Creede Part IV

Part IV

            The glorious glow of the city in the dawn sky brought new life to Jeremy’s eyes.  He had always lived in the little town of Richmond and he had truly loved its ambiance.  But this was a big city.  For that matter, he was the first member of his family to set foot outside of the state since they came across the Atlantic ocean and settled.

            His heart swelled with anticipation.  He was rising above all expectations.  He could feel his heart sink as his mind quickly returned to Tiffany.  Her expectations could never be met.  The Gargantuan made sure of that.

            “Wanna grab a bite to eat?” Lawrence asked.  He could tell that Jeremy was still hurt by the loss of his love.  Jeremy nodded as Lawrence pulled in and parked at a restaurant called ‘Bruno Burger’.

            Many of the RBP ate there.  Some ate there so much they named burgers after them.  The two ordered and took a seat by the window.  The food went quickly as Jeremy was more interested in the view than the local cuisine.

            Once Jeremy stopped gazing mindlessly, he noticed that Lawrence seemed uneasy.  “Jitters?” He finally asked as he sipped as his soda.

            “You could say that,”  Lawrence said as he shifted his eyes to the streets, “There’s a lot of…stuff going on with my team right now.”
            Jeremy could sense that there was more to his anxiety than his team on a mission.  “You think that the Gargantuan is gonna take another swing at me?” he asked casually.

            “No, he’s delivered his message.  He expects us to come to him.”  Lawrence replied. 

            “Then what has you so nervous?”

            “It’s just something a friend told me just before I started with the RBP.”

            “What did your friend have to say?”

            Lawrence sighed as he steadied himself.  “He said many things, but mostly he spoke of the days to come when one of us would have to lay down his life for the man of principle.”

            “And you think that’s me?”

            “There is a definite possibility.”

            “But you are acting as though it’s fact.”

            “Well it is…Creede.”

            It suddenly dawned on Jeremy what Lawrence’s friend had meant by ‘the man of principle. “Well who is going to lay down their life for me? And why would they?”

            “My friend, Nomadrel, seems to think that it’s me,”  The table fell silent as Jeremy digested both food and information.  “So how does Nomadrel know all this?”

            “If you get the chance to meet him don’t be fooled.  He’s older than he looks.  It’s a time traveler thing…”

            “Time Travel?  So where is he now? I’d love to meet him.”

            “Dead, but don’t be surprised if he turns up here or there.”

            With breakfast out of the way they made their way to Headquarters.  Jeremy was impressed by the splendor that the building offered.

            The top three floors required retinal scans for access.  The elevator came to a halt on the top floor labeled RBP offices.  Jeremy wondered what marvels lay on the floors labeled ‘other’ and ‘Training’.

            Most of the offices looked like nothing more than glorified barracks and bachelor pads.  “Everyone’s out on assignment right now so it’s just you, me, and CEBUS.” Lawrence chuckled.

            Jeremy recognized that name right away.  “You mean Timothy Cebus is here?  I’ve read all about his work with Cybertronics.  Could I meet him?”

            “Yeas sure, well sort of,” Lawrence responded as he escorted Jeremy to the war room.

            As they entered the monitors sprang to life.  “Greetings Agent Grey.  May I inquire as to the gentleman accompanying you?”  The computer asked.

            “As detailed in ‘Project: Quintessence’, here is Jeremy Creede,” Lawrence looked over at a very confused Jeremy, “Jeremy, this is CEBUS.”

            “But that’s just a computer…”
            “It’s a long story…”

            Lawrence hurried Jeremy back down the hall and into an empty room.  They only items in the room were a bed and a desk with a large book resting on it.  At first Jeremy mistook it for a New York City phone book.  “Tonight,” Lawrence started, “You study…and tomorrow we start the hard stuff.  If you need anything just ask CEBUS and he’ll get you there.”  Then Jeremy was alone.

            Hours passed and he thumbed mindlessly at the book.  Jeremy felt his mind returning to Richmond.  To her.  It was at that moment that he had an idea.

            “CEBUS, are you there?”

            “Yes Mr. Creede, how may I assist you?”

            “You can tell me everything you know about the Ministry of Carpatha and the Gargantuan.”

            “That information is classified.  Only agents have access to our database.” Cebus replied.

            “Is there any way I can get access?”

