‘What’s the matter?’ Leon asked in an unmistakable rhetorical tone.
Na’talia finally came into view and took her position beside Leon. Aaron covered his mouth with his empty gun and let out a chuckle.
‘You’re getting old Aaron. You forgot. The P-266 only carries 11 rounds.’
Aaron quickly went over how many shots he had fired; four through the door, then three, then two, another two and the final three into Black.
‘Shit!’ He said out loud.
‘Yeah, Shit foreal.’ Leon snorted before walking over to the other P-266 on the floor, - lying next to Black’s humungous leg. To his surprise it was empty and Aaron smiled to himself as he watched Leon discard it to one side.
‘So what are you planning to do son?’
‘I’m not your son!’ Leon shouted back.
The surprise revelation that Leon was aware of the truth caused Aaron to blink a few times but with no other feelings on the matter he just nodded his head and said. ‘So you know then?’
Neither Leon nor Na’talia replied.
‘Nathan, listen…’
(Hearing the change in Aaron’s tone Leon could not help but think how uncanny Aaron’s voice reminded him of a car salesman. Not the one you would find in a Maserati dealership, - He was sure of that. But the kind of salesmen that sold all 39 different makes and models, on the Dan Marino Super Car lot. From Ford’s to Lexus’ to pimped out Pinto’s. The cocky, tailored made, cufflink wearing, sly talking salesmen. The ones, who sized you up, worked out your weak points then obnoxiously try to brain fuck you into buying the worst piece of shit tin can on the sales floor for more than the actual sticker price. He had not only seen their type on T.V but had come across one or two of them in real life.
‘. . . You may not understand it now but everything was done for a reason.’
For a split second Leon froze, bound up in an overwhelming feeling of contempt. Not usually the kind of person to be so demeaning to another human but finding it hard to come up with another way to express the disgust he had for Aaron’s statement Leon let fly a descent amount of phlegm that flew through the air, landing centimetres from Aaron’s feet. Aaron casually looked down to check the condition of his shoes before looking back up at Leon with an almost satisfied, smug expression on his face. Na’talia took a step forward and cocked the double action pump rifle in one mechanical motion.
Looking directly at her Aaron said ‘What’s working you? You looking for some sort of revenge? If it is, it shouldn’t be with me. It should be with that bastard sitting behind you.’
For the first time Na’talia turned to look at Superior Upson tied to the wooden rocking chair.
‘Let’s share the bank bonds.’ Aaron said – continuing his sales pitch. ‘You have the codes in the book Eddy gave you. Twenty-two billion Nate. Think about it. Divide that three ways we have 7.3 billion each. How much does the Agency pay you a year? Thirty-five to thirty-eight thousand? Imagine what you could do with 7.3 million.
‘Do you really think it’s that easy?’ Leon blurted out. ‘You sent me away when I was nine. You set things up to have me killed. You had my mother sent away.’ Leon paused and then said ‘You killed our Father.’
‘Ha! Don’t make me laugh.’ Aaron snapped back. ‘Let’s get a few things straight. One; She was no mother. Neither was she a wife she was a whore; and as for Geddess - Ha, shit happens. He was soft. Never really had what it takes to be a True Desert Lion but somehow found a way to take what was mine. He had what was coming to him.’
Leon took two very quick steps forward so he was just a few feet away from the opposite edge of the desk Aaron was standing behind.
‘I dear you to say that again.’ Leon said coldly.
Aaron chuckled and then said ‘your mother was a… . ‘ - but before he could finish Leon let a round go from his own P-266. With no time to react Aaron took the bullet in the top fleshy part of his left shoulder. – A little higher than where he himself had shot Jay. As the sound of the bullet could be heard hitting the wall, Leon watched his once upon a time father stagger backwards and slowly slide down the wall into a seated position.
‘That one is for Jay.’ Leon said out loud.
