Glock 19
Mike timidly waved to everyone as Barry introduced his crew. He felt slightly distressed about his welcoming. It wasn't a warm one and although their mouths were open no friendly "hellos" or "nice to meet yous" came out.
Burton noticed the boy's anxiety. He looked around the room and knew that he wouldn't have peace for a month.
"Come on, I'll show you your room," he said. "You'll have to share one with Leon, I hope you don't mind."
"That's fine..." Leland returned in a small voice, never taking his eyes off the others.
"Yo, Carlos! Come and help him out!" Barry yelled.
His booming voice snapped the ex-mercenary out of his trance and he quickly went for the nearest bag.
"Wait, no! That one's heav-" Mike tried to warn him but Carlos mindlessly pulled up and felt a horrible snap in his back.
"Ow..."
Barry almost laughed. "You ok?"
"I'll be fine." Carlos whipped himself upright and slowly rubbed his aching muscle.
Mike quickly walked over to the duffle bag, trying intensely to get the others' eyes off himself.
"Umm... Yeah... You should... uh... try lifting more with your legs." He stammered innocently to the almost infuriated Carlos. Putting a lighter suitcase down, Mike picked up the other bag effortlessly to the amazement of the watching group. "You should probably take that one..."
The former UBCS agent grabbed the bag off the floor and fallowed Barry and the new kid.
As soon as they were gone, Jill and Leon ran after to spy.
Mike sat on the second bed. Nothing spectacular, just a bed in a room. There was another like it on the other side.
"Make yourself at home," Barry said, patting his shoulder.
Mike chuckled, "thanks."
"I gotta go make some calls so get settled and we'll see after that, ok?" Burton looked at the boy as if he was dealing with an elementary school student.
"Barry, I don't need to be patronized. I'll be fine."
Burton smiled and left the room. Carlos did not; instead he sat down on the bed next to Mike and offered him his hand. Leland shook it cautiously.
"My name's Carlos Oliveria, amigo."
"Yeah... Barry introduced you. My name's Mike," said Leland.
"What's with the gloves?"
Mike pulled out of Carlos' hand and seemed to shrink down into the bed.
"Sorry hombre, just wondering," Carlos tried to apologize. It was fake. He still wanted to know.
"Barry didn't tell you?"
"Nope."
"You won't have any more luck with me then."
Carlos smiled the same smile as Barry, one that was somewhat welcoming. Mike was still a bit nervous around him but at least the tension was cut.
Oliveria looked around the room for a minute waiting for Mike to say something, anything really but it never came.
Finally he gave up, "want a tour?"
"Um... ok," Leland said weakly but on the inside he was screaming in relief.
"Hmmm... Burton told me not to but I think you need to know how to get around the place. Let's go!"
Mike stood up. "What are y'all hiding?"
Carlos laughed at the slight southern accent. "What are ~you~ hiding? You know we'll find out sooner or later."
Mike made his way to the doorframe and turning back, gave Carlos an I-know- something-that-you-don't look. "I'll make you forget, sooner or later that is."
"...And finally we come to the 'basement,'" Oliveria informed. Somewhere along the tour he had found an old cane and was using it to point out the solid steel door.
Mike looked at it and licked the top of his pop cycle. He was glad they stopped in the kitchen first, even if it meant he had to try and avoid the others. "Nice door."
"Thanks, it's where we keep all the stuff we don't want the world to know about." Carlos looked at the kid. "I probably shouldn't take you there just yet."
"You've taken me this far, you can't just back out now."
Carlos shrugged, "you're right but just in case, the door was open and you just slipped in out of curiosity."
Leland made a circle with his thumb and index finger as if to say "gotcha."
Oliveria pushed some random keys on the lock and the door made several shifting noises. As it opened, mike gradually began to see a long brightly lit hall with several doors of the same nature as the first at the sides.
"This is what you don't want the world to see?" Mike asked playfully.
"Come on before someone sees us." Carlos pushed him through the hall.
When they reached an entry with a huge yellow biohazard sign printed on it Oliveria stopped and pointed with his cane.
"This is our private lab. Not many people actually know how to use any of the stuff in there. Rebecca is one of the very few."
Mike looked through the small glass window. "Hey... I remember those..."
He cut himself off. As Mike looked farther into the room more and more information about each of the lab machines flooded his mind. He slowly inched away from the glass and shook his head in an attempt to regain his senses.
Carlos didn't notice and with slight pat on the arm he moved Leland to another metallic entry. "Now this I can show you."
