FOOTSTEPS TO
FOLLOW
FOOTSTEPS
TO
FOLLOW
WRITTEN BY
CHARLIE SKÅNBERG
COVER ILLUSTRATION BY
GRACE COFFEE
Dedicated to
617 Westridge Lane
Prologue
Dear Reader,
Between the cardboard covers of this book is the story
that shaped my life in its entirety. Perhaps you could call
it a brief synopsis of the last 3 months, but in this case,
the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. It’s really
much more than that.
hen I was just a child, but then again, no one really
When you join MI5, I guess you come to the
ion that your life is an exception. I guess that no one
normal life would ever experience many of the
described in this book. Normal is a funny word
It implies that nothing out of the ordinary happens
but then that begs the question: What is ordinary?
is the perfect example of why perhaps the words
and ordinary should not exist.
ly,
Chrysanthemum Shrubert
Part One
One
V E R
Chrysanthemum Shrubert is my
name. Yes, you were probably not expecting
m a CIA field agent. But then again, there are
few details you will find out about me that
unexpected.
orning I awoke to the clattering sound of my
or’s noisy cooking, and the never ending buzz
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alarm clock. As usual, 5:30 am appeared on the
clock’s circular face. I began my morning like every
morning. I changed out of my footie pajamas, which
I wear every night to sleep, put on my nicest 3 piece
suit, and combed my hair. After that, I headed down
the hallway from my bedroom, past the toilet, and
into the kitchen, where I contemplated which tea I
would be savoring this fine morning. I am a tea
sommelier, which means I know how to identify
different types of tea, I taste and brew using only the
proper techniques, and, of course, I have a deep
understanding of tea and food pairings.
As I opened the cabinet where I store my finest
collections of tea, I checked to make sure all the
canisters were properly organized in alphabetical
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ults please me. Never once has this cabinet
isturbed of its very well organized display,
t’s why, when I saw the mint tea from my trip
rakesh, Morocco next to the Cinnamon tea
y recent visit to Punjab, India, I knew today
going to be a normal day.
Two
T H E R E is an old folktale about an abandoned
house on the cliffs of Clovelly, a town located on the
south western coast of England. A family lived in the
old stone house that consisted of a mother, father,
and son. One night the child was awoken by his
parents, who told him they would have to leave.
They did not say why, just that they had to go, and
fast. That cold, rainy night, they boarded a small
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vate airport in London.
mily resettled in London, where the child
p. Years later the young man still did not
why his family had to leave their home that
but he knew that, when he came home from
ity one autumn afternoon to find that his
had gone missing, their escape had
ing to do with it. Who was that child you
e wondering? That child…was me.
rents were both a part of MI5 during my
od. I knew their work had something to do
hy we had to leave so suddenly. I never
a secret agent because I wanted to. I became
t because I had to.
Three
A S
I rearranged my tea cupboard and tried to
ignore the odd events of the morning, the kettle
began to shriek. I picked it up, and as I began to pour
the steaming water into one of my favorite antique
tea cups, my hand slipped, and the kettle shattered
on the kitchen floor. Tiny pieces of china scattered
across the wood. Exasperated, I bent down to clean
up the pieces when something caught my eye. A slip
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on the corner, trying to remove it from the
sturdy grasp without ripping it. The paper
ded neatly in a rectangular shape. I unfolded
aling a handwritten phone number.
37-6775-3289
back to my mother dialing our grandfather’s
number came to my mind as soon as I saw the
digits. +44 is the country code for England.
r flashback to my young fingers slowly
g the circular face of the rotary phone in my
m -1237 was the area code of Clovelly.
ever this phone number belonged to was from
dhood town.
to the landline attached to the kitchen wall. I dialed
the number, and waited as the phone buzzed against
my
ear.
“Brrrrrrriiiinnnngggg…
Brrrrrrriiiinnnngggg…Brrrrrrriiiinnnngggg…”
Finally, someone answered the phone.
“Hello?” I asked, nervous about who might be on the
other end of the line.
“Hello?” A scraggly voice responded; he sounded
elderly, and clearly British.
“Who is this?”
“Henry D. Shrubert. And who might you be?”
I could say anymore, the phone hung up, and
g filled the silence.
