MERCENARY OF DELUSION

Robinson Millers was sitting in his cozy apartment flat, sipping a hot cup of earl grey.
He was a gregarious man who was not at all disputatious by nature. He led a
humdrum life, which involved going to office for his desk job and coming back. He
longed for the fieldwork, but as he went higher in the hierarchy of FBI, he earned
himself a desk-job.
For the past couple months; he had been having very strange dreams. He didnt
quite know what the dreams meant, but it was impalpable to him that they were
saying something. Most of the times all he saw was a dark room where a large clock
was hung on a wall, but something was wrong with the clock, it looked more of a
timer and less of a clock. In his dreams, every time the timers counter struck zero,
he would wake up, sweating profusely and shaking with fright. Though he was
supposed to be at the J. Edgar Hoover building of FBI at that time, he had taken a
day off, as he needed time to ponder over his bizarre dreams
Though Millers wasnt normally scared of anything but these dreams always gave
him Goosebumps.
On that cold day of December, the sun had come out after a long time. Slowly the
cozy weather took over him and he drifted off to sleep.
The dreams came to him once again. But today they werent like the previous once;
he saw something else, something different, and something that took the living
daylights out of him.
He imagined himself, standing at the doorstep of his own home. He slowly moved
forward, but his movement wasnt quite human, it seemed to him as if he was a spirit
who was floating rather than walking. He went through the front door, and into the
living room. His fathers life size portrait hung at the opposite wall, he floated towards
it and then went through it. Now, he was back in that room which he had seen earlier
in his dreams, and the large clock was also there.
Millers woke with a start, thinking about the weird dream he had just seen.
Could it really be true? He thought as got up from the couch and started towards to
the living room. .
His fathers portrait was there all right, staring down at him with the big blue eyes. It
seemed to him as if his fathers gaze was following him as he walked. His father,
Jacques Millers had been a scientist at the Human Body Research Institute. He was
a very intransigent and complacent man. After he had been abandoned for doing
performing eerie experiments, he went rogue and now even Millers didnt know
where his father was. All men in the Millers family were known to serve in the FBI,
except his father.
He walked towards the portrait and tried pushing it. The portrait moved an inch.
There was disquietude in the air. He pushed with all his strength and finally the heavy
oak wood masterpiece gave way.
He was amazed to see that behind the portrait, a gargantuan bookshelf was
concealed. Excited by his queer finding, he started taking out a book and two from
the top shelf and examining them. All of them must have been very old, at least from
the 1950s. he felt dissonance for not knowing about it. He started pulling out more
books, but suddenly he stopped. Something at the back of the bookshelf had caught
his eye. Something was etched there.
Whats that written, he thought as he took out the books from in front of it. When he
had taken out all the books from the top rack, he could see the message clearly.
Etched with what seemed like fingernails, it read for the little things in life, we tend to
give up the big ones
The moment he read the quote, he was inundated into a flashback.
It was six months ago; it was Millers birthday. He had wanted to commemorate it
alone, so he had bought a bottle of Rose Flint and was enjoying it in peace. At
around ten, his doorbell rang; he opened the door irritated. But on look at the visitor
changed all his irritation to surprise. It was his dad and he had a present for him.
Millers couldnt decide what to feel, happiness, agony or amazement. His father had
come to his home at least after a year and it had been two months since he had gone
rogue. But he welcomed his father inside, both of them drank the wine and his father
handed him the gift and on it was the same as on the bookshelf. He never thought of
opening the gift, as he was still angry with him.
The sound of rain outside brought Millers back to the present, leaving his memories
about his mendacious father behind, bringing the disquietude back. He was about to
rush to find that present but something else caught his eye. Besides the saying, there
was a small cavity in the shelf. He reached up and put his hand into the cavity. Inside
he felt small levers, as if a lock. Now, all he needed was the key. His urge to open the
gift doubled. He rushed into the storeroom, found the gift and tore out the wrapping.
Inside was a small but intricate model of the White House, made from marble. He
came back to the bookshelf.
Could it really be that simple? He thought as he put the model into the cavity. It fitted
snugly and the bookshelf swung open like a door. He went into the newly discovered
room.
The room was just like the one in his dream but there was no big clock. It was dark
and dirty in that room and the only light that came in was through the living room.
There was a table in that room. Millers went close to examine it. On it was a simple
newspaper article, which had first announced his dads disappearance and a clock.
The same large clock from his dreams but this one was a smaller version.
Millers read the newspaper article; it only gave the basic details that each newspaper
had published that day. Facts like what he looked like, when did he disappear and
many others. He was about to put it down but the last paragraph caught his attention.
It read
One of the inside informants has told us that on the day Millers disappeared, he had
told the informant that with immutable strength he had built the bomb which everyone
feared, something that was said could never be built. Though no one knows what
this device can do but many controversy theorists believe that one day that device
would be used, but the FBI have failed to find the information credible.
Millers minds started whirring, he looked at the timer. Its dull white face gleamed at
him. The clock showed four hours to zero and the answer hit him like an oncoming
truck.
The bomb has been built, Millers exclaimed with surprise, and this timer is the
countdown to the bomb. If the timer was accurate, Millers had just four hours to
save the world. He picked up his Walther, ID card at FBI, along with the keys to his
Harley and raced out of the flat, determined to save the world. His race against time
had begun.
He knew that he needed a partner in his adventure, someone he could trust. And that
