Promethean Shadows

by Patrick Jean-Jacques

  “YOU TRAITOROUS MOTHERF…” Will screamed angrily but stopped short of completing the profanity. He tugged so hard at his leather bonds that the lesions on his wrists started bleeding. “I thought we were friends!” he snarled. “You know what you are, right?”

  Disgusted with himself, Adam turned away even more embarrassed. The knowledge that Will was right burned him deeply. As he tried to stem the blood flow, Adam’s handkerchief stained very quickly. He threw it in the bin contemptuously and immediately understood what his first and second mistakes were.

  The man standing next to Adam looked at him unsympathetically, “There you go my boy,” he said and handed Adam a pristine handkerchief. “You boys really shouldn’t play so rough.”

  Will squinted slightly but he already knew whom the voice belonged, “Dad!” he said with a mixture of sarcasm and bitterness. “Why don’t you come over?”

  “That’s some temper you’ve got William but I’m all out of hankies,” said Cameron Cox. “If that’s what you do to your friends, heaven help your enemies.” Will didn’t respond. “You’ve been a busy, haven’t you?”

  “And you’ve been a real arse!” replied Will coldly. Cameron Cox merely shrugged indifferently. “Terrorism, anarchy, mass murder… You must be really proud of your work and your cause?” goaded Will, deliberately eyeballing everyone within range.

  “Terrorism,” said Cameron dryly. “That’s a little harsh.”

  Will looked around and saw Maya, who was still standing next to her father Nathan. She averted her gaze and avoided eye contact. Daley looked directly at Will, as though he hadn’t a care and Adam was completely overwhelmed with guilt and couldn’t bear to look at him.

  “It’s not as simple as that, whether you want to believe it or not,” added Cameron defensively. “I expect you now want the whole story, being a journalist and all?” he asked nonchalantly.

  Will had heard the story a few times by now but it didn’t hurt to have another perspective, it reinforced his perspective of the larger picture. Cameron explained how his Promethean organisation was born of noble intentions originally. The more Cameron talked, the more Will understood how committed and serious he truly was, he made mental notes.

  Will listened intently as Cameron described the roles and responsibilities of key players in the organisation. Of course, he was the Head and Maya’s father Nathan was his second-in-command and responsible for operations. Because of his questionable wealth, Clive was finance and Etienne was publicity. He was responsible for getting the organisations message out and controlled the perception of the group in the media.

  “What about mum?” Will asked, deliberately wanted to gauge Cameron’s response.

  Cameron rubbed his hands uncomfortably, “Alannah was logistics,” he said. “She handled communications, equipment, transportation and personnel. Every conceivable contingency related to our operations was her responsibility. She was good at it too!”

  “So what happened?” asked Will innocently.

  “Fyodorgrad happened,” replied Cameron simply. “Imagine over a millions of people dead or dying and you’re to blame, it leaves a scar. That hit the group hard and nothing was really the same after?”

  Will saw some vulnerability in Cameron’s eyes, so he pressed him further, “You and mum split-up after that, right?” he asked.

  Cameron was now standing in front of Will, “Not immediately after,” replied Cameron with faint traces of regret. “It was a much slower process.”

  “So, what happened?” questioned Will. “Baldwin-Jones?” he added, as he looked into directly into his father’s face.

  “That pretentious bastard thought he was better than everyone. He wanted to be the leader,” said Cameron bitterly. “After Fyodorgrad, he openly questioned my every decision and challenged my authority at every turn. He knew Alannah and I were having difficulties, and couldn’t wait to drive the wedge between us further apart.”

  Will studied every inch of his father’s face intently and when he saw the vulnerability he baited him, “She slept with him?” he mocked. A grim loathing etched over Cameron’s face but chose not to answer the question. “What about Professor McDonald?”

  “Etienne!” said Cameron. When he realised that he’d dropped his guard down, he changed tact. “Like everyone else, he shouldered the burden of Fyodorgrad and had the unenviable task of spinning-it in the press. Guilt ridden, he lost himself inside a bottle for a time, until he allowed us to help him and get him a tenure at Rowling College. We thought he had it locked down,” admitted Cameron.