Four
T H E morning sky began to darken with heavy
clouds, and the pitter patter of rain slowly descended
the glass window panes in the kitchen. I scurried to
collect a few items, and neatly placed them into a
suitcase. The honk of a car startled me as I zipped up
the bag. I turned to look out the window; the taxi sat
waiting at the curb. I ran down the hallway, and out
the door. Opening the back seat door, I hopped
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, not much older than myself, sat in the
seat. One hand was on the wheel, the other
g through songs on the radio. Finally he was
d, and returned his other hand on the wheel.
r began to slow, and I looked outside the
w to see where we were: The British
ate, an intimidating skyscraper of glass,
g into a pyramid stood before my eyes. I had
who worked there, and I thought maybe she
elp me track down the phone number a little
recisely. As I exited the car, the driver in the
eat rolled down the window, allowing me to
im his payment. I reached for my wallet,
out 2 green bills, and placed them in his
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Erin Gonzalez was the Deputy Head of
Communications, and a good friend of mine from
London. She moved there around the same time I did
when I was a child, and we have been friends ever
since.
As I entered the large double doors of the building, I
looked around. The room was like a large office with
multiple desks scattered throughout.
Erin was not in a position that would enable her to
track down the phone number on her own. But
luckily, we had another way in.
Erin and I were both in training for MI5 in our early
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ggest competitor. After my parents went
, Erin wanted to find them just as badly as I
a young teen, her parents passed away, and
ents were the closest thing she had to family.
months after their disappearance, we found
ere was an interaction between MI5 and the
ausing us both to go undercover as double
The plan was that I would join the CIA for 2
o research them, and return to London, in
of bringing back some information on their
operations, and Erin would join the Consulate
ame goal of retrieving some form of a clue.
ar had passed, and this was just the evidence
ded.
Five
I looked around in search of a receptionist that could
help me locate Erin. A woman with a short red bob
and freckle splattered face was seated in a tall black
office chair at a desk near the entrance. A pair of red
Gold and Wood glasses sat on her nose as she gazed
at some paperwork; I walked over to her.
“Excuse me? Do you know where I could find Erica
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we were both given new identities.
might you be?” The woman asked.
y Miller.” I gave her my assigned name, of
It’s the only one I use in public.
u have an appointment?”
I replied as confidently as possible.
y Miller, Miller…” The woman muttered as
olled through a list on her computer. “No.
You are not on the list.”
ery important,” I pleaded. The woman gave
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dialed a few numbers, then paused until there was a
small click on the other end of the line.
“Yes. Is Erica Wolf available?” The woman paused
again. “Thank you…” Pause. “Erica, there is a man
here…Jeremy Miller. He claims he has an
appointment, but he is not on the list. Should I send
him up?” Pause. “Yes…Ok…Will do…bye.” With
that, the woman took the phone from her ear, and
placed it back in its cradle. “She will see you now.
Go down the hall, to your right, down another hall,
make two lefts, and then take the elevator to the 5th
floor. Suite 6A.”
“Thank you very much.” I replied as I began to walk
away.
office. A tall elm door with a plaque that read
6A stood at the end of the hallway. I
ched it, then, before I could knock, the door
open, and an angry woman marched out. I
for her to exit, then slid into the room and
he door behind me. “Oliver!” Erin exclaimed
t down in one of the leather office chairs.
have you been?”
ne. You know, just the usual. And how have
en?”
ust terrific. I just had a wonderful meeting
ne of my colleagues…Anyway, what brings
he consulate?”
slip of paper under my kitchen table, and on it was a
phone number leading back to Clovelly. I called the
number, and it was my father who answered-”
“What? Your father? But we have not been able to
track him down for years!”
“I know. That’s why I need you to pinpoint the
location of the cell tower that received the call.”
“I see. Do you happen to have the phone number
with you?” I pulled the slip of paper out of my
pocket and slid it across the desk. “Do you have any
idea how it could have gotten there?”
“No, it is all a mystery to me. In all honesty, it’s been
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amined the paper further.
s not just a normal piece of paper.” With 2
firmly holding the face of the note, and her
finger nails grasping the back, she was able
her unfold the note. “This is the back of a
for a furniture company. And this is not just a
number, it is the item number for a kitchen
Six
T H E familiar city lights of London illuminated the
sky as the bus came to a halt. The two double doors
swung open, and I stepped down to the curb,
followed by Erin. Clutching small suitcases in both
of our hands, we approached the private airport. It
was the same airport I had arrived in that cold rainy
night so many years ago.
ate, it took her only minutes to track it down.
ced it to the solitary cell tower in close
ity to 762 Lighthouse Lane, my childhood
. Erin put a tracker on the phone number
we left for the airport. The phone call had
en a few hours ago, and it appeared that the
one was still in the same location it had been
n I received the call.
all puddle jumper finally landed 45 minutes
n the tiny beach below the cliff. Déja vu
my mind as the pilot guided us up the cliff
he house. It was a strange feeling landing on
ach, almost like I was reliving my childhood
y, only this time in reverse.
which had been torn off the hinges. The old welcome
mat was now rotted, and turned to mush. I cautiously
stepped over it as I entered the threshold into the
vestibule.
