Diamonds and Blood

Chapter 3: Hello, Old Foe

Location: Switzerland Mountains

Harlan and Nicholas drive through the snowy Switzerland mountain. After hours of driving, they finally reach their destination, an old cabin.

Harlan takes his gun, instructs Nicholas to stay in the car, and starts walking towards the cabin.

Harlan made his way to the wooden house and opened the unlocked door. He walks past the dusty furnitures, cracked windows, and the messy interior of the house before making his way up the wooden stairs to finds his way to an old bedroom with only one old man in a wheelchair.

Jasper.

Jasper spins around and sees Harlan. He laughs.

Jasper: Well well. We finally meet. What's with the gun?

Harlan puts the gun in his jacket. Jasper moves towards Harlan and Harlan sits at the front of a table opposite Jasper.

Harlan: Jasper, do you know who I-

Jasper: Harlan Oxford Brandle, agent of T.H.E.P.A.

Jasper coughs.

Jasper: I know all about you. Your encounters with the Directress. Korea, 2011. Tell me, what brought you here? Was it to kill me?

Harlan: Come on, you know better than that. If we wanted to kill you, T.H.E.P.A. has many bombs at their disposal. A small explosion in a lonely cabin won't draw the attention of the public.

Jasper: So why are you here?

Harlan takes the suitcase. He opens it and hands the contents to Jasper who reads it then smirks.

Jasper: Looks like you beat them to me. Congratulations.

Harlan: Look, they want you for a reason. Can't be good. I need to know why.

Jasper: I don't know.

Harlan: BULLSHIT! YOU DEFECTED FROM SERPENT BUT THEY DIDN'T GO AFTER YOU. THEY DIDN'T GO AFTER YOU UNTIL TODAY. CLEARLY THEY HAVE SOME UNFINISHED BUSINESS WITH YOU AND I KNOW YOU KNOW WHY!

Jasper: I DON'T KNOW WHY AND EVEN I DID WHY WOULD TELL YOU? AN AGENT OF T.H.E.P.A.

Jasper is clearly disgusted by this.

Jasper: TOOK ME A WHILE TO SEE IT BUT I DID. SERPENT AND T.H.E.P.A. ARE JUST THE SAME IN EVERY WAY BUT NAME. WE ARE JUST THE HEADS OF THE SAME COIN, KILLING PEOPLE YOU FIND "DANGEROUS TO US" WHEN YOU MEAN DANGEROUS TO YOURSELVES! IF I CAN'T TRUST SERPENT THEN WE CAN MOST DEFINITELY NOT TRUST YOU.

Harlan notices something about Jasper.

Harlan: We?

Jasper looks away.

Harlan: You're protecting someone.

Jasper: No shit.

Harlan: Your daughter. Jasmine.

This pulls a nerve. Jasper looks at Harlan.

Harlan: Tell me what it is, I can protect your daughter.

Jasper: Like you did years ago? What was all that? The way you used her, MY DAUGHTER!

Jasper slams the table.

Jasper: Why would I take the word of a killer? What more from you, and what you were to her?

Harlan is disturbed by this, and Jasper notices this and chuckles.

Jasper: Yeah... she told me all about you. She told me everything. Tell me, do you ever think about it? About that night, Harlan?

Harlan doesn't know what to respond. Jasper then coughs hard. Harlan goes to help him but Jasper refuses. Harlan sees that Jasper coughed out blood.

Harlan: Your dying.

Jasper: Yeah, no shit.

Harlan: Turn yourself in, we can save and protect-

Jasper: Keep me alive for what? For SERPENT might get me? It's not me that they want. It's my her.

Harlan: Jas?

Jasper: Keep me alive and those bastards will use me as a bargaining chip to get her.

Jasper nods at Harlan. Harlan understands and hands Jasper his gun.

Jasper: Jasmine is the key to it. She will reveal to you what is it they want. Protect her, Brandle.

Jasper loads the barrel.

Jasper: My dear Jasmine told me a lot about you, I could see why she liked you. I just need to know one thing... was it ever real? To you?

Harlan looks at Jasper, empty, trying not to answer him. But Jasper laughs as he sees right through him.

Jasper: Goodbye, Agent Brandle.

Jasper shoots himself and dies. Harlan walks over to his body and closes his eyes. He inspects his coat and sees a photo inside. He unfolds it to see a photo of Jasmine. Harlan keeps it and reaches for his phone to call Nicholas.

Harlan: Nicholas, tell the pilots to prepare the plane. We're going to Seoul. And bring the gas tanks over please.