Chapter #16Operation Rogue Daughters by: Nostrum   “Um...” You move towards the door, opening. “Y-yeah.”
“Can I come in?” the agent asks, and you consent, just as your mother steps out.
“Oh, hello there. Are you from David’s school?”
“No, ma’am.” Agent Silva draws her badge and introduces herself. “I’m here because our agency needs your son’s cooperation on a very important case we’re dealing with.”
“You do?” Your mother’s perplexed, and so does your father, who stands before you.
“David, you have your rights. Either you come here with a warrant, or--”
“Dad...” You turn around, trying to stop him, when Claire rumbles down the stairs and pesters you.
“Whoa... Davey’s getting arrested?” She jabs at you, feigning anger. “That’s for downloading all that porn! Ma’am, my other brother Nick--”
“Is this your sister?” agent Silva asks, smirking. “You know, we have a file on you for stealing that cookie when you were four.”
Claire grows pale, swallowing hard. “Oh. Um... H-have a nice day, ma’am. I forgot I have something to do.” She dashes back into her room, evidently spooked. “See you later!”
You look at agent Silva, and she chuckles. “Wild guess.” After a deep breath, her face hardens. “Mr. Anderson, your son isn’t a suspect; he has collaborated with us on a confidence with a neighbor from this community.”
“Is that why you said--?” You nod, just to prevent your mother from speaking.
“We’ll retain him for a few days as he helps us on the case. As soon as we finish it, we’ll return him to you.”
Your father seems baffled yet proud “Well... In that case... David, just remember you have rights, alright?”
“I don’t think I’ll be in trouble, Dad.” You point at your bedroom, ready to pack. “You mind if I--?”
“There’s no need, David. If the need arose, we will provide you with clothing – paid for by the agency, of course.”
“I dunno...” Your father rubs his chin, mumbling. “That sounds like a bribe.”
“Or payment from his services. Think of it as America’s way to repay a citizen for their service – no different from a Pell Grant, for example, or veteran’s benefits.”
“If you say so...” Your father gives one good, hard yet worried look at agent Silva. “You promise you’ll take care of my son?”
“He will be safe, sir. I promise.”
You kiss your parents goodbye and meet agent Silva at the sedan. You pass through Ashley’s house, prompting you to ask. “What’s this all about?”
“Can’t say until we reach office. Confidential information, you see.”
You nod, and the agent says no more. You recall what Ashley told you and question her. “What about Mrs. Morris? Ashley said--”
“Miss Wright asked us to take care of her. Once this is finished, we’ll arrange for Mrs. Morris to have a nurse to care for her – not agency business, but as a personal favor.”
“I see...” Another moment of eerie silence, which you feel the need to break. “About what you said to my sister...”
“Statistically, a child between the ages of 3 and 7 will steal at least once in their life. Like I said, wild guess.” She snickers, flashing a curt smile with pearly white teeth. “I know how younger siblings can be.”
“I thought federal agents had no sense of humor.”
“Never trust all you see in movies and TV, kid.”
--
The trip doesn’t take you too long, as you reach the FBI local headquarters outside of town. To your surprise, though you’ve seen it occasionally – when you visit your maternal grandparents, through the highway – you wouldn’t suspect it’s a federal building. It’s very nondescript, with the logo of the agency and the patio on the other side of the highway.
After getting your visitor’s badge, you’re taken to the interrogation room at the basement – which startles you – and after agent Silva returns with a bottle of cola and a donut, she opens up a file and briefs you. “David, the reason we brought you here is that we need your help.”
“Um... sure. You told that to my parents.”
“Normally we wouldn’t press civilians into this kind of service, but we need an expert on the matter.” She hands you one of the folders, which contains photos of the two pens. “Turns out, the devices aren’t part of our guys at the DoD. This information will be classified, but you'll get clearance because of your previous interactions with them.”
As you read the papers, they’re not briefings at all. There’s a bunch of very legal papers you must sign. “What you see there,” agent Silva continues after seeing you flinch, “is a confidentiality agreement you must sign before we can give you any more details.”
You scowl at her. “Aren’t I supposed to get legal assistance to understand this?”