On the left was a doorway which led to the kitchen; I
peered inside. Old grocery bags waiting to be
unpacked sat next to the sink. Food and kitchen
supplies scattered the green tiled floor. The cabinet
doors were wide open, with cans knocked over and
falling out. I entered the room further, and opened
the refrigerator’s plastic white door. Old, rotting
food was neatly placed on shelves, as if no one had
ever left.
I looked around. Erin stood in the other room,
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to be opened. Bills and advertisements were
led tightly in their thin blue and white paper
pes. Erin ripped one open, throwing the paper
dining table. 1966 was the invoice date; that
same year my family had left…
ered the living room. The sofa had been
d with a flowery sheet, and unlike all of the
ooms we had just been in, was clean and
ntact, as well as mostly empty except for a
okshelves and fireplace cleaning supplies.
amy white rug was stained with animal scat
ark red substance.
d up at a single light bulb that loomed from a
the wood ceiling. Erin stood on the sofa, and
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“It’s warm,” she said, then a loud car engine started,
and we both dashed for the door. But all that was left
was a large cloud of dust.
Seven
E cloud of dust began to fade as we dashed
e car. Tire marks swerved on the dirt road as
d to keep up. It almost made it to the corner
time we had gotten outside. Through the
saw the car come to a halt, but then swerve
ield, and disappear down a hill, compressing
ss in its wake. Erin stopped running, and I
eside her, trying to catch my breath. She bent
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dirt under one of the tire marks. She pulled on it,
revealing a black and white photograph of a man and
woman. Erin handed it to me, and I turned it over.
Clementine Ojo + Benjamin Taylor
+44 0208-568-3321
“Why would my father have this?” I asked, trying to
search my brain for these unfamiliar names and
faces.
“Maybe they know something your parents didn’t
want anyone to know?”
“But wouldn’t they have taken it the night we left?
Why would they leave it behind?”
hey probably have some answers that could
find your family.”
d I walked for a while until we reached the
town. Bug Creek was carved in big bold
on a tree stump.
int village surrounded by endless hills
d before our eyes. The main road stretched
the horizon, branching out behind buildings
walked. Small shops and houses perched
on sidewalks. The sound of a bell rang in the
ound as children exited a small brick building,
oded the streets on bikes, their laughter filling
ol spring breeze. It was nothing like New
It was nothing like the England I could
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For the time we lived in Clovelly, I was never
allowed to wander beyond the confines of our
backyard. A large barbed wire fence divided our
property from the outside world. Only my
imagination left the fenced area; I knew not to. I was
homeschooled, and not until we moved to London
did I get to attend school with other children my age.
As we walked through the town, I continued to
marvel over the world I had never been exposed to, a
world that lay right outside my home.
An old red telephone booth sat next to one of the
many shops. I walked over to it and Erin followed.
Turning its metal handle, I noticed a thick layer of
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in quite some time. I pulled harder, still, the
id not budge. Finally, on the fourth try, it
. The rust began to crack, and the door swung
We stepped inside; the room was small, but we
d to fit.
ialed the number, and held the receiver
n us so we could both listen. The phone rang
minute, then a small elderly voice answered.
” The voice said. “Who is this?”
Wolf speaking. Is this Clementine Ojo?” The
on the other end paused, then smoothly
ed.
nd what may I help you with?”
pressure in your area, has yours been low today?”
“No. As a matter of fact, it has been quite strong.”
Clementine seemed to sense that something was off
about the conversation, but continued to follow
along. “Is that all?”
“I was also wondering if you like hedgehogs. Did
you know hedgehogs are lactose intolerant?”
“I did not know that about hedgehogs, but will be
sure to remember it. Now, I really must go, but it
was nice speaking to you, Erica.” With that, she
hung up, and the phone began to fill the silence with
its usual buzz.
n its cradle. “Hedgehogs? Really? How on
oes that help us? We had one phone call, and
sted it on hedgehogs?” Frustration filled my
s I struggled to figure out why someone as
s Erin would do something as stupid as that.
ax, Oliver. While we were talking, I plugged
ble tracking device into the phone, so we
race her location, and see where Clementine
out seeming suspicious. The tracker takes a
to pinpoint the location, and I needed to stall
it would have enough time to download all
rmation we needed.” I struggled to figure out
hat conversation was not suspicious, but
to let it go. Erin then removed a small chip
e bottom of the phone, and placed it in her
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probably leave, as we have no time to waste. We are
going to Washington D.C.”
