Demon: Genesis

VII

MAX WAS SPEECHLESS.

Freaking out and calling the cops when his ward had failed to turn up for dinner was one thing. Worrying all day everyday about King was another. But getting drugged and waking up in some room with some weirdo of a woman feeding him some bizarre story that sounded like it came from a thriller movie just seemed downright insulting.

He took a deep breath when she'd finished.

"So, let me get this straight. You sent a kid, my kid, out on some suicide mission right after you harassed him with your agents and finally knocked him out?"

The woman raised an eyebrow "Well, if you put it that way-"

"Where is he?" Max demanded.

"I told you I don't know." the woman snapped.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Max yelled angrily.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" the woman whispered menacingly.

Max stared. His features morphed into confusion, then fury.

"How dare I? How dare I? I've called, texted everyone he knows telling them to look out for him. I've been worried sick about him for days, putting flyers about him everywhere. And then your stupid agents, which are also kids themselves, knock me out and bring me here for you to feed me this unbelievable story?!"

"You think I'm lying to you?" the woman asked incredulously.

"I said it's unbelievable, I didn't say I don't believe it. You must definitely be a crazy, twisted lunatic to actually scout for kids, train them and send them off to their deaths in the name of-"

He broke off when a pistol materialized out of thin air behind the woman and leveled itself at him. An audible click was heard as the safety was flicked off.

Max grinned but deep dow, he was trying not to panic. The woman was crazy, he'd decided.

"I'd put my hands up, but you handcuffed me."

"Max." she began coldly.

He looked away.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot and I certainly don't want you in here more than you do. But I can assure you that Kingsley's not dead."

"And how do you know that, huh?"

"We put tracking devices on our agents before they go into the field. We're not as stupid as you think we are, Max. Or stupid at all."

There was a knock on the door.

"Enter!" the woman called.

A man dressed in army fatigues walked in. He was beefy, with silver blond hair but his shoulders were hunched. He pulled up a chair next to Max and sat down.

"Keys, you breached protocol. You were asked, no instructed to stay behind and yet, you did not obey orders."

Keys remained silent.

"I will never understand how you've forgotten to never, ever let your emotions get in the way of critical thinking, but no. You've disappointed me, Keys."

Keys looked away.

"Where's your daughter?"

"Recovery."

"Well, I've discussed your case with the board and we've come to a conclusion."

Max could've sworn he saw Keys trembling.

"The initial decision was to fire you immediately, arrest you and put you in prison for jeopardizing a key mission. However in recognition for your bravery and loyal dedication to serving your country, we decided to play it down to six months suspension as well as taking an Anger Management and a Critical Thinking course."

"Thank you." Keys croaked.

"Clear out your locker and leave the facility immediately. The courses are online, so you can tackle them at home. Directions would be provided as to how you'd go about it. If you're not back here within a week after six months, consider yourself fired. If you ever try something like this again, consider yourself fired and put behind bars for a long time. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am."

And with that, he was gone.

The woman turned to Max.

"I'm really sorry you had to see that."

"Who is he? And what do you mean he jeopardized the mission or whatever you guys were talking about?"

"Max, I'm afraid I haven't been technically telling you the truth." the woman began suddenly.

"And what's that?"

"We know King's alive. But we don't know where he is."

"What?! But you said he's got a-"

"Tracking device, yes. Unfortunately the signal in his whereabouts have been compromised and until he gets to a known area, he's just a beeping dot moving around-"

The door burst open and Max would've fallen over if he wasn't strapped. A woman in army fatigues wearing headphones rushed in.

"Ma'am, we got a tip from the locals. Something about a thirteen or fourteen year old boy being surrounded by armed men."

"Thank God!" Max cried.

"What do you mean, he's surrounded by armed men? Everything for miles around that house was wiped out" the woman frowned.

"The locals described them, ma'am. Seems to be the last of Pierre's men. They ran for it when our squad arrived."

The woman reached down and took out a walkie talkie from somewhere underneath her desk and she hit the speak button.

"This is HQ. Prepare a rescue team for a trip to South America. Drop zone would be communicated to the pilot. This is a Class B, which means you're to arm yourselves and avoid killing if you can help it. Agent Blue is slightly injured, but she's an important asset to this operation, so take her with you. The objective is to track, grab and hightail our agent out of there with as little casualties as possible."

She stood up.

"Maria, you can leave us now" she said, and the other woman left.

She turned to him again.

"You will sign the Act of Discretion. Either that or a good memory wipe. Violate the Act and you'll pay, I assure you."

She walked towards the door and suddenly stopped.

"Stop looking at me like that, Max. I know you think I'm some sort of evil dictator or mad scientist, but I never leave one of my own behind."