The Royal Contract

He believed he could still trust his men to do their jobs and risk their lives to save their bosses. However, he still hoped that it never had to come to that point again. He never liked losing any of his men.

“Sir, we have new intel on those pictures you gave us.” One of his men assigned to investigate the matter entered his office with the new information. “We were hoping to show it to you in the briefing room.”

It was indeed past office hours when he glanced at his watch, yet it did not stop his men from doing their duties. To him and his men, it was not a mere job anymore. It was also personal.

They wanted to catch the culprit responsible for the death of some of his men, their comrades. He would not stop until he had fulfilled his promise to the families they had left behind. To seek justice for their deaths.

It was different when his men died in the middle of the war between two different ideologisms. But to die because of betrayal for money or power, then that was unacceptable.

“That is good news,” Tim answered, hopeful that they might finally have the answers they were looking for. The key to finding out who was really running the show in this elaborate scheme of things.

.....

He closed the files he had been working on and shut down the laptop he was using to accompany his men to the next room. But as soon as he stood up, a newcomer knocked on his door.

Looking up from his position, he saw a familiar face, a man he only wanted to see lying on a box, devoid of life. He quickly opened his drawer and pulled out a gun, swiftly unlocking the safety.

“What are you doing here, Joe?” Tim shouted, aiming his weapon directly into his heart.

If he pulled the trigger, he would surely kill him on the spot. However, he believed that his former colleague would not simply appear in his presence without a valid reason.

Joe was not a man with a death wish but a man who seemed to have a motive for showing his face before him. Out of curiosity, he would like to know what it was before he exacted his revenge against him for betraying his brothers in arms.

His other man, who faced him, noticed what was happening, sensing the danger, also quickly drew his gun and pointed it at the door. He did not ask questions but just followed his lead, willing to protect his boss from a possible threat.

“Easy now, boy.” The unwanted visitor said, directing his attention to the younger man, raising his arms in surrender. “I did not come here to make trouble, but I have a message for your boss if you are willing to listen.”

He moved a little closer, stepping inside the room where Tim would have a better angle at shooting him. But he was not afraid of him.

Because, for the longest time that he had worked with him, Tim would think first before he acted. He would not allow his emotions to cloud his judgment. It was why he was a good strategist and a great leader.

“You have the balls to show your face in here. What makes you think you can get out of this place alive?” Tim asked, seething with anger, seeing that Joe remained calm as ever, smiling as if he knew that they would not hurt him.

Then, his other men rushed to the room, probably upon hearing the commotion. But he did not need any of his men to deal with a man like Joe.

“As you can see, I came here not carrying a gun or any weapon. I am only here for the sole purpose of bringing a message.” Joe said, showing off the inside of his jacket.

He did have a plan that would surely keep him alive, but he had to play this right. Any wrong move might cost him his life, and everything else he planned would be a waste.

One of Tim’s men immediately moved to his side to check his body for any concealed weapon, patting every pocket, body, and both arms and legs.

“He is clean, Sir.” He reported after his thorough inspection. With a kicked behind the knee, which was not necessary, Joe came down, kneeling before them.

He could not help himself after seeing the man responsible for the death of one of his closest friends. He would have done more, but Tim signaled him to stop. Then, he moved to the side and resumed his position.

“What makes you think I want to hear your lies?” Tim moved closer to him, pointing the gun at his temple, warning him that he should only tell him the truth.

His fingers were inching to pull the trigger and end this traitor’s life, but his gut told him to wait until he had said his justification for seeking him. Not that he would believe anything he would say.

“Because I am still alive until now.” Joe looked up at him, staring into his eyes. He remained in his kneeling position, defiantly daring Tim to kill him. “If you wanted to shoot me, you have done it as soon as I was at your sight.”

He stood up and faced his former leader. Without batting an eyelash, he stared at the barrel of the gun. “But of course, you want answers.” He taunted Tim.

“Don’t worry. I am ready to answer some of your questions. In return, I need to talk to Prince Alexander.” He continued when Tim just studied him without responding.

“Leave us,” Tim shouted to his men, assuring them that he could handle him. “Don’t think I will not execute you if you make the wrong move.” He warned Joe, gesturing for him to sit on the available chair.

He knew his men would be waiting just outside the door. Some of them did not agree that he should trust a man like him. But he had to hear what Joe had to say without an entire audience.

Joe followed him into the seat and made himself comfortable, watching his former colleagues leave the room until they were finally alone.

“By the way, you really had to tighten your security. Anybody could just waltz in here and kill you all.” He mockingly stated, indicating the incompetency of his safety protocol.

In fairness, he still had the keycard that gave him access to the facility. And he had known the weak points of their system since he had helped design it before he had left.

“It was a temporary lapse in our judgment that would never happen again,” Tim answered, knowing that Joe was right. “So, why did you come here?”

If Joe came with guns blazing then, they would have been caught in surprise and probably be dead by now. He should have known better never to underestimate his opponent.

His focus had been on protecting the Prince and his wife. He had forgotten the security of their headquarters. It was a rookie mistake that might have cost them their lives.