Agents Universe

Before reading this, read:

AN OASIS OF VIOLENCE - SAVING KYLE PART 1
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50677

THE NIGHTMARE BEGINS - SAVING KYLE PART 2
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50780

THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR - SAVING KYLE PART 3
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50781

A BITTER PILL - SAVING KYLE PART 4
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50847

TO SAVE A HERO - SAVING KYLE PART 5
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50928

UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES - SAVING KYLE PART 6
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50929

AN UNLIKELY LOVE - SAVING KYLE PART 7
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50930

THE GATHERING STORM - SAVING KYLE PART 8
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50995

6:11 PM

12:26 AgentJamesMason: The day had passed by as though it were a dream. I had spent hours here resting against the tree, enjoying a rare window of peace and serenity. Luckily, there was no snow on the ground right now, and the soft winter light easily penetrated the forest canopy, with the branches having shed their leaves. It was quiet, only the occasional rustle as a soft winter wind rustled the bare branches overhead. And my mind… my mind was empty. I had spent the entire afternoon just listening to my breath, and beside me Jeff and Jack, cuddled together had been equally silent. The time had been cleansing. And slowly, my aches and pains had faded to a dull, distant sensation. I watched the light fade and evening fall over this small, remote bit of wood, as the first stars began to glimmer through the treetops. And then, suddenly, it was time. Kyle, hold on. We are coming for you now.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I motioned over to Jeff, and slowly stood up, stretching out my stiff muscles. I began to transition into combat mode, all my senses focusing, sharp and tuned in. I whispered to Jeff and Jack, “All right gents, it’s time. I’ll meet you both at the exhaust vent in about 15 minutes time. Best of luck mates, and … thank you. Thank you both.” I squeeze both of their shoulders in gratitude, then pull them in for a hug. I nod once, then I’m off creeping slowly through the wood, bending down low near the tall grass, and starting to inch my way through the tall, waist high, dry winter grass. Everything looks dark, and there are no lights on, as though the farm were quiet and deserted. I carefully inched my way through towards the fuel tanks, stopping every step to listen and strain for any sound. I examined the edge of the barn in meticulous detail with the field glasses I had borrowed from Jeff, but I see no sign of any security cameras. I reasoned that the underground nature of the base was the real defense for the Syndicate operation here, and everything above ground was meant to look as normal and ordinary as possible. I crept forward again, grunting as the motion of slinking along the ground aggravated the deep scratches on my torso, but that was just pain.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: Finally, I exited from the tall grass directly across from the middle tank, I slunk forward, looked left, then right, listened hard, but heard nothing. I attached the C4 to the underside of the regulator valve, then programmed it for 10 minutes. This was it.. There was no going back now. I darted back to the tall grass, and made my way back to the forest, and crept carefully through the woods, to the exhaust vent for the diesel fumes about 200 feet to the north, as I approached I saw Jeff and Jack squatting in the shadows nearby. I nodded.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: The afternoon had been one of the most surreal and amazing experiences in my life. Everything was quiet, the woods, Mason, and Jack. Except for one thing.. As Jack lay back against me, his head resting on my shoulder, his hands holding mine, I could feel his heartbeat and the soft, slow rise and fall of his chest. I could smell him, his scent, close and strong, even overpowering the scent of the old pile of dung not far off. The entire, silent afternoon was an experience in wonder. The wonder of having Jack with me, against me, of feeling his heartbeat and hearing his breathing, it was perfection. But it ended, as all things must, when the stars began to show. I stood up as Mason approached us, and laid out the plan. I nodded. This part was simple, and straightforward. It was when we penetrated the base that everything would get very, very interesting. I grinned at James, as he headed off, telling him, “Be careful big man.” Then, I looked at Jack. “Are you ready, boy?” Why? There it was again.. Whenever I stop thinking, I call him boy.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: Night falls upon us as we rest and wait, and suddenly it's time to save Kyle. Protected by the shroud of nightfall, we continue on to the farm. Jeff steals a moment with me, and it takes everything I have not to get emotional as a horrid fear overcomes me. But that fear turns swiftly into determination as I stare into his gorgeous eyes. "I'm ready, sir.. but.." I take a breath. "I know nothing is guaranteed from here on out, so.." I can't say goodbye, not only is it a weak move but it's also disrespectful to the talents of these two incredible men. I toy with my next words for a couple of seconds before simply saying: "...I love you" I press my lips to his, placing my hand over his bicep and stroking it gently. That's it. No more niceties, no more lovey-dovey. There's no room for that in situations like this, I turn into the agent they need me to be; who Kyle needs me to be, and wait for the C4 to do its job.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: As Mason left to plant the C4, all of my attention was focused on Jack. I stare deep into his eyes, feeling the fear that every man has to battle before entering combat, and master. I can’t fight that battle for him, but I can let him know that he is loved and supported while doing it. Then, I see him master himself, and tells me again how much he loves me. I kiss him on the forehead as his hand strokes my bicep. “I love you too. Now, let’s go.” I move swiftly, but silently through the darkened wood, staying parallel to the farm, trusting Jack to be right behind me. Then, I exit the forest under the cover of night, and crouch behind a clump of weeds obscuring a half-rotting bit of fence. The exhaust vent is right next to us, the acrid diesel fumes wafting up from the grating. It’s a large exhaust vent, big enough for a man, even one as large as Mason. I check my belt, and slowly tie off a length of rope to the bottom of the fence post. It’s still solid, and firmly planted. It can take our weight as we rappel down the shaft with ease. I loop a length of the rope around my waist, and then feed some to Jack to do the same. I kneel down, and using my tool kit and my combat knife, I snap through the fasteners holding the grate in place, filling my lungs with fresh air before working. The grate is loose now, and I push it aside. And with that, we are ready. I nod at Jack, and wait.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I squat beside Jack and Jeff, and quickly loop the rope around my waist and hold on tight. I will take the rear down the shaft, and I’ll let Jack take the lead. He’s the smallest one, and he is most likely to find the service hatch and manage if the vent gets too small for me or Jeff. This will be the tricky part, we will be going in blind, and trusting to luck that we will find a way to break free into the base below. We will make this work. I know it. Then, I hold up my watch, as it counts down. 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1. WHWOOOOOOOOOOOOMFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

12:26 AgentJamesMason: Suddenly, the entire sky becomes as bright as day as the C4 goes off, leading to a massive chain reaction that rips apart all five propane tanks, and the barn in the process. The shockwave smashes through the air and ground, and for a moment it feels like an earthquake. Where the barn was, there is now just a column of flames reaching for the stars. Then, a moment later, there is another CRUNCHHHHHHHh, and some of the flames disappear, appearing to lower themselves. Part of the entrance to the underground parking structure must have just collapsed, I realized. I looked at the column of diesel fumes. My heart was pounding, and already I could hear distant shouts of alarm. As soon as the plume of diesel smoke dissipated, then we would enter. Every single sense was heightened, I was in full combat mode now. Hang on Kyle. We’re coming.

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12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: It was a good day, a good day. It felt so good to have Derek back. He always knew how to push me into doing what I needed. Sparring with him again brought back so many memories of when we first met. I loved Derek, in a very special way. He was my brother. I was at peace, and Kyle was coming out of his drugged state, and had drifted off into a natural sleep. I was sitting on my bed, looking down at him. There were no voices. And no guilt. Right now, there was only love for Kyle. I hadn’t put the headphones on him today for some reason. But had just drugged him, and let him sleep. In a few hours, I would join him in bed, and tomorrow, perhaps we would train together in the gym, and I would help him recover from his gunshot wounds. That would be pleasant. I would have to brainwash him further of course, but that could wait. Right now there was only peace. Only Kyle sleeping so softly. Only my love for him.

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Suddenly, the whole room shook as though a giant had hit it with a fist. There was a crack in the ceiling overhead, and suddenly a chunk of concrete started to break free. I gasped, as the lights went out, and without a second thought, I snatched Kyle off the bed, into my arms as the concrete broke free and crushed the bed, followed by a tumult of dirt. I held Kyle tightly, setting him down on his feet, “Kyle!! Kyle!! Are you all right?” The red emergency light lit up in the corner of my room, and I realized that we were under attack. How? HOW? What had happened? I snapped on my radio, “Peter!! WHAT IS GOING ON? Are we under attack?” Peter’s voice shouted back, “The fuel supply!! The tanks!! THEY JUST EXPLODED. There is a huge fire, part of the parking garage has collapsed. I’m diverting all the guards to the entrance of the base. We must put the fire out before it attracts the authorities!!! There is no sign of any attackers!!!” I growled, “All right, get that fire under control!! Keep me apprised of the situation. I’ll see to the safety of Kyle and check the base for any more damage. We will need to evacuate. There is every chance our location has been compromised.”

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: After Peter helped me to lie down on the bed, I started to relax more and more. I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t focus. But it doesn’t matter. Ivan is taking care of everything. He is looking after me, and he is making the decisions for me. He knows better than anyone else. Hours and hours… All I could think of was the mistakes I made, and the good moments I spent with my beloved ones, Xavier, Tim, James, Ivan… I just… It’s hard to remember them, but there is no point in denying reality. It happened. I can’t change it. I can’t reverse it. But it wasn’t hurting so much, probably because of the drug. And after 8 hours, around 3.30 PM, I felt the drug losing its effect. I was feeling much, much better. I was tired, but I didn’t need to think or concentrate on anything. Slowly, I let myself fall asleep again.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: However, all of a sudden… There is a sudden KABOOOOOOOOOOM… With quick reflexes, I try to roll to my side, but Ivan acts quicker and grabs me in his arms before concrete falls onto the bed. WHAT? What is going on? I open my eyes all of a sudden, and I nod at Ivan as he asks me if I am alright. Taking a quick, deep breath, I slowly free myself from Ivan, and get to my own feet. The fuel supply? Exploded? Who can do that? There is a fire? Fuck… Something is going really really bad. We might be under attack. As soon as Ivan finishes speaking with Peter, I start talking, “Ivan… Give me a gun… Something is happening…” Then I stop all of a sudden… NO NO NO… TIM… “Ivan… My uncle… I need to see him, please…”

