A Web of Lies, A Rainbow Six Story

Part 12: Once Brothers

Marco

"You no longer have any right to call me your brother Rocco," I say evenly as I drop into the chair opposite his. "We're not family."

"But we were once upon a time," Rocco says leaning forward slightly. "We were brothers Marco. Inseparable. The three of us against the world, dio aiuta chiunque sulla nostra strada."

I stare coldly back at Rocco without any reaction, my calm demeanor not betraying the chaotic maelstrom of my mind in his presence.

"That ended the day Alessandra died," I spit icily. "Now we're both on borrowed time."

Rocco leans back and casts his gaze towards the mirrored glass to his right. The scar that runs along the line of his jaw is painted in harsh light in here, a further reminder of past mistakes.

"Perhaps," Rocco says quietly. "But I think we've always been on borrowed time little brother. We just didn't realize it until now."

I lean back in my chair and glare down at the table. He's wrong. I've always known that I was straddling a dangerous line. Only now, I couldn't care less how much time I have left. As long as I'm finished before I go, that's all that matters now.

"Santiago paid me a visit tonight." I speak in a voice so quiet it's barely a whisper.

Rocco turns his gaze back to me at that, his eyes shining with curiosity.

"Oh? You're not drenched in his blood, so I assume the old man is in one piece."

My silence is all the answer Rocco needs, and he mutters under his breath, "Well that's a minor miracle."

"You assume that I didn't clean myself up before coming here?" I reply. "Quite presumptuous for someone in your position don't you think?"

"No Marco," Rocco chuckles. "I just happen to recall that cleaning your mess was never a habit that tracked with you."

I hum in acknowledgement. He's not wrong about that.

"Besides," Rocco states matter-of-factly. "If there was anyone you would ever allow to walk away from you, there's no doubt it would be Uncle Santiago."

Rocco leans forward in his chair and fixes his piercing stare on me.

"I'm interested. What did our dear Zio want from you Marco? Il nipote estraniato?"

Rather than rise to Rocco's subtle baiting taunt, I dance slyly around his question in a way that's sure to push his buttons. After all, few things aggravate Rocco quicker than his questions going unanswered. It's one reason why our father found him so valuable.

"I find it quite intriguing," I muse aloud. "That everyone is so quick to remind me of my choice to leave la famiglia. As if they believe that I have forgotten."

Rocco shifts his weight in his chair, and I know that I'm getting under his skin.

"I'm well aware of your cognizant state towards that decision Marco," He says shortly. "Nobody doubts that you knew the implications of the choice that you were making."

I mockingly clap my hands together a few times and watch Rocco's eye twitch in his classic tell of annoyance. I can almost hear the last remains of his patience crumbling beneath him. I decide I've not quite had enough fun yet and allow myself one last cutting remark at him to push him over the edge.

"Maybe if you had shown such an apt ability for understanding people you might have become more than just a mere plaything for the Family hmm?"

Rocco lunges forward forgetting about his restraints and is immediately rewarded by his arms being viciously pulled backwards by his steadfast chains, the violent switch in his momentum nearly dislocating his shoulders. A savage grin splits my face as I lean closer to him, observing with glee the look of pain in Rocco's eyes that he can't quite hide from me. 

"I suppose that's a bit too much for a lowly pawn to comprehend isn't it?" I whisper scathingly.

Having had my fun for the night and becoming quickly tired of my traitorous company, I rise slowly to my feet and turn away from him, walking back to the door. But as I wrap my hand around the handle Rocco's voice stops me before I can open it.

"Alessandra would give us quite the earful if she caught us fighting like this."

My first thought is to crush his windpipe, thereby silencing him and ensuring that my sisters name never again crosses his traitorous lips. But it's Rocco's tone that momentarily causes me to halt in my tracks.

It's regretful, mournful even. Almost...Apologetic.

I tug open the door but throw one last remark over my shoulder as I leave, shutting off the lights as I do so.

"She wouldn't exactly be surprised now would she?"

********************

I gently push open the Infirmary doors and enter, noting that the Medic is nowhere to be seen. I stalk silently past the empty beds and lower myself into the chair next to the unmoving form of IQ. I let my gaze wander over her bruises for a moment, noting that they're faded and nearly gone at this point. Soon the only evidence of her injuries will be the bandages wrapping her leg.

I fidget in my chair for a few minutes, unable to sit still after the earlier events of the night. I finally grow tired of the restlessness and wander back across the room to the desk the Medic would always be seated at when I would see him here, swiping a pencil from a cup. I look around for a moment before also taking a few pages of blank paper from a stack nearby and make my way back to my chair.

I idly scratch the pencil across the pristine white surface of the page as my mind drifts, the soft moonlight drifting through the window casting an eerie, almost ethereal glow along the gentle marking of lead.

My thoughts stray from one subject to the next, the combination of faint scratching from my pencil and the steady rise and fall of her breaths lulling my mind into a gentle wandering state. Time slips by without notice as my mind quiets, my thoughts falling away to a blissful silence as the lines on the page before me slowly take shape, and what started as aimless doodles breathes with life in its shading and detail.

And as my eyes grow heavy I set the paper and pencil to the side, the exhaustion of the day finally working its way into my system. My last thoughts as I let my eyes fall closed are of Aria, her face springing unbidden to my mind as the soft steady chiming of machines fills the room.

And for once, a welcome silence envelopes me as I drift into darkness.

Bit of a short chapter by my usual standards, but I'm pretty happy with it. Hope you all enjoyed.

Until next time,

Viper.