Moment of Truth

by Emrys Apollo

  “One in the kitchen. The other looks like he’s waiting for you by the door.” Jody said. Desmond gave a nod as he passed the surveillance camera at the top of the stairs, knowing Jody would see him. He braced himself, already aiming his gun, as he started his descent. “Daniel’s got him sat on the bed.”

  “I need you staying with me.” Desmond stated, eyes raking the ground floor as it came into sight.

  “Confirm that. Check your six.” Jody responded. As soon as Desmond’s sightline was clear of the upper floor he did a one eighty, aiming his gun into the darkness behind the stairs.

  “Smooth operation you have here.” A thick accent said from the shadows.

  “Well, considering you made all that noise...” Desmond said, focus not wavering.

  “Was curious about what welcome we would get.” The voice said, moving forwards so his features were just caught in the light.

  “Not exactly going to let you take him twice, am I.” Desmond sent, clicking off the safety. “Last words?”

  “Did you really think it would be that easy?” The guy laughed.

  “Desmond!” Jody’s yell of warning was too late. The lights were suddenly flicked on, causing brief blindness to sting in Desmond’s eyes as he tried to adjust to the change in brightness. As he blinked heavy weight was thrown into his back, sending him crashing to the floor. He wrestled with the assailant who was trying to keep him on the ground, his gun being knocked out of his hand and sliding away. Now weaponless, Desmond was spun onto his back and a well timed punch landed squarely across the side of his face, dizzying him.

  “Kitchen.” The first voice said as the earpiece was pulled from Desmond’s ear. Desmond tried to fight but the world was off kilter. He managed to cause a bit of delay, slipping from the tight grasp that was on him, but the guy just regrouped, twisting Desmond’s arm back across his shoulders and dragged him into a waiting seat.

  “Find the other one.” Gruff instructions were sent. Desmond moved with the guy as he headed back out of the room. Kicking his foot out, he caused the man to stumble to the floor. Acting fast, he shoved the table forwards, trapping the second man in place and winding him as he moved for the blonde. Returning the favor, he caught the blonde’s collar, pulling him off the floor just enough so he could get some height on the punch he returned. The blonde’s head hit the ground with a loud thud.

  Clambering to his feet, Desmond dove for the set of knives Antony had so carefully chosen all those years ago. Grabbing the largest, he positioned himself at the doorway, braced to attack anyone thinking of trying to get past him, trying to shake the dizzying feeling that was still lingering.

  “Your move.” Desmond panted, eyes flicking between the two men in the kitchen. The brunette was just getting himself out from behind the table.

  “You really think you can win two on one?”

  “Give me a few minutes and it’ll be two on six. And you won’t know where my guys are coming from.”

  “Cocky.” The blonde shot, spitting blood on the floor as he moved to his feet.

  “What makes you think we do not have backup? Do not think we’ve got eyes everywhere?” The brunette sneered. The blonde pulled a gun from the back of his trousers, clicking off the safety and pointing it at Desmond.

  “This ends tonight.” He said calmly. Desmond tried to hide his nervous swallow.

  “This bullshit that starts so long ago, that should have ended so long ago. It ends now.” The brunette added, his eyes alight with what looked like giddy joy. As if he’d wanted nothing more than to do this for years.

  “What is your personal vendetta against me, huh? Don’t you have other fuckers who have crossed you?”

  “No.” The blonde said, dabbing his lip. Desmond frowned at him.

  “Impossible.”

  “Your small mind could not understand.” The blonde shrugged. A plan formulated in Desmond’s head.

  “Well, if you’re going to kill me don’t I at least get an explanation?” If he could just keep them talking, just for a little bit, it would buy him enough time for the other Storming agents to get to him. “What makes me so special?”

  “There is nothing special about you.” The brunette snaked. “You are an obstacle that should have been removed years ago. Just the easiest to manipulate.”

  “What the fuck does that even mean?”