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12:26 AgentDerekSteel: It wasn’t a half-bad day, overall. I’d had a chance to spar with Ivan, and that was a fucking blast, working up a hot sweat with my best bud. That Russian Bear was one tough fucker. I’d taken care of a shit-ton of work, making contacts, sweet-talking the Syndicate higher-ups, assuring them that we would get Mason back. But now it was time for food. It was almost dinner time, and my belly was rumbling. I think I’ll go see if that hot fucker Daniel wants to join me for dinner…. And after…. Maybe I could pull out some of my special reserves, some of that top-notch rot-gut I’d won off of Ivan when I’d broken Jack before he thought I would. Oh yes I would. I’d love to get a few shots of vodka into that hot as fuck Daniel Allen with me. I push aside my laptop, turn it off, and head out towards the hall. I knock on Daniel’s door, calling out, “Hey, Daniel, want to grab some grub with me?” Suddenly, there is a loud ROARRRRRRRRR, and the entire base shakes as though it were in an earthquake. Some dust and sand sifts down from the roof over head, and I’m nearly shaken off my fucking feet. Then, a moment later, the lights go out, to be replaced by dim, red emergency lighting. “FUCKKK FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK DANIEL, are you all right??” Attack. We are fucking under attack. GOD DAMN SHIT FUCK. I WILL RIP THE NUTS OFF OF JEFF ROGERS. FUCKING RIP THEM OFF.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: This had been a busy day. First, I made a detailed report regarding Kyle’s brainwashing, and Mason’s escape. After sending the report to my superiors via email, I went out, and helped the Syndicate troops to bury the bodies of our dead men. It never gets easier to say goodbye, even if you do that all the time. But we had to. Afterwards, I lead the troops to the gym and the training room in order to help them to ease their minds. They need to learn how to move on as well. After helping them train for a while, I go back to my own office once again. Yeah, it seems like my superiors read my emails, and want to talk on the phone as well. This is going to be a little difficult, but nothing I can’t pull off. I answered all of their questions over an hour long call. I hide the relationship between Kyle and Ivan as I had promised. There is no need to expose that for now. Shortly after I finished with my calls, I heard a knock on my door, and there he is… the famous and powerful Derek Steel… Hmm, want to grab something with you? Haha… What do you think Derek? But before I can open my mouth, there is a sudden BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMM… What the HELL? The lights go out for a moment. What the fuck is happening? Ugh… This is no good… Quickly checking my guns, I rise to my feet, and rush to the door to open it quickly, and check Steel’s condition. Assault… Someone is attacking us… In a tense voice, I ask “Derek, you alright?” Fuck… We quickly need to take care of this… I take my silenced gun out. This is not good.

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12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: Jeff passes me the rope and I tie it around my waist. The C4 explodes with a deafening boom, filling the cloud with smoke. I wait for the plume of smoke to settle, then descend into the vent, placing the blade of my knife in my mouth in case I need quick access to it. It's easy to get claustrophobic in here, with barely enough room to move my elbows away from my side. As I descend into the vent I come to a junction, with the vent becoming horizontal in both directions. Time to crawl.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: The explosion is bone-wrenching, ground shaking. Fuck… I look over at the huge plume of smoke, then I look carefully at Jack. I nod, he’s ready for this. He can do this. I know he can. Mason is right, it has to be Jack to take the lead, both of us might find ourselves unable to effectively maneuver if the shaft gets tighter. I squash the rising fear and concern for him. He can do this. He has the talent. He has the training. He has the courage. Fuck, I love him. He descends down the vent, and I follow second, then Mason comes after.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: I struggle and shimmy down onto my stomach, being incredibly careful not to make a noise. It's a horribly tight space, but I manage to sweep my legs into on entry of the vent and shuffle back so that I can put my body down. Then I crawl, shimmying deeper into the base, surrounded by panicked yells and determined shouts. If I so much as lift my body up by a couple of inches, my back would press against the vent. I remember being terrified of this during my time at the academy, practicing caving and vent navigation. No time for that now, breathe. Find an entry point. I hear the gentle shuffles of Jeff and James behind me, but there's no space to turn and check on them. I have to trust they're okay.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I follow after Jeff, and soon we reach a junction. I can see that they have tied in their air circulation system with the exhaust for the diesel generators. The shaft narrows, as I had feared it would. I watch as Jack, then Jeff slowly squeeze into the tight space. I groan softly to myself. This is going to be hard. I just barely manage to fit, but I have no room to maneuver at all. It’s a good thing I’m not claustrophobic, because I literally have to slide my thick torso through the shaft, and only when I exhale can I slide a few more feet. Damn.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: I push on and soon come to a grate. I peek through the slats and identify an office below, seemingly abandoned. I strain to hear over the distant yells to determine that there's nobody in the room below us, so I grab the grate and pull, dislodging it and pushing it away. I crawl forward so that I can reverse my legs down into the room, using my upper body strength to hold on to the vent's edge as I lower myself slowly. There's a desk positioned perfectly under the vent, but as my feet connect with the table I hear a closer, albeit muffled voice. I quickly grab the grate and close the vent, blocking Jeff and James in before diving to the floor and hiding behind the desk. Fuck! I'm alone in the base.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: I make my way through the junction, following Jack’s competent lead. It’s tight. I barely have room to maneuver. I can only imagine how tough this is on James. I feel Jack stop up ahead. He must have found a vent. Then, I hear him lower himself into the room. I’m about to follow after, when suddenly, I hear a muffled sound of voices, and Jack quickly closes the vent. I stay absolutely calm, and absolutely still. Jack can handle this. He can absolutely handle this. My emotions start to bubble, and I harshly, ruthlessly, push them aside. No time for that right now. Jack has this.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: "The fuck is going on up there?" I hear one of the men say. "No idea, there's hardly any men down here now" somebody replies, just from outside the room. A few men must have been kept behind for security detail, but most had gone to the emergency above ground. The door to the office swings open. For fucks sake, I'm not in a good position at all but had no time to get anywhere better. Ok, think.. I look up at the grate, no idea if there's a pair of eyes looking down at me or not. There's no footsteps, but the men are in the room and talking. They're just standing there, I need to get creative. I lay on my stomach again and creep the edge of the desk, peeking out ever so slightly before diving back behind cover. They're facing my direction, I can't come out from behind the desk. Fuck!! I need to get them over here, make a noise or something. Tapping my knife would be strange, they'd go straight into combat mode.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: I have no idea what else to do, but a weird thought takes over my body and before I know it I'm putting on my acting hat and start groaning in pain. "The fuck?" One guy calls out, "somebody's hurt.." and then the footsteps come. I keep groaning, acting like the perfect victim. I lift myself to my knees, ready to fight. They approach from different sides of the desk, not good. Before they even lay eyes on me, I jump up and grab the right-hand guys outstretched gun, yanking it from his grasp as I kick back at the other guy, knocking his gun out if his hand. I drop the guys gun and take my knife from my mouth, slitting his throat in a swift move. I'm tackled by the guy behind, falling onto the body at my feet and dropping my knife. I roll onto my back and the other guy is on the floor with me, crawling through my open legs to choke me. He manages to close his hands around my throat, starting to choke me. I squirm under him but remain calm, my hand reaching for my knife just a centimetre out of reach. He chokes me for about 10 seconds before taking my knife with one hand and plunging it down at my throat. I manage to grab his wrist just in time with both my hands, wrestling with him as the tip of the knife pokes at my Adams apple. He's using all his strength to push down on the knife, so I jolt to the right and lessen my grip, and sure enough he stand the knife against the ground with such force he loses balance. I follow up quickly and roll over onto him. Now that he's on the losing side he opens his mouth to call for help, but I smother him with my hand and take back my knife, swiftly slitting his throat too. I dismount him and rest my back against the desk again, drenched in blood. Fuck that was messy, I'm better than that. But it worked, two dead guards. I look back up at the grate, assuming Jeff and James moved on to find another way down, but I give the "ok" sign just in case.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: And Jack does manage it. Perfectly. As he manages it, I slide quietly past the grate, and work on unlatching it. It’s tight, difficult, hard work, and I’m not as fast at it as Jack is, but I get there in the end, finally loosening it free with tight, restricted movements. I watch the fight unfold below me, pride swelling inside me at Jack’s expert handling of both armed attackers. Then, it’s over, and I get the okay signal. I slide the grate open, then quietly lower myself out of the opening, landing beside Jack, giving his shoulder a quick squeeze of approval, as I make room for Mason.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: Suddenly, Jeff stops ahead of me. I hear noises, faint voices, groans of pain, then…. The sounds of fighting, then silence. Then, after a while, I feel Jeff drop, and I see the light from the vent. I carefully slide forward, then lower my big frame through the opening, my biceps bulging and straining in the process. I drop the final distance, landing silently. Wincing in pain, as the impact jars a few of my wounds and makes my feet ache in agony. The lights in the room are all red, a clear indicator of the power disruption. I look around the small office, seeing the two dead bodies, and give a nod of approval to Jack. I walk up to the door and listen. Suddenly, there is another voice. “Hey, where are you guys, we are needed at the front of the base pronto... “ The door opens, and a guard walks in. I don’t think, I just act. I reach out, grab his head in both my hands before he realizes what is going on, and with a quick twist and surge of my hardened muscles, his neck snaps, and he falls boneless. I drag his body over behind the desk, with the others.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I open the door of the office carefully, and I can see a sign on the hall across from the door, to the right, pointing deeper into the base, it says “Officer’s Quarters and Holding Cells” to the left, it says, “Loading dock” I orient myself, and nod, pulling Jack and Jeff in for a huddled consultation. “Okay gentlemen, here’s my proposal. Jeff, Jack, you two stay here and guard our way out. I’m guessing almost everyone is at the loading dock, fighting the fire we started. The rest of the base is likely deserted. But if a straggler comes back to this office, and finds these bodies, they will raise the alarm, and that could be us screwed. Don’t let that happen! I’ll find Kyle and get him out.”

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: I nod, that makes sense to me. “Stay safe Mason. We’ve got your back here.” I watch Mason head off down the corridor. Fuck, he’s a tough bastard. I turn to Jack, and we head back into the office. I shut the door. Then, I look at Jack, whispering. “Good work Jack.” I give his shoulder a squeeze, then I hear voices of two men talking, and approaching. I stiffen, and hide beside the door. I motion at Jack to do the same. That voice was unmistakable. It belonged to Derek Steel.

