Chapter 28

<Gavin Forrester>

I turn the key in my ignition for what very well may be the last time. The engine comes to life and my beautiful car speeds down the ramp towards the bottom level of the garage. I pull out into the setting sun and slow down as I'm greeted by the custom New York City traffic. My fingers tap lightly on the steering wheel as I wait for the blasted cars to move.

"Why didn't we just take a bus? They're cheap and we'd get there on time. God only knows how long it'll take to get to D.C. in your car in this traffic." Blaze whines as the traffic moves along.

"I am not riding in some smelly bus with thirty people and one bathroom when I could be driving my Ferrari." I snap, annoyed with the fact that Blaze won't just let the matter go.

"Whatever, just get us out of this city. I don't want Victoria to get killed because you wouldn't break down and ride a bus." Blaze turns to face the window and leans his head against it, drifting off to sleep.

"We'll be fine; I'll make sure of it." I roll my eyes and then focus on the road where the traffic still isn't moving very fast.

~~~~~

It's almost midnight when I see a white sign on the side of the road that says 'Welcome to D.C.'. I breathe a sigh of relief and continue driving towards the downtown area of the city where the FBI headquarters is located.

The city, thankfully, is mostly deserted except for a few drunk people stumbling on the sidewalk. I'm careful to lock my doors as I make a few turns and then drive down a straight stretch of road.

I pull up in front of the building which is obviously closed and take the keys out of the ignition. My breath speeds up and suddenly what I'm doing becomes a reality once again.

It fully hits me and for some reason I sit frozen in my seat. Blaze wakes up and looks around, disoriented and surprised that we made such good time. I bite my lip and for the millionth time since I was told what I'd have to do, I question the decision I'm making.

"Gavin, go park around the corner. Things will look easier in the morning. You're just tired." Blaze pats my shoulder and then sits up in his seat, his eyes staring at the building next to us.

I turn on the car again and drive around the corner where I park in a shaded spot underneath a tree. I lock the doors and then turn the car off. Blaze looks at me and nods.

"We'll take this in shifts. You sleep for three hours and I'll keep watch; then we switch." Blaze looks at me for confirmation but I say nothing as I slowly fall asleep.

~~~~~

Blaze taps me on the shoulder very early the next morning and I wake up, startled. A deep breath escapes my lips as I realize that the time has come. It's time to own up to my mistakes and save Victoria. Blaze grips my shoulder tightly and gives me a knowing look.

I nod slightly and then turn on my car. The engine purrs as I back out of the parking spot and pull out onto the road. I drive the few feet I need to reach the FBI building and then I apply my brakes.

"I know you don't believe it but this is the right thing to do." Blaze says in the silence, drawing my attention away from the looming FBI building.

"I'd never forgive myself if I didn't do everything in my power to save Victoria." I sigh softly and lean my head on the steering wheel.

"I'll be right next to you man. We're going to go down together." Blaze holds out his hand and I grasp it tightly.

"We'll always be by each other's' sides." I confirm, a small smile forming on my lips.

"And Slick is gonna be right above us." Blaze bites his lip as we drop our handshake.

"It's time to go then, I guess..." I rub the back of my neck, trying to delay the inevitable.

"Gavin, before we go in, I want you to know something. I've admired you and respected you since I met you seven years ago. You never lost sight of yourself or what was really important. You owned up to your mistakes and you're always there for the people you love most. I feel privileged to be one of your friends and no matter how crazy it's been, I'd never regret a second of it." Blaze inhales deeply and turns to face me. "Don't let them tell you you're a bad person because they have no idea how great you actually are."

"Thank you. I'll never know what I did to deserve a friend as great as you." I say, my voice breaking down as reality hits me.

"You are the Gavin Forrester. You kick ass; don't ever forget that. You'll get yourself out of this, some way, somehow." Blaze claps my back and smirks, an obvious attempt to add some humor to the situation.

"Not this time. My days of kicking ass may actually be over." I mutter, brokenness filling the gaps in my soul.

"Not a chance in hell." Blaze gives me a serious glance before opening his door.

"I'm sorry I made you save me just so I could go get myself caught again." I call after him, making him stop in his tracks.

"I'm not. I've had the time of my life and I wouldn't trade it in for anything." Blaze replies almost immediately.

