Read Online Lethal Circuit by Lars Guignard - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lars Guignard
Tags: Fiction, thriller, science, Asia, Mystery, Travel, Technology, china, spy, energy, technothriller
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—“
“It’s not about the chicken. Hurry up.”
The line went dead, which Mobi considered odd for the Deputy Director Alvarez who, while ever busy, was always polite. The other thing Mobi considered odd was the fact that she was at still at work at this late hour. Sure she was known to pull overtime during critical missions, but Alvarez had a family to get back to and as far as he knew JPL’s current missions were running well within operational parameters, all of which led Mobi to believe that something had come up. Something that would relieve him from the boredom he too often felt in his evening vigils. And so, his curiosity piqued, Mobi picked up his square frame, wiped the tahini from his chin, and headed upstairs for what he sensed was about to become a very interesting night.
11
W HEN M ICHAEL TURNED eight his father taught him how to lie. His real birthday party wasn’t until the next day, but Michael’s grandmother was coming over that night for a pre-birthday dinner. Michael would have to wear the blue suit she had given him. But Michael didn’t like wearing the suit. It made him look like an old man. So when his mom told him to go put it on, Michael procrastinated. He looked at his comic books. Then he played with his Star Wars stuff. And then he found a book of matches. Michael knew he wasn’t supposed to play with matches, but he lit one just the same. Then he lit another one. And somewhere between the fourth and fifth match, his new Fantastic Four began to burn.
Michael didn’t even notice it at first because he was too busy pulling the suit off its hanger. But when he did see the fire, flames licking toward the curtains, he knew what he had to do. He threw his suit jacket onto the pile of comics, smothering the flame. Luckily it went out, but by that time there was a lot of smoke in the room. And his suit was ruined.
After the inevitable relief that he was okay, his parents were upset. His dad told him that he was going to learn a lesson that night. But it wasn’t the lesson about not playing with fire. Instead, his dad told Michael that he was gong to learn how to lie. Telling the truth was always the first choice. But it wasn’t always the best choice. Because some people couldn’t hear the truth. And one of those people was his grandmother. He said it would upset her very much if she found out about the fire and what had happened to the suit. If she asked Michael where it was, Michael’s father asked him to say that it was at the dry cleaners. To not mention the fire. It would only worry her. Michael did as he was told. It was the first time he had lied and from what he could tell, he wasn’t bad at it. He wondered if he would ever have to lie again.
“Y OU ’ RE A SPY , he’s a spy, I’m a spy too,” Michael said, holding his father’s many passports in hand.
“Give it a rest, Michael,” Kate said.
“No really, you were right the first time. I’m a spy. Went to spy school. Learned some spy stuff. We even had a spy dance. We called it the spy prom. I brought Mata Hari, super spy leader and all round hottie.”
“What I’m saying is serious.”
Michael met Kate’s eyes. They had softened since the cab ride. Since bringing him here. “And I’m not?”
“Your dad’s job,” Kate said. “The way he spent so much time away from home. Did you think that was normal?”
“He traveled for work.”
“But did you ever really ask your dad what exactly he did?”
“We didn’t talk about that stuff.”
“It’s because he didn’t want to lie to you. Not if he didn’t have to.”
“He was a businessman,” Michael said. “He sold sneakers.”
“That was his cover. I’m not saying it wasn’t.”
“So what are you saying then? That the man I knew, that the man who raised me wasn’t who he pretended to be? That he was a spy. That the both of you worked for the Central Intelligence Agency?”
“No. He was CIA. I’m MI6,” Kate said quietly.
“This just
“It’s not about the chicken. Hurry up.”
The line went dead, which Mobi considered odd for the Deputy Director Alvarez who, while ever busy, was always polite. The other thing Mobi considered odd was the fact that she was at still at work at this late hour. Sure she was known to pull overtime during critical missions, but Alvarez had a family to get back to and as far as he knew JPL’s current missions were running well within operational parameters, all of which led Mobi to believe that something had come up. Something that would relieve him from the boredom he too often felt in his evening vigils. And so, his curiosity piqued, Mobi picked up his square frame, wiped the tahini from his chin, and headed upstairs for what he sensed was about to become a very interesting night.
11
W HEN M ICHAEL TURNED eight his father taught him how to lie. His real birthday party wasn’t until the next day, but Michael’s grandmother was coming over that night for a pre-birthday dinner. Michael would have to wear the blue suit she had given him. But Michael didn’t like wearing the suit. It made him look like an old man. So when his mom told him to go put it on, Michael procrastinated. He looked at his comic books. Then he played with his Star Wars stuff. And then he found a book of matches. Michael knew he wasn’t supposed to play with matches, but he lit one just the same. Then he lit another one. And somewhere between the fourth and fifth match, his new Fantastic Four began to burn.
Michael didn’t even notice it at first because he was too busy pulling the suit off its hanger. But when he did see the fire, flames licking toward the curtains, he knew what he had to do. He threw his suit jacket onto the pile of comics, smothering the flame. Luckily it went out, but by that time there was a lot of smoke in the room. And his suit was ruined.
After the inevitable relief that he was okay, his parents were upset. His dad told him that he was going to learn a lesson that night. But it wasn’t the lesson about not playing with fire. Instead, his dad told Michael that he was gong to learn how to lie. Telling the truth was always the first choice. But it wasn’t always the best choice. Because some people couldn’t hear the truth. And one of those people was his grandmother. He said it would upset her very much if she found out about the fire and what had happened to the suit. If she asked Michael where it was, Michael’s father asked him to say that it was at the dry cleaners. To not mention the fire. It would only worry her. Michael did as he was told. It was the first time he had lied and from what he could tell, he wasn’t bad at it. He wondered if he would ever have to lie again.
“Y OU ’ RE A SPY , he’s a spy, I’m a spy too,” Michael said, holding his father’s many passports in hand.
“Give it a rest, Michael,” Kate said.
“No really, you were right the first time. I’m a spy. Went to spy school. Learned some spy stuff. We even had a spy dance. We called it the spy prom. I brought Mata Hari, super spy leader and all round hottie.”
“What I’m saying is serious.”
Michael met Kate’s eyes. They had softened since the cab ride. Since bringing him here. “And I’m not?”
“Your dad’s job,” Kate said. “The way he spent so much time away from home. Did you think that was normal?”
“He traveled for work.”
“But did you ever really ask your dad what exactly he did?”
“We didn’t talk about that stuff.”
“It’s because he didn’t want to lie to you. Not if he didn’t have to.”
“He was a businessman,” Michael said. “He sold sneakers.”
“That was his cover. I’m not saying it wasn’t.”
“So what are you saying then? That the man I knew, that the man who raised me wasn’t who he pretended to be? That he was a spy. That the both of you worked for the Central Intelligence Agency?”
“No. He was CIA. I’m MI6,” Kate said quietly.
“This just
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