Re-education is just a pretty way of saying "shits changed since you died. Here's what's new." I reported to the instructor and took my assigned seat. We went over the new technology that had come out in recent years. Discussed new weaponry and tactics. Listened to a few current agents discussing the pros and cons of modern tools of the trade.
As we were preparing to go to the firing range, I noticed Merida signaling the instructor. He got up from his desk and slowly walked over to her. Merida spoke and pointed at me. The instructor signaled for me to come over. I did as instructed. Merida spoke first.
"Your request for immediate reinstatement has been granted. We are to report to briefing room 13, immediately."
Without another word, she turned and walked off. I said goodbye to my instructor and followed her. When I caught up, she spoke again.
"This is unorthodox and unsafe. Agents must go through re-education before being put back into the field. What is so special about this case?"
"She was 1 of us. Passed all the entrance exams, with flying colors. After graduating top of her class, she dropped the facade and killed the verification board. All 5 of them."
Merida stopped walking. She turned around and stared at me with an awestruck look.
"I thought that was just a myth. There's nothing in the records about this. Why do you know about it?"
"Because she's my sister."
Merida let out a gasp. I looked at her face and couldn't hold it anymore. I started cracking up laughing.
"I'm just messing with you. Lighten up, Merida. You're more serious and stoic than I am and that's saying a lot."
Her face turned red and she had balled her fist up at her sides. With a raised voice, she expressed how she really felt about my little joke. Eventually, she calmed down and asked again.
"Why is this case so special.?"
"She's killed more people than any known serial killer and she keeps getting away. It's like she knows when we're closing in on her and she just resets. My last cycle was the closest I'd gotten to capturing her."
We continued walking in silence. When we arrived at the briefing room there was a short stocky man in a tailored blue suit, waiting for us. We both stepped in and closed the door. There was a small table in the room, with 2 chairs on this side and 1 on the other. I grabbed a chair, took it to the other side of the table, and sat down. Merida came around and sat next to me. The man looked at us both with an unpleasant gaze, before speaking.
"My name is Bryan Griffith. I am with the U.S Marshal Service. I am part of an international task force burdened with capturing the fugitive known as Katie Speegle."
"Let me cut you off there Mr. Griffith." I said as I leaned forward in my seat.
"I have been chasing Katie for 4 cycles. I know all her tricks, her habits, the places she likes to frequent, the food she likes to eat, pretty much everything there is to know about this woman."
"Yet you haven't been able to catch her." He said, now cutting me off.
"You made a request for immediate reinstatement and with that comes 1 string. Me."
He let that sit in the air for a moment. Bringing people in who didn't, couldn't understand reincarnates, was never a smart move. The fact that he was here almost 12 hours after my request was submitted, told me that corporate had signed off on this.
"So what you're telling me is that you're going to be following me around for the foreseeable future?"
"I'll be your partner, Ms. Jordan."
I looked over at Merida who hadn't said a word since we got in the room. Whatever she was feeling, didn't show on her face. I turned back toward Bryan.
"I don't have time to explain all the ways this could go wrong, but I will say this. If you choose to follow me, you do what I say, when I say it. Let there be no misgivings about whom is in charge. Do you understand?"
He simply nodded. I turned back toward Merida.
"I hope you're ready for this handler. While we are in the air, I need you to read up on my previous attempts at catching her. Make sure you read my mission notes, not those of my previous handlers. If you have any questions about this last cycle, you know how to reach me. Please get clearance for a flight. I'll also need my weapons."
"Your weapons will be waiting for you on the plane. Where should I tell them you're heading?"
"Lawrence, Kansas."
YOU ARE READING
The 5th Cycle
Science FictionWhat if reincarnation were real? What would you do? Would see all the wonders of the world? Would you fall in love with the same person? Maybe you would do something daring. Maybe you would do something terrible. A game of cat and mouse that skips t...
