Rebels & Lies (Rebels & Lies Trilogy Book 1) (28 page)

“Enough of this bullshit!” Kaspar yelled from the couch while he
stood.

He charged at Danny from behind. Kilbourne saw him. He reached out
and grabbed Kaspar by the arm with his strong hands. Kaspar could feel
adrenaline flow throughout his entire body. It allowed him to break free. With
a clinched right fist, he landed a sharp hook to Danny’s cheek. That same right
hook that Danny taught him how to harness in what seemed like a lifetime ago.
The force of the blow caused the old man to spit out his cigarette. Kaspar
reached back for another, but his arm became entangled with Kilbourne’s.

“Did you give up my mother?” Kaspar demanded. Tears flowed down
his red cheeks.

“Yes, of course I did.” Danny replied.

“You son of a…”

“You should blame yourself for that one, my boy.”

“The hell I should!”

“I knew you would not join this rebellion without…extra
incentive.” Danny said.

“What are you talking about?” Kaspar asked. He dropped his hands
to his side, fists still clinched together. Kilbourne remained in front of him.

“You’re a selfish person. You never cared about what was going on
around you. The only thing you ever cared about was proving something to your
old man. I knew that, for you, something would have to be taken away…”

“Don’t you dare try and bring her death down on me.”

“If you had been a good boy, she’d still be around.”

In a fit of rage, Kaspar yanked the Beretta from his thigh
holster. He shoved Kilbourne out of the way and held the muzzle to the side of
Danny’s head. He felt something then. It felt like cold steel. Kaspar looked to
his right. Paxton had the end of his own gun resting on the side of Kaspar’s
head. He didn’t care, though. All he needed was a fraction of a second. If his
trigger finger, in this case, was faster…

“Ryan!” Paxton ordered. “Back off!”

“To hell with you and your orders.”

“I mean it. I’m not fucking with you this time. I will put you
under.”

The smile that crept on Danny’s face made the itch to pull the
trigger that much stronger. Paxton pressed the gun further, applying more
pressure to the side of his comrade’s head. Reason finally sank in and Kaspar
lowered his weapon. Dying now wouldn’t solve anything. After all, Danny was
only partly responsible for Mother. The real killers were still out there. If
Forte was of any evidence, there could still be some measure of revenge to be
had…once the interrogation was finished.

Kaspar pointed his index finger. “You piece of shit.”

“We need answers,” Paxton said as Kaspar turned to walk away. “You
did the right thing.”

“Answers, answers, answers,” Danny said. He fished out another
cigarette. “You want some real answers, Ryan?”

The question had its desired effect. Kaspar turned and faced
Danny, who was busy lighting a cigarette. He took a drag but didn’t say
anything. Kaspar approached once more. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him. He
ripped the still burning cigarette out of Danny’s mouth.

“What answers?” he demanded.

“How about this: who killed you mother?” Danny replied.

“Who?”

Danny said nothing. He leaned back and smiled again. Kaspar inched
the burning end of the cigarette closer to his face.

“Who?!” he demanded once more.

“Their names are: George Mason, DeMarcus Wilcox, and…what that
third guy’s name? Oh, yes, William Sullivan. They ran the operation that led to
your mother’s death. I don’t know who exactly pulled the trigger, but those are
the three monsters you’ve been searching for.”

The tears flowed free. Kaspar used his gloved hands to wipe the
tears away. He engraved those names in his memory. Wilcox. Mason. Sullivan.
Those three names…they were the only things that gave his life any meaning now.
He walked for the front door. He felt a soft hand grip his shoulder. He turned
and faced Krys.

“Ryan, wait.” Krys pleaded.

“I’ve waited long enough.” Kaspar replied.

He shrugged the woman’s hand off of his shoulder. Before he walked
out, Kaspar got one last look at Danny. Danny smiled. If his smile was an
attempt to enrage Kaspar further, he succeeded. Nothing but burning anger could
be felt inside. He walked off the porch then reached for his cigarettes. He
grabbed one and lit it. Footsteps were heard behind him.

“Ryan, please wait!” Krys called out.

