AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow, it's been a long time since I've updated! Over four months! And I apologize for how long it's been since I've added to this story. I had a very busy spring semester while working two jobs. But I recently got a new job, and I'm taking one class this summer, which means I have more time to write this story rather than essays. This story is beginning to come to a close and I hope to have it done within the next month or two. But don't let that fool you--there is still plenty of action ahead!
Also, chapters 1, 6, and 8 have been updated. If you don't want to go back and find what was updated, here's what I did: I changed Jake's middle name for additional purposes outside of this fiction. That's really it. Thank you to all my loyal readers, and I hope you enjoy chapter fifteen!
DISCLAIMER: Jake Mallard is © me. Jacob Mallard and Gail Mallard are © Amanda Rohrssen and are being used with her permission. You can learn about these two characters in her story, The Sins of the Father. Darkwing Duck and Negaduck are © Disney.
CHAPTER 15
For weeks, the local evening news covered the disappearance of Jacob Mallard. After only three days, he was declared an M.I.A. agent of SHUSH. Once two months had passed, he was officially considered K.I.A.--or 'killed in action' for those of you not familiar with the lingo. Day after day I watched the news coverage on television. And I loved every moment of it.
I even took it upon myself to unnoticeably check in on his family the day after Jacob's death had been declared. I sat in my dark vehicle across the street from the suburban home. The later evening hours had settled and it was a clear night; I could even see the stars through the bright lights of the city. But my attention was focused on the house to my left. I could see perfectly through the large front window, which looked into the lit dining area. It was late, and the two children were surely being put to bed. Then, she came into view. The beautiful and familiar blonde woman who appeared to be a carbon-copy of my own wife. Gail was her name, but she was Jacob's wife. Not mine.
Her face was distraught with sorrow and pain. I felt myself frown as I watched her sit down at the dining table. She sat there, facing forward and unmoving for a long moment. Then her hands came up to cover her face, and I could see that she began sobbing. I watched her convulse in emotional agony, having lost her true love. And my bill twisted into a heartless smile.
I continued to shelter myself from the majority of society for several months after the Jacob Mallard incident. I knew what I planned to do once I had removed him from the picture, but to succeed, I would have to be patient. To rush into the situation could be disastrous on my part. So I purchased myself a condo in the city and awaited for the right time.
The time came, and I applied at SHUSH. It seem uncanny to Director J. Gander Hooter how closely I physically resembled a past agent of his, and that were share similar names. But I merely had to point out the likelihood of such a common name and present him with flawless, falsified background documents. I merely covered up my past with a new one. I demonstrated my abilities and passed every screening test. Even though I was approaching the age of 40, I proved myself, and I was hired as a field operations agent. It was disgustingly simple.
Why did I stay? Why didn't I return to my home universe? When I weighed the costs and benefits, one significantly outweighed the other. There was nothing left for me back home. And if SHUSH found me after my betrayal, they wouldn't hesitate to slowly and painfully kill me. I didn't know it at the time, but my home universe was experiencing some drastic changes. It was becoming the 'Negaverse' we know it as now. If I were still in the Negaverse while it was changing, I would surely be dead. My enemies were many, and my allies were few. There were many people hunting for me in the Negaverse. Returning would be a fatal mistake. Besides, I was reaping personal benefits at my present location in the Normalverse.
The years passed, and I began to have the same affect on SHUSH as I had in the Negaverse. Other agents were influenced by my hard-headed personality and my astounding ability to get the job done perfectly. J. Gander began to favor me, and I didn't doubt that one day I would overthrow Agent Gryzlikoff as the Chief Agent. My salary was on the rise and I was soon able to afford a luxurious, swank condo in a prestige area of the city. Everything was going the way I wanted. And while my occupation's purpose was to protect the well-being of citizens, I had my own ulterior motives in mind. I was respected and quickly becoming a well-known face throughout the city. I was successful at everything I did, and my ego was enjoying the fame.
