RESTLESS : The Hunt For Peace Episode 167

Unedited

Henry remained in the control room, staring blankly and deep in thoughts until the sound of the door opening behind him. He sat up and turned his head slightly to see who came in.

“Not ready for lunch yet?” Samantha asked while approaching him slowly.

Just trying to sort out some things first,” Henry answered, turning back to the system.

“Is it something serious?” Samantha asked as she dragged a chair and sat facing him.

He turned to her and shook his head. “No, nothing serious. I was about to step out for lunch before you came in,” he added and turned to hibernate the computer.

“You haven’t told the team about Rex yet,” Samantha stated, the tone made it sound more like a question.

“Yeah, I haven’t,” Henry replied.

“Why?”

He sighed and turned to her.

“You haven’t found out the truth yet?” She asked before he could say anything.

He nodded. “Yes, I’m not sure what is happening with Rex, whether he’s with us or he’s gone against us. I got a call minutes ago from Jackson, one of our contacts in the UK. He told me Rex had visited him…”

“Who is Jackson?” Samantha cut in.

“I and Rex met Jackson some years ago during a mission in the Middle East. He was a soldier in the England army. We became friends there and he asked us for help on a case in the UK. We’ve remained friends since then,” Henry explained.

“I see… So what was Rex doing at Jackson’s place?” Samantha questioned.

“He wanted to meet Jordan, an expert in creating new identities. Jordan can get anyone into any other country from the UK without booking an official flight,” Henry paused and then turned to Samantha again, staring deeply into her eyes. “Rex’s meeting with Jordan can only mean he’s trying to get out of the UK and he’s most likely coming over here. Why I’m confused is that Rex has made no efforts to leave a message for me.”

“How do you expect him to send a message to you?”

“There are channels through which we communicate whenever we lose contact,” Henry replied.

“We can’t judge him yet until we hear from him,” Samantha put in.

“Yes, but his moves are suspicious and I can’t just stop thinking of what he’s up to.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

“I don’t know what to do yet,” Henry answered.

“Then, you should stop worrying. Rex doesn’t know our location or our plans, so there’s no way he can get in the way.”

“You’re right,” Henry let out a breath and sat up. “I think I need to stop worrying so much.”

“But…” Samantha spoke up again after a moment of silence. “Is there any reason for which Rex can turn against you?”

Henry stared at her speechlessly for a while. He considered the question and tried to search his mind for the answer. He tried to recall the disagreement or fight he could have had with Rex in the past that was serious.

Before he could find any, the door to the control room opened and Maxwell walked in. Both Henry and Samantha glanced at him.

“I need to go for lunch now,” Henry said with a smile to Samantha and got up immediately. He patted Maxwell on the back as he proceeded towards the door.

“I hope I did not disturb your discussion?” Maxwell asked as he moved closer to the computers.

“No,” She replied, getting up from the seat. “We can always continue later.”

____

FOX  Office

Steve took in a deep breath as he settled into his office seat. He closed his eyes and rested his head backward as different thoughts ran through his mind. He began to wonder how Evelyn could be acting like nothing had happened after he killed three men in her apartment the previous night. She was going about her work in the usual manner without having to visit the police officer or transferring the case to the FOX.

He began to wonder again why Paul Edwards had called her. Or did Paul Edwards know about Evelyn’s other involvements? He asked himself.

The questions were bothering his mind but he couldn’t pursue answers at that moment. If he was caught while pursuing answers, it could get him into some serious trouble. He took another deep breath and sat upright to continue his work.

Fastforward>>> July 29

15:05 PM

Evelyn walked into the investigation room with two male agents flanging her. Agent Steve and fifteen other agents were in the room. The agents were standing and discussing in clusters of threes while Steve was standing alone at the table. He noticed as Evelyn stepped in and turned towards her.

“Do we have anything tangible from your end, Agent Evelyn?” Steve asked as she approached.

“Well, we don’t know yet,” Evelyn replied. “We submitted some items to the forensics and we should get the results before the day ends tomorrow.”

“No, the results should be ready by morning tomorrow,” Steve retorted.

“How sure are you it will be so quick? I saw some other items deposited by Agents on our case,” Evelyn questioned.

“The chairman has given orders that more equipment should be used by the forensics to work on our specimens immediately. We don’t want to take any chance of losing evidence this time around,” Steve explained.

“That’s a good one,” Evelyn remarked.

“So, you’d get to hear about it on Monday.”

“Monday?” Evelyn stared at him in surprise.

“Yeah, Monday. Tomorrow is Saturday and you’re on leave for a day,” Steve reminded her.

“Oh! That’s true. But we’ve got to get this done, so we should come tomorrow.”

“No,” Steve objected. “I think you should rest. You need it. You haven’t taken any leave since you were feeling sick the other time.”

“You’re right but I can always rest after we make some progress on the case,” she replied.

“No,” he shook his head. “We’ve made a lot of progress already, you can rest now. Besides, your absence would not delay the progress of the case. We will keep working on it.”

