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ALIAS  –  Virtuous/Vicious

Synopsis:  Someone is murdering key undercover CIA operatives, and when Sydney is revealed to be among the targets, Jack reaches out to a mercurial former associate – one who also happens to be the agency’s prime suspect.

 for graphic violence, language, strong sexual content, and mature themes.


PREVIEW:

            As soon as his key hit the lock of his apartment door, Jack knew.  Someone was here, concealed in the dark.  He could almost feel the intruder's presence, translated into a low, deep tremor in his belly.   It was one of those instinctual sensations that he'd learned to trust long ago.  Trouble was, sharp as his instincts were, it was still pitch black in the apartment, and no matter what he felt, it wouldn't help him see anything.
            He smoothed the wallpaper with one hand, slowly discovering and silently flipping a lightswitch.  It gave him no light, and less comfort.  The tremor began to rise, and as it did, Jack found the textured grip on his pistol with his opposite hand and tugged, freeing the weapon from its shoulder holster.  Then he pressed his back against the wall, and crept along, keeping himself flat against it, the pistol pointed toward the ceiling and away from his body.            
            Then a far lamp snapped to life, and within an instant, Jack was face to face with a man he’d known once upon a time.  One he'd gone with on journeys to hell and back.  And now, that fellow was sitting on a folding chair, aiming a .40-caliber Sig Sauer pistol squarely at Jack’s eyes, and letting a small smirk play on his lips.   Jack's face was much grimmer, but his aim was a mirror.
            "Hey there, Agent Bristow.  You’re a good ten minutes late,"  the man said.
            Jack solidified his grip.  "An ambush?  I expected something more elaborate."
            "Ambush?"  His voice was a parody of indignance. "I would never ambush you.  That's too easy.  I'm just dropping in for a friendly hello."
            "So you broke into my apartment and are pointing a gun at me because you happened to be in the neighborhood."
            The man shook his head.  "Well, you were looking for me, right?"  And then, as if to interrupt  Jack's next thought, he added, "Wendell told me." 
            Jack frowned harder.  "Another should-be dead man still out in the world." 
            "Roaming souls, forever living and forever damned."  His eyes danced a bit.  "
He asked me to say hi from him.  I still haven't decided if I'm going to." 
            Jack snorted.  "Cut the shit."
            "Always liked that about you, Jack.  Straight shooter."  The man leaned forward a bit.  "Wendell says the reason you're looking for me has to do with some dead NOCs.   Certainly hope you don't think I was involved."
            Jack's eyes were slits.  "The killer or killers were sneaky bastards who infiltrated covert ops, blew them up from the inside, then walked away like nothing happened.  That's your particular modus operandi, if I haven't forgotten."
            "Ouch," the man replied. "That was a bit personal.  No friend's discount for you."
            Jack's jaw tightened.  "We were never friends."
            "Double ouch."  The smirk became a grin.
            "Al Maxwell was my friend.  You are not him."
            "Yes, I am, Jack.  You can say I'm not from now until doomsday.  It's just that I also happen to be Special Agent Don Wheeler of the FBI, or Deputy U.S. Marshal Scott Trenton, or – well, whoever else I’m told to be.  Not much different from you."
            Jack's eyes narrowed, and his fingertip found the trigger on his Beretta.  "Listen, Maxwell - or whoever the hell you are today - I’m fresh out of patience for your preferred brand of smirking malice bullshit."
            Al tilted his head a bit.  His grin, like the muzzle of his piece, was stable.  "You haven’t forgotten, have you, Jack?  Threats generally don’t work with me.  When you’re among the walking dead, they tend to roll right off you.  So let's put the guns down, and you can tell me why you've really gone through the effort to find me."
            "You know about the NOCs,"  Jack said.
            "Sure, Jack,"  Al replied.  "But that's not the real reason, is it?"

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