SHUSH didn't hire many men in their forties to serve as agents. But by the time I was forty-seven, I was one of the leading field operatives. Frequently, I would be dispatched in the middle of the night to a crime in progress, or a crime that had been recently committed. Working at SHUSH had become my life. I would gladly volunteer to cover for other agents on holidays so that they could spend the days off with their families. I didn't mind. It wasn't as if I had anything else to do with my life or a family to spend my free time with. Besides, my expertise on the criminal mind was valued by SHUSH. They never would have suspected my intelligence of felons came from my own treacherous experiences of the past.
Yes, things were going my way. But I was about to experience the surprise of my life.
The phone on the cherry wood nightstand beside my bed rang loudly, interrupting the nightmare-plagued slumber I've been experiencing for over twenty years now. With my face buried in a down pillow, my hand blindly groped the darkness until I found the bedside lamp. As the bulb dimly lit the vast bedroom, I turned my head and squinted my eyes to read the clock: 1:49 a.m. The phone rang a fourth time before I tiredly picked up the receiver and lazily set it against my ear.
"Mallard, here," I droned.
"Agent Mallard, there's a situation at City Hall. Director Hooter needs you present immediately," the dispatcher informed.
"Right. I'm on my way."
I set the receiver back in its cradle and pulled myself out of bed. This was quickly becoming a routine to me, and I was growing accustomed to the lack of sleep. Within ten minutes, I was dressed in one of my many black Armani suits and on my way out of my apartment.
Another ten minutes later, my black BMW carefully rolled through the crowd of citizens that had gathered outside of City Hall. Police officers were herding the people to either side to let me pass without running over anyone. Once I was as close as I could get, I opened the door and stepped out with my head held high and an authoritative stance. City Hall was circled with barricades and police tape, and police cars surrounded the area with their red and blue lights flashing. It was quite a chaotic scene, especially during the early morning hours.
An officer quickly approached me the second I had emerged from my car. He was a stout pig, whose police uniform was at least a size too small and mercilessly hugged his fat body. "From SHUSH?" he assumed and offered me a quick handshake. "Lieutenant Billings."
"Agent Mallard. What's going on here, Lieutenant?" I asked while the officer led me through cars and police equipment.
"A lunatic has locked down City Hall and is holding the Mayor and some of his staff hostage," he answered hurriedly.
I raised my brows curiously, still keeping a quick pace. "This late? Since when does the Mayor work after hours? He rarely works during the day," I said with dry humor.
Another officer lifted a strip of police tape, allowing us to duck underneath. Finally, the lieutenant came to a stop and turned to face me. "Apparently the culprit has been holding them inside since earlier this evening. He terrorized the entire building and held every person inside. It wasn't until an hour ago that he let most of the hostages go free to spread the word of his plans to the authorities. He's still holding the mayor and his closest staff."
I looked toward City Hall. All of the lights inside were off, and the power had been cut for the surrounding streetlights as well. After a moment of studying the area in front of me, I turned to the police officer, and asked in a low voice over the gossiping crowd on the street behind us. "Who is he?"
The lieutenant regretfully shrugged. "No one has seen him. Not even the hostages who were released."
"Any demands?"
"None yet. There's been nothing," he answered.
I heaved my shoulders and combed my fingers through the feathers atop my head. I was baffled, even though I wouldn't openly admit it. St. Canard was full of low-life criminal scum, and I knew of every one--at least the ones who were clever enough to orchestrate a crime as elaborate as the one I was facing. And it was unusual for any top-notch criminal to hold out a structure like City Hall for so long without making any demands.
This was someone new to St. Canard's pool of felons.
After a moment of contemplating my limited options, I turned to the lieutenant. "First of all, clear the sidewalks of all the nosey citizens. The last thing we need is someone to get caught in any potential crossfire. I want a SWAT team down here and setting themselves around the perimeter within the next ten minutes. See if we can get any sort of surveillance inside so that we--"
"Look! The window!"
