Deja Vu, Episode III

This is the finale of a three episode arc.  The previous episodes are:
"Deja Vu"   by Horseman
"Deja Vu, Episode II"   by Horseman

Baseline

Daniel learned from a staff orderly that he was in a secure training building at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, in Bethesda, Maryland.  From his walking excursions through the building, he found only two entrances, and both had inner and outer guard stations.  The outer station was to keep unauthorized people out, and the inner station was to keep certain people in.  From observing the stations, he learned that the doors only opened for people who had coded keycards.  Aside from that, he seemed to have the run of the place, at least the doors that were unlocked. That included a small library, from which he borrowed several books to pass the time.

His third morning at Bethesda, he awoke to find an electronic bracelet securely fastened around his left ankle.  This was perplexing because it pointed to a fundamental chink in his armor that he hadn’t adequately considered before turning himself in.  While he slept he was apparently at their mercy, because no premonition had woken him when the bracelet was put on.  He could only hope that the Director would take his request seriously.  Otherwise, getting out of this place quietly might be a real challenge.

That afternoon, Agent Dawson poked her head in Daniel’s room and said, “Have you gone stir crazy yet?  Are you ready for some action?”

Daniel looked up from the book he was reading, a surprised smile on his face.  “I’m not paying for another dinner, if that’s what you mean.”

“No, nothing like that.  My orders are to see your skills in action, and write a report.  There’s a complete gymnasium and gun range on the other side of the building, and we’ve been granted full access to it.”

Daniel frowned at Dawson.  “Why you, I mean, you’re a field agent, right?”

“As it was explained to me, there are several reasons.  One, I already know about you, so there are fewer security risks in having me do it.  Second, I am a certified instructor in several martial arts and many weapons.  And third, you and I seem to have established at least a working relationship.  Apparently, I’m the perfect candidate.  Besides, I was overdue for some down time.”

“Fine.  But you may be fooling yourself if you think this will be down time.”

As they walked to the gymnasium, Dawson said, “I should clarify that you have unlimited access to the gymnasium, with or without me.  The orange colored stripe on the wall will take you there.  But if you go, please don’t use your gift unless I’m with you.  Only a select few know of it, and we want to keep it that way.”

Daniel held out an arm to stop Dawson.  “I asked the Director’s observer, a Major Brookings, to set up a meeting for me with the Director.  I think I scared the crap out of him in my initial interview here.  Do you know if that’s going to happen?”

“I can’t say for sure, but Brookings is the one that assigned me here, and he did tell me that he passed your message on to the Director.  My guess is that the Director is waiting for my report on you before he decides.  Oh, one thing you might want to know – the Director is a three-star Major General, and is newly appointed to the position.  He had nothing to do with the creation of the Omega Child program.”

Daniel said, “Look, there’s no way I’m going to let them turn me into a lab rat.  I was an unwitting lab rat for six damn years, and I not going to sit around here for long.”

“Daniel, the review of your case has been fast-tracked by the Director.  That’s one reason that Major Brookings and I are here.”

They arrived at the gymnasium, which was a cavernous space resembling a world war two aircraft hangar.  The place had high ceilings and a rubber coated floor, and seemed to be a chilly sixty degrees or so.  One end of the space was dominated by high-end weight training and cardio machines, and an oval running track with banked corners ran on a balcony all the way around the facility.  Several people were running on it.  The rest of the space was wide open, apparently ready to be set up for any number of uses.  A door off to the side was lettered with the words “RIFLE RANGE”, and dull gunfire could be heard.

As they entered, Major Brookings walked up and said, “My apologies for keeping you cooped up, Daniel.  Until we know more about your capabilities, the Director has ordered you to remain here for evaluation.  We don’t expect that to take more than a week.  Are you willing?”

“I don’t seem to have much of a choice, but Yes, for now.  Where is Hartford?”

Brookings said, “I’m not sure, but I think he went back to his Seattle lab.  You weren’t the only subject of his experiments, Daniel, and he has other responsibilities there, now that his hunt for you is over.”

Daniel looked up in shocked surprise.  “You mean the program is still running? He’s got more kids being drugged?  Good God, I was praying that I was the last.  He’s got to be stopped.”

“In all honesty, Daniel, you’re in the best position to make that happen.  Show us your cooperation, don’t threaten us, and Agent Dawson’s report should get you an audience with the Director.  Then it’s up to you to convince him.”