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12:26 AgentJamesMason: I head down the corridor, my sidearm out, and at the next intersection, take a random left, and head off deeper into the base, the need for speed and urgency burning inside me. Kyle, Kyle… I need to find you now. C’mon Kyle, where are you? We don’t have much time. Not much at all. So much is riding on this. I keep exploring, but the base is deserted. I creep around corners, enter rooms, but everything is silent, covered in dust and debris, there are signs of serious structural damage. That explosion was a doozy. The pain of my various wounds throbs in the background, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is finding Kyle. Eventually, I see a sign, under the red light, reading “Holding Cells”. I follow the sign down another corridor, and I enter the area with the holding cells. Down the hall, I hear the sound of muffled voices talking. And.. my heart nearly stops… KYLE’s VOICE.. That is Kyle’s voice.

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12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I turn as Kyle starts to panic. He asks for a gun and mentions his Uncle. Give him a gun? I would be crazy.. Fucking crazy.. But… I either trust Kyle or I don’t. If Dave asked me for a gun, of course I would have given it. But this … this is different… I nod. I open my safe, as more dust and dirt sifts down from the hole over my bed, and take out my holster. I strap it on, with my knife, my blade, and two guns. The twin pistols I took from Kyle. I hand one to Kyle, then holster the second on my tactical belt. I slip on a bulletproof vest from the safe, but I don’t have one for Kyle. I tell Kyle, “Okay Kyle, follow me. We will check on your Uncle. Stay close behind me.” I leave the room, and the corridor is dimly lit by the red emergency lights, the generators are out of course. I radio Peter again as I carefully make my way down the corridor, “Update!! Now.”

12:26 Peter_Jones: I respond, “Sir, we are slowly starting to battle the fire, but it is massive, and still spreading, part of the underground base has caught fire, some of the barracks and kitchen, and storage rooms nearest the entrance. We are concerned about the armory, if the fire reaches the armory, there could be a secondary explosion. At this time though, we have no sign of any other attackers. I don’t think this was an attack sir. I think it was just a natural explosion, a gas leak perhaps?”

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I replied. “Focus on that fire, Peter. I will contact Derek and Daniel and update them as to your status. Ivan out.” A natural explosion?? It was possible, I suppose. But I felt uneasy. It was too much of a coincidence… an explosion so soon after Mason’s escape? I mentioned none of this to Kyle as I slowly made my way down the dusty, partially damaged corridor under the dim red light of the emergency lights. But regardless of whether this was an attack or not, if the fire reached the armory… We needed to escape. And evacuate. But… if we could contain the fire… and if it was a natural explosion… and if the authorities didn’t notice the fire… Too many ifs for my liking. Anyways, it wasn’t my decision. This was a Syndicate base, and that meant it was Daniel’s decision whether to evacuate. I would let Derek deal with it. I radioed Derek, “Derek, Ivan here. I’m taking Kyle with me to find his Uncle and make sure he is all right. I’ve been in touch with Peter, apparently the fuel tanks exploded. There is no sign of any invaders or attackers. Peter thinks it is a natural explosion. He and his men are fighting to contain the flames, but the fire has spread to the barracks and kitchen near the entrance. The armory is on the other side of that wall, and we all know what happens if it catches fire. Daniel needs to be informed, and he will need to decide if we begin to evacuate or try to contain the blaze. I’ll give you an update if I find out more!”

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: Ivan agrees to my request, and hands me a gun from his holster once again. I smile at his trust in me. Yes… He trusts me enough. I know I am not trustworthy, but I will still do my best. I don’t think I would do anything to hurt Ivan, right? Besides, I want to have a gun to protect Ivan in case something happens. I don’t want anything to hurt him. After he talks with Peter, I start following him. Wow… A natural coincidence? Hmm… Guess that is a possibility in a rural area like this one… I am not completely sure though. Afterwards, he reports to Derek Steel as well. Hmm… Something is not right, but I can’t tell what. My mind is still foggy. I just want to see my uncle, and make sure he is safe. I follow Ivan to my Uncle’s room, and open it up quickly without waiting for Ivan.

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12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I turn to Daniel as soon as he comes bursting out of his room. I nod, glad to see him unharmed. “I’m fine, Daniel. I need to go back to my room though, to get my weapons. If we are under attack.. If that mother fucker Jeff Rogers is behind this…” Just as I reach my room, and bang the door open, I pull on my tactical belt with my knife, gun, and a few grenades. There is dirt and dust everywhere. Just then, my radio buzzes. I turn up the volume as soon as I hear it is Ivan, so Daniel can hear everything Ivan says. Then, I turn to Daniel. “Fuck me Daniel. That wasn’t a natural explosion. Fuck me up the ass if it was. If I wanted to make my way undetected into a Syndicate base… I’d pull a stunt like that as a distraction. We may not be under open attack, but fuck me if something fishy isn’t going on.”

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I sigh as I see Derek is safe. Fuck… Something HUGE is happening. He says he needs to go back to his room, probably wants to get his weapons. I can tell. My weapons are already on me. While Derek is arming himself, I hear a buzz on his radio, it’s Ivan, telling us that the fuel tanks exploded, and Peter thinks it is a natural explosion. But that is not right. I have known this base for a long time. I know there are some risks, but we try our best to decrease them as much as possible. Hmmm… Something is fishy just like Derek said… I clear my throat, and without answering Derek, I pull out my own radio “Liam… Tell everyone to be on high alert… If they find ANYTHING suspicious, report it to us immediately…” Afterwards, I meet Derek’s gaze “You are probably right Steel… If there is even the smallest chance that this is an infiltration operation, I can’t take any chances. If it sounds good to you, let’s keep an eye on the entrances to the base.” I gesture to him to come with me and continue “But I don’t understand what they are trying to extract from here? Do you have any idea?”

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I reply as I follow Daniel. “Who would go to this much effort? Unless it was to rescue Kyle? I know Mason was keen on that, but he couldn’t have done this alone. He’s not that insane. And Rogers wouldn’t have helped him, he’s too much of a loyal goody two shoes.” I follow Daniel down the corridor. Then, in the glow of the red emergency lights, I mention to Daniel, “Hey, Daniel, I left my laptop here in the office you put aside for me. Let me secure it and stow it, in case we need to evacuate quickly. It’s got valuable data on it.” I turn towards the door.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: Jeff squeezes my shoulder and it’s a wonderful feeling, the validation I needed after thinking I’d fucked up a bit. Suddenly, a deep voice speaks from behind the door in a British accent and a chill runs down my spine. Derek fucking Steel, come to play at Des Moines. I hide with Jeff, clutching my knife in my hand. He and.. Daniel, I guess, are talking outside the door, then my eyes shoot to the laptop he’s talking about. Valuable data? I have no time to get it, he’s about to come in. As he opens the door I thank the heavens that it opens into the room with us hiding behind it, allowing us to keep our cover. Then, he’s there. Once again I’m standing in the same room as Derek Steel, although this time I’m not tied to a chair with a bunch of broken bones and losing a lot of blood. This time, he’s mine. He steps into the room and the door closes behind him as he approaches the laptop. I glance at Jeff, thinking we could attack him together but that would alert Daniel outside, but we have no other choice. He’s going to turn back and see us here, so I gesture for an attack as we step towards him. We silently step behind him and I take hold of Jeff’s wrist, then tap on the skin of his forearm in a countdown. “3… 2… 1!” I tap, and in perfect unison we launch our attack. I swoop my knife-wielding hand low, aiming to slice at his thigh and limit his movement to aid us in the rest of the fight.

=============

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: Kyle rushes into the holding cell with Tim, and Tim is groggy, half awake, half drugged. He isn’t very lucid, and very confused as I rush inside, comforting Kyle. “Okay Kyle, we’ll get Tim to a safe location. There is a way out of the base up into the basement of the farmhouse, we’ll take him there. How’s that sound? I’ll carry him for you.”

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: I quickly stagger towards Tim. He is not asleep completely, but I doubt he can hear me. Fuck… Tim… I am so sorry… You shouldn’t be here… NO KYLE FOCUS… This is not the time. You need to get him out of here with Ivan’s assistance. Shaking a little bit, I nod to Ivan “Sure... I will cover the corridor for you…” Taking a deep breath, I lunged back to the corridor. There is a massive and huge shadow at the end. I can’t detect who he is properly, but I am assuming he is another well built Syndicate man. Without paying attention to him, I yell at Ivan “Alright… Where is that way out?”

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I see the door open again, and out comes… is that Kyle? It’s hard to tell in the dim, red emergency light. But the silhouette seems to be the right shape, and then he shouts. I am stunned… unable to move. That is Kyle’s voice, but it’s not the voice of a prisoner… What is going on?? Who is he shouting at? I slowly make my way forward, shoving aside my rising confusion and doubt, the most important thing is to get Kyle to safety. Then, in the shadow of the door, I see another figure start to emerge. This might be my only chance, I shout out in a strong voice, “Kyle!! Here!! Hurry!”

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I heave up Tim’s dazed, confused form. He’s still mostly asleep. I hold him in my arms, and turn as Kyle leaves the room, asking me the way out. I’m gathering my thoughts to answer, and reply, “Down the hallway to the left, and take the third right. That leads directly to the staircase up to the basement of the farmhouse.” Then, suddenly, shockingly I hear Mason’s voice call out. Instantly, I switch into combat mode, and put Tim down beside the door, draw my pistol, Kyle’s pistol, and take cover on the opposite door, starting to get a bead on Mason, as I shout out, “Kyle! Take cover!” My emotions and thoughts are trying to boil like a kettle left on the stove, but this is combat. I have no time for any of them. But one leaks out… one escapes… Kyle loves Mason… Mason is here for Kyle… It was Kyle’s love for Mason that proved stronger than all the drugs and tricks Ivan had used on him. SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP!!! I screamed at the voices in my head… If you really loved Kyle, you would let him make his own choice, choose his own loves… You wouldn’t brainwash him, Ivan. You wouldn’t drug him, Ivan. Did you have to drug Dave? Did Dave love you? I sobbed inside my head, my world starting to tear in half. SHUT UP!!!

