A/N: Thank you for the reviews and the support. Being as impatient as I am, I couldn't resist the urge to upload a new chapter. Hope you enjoy!

I still don't own them…

Chapter 5

Once in Milan, Brandt spent the entire first day checking the surroundings and talking to the contacts who had seen Benji. It made sense that they wanted to take him back to America instead of leaving him for the local authorities. He knew too much, and even despite being declared insane, he could still raise some suspicions. He suddenly realised that he was avoiding actually going to search for Benji. He was afraid to see what he had become. However, it was his job and it had to be done. And it was for Benji's good.

It had already gotten dark when Brandt found himself in a narrow passageway. He had been told Benji had been seen here for a few times. Somehow he had always managed to get away. Brandt looked up and sighed. This was hopeless. How was he supposed to find a man in a big city? Especially given that the man in question was a secret agent? A mentally unstable secret agent, he had to remind himself, feeling a lump in his throat again. He really had no idea what Benji would act like in his state. Would he even recognise him? He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice the noises around him. The sound he finally registered was a very familiar click of a gun right behind him.

"Looking for someone?" the voice was harsh and low but Brandt recognised it at once. It was, undoubtedly, Benji. His insides froze and he had to swallow hard. He didn't know Benji was armed. What were these people thinking? A mental person with a gun. And now this gun was pointed at him.

Brandt was trying figure out what to do. Try and disarm Benji? Too dangerous. He didn't know what the man was capable of and didn't want to learn it the hard way. Maybe he should say something to him? Something to calm him down? He opened his mouth to speak but felt the barrel of the gun push against the back of his head.

"And don't even try any of your tricks," Benji hissed into his ear, every word turning the analyst's blood into ice more and more.

Brandt felt himself being pushed forward and had nothing left to do but obey. They walked along the dark and empty streets until Brandt stopped even keeping the track of them. Sometimes it seemed to him that they passed the same spots several times. He was suddenly hit by the bitter irony: when they had first met in Moscow, Benji had pointed a gun at him, too. Now, however, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't pull the trigger. They had been friends but now… Brandt wasn't even sure Benji knew who he was at all.

There were some doors opening and shutting and finally the analyst was pushed quite forcefully into a small and seemingly abandoned dusty room. The push was so strong that William nearly fell over. He still felt unsure what to do as he watched the other man shut the last door. He had to fight back a gasp when Benji finally turned to face him.

The former technician now looked completely exhausted. The expression on his face made him look much older than he was. His eyes were dark and piercing, any sort of emotion impossible to identify in them. Brandt felt chills down his spine.

"Okay, we don't have much time," Benji spoke at last, trying to sound quiet for whatever reason. "Why are you here?"

"I…" Brandt was struggling to find his voice.

"Let me guess, Lovett sent you," Benji started pacing the room. He looked incredibly nervous and it made Brandt worry.

"Well… um… yes," William's uneasiness grew.

"He won't get me alive," the words sounded slightly creepy. Brandt had never thought he would ever be creeped out by Benji. "I assume that's what he wants…"

"Preferably," Brandt recalled the Secretary's instruction.

Benji let out a small laugh which was even more unsettling considering that the analyst didn't find the situation funny at all.

"Preferably," he repeated slowly, as if having a difficulty grasping the word. "Still, he decided to send you instead of having one of his men here take me out," only now Brandt realised that Benji did really recognise him.

"Why… why would he need to take you out?" he tried to sound comforting despite his voice was shaking.

Benji, who was now standing by a window, letting what little light came from the street fall on his pale face, looked outside shiftily and moved away from it.

"And why are you looking around like that? Who are you afraid of?" Brandt spoke almost like to a child.

"They are watching me," was a hissed reply. "Every day. Constantly. And before you say it's all my paranoia, I'd like just to point out the fact that you are here. You knew where to go and where to find me. And I'm sure it was more than just a hunch".

Brandt had to agree it sounded reasonable enough. However, it only made his uneasiness grow. He had no idea how to behave and what to make of Benji's words and actions. He didn't seem as demented as Will had expected but he still had to be prepared for everything. Benji sighed and turned his piercing glare at the analyst. His features seemed to soften a bit but Brandt couldn't be sure in this darkness.

"What if I told you that Lovett is not someone he's pretending to be?"

"What if he was right?" Ethan suddenly spoke, making both Jane and Brandt jump. It reminded him of his mission in Prague many years ago. He knew it was really far fetched, especially regarding that it was now based on the words of a paranoid man, but his life had taught him to expect anything. What if Lovett was a mole? It kind of corresponded to his earlier thoughts.

"Back then I didn't believe that," Brandt sighed shakily. "Looking back, it makes a lot of sense…"

"So now you're looking back!" Jane suddenly exploded. "Stellar timing you have here!"

Brandt's eyes grew wide and for a moment there was silence which soon broke into pieces.

"If he was right, it was all for nothing!" she felt her vision blur with tears and tried to fight them back. "You wouldn't have had to… you wouldn't have… And you just didn't believe it?!"

"Well, I didn't believe straight away…" Brandt sounded confused more than anything. "But then I did…"

"And why did you call us here?" Jane growled, not even hearing what the analyst was trying to say. "To tell us your moving story? Why this secrecy? Why bother? Why?!"

"Because I was right after all," a voice sounded from the far end of the hangar, making everybody freeze where they were.