Sheila Bright needed to get this over with so she could return to Uncle Xavier and Mita Morgan. She had no time to waste. As she strode across the grass to the Security Agency Building, she argued with herself about the task. Not whether to do it or not. That argument had already been settled in her mind. She could not- and would not- let down her uncle. She could not let him lose face by not carrying out his threat. Sheila's argument concerned how to do the deed.
Should she simply put her blaster back in its holster, pretend to merely be visiting Osmo Martin at his cell, chat a bit, and when he lowered his guard- ZAP! Quick and easy. No, that felt too cowardly. True, Osmo might not experience any suffering before he knew what hit him, but he deserved better than that. He deserved to know what was coming, by whom, and why.
So then, should she do this to him while he was in his cell, or should she take him outside, to let him die in the open air? Osmo always liked fresh air and the outdoors. Probably he would prefer there than to dying in his stuffy, uncomfortable, droll cell.
The young woman unhesitantly marched up to the door. She unwaveringly entered the building. Sheila traveled up this corridor and down that one, until she finally reached the lock-up cells.
Her heart betrayed her. While she tried to remain cool, objective, her heart knew better, smashing and pounding wildly against her ribs, letting her know it disapproved.
Oh, stop it! This is hard enough! She forced herself to ignore her heart.
She kept a grip onto her blaster as she went through the security door and trudged up to Osmo's cell. She stood before the bars.
Inside, Osmo did not move. He had been sitting on his plastic wall cot, leaning back against the wall. Only his gaze changed position. It had been following her every movement since she came inside the lock-up section with her hand holding onto her weapon, her hand that had often held onto his own hand in times past.
She stared at him, waiting for him to speak. All he did was to arch an eyebrow at her. It was as much a statement as anything he had ever said. He never rose to greet her.
Answering, she said, "I'm sorry, Osmo. I don't want to do this. but I have to. For the good of the World of Hope, so that afterward, after the war, the citizens will still be able to respect Xavier Bright as a strong leader. It is a matter of honor."
No reaction.
She kept the blaster trained on him while she unlocked the door. "Okay, up. Let's go, Osmo." She waved the weapon at him, indicating he should leave his cell.
Without any protest, without a word, Osmo calmly obliged. She kept her blaster trained on him at all times.
"We're headed outside, Osmo. You go first, but remember, I have a blaster. Wait for me at the exit. Don't try to make a run for it, or I will shoot you down like a- like one of those wild animals outside the city. That's right, keep your hands up."
Osmo's silence annoyed and bothered her. Intolerably.
He followed her instructions, showing no emotion. No fear. No anger. No hate. Nothing. Maybe he was in shock.
She took him down the hallways and outside. Osmo paused and waited for her to follow him from the door. He waited to see what new orders she had for him. She kept on the alert for any of his tricks.
He casually said, "You know, Sheila, you're lying to yourself when you say you must do this thing. You're not lying to me, because I don't believe any of it. But you are trying to convince yourself. However, the plain truth is that you do have a choice, Sheila. And your choice is to murder me."
She drew in a sharp breath upon hearing his charge. Oh, I hope Osmo did not hear that! I can't let him know that one got to me!
Sheila kept her tone all business. "We'll walk along the lawn to the Morning Garden. You know the way. I know you always like it there."
His hands still up, he nodded. "Well, yeah, I did during those times we spent there together. You always brightened the garden. We had some nice times in the garden. Now, though, I don't feel that sentimental about the Morning Garden anymore, strangely enough. It seems like it's nothing special, under the circumstances."
That stung! She wiped a tear from her eye. "Keep going. Don't turn around and- and don't talk!" He mustn't see her tear!
Osmo shrugged, as if it didn't matter to him. He stayed in front of Sheila as they proceeded to the Morning Garden. "I see now Gov. Bright has you, too, to do his dirty work for him. Like he gets everybody else, and then he can keep his own hands clean. If it's come to this point, that he must see that his threat is carried out, does that mean Earth has now sent its Army to squash your Uncle like a bug and replace him?"
She kept silent.
"I take that as a yes, Sheila. Good, I'm glad they finally came. You see, I had called them and told them to come, to send their Army, because Gov. Bright must be stopped. I managed to contact them that short time when I escaped. Your Uncle may have jammed communications between the two worlds, but I found a way. Yes, I immediately called them and told them it was time to depose the evil Gov. Bright."
