I can't say your name

Cap. 8

Eddy switched his computer on and enabled the protection from localization. He plugged the pen drive in and opened the file.

Target 101 contained another folder of files regarding an enormous amount of different people. They were personal folders with detailed information: favourite food, hobbies, job, routine, school grades, IQ and many other informations, but one in particular caught Eddy's attention: partners. Many of the folders were paired in one separate section called mission 103 of an additional 830 files

Folder 40: Brett and Eddy (folder 03+folder 23)

Injection status: successful

Therapy status: successful

Pairing status: 85%

Pairing parameters: affinity 98%, friendship strength 99%, affection 100%, IQ compatibility 98% (see personal description for pairing estimates and all the specifications)

Subjects' total compatibility: 99%

Prediction for the mission's success: 97%

Personal compatibility with X gene (see personal folders for the specifications)

-Subject 03 demonstrated high compatibility with the X gene: IQ above average. The gene didn't work for his physical condition: underlay and weak. Not compatible for agent work.

-Subject 23 demonstrated total compatibility with the X gene: IQ above average and physical performances potentiated. Compatible for agent work.

Both subjects have a lifetime estimated of 30 years: elimination settled on 29th birthday of 03.

Eddy read for hours but he was more confused than before: pairing? Gene? Elimination? He closed his laptop and stood up, his leg was almost awake by this hour. He took his second phone and composed Nat's number, moving away from the bedroom.

Nat: "You read the file I guess, or you wouldn't have called me in the middle of the night"

Eddy: "Oh sorry...I've just fished reading some of the folders, I'm...I don't know..."

Nat: "I bet you're confused now, but I also bet I convinced you"

Eddy: "You didn't need to convince me, I already suspected Brett was in danger, you confirmed my suspicions, I just...I'm scared for Brett"

Nat: "I know you are Eddy, but don't worry, you made the right choice. And you can chill about Brett, some agents are outside his house checking if your old colleagues are looking for him"

Eddy: "Oh, thank you, for the bed as well..."

Nat: "Don't worry, you decided to trust the right part, and we will help you get out of this"

Eddy: "We? And why are you doing all of this for me?"

Nat: "We're doing all of this for all the agents under mission 103 in your old agency"

He took a deep breath, looking down at his feet, he didn't know if he could trust Nat, but he'd found the folder and Mr. Smith had been insistent with Brett. What did he have to lose? Oh, right Brett, maybe this could have been his last hope.

Eddy: "I think we should talk; I want to understand more about this"

Nat: "Let's meet tomorrow, I'll send you the coordinates of our base. Welcome to the resistance"

With this she hanged up.

Eddy sighed and took a look at the city from the window: so many thoughts were running through his brain, like all the shiny lights he saw in front of him. He wished he could switch them all off and enjoy a little bit of darkness. Pure black, no thoughts nor worries. A sigh escaped his throat as he remembered that now he was out of the company, and the hope in his heart climbed up his gullet and escaped his eyes in no time. Now he had time to cry, he had time to worry and to calm, he had time to let his body feel weak onto his knees and to be overwhelmed by the tsunami of emotions of that day.

A little hand came out of the dark and stroked his shoulder. He opened his eyes and glanced at that hand. How well he knew that fingers and their calluses.

Brett: "Hey..."

Eddy: "Hey"

Responded Eddy while still sobbing with his back leaning on the wall under the window.

Brett: "Wanna talk about this?"

Eddy: "Not really..."

Brett came out of the darkness and pulled Eddy into a hug from behind, gently landing the taller boy's head onto his chest. He combed back his hair and began rocking left and right.

Brett: "How is the leg?"

Eddy: "Fine, I think it just woken up"

Brett: "Does it hurt?"

Eddy: "No...it's a bit sore from the anaesthesia but it's fine"

And it was silence again. They both wished for this moment to never end. They loved music and playing musical instruments, but the silence they were in now was much better than all the symphonies they ever got the pleasure to listen to. When Brett started humming so lightly Tchaikovsky's violin concerto, Eddy's warm voice broke the silence, being careful to not sound too high.

Eddy: "Thank you"

Brett: "It's nothing Eddy, you're my best friend and the most important person in my life..."

Eddy: "So are you for me Brett"

Brett: "Love you man"

Eddy: "Love you too and sorry..."

Brett: "For what?"

Eddy: "I'm a complete mess..."

He said almost laughing

Brett: "Yeah you're right, you're a walking disaster, but hey I'm not escaping or trying to"

Eddy: "You're the best person on the planet Brett Yang"

Brett: "You're talking like you're drunk man, are you sure the anaesthesia didn't have some collateral effect?"

Eddy: "No...I'm just tired"

Brett: "Let's get back to bed then"

Said Brett before pulling himself up and helping Eddy back to bed.

Just for a second the idea of confessing everything to him was there, in the silence, forcefully shaking his shoulder like saying 'tell Brett that you love him' or 'don't be a coward, you love Eddy, go!'. But it vanished in the air, becoming another light out of the window.
Nat turned her bedside table's lamp on and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow was the first day in which she would finally end all of this. She could already see him glaring back at her from the plaster, with his green eyes and his red hair. In the emptiness of her room, the sound of her voice reached her ears before she could realize it had actually escaped her own mouth.

Nat: "This will be finally over soon dear brother..."