The end of the interview with the shadow... or is it?
The rest of the journey went by in a flash as the two talked over everything and anything that came to mind. It was clear why Daryl had said he liked the support staff at Atlant. If Ricky was anything to go by then they had some very good people working for them. She had totally forgotten the idea that at any moment she might be kidnapped. Indeed she was surprised when she realised she was outside her own home.
"Oh wow, I'm home..." Evelyn looked to her wristwatch, 4:30am on the dot "Right on time too."
The map display winked out, replaced by a small video feed of Ricky in his work space.
"Well, thank you for flying Atlant airlines, your number one airline for speedy, secure and covert transit. We know you have many choices when you consider your travel arrangements and we thank you for choosing us. We hope you have a pleasant journey to the land of slumber and will consider us again for all your future needs. Now, since you have arrived at your home I'll hand you over to our onsite security specialist who will explain what's going to happen next. Don't forget you have to hand this too him. Good night Evelyn."
"Good night Ricky." Evelyn replied with a smile as Ricky waved goodbye, the image winking out as the slim device powered down completely.
Evelyn gathered up her things and turned off the engine. She had just closed the car door and locked it when she realised that someone was right behind her.
"Good morning Evelyn, how was your journey?"
Evelyn turned round with more calm than she had expected of herself. Standing not three feet from her was Daryl, correction... the Shadow. She looked him up and down and remembered the photograph in her pocket. It was almost as though the picture in her pocket was standing right before her.
"It was good, thanks. I can see why you like your support staff, he's quite the talker."
"That he is." There was little trace of emotion as the Shadow proffered his right hand "The device, if you please?"
Evelyn handed it to him, slightly taken aback by the almost toneless way in which Daryl had asked for it. He placed the device within one of the pockets inside his large leather jacket and handed her a second, smaller though chunkier looking device with a plain grey plastic covering.
"This is a panic button, if anyone attempts access to you, your family or your home, press it and I'll be there as soon as I can be. Your husband already has one and in approximately four hours a cable repairman and his assistant will visit you. You will challenge them with "Durango" and they should answer you with "Moonseed". They will install surveillance equipment and explain its use to you. Your house and family will be under surveillance for a minimum of three months. If you see anything suspicious..." the shadow produced a mobile phone and tapped a few buttons before handing it to her as well "Call the number displayed there and we'll investigate. Keep both of these on your person at all times, under no circumstances should you let anyone else get a hold of them.
"If anything does happen you will be moved to a safe house and will be briefed further. Considering how things went tonight I doubt this should be anything more than routine. Hopefully you'll be back to your normal life."
"Why all the security, am I under threat?" Evelyn asked, pocketing the panic button and studying the number on the phone.
"Not as far as we know, but there are never any true certainties in these situations. You currently hold some key information about me, and for that some interested parties may use those you love to get it. It may not even be beneficial to them, but they'll do whatever they can to get to me. That's why you merit this level of protection, especially considering your circumstances. When you get to your office later today Mr Anderson will field any other questions you may have."
Evelyn looked Daryl in the face, what little she could make out beneath the hood anyway. For some reason she couldn't easily discern his features, even in the harsh sodium orange glare of the streetlights. Even standing in the middle of the street Daryl was still in the shadows. It took her a while to figure out the reason why he seemed so different.
"So you're going to be all business right now, are you? Is this what the bad guys see when you're on the clock?"
There was the slightest suggestion of a smile.
"The bad guys don't often get to see this at all." The shadow replied, "Not until I want them to."
"So what now, Mr Shadow? What happens next?"
"You go back to your family, get some sleep and in a few hours you'll be going back to work. Me? I'm already on the clock. You're safe, Evelyn, because I'm the one guaranteeing it."
Evelyn pocketed both the panic button and the mobile and tried to make out Daryl's face from beneath the shadows.
"You mind if I ask you a question? Purely off the record of course."
"You've asked plenty before, why not now?"
"Just who are you, really?"
"Goodnight Evelyn, make sure your daughter gets some sleep, she's been watching us this whole time."
"What?" Evelyn looked up to the windows of her apartment and saw the slightest twitch of the curtains. "How did you..." she turned her head and saw nothing but an empty street.
