Xavier Teal Malone Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The sun, rising rapidly over the dome topping the historic mission, cast a long shadow off of a character slumped over on a bench outside of the gift shop at the Alamo. This shadow was the first thing to tip off a tall man not six feet away from the bench that there was a stranger on his territory. This was exactly what he had been waiting for throughout the long eventless night.

"Sir... Sir. Yo buddy!" The character on the bench groaned as the annoying baton stabbed him in the side a couple of times. "Buddy! Whatcha doin out here? Ya'll bums know ya can't sleep on the grounds! This been a law since 'fore your gramma was born. You gotta get outta here 'fore them tourists show up!" The park ranger's baton jabbed with each of his heavily accented words. Bums at the Alamo were a big tourist turn-off and it could cost him his job if the sleeper caused a scene.

The bench sleeper groaned again, reaching for the pain but he couldn't figure out just where. The pain was calling for attention from every portion of his body but he couldn't care for all of the pain at the same time. He reached instead for the most recent pain, in his side with the baton still in it and for his head that had little pulses beating out a drum roll on his brain.

He tried to ease the drums and maybe calm the baton and his master by sitting up straight. "I'm sorry mister. I didn't mean to trespass," his gaze went from the lanky park ranger up to the infamous outline of the dome that was just barely visible over the wall of the downtown San Antonio mission. "Where am I?"

"Where are you? You mean you can't remember this place?" The ranger took three steps back. The shock overthrew his sleepy state. "You don't remember the Alamo! You have offended the entire state of Texas now! Yer gonna have to come with me so as I can get you checked out! Somethin's really wrong with your mind right now, really wrong! Come with me please." The night guard muttered under his breath, "A mental bum on the grounds at opening time. I"m gonna lose my job for sure now!"

He placed his baton back into his belt and took back his three steps in advance towards the offender but was stopped by the sound of two gunshots resonating above the early morning buzz of the city. "You stay here. I got somethin more important to deal with at the moment. Now stay! Good."

The ranger hustled backwards towards the gate with one hand back on his baton and the other hand held out the man the same way any dog trainer would to his first pupil puppy. The man on the bench gave the ranger a puzzled look and waited patiently for him to turn and run to the sound of the gunshots.

Once he was gone the man stood and looked around. The pulses eased off and the pain in his side was settling but the pain still screamed for attention and every muscle moaned with the smallest of movements. All around him was tan stones, grey concrete over the stones and to his left, a little garden on the other side of a small bridge.

"The Alamo huh? Well it doesn't look like much from here. What is it again?" The man racked his brain for a minute or two before coming to the conclusion, "I don't know. I don't know how I got here either. And I don't think I know the man who was yelling at me. Where is the Alamo?"

The man ran his memory for any recollection of the Alamo at all but the only recollection was from a little boy hidden way down in a small elementary US geography class with a crazy person in the front asking, "Where in the USA is the Alamo? Xavier?"

The little boy answered, "Uh, Texas?"

"But wheeeere in Texas?"

"Um, Austin?"

"NO. That is the state capital. The Alamo is in San Antonio. Now look what you did, you ruined my next question. Ya lousy kid."

The recollection ended there. "So I'm in San Antonio then. Man, I had some lousy elementary teachers!" Suddenly a thought smacked the man in the face. "Xavier. I am Xavier. I knew that! Why am I in San Antonio though? I wasn't born here. I don't work here. I was born in New York. I work in,... well not San Antonio, that is certain!"

Xavier walked into the garden that grew three times as large during the walk across the bridge. The immense trees and exploding bushes drew Xavier in but not for long. Another gunshot sounded above the muffled noise of the surrounding attractions and Xavier remembered that he was a somewhat wanted man. He walked briskly to the same gate where he last saw the ranger and continued on to anywhere.

Outside of the gate, Xavier found himself standing in the empty street with a grumbling stomach. He started his search for food or money and located only two restaurants which served breakfast and both were high class, pristine businesses which did not quite match Xavier's grubby suit and price range.

Xavier decided that his best bet was a dumpster or maybe a hotel breakfast, either one would have been much easier to snag. The search for breakfast began again. Without any dumpsters showing within eyesight, Xavier decided to cross the carless street to the towering white stone and glass building with the prominent sign on the top left corner, Hyatt.

