I

Crash! A young man spun on his heels, wondering what the hell was going on. Shattered glass rained down on him. Standing inside the window was a dark figure of a middle-aged man. In his hand, he held an axe. The young man screamed. The older man came at him quickly, axe raised to strike. The younger man backpedaled and tripped. He fell onto his back, helpless. The older man swung the axe down. The younger man closed his eyes and screamed.

He felt a thick liquid running over his body. Something heavy fell on top of him. The young man heard the laughter of the older man. The heavy lump on him shifted and breathed raggedly. He opened his eyes.

“R-run.” She whispered.

The young man screamed again. It was his sister’s body. The deep crimson of her blood rushed over him like a tsunami. He was frozen in place. The older man stood above. He raised the blood-soaked axe. The young man screamed again, this time from incredible pain.

“Run.” His sister whispered again before taking a ragged breath. “Run… J-Jake…”

He staggered to his feet. The older man swung the axe, but Jake was faster. He dodged the blow. Instead he witnessed the axe penetrate his sister’s skull. There was no time for her to scream in pain. Her brain was splattered all around, along with the rest of her blood. There was a distinct look of terror on her mangled face. Jake screamed again.

“Jake!” A voice called from behind him. It was his brother; Ed. Ed grabbed Jake by the hand tightly. They both ran out of the front door. The smell of their sister’s blood permeated the air. They kept on running, knowing that their lives were still in peril.

“W-where’s Mom?” Stammered Jake.

“S-she didn’t survive.” Ed jerked out, tears on his face.

“And Dad?” Jake said crying now too.

“He’s with Mom.” Ed said, grabbing Jake and hugging him. “I’m sorry.”

“I-it’s OK.” Said Jake, hugging him back.

The pair stood there hugging for several minutes. The tears on their faces would not stop. Red flames shocked them back to reality. Their home was on fire, and the madman was nowhere to be seen. Hatred filled Jake as he cried. Why had his parents and his sister been killed? Why?

II

Jake woke up. Sweat poured off his body in rivers. He remembered those events as vividly as the day they had occurred. The covers from his bed lay on the ground next to the bed. He must have kicked them off in the fury. He sat up on the edge of the bed. Even though many years had passed, that night would always haunt his dreams.

Jake and his brother had searched far and wide for that goddamned murderer. Through high school and beyond, they had pledged their revenge. In college, they both placed well in their classes and were selected to join a secret task force. The task force was something right out of a James Bond movie. Their job was to find and hunt criminals so dangerous that they were kept off the front pages for safety.

Several years had passed, and they had killed several of them. One of their perennial targets was the madman who had killed their parents. He always remained elusive. Somehow, Jake knew that he and Ed would eventually happen upon his sorry ass——their revenge would be complete.

It would be time to head to the office shortly. Jake washed himself up. The hot water of the shower eased his pain. But only just. Jake threw his clothes on and gobbled up his breakfast. He stuffed his wallet and keys into his pockets and headed out the door. His black car was parked neatly in the driveway.

The drive to work was as uneventful as any other day, just a quick drive down into the city to the police headquarters. In the dingy bathroom inside the headquarters lay a secret. Behind a fake wall tile laid a hidden world. Jake entered the code into the keypad on the wall. He went to the stall closest to the center of the room. Inside, the toilet was gone, a door in its place. Jake took a key from his pocket and twisted the handle.

He entered the passageway. The door clicked shut behind him. There was a staircase directly in front of him. Its wrought-iron stairs were beautifully crafted in an age long past. Jake made his way down the spiral stairs. He ran his hands along the railing, as he always did, marveling at how it felt in his hands. There were about eighty stairs going down. Jake knew because he was always out of breath every time he climbed up them. At the bottom, a simple institutional door greeted him as it did every morning.

Beyond this door lay a long cavernous room. The red brick walls curved up in an archway. Doors lined the edges of the room. Jake walked down the hall, glancing at each door carefully. You usually could tell what had happened the week before by the titles on each door. It was understood that a name that was gone was certainly a dead man. Jake finally reached his room. He shared it with his brother since the day they had both been accepted.

Inside the room, Ed was already at his desk reading the daily brief for the both of them.

“’Morning Bro’.” Ed teased. “You’re late as always!”

“Oh shut-up Ed.” Jake retorted, taking his seat.

“Good news.” Ed said, ignoring Jake. “We’ve got ourselves an assignment.”

