Wanted to break to give a nodd to my betas. Special Thank you to Mel for the help. For enduring all the grammer mistakes, banter and endless questions as I finished this story. Ok with out further delay lets get back to our story...
Chapter 11...
"Have you ever heard of Achilles, Mr. Hinkley?"
"He was a character from Greek mythology" Ralph replied watching as his captor sat back in his chair. He was unsure where Striegel was going, but after that outburst, he felt it was best to follow along.
"You are right," Striegel placed the gun between them, this time closer to Ralph, "and according to the story he was seemingly unstoppable, was able to defeat any foe he came up against."
Striegel pulled a remote from his pocket, "But Achilles had a weakness a vulnerable spot, hence the term Achilles' heel which in the end was his downfall. And as he had his weakness so does our Mr. Maxwell."
Striegel pushed a button on the remote and the lights dimmed as a screen dropped down from the ceiling. An image appeared on the screen, after a few seconds Ralph saw Bill's car pulling up to a group of buildings.
"I wonder what Mr. Maxwell's final thought will be as the man he thought was his friend pulls the trigger ending his life."
"You bastard" Ralph growled, everything falling into place as he grabbed the gun and pointed it at Striegel. He ignored the pain the quick movement brought and pushed it aside. Beyond the pain and anger Ralph heard Dr Striegel laughing.
"Really, Mr. Hinkley, do you actually believe that I would leave the gun fully loaded where you could reach it? Now why don't you put the gun down and we can talk like two civilized men."
Dr. Striegel's voice seemed to pull on Ralph causing him to lower the gun. Although Ralph seemed unfazed by what Striegel was saying, somewhere inside, his mind latched onto what was said forcing Ralph to obey...
Shaking the feeling off, Ralph raised the gun again. "You stopped being civilized when you used humans as your test subjects Striegel."
Striegel started to reply when Ralph aimed the gun to the left of Striegel and fired, cutting the man off as a bullet lodged in the wall next to Striegel.
"It seems you missed one. Shall we test that theory?" Ralph stated flatly re-cocking the gun and aiming it at Striegel as he saw Bill enter the building and another part of the screen showed the two doubles waiting. "Call them off Striegel."
"I can't," Striegel sneered... walking over to his desk ignoring Ralph's orders to stop. "Anymore than you will use that gun to kill me Mr. Hinkley"
Ralph again felt pulled by Dr. Striegel's voice, shaking his head to get rid of the feeling. He told Striegel to stop again as he came around the conference table and stood in front of Striegel the gun at his side.
"Stop what Mr Hinkley? Is there something I said that bothers you?"
"Whatever it is your doing," said Ralph wincing in pain. His head was pounding now.
"But I am not doing anything," said Striegel innocently.
"Fre….…Ralph!!"
Bill's voice coming over a speaker in the office drew their attention. Ralph pointed the gun at Striegel. "Call them off now," he said.
"Like I said before I can't," the man replied playing with the suit on the desk in front of him. "You see I gave them strict orders and that nothing was to stop them... not even me."
Ralph turned to the screen watching the two men in the lobby talking. He was dismayed that Bill was being fooled by the double. And there wasn't anything he could do to warn him of the danger.
"It is frustrating isn't Mr. Hinkley to see your friend so easily fooled? Someone who supposedly was your best friend, someone you trusted. How pathetic he can't even tell the difference between you and a copy."
Rage swelled up as a gun fight broke out on the screen. Ralph turned back to Striegel placing the gun within inches of Striegel's head. "Call them off now Striegel or I will..."
"You will what Mr. Hinkley…" Striegel cut him off as he laughed. "Shoot me? You won't pull that trigger..."
"Wanna bet?" Ralph pulled the hammer back on the gun setting the trigger.