The officer and I turned our heads to the side to look in the direction indicated by the shout from the crowd. One of the building's smaller windows slid open, and we squinted our eyes to catch a glimpse of the culprit. But we had no such luck. Instead, a medium-sized object was projected out the window toward the crowded street below. My eyes widened when I saw the lighted wick flickering in the dark.
"It's a bomb! Everybody get back!" the lieutenant cried and waved wildly at the crowd.
People began screaming, and they scrambled over one another to clear the area. I didn't move until I saw the round black bomb hit the ground and roll beneath a police cruiser. Then I turned tail and dove out of the way a split second before the explosion shook the ground. The loud blast was deafening and the car was quickly swallowed by a billowing fireball. I could feel the heat at my back as I scampered behind another police car. I had the shield my eyes from the blinding fire as it rose high into the sky. Bystanders watched, frightened and mesmerized. Once the explosion calmed, several officers moved in with fire extinguishers as their weapons.
But while they were extinguishing the fire and people began to regain themselves, a devilish laughter echoed over the voices of everyone else.
"You like that St. Canard? Because you'll be in for plenty more of it, you simple-minded saps! Ya Hahahahahaha!"
His wicked laugh was cold, chilling, and mad. It was the laugh that belonged to someone spiteful and angry, and void of any conscience. Someone who wouldn't have cared if his bomb killed dozens of innocent people. The laugh belonged to a true, cold-hearted villain. I got to my feet with my eyes locked on the dark window where he was hiding in the shadows. All I could see was the outline of a figure, who appeared to be wearing some sort of wide-brimmed hat.
The crowd in the street began to move forward again, eager to see the actor behind this terrorizing act. But officers promptly pushed them back, and the lieutenant reappeared at my side with a megaphone in his hand.
"Alright you! Tell us who you are and what you want!" the lieutenant's voice echoed through the megaphone. "Just talk to us and we'll get through this without anyone getting hurt!"
Every person witnessing the scene grew quiet so that they would hear every word of the conversation. The deep, growling voice replied from the window. "Talk! That's too boring! Why would I wanna waste my time talking to you barrel-assed, donut-munching sissies when I would be causing wanton destruction?"
Just then, another bomb flew through the open window, this time exploding into the pavement of the street. Everyone managed to scamper out of the way, once again shouting in panic. The explosion sent large chunks of concrete tearing through the air, making them airborne weapons. A few unlucky citizens were knocked off their feet with a slice of pavement knocked them in the head or in the back.
Now the crowd was staying a reasonable distance away.
"Keep talking! I can go on like this all night!" the unknown criminal taunted.
"Now listen here, son!" the lieutenant called as he adjusted his lopsided police cap on his head. "You--!"
"No, YOU listen to me!" he corrected, his voice taking on a serious and deadly tone. "It's about time this city had a real criminal to give all of you citizens a wake-up call to the harsh realities of the world! You all go about your daily routines of your normal lives without a care in your dull, unsuspecting minds. You sentimental suckers could use some destruction and mayhem in your lives, and I'm just the duck for the job!"
There was a short pause as the duck stepped closer toward the window. I still couldn't see him, but I was able to catch the evil glint in his eyes from a distance.
"I am NEGADUCK. Don't worry about memorizing it, because you will be hearing my name a lot from now on!"
The lieutenant and I looked at one another questionably as Negaduck let out another mad cackle. "Have you heard of him before?" he asked me, assuming that being a federal officer made me more knowledgeable on the subject of threats outside of St. Canard.
But I shook my head. I had been in the Normalverse for ten years, and I hadn't heard of this freshly classified felon. "No. This is a new one. Find out what he wants."
The cop obediently raised the megaphone to his lips again. "Tell us what you want, Negaduck! We can make arrangements as long as you don't harm any of the hostages!"
