Space Hoax

11 REASSIGNMENT

Peter’s right leg was bouncing rapidly up and down like a jackhammer under the waterfront table in the classy restaurant. Above the uncontrollable action Peter’s steady hand held a glass of champagne as he looked into the eyes of his one true love. Peter was ecstatic to finally be alone with Anya after his successful rescue of the cosmonauts and her return from Russia. He was trying to control his nerves as he was about to change his life forever. After years of being a playboy, Peter was finally ready to make the ultimate commitment. It was time to officially end his single days and ask Anya to marry him.

The Flying Dutchman restaurant was the perfect place for Peter to propose. He had wonderful memories at the seafood eatery located right off a channel leading into the Gulf of Mexico southeast of Houston. Peter had been coming to the restaurant ever since his high school days. Back in the ’80s he was treated like a celebrity because he was a moonwalker’s son. He took most of his dates to the classy joint and always got a prime seat. Though the ownership had changed and he was no longer recognized, nostalgia alone made it the perfect place to propose. As they sat at a secluded table he still wasn’t sure how he should pop the question.

He tipped his glass in Anya’s direction. “A toast to the two of us sharing many more moments like this.”

Anya smiled, but she seemed to be missing that twinkle in her eye. They lightly touched their glasses together, a soft chime echoing in the air.

As he took a sip of the chilled, fizzy liquid, the sharp corners of the ring box in his pocket became more and more irritating. The constant weight against his leg tempted him to pop the question just to get rid of it. Peter casually put his hand under the table to adjust the box in hopes of relieving the annoying reminder. The time wasn’t right yet.

Peter straightened up in his chair. “Whenever things got tough in space, thinking of you always relaxed me. There were moments when I would look down at the wonders below, and I always questioned where you were, what you were doing. I tried to pass on a vibe letting you know I was thinking of you and that I loved you.”

“I felt it.” Anya took a sip, her eyes never wavering from his. “You really enjoy flying in space, don’t you?”

Peter smiled big. “It’s so magical up there above our planet. The thrill is invigorating. Seeing our whole world with all its vibrant colors always makes me feel alive and closer to God. It’s just so hard to describe or explain. I wish I could take you up and we could experience it together.”

Anya shook her head vigorously. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m happy right here on Earth.” She set her glass down. “Dmitri was impressed with your flying. I know he’s a little jealous. He misses space, just like Dad did.”

“I can totally understand. Once you have been up there, you want to go back. It becomes a part of you. I can’t wait to go up there again.”

Anya turned away to look out the window. The room seemed still for a second. She turned with an odd look on her face. “I need to go to the restroom.”

Peter politely stood. She got up and smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

Peter slowly sat back down, never taking his eye off the beautiful woman he wanted to marry. She strode away, her black stilettos clicking on the tile floor, her tight sparkling navy blue dress swaying back and forth alluringly. He shook his head. Damn, I’m one lucky cat.

After she turned the corner, it was time to get to work on the task at hand. He had to figure out how he was going to ask her. He pulled out the small ring box from his pocket and set it on the table. A feast of senses consumed him as he slowly opened it. He proudly pulled out the glittering jewelry and slipped the ring as far as he could down his pinky finger. He held up his hand and stared at the ring intently, thinking of what it meant. He was convinced he was ready. He pulled the ring off and noticed an elderly couple a few tables over staring at him with big smiles on their faces. He flashed them a quick thumbs-up before setting the ring back in the box.

He looked around the table, trying to figure out a creative way to ask her. He thought about putting the diamond ring in her champagne glass before he chuckled at the thought of her swallowing the expensive jewelry. The butter dish had a cover. He lifted the curved top and saw the dish was filled with butter, as if it was poured before it hardened. Perfect. He grabbed the ring by the center diamond and pulled it from the box. He pushed the ring so the band entered the butter first, stopping it halfway down. It sat propped up like it had been in the box. He smiled as he admired his handiwork. At least it will slip on easily. He replaced the cover and slid the dish closer to her side of the table.

He grabbed his glass of champagne and, taking a sip, looked over to see the couple eating their dinner. He turned and gazed out at the sailboats passing by in the channel, their masts casting long shadows over the calm water. He twirled the crystal flute with his fingers, causing the liquid to swirl up on its sides. Life couldn’t be better. SID finally gave him the opportunity to do what he had dreamt and trained for over most of his life, fly in space. He proved his worth to his superiors by achieving all the objectives on the dangerous back-to-back missions. Their success placed him as the front-runner for future space assignments.

His personal life was at an all-time high—he’d found the perfect woman. He was excited Anya had agreed to move in with him. He was finally ready to settle down and start a family. He lifted his glass and gave himself an imaginary toast. As he took a sip, his smile couldn’t have been bigger.

Anya walked around the corner, brushing her black bangs from her eyes. They locked eyes as she approached. She smiled as she pulled out her chair and took a seat.

Peter stood and lifted both arms up so they were perpendicular to his body, palms up. He probably looked like the Fonz whenever the icon saw a hot chick. “I’m one lucky guy.”

Her smile broadened.

