The Agent (Chapter 22, The Plaza)

by Alec in Michigan

Ramal Vistavidwaz yawned as he flicked on the bright white fluorescent light. The Crime Scene Investigation lab was the same as always. It showed no mood whatsoever. It was as blank as the faces of most people who worked there. Today Ramal would be receiving the DNA results from the Detroit crime scene, where an FBI agent had been shot. Ramal had studied up on this case, as he always did, and found it terribly interesting.
It’s a real page turner, Ramal joked to himself.
Ramal continued his normal habit of starting up the lab. He turned on all of the computers, and began to sterilize some of the many tools that were placed around the lab.

I had finally worked up the courage to phone my boss, and was in the process of dialing the number. My fingers trembled slightly on the small buttons of the cell phone, but in a matter of seconds, I was holding the phone up to my ear, awaiting a response.

On the twenty third floor of the Federal Plaza, the FBI’s New York director’s phone was beginning to chirp. Joe Daytona growled lightly and picked up the phone.
“Joe Daytona, FBI.” He snarled.
A weak voice responded.
“Joe. It’s Alex.”
Joe’s eyes went wide, and he gasped inaudibly.
“But I thought--” He said, his voice losing some of its hostility.
“So did I.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about John.”
“McFair?”
“He’s not dead.”

By eleven forty five, Ramal’s partner, Roger Parker, had arrived and was busy looking at some email and three dimensional models of the human heart. Ramal was beginning to grow hungry, and had decided to go grab some lunch in the Plaza’s cafeteria. He had asked Roger if we would like to accompany him, but Roger politely turned down the offer. So Ramal trotted steadily down the bustling hallways of the Federal Plaza. Ramal stood out among the suits and blouses in his bright white lab coat, causing a few awkward glances. He chose to take a quick detour past the mailboxes so he could collect the mail, which would probably include the DNA results from the Noble incident. Within minutes, he was holding a chicken sandwich in his right hand, and the mail in his left as he rose to the fifteenth floor of the Federal Plaza.

“I think that bullet took a chunk outta your brain. They found his body. His family identified it.”
“I thought you were a bit more experienced than this, Daytona. Don’t you remember training? One word. Double.”
“Yeah right. I’m hanging up.”
“Joe, wait! I--”
The line went dead.

Ramal sat at his desk, wiping his hands of the remnants of the sandwich, and making a small tear in the envelope that contained the DNA results. He reached into the hollowed out piece of paper, and pulled out the results. Ramal unfolded the slip of stationary and began to scan the typed print.

LABS OF LORINSON AND SMITH, CRIME SCENE ANALYSIS
CASE NO: 238470024
AGENCY: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
INVESTIGATOR: AGENT ALEX NOBLE
SUMMARY:
When author Mark Williams was killed, presumably by notorious career criminal Owen Antowitz, it started a string of strange events, including the death of Noble’s partner, John McFair. Many of the people Noble contacted during his investigation were assaulted, including Mr. Williams’s wife, Bailey Williams. All of this came to a head a week ago when Agent Noble was shot in the skull by an unknown assailant. Withheld in this envelope is the names of the people who’s DNA was found at the scene of Noble’s attack.

NAME ONE: ALEX NOBLE (VICTIM)

Ramal’s eyes shifted downward to read the next name. He looked at them, and upon first glance, thought nothing of it. Then, the name registered in his mind.
Ramal gasped and began to sprint towards the exit.