There came another laugh. A snide, jeering, yet amused laughed. "Demands? I don't have any demands, you knobs! I'm not doing this for monetary gain--I can easily rob a bank without breaking a sweat if that was what I wanted!" Negaduck monologues, sounding quite pleased with himself. I could tell this wicked man had a dangerously large ego. "What I want from all of this is to establish my identify. To make my name reputable. And what better way to do that then to blow up City Hall with the Mayor inside, sizzling until he's crisp bacon!"
People behind us gasped. While I remained calm and collected, I could see the lieutenant beginning to break and nervous sweat. "If you have your mind set on destroying City Hall, then so be it, Negaduck! But let the hostages go!"
"I'll think about it!" Negaduck snapped back. There was a short pause, as if he were actually contemplating his answer. A few seconds later, he piped up again. "Okay, I thought about it. Looks like it's gonna be another election year! Sayonara, saps!"
The window slammed shut with enough force that I could hear the glass shatter from down on the street. The lieutenant groaned and rubbed his forehead with one hand, realizing that the situation was anything but under control. Negaduck was in control. But I was determined to bring that to an end, not to save the lives of a few hostages (I didn't vote for Mayor Collie, anyway), but to further build my reputation with the downfall of this villain's.
"Well, that went well," I commented smoothly and began unbuttoning my black suit jacket.
The lieutenant grunted in reply to my sarcastic remark, but he did a double-take when he saw me remove a .45 automatic and began loading a full magazine. "Agent, what are you doing?"
"I'm going in there," I said matter-of-factly as I jammed the magazine into the gun and motioned toward City Hall.
"Hold on a minute! You can't go in there!" he protested, his voice filled with panic. "You can jeopardize the lives of the hostages! We don't know what this maniac will do!"
"Lieutenant, you're right. We don't know what he's going to do," I agreed but continued insistently. "But we do know what he is not going to do, and he's not going to sit around and negotiate with us when he's got several hostages at his disposal. He says that he isn't after any financial gain. The only gain he wants is reputable. And if that's true, which I believe it is, then there is no better way to achieve that than to lock down the city's most prominent building and execute the city's leader inside."
The chief watched me replace the loaded gun inside of my jacket. I could tell from his frowning expression that my words had sunk in. "Let me send in some of my men. We can get the SWAT down here in five minutes."
"No. There's no time to wait. I'm going in."
"But Agent Mallard, I insist that--"
"I'm the ranking officer here, Lieutenant," I interrupted. I was beginning to grow impatient, which is what usually happened when someone doubted me. I hated it. "Keep all of your officers back unless I give the order, is that understood?"
It was like instructing a small child, but regardless, he nodded. I loved my authority and the effect it had on people. The lieutenant handed me his walkie-talkie, which I muted and clipped onto my belt. "No one moves until I give the word," I reiterated firmly.
"Are you sure about this, Mallard?" the lieutenant asked one final time.
I didn't verbally respond, but I smiled boyishly before I turned away and swiftly made my way around the barricades and crept through the thick hedges bordering City Hall.
Minutes later, I was creeping through the dark back hallways of the government building with my gun held calmly in my hands. I kept myself pressed against the smooth walls, and cautiously peered around every corner. Security cameras were mounted on the wall in every hallway, but looking forward, I could see that the power lights were not lit. Negaduck had cut the power to the entire building.
I continued through the broad hallways, eventually making my way up the emergency stairwell to the third floor--the floor from which Negaduck had made contact with us. I kept my ears sharp for any voices, any gunshots. But the only sounds I heard were the almost mute sound of my shoes on the freshly waxed floor. I thought I had heard shuffling from behind, and I silently spun around with my gun aimed perfectly toward the would-be assailant. But there was no one there. I remained still for several seconds and listened. Nothing. Convinced, I relinquished my aim and continued.
My eyes glinted excitedly in the dark. I was confident in everything I did, and I wasn't afraid to die. The situation I found myself in at the time gave me a high I could never experience from any type of drug in the world. Danger was my drug. And I couldn't get enough of it.
