Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group discussion

Code Name: Danger

His name is Ryan Cole, Code Name: Danger, and he’s just received word from his unit leader, Ice Man, that he has a new mission. But, when Danger arrives at the rendezvous point to meet with his contact and receive his assignment, he finds the man dead.

Danger’s job isn’t going to be easy because, as we all know, all Secret Agents have their hands tied by some government bureaucracy or another, and this time the agency is T-SoL, Three Sentences or Less.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to help Danger discover what secret was so important that his contact had to die to protect it, and find the person responsible for the murder.

Rules: We’re writing Danger’s story and the rules are that you can only add 3 sentences at a time. Once you’ve added your three sentences, you have to wait for someone else to post. If no one has posted in 3 days time, then you can add another 3 sentences.

Characters:


Anya (heroine) - David's wife
David - Ryan's best friend, Anya's husband, deceased
James - Coroner and former agent
Ryan Cole (hero) - AKA Danger, hero of the story
Samantha - AKA Sam, Sammy - Anya's sister
Thumper - David and Anya's dog

He looked down at the lifeless body of his contact and best friend, David. Ryan had only gotten the message to meet David here an hour ago, but David's body was already cold. He'd been dead awhile.

Ryan flipped open his cell and called Ice Man. "Contact is cold,dead. You want to explain to me why you delayed in calling me with this assignment?"

"Just got called myself! I'll look into it. Search the body."

Ryan flipped the phone closed and knelt down, resting his hand on David's shoulder. How was he going to break this to David's wife, Anya?

"Damn, I'm sorry man."

There was no bullet hole he could see, but David had been clubbed hard on the back of the head and fallen. No pulse either. "Coward! Sneak up from behind and not face to face!"

Taking a deep breath, Ryan stood and vowed, "You have my word man, the bastard who took you down'll be going down, too. I'll make sure of it."

What clues did he have from the murder scene? The murderer must have been tall to put so much force into the blow. And strong, very strong.

Ryan flipped open his phone and punched in some numbers. "Get clean up here, now. I don't want David's body handled by anyone but our guys."

In David's inside pocket, Ryan found a scrap of paper. The words would look like giberish to anyone else but to Ryan it was their boyhood code. Translating it said," Help her Ryan. She is innocent. Sammy is so.."

"Sammy," Ryan whispered, wondering who Sammy is. Anya's baby sister was named Samantha, but they hadn't heard from her in years.

Ryan folded the scrap of paper then put it in his pocket.

Not 20 feet from the body, hidden in tall grass, Ryan staggered at the good luck. There, covered in blood was David's hollow rock that he transported memory sticks or cards for assignment. "God, I hope it is still inside!"

Just as he was heading to the rock to check for the memory sticks, Ryan heard the sound of movement in the bushes. Animal or person, he wondered. Reaching around behind him, Ryan pulled his gun from the waistband of his jeans.

He watched as a medium sized dog approached. It's tail wagging furiously. Ryan noticed blood on the leg of the dog.

"What the hell," he said out loud. Bending, Ryan looked at the dog's tags.

They were from David's home county.
Backtracking..David always flipped the rock out of his trunk and leave it by the car, while getting his jacket out. He would give only oral instuctions then after he left, the agent would pick up the rock and take it with them.

Ryan heard an engine and saw headlights coming down the alley and he knew it was the clean up crew. As the black SUV pulled up, parked and James and Ty exited the vehicle, Ryan took one last look at his friend. "We'll get 'em, man, but now I'm gonna go see Anya... break the news."

He patted his hand on his leg and said,"Come on boy. I need to find out if you belonged to David, or to someone from David's neck of the woods." To the crew he yelled, "I'll need what ever is in that blood covered rock, just as soon as you process it."

"Right," Ty shouted back. Turning to James he said, "Damn, they did a number on him, didn't they?"

New Chapter
Ryan sat in the car looking at David`s house. The night sky hid the tears as they welled. He could not think of a time in his life when he had to do something so heartbreaking.