“How is that good news? We always get assignments…”

“Well, this one seems to be buddy-buddy with you-know-who.”

“I really hope you’re right, Ed. We’ve been lookin’ for that guy far too damn long. This guy better cough up the info.”

“You bet. This is a special case as you’ve probably guessed. Mr. Boss obviously felt this would be a good one for us. Only thing is, we can’t kill the guy. We have orders to capture him. He’s a regular police target. You know, easy pickins.”

Jake laughed. It had been a long time since they had any good news… months, maybe years. Common criminals bored him though. Their kind were what made people turn over in their beds at night. What a funny thought. The ones he dealt with most of the time were quite a lot worse. This assignment would be easy, maybe even fun; that was for sure. Excitement rose within Jake.

“So where are we headed this time?” He asked Ed.

“Oh… well… that’s a secret.” Ed said laughing.

“Just fucking tell me. This ain’t the time to be kidding around you know.”

“Sorry Jake.” Ed said solemnly. “We’re going home.”

III

Jake sat in his seat and looked down at his hands. Fear and sadness welled up inside of him. Bad memories were stuck in his brain; bad things had happened there. Both brothers sat silently for several minutes. Jake understood why his brother had joked so much as he had——he was in pain. Jake lifted his head, facing his brother again.

“Let's do what we have to do, Ed. Let's face our fears, together.”

Ed agreed, and they got up. The equipment room was at the end of the arched room, just down the hall from their office. Inside the room, the brothers gathered their supplies. Assignments lasted as long as it took them to track down their target, usually ending with a bloody corpse. This task was the odd one out, and they needed slightly different gear this time. Body armor was always a must. A couple of pistols for each, followed by the handcuff of choice: zip-ties.

They were plain clothed, as per their orders. A car was waiting for them in the small parking lot beyond the equipment room. It was an old beater. Jake got in the passenger’s seat, while Ed got behind the wheel. It was a stick shift——something Jake had never learned to drive. But hey, that’s what brothers are for… right?

The trip would take a little over a day to complete. The small town they’d grown up in was in the countryside. Ed drove the clunker up the six stories to street-level and out onto the open road. Once outside the city, Jake stared down at the pavement as it whizzed by. The radio blared the classic rock tunes both brothers loved since the day they were born. Nothing was as enjoyable as a road trip, even a sobering one. The pair drove all day, not stopping unless they had to. As night fell, however, they were forced to find a place to spend a few hours resting.

IV

The next day was about the same as the previous one. By sunset, they were on the outskirts of their old stomping grounds. Only one night stood in their way to hopefully getting information.

The sun rose heralding the new day. Jake and Ed readied themselves for the day’s events. Body armor went under their clothes, the pistols hidden in their shorts. It was Jake’s duty to carry the “handcuffs” for the capture and questioning.

Jake and Ed got into the car. They drove into the town, and Jake finally realized what Ed had really meant by ‘home.’ They parked the car on the street across from where their old home had burnt to a crisp. The long driveway brought flashbacks to Jake. He cried silently as they walked. He knew he shouldn’t. He had a job to do. But it was just too much for him to bear. A newly built house stood on the foundation of the old one. It looked different, but it had the same dimensions.

According to Ed, their target was currently ‘residing in that damned place and needed to be taught a lesson in humility.’ The criminal in question was wanted for the suspected rape of a neighbor. This criminal was sitting on the front porch, drinking his morning coffee as the two brothers walked down the driveway. Jake cleared the tears from his eyes.

Ed marched forward, Jake on his heels. The criminal looked up at them.

“Well hello there.” He said with a smile. “I’ve not seen your faces before… you from around here?”

“We used to be.” Ed said, smiling back. “We used to live in a house that was right here where yours is right now.”

“What a coinkidink! So what brings the both of you here?”

Ed pulled a badge from his pocket and showed it to the criminal. His face went white.

“I think we should discuss this inside,” said Ed.

The criminal went inside and the brothers followed. The insides were different than Jake remembered as a child. Jake followed Ed into the living room, where the criminal sat fidgeting. Sweat was visible on his head. Ed sat down across from the man.

“We’re here to have a little talk,” he said. “Depending on how you answer our questions, a couple things can happen. First, if you tell us everything we want to know, we won't hurt you at all. You’ll do time for your crimes, and possibly get out a little early for helping us. Second. You tell us everything, but you don’t right away. We’ll beat you up a bit, then you’ll go to jail and do your time. But this time, you won't be getting out early. Finally, you don’t tell us what we want to know. This would be most, unpleasant, for you.”

