Ace

RODRIGUEZ

               I stopped shooting and chuckled.

               "What's so funny?" Sam asked.

               "That agent's unarmed. Now, let's go," I said, holstering the gun. I unlocked the door, and Sam and I entered the building. To our surprise, all the bodies were still there. I hoped the SIU would have sent a backup team to clean up the mess.

               I looked at Vladimir, who still lay on the floor. I felt sick all of a sudden and gagged. Sam looked back at me.

               "Are you okay?" she asked me. I nodded, holding back my guts.

               "Let's go," I said as we ran into the hallway full of metal doors.

               "Which one?" Sam hollered. I shushed her as I heard something.

               "I hear something, listen." Was it just my imagination? Tapping. I swore I heard tapping.

               Tap, tap, tap.

               Yes, I did hear tapping.

               "Did you hear that?" I asked Sam.

               "Yeah. Do you think it's Daniel?" she questioned.

               "Either that or Benjamin. Let's keep going."

               Tap, tap, tap.

               It was louder that time, which meant we were getting closer. We kept walking, then we found the door. We heard tapping coming from inside.

               Tap, tap, tap.

               I pulled my gun out and turned to Sam.

               "Stay out here just in case something happens to me. She nodded, and I tried the door. It was unlocked. I opened it a crack, then kicked it open and quickly aimed my gun. The first thing I saw was a bloody knife, which someone appeared to be holding. Then I looked at the floor and saw Benjamin lying in dark, red blood. He lay face up and eyes open. He was holding the knife, tapping it against the metal leg of the cot. I stared at him, wide-eyed. I covered my mouth with one hand and holstered the gun. Sam ran into the room, along with me.

               "Benjamin...!" I peeped through my dry throat.

               "Oh my god, I'm calling the police!" Sam exclaimed. She took out her phone quickly.

               As Sam talked to the police, I tried to talk to Benjamin.

               "Benjamin, can you hear me?" I asked him.

               "I'm... dying..." he responded.

               "Don't say that, Benjamin! You'll live! Help is coming," I reassured him. "Now, can you please tell me who did this to you? Was it Daniel?"

               "No... It was Mara. She said that Daniel was in a van of reinforcements," he replied, choking on his own blood, "And that it was headed to... THQ..."

               " 'THQ? I thought this was their THQ!" I said.

               "No...Mara also said that they would take him back to Russia..." he explained, "She thought I would die here... but the ventilator kept me alive...a little bit longer..." He took it off.

               "No, Benjamin! If it helped you, don't–"

               "Finish the mission," he said and went unconscious. I looked at Sam, who had just gotten off the phone.

               "They're on their way," she said to me.

               "Good, just stay here with Benjamin. I'll keep watch for the ambulance. I can't bear to see him like this. I need some fresh air to get away from the smell of blood," I told her and went out. When I got out, I looked outside the concrete railing of the abandoned parking garage. The car was still there.