By KatiKat
"Duo, you should really go
to the hospital," Howard repeated for the hundredth time.
Duo just shook his head and
flexed the tightly bandaged arm. "No need, uncle." He poured himself
a glass of red wine and leaned back into the big and comfortable armchair
standing in the middle of the living room, tucking his legs under him.
Howard sighed and started to pace
around the room again. "Duo, you had to have seen something. Anything,
give us a clue. You saw the guy killing our witness and two of my colleagues.
He even shot you! So there has to be *something* you can tell us."
Duo swirled the wine in the glass
looking at his man who took care of him since his parents and brother had died.
"Howard, I don’t know how many more times I should repeat it - I didn’t
see anything. I know you’re a cop, but I’m not the assassin here, so stop
interrogating me."
Howard sighed again and sat
heavily down on the couch opposite Duo’s armchair. "I know, son, I know.
But it’s just... this guy got in and out without releasing the alarm and if it
wasn’t for the phone the guys weren’t answering, we wouldn’t have known for
hours that something happened! He is good. Really good. And I want him!"
Duo looked down into the swirling
red in his glass and asked: "Do you want to get him so that justice could
be ensured or do you want to catch him so that you could get your
revenge?"
Howard’s head jerked up and he
looked closely at the boy he considered his son. "This is not about me,
Duo."
"No?"
"NO! It’s about you. The guy
knows you have seen him and he knows he has to get rid of you. He will come to
get you. Maybe tonight already."
"So?"
"SO? You are behaving as if
nothing happened today. The guy is a common murderer."
Duo smiled to himself. If you
only knew, uncle. "Relax, Howard. Your guys are sitting in the cars in
front of my house. Chill out, nothing will happen."
"I want to post some of my
men here in the house."
Duo froze. He gripped the glass
tightly almost shattering it in his fist. "No way! I won’t allow it!"
"Duo, please, be
reasonable," Howard pleaded with him. "The guy is a professional. He
*will* come for you..."
"Howard..." Duo’s voice
was unnaturally cold.
"...and look around."
He waved his hand around. "You are sitting in the middle of your living
room where there are French windows leading to the balcony. Big windows. And if
that wasn’t enough, they are open, because you didn’t allow me to close
them."
"Howard!" This time
there was a warning in his voice.
"I know you hate all the
cops being around after what happened with your parents, but..."
"Enough!" Duo stood
abruptly and threw the fragile glass across the room shattering it in the
burning fire in the huge fireplace.
Howard looked at him with a
shocked expression and stood slowly.
"I refuse to have cops all
around my place. I refuse to have them in my garden. Should I see them anywhere
near the house without a good reason I will file charges! You hear me?"
Duo didn’t scream during his speech.
Just the opposite. His voice was so cold that it chilled Howard to the bone. It
had been a long time since he had seen Duo this angry.
"Okay, okay, son. Just calm
down. Calm down, please. The policemen will stay in their cars. But you have to
agree on a compromise." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small
black box with a square red button on the top of it. "This is a ‘panic
button’. You press the red square on the top and my men will be here in a
matter of seconds." He offered the box to Duo. "Do you agree?"
Duo took the box reluctantly,
turning it over in his hands. "Okay. If you promise me that my house won’t
get overrun by cops, I will take it."
Howard sighed with relief.
"Thank god for small miracles. Obviously there is some small part of a
brain left in your head."
Duo smiled slightly.
Howard looked at his watch.
"I have to go now, but if you should need anything, just call me and I
will be here as soon as I can, okay?"
Duo nodded silently with a
grateful look in his eyes.
Howard stepped closer, engulfing
the young man in his arms. "I don’t know what I would do should I lose you
too. Your father was a good friend of mine and I promised him to take care of
you. And I have every intention on keeping my promise."
Duo embraced Howard, gently
patting his back. "I know, uncle. And you are doing a fine job here."
Howard pulled back and with a
last pat on Duo’s shoulder, he left the room heading for the main entrance.
Duo waited until he heard the
front door closing. Then he opened the small black box pulling out the
batteries from the back of it and tossing them on the couch together with the
box. He won’t need it tonight.
He stepped to the window,
switching the light off on his way. The gentle breeze was moving the thin
curtains. It was getting colder outside. The moon was shining...
For just a moment Duo felt bad
because of what he intended to do. It would kill Howard surely. But on the
other hand... He couldn’t live like that anymore. To live for the sake of
living wasn’t enough for him anymore. It hadn’t been enough since his family
had gotten killed. Tonight it will all end. No more pain, no more sadness, no
more emptiness anymore...
Duo looked at the night sky, the
full moon, the millions of stars. Yeah, tonight was the perfect night to die...
Tbc