Post by Dino Pollard on Apr 30, 2009 2:35:54 GMT -5
The final issue of "Cold War" and my run:
Berlin
Some Time Ago
Christoph Nord, also known as David North, entered his small apartment. He went to the kitchen and took a beer from the refrigerator, sitting down in a comfortable leather recliner in front of the small television.
He reached under his leather jacket, drawing the Glock he kept hidden there and flicked the safety off. “You might as well come out, I know you're there.”
“You're very good, Mr. Nord,” said the woman who emerged from the shadows. Her black hair was pulled up in a bun, save for the straight bangs which framed her pale face. She was dressed all in leather, a bustier and matching pants with a trench coat over the entire ensemble. There were black marks, like tattoos or scars, under her eyes.
“I don't remember arranging for female companionship tonight.” Nord aimed the gun at her. “Tell me who you are and what you want or I'll put a bullet between those pretty eyes.”
“I'm not here to fight you, Mr. Nord. On the contrary, I'm here to make you an offer.”
“What kind of offer would that be?”
“My name is Tessa, I represent Sebastian Shaw.”
“Shaw's dead,” said Nord.
“These days, that's hardly a guarantee of anything,” said Tessa. She motioned to a chair. “May I sit?”
“Assuming you're telling the truth, why would I want anything to do with Shaw?” asked Nord.
“German hospitality at its finest.” Tessa sat in the chair anyway, crossing her legs and laying her hands upon her knee. “How long have you been alive for, Christoph?”
“You can do the math,” said Nord.
“You've been working in the intelligence community so long, I bet you can scarcely remember your life before it.”
“Memory implants have that effect,” said Nord.
“And now what are you doing?” asked Tessa. “Ever since the end of the Cold War, you've been working as a freelance mercenary. Or at least you were, before Fury and Wisdom got their claws into you. And now, what are you doing? What defines your life?”
“Helping others like me,” said Nord.
“Not quite,” said Tessa. “The problem with being a soldier, Christoph, is what happens once your war is over?”
Nord said nothing, but he relaxed the gun a little, resting his arm on the chair, although still keeping it fixed on his uninvited guest.
“You become a relic, a dinosaur. Slowly rotting away, dreaming of your glory days. Trying to discover where it all went wrong.”
“That's the nature of life.”
“What if it didn't have to be?” asked Tessa. “What if I could give you a new war to fight? Think back to it, Christoph. The thrills, the danger—fighting terrorists just isn't the same as fighting a world superpower. You're a soldier without a war, and if you don't pick up that gun again, soon there won't be anything left of you. Fury can't give you that war, he's too busy trying to stop it from erupting once again. But Sebastian and myself, we can give your life a purpose once again. We can give you something to fight for.”
Nord raised his gun and the clip slid free. He set the gun and the clip on the table beside him and stood. “Would you like a drink?”
Tessa smiled.
Berlin
Some Time Ago
Christoph Nord, also known as David North, entered his small apartment. He went to the kitchen and took a beer from the refrigerator, sitting down in a comfortable leather recliner in front of the small television.
He reached under his leather jacket, drawing the Glock he kept hidden there and flicked the safety off. “You might as well come out, I know you're there.”
“You're very good, Mr. Nord,” said the woman who emerged from the shadows. Her black hair was pulled up in a bun, save for the straight bangs which framed her pale face. She was dressed all in leather, a bustier and matching pants with a trench coat over the entire ensemble. There were black marks, like tattoos or scars, under her eyes.
“I don't remember arranging for female companionship tonight.” Nord aimed the gun at her. “Tell me who you are and what you want or I'll put a bullet between those pretty eyes.”
“I'm not here to fight you, Mr. Nord. On the contrary, I'm here to make you an offer.”
“What kind of offer would that be?”
“My name is Tessa, I represent Sebastian Shaw.”
“Shaw's dead,” said Nord.
“These days, that's hardly a guarantee of anything,” said Tessa. She motioned to a chair. “May I sit?”
“Assuming you're telling the truth, why would I want anything to do with Shaw?” asked Nord.
“German hospitality at its finest.” Tessa sat in the chair anyway, crossing her legs and laying her hands upon her knee. “How long have you been alive for, Christoph?”
“You can do the math,” said Nord.
“You've been working in the intelligence community so long, I bet you can scarcely remember your life before it.”
“Memory implants have that effect,” said Nord.
“And now what are you doing?” asked Tessa. “Ever since the end of the Cold War, you've been working as a freelance mercenary. Or at least you were, before Fury and Wisdom got their claws into you. And now, what are you doing? What defines your life?”
“Helping others like me,” said Nord.
“Not quite,” said Tessa. “The problem with being a soldier, Christoph, is what happens once your war is over?”
Nord said nothing, but he relaxed the gun a little, resting his arm on the chair, although still keeping it fixed on his uninvited guest.
“You become a relic, a dinosaur. Slowly rotting away, dreaming of your glory days. Trying to discover where it all went wrong.”
“That's the nature of life.”
“What if it didn't have to be?” asked Tessa. “What if I could give you a new war to fight? Think back to it, Christoph. The thrills, the danger—fighting terrorists just isn't the same as fighting a world superpower. You're a soldier without a war, and if you don't pick up that gun again, soon there won't be anything left of you. Fury can't give you that war, he's too busy trying to stop it from erupting once again. But Sebastian and myself, we can give your life a purpose once again. We can give you something to fight for.”
Nord raised his gun and the clip slid free. He set the gun and the clip on the table beside him and stood. “Would you like a drink?”
Tessa smiled.