“You’re right,” she finally gave in. “I think I truly need some rest.”

“Thank God you agree,” Steve smiled.

Evelyn paused and looked around the room, she noticed so many Agents were not back yet.

“What about Agent Daniel and Lydia?”

“Don’t you remember the locations they’re overseeing? They can only return tomorrow.”

“Oh! Yeah, you’re right.” She nodded.

“Excuse me, I have to check the reports from the other groups now,” Steve said as he stepped away.

4:55 PM

Steve stood behind the pole, outside the gate watching how Evelyn walked down the road leisurely. He had noticed she stopped coming to the office in her car since the incident at the shopping mall happened. And he was curious to find out how she always left.

He kept watching until she almost got the junction and he noticed a blue Camry stop beside her. She opened the front door and stepped into it. He watched until he could no longer see the car anymore.

He was sure it wasn’t just a taxi but one of her friends who saved her at the mall. Tracking the vehicle seemed like the next thing to do at that moment but he couldn’t try it. Asking Maria for help again would get him into more trouble. The last time she had helped him, he had paid her with rounds of sex at a hotel.

Maria was a sex freak. They had a romantic relationship during their early days of being in the FOX. It was against the rules for FOX officials to have such relationships. If it ever happened, one of the FOX officials would have to resign. So they had kept the relationship secret for a long time until they broke up after a fight. Since then, something had always brought them back together to have sex. Maria still claimed she loved Steve and was willing to resign to be with him but Steve had lost interest in her.

The FOX rule against romantic relationships is also what had kept him from ever talking to Evelyn about one even though he loved her. He had just hoped she will feel the same way towards him too. However, things were complicated now and he wasn’t so sure he wanted to be with her anymore even though the feelings were still present.

But apart from having to pay Maria with sex if he asked her to help him track the vehicle, he would make Maria more inquisitive about why he was tracking Evelyn. And there were even more dangerous consequences like Evelyn or senior Agents of the FOX finding out that he had been tailing Evelyn. That could even help them begin to link him with the murder in Evelyn’s apartment.

—

“You close early today,” Dave remarked as he drove with Evelyn by his side.

“Yeah, we finished work early today,” she replied.

“I hope you finish early tomorrow too and continue that way,” Dave replied.

“I also wish I could finish on time every day but it could get crazy sometimes at work.”

“I understand,” Dave replied. “I used to work in the secret service in Anthanna before I started working as a private bodyguard. I thought working as a private bodyguard would make my work easier but it made it more difficult. The man I was protecting was damn busy and I never take my eyes off him until he gets into his house.”

“I can imagine,” she smiled.

“That’s why I love working with Henry,” Dave continued. “It could be crazy and deadly at times but I also got time to party when we’re free.”

She chuckled.

“When last did you go to the club or a party?” He asked after a moment of silence.

She turned and stared at his face. “The only parties I’ve attended for about three years are my family members’ birthday celebrations or official parties.”

“Oh! Damn it,” he laughed. “Well, I and the rest of the guys will be clubbing tonight. I would have loved to take you along but you have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“I’m actually on leave tomorrow but I don’t think I want to go to the club,” she chuckled. “It’s been long I’ve been there to party.”

“You’re on leave!” Dave exclaimed in an excited tone. “I’m taking you with me tonight girl, you’ve got no excuse.”

“You want me to go to the club in my office dress?”

He glanced at her. “Come on, we’re gonna stop at the next shopping mall and get a sexy mini skirt for you to club in tonight.”

_____

07:35 AM

July 30

Samantha yawned and dragged her feet tiredly to the garden where Henry was exercising on a tree. She still had on the short sleeveless gown she wore to the club the previous night.

She stood a meter away from where Henry was on the tree and stared at him silently.

“You’re awake,” he said when he noticed her.

“Yeah,” she replied, yawning again. “I came to get some water in the kitchen and I saw you when I looked through the window.”

Henry did not reply but dropped off the tree and picked his hand towel. He sat on a plastic bench under the shade.

“I used to think FOX Agents don’t party or club until Evelyn went with us last night,” she remarked.

He raised his head and squinted at her face. “Evelyn went with you? How’s she going to cope at work today?”

“She’s on leave, Dave convinced her to come with us.”

“I see…”

“Why don’t you ever take some time out to party as we do?”

He looked at her and smiled.

She shrugged. “Don’t you think you need it? Especially now, we’re kind of free.”

“I used to club whenever I was free but I stopped when I got married,” Henry replied. “Sarah made me lose interest. Whenever I was free, I only longed to spend time with her. It became more blissful when we had Kellar. I began to live my whole life for the two of them only.”

Samantha walked slowly towards him and sat at the other edge of the bench.

“I understand what it means to lose your loved ones but you have to get over it and live to the fullest.”

“I’m trying to do that already but it’ll only work after I stop Hutton Ryker.”

There was silence for a long while.

“I think I have an idea that’ll help us find out whether or not Rex is against us but we would only know after he arrives here,” Samantha finally spoke.

Henry turned sharply to her. “And what’s that?”

To be continued