SECRET AGENT DAWSON
Chapter Thirty-Two

Corruption

A man sat blindfolded in the dark. He had thought many times about his wife. He hated the fact that he had to be away from her. He missed her. He didn't know what these men wanted. He had been dragged away by a few men and he had heard voices, but hadn't recognized any of them except for one. Before the ship had blown up, he remembered throwing Tobey overboard. Someone had hit him over the head, and then he had blacked out.

A man came into the room. "Ah…Mr. Carter. How are you?"

"I know that voice." Bill heard the familiar voice again.

"It's an old friend of yours." Someone removed the blindfold.

When the blindfold had been removed, Bill was shocked. "Mark? But you’re dead. Jack saw to it."

"Oh, no, dear boy. I was alive. You see, when Jack shot me, he failed to realize that I was only grazed by the bullet. Thanks to him, I will always have a scar." He touched his head where the scar was.

"Why did you do this? Why me?" Bill asked.

"No one knows you’re alive, Bill. I checked your file and had a replacement sent in the day that the ship exploded." Mark smiled at him.

"But that can't be. I am here." Bill was angry.

"Plastic surgery goes a long way, sonny." Mark got up and walked around.

"You had someone disguised as me?" Bill sat there with his hands tied behind his back.

"Yep." Mark went around Bill's chair.

"Why?" He followed Mark with his eyes.

"We needed someone they wouldn't miss. To help us." Mark went to a small table in the room and picked up a folder.

"I wouldn't help you if my life depended on it." Bill tried to wiggle out of his restraints.

"I thought you would say that. That is why I’ve got some news to tell you." He held the folder in front of his face.

"What news?" Bill was curious.

"Your wife. She thinks you’re dead, and she's remarried, as well," Mark read from the file.

"What?" Bill couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Your friend Tobey has married your wife." He looked at Bill, waiting for a reaction from him.

"No way. You’re kidding." Bill didn't believe him.

"It seems, Mr. Carter, that your wife was pregnant with his child. We have your house bugged." Mark lifted his eyes to see Bill and smiled.

"You’re wrong. It was mine." Bill had been sure that it was his.

"Oh, no, Mr. Carter, we’re right. You see, we trailed the lot of you, and we kept an eye on your private lives, as well. One of your agents helped." He failed to mention who.

"Who?" Bill looked around, wondering who had betrayed them.

"John Anderson," Mark said proudly.

"No. I don't believe it." Bill hadn't really known John, but he had to wonder. Why would he do it?

"Yes, believe it, and your caring wife slept with Tobey the night you had that big argument." Mark put down the file, regretting that he had had to tell him the news about his life.

"I...well, that son of a bitch! He played me, pretending to care about how my wife was! She was the one he called that day! I will kill him!" Bill grew furious, hatred in his eyes.

"Mr. Carter, I will let you dwell on your misery and misfortune, and then I will come back and we will talk," Mark said, getting up to leave.

"No. Don't. I've had enough. Did you and George work together?" Bill needed something to keep his mind off of Tobey.

"Yes, we have, for a couple of years," Mark said, answering his question.

"So, why am I here again?" Bill asked.

"Like I said, we needed someone they wouldn't miss." Mark was beginning to regret working with John.

"And?" Bill needed to find out what they were going to do to him.

"That is all I can tell you. For now, it's up to John. Well, see, he should be here soon. You see, he is working on a mind-altering drug. This drug can change your personality in a matter of seconds. We can make people believe that they killed someone or did something bad and they wouldn't even remember." Mark looked behind Bill, seeing someone looking through the door.

"You mean, like a mind control tactic?" Bill was intrigued by the drug.

"Exactly. Jack Dawson was hit with the first dose," Mark told him.

"You got to him?" Bill asked.

"Indeed I did. He doesn't know which way is up. We've been keeping tabs on him. So far, he remembers nothing of who he was or who he is." Mark was sad that it had been Jack. They had been best friends for a long time before Jack had gone into the agency.

"So, what are you gonna do with me? You obviously need me alive." Bill had figured out that much.

"Yes. You’re our next test subject," Mark said, getting up and moving to the door.

"Great! A guinea pig. You know, you should have killed me. I'd rather be dead. Because if I remember, I am gonna kill you!" Bill was furious enough as it was. First his wife and his best friend had married and had a child together and they had failed to tell him. Then, he was a science project. What could possibly be next for him?

"Calm down, Mr. Carter," John Anderson said from behind him.

"John, why did you do this?" Bill looked at him like he was an enemy.

"Simple. Money," John said, dressed in his expensive suit.

"What about your job as an agent?" Bill looked at him.

"I didn't get diddly squat for what I did for the firm for all those years." John really hadn't gotten anything but friendship. The money had been fine, but it hadn’t been enough for what he wanted to do.