"I wish it didn't have to end this way." I say as I look out the window at all the D.C. workers scrambling to get to their jobs.

"It's not over yet. Now, you're going to get out of this damn car and we're going to walk in there together with our heads' held high." Blaze snaps and gets out of the car.

Stunned into silence, I get out of the car and slam my door shut. I lock the car and walk around to the passenger side where Blaze is standing. I slide my sunglasses up on the bridge of my nose as I stare at the immense J. Edgar Hoover building, home of the FBI. My shoulders tense as I look upon my future. Once I walk into that building, there will be no turning back.

"We're going to take this one step at a time, together..." Blaze states in a clear, confident voice.

I nod and follow him slowly towards the FBI headquarters and my imminent fate.

~~~~~

We walk through the doors and find a busy lobby with a security check-in area and a kiosk where a female guard is keeping watch. I feel my heartbeat speed up and my hands begin to sweat as Blaze leads me towards the security check-in where people are setting their belongings in trays and walking through the metal detector.

I set down my precious Ferrari keys and my disposable cellphone on a tray and then wait patiently for my turn at the metal detector. Sunglasses still on, I walk through the metal detector without worrying how guilty I already look.

The detector doesn't beep and the guard allows me to collect my things from the tray that has passed inspection. My shaking hands shove the keys and phone back into my pocket as I walk towards the kiosk where visitor's passes can be picked up. The lady looks up at me disinterestedly as she types on her computer.

"Please remove your sunglasses, sir." She mutters as she finally averts her eyes from the glowing screen of her computer.

I do as I'm told, my stomach dropping as she looks at me with recognition. She double-checks a clipboard and then her eyes widen. Obviously she never expected a person on the FBI's Most-Wanted List to walk straight into their headquarters. The guard presses a red button and an alarm goes off. Within seconds, a group of armed federal agents and SWAT team members close in on me.

"Get down on your knees." A gruff man shouts as he points his gun at my head.

My knees drop before me and land on the marble floor. I place my hands on my head so that every part of me is in full-view. My eyes travel over to Blaze, who by now has been recognized and is being detained as well.

I mouth the words thank you as one agent puts his gun in his holster and pulls out a pair of handcuffs. He grabs my wrists forcefully and shoves them behind my back. I hear the handcuffs click together, sealing my fate.

"Gavin Edward Forrester, you are under arrest for escaping federal prison, attempting the murder of two individuals and evading arrest by the FBI. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as they've been said to you?" The guard glares at me and I shake my head up and down.

"All clear." He shouts to his comrades as they lead me down a hallway and to an elevator which will take me up to another level for questioning.

~~~~~

The elevator doors slide open to reveal a mundane office level. People bustle around the hardwood floors and sit in cubicles, doing paperwork and inhaling coffee. It reminds me of Talon's office building back in New York; normal from first glance but holding more secrets than I care to imagine. 

The agents flip their heads around when they hear the elevator doors open and their eyes practically bulge out of their heads' when they realize that the Gavin Forrester is standing in their headquarters.

"Is Interview 1 open?" The agent standing in front of me asks a woman in the nearest cubicle.

She doesn't say anything but instead nods vigorously, her eyes never leaving mine.

"C'mon let's go. There will be plenty of time to ogle him once he's back in prison where he belongs." The agent rolls his eyes and shoves me down the hallway. "Agent Bennet, meet us in interview one."

The woman drops eye contact with me and gathers together some files on her desk before speeding to catch up with our little group. We walk to the end of the hallway where there's a door with the number one printed on it. Ms. Bennet opens the door and allows the group of agents and SWAT guards to shove me inside.

The room is bare and empty except for a metal table and a few chairs. The walls are pure white and there's a large piece of two-way glass separating this room from the observation room next door.

The agent leading our group pulls back a metal chair forcefully and make me sit down on it while the SWAT guards loop some handcuffs through a metal ring on the table and attach them to my wrists. They then move onto restraining my feet as if they expect me to actually go somewhere.

Once I'm fully incapacitated, all of the guards and agents leave except two; the leader and Ms. Bennet. They sit down on the chairs on the other side of the table and stare at me thoughtfully for a second.