Then, I heard it. The deep, growling voice coming from the last room down the hallway on the left. I inhaled deeply and continued to silently stalk down the hallway. As I got closer, I could begin to make out Negaduck's words.
"So much for running for another term, eh, Mayor Collie? Tsk, tsk, tsk. That's really too bad. Not!"
I carefully peered around the opened door into the dark conference room. I could see the mayor, his spokesperson, his secretary, and two security guards bound and gagged on the floor. They were staring with wide eyes toward the other side of the room. I followed their terrified gazes, and I saw him.
Negaduck. He was a white mallard, probably no older than twenty-two, and dressed in a yellow double-breasted jacket over a red turtleneck. A black cape with crimson lining was clasped over his shoulders, and he wore a red fedora. And bordering his eyes was a black mask. He looked like someone on his way to a classy costume party. And surprisingly, he was rather short. But he compensated for his lack of height with a fiery, intimidating temper. I kept myself hidden around the corner and watched the villain's every move. He paced in front of the helpless hostages, eyeing them like a predator eyeing its doomed prey.
Then, there was a continuous beeping sound. Negaduck lifted his wrist and pushed back his sleeve to look at his watch. His eyes rose to the mayor, and he chuckled lowly before strutted to the window.
"Coffee break is over, you flat-footed fops!" Negaduck shouted down to the police below. "Now the real fun begins!"
Negaduck retreated from the window and stormed over to the cowardly mayor, who was trembling in fear. The caped villain reached into his jacket and removed a loaded gun, which caused the other hostages to scoot away from the mayor, desperate to be out of the line of fire that was about to ensue.
"Congratulations, Mayor," Negaduck snarled darkly as he loaded the chamber of the automatic with a pair of loud 'clicks.' "You get to be my first victim in your pathetic city."
The mayor's eyes were wide as saucers as he watched Negaduck raise his gun. His shouts of protest were muffled beneath the gag in his mouth, and he shook his head in one final plea. The gun was aimed right between his eyes, and I watched as Negaduck's finger wrapped tightly around the trigger. I gripped my own weapon tightly in my hands and prepared myself to rush forward.
But I was cut off by a hissing sound. A cloud of blue smoke suddenly billowed over the center of the conference table and a dramatic voice boomed through the room. Negaduck spun around with a startled gasp, and I froze in my tracks.
"I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the flat tire on the getaway car of crime!"
The blue smoke cleared, revealing another duck wearing the exact same caped costume, but in a purple, blue, and gray color scheme. He posed dramatically, holding the corners of his cape out to the side. "I am Darkwiiiiiing Duck!"
But before the two identical mallards could engage in a classic battle of wits and insults, they stared at one another. Their brows raised, and then their bottom jaws fell open simultaneously. This was the first time that Darkwing Duck and Negaduck had come face-to-face.
"What in the--?" They both began speaking in unison. "Hey!"
I blinked my eyes several times, and even resorted to shaking my head in an attempt to clear my double vision. But it was no illusion. I was staring at two identical mallards.
"Who the hell are you?" Negaduck snapped, becoming impatient and perhaps even a little bit freaked out.
"Moi? Why I am Darkwiiiiing Duck!" the hero proclaimed again with a dramatic flourish of his cape. "St. Canard's newfound vigilante! Protector of the citizens against menacing and maniacal miscreants such as yourself!" Darkwing hopped down from the conference table, landing feet away from Negaduck. "And I don't know what kind of insecure and immature imposter you are, but dressing like me isn't going to keep you safe in this city! Now, hand over those hostages!" he demanded and pointed a finger at the villain.
Negaduck's bill twisted into an angry snarl. I could see his hands curl into fists. "You want 'em? Fine! But you'll get them in hundreds of tiny pieces, hero!" In the blink of an eye, the evil mallard's gun was raised again, this time at the harmless secretary.