Xavier followed the straight path that surely led to the building by using the wide opening on the street. The opening took Xavier down a winding stone trail, past large fountains of crystal clear water, a few trees and bushes, and a wall mosaic ending with a line of glass doors. Xavier knew that normal hotels were not so fancy and was not as sure whether or not the Hyatt was a hotel anymore.

The inside was more clear water flowing through to the other side and a bunch of little shops along the walls. He approached anyway, pulling open the double doors and stepping into the air, cool by comparison. The smell was like a recently treated pool and wonderful laundry detergent combined. Xavier followed the little river to a barred cylindrical elevator, just coming down.

The check-in desk must be up there. Maybe the dining area is too. I do hope they have breakfast and not only room service. The elevator door opened and four young ladies walked out, smiling at their own chit-chat and silly remarks. They cut the conversation short when they saw the rugged and bruised man waiting for their exit. They each "humphed" and walked away onto the riverwalk outside.

Xavier enjoyed the silence of the elevator. The glass walls gave view of the check-in counter and full typical fancy hotel lobby. The machine gave a quiet ding and soft hush and the door slid to the side, giving Xavier entrance to the reception area. He tried to walk straight and tall to the counter across the room but the vastness and grandeur of the place, unlike that of any he could remember, intimidated him.

"Excuse me sir." Xavier tapped twice on the counter, muscle memory. "I seem to be in a fix." The man looked up from the laptop in front of him to the man standing on the other side of the counter.

"Oh sir! Mr. Malone! You have returned! We were told you would not be coming back and some men came and took all of your luggage! My sincerest apologies! I shall phone the police immediately and try to get them back for you! Are you alright? You look..."

Xavier stood silent, stock still in front of the first person to recognize him. "Me? You recognize me? My luggage?"

"Sir, are you alright? You seem to have been... well... did you have rather rough night sir?"

"I honestly don't know. I woke up at the place across the street on a bench and cannot remember anything about this city."

"Were you mugged sir? You can't remember anything?"

"I guess I was mugged. I don't know who or exactly when but I guess I don't appear incredibly neat and tidy now do I? I can't think of anything else that could have happened to me."Xavier relaxed as the conversation continued, releasing his statuesque posture and using his hands as he spoke.

"I suppose you have lost your key, and your wallet, and all credit cards and bank notes." The receptionist's eyebrows crunched together, a chain reaction to the biting of the upper corner of his lip. The money, if invalid, could come directly out of his always spent paycheck. It was a risk to help the man and have to pay the difference or to kick him out and find out that he could pay it if only given the time. "Well, you have paid for one night already so you may stay here and enjoy the comforts of the Hyatt Regency until 11 o'clock when you must check out. I will call the police about the men who were here last night and try to retrieve your bags, until then here is a new key. Your room number is on the key."

Xavier couldn't believe his luck until he realized that his stomach was still giving him attitude about being quite empty. "I don't know how I paid before but by any chance did I pay for a breakfast already? I don't know when I last ate." The receptionist nodded and said, "I will tell the chef that we have a special case in your room and ask him to send you a complimentary breakfast on account of your being attacked whilst a registered guest at our prestigious hotel."

Xavier grinned, thanked the man and took the key up to his room where he would find food without having to go dumpster diving. Once in his room, Xavier tossed the key onto a small nightstand and plopped down of the luxurious bed. "How can I afford all of this?" He pondered aloud. "Why did I check in here in the first place?"

Eyes closing, Xavier relaxed and relived his memories. The classroom came back into view only this time there were different posters, recognizable faces, and a new person at the front of the class only three feet away from Xavier's desk.

"Mr. Malone! There are only a few rules in this classroom and you seem to insist on breaking at least one every single day! Get your head off of the desk and pay attention!"

The boy twitched at the sudden loud noise and sat up slowly. smiling he said, "Yes Gretchen."

Next to the apparent younger self was a girl of approximately the same age. "Yo. 'Agent X!' small giggles erupted from her small lips. "I thought spies were supposed to be observant and sneaky. If you're going to sleep in class, find a less obvious and more spy-y way to do it!" She giggled again and then faded into nothing but a vague memory. Xavier decided that he liked that little laugh and wanted to hear it again but he could not bring it back.

