Ionshaker (Part I), Felix Timothy [fox in socks read aloud TXT] 📗

to his car and drove her home in dead silence, both of them internalizing the heavy stuff they had gone through during the day, plus dreading what would come the next morning – reassignment. A call on Brett’s phone interrupted the silence.
“Yes…Uh-huh...location…? Thanks a lot.”

Nicole tried to decode the phone conversation but she couldn’t. The call had been brief and specific.

Brett pulled over; they were outside Nicole’s apartment. Another awkward moment followed before Nicole finally turned to him to ask, “Was it Shirley?”
“Now you wanna talk to me?” Trey responded with another question.
“You’re the one who’s locked up inside your cocoon. I wish I’d been driven home by Jack or someone else. He’s a geek but at least he wouldn’t have given me the silent treatment,” she said turning away.
“Are you kidding me Nicole? I’m the one giving the silent treatment?” He asked in amazement.
“Yes Brett, you are,” she raised her voice.
“And who snubbed me back in the park, when I was going crazy thinking you were…”
He couldn’t say dead.
Softly Nicole answered, “I snubbed you because I knew what you were about to say.”
“Obviously, you knew what I was gonna say and didn’t wanna hear it.”
Brett looked away. This time, he was the one who was hurt.
“Of course I wanted to hear it, you idiot,” she gazed into his eyes.
“Then why did you stop me? Do you have any idea of the guts it takes a man to actually…?”
“I know, and especially for a man like you Brett.”
“Then why didn’t you wanna hear it?”
“Because I know you, and how you value your self-image and pride.”
“My self-image, my pride, what are you talking about?” He asked with a chuckle.
“You were still wearing your transmitter and if you’d said what I think you were about to say, the entire FBI would have heard you, and I know how you’d have hated that and eventually, you’d have ended up hating me instead of, you know…the opposite.”
“So you shut me down to save me from looking like a fool and ending up hating you instead of...”
“Yeah, that was the plan.”
They both turned away from staring at each other and after a moment of reflection, Brett laughed and said, “I’m such an idiot, ain’t I?”
“Yeah, especially when it comes to reading girls,” Nicole said with a light laugh.
“So where do we stand?” He turned to look at her.
“See? Still an idiot,” She answered smiling, still looking away.
“What now?”
“Of course I still wanna hear your lame poetry. You’re not getting off that easily on this one,”she turned.
Brett smiled then taking Nicole’s hand said,” I know I’ve been a jerk to you, but being a jerk and an idiot was my only strategy to bottle up my true feelings about you Nicky. Ever since you joined the field office, my life changed. I mean, there’ve been times I’ve wanted to run to you and tell you how pretty, loving, compassionate, supportive and a total pain you are,” Nicole laughed when he said she was a pain, “but I couldn’t because I was so scared of your dad. But when I saw you drop from the bench in that park, I hated myself for having been such a coward and a loser, and I swore to myself that if I found you were still alive, the first thing I’d do, would be to come clean with you. So what do you say agent Nicole?”
Slowly and reassuringly she said, “You can now stop being an idiot and a jerk to me.”
“That’s all you’re gonna say after I poured out my heart to you?” He smiled as he asked.
“A dose of your own pill Shakespeare. It doesn’t taste very sweet, does it?” She joked.
“Did I mention you were a pain?”
“Was that Shirley on the phone?”
“Playing hard to get, typical.”
“See? Your understanding of women is improving tremendously,” she said smiling.
“Yeah, it was Shirley. She has decrypted the data on the self-destructing laptop you recovered.”
“And?”
“She found a money trail between a German and an American company called ALIEC. She also discovered a form of nerve center for a network.”
“Where?”
“Hotel Rio in Bell.”
“And you were going to the hotel alone weren’t you?” she accused. Brett was quietly looked away.
“I’m coming with you,” she said.
“No way. Didn’t you see what just happened back there?” Brett turned to her.
“No, I was busy getting shot,” she retorted.
“You know what I meant,” he said softly.
“Then go with somebody, if not me,” she sincerely begged him.
“I can’t trust anybody else. They knew about the meeting. We have to face it Nicole, the bureau is compromised.”
They paused for a while. He was right, but the thought of him going to the hotel to face off with the network alone unsettled her.
“Be safe.”
She grabbed him and hugged him for a while, then kissed him on the cheek.
They both smiled, then she asked, “Does that answer your question?”
“I’m an idiot remember – I can’t tell,” he answered with a smile. She smiled, pecked him again on the cheek and got out of the SUV as he watched her cross the road until she disappeared into the apartment. He reversed.
Destination: Hotel Rio.


"I really hope you enjoyed reading Ionshaker Part I. But the story doesn't need to end. Please buy the complete eBook on Amazon for an affordable $2.99 only. And if you tell a friend about Ionshaker, it will be really help to create the so much needed awareness. Thanks a lot for giving me a chance and feel free to contact me."
Yours always,
Felix Timothy.

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Publication Date: 11-29-2011

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