Not a killer

Chapter 17

I opened my eyes.

At first, everything was a blur, but bit by bit the world around me came into focus. Barry was in front of me, sitting on a chair. His eyes suddenly lit up, seeing that I was awake.

I then tried to get up, after realizing I was lying on a bed, but he held me down.

"Get some rest. You need it"

"How... how am I still alive?" I asked with a raspy voice.

Barry laughed. "To tell you the truth, I've no idea"

"Oh"

"The only logical explanation that I can think of is that those crazy scientists working for Antonio didn't create the bomb in your neck properly. So the thing only stunned you for a while, it fortunately didn't kill you"

"Right, that makes sense. How long have I been out for?"

"Through the night. In fact, just think of it as if you had gone to sleep"

I laughed weakly. "Where are we now?"

We were in the corner of a dark room, with people running in and out through doorways. I spotted Stuart in the background, doing who-knows what.

"In some sort of warehouse" answered Barry "It's where these guys usually meet"

"They're getting ready for the attack, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Just some final preparations"

"Right. We need to talk"

Barry raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"Basically, your life" But even after seeing the look on his face, I continued "I'm not waiting any longer, Barry. You've hidden your identity again and again from me, but today is the day. And I want nothing but the truth"

"Fine" he said "But I can assure you you're not going to like it"

"I'm all ears"

He sighed, and then began.

"I was born into a wealthy family. We had it all: Money, a big house, three cars, whatever. In fact, we were a very... happy family, too. I was an only child, just like you, Zack. I had loving mother called Rachel and the best father in the world. Now, my father was a businessman. And a very successful one, too. And that's as best as you can get, Zack. We were the happiest family in the world"

His eyes were distant, as if his mind was set elsewhere, maybe in the memories he had as a kid. But I was scared what he was going to say next.

"But little did we know, our lives were about to collapse. Our fate was like a black cloud hovering above our heads, waiting for the right moment to strike down on us with rain and lighting, destroying us forever.
Anyway, my father had many enemies. Unfortunately, one of those enemies was his own brother. The siblings were two completely different men. While my father had his own business, his brother did things differently. And by this I mean illegally. He got into all sorts of problems. You know, drug-dealing, fights and all that."

I was now starting to feel a little uncomfortable, for that last bit had sounded somehow familiar.

Barry continued.

"After a while, my dad's brother (a.k.a. my uncle) realized that my father was doing so much better than him in... life. And so he got envious. Really envious. Until... until the point that he murdered him"

Barry's voice broke a little with this last sentence. I gasped.

"Yes, Zack, he murdered his own brother, in cold blood. After that, my uncle became a lot more successful with his dirty work, and one of the most popular guys amongst all the criminals in the city and beyond. But while his life went up in fame and power, ours went down. My mother fell into a deep depression. All she did was lie in bed all day. She didn't work, eat or even interact with me. I called the best of psychologists I could find, but no-one could cure her. No-one. And so, only two months after the death of my father, she was buried beside him. Man, those were the worst t-two m-months of m-my...life"

I watched in dismay as a steady flow of tears were now rolling down Barry's cheeks. I tried to resist, bu soon my eyes began to moisten too.

"I was only fourteen" he sniffed "After that, I had no-where to go and no-one to go to, for I had never met my dad's parents, and all the others were already dead. The government then tried to solve my problems. They wanted to put me in an orphanage, but I didn't want to hear any of it, so I ran away. I fled to the streets. Obviously, I didn't last long, and just as I was on the verge of death, who else but my uncle found me and took me in to his home"

"But..." I started.

"Yes, you think I should've refused, but that night I was cold, tired and hungry. Straight after the meal I shouted at him, insulted him saying that he was the cause for the death of my parents. But he was stronger than that. He told me lies about them, putting false ideas in my head and confusing me. He manipulated me, Zack, until the point that he made me believe that my parents were the evil ones, not him"

"What a monster" I rasped.

"Yes, he was" he agreed "But what could I do? He was too powerful to fight anyway. So, I stayed with him"

"And then what happened?" I asked, intrigued "What became of you?"

Barry stiffened. "I stayed with my uncle, training in his secret base, to be just like him"

I stopped. "What?"

Suddenly, a river of thoughts came flowing into my head, and the pieces finally clicked together. It all made sense. 

I opened my eyes wide in shock, but Barry just kept his gaze on the ground.

"Guess what my uncle's name is, Zack"

I gulped. No, I couldn't say it. But I had to try.

"Antonio" I breathed out "His name is Antonio"

"Yes"

I lay back down on the bed in a gaze. My head was starting to feel dizzy again.

"He tried to kill you, Barry" I finally said.

"I know. What a fool I was to listen to him in the first place. And look where it's got me. I'm a criminal, a killer. This is what he has made me. This is my life now, Zack."

"No" I said, and suddenly I got from the bed and hugged him, hugged him so hard I was going to crush his ribs if I had to. This wasn't the end of Barry. He deserved something better. A better life.

Stuart then came walking towards us.

"Sorry to interrupt" he said "But we are all ready, and we have to go now"

"Right" I answered, getting up slowly.

But Barry stopped me. "Whoa. You still have to recover from that poison. Stay here"

I just looked at him.

"Really? I hate this guy just as much as you do, Barry"

 And with that, I got up, snatched the machine gun from Stuart's hands and said:

"C'mon, let's go eliminate this psycho and finish this off for once and for all!"