Citizen Out

CITIZEN OUT

The Citizen Chronicles

by

Marie Crist

Smashwords Edition

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Published on Smashwords by:

Reaction Press

Citizen Out: The Citizen Chronicles

Copyright 2010 by Marie Crist

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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Preface

South Jordan, UT

The blaring heat didn’t seem to faze him. The empty foreclosed upon home provided the perfect backdrop of privacy, and a tall, green wall of shrubs concealed his position. He ripped out a fistful of leaves. Through this afforded line of sight he tracked their every move. He watched the little girls as they gathered in a circle, laughing, and telling each other their secrets. Their tiny lips pursed into each other’s ears. This excited him. The way they giggled and danced around, it was as if they were teasing him, taunting him purposefully. Their pastel skirts tossed around their thighs as the wind blew their hair across their perfect, pouting lips. These girls wanted him, that’s why they dressed to please him. His urge to take them was a craving he was willing to surrender to. His heart beat faster and his breath quickened. Sweat rolled down the side of his face as his hands twitched eagerly in anticipation of sliding along that untouched, silky skin. His callous hands felt rough against his face as he wiped away the perspiration.

He wouldn’t be able to have all of them; it would draw far too much attention. He must choose his favorite. That special one he would spend days with, getting to know every inch of her body and making her know every inch of his. He loved that her final days, and in fact her final seconds, would be spent with his naked skin pressed to hers. But which one would it be… which little kitten would he give himself to? He had been pulled in by the blonde’s beautiful long hair that swayed across her butt when she walked, but the brunette had those emerald green eyes he wanted to stare into for hours. He was most drawn, however, to the freckles on the red head’s nose. That sweet skin was fresh and glowing with pristine pureness. She would be the one. He’d made his choice.

Trembling with excitement, he could almost feel her squirming under him. He could smell her sweet breath on his mouth as she begged. He knew she would cry for him to stop…at first. That would just be her beautiful innocence talking. After he had taken that innocence, he knew she would love it…him. He knew all of them had. He could feel the sensations coursing through his body as his sexual arousal intensified. He slid his hand up his thigh toward his groin.

No! He mustn’t get too excited. He had to wait for her…. when it would be perfect. He had it all planned out. He had been so careful to save every drop, every drop for days now…for her. The next couple days would bring so many releases for them that he must be patient. A breeze passed through his white cotton tee shirt and helped to cool his core.

The girls were starting to head to their homes now. He knew the red head lived the furthest down the street and that she would be alone in a few short minutes. No one would be there to ruin their moment, their meeting for the first time. All along he knew it would be her, because he had a thing for red heads. This new one was even more special than most, because she was a perfect reminder of his first, Cari. She had been so spirited, and feisty to the very end. There had been so many since her but she had been the best and he had given up hope of ever having it that good again, until now. This new girl would bring that back for him.

He had watched them patiently for a week now and knew their routines as well as those of the neighborhood. He knew that when the girls got off the bus, the street would be empty. He would have plenty of time to collect his new toy. He had lived and fantasized about this moment with every breath, he had even dreamt of it.

The wait was always the hardest part; he had learned to be more patient over the years. When he was younger he couldn’t always control his enthusiasm. Nearly getting caught and years of experience honed his skill. Things were better now, he was better now.

The other two girls broke away to their driveways and the red head was all alone, but not for long. She was coming closer, so close now… he bit the inside of his cheek in anticipation. His denim jeans rustled against the branches as he crouched further into position.

He could smell her sweet scent with each step she took toward him. Every click of her Mary Jane’s on the concrete sidewalk screamed the countdown in seconds.

Click

Click

Click

It’s time.

He began to step out from behind the bush to greet her. He leaned forward and put one foot in front of the other. The intoxicating smells of crayons and chalk drifted under his nose; reminiscent of his own childhood.

From paradise to perdition was instant.

•

His hand flew to his neck as pure hell ripped through his flesh, crippling him. He felt a sharp jerk and could hear tissues tearing… sinews being cut. He stumbled and fell to the ground a crumpled heap of meat. This can’t be happening. He thought. He tried to scream, boiling Hell filled his throat, burning his voice box. Only a gurgling sound escaped. He tried to fight, but fight against whom? His vision blurred and darkened. His eyes saw only a shadow. A demon sent from hell to claim her own. He tried to swallow, but even natural reflexes magnified his pain as the blade had severed his larynx. He gagged as the river of blood filled his lungs. His fight for breath was pointless. Not even a sigh escaped as blood and tissue were forced from the wound in his neck. Death was here and she was in no mood for pleasantries.