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: I freeze as I hear the voice… I know… I have been hearing it for the past several days in my dreams… JAMES… James is here… Suddenly, I can’t stop, I can’t think. I can’t focus on anything. Everything fades away. I shout back at him “JAMES? Oh my god… You… You are here…” But my voice is cut off by Ivan's shout and I can’t stagger towards James… Cover? But… It’s James? There is nothing wrong, nothing dangerous here. What is going on? At Ivan’s order, I take out my gun by reflex, but I don’t take cover. I want to hug James, I want to run to him, I want to feel him. But Ivan’s voice rings in my ears, and I just can’t move. I can’t… I slowly look towards Ivan as he takes cover… I gulp… I… I don’t know… Would I hurt James if I don’t listen to Ivan? But James calls at me… I trust James too… No no.. I can handle this… I turn my face to Ivan “Ivan! James is here… JAMES IS HERE! You brought him here… Just like you promised… There is nothing wrong...” My voice is full of joy, but I can feel the tension in the air…

12:26 AgentJamesMason: Then, another voice rings out, the dim figure in the doorway steps back, and puts down what he was carrying. Then, a voice rings out, a voice I have heard before, and my blood runs cold. I dive into a holding cell next to me, bursting the door open with a heavy smash from my shoulder, and take cover, pulling out my pistol. But Ivan’s voice is commanding Kyle to… take cover?? Then suddenly, it hits me like a cement truck and I nearly lose it…. The emotions boil up inside me, fear, rage, panic, terror, they have… my worst fears… they have totally brainwashed Kyle… but how.. ? In such a remarkably short time. I knew from being forced to watch the suicide attempt, that Ivan was attempting to brainwash Kyle.. and I knew Ivan was very skilled at it, but how.. HOW SO COMPLETELY? Please god no… no .. no no no no… I felt so much emotion slam into me that I nearly lost my combat stance. This was not happening… this had not happened… it couldn’t. But I had to face reality. My hand felt as heavy as a stone, as I forced myself to push through the storm of emotions, and keep my pistol trained on Ivan’s position. My combat training clashed wildly with my love for Kyle, and it only won the argument by a slim margin… only the realization that calm and control was the only way to save Kyle, the only way, enabled my combat training to overcome my emotions. I listen to Kyle’s response to Ivan, and with a deep stirring of joy, I realize that Kyle remembers me, and furthermore, despite his brainwashing, he remembers me with love. Oh god… thank god for small miracles.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I listened closely to Kyle’s shouted words to Ivan, and it is clear that Ivan has somehow promised Kyle that he would bring me to him. I could see how a skilled manipulator, a man skilled in breaking and brainwashing could have twisted Kyle’s love for me to his purposes. I am paralyzed. I’m so afraid for Kyle… will Ivan kill him if Kyle comes to me? He might do that, rather than risk Kyle escaping. I shout out suddenly, “Kyle! Please, find someplace safe to hide!! Find cover!! NOW!!” I dart out of my hiding place, across the hall to the door of another holding cell, a few closer to Ivan and Kyle. I hold my fire though, and don’t try to take a shot at Ivan. I’m afraid I might hit Kyle by accident. And I would rather be dead than hurt Kyle.

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I listen to Kyle’s words, and they slam into me like sledgehammers, every word tearing my soul apart. I think of Dave.. god, I miss you Dave. And I think of Kyle’s suicide attempt, over and over… remembering how Kyle had called out to Mason, how much the “death” of Mason had hurt him. I loved Kyle… but Mason was my enemy… I needed to kill Mason… but I loved Kyle… but Mason was my enemy.. And Kyle loved Mason… DAVE HELP ME!!! Mason cried out to Kyle to take cover, to stay safe. Mason wanted Kyle to be safe… I wanted Kyle to be safe… but Mason was my enemy… My brain started to go numb, my emotions began to boil over like a pot left on the stove for too long. I had a perfect chance to fire at Mason as he darted for new cover, but I couldn’t… Kyle was too close, I couldn’t shoot.. Kyle might be hurt. Oh god.. Dave help me… What do I do?

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: Ivan doesn’t answer me. And James… James shouts at me to take cover as well… But FOR WHAT? Why are both of them acting like we are in combat. There is nothing here… Voices… They are incre… NO PLEASE… NOT NOW… I can’t… Look at both of them Kyle, something is wrong. You can’t lose control, not right now. You have no choice. James rushes towards a new cover, and I just look at both of them with a dumb look. That’s… They are acting… Like… Enemies? But Ivan told me they don’t have any bad intentions. No no no… They are misreading each other.. Yes that’s it… They are misjudging… I still don’t take cover, and look at Ivan “Ivan… That’s James… Nothing is wrong… Don’t panic…” afterwards I stagger towards the place where James took cover, and shout at him as well “And James… Ivan won’t hurt us… Listen… I… That was my fault… All of this was my fault… But it’s all in the past now… Nothing is wrong, nothing is going to harm you… Ivan promised me…” No… Please… Don’t act like that… WHY? James? Come here please... Focus Kyle. You can’t lose control. Not now… Not now… Something is wrong, and I feel like if I faint, if I experience another breakdown, something bad is going to happen. But I don’t understand WHY they are acting like that… They are both holding their guns… What? No… I won’t let either of them shoot the other. I slowly stagger between them, neither can shoot the other, they can’t see each other from that position. I… I will handle this… You are clever Kyle… No Kyle, you are weak, you are a betrayer… But Ivan trusts me… SHUT UP… I can’t focus… Please...

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I’m anguished, my emotions continuing to churn and boil, the sight of Kyle staggering back and forth, he’s confused, he doesn’t want us to fight, he doesn’t think either of us should be fighting. Oh Kyle… what has he done to you? What has Ivan done? Rage and fury boil up in me suddenly as Kyle deliberately plants himself between us, trying to prevent us from shooting each other. Think James… think… can I break through to Kyle… can I break through the man I love… or is he too far gone. I squat, catching sight of Kyle as he stands between my position and Ivan’s. Ivan is in the room next to mine, on the same side of the corridor. I shout at Kyle, “KYLE!! Listen to me… Ivan has brainwashed you… Remember your training, remember what you learned about brainwashing… Come back to me Kyle, please… I love you…”

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: Suddenly, Kyle speaks up, staggering, trying to make us stop fighting… NO no no no… he’s going to break down.. Under the stress, he’s going to break down.. His conditioning… STOP STOP… I don’t want to see Kyle hurt.. It’s my fault… all my fault… You played with fire Ivan, and now you have burned yourself. You have burned yourself badly. You told Kyle that you would protect Mason, but you lied to him. You lied to a man you love. Did you lie like that to Dave, Ivan?? DID YOU?? DID YOU??? SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP!!! Then, Mason calls out… NOOOOOOOOOOOOO He’ll hurt Kyle… he’ll cause Kyle to hurt himself from the confusion… he has to stop… he has to be quiet!!! There is a door in Tim’s holding cell that leads to the next room over the room where Mason is covering in. I have to shut Mason up, he has to be quiet… he can’t.. He’ll hurt Kyle if he keeps confusing him… I run forward, lower my shoulder, and SMASHHHHHHHHhh through the door, bursting it off its hinges and leap on top of Mason, desperate to shut him up!! Kyle… oh what have I done.. .KYLE..

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: I see James’s face again as he shouts. Brainwashed? Remember my training… I can’t now… But if I focus, I might remember … But it’s hard to focus. I can’t… Remember? Remember what? Training… I uh… Brainwashing… But Ivan loves me? I know he does… And I love him too… What… I love James… FUCK THIS… It shouldn’t be this confusing, what the hell? I shake my head, but take a couple of steps towards James. God… I missed him so much… I really missed him. But suddenly, Ivan leaps on Mason… WHAT? Ivan what are you doing? Nooo… He promised me he won’t hurt James… Why he is doing that… With a quick reflexive action, I point the gun towards both of them, as if I might shoot. But you can’t Kyle… They are both your lovers, how can you shoot them? I shout “Ivan Stop… He is still wounded…” No no no… This shouldn’t turn out that way… FUCK… I don’t understand. I need to find a way out… Attention… I need to draw both of their attention to me… But how? I look at my gun, and without hesitation, I aim for my temple, and shout “STOP BOTH OF YOU!..”

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12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: I stay absolutely still beside Jack as Derek Steel opens the door. He can’t see us. We have him. I start to pull out my sidearm. One bullet to his head, and this is all over. I step out silently with Jack, as he counts 3 … 2… 1.. I bring my pistol up and prepare to pull the trigger. Soon, Derek Steel will not be troubling the world anymore.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I open the door, and it is bathed in the emergency red light, like everywhere. I walk over towards my laptop, then suddenly, I catch sight of three dead bodies behind the desk. I switch into instant combat mode, every sense heightened, every reflex keyed suddenly for violence and battle. My muscles react as though I’m in the middle of a battlefield. I yell out, “DANIEL!” and dive forward, seeking to get behind the desk on pure instinct and danger sense. I feel a hot line of fire score the side of my thick muscled left quad as I do so, someone just fucking slashed me with a knife. A bullet smashes over my head, sinking into the wall, as I land in an unceremonious heap beside the desk, I grab a wooden chair against the wall, and heave it behind me, hearing a muffled shout. Then, as I twist over onto my back, I catch sight of two faces. Two faces I recognize. I growl out, “Fuck you Jack, Fuck you Jeff, you didn’t get enough the first time, so you want some more? Well you’ve come to the right place!”

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: Hmm… Rescue for Kyle? That would be so stupid. The only person that would come for Kyle was James who “just” escaped. This should be about something else, but what? And yeah… There should be NO FUCKING WAY that Rogers would help Mason. But before we can proceed further, Derek stops me in front of his office, telling me that he needs to secure his laptop. Good choice actually. “If” this is an infiltration plan, we can’t risk anything. We should take precautions… I nod at Derek’s request and wait for him outside. But almost 3 or 4 seconds later, I hear Derek shout? WHAT? WIthout hesitation, I grab my combat knife with my left hand, and point the gun with my right hand, and step inside. Wait a minute? JEFF ROGERS AND JACK YOUNG? HERE? You gotta be kidding me… With a grunt, I drive a front kick to Jack’s back to force him off balance. And I follow that up, by slicing my knife hard towards Jack’s back again, hoping that I gained enough time to cut him by kicking him unexpectedly.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: I pull the trigger, but suddenly, Derek dives forward. HOW THE FUCK?? HOW? Then… I remembered… the bodies.. He saw the bodies and reacted on instinct. Fuck.. Quickly, I reposition my sidearm, to sink a bullet into his guts, when suddenly a chair comes smashing into me. FUCKKKK… I react quickly, bringing my hand up to protect my face as the chair smashes into my hand, causing me to stagger backwards, my gun dropped to the floor. I hear Steel’s mocking words, and with a cold fiery determination, I remember what this bastard did to Trent. To Jack. To the men I loved. I drew my combat knife and leapt forward, plunging the blade down, leading with my combat knife to fucking stab him in the heart.

