Chapter 29

Eiffel Tower Attack

"Damn it!" John kicked his feet on the floor frustrated at his delay "why did you get involved with those fighters." He was more worried about his buddy than furious. So he shouted, "You only train with me. You aren't a pro"

"Will you stop yelling and follow the ambulance?" Danny said even more angrily.

"Right yea" John said sheepishly.

He looked round and when he found nothing he picked up a beat up truck and jumped on the drivers seat.

"Will you come or you have to show some more of your fighting skills?" It was John now who shouted at Danny

Danny too jumped on the truck besides John.

"Hurry up now" Danny said when he found John wasn't moving.

"There isn't ignition key hole" John shouted panicked.

"Never heard of a truck being an automatic vehicle," Danny stated earning a glare from John

When John noticed the ambulance out of sight from the empty highway he quickly picked two wires from below the steering and rubbed them together, the engine immediately roared to life followed by a hard jerk and there was silence.

John repeated the process and started the huge vehicle.

Once swift reverse and the truck was on the road with its full speed.

John drove through the highway with no sign or clue of the ambulance

Miles through the empty streets when John could not see the ambulance, he was worried.

"You have gps navigator in your mobile?" John asked Danny.

"I do" Danny said opening the application of his mobile

They might have drove miles together and just when John was about to lose hope and start the gps navigator of Danny's mobile when he noticed the ambulance parked at the entrance of the gas station.

John immediately took to the left of the road behind the ambulance and walked towards the ambulance.

He opened the doors of the ambulance only to be attacked by four men with knives in their hands.

Danny and John tried to fight them but it was a losing battle when Jabber stepped in between with a gun aimed right at the center of John's head between his brows.

John closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable.

John wasn't scared of his death but he was disappointed at himself for dying before saving the little children.

Faces of the tiny tots flashed in front of his closed eyes and he decided he wouldn't succumb so easily.

He opened his eyes and gave a hard kick on the groin of Jabber.

Immediately the gun shot was heard.

John looked in front of his shirt for the blood.

But neither did he feel the pain nor was he bleeding.

Then he felt heavy weight dropping on his chest.

Jabber fell on him and his hands stained with blood when he tried to balance Jabber.
Few more shots were fired. Kids screamed but John went to them holding them in his arms.

Danny joined him too as he saw bodies of all the men who were attacking them lying on the ground.

"Okay so the kids are safe, the shelter home is safe too and under police surveillance." D said, "Now can we get back to business."

"I guess it's about time" John said and walked towards the car D had driven in settling inside the chilled car.

"I am sure you have already taken care of the kids" John relaxed as he folded his hands behind his head closing his eyes for the first time since two days.

"Yeah and the other residents of the shelter home are also under close surveillance." D stated easily as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Thanks D" John smiled, his eyes closed yet he smirked. It felt very normal and regular.

"Great job though" D slapped softly on his shoulders.

"You guys didn't know about the children?" Danny asked feeling lost from the conversation the two agents were sharing

"No we simply followed John ad again this girl Sarah from shelter home called on your cellphone." D explained.

"Where is your phone?" Danny asked.

D waved the tattered feature phone in front of Danny "great choice John" he mocked.

"It was a gift from Liz" Danny said absent-minded. Suddenly remembering something he shouted "wait is his name actually John or you are going with the flow."

D chuckled "his name is actually John." He said, "How could we leave one of our best agents alone? We were following him right from the beginning. The cops were advised to name him John and so he did"

John scrunched his brows, his relaxed demeanor alert all of a sudden "and that stupid story of every Tom Dick and Harry being John"

"Oh!" D smiled, "that cop is also a part-time script writer for short plays. He went wild with his imagination.'

While John felt cheated or being fooled, it was D who now relaxed

"You too can close your eyes and relax. We have work to do once we drop the kid home." D suggested.

"You are dropping me at the shelter home?' Danny denied, "I am not going anywhere I want to be with John and help him in whatever you want him to do."

"No you are not gong to the shelter home but your home" D stated "your proud father is waiting for his gay son who is so brave and saved the children.'

He opened a news app on his mobile where Danny was given the entire credit of saving the children

"We wanted John to keep a low profile" D clarified.

"But who was Cynthia and what were her intentions?" John asked all of a sudden.

Hope bubbling inside him of getting her whereabouts. She might be related to those terrorists and might help with the code or whatever his agency was looking for.

"Cynthia is a small rebel who aims to be modern day life robin hood." D said "she knew somehow you are the best agent and was using you for her benefit. No sincere harms."

