by Ammar Habib
The Guardian’s base of operations was fully illuminated by the ceiling’s florescent lights. The white lights touched every single corner and crevice of the warehouse’s enormous main section.
Unlike before, the insides of the building looked brand new. The floor was fully repaired. The square columns stood sturdily without a single crack in them. The walls remained free from any rust and dirt. The high ceiling appeared as fresh as the day it was built.
One corner of The Guardian’s lair was devoted to the medical station, ready as always. In another area stood the tall poles that Ethan used to leap between to train. Now, William had adopted that training method. Resting close to them were several other types of training equipment: punching bags, dummies, and targets, to name a few. In another section, a few long tables were set up adjacent to one another. Countless documents were spread across them, including blueprints, schematics, and files. Nearby stood a board covered in headshots, showcasing people William currently searched for or kept tabs on.
Opposite of the warehouse’s main entrance rested three mammoth screens that were all linked to the same powered hard drive. On the drive was everything that The Guardian might ever need: list of known criminals, satellite vision of the entire city, along with many other confidential details and secured information.
In another part of The Guardian’s lair rested four parked sports bikes: sleek, jet black, and able to go much faster than any vehicle that would chase them here in Crown City. The bright lights above them reflected off their shiny exteriors.
Several illuminated, clear display cases lined up on one side of the grand chamber. Some contained daggers. Others held several different types of handguns and rifles. A larger one housed three high powered sniping rifles. The one in the middle showcased William’s uniform.
Right next to it was Adam’s uniform. His was made out of a sturdy, leather material. But it was navy in color, and rather than brown boots and gloves, his were jet black. There was no cape and hood to go with it.
Just like the nation had started anew, this building had undergone a major overhaul.
This place had become William’s home. Since faking his death over a year ago, the whole world still thought him dead by the hands of Vixen, the psychotic red-headed woman who had rampaged through Crown City and Zimba. And William wanted to keep it that way.
He now lived, slept, and worked here. The small, private rooms on one end of the warehouse were now converted into his living quarters. The only time William left the building was when he was dressed as The Guardian. Without his mask, he had not spoken to a soul over the course of the last year, with the exception of Adam and Jonathan.
Standing in the middle of an open area, Adam held an off-white bō staff in his hands. Only two feet long, it was sturdy and made of a metal alloy, but still light enough to wield quickly and easily. Adam wore a pair of fitted grey pants and a sleeveless white shirt that clung to his torso, revealing his lean muscles. After spending so much time in this building, the cold air did not bother him.
Hearing the police radio echo through the base, Adam lowered himself into a defensive stance. Holding his weapon in both hands, he slightly twisted its top and bottom with a quick flick of his wrist. An extension sprouted out on both ends, causing the weapon to go from two feet to six feet long.
Four black gun turrets surrounded Adam. They all aimed at him from between fifteen and twenty yards away. Loaded with disks heavy enough to fracture and break bones, their scanners picked up his readied weapon.
In the next instant, they fired.
The first disk came hurling at Adam from behind. Without looking back, he swatted it away just as the next one came. Knocking the second disk away only two feet from his left ribs, Adam wasted no time in deflecting the third disk that came from directly in front of him.
Within a split second, there were three disks lying on the ground around him. In no time at all, that three became seven. And that seven became twelve.
Fifteen seconds passed. Then half a minute. The disks flew at him endlessly and at random. Relying on his instincts, he masterfully deflected or knocked away each and every one of them. Some he blocked with absolute ease. Others reached within a foot of him. But none touched him.
Arriving at the one minute mark, the exercise ended. The guns released a loud beeping sound, signaling that they were emptied out.
***
Feeling a presence, Adam looked towards the entrance of William’s private quarters and saw him now standing there. Dressed in a pair of nice jeans and a fitted, long-sleeve shirt, William seemed to have caught the tail end of the training exercise.
“Morning boss.” Adam lowered his bō staff. Slightly twisting the ends of the staff, Adam made the weapon retract back to a third of its full length.
“Did I miss anything interesting?” William began to make his way over to his dark-skinned comrade.
Adam took a remote from his belt and lowered the police radio’s volume. “Not from here. But our neighbors in Ariez have had an incident.”
William stopped right in front of Adam. “What happened?”
“Prime Minister Torres has been assassinated.”
William’s expression did not change. “…how?”
“Car bomb. Nobody knows how it got there. They checked the vehicle like they always do before he got in it.”
“And they didn’t catch the killer?”
Adam shook his head.
William paused. “This is the sixth high profile assassination in the past two and a half months.”
“What do you think it all means?”
“I don’t know… maybe it’s nothing more than a byproduct of what started in Crown City.”
“But Prime Minister Torres was adored by his people.”
“Everyone has their secrets, Adam. I’ll look into it. You have other things to worry about at the moment.” William’s looked down at all the disks that lay scattered on the floor. “I see that you’re getting better at this.”
