Revelation

And Everything Went Black

Bernard was brought out of his shock by a sharp rapping on his door. He got up and warily approached the door.

"Who is it?" he demanded.

There was no answer. Bernard got his gun.

"Who is it?" he called again, reaching for the doorknob.

No response.

He opened the door to find three men dressed in black, all armed.

Bernard raised his gun only to hear a loud bang and feeling like his hand broke apart. The pain was so incapacitating, he couldn't breathe, and suddenly his nose was full of an awful odour, and everything went black.

* * *

"How many guys are down there?"

"Just the one."

"How the fuck is he going to evade all those cops if it's just the one guy?"

"Does it look like I know? Just keep fucking driving."

Bernard couldn't see anything. He tried to move but realized he was tied up, hands and feet. He was also gagged.

From what he could tell from eavesdropping, something bad was going to happen but he had no idea where. The men had stopped talking now.

All of a sudden he realized the monstrous pain in his hand, and even in his whole body; he felt like he was hit by a bus. He almost couldn't breathe from the pain. He curled his fingers to his palm and shivered when he felt the ragged flesh torn apart by what was clearly a bullet wound. If it wasn't for the immense pain, he would've marvelled at the new sensation of feeling air pass through your hand.

Bernard tried to assess his situation. Judging by the occasional bumps and turns, he was clearly in a car. He seemed to be in the trunk, but it was pitch-black. He moved his legs around to feel for something, but there was nothing.

Panic started to set in.

And suddenly the car stopped with a jolt. He froze, listening to them. He heard the zip of the seat belts and the opening and slamming shut of the doors. And then the trunk door opened, the white light of the sky searing his eyeballs, immediately contrasted by the sudden blackness, and he was gone again.

* * *

This time when he woke up, he couldn't see anything. He first thought he was still in the trunk, but he wasn't tied up anymore and there seemed to be a lot of space. He slowly got up, massaging his sore wrists. His hand was still searing with pain.

And suddenly the world turned bright white again, and he shut his eyes for several seconds before opening them, finding himself in a dirty, plain room. He was not alone.

A man in a grey pin-striped suit stood in front of a metal door, watching him. He was tall, with a long face and hollow cheeks. He had wispy brown hair atop his head, and a weak goatee curling at the bottom. He was smiling.

Bernard coughed, spat out blood, and said, "Who the hell are you?"

He smiled even wider, showing his awfully yellow teeth. "My name is Agnus." He started pacing around the room.

"Of course," he continued, "you'd only know me as "no sender"."

"You sent the emails," Bernard realized.

"Yes," he said, grinning. "I'm glad you caught on. Which, of course, means you know what's next."

Bernard glared at him.

"Death," he answered.

"Yes, very good," Agnus answered, smiling his widest. "Which," he continued, checking his watch, "should happen in about thirty seconds."

Bernard could feel the heartbeat in his neck.

"What's going to happen?" he demanded. "Where is it going - "

"Now, now, now," Agnus interrupted, checking his watch again. "You mustn't - "

He smiled.

" - blow this out of proportion."

Bernard's heart sank.

"A - a bomb?" he whispered.

"Fifteen seconds."

"Agnus," Bernard said desperately. "Just tell - "

"Did you know," Agnus interrupted. "That before your partner's mother died from the poisoning, she had her transferred to Toronto General?"

Bernard's heart may have actually stopped.

"What?"

"Her body is currently residing in their morgue. Ellyas herself is filing some paperwork there at this very moment."

He smiled again, checking his watch. "Five."

Bernard's heart skipped a beat. "Wait - "

"Four."

"Agnus, please - "

"Three."

"AGNUS, GOD DAMN Y - "

"Two."

"Jesus Christ."

Then there was the single longest second in his life.

Agnus smiled his widest smile yet.

"Boom."