Peter sat and instantly his foot started bouncing again. He couldn’t wait any longer. He felt like a little kid with a secret he couldn’t keep as he slid the breadbasket over to her side of the table. “How about a piece of bread?”

She reached over and pulled off the cloth cover. A serious look crossed her face. “When do you have to go back to D.C.?”

Peter tilted his head. “Day after tomorrow. I shouldn’t be there for more than a day. When I get back we can start looking for a place to live.” He decided not to evict the renter who was in his condo. “It’s mainly to debrief the mission. I doubt I’ll be given another assignment. I’ll probably be given the astronaut refresher training at Johnson Space Center I was supposed to do before the moon mission. So I should be stationed in the area for awhile.”

Anya shot him a skeptical look. “You just finished a month of great training and space experience. I seriously doubt SID would waste your talents on further training.”

She was probably right. “Who knows?”

Anya reached for a roll and placed it on a small plate before placing the cloth back over the bread. Peter had a mischievous grin as he watched the butter dish out of the corner of his eye. His leg bounced higher.

Anya held off reaching for the butter. “I think I am going to go back to Russia when you leave.”

Peter’s head jerked back. “Why?”

Anya looked out the window as she bit her upper lip. An uncomfortable moment passed. “I’m thinking maybe I should hold off transferring out here to Houston.”

Peter’s foot stopped bouncing. They had discussed her transferring out to Zaftra’s Houston office so they could move in together. Over the last ten years, Anya’s job required her to commute between the company’s Russian headquarters and their Houston office. She was sure she could do her job from either country. He leaned in. “Why? We don’t want to have a long-distance relationship like you and Dean had.”

She slowly turned her head in his direction and sadness filled her eyes. She grabbed his hand. “I just think maybe we should slow down a little. It’s not that I don’t love you. I think you’re wonderful. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But…” she turned to look back out the window.

Peter’s insides sank as the word “but” lingered in the air like a bad stench. “But what?”

She turned back to look him in his eyes. “I’m not sure I can be married to a James Bond, who at any time could be on some assignment, who knows where, risking his life.”

Peter’s heart sank further as he fell back in his chair. This was the first time hearing she had any issues with his job. He quickly regained his composure as he leaned in and squeezed her hand. He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t have to worry about me. Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’m twice as good as James Bond. In fact you can call me Agent Double-O Fourteen.”

Anya gave a grim smile. “That’s the problem. I do worry about you, especially when you’re in space.”

Peter patted her hand with his free one. “It was a fluke I did that second mission in space so soon after the first. It was only because I knew how to fly the Galileo. It was the only way of getting the cosmonauts back. Keep in mind, I was with SID for years before going up. I may never be assigned another space mission.”

Anya arched her eyebrows as she let go of his hand and sat back. “I just think it’s best for now. Let’s just give it some time.”

She grabbed her butter knife and started to reach for the butter dish. Peter lurched forward, quickly grabbing the dish. Anya tilted her head and shot him a baffled look.

Peter clumsily picked up the dish and set it by his side. “There’s no butter. I already checked.”

An awkward silence hovered over them as he searched for the waitress. The elderly couple caught his eye and flashed a thumbs-up sign. Peter sadly shook his head.

PETER SAT ALONE in Gavin’s office waiting for his boss to return from another meeting. Lola assured him the director would be right back. He set his cup of coffee on the desk next to the picture of Gavin’s youngest daughter, Krystal. He picked up the frame and looked at the sixteen-year-old. He assumed it was her high school picture. She wore a bright-blue blouse that brought out the blue in her eyes, her brown wavy hair following the curve of her face, flowing past her shoulders. She was a very pretty girl. Gavin always seemed to comment on the struggles he had with his family, but deep down, Peter could tell he was a proud father.

He set the picture down as he leaned back in the leather chair and stared out at the clear blue skies through the window. He was ready to experience having a family, and he thought Anya was too. He received mixed signals when they said their goodbyes at the airport earlier in the day. He could feel her strong love for him, but something was missing. In the back of his mind, he felt her distance was probably due to the miscarriage. The subject had been taboo since he returned from the moon. She just didn’t want to talk about it. He felt guilty for not being there to comfort her through the tragic experience.

He looked back at Gavin’s daughter as he lightly drummed his finger tips on the chair’s armrests. He needed to do something. He couldn’t let Anya slip away. He balled his hand into a tight fist before pounding down hard on the chair. “I’ll fly to Russia as soon as I’m done here. I’ll convince her we’re made for each other, and we can deal with any crisis, no matter what it is, as long as we do it together.” He crossed his legs as he relaxed deep in the chair, satisfied he would fix whatever problem there was.

Peter was brought back to reality with a solid pat on the back. “Who are you talking to?”

Embarrassed his private conversation might have been heard, Peter straightened up to greet his boss. “Myself, as usual.”

Gavin had a big grin plastered on his face as he walked around his desk. “So how’s our local hero?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

Gavin quickly took a seat. “You did a great job saving those cosmonauts. Once again you made the agency look good.” He put both arms on his desk as he brought his hands together and interlocked his fingers. “The President has even invited you to the White House. He would like to personally thank you for everything you’ve done.”