12:26: Agent_Jack_Young: I manage to slice my knife into his leg and it feels so fucking good, but it wasn't enough. Now he's just pissed off and still able to fight. I go to move towards him again but feel a massive boot smash into my back, knocking me off balance. I move away from my attacker but feel a thin, vicious slice across my back, slicing through my bullet proof vest. "FUCK!" I turn and Daniel Allen is coming towards me, his knife dripping in blood.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: It stings like a bitch, but it was only shallow. He'd only just caught me as I moved away from him, and my bullet proof vest offered some protection. I stagger back a bit as searing hot pain flashes across my back. I don't want this piece of shit, I'm here for Derek. I glance at him, currently being attacked by Jeff. Daniel is getting in my way. It looks like it's going to be a knife fight. I jump forward as though I’m going to attack, but fake it, instead rolling to the side and stabbing my knife at his leg, aiming straight for his calf.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I land both of my attacks perfectly. This kid is out of this league, but I guess I need to show this to him as well. I grin as he turns his back towards me. I didn’t damage him as I expected, his bullet vest helped him a lot. But he can’t escape from me forever. Daniel Allen? No fucking way… As he tries to lunge towards me, I raise my guard, holding my knife expertly. However, he doesn’t go for an attack, instead, he rolls on his side… What? My mind flashes quickly, and I try to avoid his attack by throwing myself on top of Jack while he is rolling on the ground. But I can’t stop the knife completely and it slices my calf a bit which causes a sharp pain. “ARGH…” I grunt hard, but it’s not something I can’t handle, but I drop my gun involuntarily. Maybe this kid is not so bad after all.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: At least Jack can’t stab his dagger into my calf completely, but he is good. Yeah, he is definitively Trent’s son, I doubt he is that good though. But I threw myself on top of Jack, as he is trying to roll and land on his back before he can move further. He can’t escape from my grip once I manage to restrain him. This should be fun. If I calculate correctly, I am going to smash him right in his stomach as I land which would help me a lot. As soon as we land together, I plan to throw my right fist to his pretty face with a powerful punch.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: Suddenly, with incredible speed, that bastard Jeff Rogers has his blade out, and is leaping down towards me. He’s fucking fast, but so am I. I lift up my right leg, as my left hand snakes out. My right boot smashes into his hips as he’s dropping down on top of me, just as my left hand seizes his right wrist. I use the impact to heave us off to my left side, looking to reverse our position and get my heavy, thick, hard, hairy mercenary muscle on top of Jeff’s lighter frame.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: HOW does such a big man move so goddamned fast? Suddenly, his boot smashes my hip, and his left hand seizes my right knife hand. There is a blur, and suddenly, I’m smashed back first to the office floor, the red light silhouetting Derek Steel’s massive body on top of me. He’s got my knife hand firmly gripped, but my left fist is free, and without a second thought, I smash it up, right into his ugly fucking bearded face as I strive to get my left boot planted under me to flip him up and off me.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: Daniel reacts annoyingly fast to my attack, throwing himself onto me as I roll across the floor. I bring my arms up immediately to protect my face, knowing a few punches could daze me out and then it would be game over. He smashes into my unprotected gut as he lands on top of me, but his fist collides with my forearms. "OOOFFF!" I grunt as wind is driven from my body, but it's okay. I can't take body hits, they won't win him this fight. It fucking hurt though, he's huge.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: My back stings against the floor as it presses down. My knife is still in my hand, I quickly slice at Daniel's chest, squirming underneath him but pinned down by his weight. "Come on you fucking asshole," I swipe at his chest again with the knife. I need to win this, for Jeff. I hear him fighting with Derek but I need to remain focused. I just hope and pray he's winning and kicking that bastards ass.

=============

12:26 AgentJamesMason: Suddenly, there is a massive CRUNCHHHH behind and to my side, I start to turn, seeing a door I hadn’t noticed bursting off it’s hinges, and Ivan leaping through air towards me. FUCKKKK. I twist, trying to bring my pistol to bear, but Ivan lands on top of me like a ton of bricks, crushing me hard to the floor beneath his heavy Russian Spetsnaz muscle. I just have time to get my right knee wedged up between me and the descending Russian juggernaut. The impact with the floor causes a savage wave of pain to rip through my body. I scream out in agony, unable to hold it in… ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHhhh.. I feel my half-healed wounds start to tear open. I snarl up into Ivan’s face, extending my knee suddenly with a huge surge of muscle, digging deep for the power from within my fiery core of determination, my love for Kyle. I heave him off to my side, gritting my teeth as I spin up to my knees. Breathing heavy, pain throbbing throughout my wounds. Then, I hear Kyle’s panicked voice ordering us to stop, then suddenly my heart stops as I see Kyle point the barrel of his gun at his own temple. I scream out, in a voice full of agony, a voice that seems strangely twinned… what… is that Ivan’s voice? Saying the same thing as i am… “KYLE… PLEASE… PUT THE GUN DOWN!” The sound of his voice… it’s as if… as if… he truly

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I land on top of that bastard Mason, how dare he try to confuse my Kyle to hurt him… My brain isn’t thinking straight, I can’t seem to focus… so much Dave, I miss you. I’m sorry Dave. I land on Mason, but the heavily muscled MI6 Agent gets his knee up right between us, and levers me off. But it cost him… He’s not 100%, I can see the agony and pain on his face from the effort. I need to shut him up. I land on my butt, and spin up to my knees, just as Mason does, then we both hear Kyle’s panicked voice… In horror I turn to see Kyle pointing the gun at his own head… FUCK NO NO NO NO… OH GOD NO… DAVE, I’m SORRY.. KYLE NO… I scream out, with anguish and love in my voice, “KYLE … PLEASE… PUT THE GUN DOWN!”

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: I look both Ivan and James in horror as they rise on their knees. I don’t know… I don’t fucking know what is happening… James… Ivan… Interrogation… Brainwashing… Love… I can’t detect… I can’t select… I… I’m going to experience another breakdown… NO… KYLE… Focus… You can’t… Not right now. I don’t obey. Still holding my gun, but my hand is shaking. Not because I am afraid to die, but because I can’t stop this war. WHY… WHY… Voices… I can hear them, I can’t stop listening to them. But I need to focus… I took a deep breath, and shouted in a commanding tone “Get away from each other… NOW!...” I am still holding a gun to my temple, seems like they are both going to listen to me. I need to make them listen to me. They can’t focus on each other “for some reason”. I turn to Ivan and talk in a much calmer, but scared tone “Ivan… You said you won’t hurt James… What are you doing…”

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I look up as Kyle suddenly commands us both to separate. Shaking, I back away from Mason, and stand up, walking slowly towards Kyle, have to… have to get a grip on this situation. HAVE to get a grip on it. You fool. You FOOL IVAN. You played with fire, you lied to Kyle, and now you pay the price.. What is the way forward? WHAT CAN I DO? I force my voice to be calm and reasonable, “Trust Ivan.. Listen to Ivan.. James was trying to confuse you… trying to make you break down with his words… I wasn’t trying to hurt him, I just wanted him to stop confusing you. Trust Ivan, Listen to Ivan…” If I could just get close enough to take Kyle’s gun away… Just a little closer.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I stare in astonishment at Kyle, listening to his command. I stagger to my feet, still holding my pistol, I could kill Ivan right now… but what would that do to Kyle? In his brainwashed state, seeing Ivan… who he… seemed… I felt sick… seemed to love? And Ivan seemed in some twisted way genuinely fond of Kyle… This was so fucked up. It hurt so bad… so very deeply. I wanted to break down and cry, but not now Mason. Stay calm, stay focused, think. If I kill Ivan, then it might destroy Kyle’s sanity, he might kill himself. If I speak right now, then Ivan might further twist my words and use them against me to poison Kyle further. For the moment, for the briefest of moments, me and Ivan were united in one goal, we wanted Kyle safe. We wanted that gun away from Kyle. I couldn’t.. If Kyle pulled the trigger… I couldn’t live with myself. So, I did the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I stayed still and quiet and let Ivan deal with the situation. Because anything I did would only increase the chances of Kyle pulling that trigger. Fuck me please. Oh god please. This is hell, and I am in it.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: Focus Kyle… You need to… You need to… SHUT UP VOICES… IT’S NOT YOUR TURN. NOT NOW… I stare at Ivan as he says James was trying to confuse me. But for what? He wouldn’t try to confuse me, he loves me. But Ivan repeats the magical words. Trust Ivan… Love Ivan… I trust him and I love him. I will listen to him as he slowly approaches me. I am so scared. Please don’t hurt each other… Then suddenly, one single voice appears in my mind, and rings in my ears: If you need to choose one of them Kyle, who would you choose? What if they are still enemies? NO… NO DON’T ASK ME THIS… Ivan said he doesn’t have any bad intentions. If James would say the same thing, I can be sure, right? I turn my attention to James and ask him the same question “Are you trying to hurt Ivan, James? Please… He is not going to hurt you… He promised me, he says this as well…” I start crying. FUCK… Not NOW… NOT NOW… Kyle CALM THE FUCK DOWN… Please voices… Just shut up… Shut up…

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12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I get on top of that fucking interfereing, piece of Canadian crap, Jeff Rogers. But he doesn’t make it easy. He smashes up his left fist towards my face, but my right arm is free, and I block the punch, taking his fist on my forearm, but FUCK, that leaves me open as he levers up on his left foot to shove me off before I have my balance, I topple over to my left side, but I FUCKING refuse to let go of his knife hand. I land on my shoulder, pull my knees up to my chest, grunting with pain as the cut on my thigh burns like fire, but I won’t let that slow me down. As I turn towards him, yanking his right hand with me, I use that as an anchor to help me turn towards him, and unload both of my fucking boots full force right into his right hand ribs, the desk is right next to us, and I’m looking to fucking SMASH his ribs, grinding his smaller body up against the desk like meat in a meat grinder.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: The bastard is fast, blocking my left with his right arm, but I catch him off balance, and throw him off to my right side. I gasp, turning towards him as my right wrist is yanked hard, stretched out as Derek twists towards me on his back, I turn onto my side, and suddenly both his heavy combat boots slam into my hairy, tough abs, and the force of the bastard’s heavy boots drive my spine into the heavy desk behind me, the proverbial rock caught between a hard place. I gasp, trying to tense my abs, but Derek’s boots smash me brutally, driving the wind out of my lungs, and causing me to see spots.. I need my knife…. He’s got my knife… I need to get free, but I’m pinned on my side with Derek’s boots driven deep into my core. For Jack’s sake… got to get free for Jack’s sake… I seize the ankle of Derek’s left boot, exerting all my strength to pry it free from my abs…. Got to breathe… got to fucking breathe. JACK..

