Dark Star

15. Reveal

Josef faced the man before him. He wasn't the kind of person he had been expecting at all. This FBI agent was young, not too much older looking then Josef himself. He'd expected some middle aged guy in a suit and tie, but this man wore jeans and a blue t-shirt. Of course, he did have his badge and his now-empty gun holster on, but otherwise he looked just like an average guy you'd see walking down the street.

“I'm sorry about having to deceive you on the phone earlier,” Josef began. “But I knew it was the only way I could convince you to come here, alone.”

“Well, don't be surprised if I don't immediately offer my forgiveness,” Carter retorted. “Why did you want me here, anyway? You already have one hostage; you don't need another.”

“You aren't my prisoner. I brought you here, because I have something important I need to tell you, and I knew this was the only way you would listen to me. If you listen to everything I have to say with an open mind, I will unbind your hands and you will be free to leave if that is what you want to do.”

He saw the cop look him over, trying to decide whether to believe him or not. Or, more likely, trying to determine whether or not he was insane. Josef knew he sounded crazy. Why should he listen to him? It was going to take a lot of persuasion to win him over.

“Why did you have to bring me here,” Carter asked. “To tell me this? If it was so important, why didn't you tell me on the phone?”

“You wouldn't have believed me; you would have hung up the phone. My telling you to come here, even though any cop would have realized this whole situation was a trap, was sort of a test for you. You were willing to risk everything for a girl you'd never even met. So, I know you are the only cop who I might be able to convince to believe me.”

Carter stared into his eyes, seeming to try and figure out the complicated puzzle that was the man standing before him.

“Fine, I'll listen to what you have to say. It's not like I can really say no now, can I? How I react to what you say, though, I can make no promises about.”

“I'll take what I can get,” Josef answered.

“So, what is it that you wanted to tell me?”

“Well, the total of everything I'm about to tell you can be summed up into to three words: I am innocent.”

There was a silence after he spoke those words, as he watched Carter's reaction. At first it was clearly surprise on his face, then all of a sudden, he laughed.

“I thought for a second there you would have at least had something original to say, but then you had to go and say that. What is it with criminals loving to ring that same old bell, time and time again?” Carter asked, sarcastically. “I've seen the security cameras from the bank, you and your men didn't bother to hide your faces. You robbed that bank, and took Vesper hostage, no one else did. You are not innocent.”

Josef felt the anger inside him rise; he did not like this man mocking him. He had no idea what he had been through, only assuming everything he thought he knew to be true. He wanted to punch him, but he knew that wouldn't help the situation. So, he waited a moment, and focused on what needed to be done.

“Now, now, detective Carter. I told you, you had to hear my whole story before we were finished. There are things you do not know, so I would wait to pass judgment for a few more minutes.”

“To begin, I must start by telling you about someone else. His name is Damien, Damien Ryder. Growing up, Damien, Varick, and I were best friends. We all came from broken families, and we all lived in the not-so-great part of town. Since we didn't have anyone else to depend on, we grew up watching out for one another. Even though we weren't related, we considered one another our brother.”