Togo (Goes) on Assignment (The Conclusion)
Chapter 6: The Answer, Scene 17
Togo (Goes) on Assignment is published weekly as a series. If you came in late, you might want to go back to the beginning. Or, if you’re cut from the same adventuresome cloth as Togo, feel free to read on and figure things out as you go. If you’ve been reading along and just forgot what happened in the last episode, you can click here.
This is the last installment in this Togo (Goes) on Assignment series. Thanks for reading!
“Togo Goes” will return next week in its single-adventure format.
Agent Nikki M.B. had arranged for the team to meet at an undisclosed dark-ops safe house in the Virginia countryside. Agents Allison and Dan were waiting inside when Nikki and Togo arrived.
After briefing Allison and Dan on the supplemental intel provided by Communications Officer Doug, the Dove, Nikki nodded to Togo. “The floor is yours,” she said.
Togo strode to the massive fireplace and began pacing back and forth.
“This is a real puzzler,” he said. “I think I have it figured out. But first, I want to hear what each of you has to say.”
“In every instance we’ve investigated, there is no sign of any impropriety or harm being done,” Allison began. “Many of the clues shared with us are of non-events.”
“I think it has more to do with symbolism than anything else,” Nikki inserted.
“I’m thinking that we are faced with a Seinfeld-esque scenario,” Dan said.
Togo cocked his head to one side. “Interesting,” he said. “Tell me more.”
Dan leaned forward in his chair and propped his elbows on his knees.
“Do you remember the 43rd show – the third episode of the fourth season of Seinfeld?”
“That show had so many episodes,” Togo asserted. “We all could use some additional reminders.”
He could see from the pained expressions of his team members that he was the only one who didn’t have a total recollection of all 180 episodes.
“Just explain,” Togo sighed.
“Well,” Dan started, “Jerry Seinfeld had been asked by NBC to propose a concept for a new situation comedy that Jerry would star in. Jerry and George Costanza had concocted several ideas. But in a meeting with network executives, George blurted out that this would be a show ‘about nothing.’”
Allison continued, “The idea would be that the entire series would be based on non-events. Nothing out of the ordinary. It would be a show about nothing.”
“And the network liked the idea,” Nikki continued. “It was art within art. The writers were holding up a mirror to the real-life Seinfeld show. Although funny, because life is rich with experiences, it was a show about nothing.”
“So, if you’re right, where does that leave us?” Togo asked.
“This looks like a wild goose chase to me,” Dan said. “I think your boss, Margot Lance, and possibly the upper echelon of S.H.E.D., created this entire mission as a cover-up for something else.”
At that moment, Communications Officer Doug cracked the door. “Director Lance wants you folks at S.H.E.D. headquarters – pronto!”
“OK, Margot,” Togo said, “I’ve assembled my team and we’re ready to make our final analysis and report.”
The rest of the team’s eyes widened.
“Uh, Top Dog?” Dan whispered, tugging at Togo’s collar. “We didn’t have time to come up with a final analysis.”
Togo winked. “No, worries, my giant friend. I’ve got this.”
Agent Nikki spoke up. “Perhaps you should tell all of us what we’ve learned.”
“Certainly,” Togo said, drawing up his shoulders with confidence. “Not very many weeks ago, we sat in this very room and Margot told me a story about some plot by someone to do good,” Togo began.
“We want to know why S.H.E.D. is concerned by that,’” Agent Allison interrupted, looking at Margot.
Margot didn’t respond.
“I’ll get to that,” Togo said.
Dan and Allison looked at each other.
Dan stood and continued, “Allison and I were in Athens with Togo investigating the string of incidents where someone was working secretly and anonymously to restore ancient ruins and statues.”
“Not only that,” Togo said, “but we never found out who was doing it or their name.”
“I think that’s where I was going with ‘secretly’ and ‘anonymously,’” Dan said.
“Noted,” Margot said. “Now, where are you going with this?”
Without blinking, Allison watched Margot closely. “No one in Athens was upset with the restorations. They were thrilled that something was being done both professionally and, at no cost to the Grecian government. It appeared to be an effort by someone to do good that would impact people for generations to come without calling attention to themselves.”
“No harm,” Dan said.
“No foul,” Allison said.
And with that, the dynamic duo high-fived each other and sat down.
Togo picked back up. “And then in London, we saw that statue of ice cream in Trafalgar Square and watched people going to church. It was all very innocent and every person we saw was smiling and happy. And then you promised me ice cream and we flew back to New York, where you made a big deal about flying behind the Statue of Liberty where absolutely nothing was going on. Just a pleasant day.”
Nikki chimed in. “From there, you had Togo and I focus on the petroglyphs in New Mexico. The area is incredible as a result of hundreds of years of artistic work and a focus on capturing history and connections with a spiritual past. I think it is important to note that there was a plan for organizing the precious objects, placing them in a way that further builds the story of the people who lived in that area and who visited from afar. And that organization has unfolded over the centuries as a joint effort of individuals who never met each other. Just a really good result from well-meaning people.”
“And,” Togo injected, “we saw similar scenes of just good, wholesome things happening with the cliff dwellings in Arizona and the great sand sculpture contest on the Texas coast.
“By the way, do you have a number for Scooby Doo?” he asked, looking at Margot.
Margot just rolled her eyes and took another sip from her organic Oaxaca Reserve coffee.
“Dropping hints through the reports of the peacocks in the Fort Worth residential neighborhood was a nice touch,” Togo offered, “and the elk were cool over in Arkansas.”
“Don’t forget Cacharita and her kitty cat friends,” Nikki reminded him.
Togo grimaced, “I think I may have just thrown up in my mouth a little. I’ll get back to Cacharita in a minute.”
Margot flinched noticeably.
