OLIVER’S FINGERS WERE SUFFOCATING the handle of his gun. He was digging a small crimson impression into Chris Rodke’s forehead with the barrel. He knew that it was essential time to control one’s temper while holding a gun, but the images in his head were telling a different story. He wanted to decimate this kid. He wanted to splatter his brains all over the car window. He wanted to see him bleed. But he had to maintain control. He had to keep his finger off the trigger. Because he needed the information.
His trap had worked to perfection. With that soldier’s one overheard conversation, he’d been able to contrive a perfectly plausible fake e-mail from this General Colter to Chris. All he’d needed was a fake e-mail address and for Chris to take the bait, which he’d obviously been young and stupid enough to do.
Now he had Chris where he wanted him, and he had no intention of wasting any more time. The city was racing by them through the window, and Gaia was out there somewhere. He needed to know where they were going. He needed an address for his driver in the next sixty seconds.
“Tell us where Gaia is,” Oliver demanded.
Chris looked at Jake with deep confusion. “Jake, who is this guy? What happened to you? Did he do this to you?”
“Shut up!” Jake snapped. “Don’t waste your time lying, Chris. I know you set me up. Just tell us where she is. We know she’s with your brother.”
“Where’s General Colter?” Chris asked.
“I wrote the e-mail, you idiot.” Oliver smacked the gun into Chris’s head again, bumping him against the car window. “And you’re going to tell me who this General Colter is and what the military has to do with your family’s plans. You’re going to tell me everything after you give me your brother’s location. Now.”
“Who are you?” Chris squawked.
“I am Gaia Moore’s uncle, and you have screwed with the wrong family. Now stop asking questions and start answering them or I will unload this entire cartridge into your face.”
“All right, all right!” Chris held out his hands. “I’ll tell you where she is.”
“If you let me out of this car.”
Oliver’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“I said, let me out of the car, and I’ll tell you where she is.”
Oliver’s hands began to tremble with frustration. He grabbed the lapels of Chris’s jacket and tugged him closer. “This is not a negotiation. We are not bargaining here, you little—”
“Look, I’m sorry,” Chris interrupted, “but we are bargaining. You need to know where she is. I’m the only one who can tell you where she is. If you kill me, you have nothing, so I set the terms, right? If you stop the car and let me out, then, and only then, will I tell you where Gaia is. It’s really that simple.”
Oliver stared into Chris’s defiant little eyes and something inside him just snapped. He felt it happen. He felt the last vestiges of his patience implode in his head. He shook Chris’s entire body like a scarecrow, rocking him back and forth again and again until even he was dizzy. Then he shoved his gun deep into Chris’s mouth. His hand was shaking with rage, knocking the gun against Chris’s teeth. “You cocky little bastard. You think I care whether you live or die? I don’t care.” He pushed the gun to the back of his throat until Chris began to gag. “You really are an imbecile, aren’t you? You just signed your own death certificate.” Oliver cocked the gun and brought his finger to the trigger.
“Oliver, don’t!” Jake shouted. He reached for Oliver’s arm, but Oliver shoved him back in his seat. “Don’t!” Jake pleaded. “Jesus, we need him to tell us where she is. We don’t want to kill anyone, we just need to know where she is—”
“Shut up!” Oliver shouted. “Just shut up, Jake! I’ll find her myself. This little bastard is dead.” Oliver shoved Chris up against the window and pulled the trigger halfway back.
Chris cried out helplessly, flailing his arms forward in surrender, coughing violently. Tears were suddenly dripping from the corners of his eyes. He was trying to form words.
“Wait!” Jake hollered. “Just wait, wait! He’s trying to talk—”
“He had his chance.”
Chris’s cries jumped an octave to a simpering whine. “I’ll tell you,” he was trying to say with the gun stuck in his mouth. “I’ll tell you where she is.”
“Oliver, calm down,” Jake begged. “Please. Please don’t do this….”
Oliver froze in place. His heart was pounding like a hammer. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins like bolts of electric current. He had one desire and one desire only: to shoot this boy in the face. Shoot to kill.
But he stared long and hard into the boy’s eyes. And he finally took a breath. He breathed in, and he breathed out. And then he pulled the gun slowly from Chris’s mouth and placed it back in its holster.
“I’ll tell you,” Chris cried, finally able to speak clearly. “I swear to God. I swear….” Chris pulled his knees up against his chest. He coughed painfully and shielded his face to hide his childlike tears. He tried in vain to catch his breath.
Oliver pushed himself back against the seat, trying to regain his sense of reason. It was like he had been in some kind of trance state. It was like trying to recover from a bout with demonic possession.
He had nearly done something completely irrational. He had come within centimeters of killing the one person who could get him to Gaia. He’d been ready to strike down yet another child young enough to be his son. Just as he had done to Sam Moon. Just as he had done to Mary Moss and to Josh. Just as he had nearly done to Jake the day before.
It was the first time he had really come to terms with the truth. Oliver Moore was entirely gone. And Loki was all that remained.