Whatever blood was left in the man’s head was gone in an instant. He just sat in his seat, mouthing words, but no sound came out.

“C’mon,” said Jake. “For god sakes, speak!”

“W-what d-do you want t-to know?” The criminal stuttered out.

“There was something terrible that happened here about 15 years ago. In this very house in fact. Who was the man who burned this house down?”

“I-I don’t k-know what you’re t-talking about!”

“We know you do. Perhaps extra jail time would——“

“Please, anything but that!”

“Well then answer the damn question!”

“I-I can’t…”

“And why the fuck not?!” Ed yelled, standing up and marching over to the man.

“H-he’s going to kill me!”

“Well guess what buddy?” Ed asked, pulling his gun out. “You’ll be dead right now if you don’t fucking tell me. Now!”

“A-alright!” The man was shaking visibly now. “T-the guy you’re looking for. H-he is a wanderer. You p-probably can’t t-track him down, b-but——“

“Just fucking tell me or I’ll shoot you right now!” Ed screamed, shooting down into the floor.

The man screamed.

“H-his name is John! John Mackenzie!”

“Why thank-you.” Ed said with a smile before putting his gun away. “Well, time to go off to jail old man.”

“W-wait!”

“What?” Ed snapped.

“He’ll have me killed in jail!”

“Well, we can have a special one-person kiddy jail cell made for you back at our headquarters. Once he’s dead you can go back to big jail until your sentence is complete. Jake. ‘Cuff ‘im.”

Jake took the zip ties from his picket and tied the man’s hands behind his back. He grabbed the man and pushed him out the door in front of him.

Bang! A shot whizzed past Jake’s ear and splintered the wood of the doorframe next to him.

“Looks like we’ve got compa——!“ Jake yelled back before a bullet struck him in the chest. He fell to one knee.

Damn that hurts. He thought. Fucking glad I have this armor on. I would’ve been fucked otherwise…

Ed jumped out in front of Jake, pushing his brother and the man inside the house. Jake took another tie from his pocket and tied the man to the railing, then joined his brother outside. There were several figures at the edge of the driveway with guns aimed at them. Both brothers rolled away from each other and pulled out pistols, one in each hand. Jake fired both at once, hitting a guy squarely in the chest. The man he’d shot got up and shot back.

“They’ve got armor Ed!”

“I know!”

Ed shot one of his guns. A figure fell like a lump, blood leaking from his head. The remaining figures shot a volley, missing both brothers by inches. Jake dove behind a bush for a bit of cover, and Ed hid behind a column on the porch. The figure on the driveway started running for cover as well, but Jake fired both guns at one of them, dropping him where he stood.

The amount of bullets being fired dropped off quickly, but a few still sailed over Jake’s head. He gauged the direction after a few shots and looked at where he figured the guy must be. He pulled the triggers. A thud escaped where he’d shot.

Fucking lucky shot… He cajoled himself. Gonna have to step it up a bit if I want to beat ‘bro at this.

Ed stepped out from his hiding place at a dead run for where the figures were hiding. The muzzle of each of his guns was blazing. The figures fired on him as he ran. Jake stood up from his hiding place and ran as well. He fired as quickly as he could from a halfway point. The cover fire seemed to work. The opposing guns fell silent as Ed fired at their positions. One by one, targets died where they crouched.

Boom! A small explosion ripped through the air near Ed. He was thrown back several feet onto his back. He slowly got up and yelled back to Jake.

“I’m ok!”

Jake ran over and the two brothers surveyed the scene, guns ready. Bodies lay strewn across the side of the driveway, and pieces of the bomber lay splattered across the driveway. And Ed’s body.

“Yuck!” Jake commented.

“Oh shut up. It looks like they’re taken care of. Let's go get this guy and clean up.”

The brothers strolled back to the house. Ed was limping a little bit.

“Hey Ed. Are you ok?”

“Yeah, just got hurt a bit by the blast. I should be ok with a bandage.”

The pair passed the criminal, who just stood there gawking at how bloody Ed was. In the bathroom, Ed stood in the shower, washing off the blood. He winced in pain from the wounds on his leg. They weren’t too deep, but the large area they occupied looked really painful. Jake took some gauze from the medicine cabinet. He wrapped Ed’s leg up, making sure to put disinfectant all over it to prevent infection.