  “It’s not a film. Are not going to sit and explain our ‘plan’.” The blonde interjected. “Now move so you can say goodbye or die without seeing him again.” Desmond’s grip on the knife tightened. He was sure he could take one of them on his own before the other agents arrived.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “He knows more than you think.” The brunette bit joyously. “Your precious Tony .”

  “Don’t say his name.” Desmond spat back, seemingly causing the brunette more joy. They were pushing his buttons, egging him on. Desmond knew that, but this was Antony they were toying with. This was personal.

  “You think he is so innocent and scared. So unaware of this whole world he got ‘thrown’ into.”

  “Franz.” The blonde growled threateningly. But Franz didn’t seem to be deterred.

  “Why not tell him? For sure, he should die knowing the truth.” Franz was talking to the blonde, but his eyes were locked on Desmond as if nothing but this could bring him such joy. Desmond was confident now, he would move for Franz first. Hopefully manage to get the knife lodged somewhere vital before the blonde turned the gun on him.

  “You’re just enjoying fucking with me, aren’t you.” Desmond gritted, meeting Franz’s eyes. Franz smiled, shaking his head. “Like toying with your food, eh?”

  “I like so much more watching the realization smash across your face and then draining the life from it.”

  “You don’t think I know all the tricks in the book? ‘Hit the target with some shocking news to throw them off their guard’? Please. Like that would work on me.” Desmond scoffed, liking the fact his rebuke of Franz’s taunts seemed to be pissing the brunette off.

  “This is not what I am doing.” Franz shot back.

  “Whatever-” Desmond flinched out of his skin as a shot fired out. The blonde dropped his arm, brushing the plaster dust off his shoulder before returning his aim to Desmond.

  “Last breath time, Sharp.” The blonde said, as if oblivious to the fact he’d just shot a hole in the ceiling. Desmond swallowed, his eyes desperate for a new out. He was sure, however, that the blonde wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him if he tried to get Franz riled up again.

  “You… You said I could go get him.” Desmond bargained, hoping that he could somehow find his gun as he left the kitchen. “Say goodbye.”

  “I’m certain you would not give up this easily, so no. cannot go to do what you want to do.” The blonde responded coolly.

  The next voice shot ice down Desmond’s spine.

  “Stop! ...Or I… Will… I will shoot…” Desmond turned, completely forgetting about the threat behind him, at the sound of Antony’s voice. Tears were still pouring down his cheeks as his hands trembled horrifically, a gun haphazardly aimed towards the blonde. It was quite clear the only thing Antony was going to get a clear shot on was maybe the wall. Desmond was going to kill Daniel.

  “Antony, it’s okay.” Desmond tried to sooth, but Antony wasn’t looking at him. Although scared, there was an air of determination in him. Desmond had never seen him like this. He reached his free hand towards the man. “Give me the gun.”

  “Put that down!” Antony tried menacingly, waving his gun at the blonde, but his voice was weak and it shook. Unsurprisingly the blonde didn’t even flinch.

  “It’s a good act, Antony.” Franz poked darkly. “ Really convincing.”

  “Antony, look at me, not them.” Desmond tried, but his voice fell on death ears.

  “Why not actually pull that trigger and let it all end.” Franz baited.

  “You honestly thought you could walk away from this?” The blon
de added; an air of curiosity to his voice. Desmond didn’t see the blonde’s aim shift to Antony.

  “Do not know what you’re talking about.” Antony stuttered.

  “Of course you do.” Franz bit.

  “Antony, give me the gun. I can protect you.” Desmond pleaded, but there was no use.

  The language that was spoken next, Desmond didn’t understand, but he saw it cause the muscles in Antony’s back to tense. Needing to get Antony to look back at him, he moved towards him, reaching out. However, the moment he’d decided to move, his hand was twisted, pushed between his shoulder blades again. The knife clattered to the floor as Desmond gasped in pain, the barrel of a gun being pushed in his temple. The cold metal pricked fear across his skin, causing him to hold his breath. Words he didn’t understand kept spinning around him, being passed between Franz and the blonde. Antony hadn’t spoken since they changed language. Desmond idly wondered if he, too, didn’t understand.

