Chapter 8

"I'll start with you Blaze" Adam begins as the mood of the room quickly changes from reminiscent to a serious tone.

"You know everything Adam" Blaze shrugs trying to keep this simple.

"Please, just make me aware if there is anything I need to go back over or cover up. I'm doing this to help you".

"Anyone I've killed has always been on the job or for the team against the syndicate on record. All with exception to DC O'Neil. But you were there and know all about that one". She tests him.

"The state concluded that O'Neil was killed by the syndicate after he colluded with them, I was the one who helped cover that one up for you if you remember".

"Yes. I remember it very well. So it means if I go down for that, you're coming with me". She threatens.

"Rest assured that no one else apart from the three of us in this room will ever know the truth. Besides, O'Neil betrayed the police and betrayed the state. You did us a favour…. Anything else I should know?"

"Let me see… hmmm, there's arson, a small bomb (Barbon's club), assaulting the acting commissioner, assaulting my colleague… ah overstaying my visa…. Does that count?"

"Blaze please don't mess around. Any syndicate war or some of your petty crimes are nothing and not worth putting you away over. What about Mr X?"

"What about him?" She questions.

"Did you kill him when you had the chance to arrest him?"

"I killed…" Axel interrupts. "YES!" Blaze gives a direct answer.

"We could have both arrested him but we killed him and you know what? It was one of the best things I ever did wiping that man's life off of this earth. He deserved everything that came to him". She replies without any remorse.

"How many years is that then Adam? Ten if I'm on good behaviour?" She replies feeling pissed off.

"If there is any evidence left it's possible. But then you two were heroes that day, you both stopped a nuclear warhead from destroying Wood Oak City".

"Any evidence was destroyed, the whole complex self destructed" Axel remembers.

"What about surveillance?" Adam questions.

"The only person who would have had access to surveillance that day was Dr Dahm. Although he had fled by the time we killed Mr X we have to find him" Blaze replies as Adam makes a note of this.

"Anything else I should know Blaze?"

"No" she shakes her head.

"Right then, Ax it's your turn. Where would you like to start? Adam probes.

"I second that to what Blaze told you about Mr X. We both killed him using our chi and he suffered for it".

"Ok, we've addressed what went down with Mr X last year, what else do I need to know?"

Axel pauses for a moment whilst clicking his knuckles. He then takes a sip of water, a deep breath then continues.

"I'll start with 2003, Tikrit in Iraq. I had been serving there for just over 18 months. One of my seniors was a guy, Sergeant Eric Lawrece. One night I heard someone screaming so I followed the sound into an abandoned factory we captured earlier that day. I found him there that night raping a young woman. It wasn't the first time that someone had reported him for misconduct but he always got away with it. I had my gun ready but all I was gonna do was hurt him then arrest him, make him pay for what he did. But then he pulled out his gun on me so I shot him in the head before he had the chance to kill me."

"That's manslaughter, it's unlikely you'd go down for that. You were doing your job and he resisted his arrest". Adam remarks.

Axel shakes his head, clicking his knuckles even more this time. "No, that's not the worst part".

He continues "after the shot, eight of the officers in my regiment ran in and they could see what I had done. We were all like brothers but this wasn't something they were willing to cover up for me. They were good soldiers and were following protocol. They surrounded me armed and ready to arrest me for killing our major. I knew at that point my life was over and there was no going back. Either I sink and give up or save myself because there was no other way out of this mess. So that night was the first time they witnessed my fire come out. I murdered 8 innocent soldiers to save my own skin and I regret that every day of my life. They didn't deserve to die, I should have just let them take me…." It all gets too much so Axel buries his head into his hands as his cheeks redden. He starts to breathe heavily whilst his eyes water up with tears. Blaze gently puts one arm around his shoulder whilst resting her head on him then glancing back towards Adam with uncertainty.

"I've never spoken about that night to anyone before". He continues with regret in his voice.

"I'm sorry man" Adam says having never seen his best friend as vulnerable as he is right now. "You realize if this ever gets out, you'll go down for life or get the needle".

"I know" Axel replies, trying to pull himself together.

"What about the woman you rescued? If we find her she can help you against any evidence". Blaze asks.