Jake decided he could wait until they got to the hotel to wash up. The brothers made their way back to the man and cut him loose. There was a look of fear on his face. Jake pushed him out the door and up the driveway to their car. The man lay on his stomach in the backseat on the short drive back to the hotel they’d stayed at the previous night.

V

The two-day trip back to the office was uneventful, and the captured man was locked away in a cell at headquarters. Ed and Jake went back to their office to compile the report. Standard procedure could be a pain-in-the-ass waste of time when research needed to be done. The brothers took several hours to complete their report, by which time night had fallen. Tonight would be yet another night they’d have to sleep at the office. It seemed to be happening more often lately, probably because their assignments were long and difficult.

VI

The next morning, Jake awoke with a start. He looked at the clock. Its red lights told him the time was nine o’clock in the morning. He stretched his arms out wide and yawned loudly. Jake looked around. His brother was still asleep on the couch next to him. He looked through his desk quietly until he found a really sharp pencil, then used it to poke Ed hard in the side. It was time to get up.

Aargh! Ed screamed. Looking around, he saw Jake. “What the hell did you do that for?!”

Jake held up the clock to show him the time.

“Oh. But still, that hurt!”

“We have work to do, Ed. Stop complaining and get up.”

Ed grumbled to himself for several minutes while getting dressed. Jake and Ed went to the cafeteria down the hall; sleep still dripping from their tired bodies. Food for the morning was meager: just an egg and a slice of buttered toast——not enough for the day ahead.

The research room was a far walk from the cafeteria. It was in a secure room down the hall by the entrance. They had to enter special codes given to them by their boss. The codes were one-time use to ensure maximum safety and security of the information held within. The four-foot-thick door trundled open on its track.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The brothers entered the chamber and the lights came on. Behind them, the door rumbled shut. Row upon row of books and documents in towering shelves took up most of the room, except for a small section by the door where three computers stood waiting. They were there for two reasons. Two of the computers were there for access to a database of information about everyone, and the third computer was there to facilitate the finding of documents in that room——the ones not in the database, the secret documents that don’t exist.

Jake and Ed both sat down at the computers to see what the regular database had to say about one “John Mackenzie.” One thing found quickly was that there were several of them, scattered throughout the country and abroad as well. Most of the Johns had perfectly clean records. A few had done stupid things, and yet fewer still were in jail for doing something heinous. One thing that Jake saw jumped out immediately.

“I’ve found our guy Ed.” He told his brother.

“Really? How can you tell?”

“Because he doesn’t exist.”

It was true. On Jake’s computer screen, the details of this person were completely missing.

“Let’s see what our archives have to say about this guy.” Ed said, walking to the third computer.

Surely enough, there was a file on him. Ed told the computer to fetch it for him; and in a matter of minutes, the automated system presented the file to him. The brothers sat down in their chairs and read the man’s file.

He was a well-built man now in his early forties. He’d led a life of crime since the time he was only ten. During his teenage years, he committed crimes against women, often raping them and killing them. He had never been caught. In his twenties he went on to bigger crimes, and was implicated in many murders, although that could never be proved. These murders allowed him to ascend to the top and become a crime lord. Until now, his movements are elusive, although his actions are well documented. The organization he runs, the Red Game, has been at the center of many hijackings and brutal killings over the last fifteen years.

Jake read on to discover a list of possible crimes that he’d committed personally over the years. Some had notes attached such as his first victim, or his first use of a certain type of method. The final criminal jumped out and hit him in the face. It was the murder of his parents. The attached note was even more surprising.

“Final murder. Entire family killed. The father was the previous crime lord of the Red Game. No remains ever found of the children.”

Jack sat there speechless, just staring at the page. He couldn’t believe what he’d just read! Ed saw the look on his face.

“Hey Jack! Are you alright?!”

Jack didn’t answer and instead handed the file to Ed. Ed dropped the paper as soon as he’d read what Jack had.

“Crime lord?!” Ed screamed. “I never fucking knew our dad was a crime lord!”

Jack sat with his hand between his knees while his brother kept yelling. The fact that his father was a crime lord was jarring of course, but it wasn’t the most important thing he’d noticed. He raised his head and yelled at Ed to stop talking.

“Ed, I think you should read it once more. There is something there that is more shocking than the thing about our dad.”

Ed read the passage again and his jaw dropped.

“Our sister.” He mouthed.

Jake nodded.

“This was under our noses the whole fucking time.”

Jake nodded again.

“We’re not dead.” Jake informed Ed.