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: Yeah, I landed on that little fucker’s smaller body. Even if he tried to block my fist with his quick combat reflexes, it still hurt him. I can tell from his voice. But I guess he was quick enough considering he is on his back at the moment. But before I can strike for a second time, another sharp pain erupts on my chest. I shout this time “GRAHHH…” Oh this little piece of shit tried to cut Daniel Allen? ME? I am going to make him pay HARD. It fucking hurts so much, but I know my capabilities. You never know what you are going to face until you meet me, little Jack. As he attempts to slice my chest for the second time, I stop his arm in the air with my right hand from his wrist, trying to grab it firmly to twist it hard to force him to let go of his knife. Still sitting on his stomach. But I am not done. I swing my left arm in the air, still holding my knife, and charge it directly to Jack’s free arm’s shoulder, trying to stab him harshly and put his free arm out of this battle, putting my weight on him as well to increase the pressure on his arms, I don’t think he can go on like this much longer...

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: Daniel Allen is basically the Hulk compared to me, muscles and strength are not going to win me this fight. I need to use my wits. As I slice at his chest for a second time, he grabs my wrist and twists. I groan loudly as the pain floods my arm and the knife drops with a clatter on the floor. Fuck, this isn't good. He thrusts the knife at my other shoulder and I react quickly, moving over as much as I can under his weight. The knife slices at the side of my shoulder, cutting deep. "ARRRGGH!" I cry out as fresh hell pours from my shoulder.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: I quickly yank my other hand out if Daniel's grasp and slap it against his opened chest, clawing the wound viciously and hoping to make it sting like a bitch as I wiggle desperately backwards, hoping to free myself of his weight and boot him in the balls. I hear Jeff's grunts and struggles and this fuels my adrenaline, keeping me going. I can't see him, and that terrifies me.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I dig my fingers deep and hard, like fucking steel spikes into Jeff’s right wrist, to force him to drop his blade. As I do, he reaches out and grabs my left ankle with his left hand, and in a burst of strength, rips my boot free. FUCKER. I pull back my left boot, and FUCKING SMASH it like a sledgehammer right into his bearded face. Feels so fucking good.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: I manage to pull one boot off my abs with a supreme burst of strength as I fight to get wind into my lungs, but he’s digging his fingers like spikes into my wrist, and try as I might, I’m forced to drop my knife. I hear Jack scream, and my blood runs cold, what is happening to him. GOT TO GET FREE. SHIT. Then, suddenly, his free boot smashes into my face with a sickening CRUNCH,.. I scream in agony, blood and spit sprays out of my mouth, and I think the fucker might have dislocated or broken my jaw. Pain cuts deep into my brain, and every muscle in my body twitches spastically. I gasp, seeing double. I sink deep, deep inside myself, pull out all the stops, I can’t let Jack down, I won’t. It’s not going to happen. With a gasp, as bloody spit sprays out of my wounded, bearded jaw, I pull my right knee up, sliding it under Derek’s right knee, then with everything I can muster, I drive the heel of my boot straight between Derek’s legs, to crunch into his dirty, mercenary crown jewels. Jack needs me. And I will be there for him.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: Yeah, this is so satisfying. I manage to force him to drop his knife, and smashed my own dagger into his shoulder, not a perfect stab, but still powerful. But this kid is so fast, with a fast pull of his arm, he frees his hand, and directly claws my wounds on my chest… FUCK… I grunt hard "ARGH…" This little fucker won't let go, right? You are going to regret it, Jack… I will make sure, don't worry. The pain is almost unbearable, but I am strong. I know I am. However, this forces me to drop my own knife as well. As I just get off Jack a little bit because of the pain, I sense he is staggering backwards to free himself from my presence. Oh no Jack… You are not going anywhere. He still goes backwards a little bit, but I sit down on his feet before he can free himself completely. And without hesitation, I throw my solid punch to his balls to make him scream in agony. If I manage to paralyse him enough, I am going to smash an elbow to his face as well to damage him hard, especially if that strike to balls would cause him to rise on his butt in pain.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: I don’t shimmy backwards enough and Daniel now perches on my feet, pinning my down but allowing me more movement in my body. I quickly throw my fist forwards to smash him in the balls, but in an awful twist of fate he went for the same idea and our fists collide at full speed. “ARRGHHH!” I scream out as my knuckles flare up in agony. Fuck that hurt! I felt my bones smash against his with such brutal force. I wince in pain but have to recover quickly. FUCK! Jeff! He screams so loud that it shoots through my ears and attacks my heart. It fills me with rage and determination, giving me a new strength. My knuckles hurt like hell but I don’t give a shit. I sit up quickly and throw my hands around Daniel’s throat and squeeze with all my strength, digging my thumbs right into his Adam’s apple. I’ll choke this fucker out, I’ll squeeze the fucking life out of him. I’ll take any punch he throws my way, my hands are staying right here. Fuck, my knuckles hurt, my gut hurts.. I can do this. For Jeff. I spit up at Daniel’s face, hoping to blind him but also showing how much I fucking disrespect him. “Just fucking die!” I squeeze, wincing in pain as I tense my whole body.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: The sight of Jeff’s blood spraying the desk as my boot crunches his bearded face feels just a bit like sex. Mmmmmmm.. But then, suddenly, even as he’s screaming and thrashing, he sneaks his boot under my right leg, and drills me in the goddamn crown jewels!! FUCKKKKKKk I feel a sickening wave of pain spread through my groin and gut as I clench my balls with my right hand, drawing my legs in involuntarily. I push backwards, trying to keep my lunch where it belongs, I FUCKING HATE getting booted in the nuts, grabbing Jeff’s blade with my left hand, working my way up to my feet gasping, feeling my left quad protesting, that fiery cut from Trent’s spawn burning like a mother fucker. But I get my feet under me, Jeff’s blade in my left hand, as my right reaches down for my sidearm. I’ll fucking blow Jeff’s brains out.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: Finally, that dirtbag backs off, I nailed him good in his nuts with my boot. Gasping, my head spinning, blood dripping out of my mouth, my jaw screaming, sending knifing shards of pain with every movement. I stagger up, seeing double, triple… Oh fuck… Derek is up on his feet, knife in his left hand, he’s reaching for his gun… I don’t think, just act on pure battle instincts, I brace myself on the desk behind me, and kick the toe of my boot up, focusing hard, driving through the pain, finding the centre of the storm, the thread of the battle, the flow of combat. It is just pain. It won’t stop me. Too many people depend on me, Jack…. James, Kyle. My boot shoots up, aimed for Derek’s gun hand.

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12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I carefully, slowly get closer and closer to Kyle, I watch his every movement, his every expression, the pain and anguish across his face. This is it. This is the love, his love for Mason that not even my conditioning, all my skill at brainwashing could overcome. I hear it in his voice. I listen carefully, every sense attuned for movement behind me, but Mason is still, unmoving. I realize in that moment that he wants the same thing I want, for Kyle to be safe. I wonder… in another life, in another time, would Mason and I have been brothers? But the thought passes quickly, and I realize that I have hope too, for Kyle loves me. I know he does. He loves me. Dave… I love you Dave. Kyle, I love you Kyle. Then, Kyle turns his attention to James and asks him the most important question on Kyle’s mind. Then, he starts to cry, as James begins to respond. And fast as lighting, my hand snatches out, and rips the pistol from Kyle’s grip, the pistol that he was using to control both of us by threatening to kill himself.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I see what Ivan is doing. I feel numb inside, so much pain and anguish threatening to overwhelm me, that I feel numb. I feel so broken… but Ivan is doing what I want him to do, and I must go along with it to keep Kyle safe. If I die, then I die. If that’s the price to keep Kyle safe, I will pay it. Then, Kyle asks me a question about Ivan, and I answer with all the truthfulness and love I feel for Kyle in my voice, letting all my emotion show, letting every ounce of my love into my words, my voice comes out, almost broken, throbbing, as tears start to form at the corners of my eyes, “What I am trying to do Kyle… is to keep you, the man I love, safe, and happy, and well. There is nothing else that matters more to me than that.” I finish my sentence just as Ivan snatches the pistol out of Kyle’s hand.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: I continue to cry as James answers my question. This… ıs not the answer that I wanted. It's not direct, but I can sense his love and sincerity from his tone. James… I missed you… But suddenly, Ivan grabs the gun from my hand as my attention turns to him. Fuck… I… Please… Don't hurt each other. If they hurt each other, it would be because of me, and I don't want that. I already caused a lot of trouble. The volume of the voices is increasing. Please… Please… Just a little more… Let me make it until I can find a proper peace. Taking another deep breath, I mumble "Please don't fight… Please…" I just… Can't… Hold… My… NOO… KYLE… A little more… Just a little more… And all of a sudden, I hear a third but very weak voice…

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: "Kyle…"

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: It's… TIM… He is still in a sitting position near the door. He is not fully awake, almost like he is talking in his sleep… I need to… Get him out of here… He is not moving , not awake, completely, but his hands move a little. I turn my attention to him and stagger towards him "I'm… I'm here uncle…" The world… It's spinning around me. No… I will… Make it… The voices are talking… They don't let me go…