“Only wish I had more chances to use it out in the field.”
“Trust me, you don’t. You don’t want to know everything me and Ethan went through to bring us to where we are right now.”
“And now there are just about no more criminals.”
“There will always be criminals, Adam. It’s just that here, we only have two kinds.” William slightly smiled at Adam. “The ones we’ve taken off the street and the ones that are on the run.”
“After what was happening just a few years ago, I never thought that could be true for a place like Crown City.” Adam became silent for a moment. “Isn’t it time that you reveal to the world that William Jones is not dead. You know, they still have your tombstone in the graveyard.”
“It’s better that way. Being dead helps me keep my focus on the mission. If Ethan was in the same position that I am, I know that he would have done the same thing.”
Every time Adam heard William speak about Ethan, he spoke as if Ethan was some heroic saint. “Don’t you want anything outside of this, Will?”
William glanced at the computer screens not far away. “…I’ve been a soldier my entire adult life. I enlisted in the army when I was eighteen-years-old. Almost immediately, my officer saw my potential and recommended me for Special Forces. I’ve been on more missions that I care to count. Saved more lives and taken more lives than I can remember. Then, after I got married, I left the army and was thrust into another war… a war against the corruption in Crown City. Before I knew it, I was fighting alongside Ethan and finishing the war against corruption. And now here I am, fighting a war to keep the peace that I’ve so desperately fought for.” He paused. “…truth is, I don’t know if I would even know what to do if I was not in a war. I would go mad.”
Adam did not interrupt.
“I haven’t had a life since my wife… I would not know what to do if I had one.”
“You have to start somewhere.”
“…yeah. Maybe.”
“How much longer do you think we have to do this for?”
“What do you mean?”
Adam glanced down at his bō staff. “I mean, I haven’t had to go in the field for weeks now. And this month, you’ve only had to take down one murderer yourself. Everything else, the police have been able to do almost perfectly. All we’ve done is tip them off on the locations of the bad guys and they take them down.”
“So you’re asking if we’re still needed.”
Adam nodded.
“Someone will always be needed to be a symbol, Adam. The people will always need somebody to look up to.”
“But do you need to be still putting your life on the line?”
“Yes… so others don’t have to. The killer I caught had already murdered three people. And if I had not taken him down, others could have been harmed. He was a psychopath. If the police had tried to arrest him, he wouldn’t have gone down without a fight and could have killed an officer.”
Adam was silent.
“A time may come when I no longer need to be holed up in this place, but that time is not yet.” William began to move towards one of the warehouse’s small offices. “Right now, the people still need us. Even if it’s just monitoring radio chatters and tipping off the police, they still need us.”
Wordlessly, Adam followed William.
“So no alerts came up last night?”
“There was an attempted robbery but it didn’t end well for the robbers,” Adam replied. “Outside of that, it was a peaceful night if there ever was one.”
“Hopefully the day is as peaceful. I’ll be here monitoring chatters. Maybe make a quick patrol or two while I’m at it”
Adam lightly smirked. “What’s new? Anything you need me to do?”
“When’s the last time you saw your brother?”
“A few weeks ago.”
“It wouldn’t hurt if you stopped by and see him. I would if I were you.”
“Yeah… I might do that.”
Arriving at the office, William stopped and looked at his younger comrade. “I met with Villanueva last night.”
“What did he say?”
“Things are staying on the course. All the things that are happening internationally haven’t hurt Tripton’s global presence.”
Adam nodded. “All this about him drafting a treaty with King Maximus. Why didn’t he tell us about it?”
“He did. Villanueva sent it over to me half an hour before he ratified it. Asked me to look it over.”
“And you okayed it?”
William nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Didn’t want to distract you from helping Jonathan out with the fundraiser. You’ve had a lot on your plate.”
Adam’s face showed his slight annoyance. “You shouldn’t be keeping these kinds of things from me. We’re a team.”
“There are some things that you don’t need to know about.”
“Did Ethan ever keep anything from you?”
“All the time. And I trusted him enough not to question him.”
Adam did not reply.
***
With a sigh, Ethan leaned back against a clay wall. Under the evening sun, it was as hot as it had been all day. His loaded pack of supplies rested on the ground next to his outstretched legs. In front of him was an open space, a grey-walled well situated at its center. The well’s heavy top appeared removable, but the latch was locked. Attached to it were several spouts that could easily be twisted on and off. This well had been built over three years ago by the grace of Ethan’s charity.
To his relief, nobody here recognized him.
Several people made their way through the village’s town square as Ethan patiently watched. He had arrived in this town only a little while ago. Not knowing where to search for his target, he came here to the most populated part of the village, although that was not saying much. This village’s population hardly even numbered a few hundred people.
Digging his hand deep into his pocket, he pulled out a locket. It was a gold locket that had been in perfect condition when his journey began. Now, its exterior appeared worn down.
He opened the locket and revealed the picture inside: his wife.