"I'm Agent Thomas and this is my partner, Agent Bennet." The man says absentmindedly as he flips through a manila file with my name on it.

"I gathered." I mutter, my fingers lacing together as I lean forward on the table.

"You've been a very busy man, haven't you, Mr. Forrester?" Agent Thomas shakes his head as he continues to flip through my file. "Attempted murder of two people, escaping Attica Correctional Facility and evading arrest for months..."

"Sir, don't you think there's bigger problems than the fact that I escaped...How 'bout the fact that I could even escape; doesn't that say something about the security in this country?" I look at him innocently but he doesn't seem fazed at all.

"Gavin, I have already launched an investigation into how you escaped and believe me I will personally punish anyone who helped you get out." Agent Thomas glares at me, his eyes narrowed to almost slits.

"They've already been punished enough." I respond smoothly.

"Would you like to tell me how?" Agent Thomas crosses his arms and opens up the floor to me.

"What's in it for me?" I ask as I draw in a deep breath.

"The joy of telling the truth." Agent Thomas replies. "You are really in no position to bargain."

That doesn't mean I'm not going to try...

"How 'bout this, I'll tell you what went on in those months I was gone but only if you offer me a reduced sentence." I take my hands off the table and lean back in my chair.

"How 'bout this, you tell me what went on and then we'll talk about reducing your sentence." Agent Thomas mocks me and then narrows his eyes as he waits for my response.

"Where should I start?" I ask politely.

"The beginning." Agent Bennet interjects, trying to assert herself in the conversation.

"Of when I escaped or why I got put in Attica in the first place?" I narrow my eyes at her but it's Agent Thomas who responds.

"I want the whole story of the infamous Gavin Forrester." Agent Thomas retorts.

"It's gonna take a long time to understand why I've done all the things I have..." My voice trails off as I exhale in defeat.

"I've got nothing but time." Agent Thomas mutters fiercely.

"Okay then." I sigh.

I'm ready to tell my whole story, Talon and all...

"I enlisted in the army right out of high school because my parents wanted me to, not for honor or glory or my own ambitions but solely because it was what my parents wanted. After I got back from my first deployment, I quit and my parents disowned me."

"What sorts of things did you do during your deployment?" Agent Thomas asks while Ms. Bennet scribbles down some notes on a piece of notebook paper.

"I was part of a special task force that infiltrated rebel bases and killed all enemy fighters found there. I also disarmed bombs and was part of many hostage-rescue situations." I respond in a calm voice.

I allow them to copy down some more notes before I continue.

"As I was saying, my parents disowned me and I was left to fend for myself in New York. I was homeless, I had no money and no way to make a living so I began to look around for odd jobs to get myself some money. I needed just a couple hundred dollars so I could get out of the city and start over somewhere else."

"How could someone with such seemingly noble intentions fall so far?" Agent Bennet wonders aloud.

"I was getting there, Ma'am." I bite my tongue and expel a deep breath through my nose. "I began to ask around anywhere that looked like it could use some help. Most people turned me away and when I was almost out of hope, I got a call from someone who worked at an office building that was looking for a new employee. Obviously I showed up at the office building, praying that this was a real offer and not some scam. It did turn out to be a job offer but not the kind I wanted."

"What kind of job was it?" Agent Bennet asks as she grips the table, apparently on the edge of her seat.

"It was an offer to be an assassin...with Tenebris Incorporated." I say the last part of the sentence slowly so they'll absorb exactly what I just said.

"Talon Tenebris asked you to be an assassin?" Agent Thomas repeats incredulously.

"Yes, he told me he'd heard about my army training and then he offered me a couple hundred grand to take out a few of his enemies. I didn't really know anything about them so it was easy to kill them since there was no emotional attachment. I'm not proud that I did that but my desperate self only had so many options left. I quickly became his best operative and was soon blinded by all the money he kept giving me; it was how he controlled me." I say, guilt resonating in my tone.

"You're telling me that the Talon Tenebris just picked up some random kid off the street and turned him into a bona fide assassin? Forgive me but what part of that seems logical?" Agent Bennet raises her eyebrows expectantly, obviously thinking she has me trapped.

