Bloody War (NOW PUBLISHED IN PAPERBACK)

All eyes on Avery

"Like I said, there is no urge from my side to prove myself correct. You can choose to believe me or you can choose to suspect me." How many times do I have to say the same thing?

"Well that's another thing, but you have to tell us something that ensures that you are not going to hand us a pawn in the name of that clone."

I close my eyes and took a deep breath. My hands are folded in front of my chest as I start to speak. "Cartels had coding system basically for shipment and attacking procedures. But since those codes were also representing the areas the locals resided in, sometimes the shipment would not actually reach to the Cartels, but in the house of the locals. This caused many instances of disturbances and caught the attention of the government.

When the natives received the drugs, they would either throw it or use it. The thrown away boxes were then carried home by homeless beggars. These beggars were low waged, high quality laborers for industrialist. When many people went missing and street beggars were found pissed in Heroin, cocaine and morphine, then it was legally banned. This forced Cartel factories to shut down their business for almost 2 months and bear the great loss. Am I right?"

"Exactly. The banning date was 21st July 2016 to be specific."

Aiden answered without missing a beat after my question. "Well then, a complex bomb for example MN-7 would atleast take a year or so to be fully designed out. That too only when you have the full knowledge. So whoever the person who designed 343-Ch11 is, would have already started to make the bomb before this incident."

I don't why but I felt proud of myself for somehow remembering these small basic things. While on the other hand, I was ashamed beacuse this only proves how much space these things still have in my memory.
"But it happened in 2016. That still leaves us a year to launch. If someone would make it, why would they wait a whole year to use it?" This time it was Jason who questioned me. I swear I feel like a kid giving an entrance exam.

"I said to design it out, not to fully produce it. You have to carefully set everything up. Your catalyst, the type of catalyst and it's reactivity rate with the main chemicals. So that the reaction would not be delayed not it would be quickened. And after that comes testing it. If you cover all the time and final touches, the whole procedure takes upto a year and a half."

I concluded all together but I surely didn't expect the next question thrown towards me. "What's the proof of all this?" Are you serious? With what mind does one questions like that? I seriously questioned my existence now.

"The proof is your guts. If you're talking about pen and paper, then there is none. For example, I had no proof that Diana was pregnant. It was just a suspicion but she confirmed it with her expressions when the bullet hit her stomach. Just like what's the proof that the explosive used is 343-Ch11?"

I intend to know what exactly they would answer to my this question. Enough of this one sided questionnaire.
"We have this Forensic test report which is made by some of the best Forensic experts across the city." It was dominc who answered my questioned. Well I didn't expect it to be Aiden. He is too clever to engage in a wordplay.

"A Forensic report can be changed, duplicated, manipulated or fabricated." I said counting the false practices on my fingers and then looked at them, "I just mentioned 4 ways to prove that peice of paper false and I certainly did not create them. Anyone with means can do it. But you all choose to believe that despise these threats proves that you believe the person who made it. And it's the choice that you made, no one forced you to do it."

It was something that they needed to know once and for all. Deal or not, if they do not know these things then there elder brother wouldn't be able to make them survive.

♤♤♤

Aiden.

After having an intense wordplay, Avery finally signed the contract papers left us. And I was here sketching the how the supposed Golden gun looks like.

If even one of the most dangerous agents could not find that gun, I think it's signal enough that I start now. I have created atleast 5 sketches but somehow they all lack something. When I talked to Avery about the gun she said,

"It's nothing different than a short gun of golden colored."

That was a really very simple and vague reply. But I had to make do with it. The next Wednesday hopefully I can put a picture to this anonymous gun.

I get out of office and move towards the exit to go to the main building. Ruby? I saw her on my way in the hall ways.

"Oh! Aiden."

"What are you trying to to do?" I asked her in astonishment as I see her rambling various coherent things under her breath while walking from left to right, like an old woman worrying for her pie in the oven.

"I was just trying to find how, just how did Ave-Frost managed to play with our mind as if we were her toys. Jason and Dominic were so conflicted that they even confirmed the accuracy of the report thrice.

Do you still think it's a good idea to work with her? Even when we all witnessed just how easily she can manipulate us?"

Now, that can be a discussion. I internally thought. Why does it sounds so Avery? I shook my head and concentrated on the current query that Ruby put in front of me.

"Well, I have just one question to ask of you, Ruby. When Avery was talking, somewhere in between we all started believing her, why?"

I asked just so I can make her understand the same thing that Avery was pointing out. "No, I don't think you're right in this brother. We didn't start to believe her, she thought us to be gullible and made us question the report."

"There is a very slight difference there, Ruby. See, there were only two choices. One being trusting the Forensic report and second being believing Avery. If we were loyal to any one of them, we could not have wondered about the other one.

You're right. This was a tactic applied by her to make us understand her point. But she didn't intend to manipulate us. Why would she, when we are the one finding that gun for her? Plus I am an example that she didn't think of us gullible nor she wouldn't have entered this negotiation at any point."

Ruby seemed like she was in a deep conflict within her own self. But nonetheless she seems to understand what I was trying to convey. "We'll have to be extra careful around her. Now, let me help you with whatever it is you're going to do."
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