The comfort of unconsciousness didn’t come. Time stopped, as his pain was unbearable. His body spasmed painfully as nerves fired relentlessly at the loss of oxygen. Muscles tightened around the sharpened blade still embedded in his neck and pain dragged him rapidly toward damnation.

In the darkness, the man’s shape re-appeared, this man must be responsible for his agony. Everything became hazy as he clung to consciousness. Help, help me, please, he mouthed, no noise escaped his blood filled mouth. The eyes staring back at him, though, weren’t merciful. He realized he was looking into the face of his own death. All these years of him being the monster everyone feared, he never imagined what HIS monster would look like. His despair grew as his life drained. His legs gave a final kick of defiance. His eyes rolled back into his head.

The dark figure slid off the second skin of latex from his hands and pulled a phone from his pocket. Holding down number one in order to call the only contact programmed into the phone, he waited for the beep. It’s done, the stranger said into the cell phone.

The mark has been cleaned, the innocent never saw him. Citizen Out.

His update would be reported and they would know he had succeeded. He turned the phone off and removed the SIM card. He quickly extracted the wallet and keys from the crumpled body. He needed to dispose of them, as well as the phone and gloves. He would do this the way he always did. He had been trained well over the years, and he never slipped up. After all this time, the rules had become second nature to him and the others. All the hours of training in strikes, holds and deadly techniques had become reflex when needed. The police would think this had been a random act of violence and would have no leads or evidence to suggest otherwise, allowing him and the others to continue with their work.

The world was becoming a safer place with him and his people secretly cleaning out the filth that walks the streets. Each mission was slowly but surely bringing the peace they had set out to restore.

Before the citizen turned to disappear, he took a long, gazing look at the precious little girl he had saved. The girl was such a breath of fresh air, leaping playfully up the steps to her home. He knew that neither she nor her family would ever realize just how close they came to tragedy, how close her parents had come to losing what mattered most. He would never receive a thank you or a shred of gratitude from the families for the lives he’s saved. His anonymity is the second gift he leaves.

At headquarters, a woman sat in a chair listening to the calls coming in from around the world. They never identified themselves, but she knew their voices, so familiar. She sat and waited for them to check in. But she wasn’t alone. He was there with her; he was always there with her… listening and waiting.

The intercom beeped announcing a call. This one came in from Utah:

The mark has been cleaned, the innocent never saw him.

The same report came across another line, this one from Texas, another from Argentina. The voices all came across the speaker the same way and always ended with the same two words,

Citizen out.

* * * * *

Chapter One

Los Angeles, CA

Kevin ducked out from underneath the low headroom and stretched sideways into the cramped aisle. He grabbed his black carry-on from the overhead and slowly exited the plane. He began to navigate through the flow of individuals, and eased towards the nearest exit at LAX. Even though he could not see ten feet in front of him (due to his fellow travelers) he wasn’t irritated by the crowd in the slightest. As Kevin finally passed through the double doors leading out of the airport, the hot air hit him hard with its dense smog. It was as if someone had shaken Los Angeles like a snow globe and watched as the pollutants swirled around the city. After a short twenty-minute shuttle ride, Kevin left the parking lot in his Audi A8 with the welcome destination of home in mind. This certainly wasn’t any different from every other time he had to leave town on business. Just like all of those other trips, the final drive back to his family seemed to last forever. Kevin used this time to reflect on the business he had accomplished over the past week so that he could put work aside the moment he walked through his front door.

Kevin pulled into his driveway after an hour and excitement consumed him as he latched onto the first person he saw.

Daddy ... you’re ... squeezing me, Kaden grunted. Man, I forget how dangerous your hugs are when you get home! Kaden’s seven-year-old ribs were not built to take the embrace they were receiving.

Sorry, kiddo! I‘m just happy to see you, buddy.

With a small hand held high as an indication of the attention required, Kaden assured his father, It’s fine, just don’t try to kiss me. I’m a man now and we don’t do that, got it?

A warm smile swept across Kevin’s face and he just nodded in compliance with his son’s demands. Every time he went away on business it seemed he was coming home to a much older child.

What about me, daddy? begged a small voice concealed by the shadow of her older brother.

Hey there! How’s my beautiful little girl? Kevin said as he lifted her into the air and spun her around the room, earning delighted giggles in response. I missed you so much ... I couldn’t wait to hug you and kiss you and call you George! You are getting so big! What are you, seventeen now?

Daddy, I’m five! And my name is Alexis! She held up her hand sprawling out her five fingers. She loved this daddy/daughter game they always played when Kevin returned home from one of his trips.

Good, I want you to stay five forever, you understand, he said, knowing she would object and give some excuse as to how she couldn’t control growing up. Kevin gave one last giant squeeze and set Alexis on the floor to run off and play. Where’s mommy? he asked loudly, hoping that the person he wanted to see would provide the answer.

