Chapter 10

We rode all the way to Battery Park, on the tip of Manhattan.  We did not waste anytime.  We dismounted out wave runners and swam the rest of the way to shore.  From there, we sprinted to the nearest street and hailed the next taxi.

“Hey, can’t ya see I’m on break? You wanna go to the Empire State Building? Forget about it. No way. Beat it. I ain’t got time for this,” the driver uttered.

Scar pulled out his pistol and tactfully replied with, “Well, I know in London, that it is much easier to take the tube, but we decided on livening up your pathetic excuse for a life. So would you kindly drive us or would you rather the Port Authority find your slimy carcass floating down the East River.”

“Okay, okay.  Get in. But I expect a pretty penny this,” he said in shock.

“Haha, no.  Step on it,” Scar continued as he subtly grinned.

He meticulously maneuvered the cab through the Big Apple’s traffic, carefully weaving between cars and pedestrians.  A speeding taxi would not be anything foreign to the streets on New York, but a speeding taxi followed by a motorcade of black Ducatis is probably a first.  Each engine roaring in the background, they surrounded the car, with a few on each side and a couple in the back.  Each biker was equipped with a weapon of their own.

“Who the heck are you?! And why are they chasing us?!” the driver screamed.

“Just drive! Open the sunroof!” I yelled.  I raised my body out of the port in the cab and drew my pistol.  8 shots left.  7 bikers on my tail.  I had to make every shot count.

I deliberately aimed, shooting each rider down like clockwork.  One after the other. Two shots left with one rider on my tail.  

Bang.  Miss.  Bang.  Miss.

Chapter 9

I infiltrated the bulky doors by simply kicking them in.  Because of my not-so-discrete entrance, I was faced with a barrage of bullets, each one barely missing me.  I dove behind a plush sofa.  The figures henchmen did the same, each one used the adjacent sofa as a barricade.  They were blocking the stairwell to ascend to the next level.  I had virtually no escape.  

I did something that I would later describe as utterly stupid.  I leaped over the leather couch, barely nicking the wood frameworks of the piece of furniture.  Using the glass coffee table as a stepping stone, I jumped up and stabbed each one, making each kill as clean as possible.  No need to let the others know that I survived.  

Picking up their weapons and ammunition, I proceeded to use more covert methods, trying to keep as quiet as possible.  Luckily the pistol I scavenged had a silencer; that would make thinks a lot easier- and much quieter.

I scaled each level, taking out everyone in my path, the majority of them unable to unholster there weapons as I swiftly pulled the trigger.  Over time, I began to develop some sort of “rhythm”; shoot, take cover, repeat.  This worked until I reached the the captain’s quarters, where they were expecting me.  

Two guards-each one holding an assault rifle, sights fixated on my skull.

I raised my hands in submission, knowing there was no possible way to make any rash attempts to escape, at least with my life.  Bowing my head, I knelt down as my final act of surrender.

As the guards rushed over, restraints in hand, prepared to apprehend me, I heard two  distinct shots of gunfire.  I tentatively raised my head, only to find a man with a scar crossing over his left eye, holding a forty-five.

“What was that for?  I don’t even know you,” I questioned as I stood up.

“Well allow me to introduce myself. They call me Scar.  I am going to be straightforward with you.  Remember your “helicopter incident?”  Well, lets just say say that I had something to do with that.  But I had a recent change of hear  I'm on your side now.  We share a common enemy,” he explained.

“Wait.  You tried to kill me?  So you worked for Haddix?  How can I trust you?” I suspiciously asked.

“The bloke never paid.  Now come on.  We’ve got a timetable to keep.”  he continued.  And with that, he kicked in the door to reveal a small hallway with a steel door at its end.  I knew that if Colfer was not here, he was dead.

I gingerly pulled the door handle to find Colfer laying on a silver operating table, blood oozing from the gashes on his forehead and his legs.  His groans clearly defined that he was in pain, and his condition could not get any worse.  

He looked at me intently and began to speak softly.  

“Listen.  I never got to finish what I was saying on the chopper.  I haven’t got much time left so now seemed like a good time to finish.  Your last mission was to kill Haddix, but he incapacitated you before you had the chance causing you to lose your memory.  Haddix has been intriguing to blow up the Empire State Building.  You are just getting in his way.  Stop him before he has the chance to kill anyone.”

His voice trailed off.  His head fell to the left and his breathing became sparse.  I knew this was going to be the last time that I ever got to talk to him so I asked him,”Wait.  Who am I?”

“Michael Wolfe,” he croaked as  he took his last breath.  His lifeless, pale corpse laying still as we looked away.