Motioning to Na’talia to untie the Superior, Leon tentatively walked round the side of the large oak desk and stood over Aaron with his weapon itching to fire another round. Leon stood there for a while. Not saying anything, just taking in Aaron’s agony ridden face. Aaron was breathing heavily, which caused flex of spit to fly through his gritted teeth. He was pressing his left shoulder up against the wall, applying as much pressure as he could bear with his right hand. The bullet went clean through, - bleeding more from the hole on the back of his shoulder. After taking in a deep breath Aaron slowly raised his head revealing a face of remorse.
‘Nathan. You have to believe me.’ Aaron pleaded. ‘You can’t do this. You can’t end things here. There is too much you don’t know.’
Leon’s initial thought process started to freeze. ‘He’s right. I don’t know everything’. Leon thought.
Na’talia had almost got Superior Upson out of his restraints and was about to ask him how he was feeling when Aaron removed the pressure he was placing on his arm and adamantly pointed his bloody hand towards Superior Upson before saying ‘You want to know where your mother is? Ask him. He knows. I’ve tried to get him to tell me but he won’t say…’ His voice tapered off.
Aaron himself was adequately trained in the art of mental manipulation and knew how to apply the perfect amount of pitch into the question “do you want to know where your mother is?” in such a way it would cause Leon’s brain to shut down. This process was then impounded by Aaron pausing just long enough to cause effect and then suddenly increase his pace to incite urgency by saying “Ask him. He knows”.
Leon’s thought process had now been taken over. Not wanting to give Aaron any points but if Leon had just a slim chance of finding out where his mother could be, he had to take it. Aaron smiled as he could see Leon’s brain was now in complete melt down. Despite the feelings in Leon’s gut shouting towards his brain to press Ctrl – Alt + Del, Aaron’s mind twisting bug had been expertly planted into that part of Leon’s mind that was usually cut off from the rest of the world.
Leon lowered his weapon and turned to face the Superior who was slowly patting himself down, wincing every time his hands touched a particular area.
‘Well?’ Leon called.
Looking up at Leon, then at Na’talia beside him and then back to Leon the Superior raised his hands and said ‘He’s lying to you. I do not know where they have her.’
‘What do you mean!? Who? Who have her?’ Leon spat.
The Superior started to shake his head.
‘Talk!’ Na’talia snapped with a poke of her rifle.
Superior Upson’s mouth finally opened but to Leon’s surprise the sound heard was his own voice leave his mouth in the form of a gut churning howl. Tears came to Leon’s eyes and streamed down his face as he clenched them tight. He could sense Aaron moving around his feet before he heard the clatter of his gun on the floor and both the Superior and Na’talia shout something out at the same time, - but it was all a blur. Leon’s vision of the room unnervingly started to tilt as he realised he was no longer balanced and on his way down to the floor with a crash. Using his hands to try and break his fall Leon attempted to grab hold of the side of the desk however with only one foot unevenly planted on the ground and his body almost vertical, his centre of gravity was a no show so all he could do was push himself away from the desk, - giving him just about an extra three feet of space between him and Aaron. The pain caused him to blackout for only a few seconds but by the time he opened his eyes Aaron was standing near his feet looking down on him.
The initial shock of whatever caused him to be in so much pain had subsided
and now Leon was trying to compartmentalise it. The pain rose from the lower part of his right leg, - His ankle.
‘You ok?’ Aaron said smiling. ‘You see that pain your feeling. It’s called future planning. Go ahead, Look.’
Raising the top half of his body and bringing his right thigh into his chest, Leon looked down at where the agony resided and to his horror was a silver fountain pen sticking through the back part of his ankle, tearing a hole through his Achilles tendon. The pen itself belonged to Superior Upson. Aaron had lifted it from the desk and put it in his sock right after tying Upson to the rocking chair.
‘You see Nathan. That right there is what we do. We plan for everything.’ Aaron started to laugh. Leon knew his movements would be severely limited with the pen situated where it was, so with a firm, swift tug he pulled the fountain pen back through the hole made in his flesh and pants. Leon kept his mouth closed but let out a groan that sounded oddly like a stifled laugh. After taking one more look at the pen in his hand Leon fell flat on his back. From his position on the floor, Na’talia seemed to be standing upside down. With the Superior taking cover behind her, she took aim for Aaron’s mid-section.
