One Reason

Justin Frekals went back to his place and after putting back his luggage, went to his favourite bar.

"Did I do the right thing by killing the sniper and not the target?"

"Nonetheless I fixed the tracker on Punt"

After a few drinks he decided to called it a night.

The next day he went to Bulls' office.

"Report Frekals?"

"Not a success, not a failure."

"Fixed the tracker but the target was not eliminated."

"What about Gates?"

"Alive and thinking."

"Frekals do me a favour will you"

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Hand me your gun"

"Here you go" said Frekals while giving his Pistol to Bulls

"Now"

"Now?"

"NOW TELL ME ONE REASON WHY I SHOULD NOT BLAST YOUR BRAIN OUT OF YOUR HEAD!!"

In anger what Bulls didn't notice was that Frekals was already prepared for it.

Frekals took charge and kicked Bulls in the groin and took back his gun.

"You pointed the gun at the wrong person Bulls."

"That, I did, but without that gun you're nothing."

A shot went off, Bulls dodged to the side and pushed forward grabbing Frekals by the wrist, twisting it and making him drop his weapon and kicking it away.

Bulls then headbutted Frekals in the nose, breaking it.

"You can't beat me without a weapon, I on the other hand can."

"You could've very well took me out in one shot, if I gave you the chance."

Bulls throws Frekals a napkin.

"Clean yourself up..."

"I'll depart for America again and try that mission again."

"You do so. And don't come back until it's done."

Quite a few miles away Thomas Gates was sitting on his porch thinking about the note.

"What is it with this note"

"Trace back your path hmm…"

"What could it mean"

Gates thought of one thing and called Bill

"I am coming at your place in 30"

Gates picked his vehicle and drove off.

For the sake of safety Estela was staying with Bill.

Gates got there and as soon as he left his vehicle a bullet shattered his windshield.

Gates instantly jumped inside the building and took cover.

After what felt like a few minutes, he made his way towards Bill's apartment.

"Do me a favour and fix me a drink Bill"

"Alright"

"Can you get me footage of the security camera in the alley beside your building?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"I'll tell you later get me that footage first."

"Let me see"

"Okay, here, what do you want to see?"

"Alright give me the footage of the night we departed for California." Said Gates in a rather thoughtful way.

"Here you go"

The ford was still parked there with an empty driving seat.

"Can you zoom on that vehicle Punt?"

"One sec."

"Do it fast"

GCX 3589

"Find the owner and do it quick."

"Give me a minute."

After a few minutes Punt said

"I found 'em!"

"Who is it?"

"Look for yourself"

Gates came near the computer screen and saw the details.

It showed the vehicle belongs to Morris Santos.

Gates was shocked

"This can't be it"

As soon as the words left Gates' mouth, a shot was fired and the computer blasted off.

Gates and Punt jumped from the shock but quickly ducked down.

"Stay low Bill"

Justin Frekals was standing opposite to the apartment of Bill and was waiting for Gates to make a move.

"Come on Gates, stand up"

Gates crawled towards the exit and called for Estela

"Can you see the shooter ?"

"He's on a balcony directly opposite of you...."

"There are 2 of them, what should I do?"

"Keep the perimiter secure, but try not to get killed."

"Easier said than done when there's 2 snipers."

Justin already prepared for it and shot at Estela's gun barrel disarming her.

"Shit, Gates I've been disarmed"

"Wait for me"

Gates makes his way out of the building and to the side closer to his car. He slowly made his way from cover to cover, bullets wizzing past him, as if missing on purpose.

"Come on, it's no fun if you don't even try to run..."

Gates ducked behind his vehicle and took out his pistol

As he aimed, there came a shot beside him and he was forced to duck again.

"Estela take this pistol" he said sliding the pistol to her.

He then opened the door of his GT and got out his XM1014

"Good thing I loaded it with slugs"

He shot Frekals which missed by an inch

"Shit, close. Est cover me for a second"

"You got it"

Estela shot at the other sniper who ducked and ran away from the scene.

Frekles shot back at her but narrowly missed her, hitting the car instead.

"We can't stay here for much longer, who knows how much ammo he has."

"Go, I'll cover you."

"What about you ?"

"Just get to cover. When you're behind cover, shoot at him. We do this until we get inside. GO!" Gates said in a hurried voice.

Inside Bill's apartment building Gates and Estela waited, but there was only silence.

"Is it clear ?"

"He seems to be gone... for now."

"Let's head up, but keep an eye out"

"Bill call the chief, NOW!"

"Alright"

As Bill moved out of cover to get his phone, a shot can be heard echoing through the open corridor.

Bill was shot in the lower right abdomen.