“Do you know one? You’re not a defendant. And there’s the issue of red tape.” She notices your reaction and gives an awkward, knowing grimace. “There’s also this other document that relieves our agency from liability in case of gross negligence from your part.”
“Whoa...” You push the folder forward, stepping back. “Whaddya mean by that?”
“You need to sign to know.” Your sour glare prompts her to explain. “‘Gross negligence’ involves any harm caused by revealing this information to others without clearance, or acting in a way that endangers yourself or others – essentially, we won’t cover you if you fuck up, but if we fuck you up, that document gives you guarantee that we’ll compensate you or your family for any harm.”
“And why?”
“Like I said, I can’t disclose anything else until you sign. Confidentiality and all.”
You look at the folder, briefly perusing the documents within. You take one of the documents – the confidentiality one – and challenge her claim. “So... if I sign this, but not the other one. What would happen?”
Agent Silva grins and chuckles. “That means you’ll be given clearance, but can’t say anything. And we can sue or even arrest you in case you do so.”
“But if I do the opposite and sign that one--”
“You’d be an idiot for going blind.”
You like her jib, so you sign the first document, then shove it to her. “Alright. What’s this all about?”
Agent Silva stands and circles you. “Like I said, the devices you found aren’t from our guys from the DoD – no miltech, no spy gadgets, no nothing. Not even a foreign object, though the CIA is on it.”
“So... is it alien technology or something?”
“For all we know, it probably is. We’re more worried that we found two of the same kind of pen, however. This may suggest there may be more.”
It’s not hard to connect the dots. “And if there are more, that means--”
“Someone else – a criminal, a spy, a terrorist – could be posing as a national. This is a grave security breach. Our only information comes from your discovery – as with miss Cassandra Wright, our best bet is for you to remain here while we plug it up. However, since you’re familiar with the workings, you may actually be of great aid.”
“How?”
“If what you claim is true, Tessa and Barbara Wright may have been taken over by other people. You said, in communication with Mr. Quentin Vossler--”
“Uh, you mean the time he called me as Cassie while I was--?”
“Exactly. You said you heard him speak about Ross Marquand finding the devices. We... ‘barged’ into his memories while testing if they function as you indicated, and confirmed the information. Effectively, Quentin Vossler declared that Ross Marquand found the devices, which means we must capture him. And by extension, based on your suspicions, determine if Tessa Wright has been replaced as well.”
The plan makes sense, but there’s one detail you’re missing. “Where do I get in?”
“This is very new to us, David. You, on the other hand, know how they work – the devices and the skins, that is. I suppose you could help us control the personalities to make better impersonations.”
“And you want me to teach you how.”
“Given our limited time frame...” Agent Silva pushes the folder back to you, pointing at the other document. “We have no choice but to let you on the operation.”
“You mean...?”
“To capture Barbara and Tessa Wright without suspicions, we need their family's collabortion. Miss Wright has agreed to collaborate with us, and allowed us to use Cassandra’s identity for the sting.”
Once again, you connect the dots – and the idea all but breaks you. “You want me to pass off as Cassie?”
“That, or pass off as Mr. Lachlan. I feel Miss Wright would feel better if someone she trusts were to pose as her sister. Though, to be specific – we need you to pass off as Quentin Vossler passing off as Cassandra Wright. It feels none of us can keep the two in control besides you.”
Soon, the weight of the request crushes your shoulders, and you hunch. The federal government wants you to pass off as two different people at once for a sting operation. The coolness of all this is undeniable, but are you really prepared for this?
“It’s not like I can control them,” you affirm.
“Probably more than we can,” agent Silva replies. “I’ll give you some time to think. Tell me when you’re ready.”
As she leaves, you’re given an interesting choice. You can, of course, accept, and live out Cassie’s life (if only for as long as the sting operation lasts) and maybe get something in exchange, but you’d be taking a lot of risks. You could go on as Trevor, trying to bullshit your way in, but it could be risky if Ashley reacts in an unexpected way.
You could still simply help them, and because of what this represents, maybe this could give you a cushy job on a federal agency. That’d solve a lot of your future. Maybe you could help create a new agency.
Hell... You may even lead it.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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