            “Read your training manual…”

            Jeremy slammed the manual on the desk. “I don’t have time for this,”  Jeremy argued, “The Gargantuan is out there and I owe it to her.”

            “I am aware of the incident in Kentucky, “CEBUS replied, “The Ministry would love to have a go at you.  Maybe they’d manage to capture you, brainwash you, or torture…doesn’t that sound fun.”

            “OK, OK! I get it.  I’m not going to get my chance at the Gargantuan until I prove myself here.”  Jeremy knew that arguing with a computer was getting him nowhere.  It was time for a stroll.

            The midday sun beat down on his face as he stepped out onto the sidewalk.  Florence New York was unlike any place he had ever seen before.  And though it was awe inspiring he felt a crushing weight on his heart.  It didn’t take him long to come to a decision. ‘Time to go huntin.’

            He knew Lawrence was probably right, but he couldn’t just sit there while the Gargantuan went free.  ‘What if he goes after someone else?’ he thought to himself, ‘He has to answer for his crimes.’  His pace quickened as he rounded the corner and hailed a cab.

            A short drive later, Jeremy arrived in the south end of town.  He got a good look at it on his way in.  ‘If there’s a criminal element to be found in Florence, its roots start here.’ He thought to himself.

            His first stop was at a dive called The Rusty Musket.  One look at this place and you knew exactly what you were in for.

            The place didn’t look too bad if you ignored the years of dirt and grime on the windows.  Clearly it had been left to keep the light out.  And the smell wasn’t much better.  Jeremy equated it to standing in an overused porto-potty in the peak of the summer heat.  His nostrils filled his eyes with water.  He wasn’t even sure he’d be able to keep his breakfast down, but he continued anyway.

            He stepped up to the bar and casually ordered a beer.  He was banking on the fact that this wasn’t the sort of place that bothered with checking I.D.’s.  And he was right.

            With a big swig of beer Jeremy approached the meanest looking brute in the bar.  It wasn’t hard to find him as he was also the most malodorous.

            His shaved head and leather jacket were the only the first signs of the exchange to come.  Upon closer inspection ‘short’ and ‘stocky’ were added to the list of ‘Things that have shaped a bad attitude’.

            “Name’s Jeremy.” He said as he sat down across from the bald man.

            “And?...” the man answered without showing the slightest bit of interest in anything but his drink.

            “I was hoping you had some information I’m looking for.”

            “That depends.”

            “How much do you want?” Jeremy said as he reached for his pocket.

            “Money? No,” the bald man said finally looking up from his drink, “I need a favor.”

            “I need to know everything about where to find the Ministry of Carpatha and the whereabouts of the Gargantuan.”

            “The Ministry…” the man replied as his eyes became as cold as steel, “Who do you work for?”

            “No one,” Jeremy answered trying to remain cool, “I’ve got a score to settle.”

            “Well, My name’s Paul,” the man said as his demeanor seemed to relax, “I might as well tell you my name since you’ve got a death wish.  I think it’s only polite.”

            “So what do I have to do for this information, Paul?”

            Paul leaned back arrogantly in his seat.  It was clear to Jeremy that Paul held all the cards. “Ok,” he started with a smile, “I need you to visit an old friend of mine and pick up a book for me.”

            “That’s it? Go get a book?”

            “In a manner of speaking.”

            Jeremy knew where this was going.  Every instinct in his body told him to  get up and walk out. “So by ‘get’ you mean steal.”

            Paul nodded, “You up for it?”

            “Where do I go?”

            Paul reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and tossed a slip of paper to him.  Jeremy started blankly at the address, date, and time.  He had seen the address before, but couldn’t remember where he’d seen it.

            When he looked up again Paul was gone.  Jeremy wasn’t sure what to do next.  For the first time since meeting Lawrence, Jeremy agreed with him.  Training would have been best.  His only option now was to return to RBP headquarters or take a chance on a tip by stealing a book.

            Jeremy knew that his actions would most likely put more blood on his hands.  Clearly Lawrence’s friend, Nomadrel, had concerns about the immediate future.  But what bothered Jeremy was the way in with his information was delivered.  It sounded more like a riddle than fact:

‘One will lay down his life for the man of principle.’ 

            It was his decision to make.  It was his future.  It was his vengeance.  Jeremy rose from his seat and headed back out into the street.

To be continued…