"It would be a bet you would lose Mr. Hinkley," Striegel said leaning back in his chair putting space between him and the gun. He smiled when he saw Ralph contemplating Striegel's words. Seeing Ralph glance at the screen again, Striegel continued. "You see, I know you Mr. Hinkley, killing me would go against everything you believe in. You don't have it in you to kill me. That is why you won't pull that trigger. I can see it in your eyes, Right now even though I am an easy target, within range; you still struggle with whether or not you will pull the trigger."
Ralph relaxed the hammer on the gun, but tightened his grip on the handle. "You have no idea what I will or will not do," he said threateningly.
"I know more than you think Mr. Hinkley and if you kill me I still win. And either way my plans will be set in motion. Plans that even you or your partner won't be able to stop."
"What are you talking about?" Ralph growled through his teeth stepping closer to Striegel.
Striegel only laughed at Ralph's questions. The more Ralph asked the more Striegel laughed and the more frustrated Ralph got with the man until finally he shouted for Striegel to stop, firing the gun to the left of the Doctor.
Striegel only looked at the man in front of him. He knew the minute Ralph had pulled the trigger he had won, knowing everything was working the way he wanted. And all the satisfaction of that knowledge showed on Striegel's face.
Occasional gunfire could be heard. Ralph watched the screen from the corner of his eye, making sure to never to take his complete focus off the doctor.
"I did forget to mention one thing Mr. Hinkley... what you are watching is time delayed" Ralph pulled his full attention to Striegel then back at the screen as he watched Bill go after his own double.
"No..." He whispered in disbelief
"Yes, by 10 minutes, you're too late, it has already happened."
Ralph watched as Bill hid in an alcove of the hallway and heard his name as being called. He was too late, he failed. Over his emotions he heard Striegel mocking as Bill called Ralph's name.
The frustration at having failed to protect his friend again swelled up and gave way to anger. And still Striegel laughed only adding to the fury until it came to a head. Ralph turned once more toward Striegel bringing the butt of the gun across Striegel's temple. The force of the blow knocked Striegel out of his chair and onto the floor, unconscious.
Ralph, breathing hard from the exertion and shock at the rage that was built up inside, kneeled next to Striegel's form and checked his pulse. Finding it there, he lifted up an eyelid and looked into Striegel's eyes, seeing the whites.
"You're right Striegel, I won't kill someone, but that doesn't mean I won't knock them senseless," Ralph said as he stood up. He grabbed the suit and quickly changed into it. After using the suit's speed and an extension cord to quickly tie up Striegel to where he couldn't get free, Ralph looked at the screen again.
Ralph could see that Bill was still in the hallway slowly moving along the wall. There was no way of knowing if what Striegel said was true or not. Then he thought about the gun, if Striegel lied about the gun maybe he lied about the time delay as well he told himself, concentrating so he could get an accurate holograph of Bill.
But either because of his head injury and other factors, Ralph couldn't get anything. He hoped maybe his nerves, along with everything else were blocking it, and not because Bill was already dead. It didn't matter which it was though, he still didn't know where Bill was. He looked over at Striegel kicking himself mentally for being too hasty and letting his anger get the best of him.
Ralph heard his name again and looked up watching as Bill stood outside a door way. The agent then readied his weapon and stepped into the door way shooting as he did so. The shot rang throughout the office, but this time Ralph noticed something different. The shots were not as muffled and he could hear them clearer, the sound coming from a different source other than the office speakers. Somewhere close by ... and Ralph realized he still could help.
He quickly turned to the door. Pulling the door off the hinges Ralph stepped into the hallway scanning it. The hallway was long, office and what looked like labs lined the corridor. The hall took a turn at each end with another corridor.
Another shot rang out this time coming from the corridor to his left. Glancing over his shoulder at the screen in the office behind him, Ralph's world seem to move in slow motion as he watched an injured Bill reach for his gun only to have it kicked away by Ralph's double. Then the double kicked his friend before swinging his weapon and bringing it down on the agent. Bill ducked as best as he could, but received a glancing blow to the head.
Quickly turning toward his left he raced down the corridor toward where he knew Bill was, slowing only slightly when he reached the end. Seeing the gun man standing at the other end of the connecting passageway he continued.
