The Mirage: Fata Morgana
Chapter One
Undercover agent, Colin Chase Rand had spent a week with his family who had come to visit him in Duluth before he left the area.
His mother had always wanted to stay at the historic Fitger’s along the shores of Lake Superior. His father, as always, was accommodating to her wishes. She was thrilled with the stunning lake-view room they’d reserved.
His brother, Rick, was there for a few days but had to return before the week was up. They were short-handed at the fire station and he had to return to work. His mother and sister, Ilene, took advantage of the hotel spa and lots of shopping.
It was extremely relaxing. He’d been on guard, on high alert for so long he’d practically forgotten how to relax.
His good friends, Keoni and Lizette, came to share the last day with him and his family. It was awesome to have all of them together before he headed out of state to the next assignment.
The shaky goodbyes and the hugs filled him with happiness and love. He had one hell of a family. Colin knew how lucky he was to have them.
With his family, Keoni, and Lizette in the rearview mirror, Colin left Locke Bay satisfied he’d done the best job under the extenuating circumstances.
It was hard saying goodbye, not knowing if all would go well with his next assignment. It was something he learned to accept and live with. He was close to his family and, at times, it was extremely difficult to be without them, especially during the holidays, or missing birthdays.
Or, when Lizette put the gun to his head. All he could think of was how much he’d miss his family; how it’d break his parent’s hearts if she pulled the trigger.
Keoni Nani and Lizette Hill are two of the best friends a person could have. They’d met under the most unusual circumstances. When he’d first met Lizette, he didn’t trust her, knew she was hiding something. She was, absolutely without a doubt.
Funny how things turned out sometimes, he ended up knowing she and Keoni would always have his back.
Usually, when he completed a job, he left it all behind, but those two will be lifetime friends.
After Keoni’s initial shock of discovering that Colin and Lizette were undercover FBI agents, he had their back. Normally, the job would’ve been over and assigned somewhere else. It wasn’t quite how it worked out and Colin was satisfied with the outcome.
Keeping their secrets from the Mafia and keeping them from the FBI wasn’t much different. Occasionally, there was a bit of guilt that bubbled up. Neither one of them coughed up the information to the higher echelons.
Colin smiled to himself. And boy, the two of them were a bundle of fun. It broke the high stress of being undercover and wondering if he’d see the next morning.
It was his mother’s expression when he announced he’d joined the FBI as an undercover agent.
It took a few moments before she finally said, “I’m proud of you, son, but what happens when you wake up dead because of some sicko or felon killing you?”
He hugged her. There was nothing else he could do except give empty reassurances.
He had a four-week vacation under his belt, and he intended to take the whole four weeks. One week with his family and the rest would be a nice ride to Florida by way of the New England coast.
It’d be the first break he’d had in well over three years. Colin planned on taking small hops and playing tourist before he hit all the waves on the Rhode Island coast. He may even put his board in at Ruggles Rd.
Once he tackled those breakers, he’d be on his way to the next town, the next adventure, and the next undercover position in a small, obscure, and relatively unknown town in Florida.
He drove on the scenic roads and avoided the highways. He smiled as he enjoyed the drive looking at the open land, the cows, corn, soy, more corn, and oh, look! Cows.
A few hours later, it was time for him to charge the car, and take his first stop at Spring Green. He’d heard about the House on the Rock for years and never managed to get there to see it until now.
The hotel room was typical. Colin leaned his head back in the chair and looked out the window wondering what it would be like to live in Florida.
He sure wouldn’t have to worry about driving and shoveling snow anymore. That will be nice.
He headed next door to the restaurant, grabbed a meal to go, and some Danish for his breakfast. The next morning, after he toured the House on the Rock, Colin headed southeast. Colin put it in auto-drive, looked at his itinerary, and played around on the radio. Preferring side roads instead of busy highways, he meandered through the countryside lost in his thoughts.
The long road had multiple mirages. The weather had been wacky lately, most likely causing all the mirages. He always thought they were like chasing a rainbow. No matter how close a person gets to it, it was always just beyond their reach. He recalled a long-ago memory with his mother.
She’d taken his hand. “Look. Colin. The end of the rainbow is right in our backyard. Watch what happens as we move closer.”
He’ll never forget that day. It withdrew from them as they moved toward it, but when they walked back to the house, they turned to look again. He expected it to be gone. Colin stood in awe. The rainbow glistened and beckoned to him.
Passing through Genoa City, a few miles from the Wisconsin and Illinois border, a stunning illusion of a mirage was on the road in front of him. The lights and colors were bending upward. The air was shimmering, similar to the northern lights. He stared, mesmerized by the sight.
The closer he got, the bigger it appeared. The road lifted upward, reaching skyward, creating an impression that the countryside was floating.
There were horses and people hovering in the air. He wanted to reach his hand out and pet the horses.
As he drove closer to the phenomenon, the more it wavered. Within seconds it morphed from within his reach to beyond the horizon and then back again. It was enchanting.
“Was it King Arthur’s sister, Morgan? Is she the one that had magical powers and could pull castles into thin air?”
Siri answered him, Morgan le Fay was King Arthur’s sister who lured sailors to their deaths by summoning visions in the sky. She created large objects to flow upward confusing the sailors, prompting claims of sighting the Flying Dutchman. A tale among the sailors, the ghost ship was cursed to sail the seas for eternity.
Colin held the steering wheel, watching as he entered the mirage. “Fata Morgana.”
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