by J Niessen
*****
I’m done with people knowing me by the name Benson. Not sure what name I’m gonna go by later. Something simple. Maybe nothing at all. I used the military to change it to just one part. I’ve wanted to erase my entire name for a while. When I found out about this opportunity the city was putting on, it made my goal easier to reach. All the ones on my elimination list are in this mission. And get this. The ones giving me the most trouble getting to, the others on my list help to kill them. Things are going real good in this challenge so far, until he shows up…
With my powerful hands I want to strangle Garrison, as the two of us are standing toe-to-toe in the middle of this snowstorm. Don’t know why he’s the only one that didn’t have to go through the last mission. He’s got the same look in his eyes that I’ve seen in his father’s. Makes me question if he’ll use that shotgun he’s gripping.
Later, I’m following behind Hector as he and I navigate through our drop area. There are thoughts I have of killing my partner. When we’re creeping through the Vietnam jungle to our target location, I wanna introduce him to FRED. Soon, when we’re done our mission, I’ll have FRED bleed him. I think any weapon that’s personal to you should have a name of its own. For now I’ll follow the rules of the contract, and work together with Hector as a team.
The way I see it, people in general are no more than a conscious mass of meat. If anyone stands in my way I’ll break them so they’re unable to think.
I was at a house party when I was younger. Seemed more and more people there wanted a piece of me, by the way they were staring, like I had a bull’s-eye on my face. All it took was one person to start lipping off. That’s when the others hovering around got their courage. The few that hadn’t noticed me, or who were trying not to, left the place. Then the poundings started.
Don’t know where the energy came from. I never experienced it while working out. But when I got my hands on them, these guys were like picking up pillow dolls and my muscles flared. I got increased strength and I felt like I needed to smash them harder than ever. The people there at the party were stupid. Either they weren’t leaving, or the ones that understood things left, and new people kept arriving.
I figured if I left there’s a better chance of getting caught. So I stuck around to let things settle. Soon another group of guys thought they had what it takes to defeat me. Wrong.
By the time I final figured I should go, that’s when I heard the helicopter approaching. I fled to an exclusive part of town, located at the top of a giant mountain. There was a four-lane road that led to the development. At the top I see a vast 2-foot-deep pool, that’s square, and the size of a lake. The crystal-clear water it was filled with glowed on its own without any lights.
The enormous mansion at the end of the driveway looked like a congressional building. The place is supposed to guide a person toward their purpose in life. I knew the people migrating into the mansion weren’t a threat. I never knew about that place before that night. That’s how I got my first piece of rare metal. It’s also when I found a dislike for my given name. Back in town I heard nothing more about the party.
I’m a better listener than I am a reader. I was told “If you want to get to your old military partner, you need to find his son first.” That was the only way I’d be able to get to the last guy on my list, Matthew Voltaire.
His kid’s name is Garrison. I’m thinking with this job almost complete, and now that my partner Hector is finally dead, that Garrison needs to be killed. I don’t like the thought of him still alive. There’s something about things that I can’t shake. It’s a nagging distraction in my head. It feels like I’m not here, or I should be someplace else. Come to think of it. I bet Garrison’s the reason I have this bad feeling, and killing him will make these ideas go away.