The Hive Solution

Chapter 32

Mason sits next to the large window in the crowded canteen back at redwood. In front of him next to a large cup of coffee is a tablet computer with the cctv image of the 4x4 jeep sat outside the security checkpoint at the shipyard were the USS Texas was built. Cooper walks in through the door, gets himself a latte from the drinks machine and sits across from Joe.

"Well Agent Mason, found anything new with the investigation?"

Mason raises his eyes at the use of his new official title. "Nope nothing new, and I can't get used to Agent Mason either, after my previous line of work it sounds a little strange"

Cooper chuckles, "yeah, I can imagine. Getaway driver to FBI agent in just a few weeks"

"Yeah"

Mason suddenly glances up at the door as Smith steps into the Canteen. There's a collective hush from the scientists who are sat at the other tables as he steps over to the food station, collects his lunch and with his chaperon then takes a seat next to Cooper. Joe just stares at Smith, the man that tried to kill him at Moffat field and maybe Caitlin too. Cooper quickly flicks the tablet off but Smith had already seen the image, a memory triggering somewhere in his mind.

"Hey wait, can I see that?" he asks looking at Cooper.

"I don't think so Mr Smith, it's part of an ongoing investigation and you're only staying here as our guest remember?"

"Yes, yes but I recognise that jeep, I've seen it before somewhere"

Mason looks at Cooper for permission to open up the image and he nods slightly at Joe to allow him to show it to Smith. Mason places his hand across the screen to allow the nano's to unlock it and the image of the car pops up. Mason spins it round and slides it in front of Smith. He looks at it for moment frowning before his features change at a recollection.

"I remember this car. It was a mission"

"Really, what happened?" asks Cooper

"Well, if it's the same Jeep, which I think it is then I was ordered to assassinate the driver"

"who was it?" presses Cooper.

"I don't think I ever got told his name, only that he was some admiral from Hawaii. I took him out in a road accident using a truck. He was waiting at a crossroads and I ploughed the truck into him using a radio control system. I watched from a rooftop of a nearby building"

"And you killed him?"

"Oh yes he was quite dead. The car blew up when the truck rammed it through the junction into a concrete retaining wall. In any case the truck was fitted with a destruct system that I triggered. If by some miracle he survived the crash the truck exploding would of killed him I'm sure"

"And who ordered the attack?" asks Mason.

"It was my handler, the one you've been searching for"

Mason looks up at Cooper and they both make eye contact, thinking the same thing. Caitlin was right, the attack on the east coast, the attempt to stop the mission to the red zone and now this, to kill the saboteur who sabotaged the Texas. All this orchestrated by the same individual, an old handler whose high up in government, someone who helped kill millions of innocent people. Only now when the shock subsides do they realise that Smith is still babbling on.

".....of course I'm a legend in espionage circles for my ways of killing. Of making it look like an accident" he says smiling at his own ingenuity.

A memory suddenly triggers in Mason's mind, that of a truck ramming through the windshield of his fathers car. He and Claire, both trapped in the car waiting to be freed by the fire department, his parents pinned between the cars engine and their seats, both dead. Mason's jaw hardens as he looks up and stares at Smith.

"Tell me Smith, do you ever recall doing another job, May 16th 2026 in Silicone Valley, a silver station wagon. The same situation, a car driving through a crossroad in darkness?"

Smith looks back at Mason and picks up on his hard stare. "Err, maybe yeah. I think I can remember, I think I read in the news that there was a family involved"

From nowhere Mason leaps up and grabs Smith round the throat. The table and coffee cups get thrown everywhere as Mason hoists Smith into the air with just one arm. Smith's eyes bulge in shock.

"Joe put him down!" shouts Cooper. But Mason can't hear him. The man who killed his parents and who nearly killed his sister is in his grasp, literally. Mason can feel his strength building with his anger as he slowly grips tighter, slowly squeezing the life out of Smith.

"Joe release him that's an order, he can still help us!" yells Cooper.

Logic enters Mason's thinking, Cooper's right. Smith was only carrying out orders and he needs him to help track down his handler, the one who ordered his fathers assassination. And if there's any retribution for what Smith did then that can come later.

"Who gave the order, answer me!" Screams Mason. He releases his grip just enough to allow Smith to answer.

".........he......did......the......handler" Smith croaks out.

And with that Mason hoists him even higher before he throws Smith back across the room and back through the swinging doors into the corridor outside.