“Well doh.”

“But I saw our sister die right in front of me. What happened to her?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.”

The brothers sat there for a moment, contemplating their next move.

“Let's go after the Red Game.” Ed suggested. “John will turn up at some point while we break up that organization.”

“Good idea Ed.”

The both of them shut off the computers and went to report directly to their boss. They were furious about the new information. Their boss’ office was closer to the research center than to their room. The brothers stormed off to his office. Ed opened the door forcefully. It slammed into the wall and the man behind the desk jerked up and looked to see what the disturbance was.

“Ed, Jake!” He said, seeing their tempers. “What are you both so steamed about?”

“No time for joking here.” Ed said. ”Why did you keep the information from us about our father?!”

“What happened with your father? All I know is that he was killed a long time ago.”

“Don’t play stupid! You know our father was the previous leader of the Red Game!”

“WHAT?!”

“You heard me!” Ed yelled, brandishing the file to prove it.

“I know a lot of things boys. But this? I’ve never heard anything about it. Now that I know this though…it makes some things come into perspective. I think you both have a job to do though. Don’t get any funny ideas just because your daddy was a crime lord.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?! We never knew what our dad did, and we certainly don’t like the Red Game for what it did to our family, not just our dad!”

“I’m just doing my job. You should be doing yours!”

Ed stomped out of the door, and Jake followed suit. He slammed the door behind him. He was pissed! Not only had he found out what had really happened, but his boss was just as much of an asshole as ever!

Back in their office, the brothers looked at each other. Rage emanated from their faces. They prepared for the mission in front of them. It would be long. It would be tough. But damn it, it would be the most important mission of their lives.

VII

Once equipped, the brothers got in their car. It was a newer model, an automatic. It wouldn’t break down on the mission like the other one might have. Inside, there was a note that alerted the brothers to the fact that there was armor plating in the car. “Just in cast.”

Where John was, they didn’t know; but the Red Game was, that was easier——quite simplistic really. Their main base of operations was but a short drive away in Queensboro.

VIII

Ed and Jake woke up in Queensboro the next morning. They had spent most of the previous day driving there, before finding a hotel and spending the night.

Queensboro was an old city. The streets were narrow and the buildings were tightly knit together, leaving not much room to breathe. The streets were paved for the most part, but where they were going, they would be cobbled with stone.

Ed drove deeper into the older part of the city. The cobblestone road jarred the brothers around. Ed stopped the car in one of the allies, facing out. Jake exited the car and looked up. The only sky visible was a small sliver of blue and white. The rest was a dark shadowy mixture of wood, stone, and brick. In front of him, we saw a low hanging wood sign. “Three Eyes Blind” it read. It was the main gathering place for the area——a Red Game hangout.

Ed stepped through the doors with Jake on his heels. The first thing that hit Jake was the very strong smell of cigarettes. It was a dark room, but as his eyes adjusted to the light. Jake was able to see the wooden surfaces of the bar and the booths where waiters served food. Several patrons were laughing at the bar, drinks in their hands.

Ed moved forward and sat down next to them. Jake followed suit and ordered whatever the local beer happened to be. Jake offered to buy Ed one as well, but he declined. The brothers sat at the bar while Jake finished off his beer. The men next to them continued to joke and let off steam. Ed turned to the bartender.

“I need to talk to someone.” Ed said to the man behind the counter.

“I haven’t seen you around before, but that’s what doctors are for.” The bartender laughed.

“I don’t mean that. I mean, I need to talk.”

“As I said before, I haven’t seen you around before.” The bartender said with a serious look. “If you want to talk you’ll need someone to sponsor you, even if it’s for nothing big.”

“I’m Ed. Eduard Jones.”

The bartender stood there with his mouth open. Jake inched closer to get a better look. It was his uncle! The bartender was old, but there was no hiding who he was. The bartender looked at Ed up and down, and then Jake.

“You both shouldn’t be here!” He whispered. “If someone finds you, you’ll be dead! The both of you!”

“Like I said, buddy. We’re here to talk to someone. So unless you can get us to see someone, we’re going to make someone see us.”

“Ed.” Jake said. “This is our uncle!”

“I know Jake. I know.”

“Uncle?” The bartender said. “I never was your uncle, only your dad’s business partner. I’ll sponsor the both of you. Just talk to the men next to you.”

Ed tapped one of the men on the shoulder. The man wheeled around and looked at him sternly.

