Shadows

EPISODE 4: FACE OFF

It was a busy day in the Mersham City Police Department when suddenly a man shouting who was accompanied by two cops was dragged in. "Don't bring me here! All of you are making a great mistake! This is what he wants!" The man exclaimed. This got the attention of Marvin Gourdon, one of the premiere new detectives of the MCPD. He just graduated from the academy last year with all the honors you can possibly get.

The highest grades, highest in terms of athletics, and was deemed the man who'll save Mersham City from rotting. He is very different from all the police officers in that building. He is a man of justice and integrity and he takes pride in it.

"May I ask your name sir?" Marvin asked. "You don't need to know my name but if you're smart, you'll let me out." Answered the man. Detective Marvin signalled the two cops dragging the unknown man to take him to the interrogation room. "In my opinion he's right partner." Says Detective Randy

Bekker. A man who's actually has the same good traits as Marvin, you can say they are the partnership that can save Mersham from the dirty gutter the city's in.

"I know." Answered Marvin. They just ordered 3 cups of coffee from the convenience store in front of the headquarters then they quickly

headed into the interrogation room. Randy took off the handcuffs and gave the third cup to the man inside the room. "We're the best cops you can talk to here mate, and by the way we know who you are." Says Marvin.

"Marci Radetzky, a former russian army corps. Relieved from service by the

Russians for being too brutal. You know that's huge mate, for Russians to say that you're too brutal? You must have actually done pretty nasty things eh?" Detective Randy added. "But more importantly, you are a member of Mer's elite mercenaries right? In the newspapers I thought all of you died on the plane. Why are you still here in Mersham? What is your reason?"

Marvin asked the man who's visibly sweating heavily now.

With a deep sigh the man took a sip on his coffee and answered. "I know who the two of you are, Detective Marvin Gourdon and Detective Randy Bekker. As I can see

you already know who I am. But aren't you realizing something?" Marci replied with his eyes still looking down the floor and his hands visibly shaking. "What do you mean?" Marvin replied. "You should know by now

with my profile, I should be uncatchable. Do you still not get it? It's been a month since the Bordeaux City Airport incident happened. And now I'm here. Caught by two fat beat cops. Isn't it quite obvious?" Marci replied now almost shouting with tears rolling down his eyes. "I can't remember

anything that happened since last month.

The bones on my feet are crushed and I remember being left in the middle of a busy street to get caught by two fat beat cops. What do you not understand?! I was put here for a reason! Let me out or we'll all be dead!" Marci exclaimed. "Calm down. As I said we're the best chance you have here Marci. And you're in a police headquarters. I won't let anything happen to you." Marvin answered.

"May I ask, do you know anyone who might have done this? Let's say I trust everything you said. But there's no point of you being here if you can't remember anything right mate? There must be something there, go on. Think." Randy continued. "All I remember is a guy with a black hood wielding a bow and arrow ambushed us in the middle of the night. That's all I know."

Merci calmed down a little bit after saying this to the detectives. The two cops just stared at each other trying to figure out what's in play here. They both know what Merci said is right. This guy is one of the elite mercenaries of the famous Leonè family, there's no way he would be

caught this way. It's too easy. It's too simple.

"Can you take over for a

moment? I'll just light one stick up and I'll be back." Marvin said which is answered by a nod from Randy. Randy just nodded because he knows that everytime Marvin does this, he always comes up with a plan afterwards. It's as if cigarettes make him think deeper. As if cigarettes make him more focused. On his way out he crossed paths with one of the fat beat cops who caught Merci earlier this day. After walking a few meters more he stopped. He can feel chills on his spine. "I do not know that guy." That's the only thing he has in mind. Marvin is almost a year in the MCPD already. He

knows everyone. Even the janitors. Even the garbage collectors who come inside the headquarters to collect junk. He was about to react when suddenly all lights in the headquarters turned off. It was pitch black inside and everyone started to panic. Shouts were heard everywhere when

suddenly a big explosion happened. And then another one. Detective Marvin is on the floor trying to grasp the situation. Fire was everywhere.

Smoke was blurring out his vision and making it very hard to breathe. He was able to walk a couple of meters more nearer to the entrance before collapsing again. And before his consciousness completely fades he sees it. A guy in a black hood. With a bow and arrow. Walking past directly at him.

News spread like wildfire. Many cops and others inside the building were able to survive. The MCPD headquarters is estimated 50% destroyed by two bomb explosions. Detective Marvin Gourdon woke up 15 hours after the explosion, and upon waking up he saw Michelle Margaret, a captain of the MCPD.

She is a strong willed woman who is a newly appointed captain of the MCPD. "What happened captain?" Marvin uttered. "Two bombs destroyed half of the headquarters detective." Michelle answered.

"Bombs?" He asked. "Yeah, bombs inside two bodies, detective. We still can't pinpoint the identity of the first suicide bomber. The second one is inside Merci Radetzky." She replied. "Randy? How is Randy?" Marvin

asked while grabbing the shoulders of Michelle. Michelle brushed him off

causing Marvin to lose balance and fall on his knees. "He was in the same room with Merci, Marvin, it was a direct contact and nobody can survive that. I'm sorry."

Michelle answered then left Marvin there still on the floor with tears slowly rolling down his eyes. Reports were made because of the MCPD Headquarters incident. With everyone baffled as to why this happened. No one can figure out the reason why Black had to burn down the headquarters. "Black: A new menace in Mersham City." That's the

headline the next day. The headline everyone is talking about. Some are

frightened by this vigilante but some think this is an i***t's gimmick.