  “Antony! It’s okay!” Desmond tried, still desperate to stop Antony randomly shooting out. At this point he could just as easily hit Desmond as he could one of the other two. He needed to defuse this, but the pressure that was being put on his body meant he couldn’t turn to face Antony.

  “Shut up.” The blonde muttered, pressing the gun more insistently to the side of Desmond's head, cutting into the soft flesh beneath.

  “Help is coming, Antony! Just hang on, it’ll all be fine!” Desmond hollered, squinting through the pain. “Just hang on!”

  “You have three seconds.” The blonde said.

  “No time to ‘hold on’” Franz teased, his voice coming close to Desmond’s ear. Desmond panted out a breath. This was going to be okay. They were going to get out of this fine. Any second the Storming agents would burst through the door and this would all be over. Just a bad dream. Nothing to ever worry about again. They would move and it would all get better. Desmond would not sleep until they were all dead. Until it was safe for Antony again. Until they could live in the peace they both relished.

  Two shots rang out.

  Splitting through the air and silencing everything.

  Desmond hit the floor with a thud, limbs splaying out uncontrollably. The breath he had been holding still trapped in his lungs, unable to escape. His eyelids had relaxed as he hit the ground, giving him a flash of the scene around him, but his eyes were unseeing. The tension had cracked like a bone, leaving devastation in its wake.

  Exhaling felt like it was in slow motion as Desmond blinked his eyes open. He took a moment, just breathing, feeling the air fill his lungs and spill out, mentally checking himself over. A sharp sting sprung up on his ear, causing him to wince.

  Pushing up on his arms to get himself off the floor, Desmond reached for the point of pain, confused to see a splattering of blood covering his fingers. Seeing red in his peripheral Desmond turned slightly. It was splattered across the wall, slipping towards the base where the rest of the blood was blocked from sight by the limp body of the blonde man, a tell-tale hole in the middle of his forehead.

  Instinctively, Desmond backed up slightly, knocking into something. Looking across at what he hit he saw the underside of a man’s shoe, connected to the foot of a man that was sprawled across the kitchen table. A slow, sickly drip of red from the far side told Desmond all he needed to know: both of the attackers were dead.

  Desmond slowly turned to look up at Antony.

  This was not the scared man who could barely hold a gun less than a minute ago. This was a killer, and not a new one. He’d done this before. The precision needed to take out not one but two people that close to Desmond, only having caught Desmond’s ear in the assault, was the mark of a trained professional. Desmond would have been less surprised to see a Storming agent stood just off Antony’s shoulder, but the way he was stood, holding the gun without so much of a shake in his hand, Desmond knew. Antony had done this.

  “I’m sorry.” Antony gasped, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks. Desmond was confused for a moment until he saw the gun pointed towards him.

  The pain seemed to ricochet across his chest as he took the impact, falling back on top of the two dead bodies at an awkward angle. Desmond stared up at the ceiling as hot heat covered his stomach. He stared up at the hole the blonde had shot in the ceiling, the way the plaster flaked away from the damage. It seemed fitting.

  Desmond didn’t know how long he lay there, listening to the kerfuffle of noise and staring at the hole. It could have been minutes, hours, days, he didn’t know. All sense of anything was lost on him. Questions floated in and out of his head, always leaving and returning with not even the start of an answer.

  A hand pressed on the one he had resting on his stomach. There was an insistence to the pressure, like the hand was scrambling around. Desmond wanted to grab it, make it stop, but he didn’t seem to have the energy anymore. Something was torn, the tell tale rip of fabric almost pulling Desmond back to the moment. It was like the sound had disconnected to the speakers in the kitchen and someone had suddenly plugged it back in.

  “Not as stupid as you look.” Desmond felt a small smile try to pull at his lips as the other man’s face appeared above his own. The man hooked a hand around the back of Desmond’s neck, helping him sit up. Desmond felt like it took too much effort, slumping onto Jody’s shoulder as soon as he was upright. His eyes focused on the rip in his shirt, the way the grey material hung oddly, revealing the bulletproof vest he had on underneath.