Kaspar didn’t turn. He paused to give her a chance to walk beside
him. She gripped his arm again. Kaspar used his free hand to take a drag. Why
did she want him to stay so bad? She knew that the only thing he had been
living for was revenge. He knew now who he had to deliver justice to. He
weighed in on the other option available to him. Which would be to stick
around, maybe get killed during one Paxton’s missions? All the while being used
by the USR; not knowing who to trust. He looked down at Mother’s fabric and his
decision was made.

“She wanted me to make something of myself.” Kaspar said, breaking
the silence. “Every day she kept telling me to make something more out of my
life.”

“You still can,” Krys replied. “Stay with us. Those three will get
what’s coming to them.”

Those brown eyes of hers always told the full story. Kaspar could
read Krys like an open book. He could see the concern she felt for him right
now. He just couldn’t understand why. He took a drag then looked away.

“This whole time, I’ve thought of nothing but myself.” Kaspar
said.

“You can change all of that.”

“I can’t let those men go free. I can’t leave it up to chance. I
have to make things right.”

“You’ll catch up to them eventually.”

“That’s not going to cut it for me.” Kaspar turned and stared
straight into her eyes. “I’m going after them now.”

“I get it,” Krys replied, the look of concern replaced by one of
frustration. “To hell with everyone else, right?”

“I cannot live with myself until those…dogs are put down.”

“You’re impossible. So, go on, then. What’s holding you back?
Certainly not me or those suffering people out there.”

He watched as Krys turned her back to him. His mind and heart
raced. The right thing to do all of a sudden became muddled. The only thing
that was clear as day was that he had only two choices, and he needed to choose
one now. Kaspar looked down at the yellow fabric on his flak jacket once more.
Mother was taken and for what? So that her son could be recruited into a
rebellion only to be used by the same USR that took her?

Kaspar closed his eyes and looked to the sky.
In his mind,
he asked Mother what he should do.

The front door opened. Paxton paused from his questioning to see
Krys walk in…alone. Just as the old veteran had predicted, the kid’s only
motivation this whole time had been to find his mother’s killers. Paxton
couldn’t bring himself to blame Kaspar for it. If Paxton ever found out who
killed his wife…he would have done the same.

Paxton regained his focus. He grabbed Danny by the chin to force
the old man to look him in the eye. Danny’s looking away like a coward had long
grown tired. It was time to face the consequences. Paxton looked deep into his
enemy’s eyes and saw nothing but a soulless man. A broken individual who had
already accepted what was to come his way. This brought about a sigh of relief.
No use in doing things the ugly way if they could be avoided. He released
Danny’s chin. Danny looked down again and fished for another cigarette.

“What have you people been doing to the water supply?” Paxton
demanded.

“Hmmm,” Danny mumbled with a cigarette hanging from his lips.
“It’s too late to stop it, now.”

“Answer the question!” Kilbourne demanded from behind.

“Don’t try to intimidate me, Killy. I ain’t afraid of an overly
muscular pussy like you.”

Kilbourne got close to Danny. He grabbed him by the back of the
neck then applied pressure with his thumb to Danny’s pressure point. Danny
wailed out in pain. He dropped his cigarette into the ash tray and kicked both
of his feet up and down. After several taps on the table, Kilbourne let go.
Danny cursed out loud as he grabbed at his aching neck.

“What do you want to know?” he asked.

“What you’ve been doing.” Paxton replied.

“To explain this, first you’ve got to understand that we’ve got
ourselves a bit of a problem…as the human race, I mean.”

“Which is?”

“Over population,” Danny replied. He picked up his cigarette.
“We’ve got so many little bastards running around out there, it’s made living
conditions harsh. Natural resources will be all but depleted soon. Available
only to the highest bidders.”

“What does that have to do with the water?” Paxton demanded,
confused.

“We’ve been experimenting with a new type of genetic engineering.
Let me ask the fine lady over there a question.”

“What do you want?” Krys asked.

“Have you been experiencing any stomach pains lately? Any problems
with vomiting or anything of the sort?”

Krys’s eyes grew wide. She looked around the room at her three
comrades who could only look back at her. The look of concern in their eyes the
only comfort available. Her body tensed, a feeling of dread flowed through her
body, and she felt like she would tumble over.

“Yes…” she replied.

“That’s a side effect of the drug. It’s still experimental and we
haven’t worked out all of those tiny little bugs, yet.” Danny explained.