"Then why didn't you quit, and why Jack? Wasn't he your friend?" Bill burned his blue eyes straight into John's soul.

"He was. But I just hated him. He seemed like a goodie-goodie." The total, honest truth was that John had been jealous of Jack. "I am sorry that I have to do this to you, but…well…I have no choice." He didn't want to do this to Bill, but if he wanted his plan to work, he had to do it. He took a syringe out of his jacket pocket, holding it and heading forward towards Bill.

"John, please. Don't," Bill pleaded with him.

"Sorry." He injected the fluid in the syringe into his bloodstream. Bill collapsed and fell into a deep sleep.

*****

A few days later, Bill found himself remembering everything, and then, at times, nothing. He remembered Lisa. He went home, got the key from under the flower pot, and collapsed on the couch. Lisa and Tobey were not home.

Lisa was the first to get home. She saw a man on the couch. Thinking that it was Tobey, she put down the baby and then went to tell Tobey to go to bed, but when she saw his face, she was shocked. She went to the phone and dialed Tobey's cell.

"Hello," Tobey answered.

"Tobey, get home quick. Bill is home." Lisa didn't bother to touch Bill.

"Bill's dead." Tobey thought Lisa was playing with him.

"I know. Please, get here." Lisa was scared. It couldn't possibly be Bill.

"I am on my way." Tobey hung up.

She clicked off and went over to Bill. She looked at his face. He looked like himself. There was something on his arm, a welt or blotch. She didn't bother to touch it.

Tobey called Jack and told him to spread the word about Bill. When he got home, Lisa was waiting by the door. "Tobey, thank God."

"Where is he?" Tobey walked in.

"On the couch." Lisa pointed.

Tobey shook Bill. Bill woke up. "Bill, it's Tobey. Man, get up."

"Tobey?" He pretended not to know who he was. He remembered that the serum hadn't worked on him for some reason.

"Bill, we need to talk." Tobey helped him up.

"Indeed we do, Maguire. Can I go to the bathroom first?" Bill asked.

"Sure. It's this way." He led him, and Bill pulled him in with him and turned on the shower and some music.

"Tobey, you fucking son of a bitch. You married my wife, and now, to top it all off, you fucked her. I swear, when this is over, you’re dead," Bill said sternly.

"When what's over?" Tobey was totally clueless.

"John Anderson betrayed us. He's got my house bugged. That is why I brought you in here with me," Bill confided in him.

Tobey nodded. "What's the deal?"

"John Anderson was working on a mind control drug. He used it on Jack and on me, but for some reason, I remember." Bill was happy that he remembered.

"For what it's worth, man, I was depressed when you died. I married Lisa because I love her, not because I pity her. As for the child…well…you know that already." Tobey was nervous being around Bill, now that he knew the truth.

"Yes, I do, but I have other things to worry about. Now, if you don't mind, I am gonna shower," Bill said, taking off his shirt.

Tobey went to Lisa and wrote a few things on a sheet of paper. She kept quiet for a while and went to the baby. She couldn't believe her first husband was alive. Tobey got some clothes for Bill. He went inside. Bill was still showering. "Um…Bill, I’ve got some clothes for you."

"Thanks. Just leave them. I will be right out," Bill said, washing his hair.

"Sure. Um…Bill, out of respect, I won't sleep with Lisa tonight." Tobey respected his friend.

"Thanks. I will get a place soon." Bill heard him. He didn't like that Tobey had married his wife, but there was nothing he could do.

"You’re welcome to stay at my old place if you want." Tobey still had his old apartment open, just in case he needed it.

"Thanks." Inside, Bill was angry, but he wanted to get Mark for causing this mess in the first place.

When Tobey left, Bill got out. His arm hurt a little. Blood oozed from the wound. He bandaged it up. He quickly got dressed and then went to sit on the couch.

"Would you like something to eat, Bill?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah. Anything is fine. Thanks, Lisa." He smiled at her, wanting to touch her and take her into his arms.

"You're welcome." She smiled back.

"So, where is the baby?" Bill looked around.

"She's asleep," Lisa told him, fixing him something to eat.

"Lisa, why did you marry him?" He wanted to know the truth.

"I love Tobey. I grieved for you. I'm sorry you had to find out the way you did." She looked at him, feeling bad about her deception before he had left.

"Did you ever love me?" He walked over to the kitchen.

"Always. I always loved you." She looked down. He got up and put his hand on her shoulder.

He didn't need to hear anymore. He knew that she had loved him once upon a time, and he was glad for that. At least he had that to hold onto. He loved her, but if Tobey was what she wanted, he would leave her alone to be happy. He would do anything for her.

Chapter Thirty-Three
Stories