Project Apollo

Chapter 4

The Royal Sonesta Habor Court

Baltimore, MD – 6PM

The Royal Sonesta Harbor Court lined the waterfront, providing its high roller tenants a beautiful view of both the rows of docked yachts and the dark blue stillness of Inner Harbor. The interior was decked in five-star ornate furnishings, each room a spacious accommodation.
Xander and Fiona sat at Explorers the hotel's restaurant with half a bottle of Pinot Noir left before them. Fiona donned two sparkling diamond earrings and a little black dress, while Xander wore a slim dark Tom Ford suit. Xander was an attractive man, especially when he dressed up like tonight. He stood with a chiseled frame and a hard jaw line, peppered with dirty blonde stubble. His crew cut of blonde hair always fell disheveled over his forehead. Their waiter arrived to the table, bringing with him an assortment of fine desserts.

"Yummy..." Fiona commented as the server left them to the rest of their meal.

"Yeah, it looks pretty good. You want the Tiramasu right?" he responded.

"I wasn't talking about the food, darling..." Fiona purred, looking up at Xander with smoldering eyes. Xander's face blushed to the color of the Pinot that he swirled between his forefinger and thumb. Their smiles connected, taking them away from their clandestine lives. For the moment, they weren't spies but honeymooners, lost in each other's trance. Xander decided to surprise Fiona with an anniversary night on their way back from Geneva. He decided to fly to BWI airport rather than Dulles and treat her to a romantic night in inner harbor. The flight, as usual, was a mental workout as he reviewed each variable of Intel obtained from the trip. 

Gregory had Intel about the four missing scientists. He sent a text message to a number originating in Bethesda, MD. Who are Henry Bosco and Caroline Keener? How are they connected?

Xander sometimes referred to as the Bobby Fisher of spy craft, possessed unique cognitive abilities. Not only did he have a photographic memory, but he was able to deduce scenario probabilities and analyze his way through real events. This afforded him the prescient ability to often anticipate what would come next. He had not always had that remarkable ability – it was only after a horrific car wreck killing his parents that he ignited his genius. He suffered severe head trauma from the crash that wiped the memory of his life before it. Waking up in the hospital at eight years old became his earliest memory. Not only had he lost his parents, he had lost the memory of his parents, he only visited them through one vivid recollection of the crash that often surfaced in his dreams.

He was recently shocked to learn his closest friend from Sparta, Ezra Gonet, was alive and a terrorist code-named Agent Zero, who was planning an attack against Washington, DC. Their motivations and endgame still remained unclear, although Ezra was rotting in a high security 'off the books' prison cell.

For the past three months, Xander had his reservations about the events of July fourth. Xander knew that Ezra, a trained operative, would never have killed Jooles so long as she was his body shield. It was an act of surrender. Ezra had said that Xander would be put to the test.

In the end you will be faced with a choice, Xander. Did Project Sparta turn you into mindless soldier – a deadly machine, an emotion? Or did you maintain your humanity through it, objective and independent? There's the choice, Xander, will you act on emotion or reason? I know that conflict is in you.... And I really want to know the answer.

An image of Ezra laying on the terrace, looking up at Xander's loaded gun flashed before his eyes. The creepy, maniacal smile. The blood pooling beneath Jooles' temple.