Hero

LEBRON

               "So, why did Sergei let us escape?" Adrian had asked me as we walked on the rooftop after escaping.

               "Well," I said, "While you were over there having a nervous breakdown, I realized something. If Sergei actually wanted to kill me, he would've done it quickly, without hesitation. The time between you mumbling to yourself and attacking Sergei was about twenty-five seconds, which is more than enough time to kill someone, meaning that Sergei's mission isn't to kill Rodriguez or me. His orders are strictly to kidnap us alive."

               "I'm not buying that," Adrian told me. "Do you have any other proof?" I pointed at my bullet wound.

               "When Sergei shot me, he clearly wasn't aiming for my vitals, and there's no way he would've missed if he was trying, especially since he's been using a gun ever since he was four years old," I explained, "Why shoot me in a place where I would survive rather than shoot me in the head to kill me? He had an easy choice if he wanted to kill me. I can imagine him saying that simply ending my life would be boring, but that's not the case. As I said, if Sergei had orders to kill someone, especially someone like me, he would do it the second he got an opening."

               "I guess that makes sense," he said, "But that still doesn't explain why he let us escape. You only realized that. It's not like you two had a 'little chat.'"

               "Wrong," I replied, "When Sergei had me pinned and you were still regaining breath, Sergei and I did have a 'little chat.' I told him that his orders weren't to kill me. If so, he would have done it by now. That's what I told him until you came in. That's why he let us escape. He'll keep hunting for us until his mission is completed."

               Suddenly, Agent Kevin barged into my SIU office, and I snapped out of my daydreaming. I turned and looked at him. The look on his face said it all. I opened my mouth and said,

               "What happened to my brother?"