Flight of the Blue Jay Part Seven: Betrayal of a Brother

The door slid open, cold eyes staring in our direction. Chills ran up my spine, these were cold blooded assassins. Their eyes fell to my leg, and its cast. Shamefully looking away, the old guy at the head of the table cleared his throat. Confusion twisted my features, a sick smile dancing across his wrinkled face. His perfectly fingers pounded against the black marble table, his long gray slicked back into a ponytail. A solid black eye patch sat on his right eye, his other cloudy eye bore into mine. A lump formed in my throat, the black leather growing sticky with the cold sweat dripping down my brow.

“You must be Agent Blue Jay and Raven.” He mused, the files sitting in front of him. “You got these with a busted leg. Color me impressed. Please sit.” His black gloved hand motioned to the two empty chairs, the seats creaking loudly in the deadly quiet room. A black haired woman next to him, slid us a black file. Red lipstick shimmered in the yellow light bathing the room, her dark eyes glittering with excitement.

“What is this?” Sammy inquired coldly, snatching the folder. “Why are you all so quiet?” The leather of his glove creaked, his hand flipping the file open. Fright widened his eyes, the folder fluttering down to the ground. My heart stopped beating, his brother’s picture staring up at me. Sammy’s lips parted to speak, tears welling up in his eyes.

“What is the meaning of this?” I barked, scooping up the papers. “Why is there a file on him? Who are you anyways?” His head tilted oddly to the right, a sly grin darkening his face. Shivers ran up my spine, his one cloudy eye meeting mine again.

“I am Agent Mastermind, your boss.” He exclaimed jovially, his face growing serious. “He is a number one suspect, and you need to bring him in. Do it without complaint, and your temporary period is up. Don’t do it, we will hunt you down. Your choice.” Sammy shook his head, not wanting to believe what he was saying.

“I-” He began, my hand on his shoulder stopping him. A death glare shot in my direction, the silent woman tossing us a set of keys. Grasping the folder tighter, he held his head high and followed a man in a mask to the garage. Pushing the sleek key fob, a black Ford Fiesta’s headlights flashed. Turning back the man was gone, leaving just us. Fury burned in Sammy’s eyes, his brows furrowing. The leather of the seat creaked, his body slamming into the seat next to me.

“We need to play along for a bit, Sammy.” I commented, his hand punching the horn. “Then we will figure a way out of this mess.” Hurt dimmed his face, his sad smile forming on his lips. Hot salty tears flooded down his cheeks, the engine roaring to life. Burnt rubber wafted up my nose, the car peeling out into the dense forest outside of the facility. He never cried, not once in front of me.

“You don’t know anything.” He snapped, staring blankly in front of him. “My brother has been there my whole life, and never given me any reason to suspect him. I hope my gut instinct is wrong.” A lump formed in my throat, my eyes falling on his mental hospital medical records. Rubbing the back of my neck, nerves nipping at my brain.

“Do you remember a time where your brother wasn’t in your house?” I queried cautiously, looking out the window. “I didn’t me-” His face fell, a grimace forming on his lips. Turning towards me, exhaustion dimmed his eyes.

“He did have a stay in the mental hospital.” He explained numbly, shrugging his shoulders. “You stayed there and it turned out okay, right?” An odd look flashed in my eyes, knowing his last statement was not true at all. Alarm widened his eyes, his brother stood in front of his car. The brakes screeched to a halt, masked men stepping out from the nearby trees. Various weapons swung in their hands, his brother standing with pride in his uniform. Sammy cried out in shock and grabbed the gun sitting in the back seat. The door shook, my hair flying around me as his brother ripped me out of the car. Cold metal pressed against my neck, Officer Declan handcuffing me.

“I believe she is mine to take, and you can’t do anything about it.” He threatened, pulling me closer to him. “I can’t believe you took her from me, my dear brother. You always take everything from me, my dream job and now my girl.” Sammy’s brow cocked, his gun shakily aimed at his brother’s chest. Hot whiskey breath bathed my neck, his gray eyes gazing into mine.

