Manipulator (36 page)

“…They hung up."

"…Yes. Yes we are. Why can’t we just kill him?"

"… It’s not our decision to make, the boss made the call. Not us."

"… I don’t know. But we know what we have to do next.”

Over. It should be over.

He had found Marcus Ortega. He had found Alex Morgan, and now he had found Ethan Darkes. But, Owen still didn’t have the answers that he was looking for, and was still no closer to finding out what had really happened to Annie.

Why have these men killed her?

What did any of this have to do with her?

Owen was sick of waiting.

“Nick,” he called out. “Here and now. Put it all together. Let’s get some answers.”

Chapter Seventy Three

Date: December 13th 2035

Location: Owen’s Apartment, New York

“My God,” Nick said as he listened to the pre-alpha version of the completed and synchronised audio files. “What the hell are Owen and his wife mixed up in here?”
 

He had just added Ethan’s audio into place, alongside Marcus Ortega’s and Alex Morgan’s synchronised vocals.
It adds a whole new layer to whatever the hell we’re all caught up in.

“I really don’t know,” Eli replied from somewhere across the room, only half listening in to what was being said.

“This confirms it though,” Nick shouted out as he sat and listened to the audio before he piped it on through to Owen. “There are still gaps in this conversation. There’s definitely a fourth person involved.”

“I think that kinda obvious now, isn’t it?” Eli called over from the corner of the living room.

“What makes you say that?” Nick asked, turning himself around to have a face to face discussion.

“Well, it can’t be their
mysterious
boss, because that’s who Ethan is on the phone to during the conversation, right?” Eli said, looking over at Nick as he walked into the kitchen.

“Right,” Nick responded slowly.
What’s he doing? It’s like he’s looking for something…

“So what about Kate?” Eli asked. “It makes sense. She could be the missing piece of the puzzle.”

“Well, she’s in league with Ethan, that much we know,” Nick said, thinking about it deeply as he spoke. “But that was one of the first things I asked her once I realised she wasn't on our side. She’s working with the enemy… but I don't think it's her.”

Eli didn't respond as he was looking around the kitchen too intently. Out of nowhere, he suddenly clambered up on top of the kitchen work surface just to the left of the sink.

"What are you doing?” Nick asked, sounding heavily annoyed. “Can't you just leave Owen's apartment alone?"

"Remember earlier… I said that I bugged this place?" Eli talked slowly, keeping all his attention on not falling down from the kitchen worktop. He was carefully working his way down the kitchen, looking on top of every single cabinet that lined the room.

"Yeah." Nick replied.
He’s definitely looking for something…

"Well, not that I'm bragging or anything here,” Eli started. “But the equipment I use is top notch, unbeatable stuff. Seriously Nick, it’s incredibly impressive."

"Why are you telling me this?" Nick asked, wondering what Eli was getting into.

"Well. I've been getting some interference from the bugs I've got in this apartment. If it was just the one, I'd understand, but all three of them? Doesn't make sense."

"Maybe the con-man got conned?" Nick replied half-heartedly. He wasn’t exactly interested in a conversation with Eli about something that didn’t seem to have any relevance to what they were doing.

But then Eli’s tone changed dramatically, and for the worse. “Nick?” he said, the seriousness in his voice apparent. "You need to see this. Right now.”

Chapter Seventy Four

Date: December 13th 2035

Location: FBI's Special Projects Division Headquarters

If there was a God, then it was clear that he was never going to cut Richard Sterling any slack. All he ever seemed to get off anybody was more work to add to his already overloaded work tray. But that was exactly what came with being the one in charge of the FBI's Special Projects PRoGRaM Division.

I'll never catch a break. Or get a weekend to myself…
he thought as the phone on his desk rang again for probably the twentieth time today. He couldn't get away with just unplugging it anymore and ignoring the world. He was getting flak from too many different directions and he couldn't afford to ignore any of it. He reached forward over the mountain of paperwork and picked up the phone, grabbing a pen and paper ready to take any notes should he need to.

"Sterling," he answered emotionlessly.

"Sir?" a voice replied to his greeting.
I know this voice.
Sterling thought, squinting his eyes as he concentrated on searching his brain for the answer.
He's the one who rang me a few days ago from the Prison System. The one who told me about what had happened there…

"I swear, this better be important," Sterling answered, dropping a hint of anger into his voice as he spoke. Nothing made people spill their words like fear.

"It's about the break in at the Atom Project, Sir," the mans voice said nervously back down the line to him.

"Okay. I'm listening," Sterling replied, dropping the angry tone and sitting himself up anxiously straight in his chair. The man on the other end of the phone had his attention, and Richard was finally hoping for some form of good news. He could really use some right now to brighten up his shitty day.

"We've finished the memory analysis on the man who was taken from the system on December 11
^th
."

"Remind me of his name," Sterling asked as he thought about what he had been told about the break in. He had some notes on what had happened somewhere on his desk, but there was so much paperwork that he didn't even know where to start looking. "Was it.. Morgan?"

"Yes Sir, his name was Alex Morgan, and we have some good news. We managed to pull from his memory an image of the man who took him."

Finally. Some good news..
. Sterling thought, letting out a deep breath. He felt himself relax slightly as he leant back into his chair. "Send it me. As well as
all
of the data on the break in."

"Yes Sir. We're just about to send the compiled report over now," the man said. There was something in his voice that started to seep through. A feeling that hadn't been evident up until that point.

Tension.

