The Sympathizer

Chapter 15

I reach for my gun only to realise that I left it at home. A brief scream escapes my lips when Lazarus marches up to us and places the barrel of his gun on Lucian's forehead. 

My stomach lurches but Lucian doesn't even blink. He just stares Lazarus down, his gaze daring. 

"Figures. The attendant whispers into his communicator, our only witness dies and here you are." Lucian's voice is pure steel, no sign of fear despite the fact that just one shot and his brain will be blown to bits. 

Since he doesn't seem worried about that, I do it for him. 

I grab Lazarus's arm and try to steer him away but Lazarus has always won when it comes to brute force. What I lack in strength I make up with agility which sadly serves no purpose here. 

"Lazarus, what are you doing? We're out in the open, threatening the Trinity is treason." My fingers dig into his biceps, which are so tense and hard like rocks. 

Lazarus chuckles. "See Lucian. I have a gun to your forehead and all she cares about is what would happen to me if I fired." 

His statement makes me squirm in discomfort and I catch Lucian falter only slightly. Lazarus presses the gun harder making Lucian backtrack all the way to the wall of the holding centre. 

I try to drag him back but to no avail. Tears of frustration pool at the corners of my eyes and I beg Lazarus to put his gun away. 

"He trying to take what's mine, Luna. Tell me why I shouldn't fire a laser beam through his head." 

Sometime during the struggle Lucian managed to slip a hand to his side and pull out his gun as well. He aims it at Lazarus's neck, his eyes alight, the glint in them making him look dangerous. 

"We both know you're not here for Luna, Lazarus. You were the one who killed the minister, didn't you? You're hiding something and that is why you're here." 

"Lazarus, why are you here? And don't give me some sap story about coming here to get me. I saw your programmed flight path. I know you went to Earth." 

A muscle ticks in Lazarus's jaw and he clenches his teeth hard. "My trip had nothing to do with yours. Now do you see what I mean, Luna? As long as he's in the picture, we will never be at peace with each other. Can't you see his jealousy?" 

Lucian laughs. "Comrade, your imagination is admirable. I wish I could conjure up such ridiculous lies so easily." 

Lazarus's eyes narrow to slits and before I know it, he's tackling Lucian to the ground. Their guns are scattered and they take turns to throw punches at one another. Lucian has Lazarus in a chokehold when I pick up a gun and aim it at them. 

"Need I remind you that we are in public. Stop now before I shoot you both in the leg for embarrassing me." 

The streets all around us are deserted but they both know I'm taking about the invisible cameras planted all over the city. The ones our parents are most likely to access when the atmosphere switches the city to daylight and everyone goes about with their daily tasks. 

The two guys stop moving, their disheveled hair and interlocked limbs almost comical. If this were a few years ago, this scene wouldn't surprise me at all. The three of us sparred with each other all the time but we always left those matches laughing, the complete opposite of now. 

They both stand up and dust themselves off. Lucian grabs his gun and tucks it by his side and Lazarus reaches for the one in my hand, the one that belongs to him. 

I grab his wrist and twist him around, pining him to the wall as I place the gun to his temple. 

"You drew a gun on your own. I never thought I would live to see that." Anger courses through me and it's hard to tell whether I'm talking about Lucian or Alya. If Alya hadn't taken my place it would be me in that incinerator not her.