I turned around and began walking Scar closely behind.  In anger, I walked towards the exit, taking my anger out on the nearest object, a distressed guard cowering in fear behind an ottoman.  A right hook to his jaw, stopped his quivering as he scurried off.

I jumped on the jet ski, started the engine, and took off, preceding Scar on his jet ski.  We hovered over the murky water, making way back towards the city.  We couldn’t have floated that far.  While riding, I noticed that we did not encounter Haddix after he had appeared to me.  There was only one place he could have gone.  The Empire State Building.

Chapter 8

It was difficult enough to tread against the flow of water; the added weight of my colleague made it nearly impossible.  I tried to keep our heads above the water but my efforts began to prove fruitless.  After hours on end of fighting the current, my body finally said enough and gave out.  I blacked out at the worst possible time.

*********************

I regained conscienceless, only to find myself floating in the middle of nowhere. I had no idea how long I had been out.  All I knew was that it was long enough to drift me somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic.  As if on cue, a large vessel floated in our direction.  I tried to make myself visible, using every last bit of strength.  It changed its course and gradually turned our direction.

It pulled up along side us and a rope ladder swung out of the starboard side.  I mustered enough willpower to scale the wooded rungs, being careful not to sway to far in either direction.  The moment I crawled on the deck, I sprawled myself out and gasped for air.



What seemed to be a deckhand, took Colfer’s limp body down below the deck of the of the yacht.  This somewhat alarmed me but I was to exhausted to even make an attempt to stop him.  I just lied there motionless, gradually regenerating my stamina.



An ominous figure walked towards me, shrouded by the dense fog.  His voice called out to me, breaking the deathly silence that crept among the us.  His voice sounded vaguely familiar; the kind of voice that once you hear, you never forget.



He said to me,” Ahh.  So, here we are, once again, on my ornate yacht.  I can’t remember the last time we met in such a way.  It used to be the only time we saw each other.  It was actually kind of pathetic.  You used to try to kill me, saying it was your job, and the same thing would always happen.  You know, you would sneak on deck, find your way to my quarters, and attempt to take me out.  I would never be there...I’m not that stupid...it would always be a trap.  You would take a few of my men and scamper off like the vermin you are.  This time is different.  You see, I have your “friend” down there, barely clinging to life after days at sea.  Now, you can go if you want, I have no interest in killing you.  Actually, I would prefer you to be alive.  No one likes to kill anyone...but sometimes...it has to be done.”



I gave him a glare, a look that clearly defined what I was thinking, which was extremely obvious.  Something along the lines on “Yea....ok....sure....whatever you say.”



After that, he went below deck where I had a feeling Colfer would be waiting.  I couldn’t help but thinking that this was one of those times where “it had to be done”.



Using sheer will power, I stumbled up, using the guardrail to bolster me, noting the attributes of the deck, such as a black jet ski,  I unsheathed a 6 inch knife that I had with me, the knife I had been carrying since I escaped the “labyrinth”.  After thinking about what I had to lose, which ironically was nothing, I only had one thought.



Let’s go.

Chapter 7

As the next few minutes unfolded, everything began to slow down.  First there was a bang, followed by and explosion of fire.  The rotors drastically slowed.  Parts of the helicopter plummeted down to the city below.  An array of buttons started to flash in the cockpit and and all of the dials went to 0.   We began to descend at an accelerated pace, falling faster and faster towards the Hudson River.  

“Mayday! Mayday! Were going down!” the pilot began to scream into his headset.

Without hesitation, I grabbed the nearest parachute and readied myself to leap.  I looked back to see Colfer incapacitated, his body unconscious and bleeding heavily.  I thought about the second chance at life he was giving me.  Grabbing Colfer, I jumped out of the wrecked chopper and pulled the cable.  My parachute deployed and we safely landed in the river beneath.  I sighed in relief.  I did not want to die today.  I still had so many questions.

The chopper, along with its pilot, met their inevitable fate.  Spinning chaotically, it spiraled to a watery grave.

****************

Scar witnessed his bidding take his course.  He hit the chopper just below its rotors.  At the moment of impact, he knew that he had succeeded.  He quickly concealed his weapon and briskly departed the scene, being careful to be remain incognito.

On the way out, he nudged against someone.  He looked back and realized it was an NYPD police officer.  The officer suspiciously took a quick glance at him.  This was enough to prompt Scar to run, in fear of being caught.  The officer shrugged and continued his patrol.

This had better be worth it.  That bloke better pay up.

He hailed a taxi and drove off, leaving any sort of evidence of his crime in the dust.

Chapter 6

They sky was a bleak gray and the air was bitterly cold.  The only sign of life in the desolate tarmac was a single black helicopter.  The ghostly silence made things that much more ominous.  Apparently, the city that never sleeps was taking a nap.