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: The look of anguish and confusion on Kyle’s face is like a knife plunged into my heart. Kyle…. Oh Kyle… this is hurting you so much… so much… But at least Kyle is safe now, the gun is in my hand, not his. I love you Kyle… You fool, Ivan. You did this to him. You are the cause of his suffering. NO NO NO.. He.. was my enemy… he would be a tool… Dave was never your tool… NEVER YOUR TOOL. Is this how you honor Dave’s sacrifice? Is this how you pay homage to the love you shared? NO NO NO.. Kyle… if I just.. If James… If I kill James, then Kyle will love me, and me alone. I will brainwash him until all memory of James is gone… Yes, YES. My hand shaking, I turn the pistol towards James Mason, and pull the trigger.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: Ivan has the gun.. THANK GOD. Ivan has the gun. Now, what ever happens, Kyle is safe. Kyle is safe. I sag with relief as Kyle staggers over, in a daze, hurting, confused, a victim of so many conflicts in his brainwashed state. It tears my heart wide open. I think of the night we shared in his flat. Of how amazing it felt to be with him, to hold him, to cherish him. I thought of the fight in the warehouse, where we both saved each other’s lives. And of the last time I saw him, when he dropped me off at the airport, sending me away to keep me safe. I groaned, and staggered to my feet, my heart so full of agony and sorrow that I could not afford right now, not now. I had to be calm, I had to be professional, I had to navigate this carefully. Then, I hear Kyle speaking to an old man sitting in a doorway, his face bathed in the red emergency light. Kyle spoke to him, called him uncle. Uncle? Is this Tim? Did that sadistic, mother fucking piece of Syndicate-loving crap actually kidnap Kyle’s uncle? Rage, hot and white boiled up in me. I started to stagger forward towards Ivan, then suddenly, Ivan turns to me. His eyes… those are not the eyes of a sane man… I realized then, truly and deeply, that Ivan had fallen in love with Kyle. I had no idea how such a thing could happen, but it had. This was so fucked up… and Kyle, in his brainwashed state, loved Ivan. Oh god… For a moment, for the briefest of moments as Ivan turned that gun on me, I felt my world collapse, like a house on fire falling in on itself. Everything was wrong, and I was broken. Just shoot me Ivan, that will end this nightmare.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: But I do not quit. Never. Never. I’m James Mason. I don’t quit. Even when hope is gone, and everything is falling to pieces, I will not quit. I sprang forward with a mighty leap and a roar, “IVAN!! YOU BASTARD!” My right hand seizes his gun wrist, and I yank his arm up. The bullet whizzes past my ear, and slams into the wall, as I drive Ivan backwards, drilling my left fist with every ounce of power I have into his right-hand ribs with a powerful punch, my hardened muscles rippling and flexing with all the strength and power of a combat-trained fighter in the prime of his life, fueled by passion, by love, by desire, by a refusal to quit, no matter how bleak the situation, the pain and agony of my many wounds feeling like the beating of drums in the distance as I fought on, for Kyle.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: I approach Tim slowly. He is starting to wake up. Tim… I am so sorry… You should be in London right now. It’s just… Calm down Kyle… Calm the fuck down. Why won’t those voices STOP? I need my sanity, please… I mumble to my uncle “It’s alright Tim… I am here… You are sa…” But my voice is cut with a gunshot… GUNSHOT? NO… NO… I don't want to look back. What are they doing? NOOOO… I’m losing… I’m losing it… I can’t… I CAN’T… Not right now, please please… But with those gunshots, the voices get louder. They don’t stop. I shut my ears and shout “STOP!”... I need to turn around… I need to turn around… Who shot who? Why don’t they get along? I am shaking like crazy, and I fall on my knees. I can’t handle this… I can’t lose another one… Please…JUST SHUT UP… SHUT UP… SHUT UP...

12:26 Tim_Byrne: I come to my senses fully as I hear a gunshot. I… I’m sitting against a door still. My… My body aches like HELL… What the hell is happening? Those past days? FUCK… GRAH… Kyle? Is that Kyle? My boy? He… Is crying… Who made my nephew cry? Ugh.. My body… I can’t move properly. I call out Kyle, still in a weak tone, but much louder “Boy… Over here…” But he doesn’t react properly. WHERE THE FUCKING HELL THIS PLACE? I moan in pain as I try to get up, but it just hurts like hell. Oh Kyle… That’s not my nephew… WHAT THE FUCK? I need to draw Kyle’s attention with something else… Hmm… I… A very loud noise… Yeah… I move my left arm, and hit it to the wall behind me a little bit which causes me to shout “FUCKKKK…”

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I pull the trigger, but even as I do, somehow, impossibly, James Mason is on top of me, grabbing my right wrist, my shot goes wild, and I can see the fire, the passion burning in his eyes. A moment later, his left fist explodes like a wrecking ball full into my side. I’m wearing my heavy bullet proof vest, but even so, my ribs bend inwards from the force of that blow, and my body almost caves in around the power of that shot. I groan, but… at the same time… this is what I need. A fight. Pure combat. No voices… no conflicts in my brain…. No anguish. Just the purity of combat. I stagger back, holding my side with my left hand, as I drive my right knee up with brutal precision directly towards Jame’s crotch. But… I can’t help but catch the sight of Kyle shaking on his knees, clearly suffering a mental breakdown. KYLE… OH FUCK KYLE.. I love you.. Dave… forgive me… Why did I do this to him? I have to… it’s the only way… the only way..

12:26 AgentJamesMason: My fist sinks into Ivan’s right side, but the bastard is wearing a bulletproof vest. What could have been a bone-shattering blow is absorbed by the vest. FUCK. I’m in the zone now though, every bit of my passion, my desire, my love for Kyle is focused like a laser. I know what I’m fighting for, and I’m willing to die for it. I feel a clarity of purpose and a purity of focus descend upon me. Ivan wanted to brainwash my Kyle? Ivan wanted his hands on James Mason? Ivan wanted to kidnap Kyle’s beloved Uncle? Ivan would pay. Ivan was facing the one and only James Mason, forged in the SAS, honed to a fine edge in MI6, and all the stops were removed. I don’t care how injured I am. I will push my body to its limits and beyond. Kyle… I love you. In a flash, my knee raises up, and deflects Ivan’s attempt to knee my crotch. I reposition my left fist to join my right fist, to secure a double-handed grip on Ivan’s right wrist. I can see the madness, the mania still clouding his eyes. I need to strike fast. I spin suddenly, and pull Ivan’s arm down over my shoulder as I turn to drive my but into Ivan’s core, then I heave forward, my hard-muscled body rippling with the strength and muscle of a veteran elite commando, my abs turn hard as granite, my biceps flexing and bulging like cannonballs, as I seek to judo flip Ivan over my shoulder with every ounce of speed, power, and precision I can muster. Every half-healed wound on my body screams in protest, and some of them start to bleed more, but I don’t care. That doesn’t matter. It’s just pain. To be endured. I can’t help but notice out of the corner of my eye as Kyle collapses to his knees near his uncle, shouting STOP, clearly in the throes of a mental breakdown. It tears my heart wide open, but my purpose, my clarity is only strengthened by his distress. I know that the best way to help my Kyle is to win this fight with Ivan as quickly and efficiently as I can.

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12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: This kid is better than I thought, not gonna lie. But fuck… This kid is better than I thought. I am pretty sure my punch hurts him a lot, but his attacks are definitely not bad. My knuckles ache as well. He protects his manhood professionally. And once again, using his agility, he wraps his hands around my throat, my Adam's apple is in pain. He… Is choking me… Uhh… I can’t breathe… My… ARGH… You mess with the wrong man, mate… While trying to attempt breathing in desperation, I wrap my own hands around his, digging my fingers into his wrists, to his nerves, and squeeze harshly to force him let me go. I probably have enough force to pry his hands off. But I don’t trust luck. On my healthy knee, I change the position of my injured foot’s position, trying to put it on Jack’s stomach to push him off me harshly. GOD… My body… IT aches a lot… My chest… My calf… This kid is definitely a product of Trent’s seed, I can tell… But I am not going to surrender. I never surrender… Derek… How is Derek by the way? FUCK… I can’t believe I forget him.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I aim my sidearm right at Jeff Roger’s fucking ugly face, but before I can pull the trigger, his goddamn boot smashes up into my hand. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH The gun goes off, but the shot is wild, smashing into the wall. I shake out my hand, my gun flung from my grip, but my combat-training is top of the line, and I react instinctively, driving my left hand with my blade on an intercept course with Jeff’s thick, powerful thigh as he’s pulling it backwards, sinking my blade deep into the muscle of his meaty thigh. Then, suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see my man Daniel with that fucking bastard Jack’s fingers tightly locked around his throat. Daniel is gasping, and trying to pry that little fucker’s fingers off his throat. That pisses me the hell off, fills me with a huge surge of concern and fear. In a flash of insight, I realize that my reaction tells me something about myself. Namely, it’s telling me that Daniel is maybe a bit more than “just all right” in my eyes. Well, time to consider that later. First things first. Jeff isn’t an immediate threat, so I rip my blade out of his thigh, holding it in my hand, dripping with his blood, then I stride over, turning my back to Jeff, pull back my heavy combat boot, and fucking kick that shithole Jack right in his ribs, just beneath his armpit, with a brutal, savage blow designed to knock all the air out of his lungs and maybe crack a bone or two, as I bellow in rage, “You fucking pathetic little shitstain, looks like the little lesson I gave you in Toronto didn’t fucking stick, so how about we give it another go?”

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: My boot smashes that gun out of Derek’s fucking hand with brutal precision, but as I pull my leg back I suddenly scream out in agony again… I look in almost disbelief at the deep stab wound in my thigh, starting to bleed. I seem to have lost track of several seconds, I can’t actually remember seeing Derek sink the blade in. He’s so fast. I fall to one knee, feeling dizzy and in shock from the outrageous pain exploding out from my thigh. I reach out with my hand to the desk, and heave myself back to my feet. I hear yells, and another crunch. Oh fuck.. Jack… I looked down on the floor, forcing myself to focus, to push down the panic, to stay calm, to stay professional. There, there is my gun on the floor where it landed when it was knocked out of my grip. I drop down to my hands and knees, and start to crawl towards it, every movement causing new kinds of pain to knife through my body, from my savagely mauled jaw and now from the deep stab wound in my bleeding thigh.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: I squeeze as hard as I can, my thumbs thrust deep into this fuckers throat, but then his fingers grab my wrist and gouge into the flesh. A gunshot goes off which makes me jump, but I have to keep my grip, I HAVE to choke him out. Daniel's foot presses against my stomach and pushes me away but I cling on for dear life around this bastard's throat, throbbing in pain. In the corner of my eye I see Derek approach, but I can't do anything. If I let go of Daniel it's game over for me, but.. FUCK. If Derek's here then he's not fighting Jeff, and.. the gunshot. No, no..

