Darren Lemke - Gemini Man

Danny was already painting the incision with something cool that stung slightly. “I feel stupid,” she said as she wound a strip of cloth around his arm and tied it. “I should have guessed. It’s so obvious.”

“ Everything’s obvious if you know,” Henry said darkly. He plucked the chip off the end of the knife and flicked it into the darkness.

“Verris—” Baron started.

“ You know him, too?” The kid looked at Baron in genuine astonishment.

“We served in the Marine Corps with him—Panama, Kuwait, Somalia,” replied Baron. “Can you take us to his lab?”

The kid nodded. “Sure, but why?”

“We need to shut him down,” Henry said. “You and me, together.”

Junior Hitman nodded. “I’m parked on the other side of the runway.”

Junior’s heart beat faster as he drove toward the Gemini compound. He glanced at Henry beside him. Henry was so sure of himself, so steady and focused, a man who always knew what he was doing. Clay Verris had raised him to be like that but he could never quite get there, no matter what he did.

Like now—he knew he was doing the right thing, throwing in with Henry and the other two. He had been lied to and used and it had left him feeling wobbly and precarious. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen when they got to the Gemini lab. What was he going to do? Or maybe the real question was, what would he be able to do?

Everything had always been so clear when he had trusted his father and believed in him. Any time he was confused, his father would straighten everything out. Not any more. He’d never be able to turn to his father again for answers or clarity or reassurance or anything else. But Henry seemed to have faith in him. He could tell even though Henry had never said so.

He wanted to ask what Henry expected of him, what they were going to do not just when they got to the lab but afterwards, for the rest of their lives. But what he heard himself say was, “You grew up in Philly, right?”

Henry raised his eyebrows, a bit surprised by the question. “Hunting Park,” he said. “A place called The Bottom.”

“‘The Bottom?’” Junior frowned, unsure of what to make of that. Henry’s life was completely beyond his experience. He was quiet for few seconds, then decided he had to know. “Who was my—our—mother?”

“ Helen Jackson Brogan,” said Henry with pride in his voice. “She was the strongest, most capable woman I’ve ever known. Worked two jobs for forty years.” Pause. “And she spanked the hell out of me.”

“Did you deserve it?” Junior asked, honestly curious.

Henry chuckled. “Usually. Does being angry and stupid and never trying at anything mean you deserve it? I don’t know.” His voice turned thoughtful. “My—our—father wasn’t around much. He left when I was five.” Pause. “I could never shake the feeling that when she looked at me, she saw him. So I went off and joined the Marines, grew up, made some friends— real friends, not Badlands punks whose biggest accomplishment when they grew up would be making parole. I found something I was good at and I even got medals for it. By the time I got out with all my shiny medals on my chest, she was gone. And I became… this. ”

Junior didn’t take his eyes off the dark road ahead but he could feel Henry’s gaze on him.

“You should walk away while you still can,” Henry told him.

“It’s all I know,” Junior said.

“No, it’s just all he taught you,” said Henry. “Stop now and you can still be something else . ”

Junior gave a short, sarcastic laugh. “Like what? Doctor? Lawyer?”

“ Husband ,” Henry corrected him. “ Father. All the things this job gives you an excuse not to be. I threw all that away, man. You can do better than that.”

Junior was seized with a sudden intense desire for that to be true, even though he’d never once wondered about having any other kind of life. He had never seen himself doing anything else, never thought he would want to. That was a failure of imagination, he thought; his father had worked very hard to stifle it.

“And while I’m at it,” Henry said, “what the hell is your name?”

“Always been Junior. For Clay, Junior,” he added in response to Henry’s incredulous expression. “Only I’m not so sure about that any more.”

“That’s another reason to quit,” said Henry.

Junior let out a long breath as he took the turnoff for Glennville. He was going to quit, not just because Henry had told him to, but because after this, he would have no choice. And that would be the easy part.

The lights were on in the Winn-Dixie—the manager always came in extra early to get ready for the day. The public library on the next corner was still dark, as was the high school farther up. But the traffic lights were already in regular service; the one at the first intersection went red as soon as he was in sight of it. He never could beat the lights in Glennville.

“This is home,” he said.

Henry looked around. “Nice town.” The other two in the backseat made murmurs of agreement.

Junior blew out a short breath that wasn’t quite a laugh. Glennville had been shabby and in decline for as long as he could remember. It was a sad, rundown place that offered no future, only the remnants of an undistinguished past. The town might have already faded out of existence if Gemini hadn’t been around as life support. Gemini kept Glennville alive because it suited Clay Verris to do so. The town made great camouflage.

“It won’t be easy getting in,” Junior said.

“You’re our ticket, man,” Henry said. “With you, we can walk right in through the front door.”

Junior gave a short, soundless laugh. “Yeah? Then what?”

“We talk to him, together,” Henry replied. “You and me. If he has any humanity left in him, he’ll listen.”

Junior frowned. “What if he doesn’t?”

Henry shrugged. “Then we both kick his ass. Together. You and me.”

They were still sitting at the light when the phone in Junior’s shirt pocket rang. He took it out and showed Henry the screen: DAD.

“Guess who,” Henry said, amused.

In the backseat, Baron sat forward eagerly. “Ooh, can I answer? Please let me answer. I want to be the one to tell him we’re all BFFs now.”

For a moment, Junior was tempted; then he put the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Are you with Brogan?” Verris asked, his voice urgent.

“Why would I be with him ?” Junior said, trying to sound innocently offhand and not at all like the man he was supposed to have killed was sitting next to him. “You sent me to AMF him, didn’t you?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Verris said. “Just run !”

“Huh?”

“ Run! ” Verris yelled. “Get away from him. Now! Please, Junior! I just want you safe!”

Junior laughed, slightly bewildered. “Why? Because I’m your favorite experiment?” The traffic light changed from red to green and he put the Jeep in gear.

“No, because I’m your father and I love you, son. Run!” At the same moment, Junior saw a bright white flash ahead of him and knew immediately he was in trouble. They all were.

Releasing his seatbelt, he opened the door. “Everybody out!” he yelled and jumped.

As soon as Henry saw the flash, he knew even before he heard Junior yell that they were on the wrong end of an RPG.

“ Bail! ” Henry shouted. He tumbled out of the Jeep, rolling over and over on the asphalt, coming to rest not far from Danny, who already had her weapon in hand. Before he could look for Baron, the RPG hit.