I paced down the runway, unsure of what to expect.  The closer I got, the more I second-guessed myself.  How did I get myself into this.....

“Glad you could make it.  Were going to the Pentagon.  Once there, you and I are going to the Pentagon to meet with an agent that has been tracking the leader of the SOS, a man going by the name of Haddix, for the last 3 years.  Hopefully, he could help us with our search.  Are you comfortable with flying?”  Colfer asked.

“Ummm sure, I guess.  Lets go...”I said.  I hoped into the chopper and snapped my safety harness.  I adjusted the headset that they had allotted me.  Feeling paranoid, I grabbed onto the railing.

Whoosh...whoosh...whoosh...

We lifted up with a jolt.  The helicopter quickly gained altitude, and before long, we began to hover over the New York skyline.  

“So why me?” I asked,” I mean there are a lot of people in the Big Apple.”

“Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but we’ve been following you for a while.  We know what you are capable of....” Colfer began.

I stopped him there.  I explained what had happened immediately before he found me and how I had not recollection of the events prior to  the incident.  

“We figured this would happen.  You see before the “incident” , you were an undercover cop.  You were on an undercover mission and...lets just say things when horribly wrong.” Colfer responded with.

I was about to interject when I caught something out of the corner of my eye.  I saw the silhouette  of a man holding,what seemed to be, grenade launcher.

**************

Scar walked through Rockefeller Center.  He admired the architecture of Manhattan; it was very different that the cityscape of London, his hometown.  He knew that he had to stay on task.  After all, this is what he was getting paid for.

He walked up the stairs of the iconic 30 Rock building.  It was still early and no one what in the building, at least no one that would cause any trouble.  He carefully eluded the security guards, which was anything but difficult considering the guard on duty fell asleep by the door to the observation deck.  

He gingerly walked around him, being careful not to wake him.  He carefully unlatched the latch and scaled up to the “Top of the Rock”.  

Being as discreet as possible, he took of his back pack and assemble a firearm closely resembling an RPG.  He loaded the grenade into the weapon and took aim.  The 6-inch scar spanning over his left eye lined up perfectly with the iron sights.  

“Here you go, you whirlybird, “ he said as he slyly  grinned.  He pulled the trigger.

Chapter 5

Haddix sat in his leather recliner as he fiddled with his laser pointer, pondering how he could allow such a failure to occur. He realized that without him, his whole plan was in jeopardy.  He turned his chair around to face his expensive African Blackwood desk.  

Across the desk was a man in a black suit.  His eyes were shielded by his aviator shades. He seemed to have a lot on his mind; only mustering enough focus to stay attentive.

Haddix began,”Rumor has it that you have a lot of experience in your field.  Am I not mistaken?”

The man responded,”Yes. I can do what you want, if you are willing to pay up...”  He had a slight British accent, which ironically, added to his shady persona.

“Deal.  Whatever you want.  I just want him alive.  Not dead- ALIVE.  Do I make myself clear?”

He grinned and nodded.  The man stood up and walked towards the door.

“Wait! How should I refer to you?”

“Scar,” he said plainly.  He opened the door and walked through the threshold,  loading his handgun.

Chapter 4

While walking among the hustle and bustle of the Manhattan, I bumped into a guy wearing all black and shades.  He turned around, grabbed me, and shoved me against the wall.
“What’s your problem?!” I yelled as I regained my footing.  I took a defensive stance as I waited for a responce.

He just stood there. Already in a bad mood, I didn’t have time for this guys nonsense.  I gave him a right hook in the jaw.  He staggered to the ground.  There was a trickle of blood dripping from his mouth.

“I said whats your problem?!” I was beginning to think this guy just wanted to instigate a fight.

“You’ll do,” the man said as he stood back up, “Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Agent Colfer.  I work for the FBI.  I’ve been searching for someone to work for me undercover.  I admit my method of drafting is somewhat unorthodox but I needed to be sure the guy I hired was tough.  I can’t tell you how many times we hired someone who can talk the talk but can’t walk the walk if you know what I mean.  Are you interested?”

What exactly do you have in mind?” I asked.

He explained that I would be in a covert operation in which I would gather information about the SOS terrorist network.  He said that they were planning something big but they were unsure of what exactly.

“Sure. But will I get paid?” I jokingly asked.

“Meet me at the Manhattan Heliport tomorrow at 5:00.  We’ll discuss that later and we’ll give you your first assignment.”  He smiled and began to walk towards the crowd.

“Wait! Before you go.  I go by the name John.  John Doe,” I yelled.

“Noted,” he said as he disappeared.