Axel shakes his head "No. she's dead too. She took the gun and shot herself after what he did to her. I couldn't change her mind, she didn't wanna leave…" he exhales heavily sobbing in his hands. He takes a deep breath before continuing "the fire I made burnt any evidence and since only one shot came from my own weapon, the investigators concluded that the fire was an accident - possibly militants in the area. I went through 10 days of interrogation because I was the only one who escaped. Eventually they dismissed me. Back then no one had any idea of what I was capable of and my power of but now…"

"We can't let Murphy get his hands on this. You're at an advantage if that evidence was destroyed plus Iraq is still pretty much off limits. If I can get my hands on your records during that year I can erase the fact that you were even there that night" Adam replies with determination.

"Any information on me, if it still exists will be in a classified file called 'Hawk'. That's what they referred to me as because I was their first choice sniper."

"Ok. Clark is close with a high ranking official in defense. I'm sure we can get our hands on that file. Anything else I should know?" Adam sighs, still trying to process the bombshell his friend just revealed.

Axel briefly glances towards Blaze with guilt in his eyes before disclosing further information and more shocking revelations.

"You're aware that after I left the military I travelled abroad and fought as a career?"

"Yeah I remember, you left for 3 years to train as an MMA fighter"

"That's true but the shit that went down? It wasn't just a sport. We used to fight for territory, money, power. To our managers it was a sport but for us it was life and death. It wasn't always, but often we had to fight in those camps to the death." He sighs.

"How many men do you think illegally killed there then when you were fighting?" Adam probes.

"206." He pauses as Adam and Blaze look at him in disbelief.

"Why did you spend so much time fighting there?" Blaze questions him feeling sad.

"Because I was lost. My parents had just been murdered and I had nowhere else to go, no job, no future and I wanted to punish myself for what I did and for the fact that I couldn't save them. Steffan had found me and came into my life when I was at my weakest".

"Your biological father?" She asks.

He nods then continues. "After one year, I was the highest ranking underground fighter in South Asia. Steffan Visser took full advantage of that until I found out who he really was. One night he sat me down and told me that I didn't have to fight any more. The money that we made was enough to build his new business empire and legacy. We knew that he used most of the winnings his fighters made and invested them in oil companies, infrastructure and other projects but one night he revealed where most of it was going. Before we left for Asia, he was already a well respected gangster at home…."

"Yeah, he and his men were the ones who killed my family" Blaze replies with anger on her face.

"And they killed my parents too. That day when he revealed to me that he was my father and his big plan to take back the syndicate from his partner Mr X, the penny dropped."

"What do you mean take back the syndicate?" Adam queries.

"Steffan was the one who had set up the old syndicate. Later on he took on his partner, Javier Williams who concealed his identity as Mr X. When Steffan left Wood Oak to start his fighting company abroad, he temporarily left ownership of the old syndicate to his friend and partner. After 3 years the syndicate were thriving and had bought or killed off every other major criminal organisation in Wood Oak City. So when he got tired of Asia and wanted to return home, his plan was to kill Mr X and take it all back. Then he would eventually pass the organisation onto his only son, me."

"Fuck!" Adam reacts with surprise "We knew he was your biological father but I had no idea he had planned…. Wait do you have evidence of this?"

"Yes. The title deeds to the original syndicate corporation as well as Steffan's will are all buried somewhere safe".

"Can you gain access to them after all this time? I can't believe…" Adam replies.

"I can try. I put all that shit behind me though, I didn't want any part of it!"

"What about Steffan, he's dead right? The Coroner's report claimed he died after an arson attack…." He pauses. "You killed your father didn't you?" Adam probes as Blaze gasps and covers her mouth in disbelief.

"That man was never a father! My mother decided not to have an abortion after he'd raped her before she met the one guy who was really like a father to me. Then 20 years later the organisation he created had them both murdered in cold blood by Mr X. The plan was to kill me too once I returned to Wood Oak from serving abroad but then he realized who I was. I had to do it! I needed to escape from them and he needed to pay for what he'd done".

"Do you think there is any evidence left of this?"

"Mr X knew about the organisation's deeds and Steffan's will. He knew that Steffan had a son and that one day there would be a possibility of me coming back to take everything away from him. For years he knew who I was but it took me a long time to find out who was really behind the syndicate and who killed my parents. I came back to Wood Oak City and I joined the police department because I had the skills and I wanted to track this man down whilst staying off any police radar for the mistakes I had made in the past".

