Lucas's gaze remained steady, unwavering. Antonio smiled faintly, and suddenly raised his hand toward his face. Lucas instinctively closed his eyes, trembling inwardly with fear… but when he opened them again, Antonio was merely wiping his nose.
Antonio turned toward the door, speaking coldly:
"No one moves from their place."
As soon as he left, Lucas took a deep breath. His legs could barely hold him, and he collapsed to the ground, sitting. Everything had happened so fast… terrifyingly fast. Stephen had died suddenly, before the mission had even begun.
He knew the mission was difficult… impossible, even. But having Stephen with him in the hotel kitchen, encouraging him, had given him a sliver of hope… and now, he was alone.
He tried to swallow, but his throat was dry. He gripped his cigarette with a shaking hand, not looking at his partner's lifeless body.
Suddenly, he stood and went to the trash bin, dumping all the coffee he had drunk that morning into it. He wiped his mouth as Bait approached.
"Oh my God… he was a spy?"
Bait stood in front of the body, lost in thought, then slowly turned to Lucas, who was silently smoking.
In another room, Antonio was speaking on the phone:
"I caught a spy… no, I didn't catch him, I killed him."
He received a cold reply:
"You should have kept him alive to extract information."
Antonio laughed:
"It's his first day… just trash."
"This is the fifth spy we've caught."
Antonio's eyes widened in surprise:
"Really?"
"Yes… but what I don't understand is why they keep sending inexperienced agents every time."
Antonio sighed:
"Are there others? It seems the system is no longer effective… we need another method."
"Possible… almost every branch has a pair."
Antonio smiled, closing his eyes slightly as if the idea pleased him:
"So… there might be another spy here?"
He hung up abruptly, having gotten what he wanted. That was him… igniting enthusiasm quickly, and letting it die just as fast. He didn't take drugs, didn't drink, didn't smoke… smart with money, knew how to profit. Loved his family above all, and didn't care much for women… seeing them as a waste of energy.
Lucas had finished his third cigarette since Antonio's departure. Antonio entered, smiling as if nothing had happened, carrying a carpet in his hands, which he dropped to the floor.
He approached Stephen's body, grabbed him by the shoulders, and began dragging him toward the carpet. He paused briefly, inhaled, and said:
"Any ideas what we should do with him?"
No one answered.
He looked at Lucas:
"I wish he had stayed alive… maybe he would have given us an idea from his many thoughts."
He smiled faintly and added:
"Come on… help me. Didn't you say you wanted to help me?"
Lucas moved slowly, like a zombie. The color drained from his face. He helped silently, rolling the body tightly in the carpet.
Bait lifted from one side, Lucas from the other.
"Follow me," he said.
As they exited the headquarters, all eyes turned toward them. Lucas kept his head down, looking only at the ground.
At the end of the corridor, Harry stood.
Antonio approached him:
"Harry, you're coming with us too."
"Why?"
Antonio smiled and put on his sunglasses:
"There… you'll see."
Before leaving, Harry glanced back. Carl was looking at him sadly. He approached her:
"What's wrong?"
She said anxiously:
"I told you to stop… you didn't listen."
He laughed:
"Nothing's going to happen. Everything's fine."
But her expression didn't change.
Outside, a gray sports car with a white roof was waiting. Bait tried to move forward, but Lucas stopped him.
"One at a time…"
Antonio looked at them silently, leaning on his car, understanding everything without a word. He pointed to the trunk:
"There."
They placed the body in the trunk, then got in. Lucas and Bait sat in the back, Harry next to Antonio.
Antonio started the engine… and the car sped through the city like he feared nothing.
Harry turned on the music. A Spanish song began to play.
Harry smiled:
"This is one of your favorite songs, isn't it?"
"Yes… I like this song," he replied.
Harry exhaled slowly, but suddenly Antonio spoke in a playful tone:
"I'm going to miss you, man."
Harry froze.
"What… what do you mean?"
Antonio pointed at the stereo:
"That's what the song says."
Harry didn't understand Spanish. Was he joking… or did he mean something else?
He went silent… fear creeping in slowly.
Lucas gripped his hand tightly… as if trying to gather himself before he ended up like Stephen. He exhaled.
The car stopped abruptly in front of a small store. Antonio turned to Harry quietly:
"I'll be back soon."
He got out and closed the door behind him.
Harry finally breathed… as if emerging from the depths of an ocean. He turned to Bait and Lucas:
"So… Stephen was a spy?"
Bait answered:
"Yes… I discovered him."
That tightened Lucas's nerves. Everything about Bait irritated him… his voice, his teeth, even his stance.
Suddenly—
Tap… tap…
They turned.
A police officer was standing beside the car.
Lucas's body froze. His eyelashes trembled. The body… in the back.
Harry rolled down the window. The officer said:
"Where's the driver?"
"Why?"
The officer leaned slightly, looking inside the car. The air became suffocating… tension filled the space.
"I want the driver's license."
He fixed his gaze on Harry:
"Where's the driver?"
Harry said softly:
"Behind you."
The officer turned…
to find Antonio right behind him. Too close to his face.
Antonio stuck out his tongue in a childish gesture, without his sunglasses.
The officer froze for a second…
then burst out laughing:
"When did you wake up from your coma?"
Antonio retracted his tongue and said coldly:
"A year and a half ago."
Bait muttered in surprise:
"Coma?"
Harry responded quickly:
"Yes… a serious car accident. He survived by a miracle."
Lucas watched silently.
He finally understood why a monster like Antonio was still at level B… He was different from Casimero. Maybe the coma had slowed his development.
The officer looked at Antonio's hands…
he was holding three shovels.
Antonio moved to the back, opened the trunk—
and in a flash…
the officer glimpsed part of Stephen's body.
Antonio threw the shovels into the trunk and closed it.
Then he turned, smiling… as if nothing had happened.
The officer acted as though he had seen nothing.
"Good to see you again. If you need anything, I'm here."
"And you too, Kevin."
The officer left.
Antonio got into the car and said simply:
"Good man."
Lucas and Bait exchanged glances…
neither could fully process what had just happened.
Lucas swallowed:
(Did he pretend… that he didn't see anything?)
After four hours…
the car arrived at a barren land.
No life… no trees… just emptiness.
It stopped.
Antonio wiped his mouth and said:
"Get out. We have work to do."
They got out.
Lucas lingered for a moment, watching Harry and Bait carry out the body.
A shovel was thrown toward him.
He was not asked to do anything…
but it was clear what he was meant to do.
Antonio sat atop his car, legs crossed:
"I want two graves."
Harry stopped, gasping:
"Why?"
Antonio replied calmly:
"You'll know in time."
Bait whispered to Lucas:
"I think the second one's for Harry… I heard what Karla said at the headquarters."
Lucas said nothing.
(Or… for another spy?)
They started digging.
The ground was hard.
Breaths came heavier.
Harry's body was struggling… he panted heavily.
Lucas and Bait followed.
Over half an hour passed…
Antonio hadn't moved.
He watched them from atop the car…
expressionless.
Like a predator… waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Lucas wiped the sweat from his face.
The two graves were finished.
Flies began gathering around the body.
Antonio finally descended.
He stepped forward slowly.
Removed his sunglasses.
Stood between the graves.
He pulled out a plastic bag…
filled with cocaine.
Held it next to his face and smiled:
"Tired, Harry… want some?"
Harry's mouth trembled.
Sweat burned his eyes.
His voice escaped with difficulty… like a dying animal:
"A… Antonio…"