“Watch where ya put yer fucken fingers!” He yelled.

“I came to talk, not to argue about where I put my goddamn fingers.” Ed said, pointing to the bartender. “This man is sponsoring me.”

“Is this fucken shit true?!”

“I’m afraid it is; and I think you should cool down before I let the boss know how you treated our guests!”

The color drained from the man’s face.

“Follow me.” He said, beckoning the brothers to the back of the bar.

Jake followed Ed and the man through a door in the back of the tavern. The room beyond was small, with a simple chair and a desk. A single light hung from the ceiling. There was a man behind the desk who looked to be in his mid thirties. He looked the boys once over and motioned for them to sit down on two chairs the man from the bar had brought with him.

“So, I understand you boys wanted to talk with me.” He said.

“Not you really.” Ed said. “We really want to see John about some unfinished business.”

The man laughed.

“No one sees John anymore. Most people don’t even know where he is, and that’s a good thing.”

“We’re hoping that you know where he is.”

“I may know where he is, but then again, my memory is a bit foggy. Maybe you can do something to help jog my memory.”

The man looked at the brothers with a broad smile on his face. He was clearly expecting them to be his bitched for a long time, and even then, he still probably wouldn’t grant them an audience with John. Ed stood up, and Jake did as well. They both pulled out their guns and aimed them at the man behind the desk.

“Will this jog your memory?” Ed said. “You tell us what we want or we’ll blow your fucking head off.”

A flash of fear flew across the man’s face, but it was gone as quickly as it had come.

“Now boys, be reasona——“

“Fucking tell me before I blow your head off!”

“No.”

Ed yelled. He pointed the gun at the man’s groin and fired. Blood splattered the floor and the man collapsed from shock. Two men rushed into the room and raised their arms when guns were pointed at them.

“If you don’t want to end up like him, I suggest you let the rest of the Red Game know that Boss Jones’ sons are still alive and we’re coming for each and every one of you!”

Ed stormed out of the building, Jake protecting the rear. Both men jumped into the back of the car and sped off towards their hotel. They would probably be safe in that room one more night, but then it would be time to move and use an alias. You could never be too careful on a mission. One mistake and only death awaits.

IX

The brothers packed in the morning and drove to another hotel on the other side of town. They were staying at the hotel with assumed names under the guise of vacationing to the historic town. That should throw the Red game off their trail for a few days at least.

Ed and Jake put on their protective armor, and collected their weapons for the day. It was going to be an intelligence-collecting day. Perhaps they could find something useful on the whereabouts of John Mackenzie. The sooner the brothers found him, the better.

With his knowledge of the criminal underground in general, Jake knew where one of the Red Game’s lesser hideouts was. That would be perfect. Not many people, and a place where they could both dominate the action if anything went down.

Ed drove the car to where the hideout was. Ed always drove because Jake was the better shot, which is also why Ed did most of the talking. The building was a typical modern apartment building clad entirely in brick. Ed walked in first, and Jake followed. The hideout was where any good hideout should be: on the second floor. That allowed quick escape and a bit of time if you see your enemy coming to get out while the getting’s good.

Ed showed the man behind the desk a piece of paper telling him to give them the spare key to the room and then flashed his badge. It was better to keep it quiet. The man behind the desk came back with the key a moment later, telling them to enjoy their visit. Ed grabbed the key and headed to the stairs. On the way up, they readied themselves. The room was close to the stairs, and Ed signaled to Jake to get ready. He inserted the key while Jake pulled his two handguns out. Click.

“Welcome back my fr——“ Said a voice as Ed opened the door. “Who the fuck are you?!”

Ed pulled out his revolver and aimed it at the man.

“Just shut up.” Ed spat out. “Tie him up Jake.”

Jake went over to the man and forced his hands behind him. They were secured quickly with a zip tie. Jake sat him on one of the chairs, and Ed pulled another chair in front of him in which he sat.

“I know who you are, and you don’t know who I am,” said Ed with a smile. “And that is exactly how I want it to be.”

“What do you want from me?” The man asked.

“Information.”

“Like what?”

“Where is John Mackenzie?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where is someone who does know?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“You can’t tell me? You can’t tell me?! Look buddy, I have ways of making you talk. And if you don’t want to talk, I’ll just kill you. That doesn’t bother me at all! I shot one of your friends in the balls yesterday, do you want me to do the same to you?!”

The man froze.

“You!” He said trying to get free. He kicked Ed in the shins, and Jake smacked him in the chest with the butt of his gun.