Brookings tossed Daniel a small olive-green duffel bag.  “Your gym gear is in there.  Go get dressed; the locker room is over there”, said Brookings, as he pointed toward a door marked “Loc er  oom”.

The afternoon was spent in simple testing of his speed and strength, without using his gifts.  The idea, according to Dawson, was to record his baseline normal.  And so he ran endless wind sprints, pumped iron, and had a cardio stress test.  After four continuous hours he was completely wiped out.  Dawson’s one word summary at the end of the session was “unimpressive”.

Daniel said, “Ouch, that hurt.”

Dawson smiled.  “Don’t take offense, Daniel.  The session you just had is similar to what we give green recruits at boot camp on their first day.  You’d fit right in with them.  Don’t feel bad being average.  It’s a perfect baseline for our purposes.”

The Gift

When Daniel arrived at the gymnasium at nine the next morning, he found the place deserted except for Dawson and Brookings.  He said, “Where is everyone else?  There were lots of people in here yesterday.”

Brookings said, “Today, we will have you exercising your gift, so I’ve arranged to have the gym to ourselves.  We need to keep you abilities a secret.”

“I see.  What’s on the agenda?”

Yesterday we clocked you at 12.3 seconds in the one-hundred meter dash.  Let’s have you start with that, using your gift.

Daniel grimaced, “You can’t be serious.  After one-hundred meters at my best speed, all my exposed skin will be wind-burned, and my clothes will be frayed.  There’s a lot of air friction at that speed.  Up to now, I’ve just done very short movements or distances.  That has kept me intact and my clothing bill down.  On top of that, I’d need a big bag of snickers bars afterwards.  High speed consumes a lot of calories.”

Dawson chuckled, “I see, so you’re telling us you need a super-suit, huh? Will you need a cape as well?”

“I think I prefer to go without a cape.  It might draw stares on the street.”

Brookings laughed and said, “I’ll have something made up for you.  I imagine some of the paratrooper gear might do the trick.  It’ll have to wait for tomorrow though.  I’ll send someone around later to get your measurements, Daniel.  Agent Dawson, is there anything else he can do today?”

Dawson picked a baseball out of a duffle bag, and said, “Let’s go over to the rifle range.  There’s something I’m dying to have Daniel try.”

The rifle range was a long narrow room, with four shooter’s boxes, and a movable target system.  Dawson tossed Daniel the baseball, and ran a man-shaped paper target out to the end of the range, some one-hundred yards distant.  Then she pulled out a radar gun, and said “Any time you’re ready, Daniel.”

Daniel tossed the ball casually in his hand, and stared down the range.  He’d never tried this before, and was excited by the prospect.  He’d had a decent outfielder’s arm when he’d played on his high school baseball team, but that was a long time ago, and he hadn’t thrown since.  And he’d certainly never tried it with the gift.  He wound up, summoned his speed, and heaved the ball downrange at the target.  A sharp ripping noise split the air, followed but the loud bass thump of the ball embedding itself in the bullet trap.  Plaster dust fell from the ceiling as the shredded skin of the baseball fell lightly to the floor half way down the range.  A perfect circular hole appeared in the middle of the target.  He turned to Dawson and said, “Holy crap, what’d you get on the radar.”

Dawson turned the radar gun’s display toward Daniel, and he saw that it was flashing “250” over and over in red numbers.  Dawson said, “This thing tops out a two-fifty, but based on what I just heard, I’d say the baseball broke the speed of sound.  That means it was probably traveling in excess of seven-hundred and fifty miles an hour.”

Stunned silence followed as the plaster dust settled.  Daniel smiled at Dawson, and said, “Still unimpressed?”

The week of testing that followed was somewhat anticlimactic after the baseball test.  The black skydiving gear they gave him looked nothing like a super-hero outfit, and thank God for that.  With all the Velcro fastenings snug and the facemask securely fastened, the suit was hot but it protected him just fine.  He’d done the 100 meter dash in 2.2 seconds, or around one-hundred miles an hour.  It had taken three Snickers bars to revive him.

Later, Dawson had tried him at hand-to-hand combat, using a variety of martial arts.  She had given up after only ten minutes though, because in that entire time she had been unable to make any contact with Daniel.  Daniel’s premonitions were in overdrive, and he simply used his speed to move out of the way.

The weight machines were an interesting sensation.  Dawson set each machine at the heaviest weight, and asked Daniel to push.  Without his gift they were impossible to move, but as soon as he used his gift to slow down apparent time, it felt like he had another gear.  The weights moved easily.