"He's just one of those bad guys who just wants to kill people. He's a pointless demon." Says one of the cops from MCPD.

"Sir it's time." Says Carissa

Montoya. She is the personal secretary of Stephen Maxwell who was reading the newspaper at that time. Stephen Maxwell just arrived in Mersham City 5 months ago. Some say he is a billionaire businessman from Europe. And since he appeared he has been very busy setting up a lot of small businesses in Mersham. But today is his big day, today the inauguration of Maxwell Conglomerate Tower in the middle of the city.

Some say he is crazy for bringing in such a big investment to a city full of crimes. No tourists would actually come to Mersham. No migrants would come there to work. But for him this is what this city needs. A new start. And he is one step closer to his goal. He stood up, buttoned up his coat and went straight to the elevator to go down from the penthouse on the top floor of the tower to the ground floor where the ribbon cutting will take place.

"Your black suit looks really good on you as always sir." Carissa says in which Stephen just smiled. And at last after almost a minute they reached the ground floor. Media men are already there trying to cover this great moment for Mersham.

Upon stepping out of the elevator Lex Figg

walked beside Stephen. He is his personal bodyguard. They say he is a former marine with a height and built almost the same as Stephen. And at last the ceremony starts. It was time for the opening speech that was to be graced by Stephen himself. Carissa walked on the stage and delivered his speech to the audience. "Why is she the one doing that?" One media man asked the other. "He's mute. He can't speak." Answered the man. And after the speech delivered by Carissa which mainly talked about fresh start and new jobs for the people of Mersham, they quickly transitioned to the ribbon cutting ceremony which was personally done by Mr. Stephen Maxwell himself.

The event was a success. Stephen is one step closer to his goal.

"Hey I grabbed you this candy bar since I know you haven't eaten anything yet." Emilia said while offering a candy bar to Tobias. "Wow you were able to buy yourself a bento box and just a candy bar for me? Shame on you Em." Tobias laughingly said then he accepted and started eating his candy bar. "Hey Em you know I haven't really asked, how did you-" Tobias was in the middle of his sentence before Emilia cut him out.

"We're already on a ship to Mersham before you realized you haven't asked me about how I heard your conversation with Jimm?" Emilia laughs a little while still chomping down the fried breaded pork in her bento box. "I placed a recorder on your trench coat before you left me in your dirty office that day."

She added. "Hey that's illegal you know?" Tobias said in which Emilia answered "Oh go arrest me, partner." The two of them just laughed together while still watching the sunset on the ship's deck. "You know

what? I actually feel more secure on this trip to Mersham since I'm with you. You're one of the few ones I actually trust." Tobias said with a straight face.

"You're welcome." Emilia answered with a blush she tried hard to hide from Tobias. Later that evening they arrived at Mersham City Port. They just went to a famous restaurant near the port to have dinner before going to a hotel they will stay in. "They say the lobsters here are very famous Tobe." Emilia said with almost like a child's eye saying "please". So they went in and ordered the Mersham's famous lobster platter.

It almost took them an hour to eat it before it was finished. They were so full that it took another 30 minutes of them just sitting there because they cannot walk.

And when they were able to arrive at the hotel it was already 9:30 in the evening. "How many rooms sir?" Ask the man at the counter. The hotel was a very fine place. You can place it somewhere between 4 to 5 stars in rating.

"We'll take 2 please." Emilia answered. So they paid the initial 3 days and went on to their own rooms calling it a night. It was almost a whole day on that ship so the travel was very draining. Tobias went for a

quick shower before going to bed. Before sleeping he decided to check his phone for news. That's where he saw the headlines of what happened to MCPD headquarters yesterday. "Black hood.. bow and arrow.." he thought to himself. And that's where he remembered. Valkovsky's story on what happened in the mansion.

He talked about a guy wearing black hood

wielding a bow and arrow. For some reason he felt chills inside him. Then his reflexes kicked in. He quickly reached on to his Katana and he doesn't know why also. It's just that all of his senses are telling him to do so.

And upon focusing on the balcony of his window he saw it. Black. It was black

sitting on the railings of his balcony just watching him. He didn't know how to react. But for some reason he walked straight to the direction where Black was sitting in. Everything feels slow. His legs feel heavy. And it was the same feeling for Black. As if this moment was never supposed to

happen. Every step he took feels heavy. His heartbeat was getting faster as the Captain went closer. And it happened. The two men facing each other. With the Captain holding tightly to his Katana. Black is still sitting there looking at the floor. The night was cold and quiet. Neither the Captain nor Black is making a move or even uttering a word. "Don't die here Tobias." Black uttered. Tobias was confused. He did not know what to do or think. And one blink he's gone. After just a blink Tobias is on the balcony alone.

Without any signs of anyone.

In that moment all the thoughts came pouring out. "I'm on the 16th floor, where the hell did he go? How did he know my name? Was he warning me for something? Was he following me all this time?" After a couple of minutes standing there Tobias decided to go out to the nearest convenience store to buy some beer and cigarettes. He calmly put some clothes on and went down.

He decided not to take Emilia with him because she's probably asleep since it's already 11 in the evening by that time. When he was already at the lobby almost near the entrance of the hotel some woman shouted. "Captain? Captain Tobias Bristle?". This

caused him to look back and there she saw a woman and a man.

The man extended his hand for a handshake which Tobias accepted. "And you are?"

Asked Tobias while still shaking hands with the man. The woman answered

"Stephen, Stephen Maxwell."