"I was not just some random kid and Talon didn't just pick me up off the street like some lost dog that needed a home. He exploited his connections until he found someone worthy of being his next assassin and obviously one of his connections tipped him off about me. A person who can shoot a man point blank from almost 300 yards away usually doesn't go unnoticed by the largest murder for hire boss in the U.S." I narrow my eyes at Ms. Bennet who actually looks slightly scared by my skills.

"Are you using this to excuse your attempted murders and evasion of arrest?" Agent Thomas asks, trying to keep the conversation on track.

"No but even you can't deny that they're connected." I say, sarcasm laced in my tone.

"I can see that the NYPD missed a lot on your arrest report." Agent Thomas remarks smugly.

"You don't understand what it's like to be under Talon's control." I practically spit, anger burning in my veins.

"Enlighten me." Agent Thomas smirks, egging me on.

"I wanted out. After my first few kills, the desperation left and I suddenly realized what I'd gotten myself into. I tried my hardest to get out but Talon had my mind warped. He played all these mind games on me until I was too weak and confused to realize what I actually wanted. He'd torture me and beat me and inject me with all sorts of drugs until I gave into him. I figured out after a few years that as long as I kept doing my job, he'd leave me alone. I knew the whole time that what I was doing was wrong but I knew if I left, he'd have me killed for sure. Talon is not a man you want to mess with because right when you think you have the upper-hand, he makes your plan backfire on you." I mutter bitterly.

I'm blaming it all on Talon like some little wuss...I was a grown man and I made a decision to do all those awful things.

"So Talon tortured you into doing all this killing?" Agent Bennet raises her eyebrows like she doesn't fully believe me.

"In Talon's company it was kill or be killed. I chose the option that saved my ass but I'm not saying it was always of my own free-will." I grip the edge of the table until my knuckles turn white; talking about Talon is turning me into a mixture of anger and self-resentment.

"Gavin, did you ever think that maybe you stayed because Talon was proud of you in a way that your parents never were? I mean he called you his best operative and obviously put a lot of effort into training you and turning you into the bona fide assassin you are today..." Agent Thomas' voice trails off as he looks at me intently.

"I never wanted Talon's praise." I say defensively. "I wanted money, I wanted a way out of living on the street and fighting for my next meal. I didn't want to become the monster he made me. I didn't want to be turned into a heartless criminal. I was just desperate and blinded by my hopeless circumstances."

"It had to satisfy you that someone wanted you for your talents. It had to boost your ego a little that you were the best at something, that you didn't have to live in anyone's shadow anymore." Agent Thomas presses, an attempt to get me to blow my top.

"You're forgetting something; I was already the best sharpshooter in the whole U.S. army. I didn't need to be the best in Talon's company or anywhere else. I did what I did because I was desperate for money, it's that simple." I cross my arms, indicating that I'm nearing my wit's end with this conversation.

"See, I don't think it's just that simple. There's always more to the story." Agent Thomas muses, his blue eyes making contact with mine.

"Not this one." I state simply.

"I'll get it out of you eventually. Now, tell me about how you got into Attica." Agent Thomas sighs and then gestures for Agent Bennet to continue taking notes.

"That was seven years into my employment at Tenebris industries. I was reaching my wit's end with Talon. I was his best operative, everyone knew that and that was why he couldn't afford to lose me. He gave me practically anything and everything I wanted as long as I performed kill after kill. I was rich and respected in his company but that was not what I wanted. I didn't keep killing for him because I wanted to; I did it because I had to. I did it because I was trapped by what he'd do to me if I left." I ramble on but am interrupted by Agent Thomas.

"That whole situation doesn't sound too bad; money, respect, a powerful man groveling at your feet..." He snorts and then rolls his eyes disbelievingly.

"Sometimes Satan makes you a cushiony bed in hell so you won't want to leave but that doesn't mean it still isn't hell." I reply without hesitation.

"Just go on with your story." Agent Bennet taps her pencil on the table as she waits for me to begin talking.

"Talon gave me a job that I immediately knew I wouldn't be able to do." I begin slowly.

"Which was?" Agent Bennet asks with exasperation.

"He wanted me to kill the NYPD police chief's daughter, Victoria Grayson." I say, my heart breaking as I think about Victoria who I had to leave behind, trapped in Talon's clutches.

