Си Паради - Dancing With Shadows

"But a woman Tony. Why?"

Tony looked into her mother’s eyes and saw her confusion. Words were inadequate to describe how she felt about Megan. But she had to try to help her mother understand. Tony began speaking, "She is kind and gentle and smart and beautiful and strong and she loves me." Tony paused and then decided to tell her mother the part Megan had in their reunion.

"Shortly after we met, I was injured. She took care of me and while we got to know each other we shared childhood stories. I told her what happened to George and Joey. She helped me to realize that it wasn’t my fault." Tony stopped for a minute and smiled at her mother.

"Sooner or later I would have come back Mom. But it is because of her that I am here now."

The war waging in Rosa’s mind came to a screeching halt when the implications of the last thing her daughter said registered. She had watched Tony’s face change when she spoke of this woman. She would have to be blind not to see the love Tony obviously felt for her. Rosa wasn’t sure how she felt about this new revelation, but she was not going to turn her daughter away again. She appeared to be very happy and with that thought in mind, Rosa said, "Tell me about her."

Tony sighed inwardly with relief. This was going better than she had hoped considering her mother was a devout Roman Catholic. A large warm smile covered her face and she began telling her mother about the woman she loved.

Rosa watched the play of emotions cross Tony’s face when she spoke. If a person could glow, her daughter did. Tony talked for over an hour before saying, "I really should go now. Megan is waiting for me at the hotel."

Rosa had been caught up in Tony’s description of Megan and was intensely curious. She wanted to meet this young woman who meant so much to her daughter.

Voicing her thoughts, she said, "I’d like to meet her Tony. Could you go get her and come back? I’ll make lasagna for dinner. Is that still your favorite?"

Tony smiled, "Sure Mom, and your lasagna sounds great. What time do you want us to come back?"

"How about 5pm? I need to go to the market and pick up a few things."

"We’ll be here," Tony said, standing up and hugging her mother. "I need to use the phone to call a cab."

"There’s no need to call a cab. I can take you."

Paul Lewis followed the hostess to a booth in the rear of the diner. He ordered tea and thought about the call from Sherman. He had never requested a personnel file before. Their friendship had developed to a point that each fully trusted the other. But still, this was unusual and why a file on an operative? Shaking his head, he thought, it doesn’t make sense.

Sipping the hot tea, Paul thought about the first time he’d met Sherman. It had been three years ago. He was working his first covert assignment. He remembered his excitement when he was able to infiltrate a militia group that no one had been able to penetrate before. He was young and optimistic and wanted to make his mark among the seasoned operatives.

He left to make a routine drop and was unaware he’d been followed. Upon his return, the leader of the organization questioned him. He’d made up an excuse about seeing an old friend, but the leader was clearly suspicious and he came away from the meeting very uneasy. Later that night he pulled out the emergency transmitter and sent a message asking to be relieved from the assignment fearing his cover had been blown.

The next day he was advised to return to base. He almost made it too. The camp was a mile behind before his legs were knocked out from under him and he heard the echo of a high-powered rifle. In excruciating pain, he tied a tourniquet around his damaged leg and sent off an emergency transmission before passing out.

The next thing he remembered was Sherman putting him in the back seat of a car and transporting him to the hospital.

He now had a 5-inch steel pin in his leg and walked with a slight limp. If it hadn’t been for Sherman coming along when he had, he would be without that leg. But he was no longer physically fit to do covert work, and because of this, he held a deep-seated hatred for all militia groups.

When Sherman told him about what two of the committee members were doing, he requested a transfer to the covert files’ area. The rogue committee members reviewed all the cases in which the operative’s report deviated from the original agent’s report selectively choosing some for further action by Ben’s group. The cases they did not target were returned for filing.

Paul reviewed each of the files that had not been selected, and the ones involving militia groups, he copied and gave to Sherman. He altered the reports identically to the ones altered by the two committee members, and filed the termination order after Sherman personally eliminated each leader.

Sherman stood near the table for a moment and watched his friend. He was 28, but still looked like a kid. His red hair and freckles contributed to his youthful appearance.

"Hey Paul…" he said, sliding into the opposite side of the booth.

"Hi," Paul replied leaving his thoughts behind.

"Man you were a thousand miles away," Sherman said looking at his friend. "Did you get the file I asked for?"

"Yes. But what do you want an operative’s file for?"

Sherman quickly told Paul about the meeting with Ben finishing up by saying, "That was one of the cases you provided me with. The last thing we can afford is to have Ben uncover what we are doing. If she is eliminated, she can’t testify that her report was altered."

"I don’t like it. She’s an agent," Paul replied.

Well aware of Paul’s hatred of militia groups Sherman said, "If she had done her job in the first place, this would have never happened."

Seeing the youthful face age and become bitter, Sherman pressed on saying, "If we have to stop now, the militia groups win by default.

You’re the one who loses. Your career is ruined because of them," pausing he added, "think about it. She is actually protecting them."

What Sherman said made sense. She was the one who was at fault here. But still not comfortable with targeting an agent, he said, "Ok. But

Sherman… I’m not providing any more operatives’ files."

"Relax. I’m only doing this because it is necessary. I’m not crazy about taking out an agent either," Sherman said convincingly. "Don’t worry.

She is just going to have an accident. No one else will be hurt. I’ll make sure she’s alone."

"Ok. The file’s in my trunk."

Megan laid her book down and looked at the clock on the dresser. Only ten minutes had passed since the last time she looked at it. Disgusted that she couldn’t lose herself in the book to help pass the time, she walked over to the window and looked out.

She knew it made sense that the longer Tony was gone, the better chance things had gone well. But her mind had decided to play devil’s advocate and insisted that if she were too upset she might not come straight back to the hotel.

Megan turned around when she heard the door open. Before she had a chance to ask how things had gone, Tony had crossed the room and wrapped her in a big hug, a huge grin on her face. Laughing, Megan said, "I guess things went ok."

"Yep. Mom invited us for dinner," Tony said, finally releasing Megan. "She’s making lasagna."

Megan hadn’t expected this. Suddenly nervous, she said, "She did?"

"Well after I told her about you, she wanted to meet you."

Trepidation filling her mind, Megan asked, "Did you tell her?" she paused suddenly at a loss for words.

Tony saw the worried expression on her partner’s face. Taking Megan’s hand, she led them over to the bed and sat down, guiding her lover onto her lap, her arms loosely draped around her.