one person was his colleague at FBI, Stella. He sat on his bike and rode towards the
FBI building.
After a quarter of an hour, he reached his office. He parked his bike in the front and
raced in. Good morning, Sarge the officer at the reception greeted him.
Morning, he wished back as he ran towards the lift and pressed the button to the
third floor.
Stella was sitting in her cubicle, pondering over some documents. She was surprised
when she heard the voice of Millers shouting out her name. She tied her long blonde
hair and started to get out of the cubicle to meet him. This was supposed to be his
day off.
Before she could even exit her cubicle, Millers cam up to her.
Whats the matter? she asked, worried coming to the office at the time. She
motioned to Millers to sit down.
Millers sat down, took moment a to catch his breath and the narrated the whole
episode to her.
At the end of his narration, lines of worry had even come on Stellas forehead. May I
see the timer? she requested and the Millers handed it to her.
She took it in her hand and started seeing it all over. Her fingers traced the surface of
the timer but suddenly they stopped. She had found a small switch at the side. She
pulled it.
The back cover of the timer opened and the mechanism inside was visible but this
was not what interested Stella. Engraved at the back of the cover, with golden ink
was an address. She showed it to Millers.
Well, well what do we have here? commented Millers and he took out his phone to
find the address. The timer was at three and a half hour to zero.
According to the GPS, the address was about half an hour drive away.
Time to go, said Stella as she got up from her seat and walked towards the elevator.
Strangely, she seemed even more excited about finding this bomb than even Millers
was.
Both of them hurried out of the elevator and exited the building. Millers started the
bike, Stella sat at the back and both of them went away.
Take a left from the traffic light ahead, theres a shortcut through an alley Stella told
Millers. Millers wondered how did she know so much about the street mentioned in
the address, but even he didnt dare ask her.
The address was located on the opposite side on the city. They reached it after about
an hour or two. Stella got off the bike and went straight into the building which they
had that address. Millers killed the engine and followed her. The building was
abandoned; it looked as if it had burnt down many years ago. The floorboards
creaked as they went up the stairs.
As they reached the first landing both of them stopped short, they could hear a noise
coming from the first floor. It was as if someone was doing soldering work
You go check the noise, Ill cover the exit Stella told Millers as she went down back
to the entrance.
Millers slowly crept to the room from where the sound was coming, with his Walther
pointed in front of him. He waited a second and then shouted freeze!! and burst into
the room. A man inside was sitting was sitting on a wheelchair, as the wheel chair
turned and the person came into view, Millers dropped his gun with amazement. It
was his dad.
Dad, is that really you? ha asked as he bent down to pick up is gun but his dad
pointed another at him and said I wouldnt really do that if I were you.
Millers stopped short, he asked have you really built the device?
Oh yes, I have, it is a biochemical weapon with which I can control anyones mind. I
know you must be wondering about you queer dreams but do you want to know why
they came to you
An inquisitive look on Millers face told him he was listening intently. His father
continued, you see I needed a test subject for the prototype of my new virus which is
also there in the bomb. No one volunteered. So on your birthday, I came to you and
slipped the virus in your drink. As it was only a prototype, I could control only your
dreams and mind but with my full version in the bomb I can control any person. I just
have to tell them what to do and they will obey only me.
Just at that moment, Stella stepped into the room, pointing a gun at Millers. You do
remember your sister dont you? Jacques asked.
A blank look on Millers face told him that he was completely lost.
On your birthday, when I put the pill in your drink, Stella came in at that moment. She
saw me, so I had to tell her my plan and she liked it so much, that she made the wise
decision of joining me. The virus was already inside you, so I just had to erase any
memory from you mind about you sister and of me putting the pill in your drink.
Millers didnt believe all of this first but a distant memory tugged at him, of his sister
and for once he knew that his father wasnt lying.
Why are you telling me all this? asked Millers.
So you join me of course. I knew you would be wise enough to follow the dreams
and reach my study behind the bookshelf. I made Stella come close to you, so she
could help you reach meor eliminate you if needed. Join me son, and live like a
king.
Millers felt tempted to join his daddy in his evil scheme but there was still goodness
left in him. No, he said, I will never do this, I will not let you kill others for your own
good, and I will stop you! Just then the timer started beeping in his pocket, it was
over, the bomb had gone off.
A defiant wave of vibration and sound reverberated throughout out the building.
Its starting, Jacques shouted, in about ten minutes, the whole world would be
mine.
Youre all monsters, Millers said and he quickly bent down and picked up his
Walther.
Unfortunately, Stella was an expert marksman, she didnt even hesitate a moment
before shooting Millers right in the chest.
Millers body lay there on the ground lifeless. Neither Stella no his dad spoke a word
but both of them were quietly celebrating their victory.
But Millers wasnt quite dead, with the last of his heartbeats, he conjured up what
little life was left in him, picked up his gun and shot both Jacques and Stella right in
the heart for he was the best shooter FBI had ever seen.
He didnt feel pity or sympathy for both of them. He knew that such people could
never be related to him. He just fell happy and contended that he died a heros death
and did something notable, even though no one would ever know.
All three of them lay there lifeless.
It is said that the brain lives for a few minutes even after the body dies. In those few
minutes, Millers said a small prayer for his father and sister in the hopes that God
would have mercy on them.
No one around the globe fell any difference but from that day a new kind of bio-
engineered virus was always found in everyones blood, whether the current
generation or the next

Md. Ali Rehan

Class IX
School- Amity International School, Mayur Vihar