Three days of boredom followed the final tests, until Brookings finally reappeared at his room carrying a garment bag.  He dumped it on Daniel’s bed, and said, “I brought you a new dress suit. Are you ready to meet with the Director?”

The Pentagon, C-Ring

“The Director will see you now,” said the middle aged receptionist. She was letting her hair go gray just like his mother had, and that made him feel homesick.  She got up, and ushered Major Brookings and Daniel into the Director’s office.  When Brookings was just a few feet inside the door, he stopped, came to full attention, and saluted.

The office was enormous, with tall windows and mahogany wainscoting.  A large round blue carpet with the seal of the DIA emblazoned on it dominated the area in front of the Director’s oak desk. Bookshelves lined every available wall, and Daniel made a slight detour to see what kind of books the Director read.  Most of those he saw appeared to be the history of military campaigns.

The Director stood and came around his desk, and said “At ease, Major.”  His expression gave nothing away. With his hand outstretched toward Daniel, he said, “Welcome to the DIA, you must be Daniel Cornell.  I’m Harold Ross.”  They shook hands, and the Director continued, “Major, Daniel, please be seated.”

The Director looked every bit the three-star Major General he was, from his polished shoes to his flattop haircut, and a craggy face that showed years of hard-won experience.  The dress jacket that hung on the back of his chair had military campaign ribbons a full six inches deep.  He sat down behind his desk, picked up a letter opener made from shell casings, and nimbly twined it around his fingers. 

“I’ve read both Major Bookings’ and agent Dawson’s reports on you Daniel.  Your skills are quite impressive.  On the flip side, I also understand that you’re not particularly happy with the cards the DIA has dealt you.  Is that a fair assessment?”

Daniel carefully controlled his anger, and replied, “I don’t believe it’s legal to experiment on a minor, especially without parental consent.  Hartford tricked my mother into believing it was a promising drug trial for schizophrenia.”

“You seem to have come through the program with your faculties intact.”

“Killian told me that five of Hartford’s other test subject died under Hartford’s ministrations.”  Waving his hand at the General’s library, he continued, “I’m not much into military history, but that sure sounds like something the Nazis did during World War Two.  I find it incredible that it’s happening right now in our country.”

Ross drummed his fingers on his desk, and stared intently at Daniel for a moment before speaking. “The end justifying the means is always a slippery slope.  In essence, Daniel, I agree with you.  But given the extraordinary results, you in particular, I find that making a decision on the program’s future less than clear cut.  Field agents with your skills would be invaluable.”

Daniel wasn’t surprised by the Director’s statement, but it was maddening just the same.  He had considered that the Director might be ambivalent - after all, the new Director had yet to shut down the program.  But the Director had also unwittingly given him the ammunition he needed to turn the tide.

Summoning his speed, Daniel rose from his chair.  The Director sat in his chair, seemingly frozen in time to Daniel perceptions.  He reached across the desk, and plucked the letter opener from the General’s hands.  With all his strength, he rammed the pointed end down into the oak desk, until just half of it was left protruding from the desk top.  He sat back down, resumed his previous pose, and relaxed his concentration.

Papers flew off the General’s desk as the wind of Daniel’s movements captured them.  The sound of the letter opener’s enormous impact reverberated in the air.  The General sat back in shock, and said, “Holy shit son, did you just…”

“I’m sorry General, but I’m trying to drive home a point, as it were.”

The General’s door flew open, and two soldiers rushed in with weapons drawn.  The General held up his hand and said, “It’s all right, Sergeant, at ease.  Please stay in the room, though.”  Turning has gaze on Daniel, he said, “I think you’d better make your point right now, while I still have an ounce of patience.”

Brookings said, “Daniel, what are you doing?”

“The DIA made me what I am today.  You haven’t been able to control me for the past year, and the only reason I am here is that I decided to come in.  You can’t control me, so what makes you think you can control an army of Hartford’s creations.  What’s that expression – power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely?  The temptations of this gift, as Hartford likes to call it, are astounding.  I’ve made my living over the past year from the casinos.  Had I wanted to, I could have cleaned them out.  Why the hell would someone with my gifts want to work for the DIA?  And what would you do with a hundred super agents, if half of them went rogue?  Would it be worth the cost?”

The General motioned to the Sergeant and said “Dismissed.”  The guards left, and the General turned his attention back to Daniel.