"You're lying. You have to be. Why on God's green earth would he want you to murder the daughter of one of New York's finest?" Agent Thomas' eyes are wide as he tries to wrap his head around what I just told him.

"She wasn't Chief Grayson's biological daughter. She was actually Talon Tenebris' daughter whom his wife took with her when she ran away from him. You see, he was abusing them heavily so she left and then ended up marrying the police chief when Victoria was still really young so Victoria always thought Mr. Grayson was her father." I explain, my hands fiddling with the chains that are restraining my wrists.

"This still doesn't explain why you tried to murder Mr. Tenebris and the police chief's wife..." Agent Bennet glares at me, her pencil poised right above the paper.

"I was getting there, if you'd just hold on for a little while longer..." I huff and continue with my story. "I admit this honestly and completely, I fell in love with Victoria and so I knew that I could never murder her. The more time I delayed having to kill her, the more information came up about the reasons Talon wanted her dead. Everything ran deeper than him just wanting her dead. There was a drug ring and a secret relationship with his ex-wife and his whole business on the line. He literally felt he could not let her live. He arranged once for her to be stabbed in an alleyway just because he was so desperate for the job to be done. I kept trying to buy her time but in the end I knew I'd either have to kill her or I'd have to kill him. I struck a deal with him that I'd only kill her if he and his ex-wife came to watch. Of course I wasn't actually going to kill her but I needed him to think I was because that was the only way to buy her more time." I exhale a deep breath and give Agent Bennet some time to finish writing down her notes.

"So, this whole time you were just trying to keep Victoria alive? You were just trying to buy her more time?" Agent Thomas reiterates fretfully.

I nod and bite my lip.

"You may continue." Agent Bennet says breathlessly as she shakes out her hand cramp.

"I showed up on our agreed day which was her rehearsal dinner. I looked everywhere for her because somehow I knew if I didn't find her soon, I wouldn't find her alive. Talon sent me a text and told me what room to find her in. I went there and I found him, Mrs. Grayson and Victoria in the room. Victoria was tied up and the other two were taunting her. They were telling her how she was going to die and I fear that if I hadn't come in than they would've killed her anyway. I mean I think that merits some sort of defense doesn't it?" I look from one agent to the other, waiting for them to say something.

"We'll tell you if it does when your story's done, Mr. Forrester." Agent Thomas laces his fingers together, his jaw set tightly in forced patience.

"Either way I went into the room. There was some conversation, trash-talking I guess you could call it. I wasn't planning on shooting them originally; I was really just trying to get Victoria out of that room safely but then Mrs. Grayson stabbed me in the shoulder." I mutter and pull the sleeve of my t-shirt down, revealing a long, ragged scar from where the knife had penetrated that night.

"We believe you, Gavin." Ms. Bennet says with a slight gentleness in her voice.

Agent Thomas looks like he wants to snap her neck for showing such weakness in front of a criminal.

"Then I shot her in the stomach and Mr. Tenebris in the legs and the stomach before escaping to dispose of the gun." I finish and lean back in my chair once again.

"Where did you dispose of the gun?" Agent Thomas asks with a pointed look.

"The Hudson River," I glare back at him and wait for the next question.

"How did you escape from Attica?" Agent Bennet directs her blue eyes at me, a fiercely offended look playing on her features.

Ah the real questioning is beginning...

"Well, after I got sentenced to nine years in prison, I sent a letter to my friend asking him if he could help me escape. You see, I had some unfinished business to attend to." I set my hands in my lap and look innocently at the agents sitting across from me.

"What business would this be?" Agent Thomas asks sarcastically.

"Talon was still out on the streets and I was the only one who knew his weaknesses, the only one who knew how to get rid of him for good." I blink slowly, my eyes never leaving Agent Thomas' cold glare.

"The FBI had that situation under control without any interference from you." Agent Thomas states in a clipped tone, showing me that I'd obviously struck a nerve.

"Oh really then where is he?" I ask, knowing full well that I have him trapped.

"Gavin, you and I both know that you didn't escape Attica just so you could get rid of Talon...You wanted to be as far away from him as possible; if he wasn't near you then you sure as hell weren't going to go seek him out. Now, what's the real reason you escaped?" Agent Thomas cracks his knuckles and waits impatiently for my response.