Taking a deep breath, Ryan got out of the car. As he approached the small house, he could see the silhouette of a woman, Anya, moving about the living room, dancing to the loud music he could hear through the open windows.

Ryan stopped when he realized Anya wasn't alone. He could make out the figure of someone hidden in one of the dark corners.

Just then the dog bounded up beside him with a yelp.
The dancing stopped, and the hidden figure disappeared into the depths of the house. He knocked on the door.

Was she cheating on David!?! Anger swelling in his chest, Ryan shouted, "Anya! Open the door now!"

The music stopped and Ryan listened to the sound of footsteps coming to the door. Then they stopped and he heard whispering but couldn't make out the words.

The door opened to see Anya and a younger and more beautiful version of Anya. The dog rushed into the arms of the new girl. "Thumper, you're home. Where have you been?"

So it wasn't another man after all, Ryan realized. "Anya, we need to talk. Privately."

Anya stood staring past Ryan. "Where's David? He mentioned he was going to see you earlier."

Oh By the way Ryan, this is my sister Sam. Long story. You can talk infront of her.

Ryan looked sceptical. "Really," he said, resting a hand on Anya's shoulder, "I think it's best if we do this privately." Without giving her a chance to argue, he took Anya by the arm and led her to the study.

Samantha started to follow but stopped. It wasn't her business and if Anya wanted her to know she would tell her later. God, she wished David would hurry up and get here.

"Anya," Ryan handed her a glass of sherry from the bar at the side of the room. "David was killed tonight in the line of duty. He died trying to help your sister. I have so many questions, but not right now. Do you want your sister here, or not?"

"Wh-whaat? He... died? No! You're wrong... you're... wrong!"

Ryan's heart broke. Why had he just blurted it out like that.. Damn he never was good with tears or expressing emotions. The poor poor women.

"Anya, sweetheart," he said as he led her to the leather sofa, seating them both. "I'm sorry, so sorry. Let me start over."

"Anya, you know I loved him as a lifelong friend. I feel the same pain as you. I am so close to tears, myself that I hide behind gruffness." Ryan choked out.

Anya's tears just seemed to come harder. Ryan was at a loss. His heart was broken too but he had to be strong and bring justice to his best friend.

Sammy walked in the door, gave him a frown for making her sister cry, and went over to kneel in front of Anya. She took her hand and rubbed small circles in her palm with her thumb. "I'm here Annie, I'm here."

Ryan took a deep breath. "Sammy, I've got bad news - "

"I heard, Ryan. I'll take care of my sister the way she's taken care of me all these years, you just go find the bastard that killed David."

"Damn, I hate to do this now, but.. the dog was near David when he died. Do you know how that might happen?" Ryan asked softly.
"Thumper has been missing for several weeks now. I thought I had lost him." she replied quietly.

He wasn't sure how that might tie in. "Had Thumper wandered off, or was he taken?"

Ryan said, "I'll stop by tomorrow. Here is my cell number and use it if you two need anything at all. I hope I will have more information for you by then."

Anya stopped Ryan before he made it to the door. "Wait! I need to see him."

"Anya, babe..." he started, but she cut him off.

"I NEED to see him!"

"Okay, I'll make some phone calls. Anya because it was murder, I may not be able to swing this. Is there a special reason why it needs to be now, Hon.?"

"He's my husband, Ryan. Surely you can understand that."

Ryan drew in a deep breath and let it out. "Okay, I'll see what I can do, but no promises."

He looked at Sammy, "Until we know what's going on, keep her here, doors and windows locked until you hear otherwise from me."

After Ryan left, Sammy held Anya as she sobbed. It was her fault she was sure of it. If only she hadn't come back and got David involved.

After finally getting Anya to sleep in the spare room, Sam called their mother. Sue took the news very hard, but promised she would be there by noon the next day. The next call was to Ryan. "I can't stay here Ryan, I am a magnet for danger my sister does not need right now."

Fantastic, just what he needed. "Sammy, what aren't you telling me?"