"She will test you. She will test her limits. And she will leave you, Daiyu. Like the boy you took on and trained, she will have to leave the nest to learn how to fly."
Surprise flashed across her face. "You met Mateo?"
"Our paths crossed. He was a formidable opponent. You taught him well."
Her eyes narrowed. "Did you kill him?"
"I saw body armor under his jacket. He'll live. I spared his life because he was yours. And only because of that."
She exhaled softly. "That is good. For a few years, they grew up side by side. She loves him like a brother. Had you killed him, you would have taken that from her."
"I can't promise I won't kill him should he stand in my way again. I will kill anyone, Daiyu. Even you if that is what it takes."
"I would expect no less." She glanced up the road. "Merlin will be wondering where I am."
"Not to worry. I'm leaving. Goodbye, Daiyu."
"Goodbye, Ethan."
"Ethan died on Mars. I don't use that name anymore."
"You will always be Ethan to me." She smiled sadly, taking a lingering look at his face before swiftly turning and striding up the hill. He watched until she topped the crest and vanished.
He knelt, planting a fist against the ground. Concentrating on where he needed to be. Lightning forked around him, and the world vanished in a flash of blinding light.
Post-credits
"Special Agent Hessler, delivering my final mission report."
The massive screen at HSSC headquarters winked on, displaying Director Lynch's face. "I've received all the details of your mission, Agent Hessler. You employed unconventional, some might say questionable tactics. But in the end, the mission was a success. Los Nuevos was saved, Jude Maximillian survived and is in our debt. That's all that matters."
"Thank you, sir."
"Did you ever find out what Kilgore was after?"
"No, sir. Sergeant Chen performed a search of some kind using Maximillian's network, but she covered her tracks too well. Whatever Kilgore had her recover died when he murdered her."
"A pity. We'll keep trying to track Kilgore. See what kind of game he's playing." Lynch's metallic eyes whirred. "I'm surprised you authorized the release of Maxine Winters. Especially since you tried and failed to capture her over the last two years. Did her scars give you pause, Hessler? Did you look on the wreck that she is and feel pity for her?"
"Not at all, sir. When you look at which HSSC agents she's killed, they were all AWOL or renegade. In a way, she did cleanup work for us. In view of her work in Los Nuevos, I felt it worthwhile to grant her a reprieve. She might be a useful freelance operative in the future."
"Interesting. In spite of the fact that active operatives are still on her hit list, including me?"
"We both know you'll never let her get close to you, sir. Blackjack is off the reservation, so he's no concern of ours. If she ever manages to take out Kilgore that would be a blessing for everyone. And I thought the other Agents she's targeted are already dead."
"Not quite, Hessler. Franklin Newman is absolutely dead. But the reports about Natalie Whitman's death has been greatly exaggerated. She recently reported in from her assignment in New Haven. I'm calling you in for the mission breakdown. I think you'll be very interested in what she has to say. Especially since you'll be taking command over our operation in New Haven."
New Haven.
Hessler felt his pulse quicken. The mother lode of missions, assigned to the very best of Agents. The assignment was one of the most dangerous on the dossiers but was considered the golden ticket to advancing to the highest ranks. "What will be my assignment, sir?"
"You will be responsible for reactivating Agent Mike Trudo."
Hessler frowned in confusion. "Agent Trudo? Isn't he dead as well?"
"Not at all. He's been deep undercover all this time. Perhaps too deep, which is why you're going there. Your assignment is to remind him of his original mission and aid him in its completion by any and all means necessary. With Kilgore unleashed and waging his own personal war, we have to close the loop on as many pertinent missions as possible."
"How do I find Agent Trudo, sir?"
Lynch did something Hessler had never seen in all of his years as an operative for the HSSC. He grinned, white teeth flashing from the shadows of his face. It was a bizarre sight, nearly terrifying as it altered Lynch's face into something twisted and malevolent.
"You'll find him easily enough. He goes by the decidedly unsubtle moniker of Mick Trubble. He's a Troubleshooter."
Agent Hessler's mission will continue in The Troubleshooter: Fears in the Rain (Dec. 2019)
About the author
Bard Constantine is a self-described neo-pulp author. In his own words:
"My stories aren't life-changing. They're not what critics would call fine literature. My stories are throwbacks to the paperbacks you'd stuff in your back pocket and read on the bus, at the park, or in math class instead of doing your algebra. I write adventure stories. Genre-blended, action-oriented pulp fiction with a kick. If that's what you're looking for, then I'm your guy."
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