I’m in the kitchen making your favorite—the infamous, ‘Home at last dinner’. Celeste was smiling as she stirred the sauce to go into the pasta. I waited in here where it was safe until the kids got finished with you. There’s no reason to chance broken bones fighting for the first kiss when it’s the last one that counts. Get in here!

Kevin swiftly crossed the room, tilting his wife back in his arms, as he planted one square on her lips.

EEWW!

Kevin and Celeste turned around just in time to see their squeamish daughter run from the room, and then made sure to kiss again for good measure. Let’s hope she feels that way until she’s thirty. And speaking of kids growing up, did you hear Kaden doesn’t give kisses anymore? He’s a man now, apparently. How long has this been going on?

Well, I think the day after you left on business is when he first pulled that one on me, just as I dropped him off at school. I just figured he’d reached that phase boys go through when they’re too cool to kiss their moms goodbye in front of their friends. So I smiled and tried not to act hurt. I think I handled it well considering. How are you? Celeste stroked her husband’s hair in an attempt to ease his wounded daddy ego.

I’ll figure out a way to deal with the fact that he’s growing up, but I’m not happy about it. Let me just state that for the record. These trips are essential but I feel I miss a lot while I’m gone.

Speaking of which, how did your business go?

It couldn’t have gone better; they bought the mother lode of all systems. Tomorrow will be busy getting the details worked out so that the team can work on the customizations according to the specs. For right now, I want to shower before dinner and then I want to hear how things went here. Kevin slid his tie off and climbed the stairs to the master bedroom where he placed his luggage on the bed and began to unpack. Tomorrow would be a long day but he was looking forward to the pleased looks from his colleagues silently commending another successful trip. Celeste would be there and that was just as important as the job itself.

Hey, everyone! Dinner’s ready! Celeste called out to her family, who came rushing past her as if they hadn’t seen food in days.

Daddy, it’s your turn to say the prayer.

You’re right, Alexis, so close your eyes and bow your heads. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for our family and for keeping us all safe as I traveled. Thank you for our jobs that we all do to keep this family close and protected. Please bless everyone in the world that they will love one another and help one another. Thank you for this food that we are blessed to have and please bless it to the nourishment of our bodies. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Amen, the family resounded.

Kevin swirled spaghetti around his fork, So how’d things go around here while I was gone?

Normal, since I got another A on my math test! Kaden’s academic achievement was almost lost in the mouthful of spaghetti he was struggling to contain.

That’s my boy ... I mean, my man.

Celeste cut her eyes quickly toward husband with a sympathetic smile. Well, Kaden’s right, things were normal around here with ball practices, homework, and my work. Work was busy as usual but the kids’ activities are more exhausting than security system analysis.

Well, it sounds like you need a much deserved massage to help with those exhausted muscles. It was the same offer Kevin made every time he got back from a trip and the sly smile he used as part of the proposal guaranteed that Celeste always accepted.

After tucking the kids into bed with a bedtime story, Kevin shifted his attention back to reconnecting with his wife. Now, why don’t you point out those sore muscles?

Celeste emerged from the bathroom, taking off her robe to reveal the sheer nightie Kevin loved so much. Well, there is one here and another here ... and more here, she smiled as she moved her finger down from her shoulder to other areas she was waiting for her husband to visit.

Morning came too quickly and daily routines were in full swing.

Hurry kids, we have to go! Celeste rushed the kids to finish their last bites of breakfast. She then turned her gaze to Kevin, who was securing the knot in his tie. Honey, are you ready to go?

Kevin smiled and thought for a moment about how he was married to the most beautiful drill sergeant in the world. Absolutely! Come on, kids; get your backpacks. He then turned to Celeste and boyishly boasted, See honey, I contribute in the morning.

Yeah, you’re irreplaceable.

I know, and just to be extra helpful I’ll even lock the door and set the alarm. Seriously, what would you do without me?

Celeste whipped around and snuggled up to him, sliding her arms around his waist. She whispered with the concern of someone who might have reason to worry, I never want to find out. She gently kissed his ear before letting go and took her seat in the car. With everyone buckled in their seats, the first stop was at the school and then off to work for a long day of debriefing.

* * * * *

Chapter Two

Cameron crawled tighter into a ball. His arms stretched around his knees as he began rocking from side to side. His mommy always rocked him when he was scared. She wasn’t here, though, and he was so scared. He didn’t know why he was brought to this place or where his mommy and daddy were. Why didn’t they come get him? Why was he in this room all by himself? He looked down at his red shoes and realized his laces were untied. One finger after another he worked the strings, make one bunny ear; go around the bunny ear and through the bush with the other string. Pull tight and double tie. His mommy would not want him walking around with his laces untied. He was getting better at tying his shoes, she would be so proud of him. He couldn’t wait to show her. He wanted to go home. His eyes stung as the tears began to fill them again. A low sobbing sound escaped him.

