PERFECTION: Brotherhood

Chapter 9: The Unilateral Proposition

It's 1 in the afternoon. The mysterious man, Mr. Homer, arrives at the hotel where Caith and Markov are staying. 

Exiting his car, he instructs his companion, 

"Emma, stay here. I'll be back soon." 

"Alright, boss," Emma replies obediently. 

Homer then enters the hotel.

Homer stands in front of room 610, preparing to knock on the door. Just as he raises his hand, Caith emerges from the opposite room. 

"Who are you?" Caith questions. 

"I'm a waiter," Homer quickly responds, masking his true identity.

Caith informs him, "The owner of that room left the hotel last night." 

Homer studies Caith closely, a realization dawning on him. "Isn't she Mr. Luther's daughter?" he muses.

"Excuse me?" Caith questioned, feeling uneasy under Homer's awkward stare. 

Without hesitation, Mr. Homer swiftly withdrew a gun from his coat. 

"Tell me where Markov is," he demanded. 

"I-I don't know," Caith stammered in fear.

Before she could scream, Homer fired, but it wasn't a bullet; it was a tranquilizer dart. Caith collapsed unconscious on the floor. With calculated efficiency, Homer swiftly moved, carrying Caith's limp body to his car without causing any disturbance in the hotel, leaving the scene unnoticed.

In the car, Emma questions Homer about the incident. 

"What happened there? Did you find Millize's son?" 

Homer, searching through Caith's jacket, responds, 

"Nope. But she will lead us to him." 

Curious, Emma inquires about the girl's identity. 

Homer answers, "She's one of Luther's."

"Who is Luther?" Emma presses for more information. 

"He's a scapegoat. You need not know anything else," Homer dismisses tersely, as he discovers a phone in her pocket.

The phone is locked with a four-digit code, but Homer effortlessly bypasses the security. 

"What is on that phone?" Emma asks. 

"Evidence," Homer replies as he examines the phone's contents. Eventually, he discovers a series of recordings and opens them. The voice on the recordings belongs to Markov. 

"I know you belong to the FBI. Listen carefully as I am about to make an offering," Markov's voice declares.

Homer listens intently as Markov's voice continues, "I am aware that you guys used Mr. Luther as a scapegoat for the murder. That murder, why did it happen? I just want to know the cause. That's all." 

Emma criticizes from the driver's seat, "That's all? And what do we get in return?"

Ignoring her remark, Homer opens the next recording.

"Of course, I won't return myself in contrast to this deal. That would be unfair. But rather, I'll expose the documents to the Russians. Of course, only you would know about the document I am talking about. Consider this as a one-sided trade. And yeah, dial the first number you see on the contact list. That's me. I'll be waiting for your response. Sincerely, Markov."

 Emma glanced back to see Homer's reaction. Despite his fury, he dialed the number without hesitation. As the phone rang, Homer couldn't shake the doubt gnawing at him. "Is he bluffing? Or does he really possess the document?" Homer pondered silently, his mind racing with possibilities.

The call finally connected.Homer: Hello?Markov: What's your name, agent?Homer: I'd like to keep it undisclosed.Markov: Homer, right?Homer: ...... (How does he know my name?)Markov: Well, it doesn't matter really. Please tell me why the FBI used Mr. Luther as the scapegoat.Homer: Wait, how do I know that you have that document?Markov: You want me to read its content?Homer: Enlighten me.Markov: Alright, I'll just read one line. Is that okay?Homer: Alright. Try convincing me.Markov: "The cunning fox couldn't hunt the weak sheep for it was one of the keepers of peace."

Upon hearing the words, Homer sank into a deep shock. "It's not a bluff after all?" he thought, unable to express his despair outwardly, maintaining an empty face. "Hello, hello? Don't hang up the phone, or I'll expose the content to the Russians."Homer picks up the phone again.

Homer: I am afraid you are right.Markov: Now for your part. Please tell me the reason behind that murder. And for Mr. Luther's cause.Homer: Alright, I'll tell you.Markov: Good. Proceed.

(Homer takes a deep breath)Homer: Sike, you really thought I was going to spill the beans?Markov: Well then, our deal is canceled.Homer: Deal? It was never a deal. I have your friend as my hostage. You are being tracked as we speak now. Good luck on the run.Markov: Catch me if you can, Mr. Homer. I'll do my best to outsmart you. After all, you're just the Hollow.Homer: Hollow? You know me?The call was abruptly ended.

Emma asked Homer, "What about the document?"

"Emma, these are trivial matters. I don't work for the FBI, they work for me. I don't care what happens; I'm just going to catch the rat, and that's all that matters."

"What about the girl?" Emma inquired."She'll regain consciousness in about an hour. Until then, let's stay focused on tracking him down," Homer responded, signaling Emma to change course as the car veered into a right alleyway.