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: "ARGGHHH!" I cry out at Derek's savage boot bashes into my ribs, causing me to loosen my grip on Daniel. The impact on my ribs echoes across my torso, already feeling like a week-old bruise as it spreads across the bone. Fucking hell. I sink back to the floor in the worst possible position I could be in right now: trapped under Daniel's weight as he and Derek tower over me. Think, think, think.. fuck. Jeff. I swipe at Derek's knee with my fist, knowing it's a pathetic move but I still have to FIGHT, I throw punches at them both like a dog that's been cornered, just doing anything to keep them at bay but I know it's a fruitless effort. Jeff, please.. be alive.. please.. fuck.. this is terrifying.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: Ugh… I am trying my best. I can feel his grip on my throat getting a bit sloppier as well, and I manage to gasp, but fuck… He doesn’t let me go… I… I can’t breathe… I can’t… FUCK… I need air… Everything starts to turn black very slowly. However, suddenly, I feel the pressure fade away as I take a huge breath and Jack falls sideways on the floor. Inhaling and exhaling deep, I see Derek… Fuck… Oh thank god he is fine. I never thought I would be that happy to see someone I love that much. He came just in time. I guess he handled Jeff? I look at the place where Jeff is supposed to be. He is… Not done exactly… But he looks pretty bad with that jaw of his. And… He is crawling towards a gun… You gotta be kidding me… Gritting my teeth, I get off Jack slowly, and push myself towards the gun on my butt. I still need air… FUCK… I cough a little bit, then with my healthy leg, I kick the gun away from Jeff’s reach. Yeah… Now what are you going to do you Canadian idiot? After kicking that gun away, I send that foot to Jeff’s face with a front kick as well to crush his handsome face. No Jeff… You are not bringing Derek or somebody else down…

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: I catch Jack’s yell of pain as that sick mother fucker Derek mocks him, kicking him hard. If only the room would stop spinning, I reach out towards that gun, it’s right in my grasp… Suddenly, a boot shoots out and kicks the gun away. Fuck… I turn towards that foot, my eyes focusing as blood drips out of my mouth, into my beard, and the deep stab wound in my thigh leaves a red trail as I crawl. But suddenly, that same boot smashes up into my face. I scream in agony, my wounded jaw savaged brutally, sending a fresh spray of blood to stain my beard and the wall from my mouth. I collapse to my side, muscles spasming. My eyes are bleary.. Jack.. Daniel, this is Daniel. I reach out for anything at hand, and my groping hand finds the leg of a wooden chair, the same wooden chair Derek threw at me at the beginning of the fight. As pain knifes through my brain, I swing that chair, desperately towards Daniel. I fight as hard as I can, focusing through pain and fear… not for myself, but for Jack. Failure is not an option, not when Jack’s life was at risk. The pain was nothing.. Nothing. Nothing.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I watch as Daniel frees himself from Jack’s clutches, and crawls over towards Jeff. I glance briefly and see him trying to get his gun. But Daniel can handle him. I trust him implicitly. He’s got my back. I turn back to Jack as he pathetically tries to punch my knee. I reach down with my left hand and grab Jeff’s right wrist, pulling it up from his body. Then, I drop down, driving my right knee directly into Jack’s abs, driving all 220 pounds of my heavy muscle behind the blow. FUCK yes that feels fucking good. Then, with my right hand, I reach down and sink my fingers into the savage cut on Jack’s left shoulder, digging my fingers into the wound, looking to cause the little bastard outrageous pain as I tear at the wound caused by Daniel’s knife, looking to immobilize his left arm from the savage pain, while I keep his right hand out of play, leaving him easy pickings for any kind of brutality I decide to unleash on Trent’s pathetic son.

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12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: STOP… PLEASE… I can’t hear… I am literally disconnected from the real world now. This is hard. This is making my heart ache. I can’t control myself. I wish I could. But I can’t… James… I love you so much… But I am hurting you. You are suffering because of me. I am hurting Ivan as well, he is suffering because of me too. I can’t… Handle… I am a mess. I am destruction itself. I am hurting everyone. I am sorry… I’m sorry… Please voices let me go… Let me GO… I want to focus on what is happening between Ivan and James, but I can’t… My body and my mind are not listening to me. I’m sorry… I’m sorry… WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO SAY? Then suddenly, I hear another voice. A real one compared to the ones in my mind. Uncle… He is suffering as well. I’m sorry… I’M SORRY… I open my eyes slowly again, still crying, and my hands are on my ears. But there he is… Tim… I… He gestures to me to come next to him. Come on Kyle… He needs you… NO! I’m hurting everyone. I can’t… I can’t… PLEASE… I… Need… To… I… Don’t… Go… I need to go… I owe this to him. I crawl to him slowly, and grab his hand. I mumble “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” I am so weak… Why can't I control myself? What is happening to me? Tears do not stop. Please… I can’t do this…

12:26 Tim_Byrne: Oh boy… What the hell is going on? What is that scene? My vision clears a little. There are two well built guys fighting there, and Kyle is just crying? That doesn’t sound right. I don’t know what the hell is going on… But someone did something to my NEPHEW… Fuck… I am going to kill him. Where the hell is he? Which one is he? I… I remember one of them. That’s…Uhh… James Mason. His partner in that shitty drug - B case. I remember Kyle said he wanted me to meet with him, and he even sent a photo of him before the interrogation day. The other one? I… Don’t know… But I am pretty confident James is not here to hurt Kyle... I turn my gaze to Kyle as he grabs my hand, and cries like crazy. I never see him that down… He looks just like a crazy person… DID SOMEONE PLAY WITH MY BOY’S SANITY?.. Fuck… I squeeze Kyle’s hand and mumble back to him… “Kyle… There is… A gun… In the medical room… In the drawer next to my bed… Be a good… Boy… Bring that… To your uncle...” It probably belonged to the doctor, the one that is taking care of me. I don’t know… FUCK… These past days are so foggy… I only remember the beating I received in a van. The others… It’s all a blur… My body still aches a lot, I am not sure if I can get up, but if I have to be honest. I don’t care… There is something wrong here, and it is hurting my Kyle. I won’t let that happen.

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I stare into James’s eyes, and catch a glimpse of a man who is harder than steel and more determined than the tides. That look… I know it… it drives into my psyche like a knife cutting through the fog and confusion. Kyle… Dave… DANGER USOV. FOCUS. Then, James blocks my knee expertly, with a speed and precision that speaks of his elite training. I’m repositioning my leg, attempting to rip my right wrist free of his grip, when suddenly, in a blur almost too fast for the eye to follow, he has my arm pulled down over his shoulder, twisting into me, and heaves my heavy bulk over his shoulder and down hard to the floor of the hallway, my gun shaken free to clatter to the floor a few feet away. The landing knocks the wind out of my lungs with a savage OOOMPHHH. But my reaction is instinctive, and I don’t hesitate. Battle… this is a battle… Kyle.. Dave… My love… they are pounding for my attention, but this is a battle. Clean. Simple pure. I reach behind me with my left hand and seize Mason’s ankle. With a savage explosion of my Spetsnaz-trained, battle-forged muscle, I push hard on his ankle, pushing it backwards, knocking him off balance, forcing him to topple forward, then, with an explosion of power, my thick, steel-cabled abs contract and I pull my legs up, tuck my knees against my hard stomach, and explode upwards, looking to drive both of my combat boots directly into Mason as he stumbles towards me.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: For Kyle. This is for Kyle. Focus Mason. Focus. Be in the moment. I pull off my judo throw, and Usov’s massive Russian muscle smashes to the floor at my feet, I start to move forward, preparing to mount the bastard, but suddenly his left hand pushes my right foot out from under me. FUCK… I stumble forwards, fighting to catch my balance, and before I can react, both his boots slam up like two sledgehammers, smashing me hard in my torso, right below my hard, hairy muscled chest. OOOOFFFFFFFFFFFF… The savage slash, courtesy of Daniel, like the gouges of some animal claw down my torso from his torture of me, screams in agony as all the wind is blasted out of my lungs. Beneath my heavy camouflage hunters shirt, the bandages are torn free, and fresh blood seeps out to stain my shirt, and my heavy body is smashed backwards, to crunch sickeningly into the wall. My head spins, and I slump to the floor on my but, trying to move, trying to breath, agony ripping through my body from the impact point of Ivan’s heavy boots. Suddenly, the pain I was keeping at bay starts to hammer my brain as I fight to regain control of my body. Kyle… This is for Kyle.. Focus. Calm. Determination. My eyes are diamond hard as I fight through the shock and pain to regain my focus.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: My uncle talks to me in a calm voice. Maybe I read it that way because I am too panicked. I don’t know… But I am so scared. Please… I don’t want them to get hurt… Gun… Why does Tim need a gun? But… I don’t care… He is my uncle. He knows better. Everyone knows better than me. My decisions hurt people. But maybe Tim can stop it? I stare at Tim’s face a little bit, and gulp… If… He can stop the war between Ivan and James, then I will listen to him. I couldn’t stop them. But he can stop… He is my strong uncle. I am weak, but he is strong. I nod to him, and get up on my feet this time, and rush into the room where Tim was being kept for the past few days. His bed… His bed… The drawer… The drawer… The gun… The gun… Yes, there it is. I will bring it to Tim, and he will stop Ivan and James… My mind… It’s going to explode… Hearing Tim helped a little bit, but it’s still so foggy… Can’t think straight… It’s too hard… Too hard… I can’t… I can’t… It’s impossible…

12:26 Tim_Byrne: Kyle looks at my face, just like good old days. He looks so innocent, so confused, so scared… Oh my god… Who did this to you Kyle… I am going to take care of you… I promise… I promise… My boy… He nods to me, and staggers towards my room. He can’t walk very well as if… As if he is a wounded man. DID THEY HURT MY NEPHEW? FUCK THIS… I am going to kill that monster who did this to my boy… Then suddenly, the man that I don’t know drops his gun and the gun flies over to me, just a couple of inches away. That gun would work too… I put my hands on the ground, and force myself to crawl towards the gun… This… Is Kyle’s GUN… My birthday gift for Kyle when he was 16 years old… GRAH… Why was that butter head holding my boy’s gun? My body aches as I move my body and reach for that gun. FUCK… I will make it… As my vision clears a little bit more, I can see much better now. That James guy is on his butt, and that other beast is lying on the ground. Without hesitation, I hold the gun firmly, and point it towards that big beast lying on the ground and shout “James son… Watch out!..” and without hesitation, I pull the trigger…

Published: 2021-03-30, viewed 37 times.