"And whilst you were a cop, was there anything else you covered up?"

"I dedicated the best part of my career to fighting these criminals and so did you. I spent all that time trying to make up for everything I ever did wrong. I was a good cop, even among so many that fell into corruption. But of course there were a few times when I broke the rules. DC O'Neil was one of those when we organised for Blaze to kill him."

"I take full responsibility for that" she replies.

"What about Tiger then? He died in your custody and Electra will definitely pursue that one".

"Yes, Tiger was in my custody. The reports concluded that the syndicate got to him before he could snitch on Mr X and was shot in his cell".

"Is that true?" Adam questions.

"No. I got rid of all the evidence, made sure any surveillance was faulty before he died".

"So you murdered him too?"

"No. I was part of the plan but I didn't pull the trigger on Tiger".

"So who did?" Adam asks impatiently.

Axel sighs then glances at his friend with guilt on his face. "Sammy pulled the trigger. I'm sorry man".

"What?!" Adam stands to his feet feeling angry.

"He wanted to do it, he wanted revenge for his friend and all the shit that went down afterwards".

"Sammy was only 15! And you gave him permission and the gun to execute a prisoner? What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Tiger wasn't just a prisoner. You knew what he was capable of".

"Why couldn't it have been you who killed him then?!"

"I didn't force Sammy to do anything! He wanted vengeance and it was eating him up inside. He changed after that day, he put it all behind him and found justice for his friend. You or me would have done the same if we were in his shoes".

"Just promise me one thing Axel… if this ever gets out…"

"I'll take full responsibility for it. I won't ever let anything happen to Sammy".

Adam sighs then paces up and down the room nodding and accepting the situation. "We've got a lot of shit here that we need to fix".

"And I told you, I dealt with the evidence". Axel replies

"Tim's smart. If they've threatened his family he will find a way."

"So then you know there's only one way to deal with this then". Axel says with certainty.

"No, no way! I will bury this shit for you, I'll destroy anything they can get hold of on you but i wont murder an innocent man!" Adam insists.

"Tim betrayed all of us! He's working with the syndicate."

"Under the threat of his wife and daughter! No Axel, if you go through with this, I can't protect you or play any part in this."

"I understand".

"And what about you? Are you in on this with him or can you make your man come to his senses?" Adam addresses Blaze.

"I'll do whatever it takes to get Tim and the syndicate off our backs". She replies, making her stance clear.

"Of course you'd stand by him wouldn't you Blaze? Then you're just as much of a murderer as he is! What happened to that conscience of yours huh? All it takes is for you to fall head over heels for a guy and then…"

"What happened to your loyalty Adam?" she stands and squares up to him.

"Axel knows he is just as much of a brother as Sammy is to me. I would kill myself first before ever betraying him but because I love him like he is my own brother, I will call out when I know he's in the wrong. And right now what you both are planning to do is wrong!" He shouts.

"I don't care what mistakes he's made or what he's about to do! You know he's still a good man and as for my conscience? That got me nowhere and I won't let anyone destroy our lives ever again. So if that means making sacrifices for the good of the future, I'll kill Tim myself if I have to. Now either you're with us or you're not" Blaze responds angrily.

"There's something different about you Blaze" Adam remarks shaking his head.

She replies "Yeah, I'm happy. For once in my life I'm happy! And you've been there, in fact you've been there the longest Adam. And you've seen me when I was at my lowest and how bad my life once was. So I've had enough of doing the right thing then suffering for it! I'm sure you can understand that. So please, I'm begging you just this once, not to stand in our way".

Adam swallows his pride. "OK. I promise I will do everything I can to destroy any evidence left out there. I won't stand in your way but I won't help you kill Tim either. Carry on with your vacation as normal, as if this conversation never happened. Tomorrow I will return home and Clark and I will get started on destroying anything leading back to what you've told me. So by the time you two return home, this mess will be over and you won't have to kill Tim Murphy".

"I really hope for that also" Axel agrees.

"Everything you've told me tonight stays here between the three of us and never leaves this room. Understood?" The trio agree to come to a joint conclusion so that their past wrongdoings remain in the past.