"Would you believe me if I just told you I didn't want to be there anymore?" I lean back in my chair and tilt my head.

"Would you believe me if I told you the earth was flat?" Agent Thomas retorts.

Well, damn...

"I was in love with Victoria and I couldn't stand the thought of being away from her." I sigh, finally letting go of my reasoning.

"How did you escape?" Agent Thomas looks at me skeptically, like he's doubting that I was actually in love with the police chief's daughter.

"I got someone to send me bobby pins, I picked the lock, my friends disarmed the system and I escaped in the trunk of a car. My friends and I got on a private plane and flew off to Barbados as perfectly free people." I place my hands behind my head and continue to lean back in the chair, my nerves subsiding into relaxation.

"You mean to tell me that the Gavin Forrester escaped from one of the most protected prisons in the country with a bobby pin and a few of his low-life friends?" Agent Thomas mutters, his jaw is clenched angrily.

"And you never knew..." I say, satisfaction gleaming in my eyes.

"So, you were actually in Barbados this whole time?" Agent Bennet asks in astonishment.

I nod slowly as Agent Bennet continues to stare at me.

"Incredible, this whole agency has gone to the dogs." Agent Thomas snaps. "How the hell did we not find one lousy criminal in Barbados? How did we get outsmarted by this low life?"

"See that's where you're wrong; I'm not just some lousy criminal. I'm one of the best; my skills rank right up there with the Mafia." I smirk, absorbing Agent Thomas' furious expression.

"Is that really something to be proud of?" he snarls.

"Nope; I never said I was proud of my skills, I just said that I'm good at what I do and that's why you didn't catch me." I cross my legs and tap my fingers on the table.

"We have you now," Agent Bennet points out.

"Because I came in of my own free will." I reply without hesitation.

"What did you do while you were in Barbados?" Agent Thomas grits his teeth, obviously fed up with my comebacks.

"Lived a free life up until a few months ago, that's when Talon came back." I start my story as Agent Bennet continues to write in the notebook in front of her. "He found out where I was and he kept threatening me because he knew I could singlehandedly take down his business. He sent me some menacing letters, stole the files I needed to incriminate him and terrorized me and my friends for months. After a few months he..."

"He what?" Agent Thomas practically spits.

I need to tell them what he's doing to Victoria, they can help her; but I can't do anything that will incriminate her...

"He sent some of his employees to kidnap Victoria Grayson and as of right now, she's still trapped in Talon's basement in Barbados." I mutter slowly, allowing every word to sink in one by one. "That's why I came here; I was trying to save her and Talon knocked me out. He put me on a plane and left me a letter that said the only way I could keep her alive would be to turn myself in. You only have me now because I wanted Victoria to live."

Agent Thomas and Agent Bennet are quiet for a few moments before there's a sharp tap on the glass. They both exit the room, leaving me alone to breathe for the first time in what feels like hours.

I stare at the ceiling and whistle quietly to myself. It's really over; my story is really out. Whenever I used to dream about marching into a precinct and telling the truth, I always thought it'd feel good. I always thought that I'd feel relieved but now I just feel empty and nervous. I never get nervous; what is this madness?

The two agents come back into the room with an armed guard escorting them.

"Get up. You're taking a polygraph test." Agent Thomas mutters as the guards unlock my cuffs and then attach another pair once my arms are behind my back.

They lead me out of the room and force me down the hallway towards another room at the other end of the hallway. There's a machine set up there and only one other agent in the room.

The guards force me into a metal chair and then leave the room as the agent begins to hook me up to the polygraph machine. Agent Bennet leaves my file and her notebook before exiting the room with Agent Thomas, no doubt to go stand behind the two-way glass and watch my test.

I stare at the wall as the agent finally finishes hooking up me up to the polygraph machine. He opens my file and takes out a piece of notebook paper with a list of questions on it. He pushes it to the side and fires up the machine. I take in a deep breath and remind myself that I can do this. This is what Talon trained me to do; make the lies sound like the truth.

"Please state your full name and date of birth." The agent gives me an indifferent look as he waits for my response.

"Gavin Edward Forrester; born May 7th 1989." I answer calmly, my nerves plateauing.