  “So why’d you kill him?” asked Will.

  “Sorry son,” said Cameron. “That wasn’t us,”

  “Baldwin-Jones?” asked Will. Cameron nodded his head slightly. “What about Bogatov, Gonzalez and Kobayashi?” probed Will further.

  “That wasn’t us either,” confirmed Cameron. He quickly understood the purpose of Will’s questions but realised there was nothing to gain or lose, so he continued. “Yes, there was disillusionment after Fyodorgrad but there was also an agreement between all parties,” said Cameron ambiguously.

  Will looked at Cameron intrigued, as he continued talking, “Ironically, it was Baldwin-Jones, who was responsible for their deaths,” confirmed Cameron. “They were more opposed to his political principles more so than my style of leadership.”

  “Better the devil you know, huh!” said Will.

  “If anything William, we owe you a great debt of gratitude,” said Cameron smugly. Will looked at his father curiously, “Your article for the Chronicle was the proverbial nail in Clive’s coffin,” said Cameron condescendingly. “We were never going to get close to the Prime Minister, not with all that security around him.

  As Cameron jabbered-on, Will bit his lip and concealed his regret he harboured. He measured his next words carefully and ensured everyone heard, “So, mum and I were just means to your own ends?” asked Will. “If that’s what you do to your family, god help your friends,” said Will, as he looked around the room.

  “Touché William! You’re very clever,” replied Cameron, as he looked around the room. “But I trust everyone here, can you say the same?”

  Cameron looked around the room and searched everyone’s eyes for signs of doubt or disloyalty. He felt now was a good time to reassert his authority and remind everyone who was in charge. Cameron gestured to Albert, who was in the room behind the window and suddenly, Will’s body jerked and twitched violently.

  Nathan and Daley watched emotionlessly, as Cameron ordered Albert to continue sending electrical impulses through his son’s body. When he’d thought that Will had had enough, he motioned Albert to torture him further.

  Maya became increasingly uncomfortable and helpless but she hid her emotions. At the same time, she tried to think how best she could help Will. Adam had also become a nervous wreck and started pacing the floor frantically, as he looked at his friend remorsefully.

  “Well William, coercion or compliance,” said Cameron. “What’ll it be?”

  “Piss off,” replied Will defiantly. “Is that it? Is that all you’ve got?” he said, intentionally ridiculing Cameron in front of everyone.

  “You’re strong boy, aren’t you?” asked Cameron rhetorically. “….very strong.”

  “Growing up without one’s parents will do that to a person,” jibed Will.

  “Don’t worry William,” said Cameron. “I’ve got plenty more for you.”

  Cameron disliked being humbled. He untied Will’s bonds and forcefully pulled him off the table. Will was still weak from the previous assault and fell to his knees.

  As he massaged his wrists, he heard Cameron order Albert and tried to prepare himself for what came next. Suddenly, he started to move involuntarily around the room, like a puppet on a string. One second he was standing-up, then he was sitting and next moving around randomly.

  Before long, Albert was making him picking up objects and hitting himself. After each command, Albert would press a sp
ecific button that would disable the chip briefly and gave Will some respite.

  Will was now dazed and panting heavily, “What’d you do to me?” he asked, trying to buy some time.

  “Quite simply, the chip inside you allows us to make you susceptible to suggestion,” replied Cameron maliciously. “We can make you physically and mentally compliant at any time we choose.”

  “So, you’ve turned me into your plaything for everyone to watch,” Will said defiantly. “Creepy!”

  Cameron became incensed, “So you prefer coercion?” he said flatly. “Come this way William, I’d like to show you something,” he said mysteriously.

  Will got up weakly and shuffled into the dark room behind Cameron. Adam and Maya followed immediately them with Daley trailing behind. Will looked around and saw the elderly scientist named Albert, sitting at the controls.

  “So, you’re the guy with the finger on the button,” taunted Will. “Where’d you dig up that fossil? Please tell me he’s not my Grandfather.”

  Albert screwed his tired eyes scathingly at Will. Humour was the only weapon Will had left at his disposal, so he used it liberally. However, inside he was desperately searching for a way out of his situation.

