Ghosts: CATU Book 01 Ch. 01

"You know Rudy, we did fine, just fine without Kloser," Hanson says ranting. "Now with him practically in charge, we are left holding the bag. All our beliefs are gone and our resources and time working toward his goals. Imagine, for one minute, imagine if Fredrich or any of the others knew."

Before Rudolph has a chance to reply, a knock comes to the door.

"Yes?" says Hanson.

"Sir, Mathsen is here to see you."

"Good, send him in," he says with a dismissive wave. "Stick around Rudy, we'll continue this discussion later."

With that he sits back in his chair and smiles with good thoughts about the future of Ghost.

——

Ready for lunch?" asks Sam.

"Yeah," replies Spencer. "Did you get the files pulled?"

"Right here."

"Great. Floyd's Diner?"

"Sounds good."

Gathering up the files they head down the hall toward the elevators, when Donna comes running around the corner.

"Reeds, Roberts, wait," she says sounding winded. "We have another phone call."

Donna was a bit over weight, which is what kept her out of the field. What she couldn't do out there she more than made up for in here.

"In process?" asks Spencer.

"Yes sir."

"Well lunch is cancelled," says Sam grinning.

With his stomach growling, it looked like he was going to have to wait.

——

—and if my demands are not met, then the President's daughter will suffer. She will be put on television for the whole world to see."

"What you are asking is damn near impossible in that time frame," says Roger.

"Director Cornelius," the man says with a chuckle. "Yes, I know exactly who you are. You will do as asked and the daughter will be let go. Since you are in need of some motivation, I will give it. You fail to do as I asked and I will not only kill the bitch, but I will reveal your organization to the media. Yes, I know of CATU and all those employed by it. You have one week, I suggest you use it wisely."

"Wait!"

"He hung up sir," says the agent tracing the call.

"Damn! Did you at least get the trace?" asks Roger.

"No sir," the trace agent says. "He had the signal bouncing everywhere, from Prague to Sydney, even back here at HQ."

Noticing that Spencer and Samantha were there, Roger turns to them. "Did you catch any of that?"

"We got the last part," says Sam.

"The bastard wants us to pull all troops from every base back here to home. He says he wants all bases and embassies emptied in a week. You heard the consequences."

"How does he know anything about us?" asks Spencer.

Roger replies, "He either has gotten some info on us or we have a serious leak somewhere." He turned looking around the room until he saw who he was looking for. "Adams! Get over here son."

Running and practically leaping over furniture he ran over to him Adams says, "Yes sir?"

"You're eager for promotion, so here's your chance. You're going to set up a team with the help of Spence and Sam here and find that leak. When you find this person, you come to one of us three. As dangerous as this is I don't want any of my agents getting hurt or killed. So don't plan on being a hero either."

"Not a problem sir," he replies.

"Good, I'll let you three get started," he says. "In the meantime I want voice recognition and I want to know what organization this is. They have the balls to give demands, but none to make claim to anything. Let's move it people, we're on a deadline."

With that he turned to leave, giving a pat on Adams' back.

"Great guy, eh?" asks Adams sounding very enthusiastic.

"Yeah especially when you get to know him more," says Spencer, "I'm Spencer, this is Samantha. Let's get situated and set this team up.

"Yeah, sounds great," Adams says with more enthusiasm.

——

After a long day of candidate searching, Spencer and Samantha were ready to call it a day.

Yawning Sam says, "Well, I think we got all we need for each team, kind of lucked out with Adams there, eh?"

"You're telling me, it's like God himself place him with us." With Spencer that wasn't far from being the circumstance.

"Well I'm ready to call it a night. What time is it anyway?" asks Sam.

"10:37."

The day and evening gone just like that.

"Whew! What a day! Tomorrow let's hope we get some leads, I really want to bring Sara home," Sam says with bitterness.

The stark reality really setting in now that most of the commotion of the day had worn itself down.

"I know Sam, I'm sorry it has to be Sara."