Again, he fiddled with the keyboard and the door slid open. Inside there was an observation room with glowing controls and a huge window at the back of them. Carlos went in and touched a button on the vast control board. Lights behind the glass flickered and another door to the left unlatched. Mike looked inside the next room and was amazed to find rows upon rows of guns and other weaponry. He walked through the forest of black and silvery alloys. At the end of the expansive space there was another set of thick doors. These didn't have a lock so Mike pushed through and found himself in a white dome with eight columns climbing up the sides.
Carlos walked in after him. "So what do you think?"
Mike slowly spun around trying to memorize every detail of the gigantic area. "Who pays for all this?"
Oliveria scratched his head. "We have some very philanthropic sponsors who share our views."
"What is this place?" Leland asked.
Carlos took a remote out of his vest pocket and flicked a switch. Black and white, cardboard targets flung out from behind the columns. They were all different sizes but had the same basic human shape. "Shooting range... Wanna' try?"
Mike laughed. "Are you kidding me? I've never used a gun, I hate them with a passion."
Carlos raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were an assassin."
"Well, I guess I was different kind of assassin. My files said that I never used guns."
"Your file?"
"I guess Barry didn't tell you what happened to me either. I think I'll let him explain."
Carlos waved his hand at him. "Fine, I'll let you have your mystery. You want to try it or not? I really wanna' see what you can do. Burton doesn't hire just anyone."
"I told you, I've never held a gun before in my life," Leland explained. There was a flash of memory. *Hey! I really ~have~ never used a gun before!*
Disappointed, Oliveria was about to put the remote away when Mike spoke up. "Alright, I'll try it but only if you let me use your personal gun."
Carlos didn't know what to say at that comment. "Um... Ok sure..."
He opened his vest and pulled out a Glock 19.
Mike took it carefully with his left hand while taking off his right glove with his teeth. After moving his wrist a bit, Leland took the small handgun into his bare fingers and gripped the handle. Instantly information came into his mind. Carlos was an active shooter and his energy was heavily printed into the firearm. Mike knew that this would not be enough so he searched deeper into the images he got and finally settled in Oliveria's shooting classes. He dwindled there for some time and being a quick learner he gradually began to master the gun. He ran the information through his head, over and over again and when he opened his eyes, Mike felt very confident in his shooting abilities even though he was guilt ridden about even touching the weapon. All of this happened in a split second, a blink and he had more gunfire knowledge than most of the people in the house.
"I'm ready."
Mike timidly waved to everyone as Barry introduced his crew. He felt slightly distressed about his welcoming. It wasn't a warm one and although their mouths were open no friendly "hellos" or "nice to meet yous" came out.
Burton noticed the boy's anxiety. He looked around the room and knew that he wouldn't have peace for a month.
"Come on, I'll show you your room," he said. "You'll have to share one with Leon, I hope you don't mind."
"That's fine..." Leland returned in a small voice, never taking his eyes off the others.
"Yo, Carlos! Come and help him out!" Barry yelled.
His booming voice snapped the ex-mercenary out of his trance and he quickly went for the nearest bag.
"Wait, no! That one's heav-" Mike tried to warn him but Carlos mindlessly pulled up and felt a horrible snap in his back.
"Ow..."
Barry almost laughed. "You ok?"
"I'll be fine." Carlos whipped himself upright and slowly rubbed his aching muscle.
Mike quickly walked over to the duffle bag, trying intensely to get the others' eyes off himself.
"Umm... Yeah... You should... uh... try lifting more with your legs." He stammered innocently to the almost infuriated Carlos. Putting a lighter suitcase down, Mike picked up the other bag effortlessly to the amazement of the watching group. "You should probably take that one..."
The former UBCS agent grabbed the bag off the floor and fallowed Barry and the new kid.
As soon as they were gone, Jill and Leon ran after to spy.
Mike sat on the second bed. Nothing spectacular, just a bed in a room. There was another like it on the other side.
"Make yourself at home," Barry said, patting his shoulder.
Mike chuckled, "thanks."
"I gotta go make some calls so get settled and we'll see after that, ok?" Burton looked at the boy as if he was dealing with an elementary school student.
"Barry, I don't need to be patronized. I'll be fine."
Burton smiled and left the room. Carlos did not; instead he sat down on the bed next to Mike and offered him his hand. Leland shook it cautiously.
"My name's Carlos Oliveria, amigo."
"Yeah... Barry introduced you. My name's Mike," said Leland.
"What's with the gloves?"
Mike pulled out of Carlos' hand and seemed to shrink down into the bed.
"Sorry hombre, just wondering," Carlos tried to apologize. It was fake. He still wanted to know.
"Barry didn't tell you?"
"Nope."
"You won't have any more luck with me then."