  They all walked passed Albert and reached a series of monitors, “Were ready!” Nathan Walker said to Cameron. When he saw the monitors, Will’s wit quickly changed to rage and he suddenly leapt towards Cameron.

  Will’s knuckles tightened around Cameron’s throat with an unexpected ferocity. Taken aback by unexpectedness and intensity of Will’s fury, Cameron tried to peel Will’s fingers from around his throat but his face was quickly turning red, as he struggled for breath.

  It took all of Adam and Daley’s strength combined to try and prise Will off but that wasn’t enough. In the end, Nathan pistol-whipped him around the side of his head, which made Maya shudder angrily.

  Will collapsed to the floor in a heap, and his breathing had become rapid and heavy. Fortunately, the adrenaline counteracted any pain he should’ve felt. Maya remained in the background and looked-on in horror. She was still in shock by her father’s actions.

  “You bastard,” Will shouted at Cameron. “How could you?”

  After spluttering a few times, Cameron Cox rubbed his neck and grinned triumphantly. Everyone turned their attention to the screens and saw what had triggered Will’s rage.

  On three separate screens, there was a person tied to a chair with their hands behind their backs. Each captive had a dark hood over their head, which made them unrecognisable. Standing behind them was a figure wearing black clothing with the Promethean insignia clearly emblazoned on their chests.

  Will heard the muffled protests from the captives, as they struggled against their bonds. The Prometheans were pointing handguns at their hostages and awaiting further instructions.

  On Cameron’s order, the three Promethean’s figures pulled the hoods from their heads and revealed their faces. Maya placed a hand over her mouth and Adam who was equally shocked started apologizing, “I-I’m sorry mate, I didn’t know,” he said mortified. “I didn’t… I never thought this would happen.”

  “What did you think would happen mate?” asked Will, staring at the screens in disbelief. “Now, you know what type of man he is.”

  Will, Maya and Adam instantly recognised two of the hostages, Wesley and Ally but only Will knew the third person. Despite the years lost between them, he recognised Kimmie McKenzie anywhere. Someone he’d grown up with in his early years in England.

  “What do you think of my game now, William?” asked Cameron gravely. “No witty comebacks? Well, a little jeopardy will do that,” he said after a pause. Will’s mind raced frantically, as he tried to think of a solution but it was futile. “So, what’ll it be, compliance or coercion?” demanded Cameron. “You have sixty seconds to make a decision!”

  For the first time in his life, Will was stuck. He looked at the screens, helplessly as an air of inevitability loomed. The pictures on the monitors suddenly faded to black but the sounds of panic and heavy breathing were very audible. Maya and Adam looked at each other discreetly, as though they’d just had the same idea.

  In the next instance, Adam drew a gun and aimed it at Albert, who was sitting at the control panel. Maya moved to her fathers’ left and aimed a Taser gun in Adam and Will’s general direction. Nathan Walker pointed his firearm at Adam and Daley reached inside his jacket, whipped out a small automatic and aimed at Will, it was a Mexican standoff.

  The silence only heightened the tension, as seconds ticked by and everyone was looking at each other. Suddenly, multiple voices bellowed out discordantly and everyone started shouting over each other.

  “Cameron, tell the old man to shut that thing down,” demanded Adam, as he aimed his gun at Albert.

  “Drop the gun son,” demanded Nathan Walker, as he calmly pointed his gun at Adam.

  “Father, please stop pointing your gun!” pleaded Maya. “I’ve got them covered,” she lied.

  Will looked at Maya and Adam curiously as though he was trying to understand their move. He tensed his body, as if he was about to react when Daley saw him shuffled towards him, “Don’t try it,” said Daley, as he aimed his gun at Will.

  Before anyone knew it, a shot rang out and all hell broke loose. Adam sprayed four shots from his gun in one horizontal motion. One bullet whistled passed Maya narrowly, as her father pushed her to one side.