Memory after memory came and went up to high school graduation. There were over 100 other blue graduation caps and gowns hustling around when a young adult Xavier came into view. Out of nowhere, a beautiful young lady with flowing brunette hair under her copycat cap jumped up in his face and shouted "WE DID IT! Excellent work Agent X!" She stuck out her hand for a shake and giggled again. The same melodic giggle from the elementary class. "Wait for me on the other side okay? I've got something to tell you!"

Xavier shook his head and smiled. "Alright Melody! Way to put me in suspense! Now I'm unlucky, nervous, and excited double because of you! Watch, I will trip across the stage for sure! I'll probably forget everything after the concussion I get from my fall too!"

"With your memory! It would take the CIA and the FBI combined to erase your full memory! Mr. double oh one! Good luck with your speech! See ya!"

She laughed and took off. Xavier tried to continue the memory train but all he could remember was a dingy dorm and a couple boring college classes.

"Who is Melody?"

Looking down at his soiled and grubby suit, Xavier thought "It must have looked nice at one point. Maybe I was meeting Melody. Before I was mugged. Who mugged me? Why?" The nearest mirror proved that Xavier was not a young college student anymore but life after college didn't present itself yet.

Xavier laid back on the bed for a moment before a knock came at the door. "Who's there?" Xavier shouted, sitting upright.

"Room service. The chef sent me with a breakfast for a Mr. Malone."

"Oh thank you! On my way!" Just as he stood up the door beeped and swung open. A young boy strolled in with a tray on his arm. He pulled a table out of apparently nowhere and placed the tray upon it.

"I think I am supposed to give you a tip but I don't currently have any money. If I get my wallet back I will make sure you get a tip! I was robbed."

The boy set his face to the best smile he could manage and muttered as he turned around, "No, I was. Cheap."

Xavier waited until the boy was gone and went to the food, a steaming platter consisting of a spoonful of eggs and one strip of perfect orange and brown bacon. "Wow, Just enough to satisfy my empty stomach. Pfft!" Xavier took the fork in his hand, ready to see just how full he could get over the miniature meal, when another knock came to the door.

"Yes?" Xavier, a still hungry man, dropped his fork back onto the plate with a soft clatter.

"I have a bag here for a Xavier Malone."The muffled interruption was welcome within the room. Xavier leapt off the bed and rushed for the door. He opened it to find the receptionist. "Here you are sir. I was on my way to the chef and I tripped over this. It has your name on it. I suppose I may have missed it when the men came to claim your things." Xavier snatched the bag from the outstretched arms and thanked the man before shutting the door in his face. He rushed back to the bed and opened the small laptop bag. Out came a hygiene bag, a pair of odd pajamas, a bulky black watch, a book labeled, Top 10 San Antonio & Austin, with a post-it note that read ???I hope this one is unforgettable???, and a leather bound book. ???Really? No laptop. I don???t remember any of this stuff. I thought I was here on business but what businessman works without a laptop???? Xavier picked up the different objects pausing on the travel book. ???I hope this one is unforgettable.??? Why is forget so much darker? This what? This book? This trip? Who gave this to me???? He flipped through the book quickly. Nothing of interest. No name or highlighted passages. The next thing he picked up was the leather bound book. He opened it to the first page. The date was smudged and unreadable. The entry read, ???I know they say not to keep a journal but this information cannot be lost and it is far too simple to lose it to a hacker or computer borrower. I have discovered a lead to my superior. I am convinced that he is not exactly who he says he is. He is lying to all of us. How long has he been getting away with this???? Xavier read the full page but the information was so vague he could only imagine what it was speaking of. Xavier flipped through to the final entry. It read, ???I don???t know why I am being sent to San Antonio. We have no leads from there. I think it is a trap but I am not certain what is going to happen to me. The briefing was so vague I guess I shall use this time as a personal and well deserved vacation. I am worried to leave John up at the top without me there to watch his every move but he is obviously not ready to back out yet. He will remain in his position for a while longer. He had a one of his newbie???s brief me on this mission but I think he missed a lot of important info. I have always been briefed by a paper or John himself. If this is a trap then it has been so rushed and done with such carelessness (I get to keep my name for this one, the first time in three years) that I am fine as long as I keep my eyes open. X??? Xavier closed the book that gave more questions than answers. Xavier flipped through the whole book and would occasionally read more descriptive passages that told of his life but were only scrawled upon the paper. ???So that???s who I am.??? Xavier said with mild satisfaction once his brain finished making up his life for the past few years using only the tidbits contained in the journal.