Chameleon

Chapter 29

Come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly.

It's too easy, Payne thought to himself.

No guards, no alarms, nothing.

He's waiting for me.

Warlord was sitting behind his desk in his apartment overlooking the park. The dying sun cast long shadows through the picture window behind him, draping him in a criss-cross of shadows

A web.

The door was open.

Come into my parlour.

'Hello, Harry,' he said. 'I've been expecting you.'

Payne moved forward, cautiously.

There's a coldness here, his senses told him. A void. Nothingness. Be careful it doesn't swallow you up.

'Is Charlie my son?' Payne asked without preamble.

The question lay between them like a piece of rotting meat.

'That's classified information, Harry,' Warlord replied. 'Why don't you read my mind and find out for yourself?'

Warlord smiled. It was a small, smug, smile. It spoke of shared secrets and promises made.

Payne had been hurting when he made that promise. The pills weren't working; the raw, unfiltered mass of emotions, thoughts and feelings were driving him crazy. Warlord had promised him salvation. The cost at the time seemed small.

'You must never read my mind,' Warlord had said. 'I can help you, Harry, but we must trust each other implicitly. Is that clear? I can help you. Never read my mind.'

Such a small price. And so the barriers in Payne's head had gone up. Conditioning that he'd never questioned.

Until now.

'Is that the only way?' Payne asked.

Warlord nodded. 'The truth is a Pandora's Box, Harry,' he said. 'Are you really sure you want to open it?'

Payne did not speak. He pulled up a chair and sat down.

'So,' Warlord murmured. 'Let battle commence.'

***

The mind is a room with a thousand locked doors.

To unlock those doors, all you need is the key.

Payne approached this door with caution.

Do I really want to know what's behind it?

Warlord was smiling.

He thinks I can't do it!

I promised him.

He's daring me to do it.

He helped me.

He used me.

Warlord was laughing now.

Smug bastard!

He's been like a father to me.

Do you want to know who your son is?

'YES!' Payne screamed and the door flew open.