Grrr.

He slowly wiped his eyes and got still again. The mean man that brought him here told him that if he moved or cried that the mean dog would be let out of the cage and would eat him. He didn’t want to be eaten. He slowly put his hand back around his knee and sniffed. I want my mommy!

•

South America

Jonathon glanced again at the new ID and passport he’d just acquired. They were perfect, real pieces of art. They should be for the fortune he spent on them. The guy he used was a well kept secret throughout South America and accepted new clients by referrals only.

This was how Jonathon himself found new clientele. Any unknown person showing up asking for his product was killed and disposed of immediately. He never took chances and he never stayed in one place for more than a few days. His product was always on the move. One remote location after another, his places of operation supplied only the basic of amenities, shelter, and camouflage. Always paying for everything in cash, having the cargo moved at night and he only coming into contact with the shipment when a client was ready to purchase. These rules and procedures were what kept him out of some shitty South American dungeon masquerading as a prison cell.

He had one last sale to make this morning and then he was off to find new product. He kept his quantity of on-hand merchandise quite small, which made detection difficult, and relocation relatively easy. The client should arrive within a few minutes. This particular customer had been a loyal and generous buyer for years now, his tastes were extremely hard to satisfy, but always well worth the long hours of searching and procurement.

Keeping his buyers satisfied was most important to Jonathon, especially when new clients were so few and far between. Clients knew to keep their mouths shut, this was a sensitive situation for Jonathon’s consumers; their careers would be over (often, as well as their lives) if the public knew of their deviant tastes in lifestyle. Jonathon knew that most politicians and CEO’s had dabbled in drugs when they were in college, maybe they even had an illegitimate child out there somewhere, maybe they occasionally had a few too many drinks at a cocktail party. These discretions, however, were not what constituents wanted the pillars of their community doing during free time, especially not with tax payer money. Jonathon smirked at the notion that average people had no idea how many of these so called distinguished gentlemen showed up at his door wanting his product.

The driveway motion alarm signaled the arrival of the client. Jonathon stood up from the scarred wooden chair and maneuvered around the similarly mangled desk. He waited nervously for a knock on the door. He glanced around the soon to be abandoned shack; it would be nice to get back to the States, where steaming hot showers and meals devoid of bugs were an expectation and a right. South America had resorts offering picturesque landscapes, white sandy beaches lined with sapphire blue waves splashing at your feet, and seven-course meals so good it would make you wanna slap your mama. But he couldn’t work from those places, and running a business such as his took every attention to detail. Plus, those resorts were full of tourists that wanted to meet and befriend every damn person they saw. What do you do? Where are you from? Are you here with your family? By the second question he would inevitably struggle with the desire to drag his blade across some asshole’s throat, and how would that be for business? No, staying away from populated areas unless forced was necessary protocol. He had a couple men that handled any job that required a public appearance. By its very nature, his business had made him a recluse.

There was an insistent knock from across the room and Jonathon walked over to the rusted metal door, sliding the resistant thing open. Come in, let’s make this quick. He stepped aside as the expensive Suit walked in, he never could tell the difference between an Armani and any other $6000 jacket and pants. He just knew that these men didn’t wear suits off the rack from JC Penny. This particular suit looked like it had been picked out by the client’s wife, a little too European fluff for Jonathon’s straight, American man’s taste.

It’s this way. Jonathon slammed the door and turned on his heel, leading his client further into the shack. After walking just a few feet, they rounded a corner and came to a single, weather beaten door. Jonathon unlocked the padlock and pushed the door open. The Suit walked a step closer and stared, approval flickered across his face, and he handed a thick envelop to Jonathon without ever taking his eye off his new toy.

Nice doing business, now take it and leave. Jonathon stepped aside, allowing just enough room for the Suit to pass through.

I am sending you a new client. He will be in contact soon. The client didn’t even look up as he spoke, he just gaping at what he had come for, the traces of a smile dancing across his lips.

From your circle? Jonathon replied, an edge of unease creeping into his little-used voice.

Yes, and I know he will be as pleased with your work as I am.

Fine, we’ll see what happens. Now, Get out.

The Suit held out his hand, and without any apparent hesitation, it was filled with a familiar, soft warmth. This elated him instantly, as he imagined what would be coming soon. Barely containing his excitement he quickly headed back the way he came, and reached out to open the door.

Move, I’ll get it. Jonathon growled, forcing the hinges against their will. He watched as the Suit and the four-year-old little boy wearing red shoes exited his soon to