  Two of Adam’s shots struck the control panel, which disabled it and the fourth bounced wildly off the walls. Unfortunately, the decision to move under the table for cover was a second too late for Albert Stanley. The fourth shot ricocheted off the console and entered his back, puncturing a lung, as it exited his body.

  In the same instance, Nathan fired two consecutive shots in Adam’s direction both of which, found their target. The first bullet slammed into Adam’s shoulder and spun him around and the second, ripped through his neck severing his carotid artery.

  When Nathan Walker’s first shot rang out, Will immediately acted and used the chaos to disarm Daley. Using ju-jitsu, he threw Daley to the ground with considerable force. Will was about to move towards Adam, when another shot exploded from near the main doors. He looked behind him and saw Daley lying prostrate on the floor. Instinctively, he fired random shot towards main doors where he believed the shots came from.

  When he looked down, Will saw the blood pouring from Daley’s fatal wound and picked-up his gun unsympathetically. He shuffled over to where Adam was lying but it was too late, he was already dead.

  “Ads, Adam?” said Will gently. “Hey pal, it’s okay… I forgive you!” whispered Will, as he held Adam in his arms.

  The thought of losing someone else close to him, was deeply affecting for Will. He felt like his world was coming apart. First, he’d lost the professor, then his mother and now, his best friend. Adam’s betrayal seemed inconsequential in light of his redemption.

  Will rose to his feet gingerly with Daley’s gun still in his hand. He saw an opportunity to end everything, even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process. He walked over to Cameron, with his arm raised and gun pointed at Cameron.

  Nathan, now pointing his gun at Will repeatedly ordered him to lower his gun and was close to shooting. Maya was also trying to reason with Will, as he’d fixed his eyes on his father.

  ✽✽✽

  No one had really seen where the initial shot had come from. To the rear of the room, standing in the shadows was the burly man who’d been guarding the main doors unnoticeable. When he’d seen Adam holding a gun toward the control panel, the guard intervened. During the commotion, when everyone was shouting he’d fired the first shot.

  Nathan and Maya both had their weapons aimed at Will and were shouting at him, trying to talk him down. Maya had slowly circled around him to get closer. She still had the Taser in her hand at the ready.

  Nathan was standing just off her shoulder with his gun aimed at Will, still barking orders. Maya looke
d down at Adam and could see that her father was more than prepared to shoot. With no options left, she pressed the trigger and fired the Taser at Will.

  Will writhed in pain until he dropped to his knees, as Maya kept her finger on the Taser. At the same time, the guard who’d been standing by the main doors blindly ran out from his cover and began firing his gun wildly in Will’s direction. Instinctively, Nathan swung around at the advancing guard and shot him dead, while still maintaining an air of calm.

  With Nathan’s back to him, Will turned to Cameron and pointed Daley’s gun at him. Cameron, who was cradling Albert, looked up at Will and their eyes met. Weakened from the first Taser, Will started pressing on the trigger when his body quivered violently again.

  Four milliamps from Maya’s Taser sent Will to the floor trashing about in pain. When Maya saw that her father was about to shoot Will, she barged him aside and zapped Will again.

  When he opened his eyes, Will found himself back on the operating table tied with thick leather strapping. There were three monitors directly next to him, so that he could see them. The volume had been turned-up but the images were blacked-out. Will could hear the muffled protests of his friends, except he couldn’t know who was which monitor.

  Cameron stood in front of him. “William, you’ve made me realise now that absolute compliance can only be achieved with a large degree of coercion,” he said conclusively. “Do it!” said Cameron coldly.

  Will strained against his bonds but his wrist were sore and achy. Seconds seemed like minutes in the vacuum of silence. Suddenly, a single gunshot rang out loudly throughout the laboratory, against the backdrop of Will’s screams.

  Unable to do anything, Maya stood silently and fearfully next to her father. Cameron stationed another guard by the main doors and had all the dead bodies removed, with the exception of Adam Hinchcliffe. Cameron left Adam in the laboratory, so Will could clearly see ‘the consequences of his actions’.

  “Turn them off!” barked Cameron. The guard at the main doors switched off all the lights to the laboratory. “I thought I’d give you something to quietly contemplate,” said Cameron ominously.