She was as beautiful as ever. The picture was taken during his last month with her. Katrina seemed to be glowing as her beauty radiated off the image. Her beautiful locked with his. Once again, they took his breath away.
Closing his eyes, Ethan remembered the last time he saw her.
He stood at the entrance of the large boat, which was disguised as a fishing ship on the outside. It was the same one that had brought Ivan, Katrina, and him to Govan Cove weeks ago. Now, it would take him to the first part of his hunt.
Ethan turned back towards the woman of his dreams. She was just as stunning as ever. She stood at the bottom of the ramp, looking right at him. And right next to her was the protective Ivan. Knowing that everything on the ship was ready to leave, Ethan came back down to them.
Ivan was the first to speak as he stuck out his hand. “We’ll see you soon, Ethan. You don’t have to worry about us. Just keep your mind on the mission.”
Ethan firmly shook hands with Ivan before giving him a brotherly hug. “I would not trust anyone but you to keep Katrina safe. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
Ivan nodded.
Katrina and Ethan’s eyes met as he stepped towards her. “You’ll be safe here, Katrina.”
She held back tears. “I know.”
He took her hand into his. “I will come back.”
“I believe it.” Her hand came up to brush his cheek as their eyes stayed locked. “You’ll be in my heart while you’re gone. And when you come back, we’ll have the life we always dreamed of.”
“We will have an eternity together. That, I promise you.” He leaned in and embraced her one last time. “Keep a steady eye on the horizon.”
With those words, he left.
***
Ethan suddenly arrived back to reality.
Feeling a gaze, he abruptly closed the locket and looked to his right. An aged man continued to stare at him. Dressed in old clothing, the bearded man stood no more than ten feet away from Ethan and seemed old enough to be his grandfather.
Sensing that the man presented no threat, Ethan slowly slipped the locket back into his pocket before addressing him in the village’s native tongue. “Do you want something?”
The stranger shook his head. “I was admiring the picture. Is she your wife?”
“Yes.”
“She’s beautiful.”
Ethan nodded, but did not say anything.
“What were you thinking of?”
Again, Ethan did not reply.
“How long has it been?”
Normally annoyed by this type of interrogation, Ethan had nowhere else to go right now, so he went along with it. “Months.”
“Why did you leave her?”
“To find someone.”
“Do you wish to see her soon?”
“Of course.”
The old man glanced in the direction of the well. “They say that if any foreigner makes a wish while drinking water from the well, it always comes true. The well itself was built through the resources of a foreigner, you know.”
Ethan slightly smiled as he looked back at the village’s center. “I’ve heard plenty of those kinds of stories.”
“Yes, but this one is true. Drink the water and you’ll find what you’re searching for.”
“Thanks.” Ethan’s tone showcased his sarcasm. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Do it and you’ll see for yourself.” There was a long moment of silence once the elderly man’s words ended. Seeing that he was being blown off, the old man turned and left.
After several moments, Ethan glanced back in the direction of the old man to make sure that he was gone. Seeing that he was, Ethan rose to his feet, picked up his bag, and slung the strap over his shoulder.
<
br /> Within moments, he was at the well. He had funded so many of these that he had completely forgotten about this one until seeing it for himself today. Before crouching down to get to the spout, he took one more look to ensure that the old man was in fact gone. Not seeing the villager anywhere, he opened the rusting spout, his bowled palm beneath it.
Ethan closed his eyes. Thinking of his wife, he brought his palm to his mouth and drank the water in one gulp. It was cooler than he thought it would be and tasted fresh. Maybe there was something special about it after all.
With a sigh, he rose to his feet. He did not know why, but he felt a little better on the inside. Now that he—
Ethan suddenly saw him.
It was Caine. The man he came here searching for was in his sights. His scarred faced gave him away. A large portion of his left cheek had once been burnt, leaving him with an unmistakable blemish.
He was a hundred yards away, speaking to another man with the left side of his body turned towards Ethan.
Ethan did not do anything alarming. He casually moved away from the well, heading towards a shop situated behind Caine. It was a position where he could easily keep an eye on his target without being seen.
He had finally found the man he was looking for. Caine would lead Ethan to one of Daken’s enhanced soldiers. Once he did, Ethan would take down the soldier and find out where Daken hid.
The hunt was back on.
Chapter 6
New Threats
The Crown City sun neared the horizon. The city’s inhabitants went about their business as usual, their thoughts centered on mundane activities: bills, family, politics. But none feared for their safety. They all knew that somebody watched over them.
At The Guardian’s labyrinth, there was not a soul in sight anywhere near the building. The warehouse’s shabby exterior disguised the renovated and high-tech place as just another empty and neglected depository. This area was always deserted, except for the rare occasion when a homeless soul might wander near, but even they were few and far between.
Over the past year, silence had become William’s best companion. He hardly even noticed it anymore, his mind constantly burdened with other matters. He now understood a fraction of what Ethan mentally experienced during his time as The Guardian.
