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Authors: J. P. Sumner
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again,’ he
begged.
‘I can’t promise anything, Ted, because
you’re an asshole. But, if you do as I ask, you’ll be giving yourself the best
chance you can of avoiding a third bullet.’
He took a moment to weigh up his options
in his head. To figure out his next move and to formulate a plan that would
ultimately save him. I watched as the realization of impending defeat dawned on
him. Quickly followed by resignation.
‘Wh-what do you want to know?’
‘Finally,’ I said. ‘Okay, first
question. Why did you revoke your offer to Pellaggio without telling him?’
He hesitated.
‘Ted, don’t even think of lying to me.’
‘I... I can’t tell you. They’ll kill me.’
As he said that, he glanced at Clara. It was just a quick look, but I spotted
it.
I looked at her.
‘Are you going to kill him if he talks
to me?’
She stared at me blankly, as if I was
stupid. She was really good at looking at me like that, and I didn’t care for
it.
‘I just finished telling you I’m meant
to protect him. Why would I kill him?’
I sighed again. I was going round in
circles. This called for slightly more drastic measures. I got up and walked
over to where my silenced Beretta had been thrown by Clara earlier. I retrieved
it, and checked the magazine out of habit. I walked back over and stood behind
Jackson. I fired my gun at the sofa in front of us where I was just sat. I put
four bullets into it. What most people don’t realize is, when you fire a gun
the barrel heats up from the mini explosion that propels the bullet out. So,
after four bullets, the barrel is really hot.
The shots terrified Jackson. But when I
put the barrel of my gun to the side of his neck and held it there, he
unleashed a scream that could’ve woken the dead. Even Clara looked
uncomfortable.
After a few seconds, I walked round his
chair and crouched down in front of him.
‘Teddy, I swear to God, I’m going to
make you tell me what I need to know. That was nothing compared to what I’m
both capable of and willing to do to you.’
Jackson was crying. His skin has
blistered on his neck, and then burst, leaving him with blood and puss dripping
over his raw, burnt flesh. I put my gun near his neck again.
‘Okay, okay!’ he yelled. ‘I saw that
GlobaTech Industries had this land on their books that they weren’t doing
anything with. I’d read of Pellaggio’s plans for expansion in the area and I
approached him to sell him the land and make some money on the side. I didn’t
think for a second that GlobaTech would miss it.’
‘So you wanted to make a sneaky bit of
cash? Makes sense,’ I said. ‘So why pull out at the last minute?’
‘A few days ago, I was brought in to
work on an ongoing project with a militia organization called Dark Rain. It was
off the books, which was why I’d found no record of the land being used before.
The project was devised by a small division within GlobaTech that worked
outside of the standard protocols and operating guidelines. It was just my luck
that this project required the use of the resources found on that land. I had
no choice but to walk away from Pellaggio’s deal. I knew I was causing myself
problems with the mob, but I knew that I was protected by this deal that
GlobaTech was working on with Dark Rain.’
I looked at Clara, who I could see knew
some of what Jackson was saying, but was either confused or disinterested with
the rest. I looked back at Jackson.
‘What do you mean when you say “the
resources found on that land”?’
He sighed, reluctant to continue, but
knowing he had no choice.
‘That land sits on top of the only
natural uranium deposit in the United States.’
I didn’t expect that. This is big. Like,
military big. At that moment, all but two words had failed me.
‘Holy shit.’
FOURTEEN
I was still
reeling from the bombshell Jackson just dropped. Under the circumstances, that’s
probably not the best phrase to use.
I aimed my gun at Clara, who was
begged.
‘I can’t promise anything, Ted, because
you’re an asshole. But, if you do as I ask, you’ll be giving yourself the best
chance you can of avoiding a third bullet.’
He took a moment to weigh up his options
in his head. To figure out his next move and to formulate a plan that would
ultimately save him. I watched as the realization of impending defeat dawned on
him. Quickly followed by resignation.
‘Wh-what do you want to know?’
‘Finally,’ I said. ‘Okay, first
question. Why did you revoke your offer to Pellaggio without telling him?’
He hesitated.
‘Ted, don’t even think of lying to me.’
‘I... I can’t tell you. They’ll kill me.’
As he said that, he glanced at Clara. It was just a quick look, but I spotted
it.
I looked at her.
‘Are you going to kill him if he talks
to me?’
She stared at me blankly, as if I was
stupid. She was really good at looking at me like that, and I didn’t care for
it.
‘I just finished telling you I’m meant
to protect him. Why would I kill him?’
I sighed again. I was going round in
circles. This called for slightly more drastic measures. I got up and walked
over to where my silenced Beretta had been thrown by Clara earlier. I retrieved
it, and checked the magazine out of habit. I walked back over and stood behind
Jackson. I fired my gun at the sofa in front of us where I was just sat. I put
four bullets into it. What most people don’t realize is, when you fire a gun
the barrel heats up from the mini explosion that propels the bullet out. So,
after four bullets, the barrel is really hot.
The shots terrified Jackson. But when I
put the barrel of my gun to the side of his neck and held it there, he
unleashed a scream that could’ve woken the dead. Even Clara looked
uncomfortable.
After a few seconds, I walked round his
chair and crouched down in front of him.
‘Teddy, I swear to God, I’m going to
make you tell me what I need to know. That was nothing compared to what I’m
both capable of and willing to do to you.’
Jackson was crying. His skin has
blistered on his neck, and then burst, leaving him with blood and puss dripping
over his raw, burnt flesh. I put my gun near his neck again.
‘Okay, okay!’ he yelled. ‘I saw that
GlobaTech Industries had this land on their books that they weren’t doing
anything with. I’d read of Pellaggio’s plans for expansion in the area and I
approached him to sell him the land and make some money on the side. I didn’t
think for a second that GlobaTech would miss it.’
‘So you wanted to make a sneaky bit of
cash? Makes sense,’ I said. ‘So why pull out at the last minute?’
‘A few days ago, I was brought in to
work on an ongoing project with a militia organization called Dark Rain. It was
off the books, which was why I’d found no record of the land being used before.
The project was devised by a small division within GlobaTech that worked
outside of the standard protocols and operating guidelines. It was just my luck
that this project required the use of the resources found on that land. I had
no choice but to walk away from Pellaggio’s deal. I knew I was causing myself
problems with the mob, but I knew that I was protected by this deal that
GlobaTech was working on with Dark Rain.’
I looked at Clara, who I could see knew
some of what Jackson was saying, but was either confused or disinterested with
the rest. I looked back at Jackson.
‘What do you mean when you say “the
resources found on that land”?’
He sighed, reluctant to continue, but
knowing he had no choice.
‘That land sits on top of the only
natural uranium deposit in the United States.’
I didn’t expect that. This is big. Like,
military big. At that moment, all but two words had failed me.
‘Holy shit.’
FOURTEEN
I was still
reeling from the bombshell Jackson just dropped. Under the circumstances, that’s
probably not the best phrase to use.
I aimed my gun at Clara, who was
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