Twisted Death

7. The Bonehacker

"Someone Dr. William knows?" Albert blinked before smiling and snapping his fingers. "Ah, just like I thought!"

Brandon remained still. Since William had taken care of him for about a year, he knew the kind of person the doctor was. William never liked picking a fight; however, if someone ever mistreated a patient in front of him, he might want to start one. Whenever Norton forced Brandon to fight despite his injuries, William, along with Mika, would yell at the second-in-command of Millennion. Maybe the doctor had once done the same thing out there and offended the wrong person.

"But I wonder who," Albert added. "Another mafia organization?"

"I believe he once rejected a contract from them," Brandon said. "Right now, Dr. William is the most experienced doctor in Necrolyzation Project. All crime organizations will do anything to recruit him."

"Maybe. Let's ask him when he gets back."

Thirty minutes passed; to save fuel, Albert had shut down the car and left the windows open. Most Millennion drivers would try to smoke at such times, but Brandon would only flick the cigarette out the window. If he were in the mood to talk, he'd scold them for polluting the car as well. Albert, however, never smoked anyway, believing it would damage his lungs.

Ten minutes later, the tedium became overwhelming. Nobody talked. No music or news came out of the radio. The howling night breeze was all Brandon felt and heard during the wait. Maybe he'd be better off sleeping... No. One shouldn't fall asleep on a guard duty.

After another tedious minute, he looked at Albert. The driver was playing Snake on his mobile phone. Brandon chuckled; watching the snake's growing body and Albert's attempts to avoid crashing into it cured his boredom.

"Um, what?" Albert shifted his gaze to Brandon. "You wanna play, Sir?"

Brandon grinned when the snake's head collided with the body. A big "Game Over" then appeared on the screen.

"You distracted me!" Albert laughed. "Well, try beating my high score."

Suddenly, Brandon's ears registered some incoming footsteps. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted William and Nancy.

"Maybe next time?" Albert asked, returning his phone to his coat pocket before twisting the car key. The engine came to life with a roar.

William opened the door, allowing Nancy to enter the car first before following behind her. "What are you two talking about?"

"Playing a mobile game, Doc," Albert replied. "I was just thinking of letting Brandon play Snake and break my record. Then you came."

"Seems like I spoiled the fun." William laughed, sitting down and closing the door. As the car began to move, he told Brandon, "You've been a big help, Sir. Thanks to you, I was able to get help for my niece quickly. I still have to take her to the psychiatrist regularly, but she'll get better soon." Beside him, a lethargic Nancy only nodded slightly.

Brandon nodded. "I'm just doing my job."

"People say you're a friend they can count on. Guess they're right." William leaned against the seat and placed his hands behind his head. "You lost your leg when protecting your friend last year, didn't you?"

Brandon nodded. He didn't feel like sharing the details, though, because Albert would surely point out his so-called stupidity that time.

"His treasonous friend, to be exact. It was the craziest thing in this world," Albert spoke for him. "He was betrayed and killed by his best friend. Then he came back to life...to forgive him." Albert shrugged. "If I were Mr. Brandon, I'd just kill that bastard. Or better, I'd just report him to the higher-ups before he betrayed me."