But he didn't see Darkwing withdraw his own weapon from his cape. It was a rather ridiculous looking decide, which looked more like a toy than a complicated device. "Suck gas, evildoer!" he cried and pulled the trigger on his gasgun. A cylinder shaped canister shot through the air and slid to a stop at Negaduck's feet. Another cloud of blue smoke shot up into the air and quickly filled the whole room. I turned my head away to avoid being affected from the gas, but I could hear the hostages coughing. And Negaduck. Unfortunately, I could hear Darkwing coughing as well.
"Note to self! Use smaller gas canisters! Minor setback!" he coughed and waved his hands wildly in front of his face to clear the air he was breathing.
"Oh yeah? Here's another minor setback, Duck!" Negaduck shouted.
I snapped my head back around to see Negaduck picked up the round, pudgy figure of the mayor and hurl him forward toward the unsuspecting hero. Darkwing let out a startled yelp as the mayor slammed into him and knocked them both to the ground. The distraction was enough for the criminal to make his escape. Through the clearing smoke of Darkwing's gasgun, I saw Negaduck turn toward the door and sprint forward.
"Come back here, you yellow-jacketed yahoo!" Darkwing hollered after his fleeing double while he struggled to pull himself out from underneath the mayor.
I quickly pulled myself out of sight and ducked down in the hallway's shadows. Fortunately, Negaduck was in too much of a hurry to notice my presence, and I watched him make a beeline for the service stairs. He was heading for the roof. Silently, I crept out of the shadows and followed him. When I reached the top of the stairs, I slowly pushed the door leading to the roof open--just a crack so that I could peer out without revealing myself. I saw no sign of Negaduck, but I remained cautious. Once I opened the door wide enough to slip through, I slid around the side of the stairwell block. He had to be there somewhere.
I glanced in every direction of the roof and saw no sign of the black masked mallard. I was beginning to believe that he could have slipped down the back side of the building by using the fire escape, and I made a move to go see for myself. But I stopped when something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned to see an object sitting precariously in the center of the roof. From the distance and in the dark, I could not tell what it was, so I trotted to where it lay. But when I saw what it was, my breath became caught in my throat. It was a hybrid explosive device--an explosive made from fusing the elements of several other exploding devices, and something only very few people have mastered in concocting successfully. I had read about them years ago during my training at SHUSH, and knew just how effective these bombs were. And I knew how difficult it was to diffuse one.
The numbers on the digital counter were now descending from 1:27. If I didn't stop this bomb from going off, it would take out three city blocks, and I would go down with it. But I was thinking about my life. I wasn't thinking about City Hall, or the people occupying the few blocks within the bomb's destructive perimeter. I was thinking about the glory I would receive if I was successful in stopping this new madman and saving the lives of hundreds. So with a cocky grin on my face, I kneeled down in front of the device to work.
A black panel covered the bombs components. When I effortlessly removed the panel, my eyes examined every inch of the three wires: a red one, a blue one, and a green one. Any idiot who had no idea what he was doing would instinctively try to guess which wire to cut, choose the wrong one, and be blown to smithereens. But I knew better. I knew that in order to diffuse a hybrid bomb, all three wires needed to be cut. At the exact same time. If one was severed a hair too soon, it would all be over in a millisecond.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small pocketknife. My thumb pushed the blade open and with my other hand I pulled the three wires close together so that they were horizontally aligned on my fingers. I pushed back the feathers dangling over the top of my eyes and took in deep, steady breaths. It had to be done perfectly. And I knew how to be perfect. I slid the blade underneath the wires and very carefully positioned the red wire beside the blue, and then the green beside the red. My eyes flitted to the clock. I was down to 32 seconds. The timer beeped with each second that ticked away, reminding me that I was quickly running out of time. At this point, it was all or nothing.