"Is there something else?" Sterling asked, curious as to why the man had rang him in the first place when an email would have easily sufficed. There was something that was being held back.

"Well," the voice started, sounding a hell of a lot more nervous than before. "The man that broke in and took Alex? He's one of your agents, Sir."

I knew it. I fucking knew it! Look at what you've got yourself into Archer. Shit's about to get out of control. What are you up to?!

"Who else knows about this? Who else have you spoke to?" Richard Sterling demanded.

"Nobody yet sir. That's why I rang you directly. I thought that you ought to hear it straight from me rather than through an email. I'm the one who compiled the report about it."

"Good. Leave it with me, and don't tell anybody else about this for the time being. Send me everything that you have on this.
Now.
And do it securely. I'll deal with it."

Classing that as his goodbye, Sterling slammed the phone down and opened up his emails. He found exactly what he was looking for at the top of his inbox. Opening the message up quickly, Sterling began to quickly skim through the report, catching only the most important facts.

Two unknown figures entered the Prison System… Still unclear how they made their way into the world… Alex Morgan was forcefully taken from his home… Forced to re-live memories that he didn't want to share.

Having read enough, Sterling clicked on the image that had been sent with the email. It opened and took up his entire screen. He locked eyes with the two people in the image. The two people who had taken Alex Morgan. Two very familiar faces stared back at him.

Owen Archer.

Kate Miles.

What the hell were they up to? I need to read this report properly and find out what happened... Owen has to be on this personal mission of his still… But why? How? How the fuck did Archer get hold of a PRoGRaM device?

As he saw it, he had two options. Option one. He could try and get in touch with Archer himself and get the man to explain what was happening. He knew Owen. He was a decent man.
He wouldn't run… would he? But who knows what he's up to? Who knows what's going on in that head of his?

Or there was option two, in which Sterling could actively disavow Owen Archer from the FBI. He'd be able to send some of the bureau's agents after the man and get him brought into Headquarters that way.
At least we'd be able to grab him quickly if we took option two. Owen could drop off the grid if I gave him a call. He might get spooked. Who knows what he's tied up in?

He thought long and hard about it, throwing the options and the possibilities around in his head, going over the pro's and con's of both scenarios. It took him a good minute to decide, but in the end, Sterling felt that he made the right choice.
We've always been straight with each other
. He conceded, as he reached forward to pick up his phone. He would ring Owen and convince him to turn himself in.

But before he could even grab the landline phone on his desk, Sterling's mobile unexpectedly began to ring out. He leaned back and reached into the inside of his jacket pocket, pulling his mobile handset out from within. There was an unknown number calling him.

"Sterling," he answered professionally.

"Mr. Sterling," a modulated, robotic voice said slowly to him over the airwaves.
The boss. Now? Why are they calling me now?

"I wasn't expecting to hear from you today," Sterling replied, putting his more professional voice on. "Although, it is convenient that you've called. I was going to be in touch with you shortly. It seems I've got some answers on what happened down at the Atom Project."

"It doesn't matter anymore," the synthesised voice said emotionlessly to him.

"Excuse me?" Sterling spat back in retaliation, surprised by the lack of care that his boss was showing to his efforts.

"I said, it doesn't matter anymore. Remember our agreement two years ago? Well, today is that day. It's time, Mr. Sterling."

Damn.
Richard thought.
Now? Today? I always imagined that we'd have more time with PRoGRaM…

"You knew that this day would come sooner or later."

I did.
Sterling realised. "I didn't think that it would happen so soon," he replied, sounding slightly let down by the situation that was about to take over.

"We are officially shutting down the FBI's Special Projects Division. We're taking back PRoGRaM."

Richard Sterling sighed as he asked, "Veridian?"

"Yes," the distorted voice of his boss said back to him. "Veridian are pulling back the ownership of PRoGRaM."

"But surely you can't do that so soon?" Sterling asked, knowing that his question was pointless. He already knew the answer.
Of course they could.
His boss wasn't even a part of the FBI. They were a part of the mysterious company known as Veridian. Technically, his boss, and therefore Veridian, could do whatever they wanted to do in relation to PRoGRaM.

Why?

Because they created it.

"I can. And I will. Remember. Veridian owns PRoGRaM and
everything
to do with it. You've always known that the FBI was just loaning and completing a trial for the use of our technology. You've always known that we could pull it back anytime. And that is exactly what we at Veridian have decided to do. Today."

"So what are you calling me for?" Sterling asked disappointedly. Even though he hated the workload that came along with it, running the PRoGRaM team's and looking after the staff at Special Projects HQ was his dream job. Regardless of how much he actually complained about it, the man genuinely enjoyed what he did. "You sound like you've already got things sorted out," Sterling clarified. "What do you want?"

"You are to forfeit to Veridian all of the Perception Recreation Geist-Reality Manipulator devices."

"Fine," he answered, perfectly aware that his operation was always going to be shut down sooner or later. He just wished that he could have had more time.
Who knows? Maybe Veridian will employ you now? You're perfectly capable of managing something for them. Hell, you've definitely proved yourself here during your time with Special Projects.

"Furthermore," the boss continued in their monotone synthetic voice, cutting Sterling's trail of thought off. "You are to forfeit to Veridian all agents and staff with
any
knowledge of the FBI's Special Projects Division for memory evaluation… and memory erasure. That includes you Mr. Sterling."

"What?!" Sterling answered, shocked to his core by what he was being told.
They're going to take all of our memories. Everything that we ever knew about PRoGRaM, gone in the blink of an eye…