“What about me?”

“Your father was our old boss!”

“We know.” The brothers said together.

“Tell me where there is someone who knows where John is!” Ed yelled, brandishing the gun.

“No. My friends will be here very soon.”

“Fine, you’re a dead man then.

Ed pointed the gun at the man’s head.

“Ed! They’re coming into the building right now!”

“Fuck! We’ve gotta go! But first, let me leave you with something you won't forget.”

Ed fired the gun into the man’s groin. He fell from the chair. Jake motioned to his brother that they had to go. Now. Ed jumped from the window onto the bushes a few feet down. Jake tripped over the man on the way to the window then scrambled to his feet. Out the window he went after his brother.

The brothers raced back to where their car was. They could hear shouting coming from the hideout, as the Red Game tried to figure out what had happened. The brothers raced back to their hotel, making sure they weren’t being followed. They would have to lay low for a while after all that had happened in the past two days. The gang was going on high alert.

X

Brrrriiiing! The telephone rang, waking Jake up. About two weeks had passed since the brothers had their tussles with the Red Game. They moved from hotel to hotel, biding their time until they would strike again. Brrrriiiing! The phone rang again. Jake made his way over to it, and picked it up. A rushed and panicking voice yelled at him from the other end.

“This is the chief of police!” The voice said. “We’re being overrun by the Red Game! Help!”

“Where are you?” Jake asked calmly.

“Homebase!”

Shit thought Jake Homebase? That means I’ve gotta go find Ed and get back to the office. They’re attacking police headquarters!

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Hold them off with whatever you’ve got.”

Jake threw the phone down and packed all of their belongings. He lugged them down the stairs and out the door. Ed had gone to the store for some milk. He hated being away from home and his stocked refrigerator. Jake waved Ed down from the front door as he came from the car.

“We’ve got to go, Ed. Now.”

“What happened?”

“Tell you on the way. We have to go!”

The pair threw their suitcases in the trunk and left for home. Jake informed Ed of the situation; and as soon as they stopped for gas, they both put on their armor and readied their guns.

Within the hour, they were back home. The police headquarters had broken glass littering the ground in front of it. Ed parked the car and jumped out. In his hand, he had a shotgun. There would be lots of enemies, and that meant he needed lots of firepower. Jake, on the other hand, had an assault rifle with which he could make use of his good accuracy.

Ed stormed the building first, and Jake followed his brother. There were a few enemies in the entranceway, but not very many. Jake thought this would happen. Most of them would probably be on the third floor trying to get to the chief.

I hope the chief is still holding them off, he thought.

Ed fired off a couple of rounds from his shotgun. This rendered a bit of the room in ruins, and no enemy resistance. In the hallway, the brothers met up with one of their coworkers from below. The three decided to head upstairs and try to get to the chief as quickly as possible. That would be the fastest way to end this battle.

Jake raced up the stairs, grabbing the banister for support. The three men were winded by the time they reached the third floor. Ed stuck his head out of the door to check down the hall. He jumped out with guns blazing, and the sound of someone’s body hitting the ground reached Jake’s ears. He left the stairwell and followed his brother.

The Chief’s office was just down the hallway. Loud voices could be heard yelling in confusion about what had just happened. Bodies were strewn across the floor from the battle that had taken place mere minutes earlier. Masked men from the Red Game rounded the corner and brought their guns to bear against Ed. Jake aimed his rifle and dispatched one or two of the men while Ed blasted holes through the rest with his shotgun.

The team rushed to the Chief’s office. Ed entered the room, and Jake peered in from the side. The chief was tied up and another man was yelling at him to sign a piece of paper. Ed’s presence took the man by surprise. He seemed oblivious to the carnage that had occurred right outside the door. Ed raised his gun at the man, who surrendered instantly. Jake came in as well, and tied the man’s hands up. A smile crossed the Chief’s face.

“Thanks boys.” He said. “I thought I was going to have to sign the city away to this fucker.”

The chief pointed at the man Jake had tied up. Jake, Ed, and the man from below sat down in chairs in front of the Chief’s desk. The room was a mess. The wall was torn and pitted by the countless bullets. Paintings and pictures lay ruined on the ground.

“Chief.” Ed said. “I would like to question this man. I think he knows something me and my brother need.”

“When you’re done, give him back to us? We need someone to blame publically.”

“Alright. Thanks Chief.”

