Schizogenesis [chapter 3]

For a moment the four agents sat in stunned silence. Hadley broke the calm, pounding his frustration on the steering wheel. Stevens beside him gazed stupidly ahead.

In the back seat of the black Cadillac, Jackson turned to Minton with an incredulous expression.

“That son of a bitch!” Agent-in-charge, Jackson had told Hadley to follow the hillbilly up the road. His voice conveyed disbelief edged with awe. “That bastard just gave us the slip.”

Grinning, Minton said, “What’s the world coming to, Stevens?” He’d been on Stevens back since the two met. “Does this compute?”

Jackson looked over at Minton and frowned. Stevens was not someone to screw with. He’d seen the file. In truth, none of the four had gone out of his way to endear himself with the others, and Jackson knew the load would fall on him. They were professionals. One way or another, the job would get done.

Whatever it took.

Jackson took out his phone to call Blender.

Blender, of course, wasn’t the controller’s real name. None of their names were, existing only for the job.

Hadley sighed anxiously. Minton was still grinning at Stevens’ back.

Blender answered.