Eight
opped in a taxi and arrived at the airport in
n an hour. Erin got our boarding passes, and
we knew it, we were in front of gate 17A. I
wn in one of the metal barred seats that
ed to 3 more in a row. Our group was called,
boarded, as the echoing sound of suitcase
bounced along the metal ramp into the
rectangular door frame. We were greeted by
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The plane was big. A long green and blue carpet
extended before us, lined with 35 rows of seats.
Each one was wrapped with a cushioned blue fabric,
and a red plaid built-in pillow. The plane was empty
except for a few passengers, and Erin and I took our
time making our way to the middle of the plane.
Seats B11 and B12.
As we began to get comfortable, other passengers
filed into the rows of seats, and the booming sound
of airplane chatter filled the small space. People
bumped into each other, babies cried, tiny dogs
barked in their travel crates, flight attendants
chatted with passengers, and suitcases banged into
the overhead bins as they were hurriedly stowed
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s is our estimated flying time. We hope you
njoy the 200 free movies on your
mentary in-flight television service this
on. Now, a few safety announcements while
pare for take off. I’m Janelle, and I’ll be your
oday. I hope you enjoy your flight to
gton D.C.”
an with short brown hair and a sleek black
ttendant uniform stood in the aisle before us.
ad was angled just enough so I could not see
e.
& Gentlemen! The safety instruction card is
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it. It shows you the equipment carried on this
aircraft for your safety.
A life jacket is in the pocket under your seat. To put
it on, place it over your head. Clip on the waistband
and pull it tight. Please do not inflate it while you
are still inside the aircraft. An evacuation slide and
life raft is at each door. Your crew will direct you to
your door. Additional emergency exits are shown on
the leaflet.
In case of emergency, oxygen masks will drop down
in front of you. Please pull the mask down toward
your face and place the mask over your mouth and
nose. If you are traveling with a child, please attend
to yourself first, then the child. Breathe normally,
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oman then turned to me and Erin, revealing
e. Her bright green eyes brought back too
memories. The woman smiled, then quickly
and walked down the aisle, disappearing into
ht deck.
around to face Erin, “We have to get out of
leanor is on board!”
Nine
“ W H E N I get out of this place, I am coming for
you Oliver,” Eleanor threatened, as the sound of
sirens echoed in the background. Those were the last
words I had heard from Eleanor, the last words
anyone had heard from her before she was hauled
off to a small jail cell in Feltham.
My childhood was complicated as you know, but
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to London, my parents divorced. My mum
a fellow named Jack Griffon, and they had a
amed…Eleanor. Yes, Eleanor is my sister.
chnically half-sister. For many years, Eleanor
best friend next to Erin. We were the closest
in all of London.
as never really in the picture while I was
g up. He was the head of a big corporation,
as always away on business trips. The
ny was called Annie’s, named after his sister,
y sold mac and cheese.
long after my parents went missing, Jack got
accident that unexpectedly took his life, and
and Eleanor on our own. I guess it had not
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since we left Clovelly, my life was twisting and
turning in all sorts of unexpected directions.
As a 21 year old man alone in London with his 9
year old sister, I had to take on a parental role.
Eleanor needed a role model to follow, and with no
mother or father, I had to step in.
13 years later, it all went bad. As a teenager, Eleanor
fell into the wrong crowd. She had been in contact
with international thieves, but she seemed unaware
of the danger she was in at the time. When I found
out, I did all I could to keep her safe, for if she made
a single wrong move, she herself could be implicated
in the crimes committed by her associates. I was
only trying to be a protective brother, but at a certain
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came first.
he knowingly been in cahoots with these
? I could not tell. But, after seeing the dangers
was going on, -I–I panicked… which led to
ding my sister off to prison for 5 years, for
ing I never fully understood. I regretted that
the rest of my life.
Ten
T H E R E was no way out, no way of escape. I
could hear the loud rolling of the wheels gently
leaving the concrete runway as we began takeoff. I
panicked, looking around for something that might
be able to get us out of the plane, but there was
nothing. We were trapped.
I turned once again towards Erin, she too had no
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se from my seat and made my way past the
passengers who sat obliviously watching
and checking their text messages. I finally
the back of the plane where I entered the
m. The room was minuscule, with the sink
g half of the toilet and the door jammed up
the mirror.
d out the photo of Clementine once again to
e it. Her long wavy brown hair hung down
g her dress. It seemed the photo had been
when she was a teenager. Her smile beamed,
sat next to Benjamin; hand in hand they sat.
in’s eyes hung closed; he must have blinked
he photographer pressed the shutter. A smile
on my face as I began to form a faint memory
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A large room, with a couch sitting in front of a
fireplace lined with stone. Father handed Clementine
an envelope, which she tucked in her bag while
nodding assuringly. I sat in my mother’s lap, my
small hand in her palm as the adults went on about
something. Benjamin stood up and walked away,
Clementine called after him…and the rest faded into
a murky haze. My smile drifted into a frown as I
came to the realization that this was my only
memory of these people. It was almost as if my mind
was trying to give me a clue.
