell broke out. They were everywhere! John found himself pressed against a wall in the middle of firefight.
“That’s not enough do blow a oil rig up causing an oil spill of enormous size.” Caroline interrupted his story.