Peter bowed his head respectfully. “Boss, you know I was just doing my job. But thanks. It would be an honor to meet the President.”

“I’ll have Lola set it up.” Gavin unlocked his fingers to reach over and grab a file. As he opened it he said, “Sounds like your little buddy you saved is raising a big stink.”

Peter tightened both fists; Gavin was talking about Carlos. “He’s not my buddy.”

Gavin chuckled. “That’s what I’ve heard. In fact, he’s claiming you punched him.”

Peter looked Gavin straight in the eyes with a sly smile. Though it was unacceptable for agents to lose control, they were still human. “Do you think I punched him?”

Gavin studied Peter for a moment. Peter could tell by Gavin’s smirk, he knew the truth. “Nah, I don’t think you did.”

Peter winked. “Well, that works for me.”

Gavin leaned back in his chair. “Carlos is also pissed off at Russia. FKA decided not to give specifics on the rescue and instead told the media the cosmonauts were brought back early due to Carlos freaking out and putting the crew in jeopardy.”

Peter uncrossed his legs as he chuckled. “He did freak out. I have no idea how that guy qualified for that flight. FKA needs to do a better job screening their tourist candidates.”

“It’s my understanding Carlos is getting his father involved, and they are trying to sue FKA for defamation of character and requesting a full refund on his trip.”

Peter shook his head as he grinned.

Gavin crossed his arms. “He’s telling the press there was an explosion on the Soyuz, and an American was sent up to save them. He suggested they track down the astronaut.”

Peter tilted his head, wondering if Carlos actually knew his name.

Gavin got a look as if he was about to give a punchline to a joke. “He says the astronaut’s name is Peter Robinson.”

Peter laughed out loud. “Good luck tracking that guy down.”

Gavin nodded as he leaned back toward his desk and started sorting through the papers in the file. “I think it will all eventually blow over.” Gavin perked up when he found the paper he was looking for. “So I have another assignment for you.”

Peter tightened. He was hoping to get over to Russia right away. “Boss, is it possible to get a little time off first?”

Gavin closed the file and set the paper on top. “I know you deserve it, but unfortunately this is a time sensitive mission and I think you’re the perfect man for the job. If you accept it, you need to get into the field right away.”

Peter cringed. He’d never turned down an assignment. “What’s the mission?”

“Are you familiar with EarthOrbit?”

EarthOrbit was one of the commercial space companies vying for a long-term contract from NASA to haul astronauts and supplies to and from the space station. They were a direct competitor with SpaceQuest. “Absolutely, I know them.”

“Some red flags have been raised about the company lately which concerns us. The latest was the quick hiring of Chris Riddick.”

“Somebody hired that asshole? How come he’s not in jail?”

“NASA was unable to prove he conspired with the Chinese, so all they could do was fire him. Anyway, we feel he still has a connection with China, and they could be using EarthOrbit as a springboard for something.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Because you flew Galileo to the space station and worked with SpaceQuest, we feel EarthOrbit would be interested in hiring you. We want you to become a part of their team and see what you can find out. They’re currently in the process of hiring a Manager for Astronaut Safety and Mission Assurance.”

Peter was still hoping to get over to Russia. “So what’s the rush?”

“This position was to be filled last week. One of our agents contacted the hiring agency late last week pretending to be you and submitted your resume. When EarthOrbit learned you were applying, they agreed to hold off making a decision until they interviewed you.”

“When’s the interview?”

“8 a.m. tomorrow. Fortunately their headquarters are in Houston.”

“Sounds like you were pretty sure I’d take on the assignment.”

Gavin smiled. “You haven’t turned one down yet.”

Peter tightened his jaw as he looked out the window.

Gavin piped up. “There’s one minor snag with this mission.”

Peter turned, his eyebrow raised. “What’s that?”

Gavin studied Peter for a second, stalling. He cleared his throat. “Chris Riddick will be your boss. That’s who’ll be interviewing you tomorrow.”

“Shit. You’re kidding me.”

Gavin lifted both hands as if surrendering. “Hey, it’s not like you haven’t worked for him before.”

Peter put his hand through his hair as he leaned back in the chair. “You know I can’t stand that guy, especially when I worked for him. He’s the main reason I left NASA. You and I both know it was probably his lies that were the final straw leading the United Nations to question if we landed on the moon. He basically backstabbed all of NASA and America, which led to my father’s death.”

“I know. It won’t be an easy assignment. But, I think you have the best chance of getting hired.”

Peter shook his head as he turned and looked back out the window. Thinking he had found a reason why he shouldn’t be the agent he turned and smugly said, “Chris knows I work for SID.”

“He knows you used to work for SID. But like everyone outside of the CIA, he should believe you left the agency to take on the mission to the moon. He might question whether you’re still associated with the agency. If so, you’ll need to convince him you burned bridges when you took the mission, ending any chance of rejoining SID.”

Peter rubbed his chin. He just finished a mission with one asshole, and now he was considering taking on another with an even bigger asshole. A faint voice in his head was telling him to pass on the job and get over to Russia. Though the voice was probably right, Peter couldn’t turn down an assignment. “Okay, count me in. But you owe me one, Boss.”