The wires were pressed alongside one another, making an even surface. I inhaled and held my breath as I pulled the blade upward and pressed the wires down with my thumb. In a smooth and solid motion, the knife sliced through the wires at once, and they ripped apart. My eyes widened and I froze when I heard the clock stop. I waited for the loud blast of the fiery explosion that would engulf me. But a few seconds went by, and there was nothing but the sound of the gentle breeze sweeping past my eyes. I looked to the clock and saw that it was frozen at 16 seconds. I exhaled loudly in relief, not realizing how long I had been holding my breath.
As the triumph sank in, I grinned arrogantly. I had saved City Hall, the mayor, and at least several city blocks. All in a night's work for Agent Jake Mallard. And I was eagerly anticipating the congratulations and thanks that would be to come. I dusted off my hands and replaced the pocketknife inside my jacket. But when I moved to stand up, a dark voice growled from behind me.
"Get to your feet."
Negaduck's voice made me hesitate. He was standing a few feet behind me, and even though I couldn't see him, I knew he had a weapon pointed at the back of my head. Slowly I obliged and rose to my feet. Then I heard him began to chuckle.
"Congratulations, Agent. You succeeded in saving a few hundred useless citizens," Negaduck remarked cynically. I could sense the malice and true disdain for mankind in his voice. This criminal was unlike any I had ever come across. "Too bad you won't be so lucky. There's no one to save you now, is there? Now, turn around! I wanna see the look of sheer terror in your eyes just before I blow your brains out!"
I rolled my eyes. I still wasn't sure whether this villain was insanely smart or incredibly stupid. That fact would decide whether I would live or die. For the moment, it was in my best interest to follow his demands. I turned around, and received the surprise of my life.
Negaduck stood only feet from me with a handgun aimed between my eyes. I was finally able to see him up close and examine is facial features. There were strikingly familiar. The tufted cheeks and distinct bill. I saw them every day when I looked in the mirror. But it was the eyes beneath the black mask that grabbed me. The deep, dark blue eyes of my late wife. The eyes that I hadn't seen in over twelve years. My bottom jaw slowly went agape and I lowered my hands as the realization hit me. I could feel my heart pounding away within my chest and my blood ran cold.
"Drake...?"
Negaduck's narrowed brows raised. He lifted his head and slowly lowered his aim after he heard me speak his name. His head tilted and he examined me carefully. The same expression of surprise on my face passed onto his own.
"You..." he whispered in shock.
I couldn't seem to move from where I stood. I was stuck, held by the overwhelming feelings flowing through me. I was at a loss for words. We both were.
But what happened next was sudden. I didn't see it coming.
In a lightning-quick move, Negaduck raised his gun at me once again and pulled the trigger.
The loud bang of the gunshot jolted me out of my stupor, and I quickly lunged to the right. The bullet had come close; close enough to pierce the sleeve of my suit but barely miss flesh. I dove behind one of the alabaster statutes that decorated the roof of City Hall and frantically tried to pull my gun from it's holster. My own son had tried to kill me.
"Come on out, old man!" Negaduck's voice echoed in the open air, making it impossible for me to tell where he was. "I've been waiting for this for a long time!"
I found my gun and checked the chamber to be sure that it was loaded. Gripping it tightly in my hands, I cautiously peered around the statue. I couldn't see Negaduck anywhere. But I knew he was there. My eyes darted in every direction, making sure that I didn't miss a single detail. I had to move to where I could get a better view.
Every muscle in my body involuntarily tensed. I had never been this nervous when facing off with any other criminal. But now I knew this criminal wasn't like any other. This one had personal scores to settle with me. He had blood on his mind and wanted revenge against me more than anything else. This criminal was my son who hated me. And he wanted me dead.
I braced myself. If I could only get to the enclosed stairwell, I would be able to see the whole roof--
I didn't hear him come up from behind. Before I could have another thought, Negaduck brought his gun down and slammed it into the back of my head. I went down before I knew what hit me. And everything went black.