“I didn’t ttt-take her.” He stammered, his usual composure collapsing. “She chose me, not you.” Enough was enough, Sammy didn’t have to lose his composure like this. He was hiding something important from his childhood. Slamming my knee into Officer’s Declan groin, a girly squeal squeaked from his trembling lips. Falling to his knees, Sammy wrapped his arms around my waist. Officer Declan struggled to stand, his white masked goonies gathering around us.

“Do you know a way out of this?” I questioned urgently, my panicked eyes meeting his eyes. His lips parted to speak, a rain of bullets dodging us. The masked men dropped to the ground, dirt covering their black business suits. Officer Declan turned to run, a grunt exploding from his lips as Sammy’s fist slammed into his face. My free foot kicked the other side of his face, blood dripping from the corner of his lips. A defiant smile spread across his unfazed face, a purple dart whizzing by my head. The fluffy feather fluttered in the wind, his body collapsing into a heap. Agent Mastermind snuck up behind me, his touch making me leap out of my skin. Could this man get any creepier?

“You did well, well up until the getting caught part.” He teased, undoing my handcuffs. “Regardless, you completed your mission. Do you mind unbreaking him?” His gaze fell on a fuming Sammy, a numb look meeting my concerned eyes. Sighing deeply, he just got back into the car and punched the horn. Emotions exploded in his face, unsure of what he should be feeling right now.

“I guess.” I stammered, watching the silent black haired lady drag his snoring body into a black SUV. “Who is she?” His head tilted to the left, his hand running through his hair. A white smile flashed in my direction, his black glove patting my head. Stunned confusion gripped my face, his finger lifting up my chin.

“That is Lady Widowmaker.” He said as his eyebrow cocked. “Best not mess with her. She has killed the most people among all of us. Truthfully, she scares me quite a bit. She is kind every once in a blue moon. I best be going, my dear.” His face blushed, my eyes catching him looking lovingly in her direction. Chuckling to myself, my hand covered my mouth. Agent Mastermind snapped his head back, a creepy dark look in his cloudy eye. The commotion died down, Sammy and I just sitting in the car. A pregnant pause hung heavily between us, his face leaning against the window. Storm clouds thundered around us, weighty raindrops plopping against the cold metal of the car. His finger traced the drops racing down his window, my mind flashing to that night so many years ago. Tenseness stiffened his body, his mind plagued with the sight of his brother betraying him.

“Can I do anything?” I pleaded, hating seeing him this way. “I can’t take away the pain, but I can distract you from it.” Laughing to himself, his depressed eyes met mine. A weak smile formed on his kissable lips, his fingers wrapping around mine. My brow cocked, hoping he was not seconds from a meltdown.

“I am just confused I guess.” He mumbled, his hair falling around his face. My heart skipped a beat, the breath being knocked out of my chest at the sight of his handsome face. Embarrassment flushed my cheeks scarlet, his lips pressing against mine hungrily. Pulling back, he tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. My heart pumping out of my chest, my lips parted to speak. His arms pulled me close to his chest, his heart beating faster than mine. Fresh tears of pain streamed down his cheeks, his sobs wracking his body. Betrayal burned brightly through his waterfall of tears, his saddened eyes gazing into mine.

“You are the most amazing person that I know.” I comforted him, my arms wrapping around his neck. “Who solved the most cases in his department?” Shamefully he looked away, his arms pushing me away. Hurt stung in my mind, his reaction confusing me deeply.

“And yet I couldn’t place my brother among them.” He grumbled, rubbing his arm. “I couldn’t see what was right in front of me. How can you call me a great detective then?” My hands cupped his face, shock snapping him out of his funk. Sniffling, his eager gaze met mine again for the millionth time tonight.

“Most people ignore the red flags within their own families.” I commented gently, pulling him close to my chest. “That is simply human nature. We choose to not see what is in front of us for the sake of family, or love. Don’t beat yourself up over it, okay.” He stopped sobbing, his hands wrapping around mine.

“Is that so?” He queried playfully, sorrow still dimming his crooked smile. “If you put it that way, then I am not a failure at all.” The engine roared to life, the radio filling the silence in the car back to the compound. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but he was hiding something traumatizing from his childhood. He smiled over at me, putting at a slightly uneasy ease. Looking forward, my mind was thinking about the next move.