“I see your point, but I wish you hadn’t ruined my favorite letter opener and my beautiful desk.  Assuming we shut down Omega Child, what do we do with you Daniel?  Will you work for us?”

Daniel hesitated, and said, “Not as a direct employee, Sir. However, I might be willing to work for you as a contractor on a per-job basis, as long as I get to decide if I want to take any particular job.”

“That can be arranged.  We have a great many contractors with special skills, and your skills are certainly special.  Before that happens though, you’ll need to go through our training program.  Turning to Brookings, Ross said, “Where is Hartford now?”

“It’s my understanding that he’s back in his Seattle based lab.”

“From reading his past reports and reports from embedded observers, Hartford seems to be a bit of a loose cannon.  So here’s what’s going to happen.  In two days, a team will arrive at Hartford’s lab unannounced.  They will take Hartford into custody, and pack up all equipment and records in his lab.  Major, who would you recommend for the team?”

Brookings considered a moment, and then said, “Sir, I was very impressed with agent Dawson and her team.  Since they have already been briefed on some aspects of Omega Child, we can limit information leakage by using them.”

Daniel said, “I’d like to go with her team, if I may.  I’ll stay out of the way, and follow all her instructions.”

Ross tapped his index finger against his chin a few times, and then said, “Very well.  Major Brookings, please make the arrangements.  Keep me informed of your progress.  Daniel, consider yourself hired as a job contractor, reporting to Agent Dawson.  You haven’t been trained yet, so say out of her way.  Dismissed.”

Flying Lessons

Daniel was put up at a downtown hotel that night, and the following morning he was picked up by a non-descript sedan, driven by a non-descript driver.  Daniel stuck out like a sore thumb with his ponytail.  He glumly supposed that cutting it off would be part of his training.  The driver silently removed Daniel’s ankle bracelet, and drove him to the airport.

At the airport’s drop-off zone, the driver handed Daniel a ticket, a cell phone, and a small duffle, then drove off.  Daniel looked down at his ticket half expecting some military transportation, but it was just a cheap Continental flight to Seattle.

He was almost to the check-in counter when he heard someone behind him say, “Mr. Cornell?  Daniel?”

Daniel turned, and a woman approached carrying a duffle just like his own.  At first he didn’t recognize her, but as she approached he was startled to see that it was Dawson.  His nerveless figures dropped his duffle to the floor.  “Agent Dawson, is that you?”

She was stunning, and his throat was instantly dry.  The other times he had been with her, she had apparently dressed down, and used unflattering makeup.  Now, however, she had gone to the other extreme.  Her brown hair was down around her shoulders, and she wore a yellow sun dress and matching low heels.  Her makeup was done to perfection.  She was quite a sight, and Daniel wasn’t the only one who noticed.

She hooked her arm in his and said, “Today, please call me Michelle, and don’t look so shocked.  We only have to dress down when we’re on assignment.  Today’s a travelling day, and I can just be me.  Let’s get checked in.”

“Agen---, I mean Michelle, sorry, but you look amazing.”  Looking around, he continued, “Where is the rest of your team?”

“They left last night with all our gear.  It’s just you and me on this flight.  By the way, I used my frequent flyer miles to bump us both to first class.”

Later at thirty thousand feet over up-state New York, Daniel asked, “Michelle, I’m not sure how to ask this, so I’ll just ask.  Why are you suddenly so nice to me?  I mean, we met under less than friendly circumstances, and I hurt one of your men before that.  Granted we’ve gotten along well enough since then, but I don’t feel like I deserve your thousand-watt smile.”

“For one thing, I read your file.  It’s quite obvious that you’re not the monster that Hartford describes.  Yeah, you took out one of my guys, but his instructions were to observe only, and he disobeyed orders.  You felt threatened and defended yourself.  So far as I can tell, you have been completely honest with us.  You personally told me at our first meeting about your personal code of conduct, and you’ve honored that.  And you’ve done some good too, albeit a bit outside the law.  But the capper was what I heard about your meeting with the Director.”  She chuckled.  “You showed some remarkable persuasive skills.  He’s not an easy man to convince.”

“Damn, and here I thought you just wanted to see me in a tight super-hero leotard.  All the ladies love a guy in a leotard.”

She smiled, “Oh, maybe that was part of it.  In all seriousness though, Hartford was way out of bounds in his recruiting methods.  I don’t know how I would have reacted, but I can certainly understand why you’ve done as you have.”

