Game Never Over: Chapter 1

Notian Fleming presents: "Game Never Over"

Chapter 1

May 10, 2006. The cadaver-grey asphalt of greater Los Angeles bled slowly, unceasingly into the sky. It's been three days since I was assigned to this location, with no more instruction than to await for further instructions. Three days of cold burritos, a sticky pleather driver seat and that damn sky.

I know I've never been on M's favorite list, never been treated like one of those fancy agents; you know, those guys who don't have to share the tuxes, don't have to change the tire on the rental or can afford to order more than "water... with a lemon, please". Look, it's NOT because I haven't done good field work either. There was that time in New Jersey, when I spent 2 days extracting critical information from the dry cleaner of the driver of the Ambassador from Turkey. Without the exact description of the driver's suit, there's no telling how badly botched that swap would have been. But here I am now, with three wasted days behind me.

Just then, my pager went off. It was "Q". I pulled over to the nearest pay phone, found the change I got back at the In & Out and got out of the car. I scanned the area for hostiles (you can never forget your training) and made the call.

Q picked up right away, "Head downtown, to the convention center...", he began. He then said something about foreign technology... about a change in a Revolution... and something else about portable devices of enterstrangement? I can never understand a word that guy says but I understood what was required of me. It's time to go to work.

"Convention center, got it" I said and hung up.

"Don't..." squeaked from the receiver as I clattered it back in place. It was probably just Q telling me "Don't let the world down".

Don't worry Q, I won't.

[ Continues in Chapter 2]