Carlos smiled the same smile as Barry, one that was somewhat welcoming. Mike was still a bit nervous around him but at least the tension was cut.
Oliveria looked around the room for a minute waiting for Mike to say something, anything really but it never came.
Finally he gave up, "want a tour?"
"Um... ok," Leland said weakly but on the inside he was screaming in relief.
"Hmmm... Burton told me not to but I think you need to know how to get around the place. Let's go!"
Mike stood up. "What are y'all hiding?"
Carlos laughed at the slight southern accent. "What are ~you~ hiding? You know we'll find out sooner or later."
Mike made his way to the doorframe and turning back, gave Carlos an I-know- something-that-you-don't look. "I'll make you forget, sooner or later that is."
"...And finally we come to the 'basement,'" Oliveria informed. Somewhere along the tour he had found an old cane and was using it to point out the solid steel door.
Mike looked at it and licked the top of his pop cycle. He was glad they stopped in the kitchen first, even if it meant he had to try and avoid the others. "Nice door."
"Thanks, it's where we keep all the stuff we don't want the world to know about." Carlos looked at the kid. "I probably shouldn't take you there just yet."
"You've taken me this far, you can't just back out now."
Carlos shrugged, "you're right but just in case, the door was open and you just slipped in out of curiosity."
Leland made a circle with his thumb and index finger as if to say "gotcha."
Oliveria pushed some random keys on the lock and the door made several shifting noises. As it opened, mike gradually began to see a long brightly lit hall with several doors of the same nature as the first at the sides.
"This is what you don't want the world to see?" Mike asked playfully.
"Come on before someone sees us." Carlos pushed him through the hall.
When they reached an entry with a huge yellow biohazard sign printed on it Oliveria stopped and pointed with his cane.
"This is our private lab. Not many people actually know how to use any of the stuff in there. Rebecca is one of the very few."
Mike looked through the small glass window. "Hey... I remember those..."
He cut himself off. As Mike looked farther into the room more and more information about each of the lab machines flooded his mind. He slowly inched away from the glass and shook his head in an attempt to regain his senses.
Carlos didn't notice and with slight pat on the arm he moved Leland to another metallic entry. "Now this I can show you."
Again, he fiddled with the keyboard and the door slid open. Inside there was an observation room with glowing controls and a huge window at the back of them. Carlos went in and touched a button on the vast control board. Lights behind the glass flickered and another door to the left unlatched. Mike looked inside the next room and was amazed to find rows upon rows of guns and other weaponry. He walked through the forest of black and silvery alloys. At the end of the expansive space there was another set of thick doors. These didn't have a lock so Mike pushed through and found himself in a white dome with eight columns climbing up the sides.
Carlos walked in after him. "So what do you think?"
Mike slowly spun around trying to memorize every detail of the gigantic area. "Who pays for all this?"
Oliveria scratched his head. "We have some very philanthropic sponsors who share our views."
"What is this place?" Leland asked.
Carlos took a remote out of his vest pocket and flicked a switch. Black and white, cardboard targets flung out from behind the columns. They were all different sizes but had the same basic human shape. "Shooting range... Wanna' try?"
Mike laughed. "Are you kidding me? I've never used a gun, I hate them with a passion."
Carlos raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were an assassin."
"Well, I guess I was different kind of assassin. My files said that I never used guns."
"Your file?"
"I guess Barry didn't tell you what happened to me either. I think I'll let him explain."
Carlos waved his hand at him. "Fine, I'll let you have your mystery. You want to try it or not? I really wanna' see what you can do. Burton doesn't hire just anyone."
"I told you, I've never held a gun before in my life," Leland explained. There was a flash of memory. *Hey! I really ~have~ never used a gun before!*
Disappointed, Oliveria was about to put the remote away when Mike spoke up. "Alright, I'll try it but only if you let me use your personal gun."
Carlos didn't know what to say at that comment. "Um... Ok sure..."
He opened his vest and pulled out a Glock 19.
Mike took it carefully with his left hand while taking off his right glove with his teeth. After moving his wrist a bit, Leland took the small handgun into his bare fingers and gripped the handle. Instantly information came into his mind. Carlos was an active shooter and his energy was heavily printed into the firearm. Mike knew that this would not be enough so he searched deeper into the images he got and finally settled in Oliveria's shooting classes. He dwindled there for some time and being a quick learner he gradually began to master the gun. He ran the information through his head, over and over again and when he opened his eyes, Mike felt very confident in his shooting abilities even though he was guilt ridden about even touching the weapon. All of this happened in a split second, a blink and he had more gunfire knowledge than most of the people in the house.
"I'm ready."