The rest of the journey went by in a flash as the two talked over everything and anything that came to mind. It was clear why Daryl had said he liked the support staff at Atlant. If Ricky was anything to go by then they had some very good people working for them. She had totally forgotten the idea that at any moment she might be kidnapped. Indeed she was surprised when she realised she was outside her own home.
"Oh wow, I'm home..." Evelyn looked to her wristwatch, 4:30am on the dot "Right on time too."
The map display winked out, replaced by a small video feed of Ricky in his work space.
"Well, thank you for flying Atlant airlines, your number one airline for speedy, secure and covert transit. We know you have many choices when you consider your travel arrangements and we thank you for choosing us. We hope you have a pleasant journey to the land of slumber and will consider us again for all your future needs. Now, since you have arrived at your home I'll hand you over to our onsite security specialist who will explain what's going to happen next. Don't forget you have to hand this too him. Good night Evelyn."
"Good night Ricky." Evelyn replied with a smile as Ricky waved goodbye, the image winking out as the slim device powered down completely.
Evelyn gathered up her things and turned off the engine. She had just closed the car door and locked it when she realised that someone was right behind her.
"Good morning Evelyn, how was your journey?"
Evelyn turned round with more calm than she had expected of herself. Standing not three feet from her was Daryl, correction... the Shadow. She looked him up and down and remembered the photograph in her pocket. It was almost as though the picture in her pocket was standing right before her.
"It was good, thanks. I can see why you like your support staff, he's quite the talker."
"That he is." There was little trace of emotion as the Shadow proffered his right hand "The device, if you please?"
Evelyn handed it to him, slightly taken aback by the almost toneless way in which Daryl had asked for it. He placed the device within one of the pockets inside his large leather jacket and handed her a second, smaller though chunkier looking device with a plain grey plastic covering.
"This is a panic button, if anyone attempts access to you, your family or your home, press it and I'll be there as soon as I can be. Your husband already has one and in approximately four hours a cable repairman and his assistant will visit you. You will challenge them with "Durango" and they should answer you with "Moonseed". They will install surveillance equipment and explain its use to you. Your house and family will be under surveillance for a minimum of three months. If you see anything suspicious..." the shadow produced a mobile phone and tapped a few buttons before handing it to her as well "Call the number displayed there and we'll investigate. Keep both of these on your person at all times, under no circumstances should you let anyone else get a hold of them.
"If anything does happen you will be moved to a safe house and will be briefed further. Considering how things went tonight I doubt this should be anything more than routine. Hopefully you'll be back to your normal life."
"Why all the security, am I under threat?" Evelyn asked, pocketing the panic button and studying the number on the phone.
"Not as far as we know, but there are never any true certainties in these situations. You currently hold some key information about me, and for that some interested parties may use those you love to get it. It may not even be beneficial to them, but they'll do whatever they can to get to me. That's why you merit this level of protection, especially considering your circumstances. When you get to your office later today Mr Anderson will field any other questions you may have."
Evelyn looked Daryl in the face, what little she could make out beneath the hood anyway. For some reason she couldn't easily discern his features, even in the harsh sodium orange glare of the streetlights. Even standing in the middle of the street Daryl was still in the shadows. It took her a while to figure out the reason why he seemed so different.
"So you're going to be all business right now, are you? Is this what the bad guys see when you're on the clock?"
There was the slightest suggestion of a smile.
"The bad guys don't often get to see this at all." The shadow replied, "Not until I want them to."
"So what now, Mr Shadow? What happens next?"
"You go back to your family, get some sleep and in a few hours you'll be going back to work. Me? I'm already on the clock. You're safe, Evelyn, because I'm the one guaranteeing it."
Evelyn pocketed both the panic button and the mobile and tried to make out Daryl's face from beneath the shadows.
"You mind if I ask you a question? Purely off the record of course."
"You've asked plenty before, why not now?"
"Just who are you, really?"
"Goodnight Evelyn, make sure your daughter gets some sleep, she's been watching us this whole time."
"What?" Evelyn looked up to the windows of her apartment and saw the slightest twitch of the curtains. "How did you..." she turned her head and saw nothing but an empty street.
Category Story / Fantasy
Species Mammal (Other)
Size 50 x 50px
File Size 36 kB
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