I watched as the door handle turned, and then
twisted back as someone tried to open the door
thinking no one was inside. I flushed the toilet,
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ace. Then I turned on the water, and counted
ade my way back to my seat, I tried to be
s an old man had fallen asleep in the seat
mine. “You ok?” Erin asked as she looked up
er book. “Oh yes, just using the restroom.” I
and tucked the photo back in my pocket. A
oice then startled me.
ms you must have left this in the bathroom.” I
ound to see Eleanor standing before me. Her
red lipstick painted a perfect smile as she
down to hand me a small wallet bound in
ather. It was my wallet, but I could not seem
l leaving it anywhere. I had not removed it
my pocket in the restroom, and had been
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motioned to grab the wallet, as Eleanor stood
smiling. “Thank you…” I managed to say, then she
walked away.
Instinctively I scrambled to open it, trying to see if
maybe Eleanor had taken something, or perhaps left
something inside. Sure enough, a corner of a napkin
stuck out between the card pockets. I pulled on it,
revealing a small line of blue ink forming a sentence
on the napkin’s thin surface. The writing was
smudged, so it was hard to read but I managed to
decipher the print.
Orange eyes are dangerous. If you look into them
too deep, you might lose your way.
Part Two
Eleven
ge eyes are dangerous. If you look into them
too deep, you might lose your way.
~
s later…
E N we arrived in D.C, we had no idea where
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able to track her phone, and even after hours of
research, found no record of anyone named
Clementine Ojo or Benjamin Taylor. But, just when
it seemed logical to give up, we finally found a lead.
On the paper map of D.C. that I had snatched from
one of the train stations, we could see that there
were 2 streets located on the east wing of D.C., one
called Optische Frucht Drive, and the other called
Right Handed Tailor Way. Erin had pointed them
out to me earlier. I did not see anything special
about the names at first, but once she explained
them to me, it could never be clearer. Optische
Frucht was German for Optical fruit. Clementine
Ojo meant orange eyes. This connection could not
have been coincidental. Optic means eyes and
orange, well…it just means orange. We then moved
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Benjamin comes from the Hebrew root, Ben
which translates to “son of the right hand.”
lved the first part of the riddle. The second
s not hard to figure out, as it was the same
ciation but with different spelling.
ntine Ojo = Optische Frucht
min Taylor = Right Handed Tailor
at we had figured out the first part of all this,
e trying to figure out what these streets had
with each other, as they were located 5 miles
This led us to check the RFI map: Restricted
Intelligence. This resource is automatically
to CIA laptops with Level 3 clearance. The
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present and past records, and it showed that, while
these roads were far apart on the paper map, 20
years ago, when the streets were originally named,
these 2 streets intersected. We tracked down the
intersecting point which led us to our next clue.
Twelve
2:05 that afternoon, the taxi dropped us off
18th Street NW ended at Columbia Road,
on the RFI map, was the intersecting point of
Handed Tailor Way and Optische Frucht Dr.
t of us stood a tall blue and yellow house,
p against a row of more colorful homes; a
rick staircase led up to a short wooden door
metal s attached to a hook. The house was
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stood out at the same time. I walked up the stairs,
my hands gliding against the cold metal railing. I
knocked on the door, and then, waited…
I could hear footsteps creaking across a worn
wooden floor as a shadowed figure approached the
door, then a small click. The door opened slowly,
revealing a woman. She looked exactly like the
woman in the photograph except older.
“Agents Oliver and Erin, what a delight to see you.
We were alerted of your arrival in DC two weeks
ago. Please, come in, we need to talk.”
The woman ushered us in, leading us to a bash
couch by a small fireplace. She disappeared for a
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Piles of books and files were stacked on
urface. The whole room was a mess except
mall nook carved out for the couch. A half
pizza sat in its box under a mountain of
pers, and two computers were barely
d atop a jumble of clothing. She returned
manila envelope.
she said as she handed it to me. “This is an
w of what we have so far on the case. As
you called with the code word, I knew you
n your way, and sent Dante out to retrieve it
arter-” The woman began to go on, but Erin
off.
m, who exactly are you?” The woman looked
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the situation.
“I am Yael Barlow..."It seemed she was waiting for
us to figure something out, yet we had no clue what
was going on.