At a loss for words Spencer couldn't say more. All he could do was offer Samantha a hug. She takes it and holds him tight as if afraid to lose anyone else she cared about.

"Thanks for being there for me Spence."

"Hey no problem, what good are friends or partners if we don't lean on each other?"

"You got that right," she says. "Hey since it's late you want to come to my house? It's closer than that shack you live in, besides my couch is real comfy."

"Yeah, I know just how comfy it is. Last time my back didn't stop hurting for two days."

Playfully punching him she says laughing, "See if I ever offer again."

"Well I hope you do since that shack of mine is drafty. But seriously, I'm gonna stay here for a bit longer and finish a few things."

"Alright, but if you change your mind, you have a spare."

She turns to walk out. As an afterthought, she turns back and says, "Don't be a stranger and don't drive home tired."

Laughing he replies, "There's no such thing as tired, let alone sleep for agents like us. Now go on, get some sleep, I'll be just fine."

"Tomorrow we'll find a lead, and then we'll nail these bastards." God willing, they would find Sara alive. If not, he didn't want to think in that direction. Either way though he was going to hunt down these bastards and bring them to justice.

——

Waking up at his desk to see a figure standing before him startled him at first. He reached for his gun.

What the hell?"

It wasn't there.

That's right Spencer, it's not there.

"Who the hell are you?"

You know who I am. Just take a moment to think about it.

Spencer fights all his instincts to just leap at this guy and sat back instead. Thoughts run through his mind, frantically trying to remember. Finally he settles onto an image, one he'd never forget and had always come to hate.

Seeing the look of recognition the figure says, That's right, you remember me now.

"How could I forget you, you son of a bitch!"

This time Spencer lets the anger get the best of him. He moves faster than he felt he ever had before. Leaping across the desk with his arms outstretched, ready to do whatever it took to quell his anger. But as he came over the desk, the figure was no longer standing there. With a hard THUD Spencer was lying on the floor almost in disbelief.

Laughing he says, "Good one, getting the best of me like that."

Across the room, sitting on the couch, the figure says with a smirk, After many years, I've master knowing the ways humans think.

"Good," Spencer calmly says. "Then you'll know that I'll do whatever it takes to destroy you."

Destroy me? Laughing at this, the demon continued. You pathetic humans think you can do anything. Without the help of Him you are nothing more than worms. But tell me where he is now, obviously not here to save you from me. He certainly was not there to save her.

Not letting his anger rise again at this, he says, "What is it you want from me then?"

You? A little more suffering. As for your partner, much more.

"Leave her out of this. This is betwe—"

Between you and me? I've been here longer than you're feeble mind can even begin to form thoughts. Nobody could stop me before, let alone Him. What makes you think you're any more special than the rest of the pathetic human race? "Me? Simple I get the job done, no matter what. Nothing gets in my way and stops me, let alone you. You think you survived this long because you're too powerful, I've got news for you buddy."

Laughing, the demon stands to full height.

Think what you must, human. When I'm done playing with you and your friends, I'll be back. When I do return, your death will be the most fun for me. Slow and agonizing. Most agonizing for you, as you watch all your friends die slow and painful deaths.

Before Spencer has a chance to reply, the demon leaps at him with amazing speed. Knocking him to the floor, the demon vanishes.

Suddenly with a jolt, Spencer wakes at his desk. His mind racing over the events he wasn't sure even happened. He reaches for his gun, it was still there. "Was it only a dream," he asks himself aloud.

Looking around, his gaze settles on his desk. It was in total disarray, his papers all over the floor. Even his elbow hurt a bit as if he fell on it. Deciding it wasn't worth pondering over anymore, he'd just go home.

I'll take Sam up on that couch invitation.

The thoughts of what the demon said ran through his head the whole way there. He was worried for Sam, not only as partner, but maybe more? He was tired, his life mostly a train wreck.

What's one more demon to deal with?

He was eager for sleep as he pulled up to her apartment.