The Longest Night Ever Lived

by Mitch Goth

The bleeding on Adnan’s face had long ceased by the time he and Josh returned to their hideaway in the factory district empty handed. Neither of them was sure how Hosni would react. They found him pacing frustratingly outside of the door to the holding room.

  “Did you get them?” Hosni wondered at them in a quick, short-tempered tone.

  “Not exactly,” Adnan replied apprehensively.

  “It’s a yes or no question.”

  “In that case, no.”

  “But we did find them,” Josh pointed out.

  “So, you didn’t kill them, or capture them?” Hosni deduced.

  “That’s the gist of it, yeah,” Josh said with a shrug.

  “So what the hell are you two doing here?”

  “We figured we’d let you know what happened.”

  “If what happened didn’t involve you two killing or capturing those kids, I don’t give a shit what happened.”

  “Aren’t you concerned about what happened to my head?” Adnan pointed to the gash above his eye.

  “Now that you mention it,” Hosni paused, “no. Now go back out there and don’t come back until they’re dead or in your company.”

  “Fine,” they said in a unison huff and departed once more.

  Once the twins had gone, Hosni returned into the holding room. Both Cera and Cady were seated in the chairs directly under the light bulb.

  “We are going to find your friends,” he explained calmly.

  “Probably,” Cera responded in equal tranquility, “they’re not really that clever.”

  “You don’t seem to have much faith in them.”

  “That’s because I don’t.”

  “I do,” Cady interrupted.

  “Why?” Cera looked at her, confused.

  “They’re quirky, but capable.”

  “Yeah, capable of getting average grades and lighting off fireworks without killing everyone. Not quite capable of fighting terrorists.”

  “Is fighting terrorists really that hard?”

  “Is it?” Cera addressed Hosni.

  “Have either of you seen Black Hawk Down?” he answered with a question of his own.

  “I’m going to take that as a yes. Yes?”

  “It’s incredibly hard.”

  “I still think they can do it,” Cady asserted.

  “Perhaps you overestimate them,” Hosni scoffed.

  “Maybe you underestimate them.”

  “If one of them is indeed the assassin I’m looking for, then perhaps I do. Although for some reason, I have a feeling it’s one of you,” his voice was suddenly stained with a faint qualm.

  “I’m curious what makes you so suspicious of us,” Cera said cockily.

  “I suppose it could be that a normal, untrained, certified non-lethal weapon would be slightly more frightened than you’ve been this entire time,” Hosni glared at her.

  “She’s always like that, trust me,” Cady exclaimed worriedly.

  “You’ve been trained to stay naturally calm under pressure?” he continued questioning Cera.

  “I like to think I trained myself,” Cera snipped.

  “Or the UN trained you.”

  “Or she’s just naturally a psychopath,” Cady suggested.

  “Quiet down,” he instructed with a strictly aimed finger.

  “Don’t tell her what to do,” Cera said commandingly.

  “I don’t think you’re in a position to give orders,” he maneuvered himself into Cera’s face.

  “I don’t think you are either,” she met his gaze, perhaps with even more intensity.

  “Why might that be? Because you’re an assassin?”

  “Could be.”

  Without another word, Hosni pulled a small knife out if sheath on his belt and jabbed the tip into Cera’s leg just above the knee and twisted back and fourth. Her face and stare stayed solid.

  “What are you?” he hissed, pulling the knife out and depositing it back in its sheath.

  She simply raised an eyebrow and cocked a smile at him. With a loud groan, almost a yell of aggravation, Hosni stormed out of the room once more.

  As soon as the sound of the door slamming resonated through Cera’s head, she shot up from her chair. She kicked the rusty seat across the room and began stomping around wildly, reaching down and gripping her knee as she did. A clear look of anguish showed on her face.

  “Fuckin’ A!” she exclaimed. “It looks so painless in the movies!”

  “Did it hurt?” Cady asked quietly.

  “Oh, no,” Cera retorted sarcastically, “getting stabbed was just peachy, Cady. You should give it a try some day, it’s very therapeutic.”

  “How did you hold your composure so well?”

  “When you have a point to prove, it gets easy.”

  “What was your point?”

  “I don’t know, but there was one in there somewhere.”

  “When you think of one, let me know. And can you try and keep from getting stabbed any more tonight?”

  “I’m sorry if my stabbing caused you a minor inconvenience.”

  “Apology accepted.”

  “Shut up,” Cera pulled her chair back under the bulb and collapsed down onto it, trying her best to relax her wounded leg.

  “Sasshole.”

  7