With a Pull of a Trigger

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Qui Vive

Gil looked around, observing the few people remaining in the train at that time of night. He sat down, careful to not wrinkle his suit, and opened his suitcase, getting his newspaper. With an audible click, the suitcase was closed and put beside his leg.

The train stopped, its doors opening to allow passengers in. A few passengers stepped inside the train, but none sat beside him.

The doors were closing, the train’s warning bell ringing, when a man in a bespoke suit ran in just in time. Breathing shallowly, the man sat down beside Gil, taking his time to wipe the sweat on his forehead with a deep emerald green handkerchief, obviously expensive and custom-made.

“Good evening,” Gil said, his voice low and quiet. His eyes were still focused on the day’s news, though they were not moving across the page.

The man nodded. “How was it?”

Gil exhaled, flicking to the next page with deft fingers. “Eye-opening.Mindblowing.”

“Surprising?” the man asked, leaning back into the uncomfortable blue plastic seat.

Gil shook his head. “Not surprising, no. I knew some of the details. I just never knew that I was part of the details. That I’ve been fighting for the wrong causes.”

The man nodded in response, and silence reigned for a few minutes.

Passengers came and went, but no one sat near them.

“What are you planning to do now?” the man asked, putting his leg on the other.

Gil shrugged, finally folding the newspaper and putting it in his suitcase. “I don’t know yet.”

The train stopped, and Gil stood up, smoothing out wrinkles in his charcoal gray suit.

“Be careful and take care of yourself.”

Gil nodded. “I will,” he said before stepping out into the train station, not looking back when the train started moving again.

John Emmanuel Simmons III was of slightly stocky build. He had cropped silver hair among raven black and enchanting deep blue eyes that twinkled constantly as if he was hiding a particularly amusing secret. His skin was a light brown, and he still had muscles in his arms despite his old age due to his career being an agent of the FBI before he retired and started his own chain of five-star hotels. He was of average height and he was attractive for his age, constantly earning him phone numbers from attractive women left and right despite the gleaming gold ring on his finger.

He was also rich and an old family friend.

“Uncle E,” breathed out Reini as she hugged the man tight. “I’ve missed you.”

Emmanuel chuckled, patting her back with his large hand. “I’m sorry I’ve missed your past few birthdays.”

Reini shook her head, grinning as she stepped back from her uncle. “It’s fine.”

“Nonsense,” the man said, waving his hand as if to erase the words that had just come out of Reini’s lips. “You did receive the gifts I gave you, yes?”

Reini nodded. “They were very handy and very expensive,” she said, thinking about the various guns and that laptop with the state-of-the-art security system even Charles couldn’t hack into, “and you know I told you that you didn’t have to send me anything.”