XI

Hours later, Jake and Ed sat on chairs pulled up next to the man they’d captured earlier. He was chained down to a chair that looked like a dentist’s chair. Ed stood up and walked over to the man. In his hand, he held a syringe.

“W-what are you going to do to me?” The man asked.

“Nothing if you tell us all we want to know.” Ed replied.

“Ask me a-anything.”

“Why did you attack the police headquarters?”

“We found a badge that had this address. John Mackenzie said there was a prisoner here.”

“John Mackenzie… where is he?”

“I-I don’t kn——“

“Oh shut up and tell me now before I fucking shove this syringe up your ass!”

Ed moved towards the chained man and prepared to stick the man with the needle.

“W-wait!”

“What is it?!”

“I know where he is! He’s in Stowe.”

“Where in Stowe?”

“39 Chestnut Street.”

Ed stabbed the man with the syringe, injecting him with the clear liquid within. The man protested but passed out almost instantly.

“Nighty-night!” Ed said laughing. “When you wake up, you won't remember our little conversation!”

Ed tossed the syringe and left the room. Jake was about to leave as well, but saw something fall to the floor from within the man’s jacket. It was his badge! Suddenly, Jake realized that it was his carelessness that had led to so many deaths. He picked up his badge.

I must’ve dropped it when I fell at the hideout. He thought. That seems like the most likely spot. I’m such an idiot…

XII

It was much later in the day when Ed and Jake left headquarters to go kill their target. Night fell by the time they reached Stowe, a small town on the outskirts of Queensboro. Jake knew that they would have to act on the information that night before it went bad. Milk certainly had a longer shelf life than information.

The brothers parked their car several streets away to minimize suspicion. Ed left the car with his two pistols. Jake had a longer hunting rifle for this task——any mistake would be catastrophic.

The ten-minute walk to Chestnut Street brought a bit to Jake’s stomach. He hadn’t felt this sense of rage and of pain since that day. It was time for revenge. He needed his A-game, not to be worrying about the past. He shunted the thoughts away, but they lay at the back of his brain, haunting him still.

Ed looked at the house numbers as they passed. Jake was looking down and didn’t notice that Ed had stopped moving. He bumped into Ed and then turned his head. Written in white letters were the unmistakable numbers 39. Jake's heart beat faster. His palms began to sweat.

Calm down Jake! He told himself. Play this one by the book and no one gets hurt; play this one by the book and you’ll have your revenge…

The house in front of him was a four-story brick-faced tenement. The third and fourth floors still had lights on. Ed picked the lock while Jake stood guard. Click. The door swung open and both brothers crept inside. A quick look at the names on the register of the tenants told the brothers where to go.

Up two flights of stairs, Jake again stood guard while Ed unlocked the door. Ed jumped through with his guns out. A surprised guard was there to meet him. Ed shot first and the man fell. Both brothers rushed forward as several guards yelled. Jake stopped two of them as he ran towards a closed door on the left of the hallway he was in. The brick walls ripped his shirt as he kicked the door down. His brother was right behind him on the way there. Jake saw a figure race across the room in a desperate bid for freedom. Ed aimed one of his guns. Bang! Masonry showered the floor, but he’d missed the man.

Jake ran across the room and jumped through the window. Fifteen feet of air lay between him and the ground. He landed on his feet and rolled forward, breaking the fall. Jake glimpsed a tree line about two hundred yards away. The figure was racing towards it as fast as he could. Jake aimed his rifle. Bang! The man stumbled a bit, but kept on going.

Shit. He thought. I missed a bit.

Ed sped ahead of him and ran into the trees after the man. Jake followed suit and was soon hot on the man’s trail. The moon shone brightly that night, enough that Jake was able to glimpse his target through the brush every now and again. Jake saw the man sitting in the clearing, but Ed saw him first. Bang!

The man fell to the ground from where he had been sitting. Jake moved towards the man to check his vitals. He was still breathing.

“You fuckin’ missed!” Jake shouted to his brother. “The son-of-a-bitch is still alive. I’ll take care of it though. Don’t worry, I won't miss.”

Jake lifted his gun to his shoulder and sighted it in. The man’s head shone a deep crimson in the moonlight. He pulled the trigger. Bang! The man’s head disintegrated from the powerful shit. Pieces of him littered the entire area.

“I think we’ll need a good maid for this one.” Jake joked.

“Very funny.” Ed sneered. “Let's call this one in before someone accidentally finds it.”

“Good idea.”