Read Online Perilous Choice by Malcolm Rhodes - Free Book Online Page B

problems.”
     
                  “I don’t understand.”
     
                  “That’s my responsibility.  Any idea what happened to Oliver by the way?”
     
                  Olivia was caught off-guard.  “You don’t know?”
     
                  “No, I’m afraid Cassandra tends to leave us in the dark.”
     
                  “I know the feeling.  When we arrived Cassandra relieved him of his duties and he was taken away.”
     
                  “She can do that now?”
     
                  “Apparently she can.”
     
                  “Then things are moving even faster than any of us knew.  That means I need to get you up to speed as quickly as possible.  That means we need to go see Carlos.”
     
                  “Okay.”
     
                  Jamal led Olivia down one row of work stations and then left into an area that broadened out into one large work station with enormous digital display screens.  The scale of the enterprise took Olivia’s breath away.  A man that she assumed was Carlos was working at the large work station that powered the amazing array as she took it in.  Images flashed on the screens, but she could make sense of none of them.  She hoped that Carlos could clear things up.
     
                  Carlos maneuvered himself around to face his visitors as he said, “Hello, Olivia.  It’s been a very long time.”
     
                  “Charlie.”  Olivia replied.  His was a face she never expected to see again.
     
                  “I’ll let you two get reacquainted.”  Jamal said.  “Update me on your progress, Carlos.”
     
                  “Will do.”  Carlos said off-handedly as he quickly redirected his attention back on his old friend, Olivia.
     
                  Olivia moved forward and touched Charlie to make sure that he actually existed.  She had believed him dead or at least that was what she had been told.  She remembered the day so clearly.  The news had sent her into a deep tailspin.  Only the opportunity to work as an agent had given her the purpose to go on. 
     
                  “I’m sorry, Olivia.”  Carlos said with deep affection.  “It was necessary that you believed that I was dead.”
     
                  “Why?”  Olivia’s hand remained on Charlie’s arm.  It brought back feelings that she had long ago left behind.
     
                  Carlos put his own hand on Olivia’s.  “I did care deeply for you, Olivia.”
     
                  “I know you did.”
     
                  “I saw such great potential in you, Olivia.  I knew that you were the one we were looking for.”
     
                  “You mean to kill those poor babies.”
     
                  “No!”  Carlos turned away in disgust.  “You don’t understand.”
     
                  “Then help me to understand.”  Olivia touched the back of Charlie’s neck.  She still couldn’t help, but think of him as Charlie.  “Why does everyone call you Carlos?”
     
                  Carlos turned back and replied, “Charlie was that person who was a slave to evil; to the chancellor and his abominations.  I left that all behind.”
     
                  “When you died.”
     
                  “Yes.  I became a different person.  I am a different person.  I see the world as it is now and not as the chancellor would pretend it to be.  I found you, Olivia.  I found you and I saw that you were the one who could change everything.  If found you, but then I fell in love with you and that almost ruined everything.”
     
                  Charlie, no she had to think of him as Carlos, was bearing his soul and it took her breath away.  “Why