“Don’t you remember? It was only last month. You
called me from Clovelly. Ms.Gonzalez was talking
nonsense for the most part, but the one thing that
stood out to me was that you used the code word.”
I was confused. What was the code word? I was not
able to recall this happening.
“Clementine Ojo? You asked for Clementine Ojo.
Anyway, MI5 was surprised you had figured it out
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with the code word, Dante and I had been
ed to go to the CIO, the Central Information
and pick up anything we had on this case to
ady for you as soon as you arrived,” Yael
ed.“You both look like you need some rest.
on’t you lay down for a while, and then we
et up for dinner later. Perhaps 7:00? Fiola
On K Street NW.”
Thirteen
E R I N and I arrived at Fiola Mare at exactly 6:58
pm that evening. Yael and a tall, muscular man with
short wavy black hair sat next to her at our four
guest booth. I could only assume it was Dante.
“Well, shall we order first or…” Yael began, then
paused as the waiter approached.
your waiter today. Can I offer you any
ges to start?”
d at Erin, “Water’s fine.”
will be back momentarily. In the meantime, I
mend taking a look at the soup section of our
We have a new special: onion soup au gratin.
y popular.” Then Luca walked away. Yael
until she was sure he was out of earshot, then
ed.
ow that you have had time to look over the
Erin interrupted her, looking up from her
The appetizers alone are $152. Who is paying for all
of this?”
“Don’t worry. The head of our department has given
us a large sum of money to cover all expenses
related to the case.”
“Why would they do that?” Erin shot back, not
seeming to believe Yael’s quick cover. “Dinner is
technically not related to this case.”
“Why don’t you stop wasting your time questioning
my authority and show me what you have!” Yael
snapped. We all turned to her, shocked at what she
had just said. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just…We really
need this information. We have intel from Carter,
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AAA
nt me a message last week, and if we don’t
his soon, well…who knows what she has
d for me — for us.” she said, as her
hing gaze shifted steadily between me and
I began. “Erin and I saw my father briefly at
house in Clovelly. We had not actually seen
ut due to previous events, assumed that it
ave been him. In the case file, it stated that
time anyone had verifiably seen my father
security camera footage dated 3 weeks
we arrived in Clovelly, not far from here.
ood out to us was that he was with a woman,
we could not identify.”
“Yes. That’s it,” I lied. The truth was that we did
know who the woman was, but we could not tell
Yael, not just yet.
Fourteen
E R dinner, Dante helped us arrange a hotel
own the road so that we would be able to
p with them again in the morning. The room
aint but nice. Two twin beds sat pushed up
opposite walls, with a mini kitchen next to
d, and bathroom next to the other. I chose the
arest to the bathroom. The food from Fiola
as not sitting in my stomach well…
after brushing her teeth that night.
“Why do you say that?” I asked, my voice muffled
by the large bubbles of toothpaste still in my mouth.
“Organizations like MI5 don’t just give you money
to go out and have an expensive dinner. It just
doesn’t work like that. I mean, how do we even
know we can trust these people? We just met them,
and while they know a lot about us, we have no
such information about them. How do we even
know if Dante and Yael are their real names?!” Erin
exclaimed.
“You’re just being paranoid. Have you ever thought
that they just might be a couple of well-trained MI5
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AAA
hen how come we have never met them
” Erin seemed angry now, her eyes shining
ierce gaze.
now what? If you are so worried about all
hy don’t you just call Carter.” I was finished
rin’s attitude. I was determined to find my
, and she had to stop getting in the way.
e I will!” Erin picked up her phone, and
he number.
h waited as the phone rang. Erin turned it on
so we both could listen.
line.
“Yes. This is agent 5217.”
“Yes agent, how can I help you?”
“Can you please transfer me to Agent Carter?” Erin
asked, tapping her foot as she waited.
“I am sorry, but Carter is currently in a meeting. Is
there anything I can assist you with?”
“By any chance did the agency recently wire
$50,000 into Operation Shrubert’s funds and
services?” The voice paused, only the sound of faint
typing in the background.
ontinued typing. “Ah, here it is.” Another
“No, no money of that sort has been added to
ubert account.”
gaze immediately shot back at me in worry.
money had not been from the agency, then
d Yael acquired it? Was she working as a
agent? Had she stolen it? Was she
ndently wealthy? Or did Yael Barlow have
ing to do with my parents’ disappearance?