Sheila glared. Her head boiled, ready to erupt. "How could you!?" she demanded, full of indignation. "How dare you call him evil and betray my Uncle! A great man like him- How dare you?!! He brought you here and was your host! He made you a Security Agent! How could you?! He is a great man- if only you were half the man he is!!" Her trigger finger twitched, ready to blast him without any more talking.
And there they were then- They arrived at the Morning Garden.
Osmo stopped, turned, and faced Sheila. "You know by now why Gov. Bright took me in, don't you? He wanted to keep me close for just this occasion. You can shoot me, but I will never regret calling Earth to come stop him, not even to my final breath, because your Uncle must be taken down. I realize now he must be behind so many bad things that happened on Hope. Like the disappearances of the citizens. I am pretty sure now that that miner I saw truly is George McCleer. And others must be in the mines who do not belong there, too- Certainly, Clyden did the dirty work for your Uncle. He took them to the mines for him. But Gov. Bright is the one behind it. Clyden was only his stooge, to be used, same as you now are."
Her cheeks flashed hot red. She shoved her blaster up against his chest. "Shut up! Shut up! That's not true! I am not his stooge! Even if what you say is true, even if Mr. Clyden was a stooge, that doesn't mean I am! I am his niece! I am not just some stooge! I am a Bright! Uncle Xavier loves me! Enough of this- Get ready for it, Osmo! Maybe pray, like Albert would tell you; make your peace with God, or something, because soon you'll be meeting Him face-to-face!"
Osmo crossed his arms, unperturbed. "Sheila, why should it concern you? Will that make you feel less guilty, if you knew I were in a nice place after you murder me? I don't much fear death. Go ahead, Sheila. Shoot."
She took a step back, but still pointed the blaster at his heart. The blaster shook in her hand. She delayed a moment to ask him, "Answer me this, before I- before I kill you. Why, Osmo, why did you not try to escape me when we were coming over here for me to shoot you? Why did you not try to overpower me, knock the blaster out of my hand, and make a run for it? I hear you tossed a toy right inTO Mita's face without a second thought when she caught you before."
Osmo laughed at the question. "For crying out loud, Sheila, what's Mita to me? She's nothing special to me. But you- Well, I'd rather be zapped than hit you, Sheila. Okay, tell you what. I'll make this easy for you. Go ahead. Take a free shot. I won't struggle, duck, or anything. Blast me, if you want to."
She scowled, and set her mind to the task. She grit her teeth. She steeled her nerve. She hardened her heart. She- She- She-
Furious, she snapped. She screamed at him, "You miserable, low-life worm! You- You-" She grunted and threw the blaster- hard- at his head. Like he promised, he didn't duck. The blaster bounced off his forehead.
"Ouch."
"You- you made me betray my uncle! I- I hate you for that! But- I can't kill you! I hate you and I hate myself for that, for failing Uncle Xavier, for being weak when the future of Hope's well-being depends on me making my Uncle look strong! Oh, how can I ever face him again?!"
Osmo bent down and picked up the blaster. "Sheila, don't hate yourself for being human. When the Army arrives, I intend to join forces with them. Sheila, you can help. Your help will be invaluable. Maybe you can talk Gov. Bright into giving himself up, so there's no loss of life."
She considered it for a brief moment. Sheila then shook her head violently, emphatically. "No, no, no! Even though I failed him, my place is still by his side! I'm going back to Uncle Xavier!"
Osmo's face fell. "I... see..."
A loud rushing high overhead, very loud, very high overhead, automatically caused both to turn their gazes upward. Three giant rockets, large even from the perspecive down here, streaked across Sparkle City's otherwise clear sky, heading out to the rocketport for a place to land.
Osmo returned his gaze upon Sheila. "I guess this is it, then." He started off for the back parts of the Leader's Hill (formerly knows as the Governor's Hill). He intended to head down the side of the hill close to the cliffs overlooking the sea, and the steep side below the cliffs, which usually got the least amount of attention.
"I'll go sneak around the hill and catch up with Earth Army, Sheila. You take care."
She nodded. "Yes, Os. Likewise, you watch out, okay? Don't be giving anybody anymore free shots!"
He smiled. "Okay. I promise."
With that, he left, and she set off on the opposite way to rejoin her Uncle and Mita.
(c) drk 2012