“You know so much about me, but I know almost nothing about you. How did you end up as a DIA agent?  It’s a pretty unusual career path.”

“Well, the DIA certainly wasn’t on my radar.  I got a degree in Criminal Justice, graduated near the top of my class, and got an invitation to apply. I went to the interview on a lark, but their offer was amazing.  It was an opportunity I wouldn’t get anywhere else.  It’s not been easy, but trust me, I deserve my pay grade.”

“Doesn’t all work and no play makes Michelle a dull girl?”

“If that’s what you think, you’re in for quite a ride.”

Daniel smiled broadly.  “I can’t wait.”

Welcoming Committee

Around 10:30 that evening, with luggage in tow, Daniel and Michelle walked toward the terminal exits.  Michelle said, “We’re supposed to have a car pick us up.  Wait a moment while I check in and see where they are.”

Daniel surveyed the terminal, and said, “No need, there’s our man now.  Another forgettably dressed agent-looking guy with a small sign reading “Dawson” was standing by one of the exits. 

“Let’s get out of here.  I’m tired, and I just want to get some real food, a bath, and a full eight hours of sack time.”

They walked up to the man, who said to Michelle, “Are you Agent Dawson?”

“Yes, that’s me.  You’re our ride?”

“Yes ma’am.  Please come with me. I’ll take you to the hotel.”

Fifteen minutes later, as they were being driven from SEATAC airport, Daniel became uneasy.  Something wasn’t right, and he just couldn’t put his finger on it.  It wasn’t a premonition exactly, but his instincts were uncannily good, and he trusted them.  Leaning toward Michelle, he whispered, “Something about this doesn’t feel right.  Is this all on the up-and-up?”

Michelle frowned and pulled out her cell phone.  She rapidly typed a text message, and a few moments later her phone beeped once.  She looked at the reply and paled.  She turned the phone so Daniel could read the message.

Dawson, Michelle
We have been picked up and are en-route to the hotel.  Team status?

Monroe, Jason
Driver is waiting at the airport.  Current driver is unsanctioned. Location?

Daniel motioned her to pass him the phone.  He typed, “I-5 NB, passing milepost 162”, and passed it back.

Another moment passed, and the phone beeped again.

Monroe, Jason
Team on alert, ready in 10.  Leave your phone on, triangulation in progress.  Do not engage, wait for backup.

The driver swerved down an off-ramp unfamiliar to Daniel, and said, “We’ll be at the hotel in a few minutes.  This shortcut will take us around the Mercer Street construction zone.”

Daniel whispered in Michelle’s ear, “Where’s your gun?”

She whispered back, “I had to check it; it’s in my luggage in the trunk.  You?”

“Don’t own one.  Wish I had my damn sword.”

The driver made seemingly random turns, and although Daniel occasionally saw familiar landmarks, he couldn’t figure out where they might be headed.  After ten minutes of driving on downtown streets, the driver turned into an alley between two rows of tall buildings and stopped.  Garbage dumpsters lined the dark, deserted alley.

The driver said in a cheerful voice, “We’re here, everybody out.”

Michelle and Daniel both exited the back seat as quickly as possible from the passenger side.  The driver stood idly on the far side of the car, looking at them.  He said quite matter-of-factly, “End of the line for you two.”

Daniel was hit by an unexpected premonition, but it didn’t make any sense.  Just as he was about to shout a warning to Michelle, he was suddenly hit by a massively crippling fear.  It felt like he was teetering on a tightrope stretched between tall buildings, but there was nothing specific to indentify as the cause.  He fell to his hands and knees, and rolled up into a fetal position.  Beads of sweat popped from every pore, and instantly drenched his clothes.  Every muscle in his body was clenched iron-hard.  He forced his gaze over to Michelle who had fallen beside him, only to see her in an identical state.  She gasped with the effort of her clenching muscles.

The driver strolled leisurely around to the front of the car to the passenger side to get a better view of them.  He said, “It hurts, doesn’t it?”

Daniel raised his head.  Through clenched teeth, he said, “Who…”

“Who am I?  Yes, well Dr. Hartford said you might ask that.  Please be patient; he’ll be here in a moment.”

Right on cue, a side door off the alley opened, spilling light into the alley.  The silhouette of a man walked out and stood beside their driver.  “Bastard”, Daniel muttered, as he squinted up at Hartford.

“Ah, Daniel, there you are.  Nice to see you again.  So sorry it had to be under these--- circumstances.  I surely wish you hadn’t talked the Director into cancelling my life’s work.  But at least I’ll have the satisfaction of cancelling you in return before I take the project abroad.  I see you’ve met my latest success.” 