Fifteen
E R I N was born in Monsanto, Portugal, a small
fishing town located near the border of Spain. Erin
grew up with her mother, Carolina, and father,
Duarte. Their house was small, but as Erin
described it, “the most magical place she had ever
known.” Erin lived in Monsanto until she was 8
years old. After her parents had been assigned a
case in Florence, she had been sent to London so
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AAA
ndmother. When Erin’s parents passed away
unexpected attack, and her grandmother
ill and unable to care for her, Erin came to
h our family across the street.
as extremely smart and at the top of all her
but it seemed that she always kept to
When she turned 17, MI5 offered her a spot
r field team. Erin’s goal had always been to
Stanford, and eventually to become an
ysicist. But her dreams were quickly pushed
hen the invitation presented itself to become
nt. Erin was a natural born leader, and it
that after being recruited, a spark ignited in
t I had never seen before. Erin was all of a
more self-assured and took charge in any
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learned that you never knew who you could trust
after she sustained such inexplicable childhood
traumas. She learned that people would not always
do what they said they were going to do. I guess
betrayal had been a large part of Erin’s life. And
that’s why, when Yael Barlow had misspoken at
dinner that night, Erin had been right to be
suspicious.
Sixteen
N shifted her gaze back to the phone in her
“One last question. Have there been any
by the name of Yael Barlow or Dante Silva
n the Shrubert case?” A pause.
orry…no.” Erin’s eyes widened as she tried
verything together.
in thought. A buzzing sound filled the silence as the
other end of the phone hung up.
~
Erin and I got to work brainstorming what Yael and
Dante could be up to. If Yael had in fact been
behind my parents disappearance, she did a good
job hiding it. The only lead we had so far was the
mysterious money, and the security footage. Yes, the
woman with my father earlier that month had been
Yael. I had noticed it the day before when Yael got
up to get us tea. She often kept her hair down, but
this time it was in a bun lumped on the top of her
head. As she spun around, I caught a glimpse of the
small spherical tattoo on the back of her neck. It just
happened to be that the woman in the video, for a
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AAA
walked away from the camera. I had to
the footage to make sure I had seen it
but sure enough, it was a perfect match. I
let Erin know about my discovery yet that
t dinner, but thought that now would be a
time to tell her. I slipped a folder out of my
ck, and we got to work.
ors swung open with a loud crash as Erin and
ed the building where Yael and Dante had
aying. The house had been cleaned and the
hat had once been hanging by the door were
ger there. I ran into the kitchen, hastily
ng each room for a clue. Where had she
The beds were made, the carpets had been
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windows, an almost unnoticeable trace. A faint shoe
print about 43 degrees from the left corner of the
window, and another 90 degrees to the top right
corner of the window. “Erin!” I cried. “I know
where Yael went!” I could hear Erin dart up the
staircase and within seconds she was in the
bathroom beside me. “Look; don’t you see?” I
pointed to the shoe marks once again. Erin wasted
no time in finding out more. All of a sudden, she
began rummaging through bathroom drawers,
looking for something, but I couldn’t tell quite
what. When she couldn’t find what she was looking
for, Erin ripped off the spout of the sink, and then
returned to me at the bathtub.
“Step back,” she warned, the sink spout still in her
hand. With one powerful thrust, Erin stabbed the
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AAA
“Now come on,” Erin gestured for me to
and that’s when she jumped out the window.
Seventeen
N I G H T had fallen and although the window
was not too far from the ground, I could barely see
Erin as she descended. I climbed up to the window
sill, preparing to jump, with the wind blowing
through my hair. I felt like a superhero, until I
realized exactly what I was about to
do…“Ahhhhhhhh!!!” I yelped. I had, for a short
moment, forgotten that I was afraid of heights. My
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AAA
the wood as sweat dripped down the
w frame. All of a sudden, I did not feel so
ed to climb back down, but my foot got
on a shard of remaining glass, and I tumbled
ally out of the window, hitting a tree, and
anding in a line of garbage cans, which rolled
street. The rattle of the tin was not even the
part of the fall as I cried in pain (this was
e of my finest moments). I could hear Erin
o hush me, and at that moment my senses
d: I had just awoken an entire neighborhood.
see as the door to one of the neighboring
opened, and a man in a bathrobe stepped
seemed confused and looked around to see
all the noise came from.
worried about. We should probably call animal
control, this one seems like it’s in pain.”
The man took one last look, then returned inside. I
contemplated waiting around for the animal control
to see if maybe they could help me with all of my
new bumps and bruises, but Erin began to pull me
to my feet and drag me down the road.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked as Erin
continued to drag me, my feet fumbling as I tried to
stand.
