Chapter 68: Acknowledge Me!

 All was set, well, nearly all was set. Evening had arrived and Jason was back in his island with the rest of the team of Tyler, Bennet and Peter to go through their plan one last time. It had been a long day at work and all that he wanted to do was for them to conclude everything so that they can get the rest they really needed. Jason was thinking about how it had come to this. He was once a man who went by the rules and ensured that people get the justice they deserved but when it came to push and shove, he wasn't afraid of pushing back. He looked at everyone aroud the table, they all were under his command. None of them was forced to do anything but they did it anyways. No matter how absurd his plans were, they still stood by his side. Not because they had to, but because they wanted to. This was loyalty. Something that was really hard to come by in a time like that

Tyler laid out the map on the table and confirmed whether everyone was on board with the plan. Bennet and Tyler would be the escort to the courthouse and back and when they were at the marked street, Tyler would be the one to start off the attack. He should ensure that the convoy receives heavy fire to a point where the priority of the guards was to get Hunters back to the prison for his safety. It is there where Bennet and Tyler are to come in. They are to take ensure that they lure out the driver and guard out of the van and take the van with the intention of taking driving to the prison.

That was only half of the plan since inside the van there would be another prison guard with Hunters and they needed to know how to deal with him without any casualties. So far, the plan sounded easy but all of them knew that once on the ground things wouldn't be that easy. Any wrong move and they would risk blowing their cover before they're even able to execute the plan. They needed it to be flawless and executed with precision.

"Do we have a backup plan?" Peter asked as he looked at the table then to everyone aroud that table

"If you have a plan B then plan A is doomed to fail" Jason answered him. "I hope everyone understands their role so far"

They all nodded in unison but were silent. No one wanted to point out that they saw this one as a definite suicide mission. The tension was high in the room and Jason could tell.

"You know, I'm not asking anyone of you to do this because you have to. If you want to back out, now's your chance. I won't hold it against you. " Jason told them as he looked around the table and at each of them individually." I always come up with other plans so if you want to step down, be rest assured that I will respect that and I'll come up with another plan. So far, I had different ways of going around this but this was the most effective way to get the job done. "

" I'm with you no matter what happens " Bennet told Jason

" Me too" Tyler and Peter both said in unison

" Well, with that I need to put something across. Tomorrow those guards won't be firing warning shots, they will shoot to kill. And I need each one of you to know that if need be, don't hold back. Show them that we can also fire back with the intention to kill" Jason said with a firm tone

" Something is still amiss" Peter said

"What's that?" Bennet asked

"Hunters knows that we are breaking him out but there's still a chess piece left on the table even when we clear out the rest of the board. He will still have a guard in the back of the van ready to shoot anyone who opens the door without authorization" Peter answered him

" Leave that to me, I'll make sure that he is updated on what to do when we strike " Jason clarified to all of them." I hope now all is settled? "

"Yes, but allow me to ask one last question just to feed our curiosity. Why Hunters?" Bennet asked him

" There's something that I'm looking at whether it is what I think it is. If I confirm that, then be sure to know that I will let all of you know why you will be going to these extreme extents just to get him out of jail. But you're free to give me the benefit of doubt for now. " Jason answered

" Now, any last minute questions before we retire to bed? " He asked and when there was silence he knew that all was well." Well then, see you in the morning. And let us pray that we have luck on our side tomorrow " Jason said as he went to his office and shut the door behind him. He stood by the door for a few minutes trying to wrap his head around what was happening and what had happened in the past. Never had he thought that he would be doing what he's about to do. But can you blame him? He was pushed the wall and forced on his back before in the past. He needed to do whatever it takes to make sure that he never finds himself in that situation ever again. The feeling of being vulnerable killed him.

As he was thinking this through he heard a knock on the door while he went and sat down on his chair. It was Tyler who opened the door and came inside. There was a brief moment of silence. None of them was in any haste of starting the conversation. They both acknowledged the presence of each other in the room. Jason was the first to break the silence

"I know that you're here to tell me once again how this idea is dangerous" 

" Isn't it obvious "

" And I know you still aren't 100% sure on whether I'm loosing my mind or not"

" That's also true"

" But I do know that you're not here to stop me or judge me"

" As much as I would want to I just can't"

" Well then, what brings you here? "

" I'm just here to confirm whether you want to go down this path"

" I went down this path when my whole world crumbled at my feet in Europe. It was inevitable, just a matter of time and actions. "

" If that's the case, I'm here to let you know that I'm with you till the very end. No matter the consequences. "

" That said, I need to ask one thing from you"

" What's that? "

Jason was quiet for a moment, his gaze was intense as if he was questioning whether to speak up or not. Tyler knew that whatever the request Jason had in mind was probably going to be a heavy one. Jason rose from his chair and walked up to Tyler. He put his hand on Tyler's shoulder and looked at him dead in the eyes,

"Back then, when we were young. While you were still undergoing your marksman training, I remember you were told something about learning to kill without emotion and you managed to do that. It has been a while since you tapped into that inner self and I know it's asking for a lot, but I really need that version of you in these coming days. I need the ruthless and brutal killer that's inside you to finally come back. I need the Russian roulette at his demon best. If tomorrow goes wrong even by the slightest margin, I need you to lay waste to whoever will stand in our way. They need to know that were not doing anything just to look good in the eyes of the people. "

" You know what you're asking from me, right? " Tyler asked

" Yes I do"

" Jason, Bennet has been worried sick about you in the past few days and I can't blame him. You can tell me what's really going on in your head, tell me what you're thinking or feeling." Tyler told him

Jason fought the urge to break down with all his might. He knew that he had to set things clear with Tyler or else the same question would be raised over and over again. So when he opened his mouth, Tyler could already see pain written on his face

"You want to know what happened? They broke me Tyler. The system BROKE ME! I DID WHAT I THOUGHT WAS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE SOCIETY AND IT BROKE ME!!!" Jason shouted those words with so much emotion that Tyler knew Bennet and Peter could hear them from the living room. Jason was hurting and the only way he could get over it was by getting the last laugh. He chuckled even though his face was rigid and hard from anger

"Let me put it this way:Kings have loyalty, Soldiers have bravery and Poets have heart. Do you want to know what I have??? All that I have is RAGE!!! AND I WON'T STOP UNTIL THEY ACKNOWLEDGE ME AND ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT THEY DID!!! " Jason took a deep breath before speaking in a low tone that almost sent chills down Tyler's spine," And until they do that, I won't stop going after each and every single one of them"