“What are you people trying to do?” Krys wondered.

“Through genetic mutation, we are trying to inhibit your ability,
as a woman, to bear children.”

“So,” Paxton wondered aloud, “that’s why it only affects women?”

Danny lit his cigarette and took a drag. “Not exactly, we have a
drug for men, too. But, we can’t risk the male population. That’s why we only
released the female drug for our experiment.”

“You’re a monster.” Krys cried.

Krys was helped into the living room by Kilbourne. Danny made a
kissing motion with his lips as she walked past. The gesture was met by Krys’s
middle finger.

Danny continued, “We’ve tried other population control tactics. We
offer the free abortion…I mean, family planning clinics. We even mandated
abortions at the beginning, but it appears that you horny motherfuckers can’t
stop screwing each other. You…citizens forced us into trying something new.”

“What’s going to happen to Krys?” Paxton asked.

“She will die. The mutants are eating away at her stomach right
now. Soon, they will eat away at the rest of her body. There’s no way to stop
it. No cure, because no doctor will have seen this type of thing before.”

“You slimy,” Krys shouted from the living room, “son of a bitch!”

“I’m so sorry that this has to happen to a beauty such as you, but
that’s life. You can’t exactly plan it out as you want, can you?”

Paxton clinched his fists together. “Where are you manufacturing
the drug?”

“You think I’m going to tell you that?”

“Yes.”

Danny took a drag. “What are you going to do? Dig out my
fingernails like with that other poor bastard? Fuck you.”

“It’s up to you.”

Danny thought about the predicament he found himself in. He took
another drag and brushed away the ashes into his ashtray. He then took a deep
breath and brushed at his forehead.

“You pesky rodents just won’t let me enjoy my smoke, will you?”
Danny asked.

“I thought smoking was illegal.” Paxton replied.

“Just another method of control. Care for one?”

Paxton shook his head. “No. Where is the drug being manufactured?”

“There’s an old power plant…” Danny started to say.

The sound of the front door swinging open forced everyone to look
to the front. Kaspar reemerged into the house. He walked up to Paxton and the
two exchanged nods. Kaspar then looked into Danny’s eyes: he wasn’t going to
let him get away this time.

“Ryan,” Danny said, “how nice of you to grace us with your presence
again.”

Kaspar maintained his focus. “Whatever question John just asked
you, you better start answering right now.”

“Hehe. That’s why I liked you. Like I was saying, there’s an old
power plant on the outskirts of the city. You should know it well: you drive
past it every time you come into the city.

“Why?” Paxton demanded. “Why stoop to such a low?”

“It’s always been about control,” Danny replied as he held his
cigarette high. “Like this cigarette here. You think my bosses care if
I
smoke? Of course not. I’m not one of you people anymore.”

Paxton reached for the silencer in his pocket. “Danny, I can’t
believe you.”

“Well, believe it, Johnny.” Danny took one final drag. “I’m a sick
bastard; always have been. I just hope my Ruth can forgive me when I see her
again. You’re going to kill me now, right? That’s what you people do. And,
that’s why we’ve got you by your hairy ball sack.”

It didn’t matter to Paxton if what Danny said was true. Even if
they were being used, justice still needed served. It was better to be used and
labeled a criminal than to sit on his ass, watching from the sidelines. With
the silencer tightened around the muzzle, he aimed the gun at the now shaking
old man. The look of fear on Danny’s face almost brought a smile to his. The old
man had brought about so much fear on the innocent. Now, here he was, getting
his just reward.

Paxton took careful aim. “Unlike you, I’m not killing you for who
you are. I’m killing you for what you’ve done.”

“Justify it all you want.” Danny replied. He went north, south,
west, and east with his right hand then shut his eyes. “Go ahead and do it.”

Paxton lowered his gun. He looked towards Kaspar and nodded his
head. Kaspar’s heart began to race as the old man held the silenced automatic
in front of him. Danny peaked through his half shut eyes. Kaspar didn’t know if
he could do it, those his only thought as he stared at the extended weapon. Even
if the old bastard had led Agents to kill Mother. Kaspar had every right to put
a bullet through his head. His decision was final. He took the gun from Paxton
and pointed it at Danny’s head. No words were spoken.

This is for Mother.