‘Go ahead…’ Aaron said smugly. ‘. . . You know as well as I do. I’ll get at least two rounds into your brother before the first buck leaves the chamber. Is killing me really worth it?’
Aaron was smiling but Leon could tell he was contending with his own pain and still losing quite a bit of blood. With Leon’s gun clenched firmly in his hand Aaron took aim for Leon’s head.
‘I’m warning you!’ Na’talia shouted.
‘Please. Give me a break.’ Aaron replied. ‘You’re not going to do it. So stop making yourself look bad.’
He was about to say something to Superior Upson but was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. Keeping his aim on Leon Aaron picked the phone up from off the desk and smiled as he saw J1 on the screen.
‘Articulate…’ He said answering the phone.
With his focus darting between Leon on the floor and Na’talia in the doorway Aaron held the phone to his ear in silence. The longer he stood their listening to what the person had to say on the other end the broader his smile became.
‘Who’s that?’ Leon enquired.
Aaron pointed his gun back down towards Leon’s face. ‘I take it, you have never heard of curiosity killed the cat.’ He said. ‘What does it matter who I was talking too? You’re going to be dead in less than three seconds.’
Finding a little courage Superior Upson spoke out from behind Na’talia’s back. ‘It’s his contact, calling for the codes.’
‘Codes? What codes?’ Leon insisted, - trying to drag things out.
Taking a step forward Aaron brought the nozzle of Leon’s trusted weapon into his view. A few tense seconds passed before Aaron finally let out a sigh and said ‘Hey, what the hell. That was Jahed. My computer expert.’ Aaron paused for a moment and then with an - Oh! I almost forgot kind of attitude said – ‘Coincidently he went to Glenmuir like you and Jay.’ Aaron chuckled at his own statement then said ‘He’s the one who set up my Human Accounts with a few offshore banks. He’s waiting for the codes to unlock the bank bonds from the Department of Defence’s expenditure account. Motioning to the familiar Gucci bag carrying the bonds Aaron said ‘While I have the paperwork. They mean nothing without the codes.’
Finding a way to tap into his inner soldier Superior Upson stepped out from behind Na’talia, mockingly stifled a laugh and said ‘You have nothing…’
He then reached for the gun on Na’talia’s waist and said, ‘. . . Now look who’s going to die. You piece of shit.’ However due to his slow, stiff movements he ended up missing Na’talia’s holster by a few inches.
‘What you think you’re doing?’ Na’talia exclaimed.
Aaron had seen and heard enough. The Superior was not going to be of any real help and he currently had the upper hand on Leon so he decided the Superior had to go. With that Aaron fired two shots into the Superior’s chest with Leon’s gun. Na’talia immediately ducked over to her left - away from the Superior’s position and hurled herself to towards the corner of the room beside a small wooden coffee table next to the window. Aaron Laughed and then said ‘I wasn’t aiming for you Nat; I can’t kill you until I have the codes. Now where is the book Edwards gave you?’
With the pain in the lower part of his leg under better control Leon slowly started to raise himself up from the floor. Aaron silently watched Leon gain his balance on one foot and use the edge of the desk as a crotch for the other. Purposefully, Leon positioned himself directly in between Na’talia and Aaron’s direct line of sight. After taking in a few breaths Leon said ‘I don’t have them on me. They’re in a book, outside in the truck.’
Aaron frowned. ‘That’s a pity,’ He said. ‘. . . Because that means I’m going to have to kill you NOW.
While Leon watched Aaron align his aim towards the space between his eyes all the hairs on the back of his neck rose, his heart started to beat faster and he could feel a rush of adrenaline make its way through his veins. Eyes focused on Aaron’s finger around the trigger Leon waited until the very last second to bend at the knee of his good leg and jump back towards his right side revealing Na’talia in her crouched position already waiting with her rifle focused on Aaron. Because of his speed Aaron managed to hit Leon with his first round but by the time his finger could pull the trigger for the second time the loud obnoxious sound of Na’talia’s rifle had already made itself heard and the buck shot that came with it had hit Aaron flush across the top part of his chest. The force caused Aaron’s whole body to jerk back. With his feet in the air Aaron hit the wall behind him with a thud.