----
The double sneered raising his gun and placing it to Bill's temple as the man slipped into unconsciousness. "And so it ends for the great Agent Maxwell..."
"I would like a different opinion," a new voice stated flatly behind him, startled by the sudden appearance he turned and aimed firing at the source. Ralph threw his arms up over his head blocking the bullets as the man unloaded the weapon.
Once the weapon was empty Ralph lowered his arms glaring at his doubleganger then approached him, anger flaring in his eyes and surging through him. The gunman tried to back up, but tripped over the agent. Ralph caught him by the neck before he could fall then lifted the man up off his feet.
The man clawed at the hand but it didn't affect his captor. "Don't kill me," he gasped, sensing inside that this man before him could easily kill him with just a small twitch of his hand.
Ralph barely heard the plea above the roar in his ears as red hot anger and hate surged through him. His grip on the other man was only slightly restrained. Somewhere inside him seemed to take pleasure in the thought of killing the man out right for everything that happened to him...
It was that thought though that scared him and held him from going through with it. Ralph looked the man in the eyes, but saw Striegel there mocking him, tempting him to kill.
"Never!" He told the image, his comment confusing the double as Ralph slightly tapped the man's head against the wall, rendering him unconscious. Letting go and watching the man slump to the floor, Ralph walked over to where Bill lay and leaned against the wall near his friend.
After sliding down until he sat on the floor Ralph brought his legs up and leaned his head on his knees, forcing himself to gain what little control he had left. Twice in one day, in less than an hour he let his emotions control his actions, and in one case almost leading to the death of another human being. No matter how justified he would have been had he gone through with, it went against everything he believed in, something he vowed to never do especially in the suit. And it scared him that he had come to that point, just barely able to pull himself back from it.
Bill moving brought him back to the present forcing the issue to the back of his mind. Ralph moved closer to Bill, kneeling next to his friend.
"Can you tell them to stop the ride I want to get off," the agent said trying to sit up, but Ralph kept a hand on the agent's chest keeping him from moving.
"It's all over Bill."
Hearing Ralph's voice Bill opened his eyes then closed them against the hall light, after a second he tried it again and was able to keep them open and looked suspiciously at the man leaning over him. Doubt it was really Ralph came to Bill's mind as he remembered all the events up until he blacked out.
"Would you help me sit up Ralph?"
"I don't…"
"I'm not asking Kid I am telling you," Bill said gruffly he wanted to be in a better position to fight if the man was not Ralph.
Ralph was worried about his friend, but did not want to argue with him, so he helped him up. Bill then asked for his gun. Confused as to why Bill would need it, but still complying, Ralph looked around for the weapon and found it a few inches away. He picked it up and handed it to the agent who then much to Ralph's surprise pointed the gun at him.
"Bill, what…"
"Making sure I know who all the players are," he said nodding his head toward the unconscious double. "That everybody's who they say they are in this nuthouse of mirrors," he finished wincing a little in pain but keeping the gun level.
Ralph followed the man's gaze confused for a second then realized what Bill was getting at.
"You want me to prove I am Ralph and not him," Ralph said motioning to the double.
Bill nodded. "How about you do a disappearing act for me?"
Ralph winced at the request, not sure with the pain he was feeling and everything else, if he could do it.
"I can't..." said Ralph hesitantly. Then seeing Bill cocking the gun and taking aim Ralph raised his hands. "Wait, I don't mean I can't, cause I am not the real me but cause I don't think I can because of my injuries. I can't concentrate enough to do it. The suit plus adrenaline I know are the only things keeping me from passing out."
The older man seemed unconvinced by the excuse, much to Ralph's frustration. He had to think of something to convince Bill. If he didn't Bill would shoot him, and Ralph didn't want that to happen knowing at such a close range the bullet would just ricochet off something, possibly killing Bill in the process which would prove who he was but with the wrong results.