“So what’s the point of all of this?” Margot asked.
“The point is that people and animals and rocks and trees and statues of ice cream cones are all here to make people happy,” Togo said. “Not to mention actual ice cream.”
Togo began pacing back and forth.
“Every place you sent us, along with all of the evidence gathered by Agents Beth W., Steve S., Marisue M., and Lynna H., were examples of really nice things that have happened throughout history and every clue was an example of how people appreciated the meaning, the symbolism, and the pure joy of a society that celebrates those things,” Togo said with almost a tremble to his voice.
“It didn’t come together for me until Agent Dan mentioned the 43rd episode of Seinfeld,” he said. “You know the one. Right, Margot?”
“Sure,” Margot responded quickly. “That’s where Jerry and George pitched the idea of a sitcom about nothing to NBC. In fact, it was titled ‘The Pitch.’”
Togo quit breathing for a moment. “How does everybody but me know that?!” he thought. Pulling his thoughts back to the moment, he continued.
“I thought that was what was happening here,” Togo said. “Or at least I thought that after Dan pointed it out,” nodding at Dan. “It was a pivotal moment.”
“I began to think that the whole assignment was a sham. That nothing was happening here and there was something truly sinister going on that someone was trying to cover up.”
Togo’s eyes, one blue and one amber, were locked on Margot. His image was framed in front of the same unexplained window in the underground headquarters.
“So you’re saying we should just walk away from all this?” Margot chuckled with a note of incredulity.
“No, not at all,” Togo said. “I think we need to get to the bottom of this. Agent Nikki, will you assist me?”
Togo motioned for Margot to stand and face the rest of the group and for Nikki to place her hand firmly on Margot’s head. He quickly moved behind Margot, sank his teeth in her tail, and yanked quickly. Needless to say, his actions surprised everyone in the room.
Especially when the disguise pulled away and the group realized that Margot was not Margot, but in fact, Agent Waverly, the man who had checked Togo into S.H.E.D. headquarters on his last visit – the man who Togo saw crumpled in the doorway as he and Margot had made their quick exit to travel to Greece.
“Nikki, your assistance again, please!” Togo shouted.
Nikki place her hand on top of Agent Waverly’s head, and, before Waverly could react, Togo grabbed the back of his blazer and yanked again.
A collective gasp went out from the group.
With Nikki’s hand still on her head, Cacharita emerged from yet a second disguise.
“How did you know it was me?” Cacharita demanded.
With Agents Dan and Nikki, restraining the little dog, Allison walked to the door and called for security. Before answering Cacharita’s burning question, Togo waited until she was led away by other agents.
“I had my suspicions,” Togo said. “For one thing, I couldn’t understand why the real Margot would call me back up for active duty. She never liked me after the incident in . . . Well, that’s not important.
“Second, after seeing Agent Waverly crumpled in the doorway, I kept worrying about him and seeing that scene repeatedly. I realized that I wasn’t seeing a person on the floor, merely a pile of clothes and a rubber mask. I just couldn’t figure out the reason.
“Third, it occurred to me that I never saw Margot and Waverly together. And I began to put the pieces together. When Waverly, or whoever was disguised as Waverly, sent me down the hall to Margot’s office, he – or she – knew I would probably pause to admire my portrait in the hall. Pulling off the Waverly disguise, he – or she – slipped past me and took his – or her – position behind Margot’s desk.
“Fourth, my last visit here was on a national holiday. Nothing at S.H.E.D. is more sacred than a national holiday – particularly to Margot. I should have known that she would have delayed the meeting by a day so she could stay at home and drink tea.
“Fifth, when I was with or talking to the purported Margot, I tried to get her to discuss some of our past dealings. She stayed above all that. I thought that was strange given our history.
“Sixth, all of the evidence that this great team put together cemented the idea that this was all a diversion.
“Seventh, the picture of Cacharita with the cat was a red flag.”
“How so?” Nikki asked.
Togo pulled the picture up on the video screen.
“None of you had the security clearance to know, but Cacharita was a super-secret agent of S.H.E.D. She disappeared mysteriously in the middle of an even more super-secret investigation. Information was flowing to the other side and every agent was being checked out.
“That investigation would have eventually led to Cacharita if this picture had surfaced. Look closely. That innocent-looking kitty cat is actually the sinister Malfur, agent of P.U.R.R. Cacharita knew that a tourist had snapped this picture and concocted this scheme to initiate a worldwide search for evidence. I think, on questioning, we’ll find that posing as Margot, she would have gathered all of the evidence on this assignment, including this photo, and disappear again.”
“Amazing,” Allison said. “But how did you know it was Cacharita in disguise in the room with us today.”
“That came into focus during the meeting,” Togo stated. “Margot is a tea drinker. And the disguised Margot today was drinking coffee. And Mexican coffee, I might add. I happened to remember that Cacharita was recruited to the agency from Mexico.”
Togo’s phone rang. “Go ahead,” he barked. Turning to his teammates, he smiled. “Cacharita has confessed and disclosed the hideaway where she had Margot and Waverly tucked away. Agents are en route now to free them.”
A few hours later, Agents Dan and Allison were on a flight to Dallas and a grand reunion with Brisbane and Jax – and a bunny whose name Togo couldn’t remember.
Togo and Nikki had a few hours before their flights home. Togo pointed out that they hadn’t eaten since early that morning.
“This was fun,” Nikki said. “We’ll have to work together again sometime.”
“I enjoyed it, too,” Togo replied. “But I think I’m going to fully retire this time. My Momma misses me and there’s no one home to walk Daddy and take him on adventures.
“But maybe we can have a reunion and eat ice cream.”
“Would you settle for a cupcake?” Nikki asked.
Togo blushed. He was going to miss all of this high adventure stuff.