  “Not dying today.” Desmond breathed. It took him a moment to realize Jody wasn’t trying to move him. He was just sitting with him, an arm wrapped securely around his shoulder. “Where’s Antony?”

  “We’ve… He’s with the others.” Jody said.

  “Is he okay?”

  “He’s alright.” Jody said slowly. Desmond nodded, his fingers finding his ear again, remembering that he was actually injured. “Shit, you okay?”

  “Yeah, just my ear.” Desmond shrugged as Jody moved around.

  “I wondered where that blood had come from.” As Desmond watched him tend to his ear, he couldn’t stop his eyes from slipping to that spot, the place where Antony had stood and killed the two people he was still sitting next to.

  “Adrenaline sure is something.” Desmond commented. Jody frowned at him.

  “What?”

  “Antony.” Desmond said, gesturing vaguely around him. Jody sighed deeply.

  “That wasn’t adrenaline.” Desmond blinked at him. “He’s trained.”

  “He’s a monster trucker.” Desmond scoffed. Jody held his eye.

  “He should have shown on our database. We’re trying to work out how the hell he slipped through.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “He took Dan down in three seconds. As soon as he heard that shot he went.”

  “No… No Dan must have just…” Desmond frowned at the floor.

  “Just what? Let Antony go wandering around the house with shots going off?” Desmond didn’t reply. “He was sat on the bed, shot went off and before we’d realized it Dan was on the ground and Antony was on his way down the stairs.”

  “This isn’t possible…”

  “Desmond look at this room,” Jody pressed. “You don’t do this the first time you hold a gun.”

  “He was scared.”

  “He shot at you.” Jody pointed out. Desmond looked down at the bullet still wedged in his vest. “He was trying to escape.”

  “Huh?”

  “He knew we were coming, knew he couldn’t explain this, probably assumed you might be protected but even if not this isn’t a lethal shot.” Jody said, pointing at the bullet. “Something he would only know if he’d been trained.” Desmond shook his head. There was no way he would miss something like that. Not for seven years. He would have worked it out by now. If Antony had been sneaking out the house for missions he’d have known. Besides, Antony had been driving trucks for years. He just couldn’t be another agent.

  “No
… No it doesn’t add up.”

  “I’m sorry…” Jody said softly but insistently, putting something in Desmond’s hand. Desmond looked down at it, not really piecing it together. “He got this from his bedside table.” Jody turned the gun so Desmond could see the bottom of the grip. See the thing you wouldn’t know to look for unless you knew where it was, what it represented. The small engraved prancing horse.

  Antony was trained by the people who had kidnapped him.

  CHAPTER 14

  It was like watching a switch change Antony’s entire behavior. A sudden snap at the sound of distress from downstairs and caution had been thrown to the wind. Desmond rewound the security footage from their house for about the tenth time. He’d been studying it obsessively, watching the moment the act had broken, that Antony had revealed his true self.

  The trigger was the sound of the shot the blonde had fired off. Until that moment, Daniel had looked to have control of the situation, but the sound of the gun had broken Antony from however he’d been sedated. Before Daniel even realized the man had moved he was on the ground, Antony moving with a new sense of purpose as he stalked over to his bedside table and collected his gun. The way his eyes were already on the door as he loaded the gun, flicked off the safety with an air of professionalism. Desmond couldn't comprehend it.

  “You should stop watching that. You’ll drive yourself insane.” Desmond barely registered the voice talking to him, rewinding the security footage and starting it again. Desmond flinched as the hand clapped on his shoulder, the footage disappearing from the screen he’d been fixated on. “That’s just… Enough.” Jody ran a hand over his face, his grip on Desmond’s shoulder tightening. “There is nothing more to be seen from that.”

  “You don’t know that.” Desmond gritted, moving to open up the video again. Jody stopped him.

  “I know this is hard-”