“Who is he,” Daniel grunted through gritted teeth.

“That’s not terribly important.  Let’s just say he’s subject number eight.  I presume you know what that means.  Unlike you, he’s not a traitor to the program.”

Daniel forced his mouth to work, and said, “Gift?”

“I take it you’re asking about his gift.  Yes, well, your gift doesn’t seem to be a match for his, now does it?  Have you ever run across one of those rare people that instilled fear in you for no apparent reason?”

Daniel grunted.

“He was one of those people.  I found him when he was sixteen, and turned that fear into a weapon.  Quite effective, isn’t it?”

Up to now, Daniel had been unable to concentrate long enough to bring forth any of his gifts.  But now that he knew what was going on, and that the fear he was feeling was artificial, he was slowly getting a measure of control.  Avoiding eye contact with the guy seemed to help.  He concentrated on relaxing one muscle group at a time, until he felt nearly normal.  He whispered to Michelle, “Concentrate on the fear being false, and try to relax.  You’ll feel better soon.  And don’t look him in the eyes.”

Hartford said to their driver, “Please take care of these two.  No need to be careful; the company will hush it up anyway.  And hurry it up will you; we have a plane to catch.”

Feeling around, Daniel found a stone about an inch-and-a-half in diameter, and palmed it.  He rose slowly to his feet, turned toward them, and said, “Fear is an emotional response to a threat or danger.  I don’t see any threat or danger here.  Perhaps you should.”

Seeing Daniel standing calmly, the driver stepped back a pace, now unsure of himself.  Daniel continued, “We have unfinished business, Hartford.”

The premonition hit Daniel like a sledgehammer, as he foresaw the guy reach into his coat.  Michelle yelled, “Daniel look out, he’s got a---”.

But Daniel had already summoned his speed.  Just like at the rifle range, he cocked his arm and launched the stone at the driver.  The air made a ripping sound as the projectile broke the speed of sound, and blasted a huge hole in the guy’s shoulder and the wall behind him.  Windows above the alley shattered and rained shards of glass down into the alley. The gun fell from the driver’s now useless hand and clattered to the pavement.  He staggered back a step and turned as if to run, but instead fell like a sack of wheat to the pavement.

Michelle yelled, ran across the intervening space, and tackled Hartford.  Although Michelle was half Hartford’s weight, he was horribly out of shape and fell onto his back with Michelle atop him.  As he flailed around, attempting to knock her off, Daniel hurried over to them.  Feeling around in his pockets, he found some loose change.

Daniel put a nickel between his thumb and middle finger, as though he was going to flick it away, and aimed at Hartford’s head.  He said, “Do you know how much damage a nickel can do when it travels at the speed of sound?”

Hartford went instantly still.  Spittle sprayed from his mouth as he yelled, “You can’t kill me.  You need me.  I made you.”

Daniel laughed deep and hard.  “Oh, that’s rich.  I need you huh?  For a smart guy you sure are a moron.  All you want is control of your subjects, but that’s out of your hands now.  Omega Child is over, and the Director’s scientists are even now deciding on a decommissioning strategy for your subjects.  If you decide not to help with that, then I imagine you’ll be on the decommissioning list.

A speeding car squealed its tires as it rounded the corner into the alley, immediately followed by another car from the other end of the alley.  Eight agents with weapons drawn emerged from the cars, rapidly established a perimeter, and took charge of Hartford. 

As Daniel observed the operation, he noted that Hartford was right about one thing.  The company quickly eliminated all traces of the evening’s events, and bundled a handcuffed Hartford and the driver into an unmarked van.

Michelle stepped over to Daniel, and put her arm through his.  “You certainly have a flair for the melodramatic. Nice line about the nickel.  How much damage do you think you could have done with it?”

“Not much. Break the skin, knock him out maybe, but not much else.  He had just taught me how powerful fear is, and that’s really all I needed.  I’ve always known he was a coward at heart.  You were pretty good yourself.  That was a sweet open-field tackle.  Play some football in college?”

“Me?  Please.  I was a cheerleader though, so maybe I learned a trick or two by watching the guys.”  She led him toward the last remaining car, and said, “You’ve been a real surprise, Daniel.  I really hope we can work together again soon.”

Daniel smiled broadly.  “I know some people.  I’ll see what I can do.”

The End.