"But she fooled me." John said bewildered.

"That amused us too" D smiled tauntingly.

The driver joining in too
"Very funny" John said annoyed at them.

After bidding farewell with a hug to Danny and exchanging unpleasant pleasantries with Danny's dad John was taken to the agency where he met the Dr. Markle again.

'We can start Doctor" D said elated.

"I don't think it is a good idea, the boy has barely slept." Dr. Markle denied.

"We don't have time" D shouted angrily "we have caught few suspects and they have admitted that there is very limited time. Something major is going to happen. We need to know about that."

"Well to find about that is your job" Dr Markle lifted his book "to make sure my patient responds to my treatment is my job" he was about to walk away when John stopped him

"I am good. I am not sleepy. We can go ahead with the therapy." John said smartly suppressing his yawn

"That is your stubborn hard headed brain saying" Dr. complimented "and trust me it is a good thing. But your body has different opinions. Call me when both your head and body are in equilibrium."

Both D and John looked ta each other feeling defeated.

"Can I get details of the suspect?" John asked.

"Why don't you rest first." D was not sure "Dr. Markle thinks..

"What do you think D?" John was a bit louder.

"I think" D said with conviction "The John I know would not be able to sleep when he knows he can do something about it."

"To the conference room?" D suggested

"Yes sir" John followed after D

"Three people were arrested in Japan carrying fake passports and fake ids and lots of arms and ammunition." A female agent started after a formal greet. "We have confirm information from our reliable sources that they are targeting the Tokyo Olympics.

She changed the slide of the projector to different picture

"They were also carrying list of flights traveling to Japan from different parts of the world."

"What do you think they are planning to do in Japan?" her question directed towards John.

John was still processing the details.

"What are these tiny pictures on the left corner?"

John asked.

One of our agents basically an intern sent this data today, our team thinks its not that relevant." Tina who was giving the facts and also having her googly eyes on John said.

"What is it?" John asked.

"Some casual cases about people being abducted in different parts of the world." Tina said.

"Where is the intern?" John inquired.

"He disappeared." Tina said, no calls, no mails nothing.

His family?" John asked.

"He was an orphan." Tina replied.

"What happened to Natasha?" John asked, "What was she working on?"

"What do you remember about Natasha?" Tina asked about reasons other than pure profession.

"Something in the line of we were working on same project." John remembered vaguely.

"About your relationship status?" Tina bent to look directly in the eyes of John making him uncomfortable.

D coughed at the point interrupting the both "There have been repetitive missed calls on your phone and the caller id says the name Kathie"

"Kathie called" John said excitedly looking up for phone, a smile invariably gracing his face.

Once the new phone was offered, he picked the file from the table to study and headed out of the conference room.

Once out he felt disoriented.

"Top floor to the extreme right" D offered.

John noticed that the smart phone was very convenient to use.

He skipped the step jumping one over other and reached the room that D had guided him through.

He'd dialed the last call on his way "hey" he smiled "I am fine, really fine, you don't need to worry" he told on the call."

"I miss you" Kathie said, "When are you coming home?"

"I miss you too. And I am finally home " John answered as his eyes landed on the crystal photo frame with his picture hugging Natasha from behind. He'd actually lifted Natasha and she was floating in the air held by his strong arms."

John could vaguely remember the short trip to Paris, some assignment when they neutralized the threat to Eiffel tower

"That was quick" Natasha complimented John.

"Not without you milady" John gave a bow. "How did you know that he was the one?"

"The guy selling Eiffel tower key chains?" Natasha didn't wait for an answer "just a hunch" she shrugged.

"What a hunch?" John wasn't happy "You didn't notice that he wasn't interested in selling the things, he was simply staring around, his one hand always rested in his pocket where the remote was." John asked shocked.

"Yeah that too" Natasha waved her hand dismissively "that's why they send you with me."

"But you knew exactly where the bomb was placed" John smiled.

"Yeah I had been keeping a close eye on him" Natasha said, "he'd lighted few replicas exactly on the spot where bomb was placed."

John was mesmerized by her tiny detailing; she was really good at her job. All of a sudden he kissed her.

He was happiest today. He'd saved numerous lives though he couldn't save his family then.

Acute pain shot up on the left of his head.

"Are you there John?" Kathie asked form other end "Can we meet?" she asked.

"Yes sure. Will call you soon" John ended the call holding his head while he collapsed on the floor.