Na’talia scrambled to her feet and ran over to Leon who was curled up on the floor and said ‘Nathan, you ok.’
Not wanting to say she was being a little too rough Leon tactfully pulled away and raised his arm to show her it was just a flesh wound.
‘He ain’t that fast.’ Leon said finally, forcing a smile.
After scrutinising the graze and her immediate alarm tapered with the knowledge that it was nothing more than a scratch Na’talia finally let all her emotions go and burst into tears. On her knees and with her arms around his neck Leon sat there in silence and allowed her to let it all out. After a minute or so Leon gently patted her on the shoulder before saying ‘It’s going to be ok.’
Na’talia backed away showing an expression that told Leon she was not so sure.
‘You were right?’ she said.
‘What you mean I was right.’
‘I mean, you were right. What now?’ She said frustratingly. ‘. . . The Superior is dead, Aaron is dead the Chief is gone and we still don’t have any answers.’
Motioning to the Gucci bag on the floor Leon said ‘Do we really need any?’
‘What about your mother?’ Na’talia replied.
‘We have 22 billion dollars in untouchable US bank bonds. Whoever is in possession and holds the necessary documentation has rights and if I’m not mistaken that’s us. I’m pretty sure we have enough to buy information.’ A smile started to appear on Leon’s face before he said, ‘Now help me up and let’s go get Jay and get out of here.’
As Na’talia began to help Leon to his feet they were both surprised by the sound of a phone starting to ring. It was not Leon’s, neither was it Na’talia’s and it was none of the phones belonging to Aaron or Black.
‘Where is that coming from?’ Leon asked.
‘I’m not sure.’ Replied Na’talia, - trying to trace the ringing tone. Walking around the desk she followed the sound to the third draw down the front of the desk. Opening it slowly, she gently moved some papers out of the way before pulling out a grey Qualcomm MPX000124 satellite phone - Standard CIA issue for all field agents. ‘We might have a problem.’ she said holding the phone
up for Leon to see.
Reaching for it Leon said ‘Here, let me handle this.’
Without looking at the number or name Leon took the phone from Na’talia, put it to his ear and then said. ‘Hello’
‘Hello’ the voice replied warmly.
‘Hello, who is this?’ Leon demanded.
‘All in good time young cub.’
Leon was a little taken aback by the man’s reference but he stayed cool.
‘Look. I don’t know who you are,’ Leon replied, ‘But since I’m guessing you called for the Superior I think I should tell you, he’s dead.’
Before Leon could say anything else the man on the other end replied. ‘I know. My colleagues and I saw everything; And while it is a shame to see our old friend Upson be done away by the hands of someone like Aaron we are quite pleased that said person is no longer with us. Aaron had proven to be a thorn in our side for far too long and if he had succeeded - Well, let’s just say he would have caused much more harm than good.’
‘Oh really?’ Leon interjected.
‘Yes, really.’ The man replied calmly.
‘So what do you want from me?’ Leon requested.
‘Well, I think that is quite obvious young cub. Go get the codes from Na’talia’s truck and leave it along with the bonds right there in the room.’
‘And.’ Leon pushed.
‘And…’ The man paused as if he was waiting to take an order from someone else before saying ‘we will allow you to live your life. Do whatever it is you want. On the condition that if we should ever call you, you come running.’
Leon was silent.
‘Do we have a deal?’ said the voice.
‘And what about Na’talia and Jay?’ asked Leon.
‘The same for them,’ the man replied. ‘So, do we have a deal or not?’
‘And what if I say no deal?’
Leon’s question caused the man on the other end to laugh. ‘Well that young cub would not be very smart,’ he replied. ‘You see in 10 minutes, the late Superior Upson’s house will be overrun with twenty of the most highly trained killers the United States Government could buy and they are going to tear up that house from top to bottom, killing every living thing including the fucking rats. Now if you, your sister and your friend waiting outside would like to see tomorrow I honestly don’t think that is an option. Do you?’
The Desert Lion's True Colours Page 27