As the jet climbed into the sky, Michael felt a terrible case of deja vu watching the Napa vineyards disappear into the distance. Here he was for round two; he hated it.
Mimsy was a part of this. Michael had come to the conclusion that his parents must have worked for The Company too. It was starting to make sense. They would disappear for weeks at a time. They called themselves traveling business personnel. They must've been blackmailed into working at central support. He and his brother were on their list, and Quint used them as leverage. His parents must have rebelled against The Company and got themselves killed. Christine had said Claude's kids were never in danger, maybe the list didn't actually exist and it was all a charade. He and Ender lived, maybe his parents realized the lists were a bluff. Were they a bluff? Michael couldn't be sure.
The puzzle was coming together, but there were still missing pieces. How did Victor fit in? He couldn't be working at central support, he was at the school too often. He couldn't be an agent either for the same reasons. Had Mimsy told Ender? Is that why he left? Why did The Company want Gary so bad? What had he done that they were willing to continuously kill to get to him? Michael figured he'd never know. Gary wasn't coming to Kansas, and he'd die there more confused than ever.
"Michael, so there are a few more things than Quint told you," Christine said, pulling Michael from his thoughts.
"I'm not surprised," Michael replied.
"We're going to Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. Population 876. One of the town's residence has been given you as a target."
"I'm tracking."
"This ends when either the hitman is dead, you're dead, or Gary's caught. You obviously know which they're hoping for."
"Gary's not coming," Michael stated.
"Quint thinks he will." Christine looked at Michael. "There's more. We'll be placing you in a hotel. You and Stuart will be given $20 a day for food. Stuart now must stay within 40 meters of you at all times." She pointed to the briefcase. "Your clothes are in there. You must change before you get off the plane. You'll leave your current outfit here."
"Is that everything?" Michael asked.
"I'm sorry, Michael," Christine replied, "I was told to remind you that we have Mimsy. Now I'm finished."
Michael looked across the room. How was Mimsy involved? When she said, she'd gotten involved with bad people she had to of meant The Company. But how? He still didn't want anything to happen to her, but she'd been involved with them before, so she could handle herself now.
Michael hadn't told either Christine or Stuart about the letter. It was his secret. He was thankful Mimsy had written it to him and knew It was her way of releasing him. She knew they'd try to use her against him, and she had now taken that piece off the board. It was the first time since the beginning Michael felt like he had leverage.