but it had to pass Danielle’s scrutiny, so I took my time with it. I made the image darker in certain spots, so it covered some mistakes I had made, and added a time stamp to the video feed to match a few weeks after my first deployment when I had tried to visit her before Demon interrupted. It looked pretty good to me. Then again, maybe I was just sick of working on it after an hour. Either way, I had finished just in time for Camden to return.
The front door slammed shut, quickly followed by the stomp of his feet as he entered the common area. He seemed irritated. I couldn’t blame him after spending hours in a meeting with his father, but I tried not to focus on that. It was time to put my creation to the test, and hope for the best. I closed all the tabs on the computer and printed out the photo. Camden was shuffling through the loft as I waited impatiently for the image to print out.
“Marco,” he said as his footsteps quickly approached my room. “Tell me you have good news for me.” He looked ragged and worn down. The meeting must have been rough on him, but I wasn’t going to ask him about it. Otherwise, I’d have to hear about it, and frankly, I didn’t care.
“I think I do,” I said, leaning over to grab the photo. “Take a look at what I found.”
He glanced over the image, seeming in a daze, before recognition raced across his features and his face lit up. “Is this him? You actually found something on him?”
“Yeah, but there’s not much else to go on right now. I spent a while looking, but the guy is like a ghost. He’s there one minute and gone the next. I’ve tried finding other photos, but it’s like he just vanished. He’s not in any of the other footage in this camera, or others around it. He’s going to be hard to track down, but I can do it,” I promised, hoping to keep André off the case a little longer.
“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. We don’t need a lot on him, just enough to keep her around a bit longer.” Camden looked over the photo, letting a smile crease his lips. I guess I had given him the good news he wanted. Now I wondered what happened with his father tonight, but I would have to find out about it as slyly as possible to avoid upsetting him. I wanted to know if he told his dad about his suspicions.
“Maybe this will keep that girl around a little longer,” I said. “Let her know that it’s possible to track him down. You just need more time or something.”
“Yeah, I just wish I knew how to get more time,” he muttered. “I don’t have any to spare with Dad breathing down my neck about everything.”
I could tell he wanted to say more, but something stopped him. My gut told me it wasn’t in my favor. Something had happened, and it would only be a matter of time before I figured it out. “Well, you could say the girl’s brother came back as a John Doe. Take a big book of John Does and have her look at the photos that look most like Jackson. I haven’t found a death certificate yet, so it’s a real possibility, and at least it shows you’re trying.”
“You’re right,” Camden agreed. “That’s a great idea. I’ll call her right now and get her to meet up with me for coffee tomorrow morning before her classes. Thanks, Marco. I needed this.” He walked out of the room while dialing Danielle’s number, leaving me alone to figure out what had happened during his meeting tonight.
“I can’t believe I’m helping him lie to my sister just so I can save this damn rookie,” I muttered under my breath. “If I find her, I’m going to have some constructive criticism for her that will hopefully keep her out of the field for good.” Unless this mission ended us both, as well as the rogue who hadn’t arrived yet.
The mission would crash and burn. I could feel it.
Chapter 11
I sat alone in the loft the next morning, waiting for Camden to return so we could go to the compound. He had gone to
The front door slammed shut, quickly followed by the stomp of his feet as he entered the common area. He seemed irritated. I couldn’t blame him after spending hours in a meeting with his father, but I tried not to focus on that. It was time to put my creation to the test, and hope for the best. I closed all the tabs on the computer and printed out the photo. Camden was shuffling through the loft as I waited impatiently for the image to print out.
“Marco,” he said as his footsteps quickly approached my room. “Tell me you have good news for me.” He looked ragged and worn down. The meeting must have been rough on him, but I wasn’t going to ask him about it. Otherwise, I’d have to hear about it, and frankly, I didn’t care.
“I think I do,” I said, leaning over to grab the photo. “Take a look at what I found.”
He glanced over the image, seeming in a daze, before recognition raced across his features and his face lit up. “Is this him? You actually found something on him?”
“Yeah, but there’s not much else to go on right now. I spent a while looking, but the guy is like a ghost. He’s there one minute and gone the next. I’ve tried finding other photos, but it’s like he just vanished. He’s not in any of the other footage in this camera, or others around it. He’s going to be hard to track down, but I can do it,” I promised, hoping to keep André off the case a little longer.
“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. We don’t need a lot on him, just enough to keep her around a bit longer.” Camden looked over the photo, letting a smile crease his lips. I guess I had given him the good news he wanted. Now I wondered what happened with his father tonight, but I would have to find out about it as slyly as possible to avoid upsetting him. I wanted to know if he told his dad about his suspicions.
“Maybe this will keep that girl around a little longer,” I said. “Let her know that it’s possible to track him down. You just need more time or something.”
“Yeah, I just wish I knew how to get more time,” he muttered. “I don’t have any to spare with Dad breathing down my neck about everything.”
I could tell he wanted to say more, but something stopped him. My gut told me it wasn’t in my favor. Something had happened, and it would only be a matter of time before I figured it out. “Well, you could say the girl’s brother came back as a John Doe. Take a big book of John Does and have her look at the photos that look most like Jackson. I haven’t found a death certificate yet, so it’s a real possibility, and at least it shows you’re trying.”
“You’re right,” Camden agreed. “That’s a great idea. I’ll call her right now and get her to meet up with me for coffee tomorrow morning before her classes. Thanks, Marco. I needed this.” He walked out of the room while dialing Danielle’s number, leaving me alone to figure out what had happened during his meeting tonight.
“I can’t believe I’m helping him lie to my sister just so I can save this damn rookie,” I muttered under my breath. “If I find her, I’m going to have some constructive criticism for her that will hopefully keep her out of the field for good.” Unless this mission ended us both, as well as the rogue who hadn’t arrived yet.
The mission would crash and burn. I could feel it.
Chapter 11
I sat alone in the loft the next morning, waiting for Camden to return so we could go to the compound. He had gone to
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