“Remember that coat that was hanging in the
bedroom closet?” Erin replied, sounding somewhat
distracted.
don’t you think it’s a little weird that Yael
behind a single jacket?”
r really thought about it.”
ed at the tag embroidered inside of the coat,
ere was the logo for the clothing brand,
. The name did not appear strange to me
noticed that there were other small items left
the house of the same brand. I tried to
r a clue as to what Yael could have been
o tell us. Sinoian starts with an S , and an S
ached to the metal hook on the front door…”
used, her eyes fixed on the concrete sidewalk
of us. “Do you understand what I am saying
” I tried to put the pieces of what Erin had
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in the right direction though, even if I had no idea
how she would.
Eighteen
e moon rose, our walk became a jog, then
to a run, and finally a sprint. I didn’t know
e were moving so fast, but following Erin’s
got the memo that time was of the essence.
rted through alleyways, and jumped over
until we arrived at an abandoned warehouse.
ame large
S
from the brand Erin had
ced earlier was painted across a tattered
d that appeared to be falling off the hinges
side of the building. “What does S
stand
asked, my voice shaky.
led me to the back door of the building, and we
slipped inside. A musty silence filled the air as we
headed through the darkness. Cracks in the
floorboards revealed a single source of electric
light, and led us down to the basement.
“Oliver?” a voice coming from a shadow in the
room called.
I didn’t even need to turn around to know who it
was.
“Father!” I exclaimed and turned to hug the man.
His hair was ruffled and greasy. His shirt was torn
and charred. Tears welled up in my eyes, and ran
down my cheeks. Erin joined the hug too, and then
we all just stood there. Together. Like it used to be.
“I need to show you both something,” my father
said as he began to lead us down the shadowy
corridor and into another room. My mother, Yael,
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AAA
and files scattered across the surface, their
t in blue tones as their eyes scanned their
.
” I ran to embrace my mother for the first
over 20 years. She stood up from her chair,
ng her arms. Her hair still smelled the same
lways did, like cinnamon. I took in the
t all that I could until Yael interrupted.
o see you got my message, Erin. I trusted
ould. I wasn’t sure if you would remember
sit to the Washington Salmon Imports, but..
e are.”
is she talking about Erin?” I was confused
What did she mean by “remember the
ighed as she opened her mouth to
,“When I was 8, right after we moved to
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Salmon Imports warehouse. It was the main
warehouse where salmon was processed and
shipped across the country. I didn’t know why he
wanted to show it to me, but when I saw the two S ’s
on the items left in Yael’s bedroom, a memory
rushed to my mind from that day. ‘This is not only a
warehouse full of fish’ my father told me, ‘It’s a
safe house full of spies.’ I remember laughing at
what seemed to be a clever joke my father had
attempted in an effort to cheer me up on what was
shaping up to be another boring visit to one of his
offices.”
All the pieces seemed to align. I wondered why Erin
had never told me about her visit to Washington,
but, I guess there are a lot of things that I have yet
to learn.
Nineteen
is not the answer that enlightens, but the
question.”
- Eugene Jonesco
S quote I do rather enjoy. I often ponder over
hink, and as I think, I ask questions, and as I
hink some more. As we stood in the silent
n the warehouse, I began to think about the
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following my thought, I asked Yael, “Is it true you
and Dante are not actually part of MI5?” She
seemed skeptical about my question at first, but then
smiled warmly.
Before Yael could answer, another figure emerged
from the shadows. “Yes, it is true, Oliver. Your
parents and I are a part of another international
operative organization.” The voice was familiar, too
familiar.
“Eleanor? What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same question, but why bore
ourselves with the details.” She smiled, raising her
face from the shadow. “I thought you knew I was
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AAA
nce with your father. I knew I had blown my
but luckily your paranoia of Yael saved me.”
mean it was you in the security footage?” I
red.
Each member of our organization has the
attoo on the back of their neck. I guess it’s
r fault you got me and Yael mixed up.”
t mean to interrupt, but we should probably
why we brought you both here.” Yael said,
me and Erin. “Your parents, me, Dante and
are all a part of a secret organization, which
mentioned a moment ago. Within the last
s, there has been a security breach that has
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more precise.”
“Who are the people after my parents?” My
stomach tightened as Yael got up from her chair.
“You must understand, Oliver, that your parents’
disappearance was carefully planned only in an
effort to protect you. Operation Firefly, as we called
it, was put in place just after you moved to London.
The night before you and your family had left
Clovelly, we had received communication–a threat,
to be precise– from an anonymous source
demanding a very high position in power in our
international operation. This power was not exactly
something we could just give away, of course. So
we did what we had to do to protect ourselves – and
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AAA
r to prevent the kidnapping that had been
ed by The System the next day in retaliation,
ought it better that you relocate to an
able location. Nothing too far, to throw them
k, but a place where we could keep an eye
family. After multiple years of keeping your
cation a secret, they-The System- found you.
up to face Yael,“Who is we ? Who are you ? ”
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