"BILL!?" Estella screamed out running out in the open.

Gates quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back behind cover

"ARE YOU CRAZY ? You could've been shot too."

"Bill's bleeding out, we need to get to him."

*sigh* "Ok, I'm gonna do something super reckless and when I do. RUN. TO. BILL."

"Ready ?"

Gates sprints outside, firing his M1014 into the direction of the 2 snipers, some shots zoomed right past them, others nearly hitting them or hitting the brick wall in front of them.

Frekals was concerned about what Gates might do in a situation like this if he were able to get close, so he turned to his partner and instructed him.

"Damn. Let's retreat, target's been wounded, he might bleed out anyway. I'd rather leave it to chance than lose my life."

"As soon as we get to the alleyway, we split up. We meet up at the usual spot. If you get caught I'm not coming to save you."

"Yeah yeah, heard it all before."

As they approached the exit, they both lept out. But they could hear Gates closing in.

"GO!"

Frekals turned to the left and ran as fast as he could, while his unnamed subordinate turned right.

Gates followed him close behind, slowly gaining on him.

Both shooting at each other, one with a pistol, another with a shotgun.

The now sniperless sharpshooter was nearing an intersection, so he had to slow down or else he might get run over by a speeding car, allowing Gates to catch up to him even more.

*Ring ring*

Gates' phone rang, when he looked at it, it was Estella's number.

"What is it, I'm chasing the guy, I've almost got him."

"Bill's bleeding out, I can't stop the bleeding."

"You need to call an ambulance."

"I can't, I've almost got him."

"You call one."

"DID YOU NOT HEAR ME ?"

"If I let go for even a moment he will start to lose more blood."

"I'm sorry Est, but I can't let this guy go. Who know when we'll get another chance."

"Thomas don't you dare ha-" *click*

As Thomas and the sharpshooter were nearing the intersection ever more, Gates sped up. Jumping on him and tackling him onto the sidewalk.

"You're not going anywhere. Either come in quietly or I'll use force."

"F-uck you!"

"Force it is then." He says, hitting him in the head so hard, he knocked him out.

Gates carried the, now, unnamed man back to Bill's apartment, still unconcious from the earlier hit.

"Est ? Bill ?"

"Hope they're alright."

He tried calling Estela, but she didn't pick up.

He sighed heavily "Let's hope Bill had some rope or something I can tie this guy with" he thought.

Gates looked around but couldn't find anything, so he tore up some curtains.

"Bill shouldn't mind, they were full of hole anyway."

He tied the unnamed assailant's hand and covered his eyes, so that he wouldn't know where they were going.

Gates took him to his office, where he tied him to a chair.

*ring ring*

"What do you want ?"

"How's Bill ?"

"Why don't you come find out ?"

Gates is greeted by a receptionist at the hospital.

"Hello, sir."

"Hi, I'm looking for Bill Punt's room."

"Your name, please ?"

"Thomas Gates."

"Mr. Gates. Yes, Ms. King told me you'd be here."

"His room in on the 4th floor, number 429."

"Thank you."

Gates was looking around the hallway, searching for the nimbers "four", "two" and "nine ". When he saw them, he picked up the pace, almost sprinting towards the door.

"Bill!"

"He's asleep.." Estela whispered with a sad voice.

"They barely saved him, you know.."

"I hope you at least got the guy."

"He's in my office, tied to a chair."

"I'll see what I'll do with him. Might get someone from The Agency to interrogate him, might just do it myself."

Bill was starting to squirm, he was regaining consciousness.

"Bill."

He looked up to see Estella's worried face.

"How long was I out ?"

"A while, not long but not a little bit either."

He started getting up, positioning himself so that he could sit.

"Let me." Estella pressed a button that lifted the back side of the hospital bed up.

"Thanks."

As Bill started looking around the room, he noticed Gates standing next to the door, too focused on Estella to notice him earlier.

"Hey,Bill. Glad to see you're okay." Gates said sheepishly.

"What are YOU doing here ?" Bill replied, disgusted to see himself in the same room as Gates.

"I came to check on you."

"Well maybe you shouldn't have"

"What did I do ?"

"YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!"

"That's what you did."

"All so you could chase some guy down."

"Bill, it was the only way, now we have someone who can talk and give us the info we need."

"I hope it serves you well. You can leave now, Thomas."

"I'd like to rest."

"I understand, see you, Bill."

Gates left the room and sat down on the bench off to the side of the door."

"I'm going to go get some coffee, do you want anything ?"

"No, thank you, Est."

Estella left, gently closing the door.

"I don't blame you, you know."

"He ran out into the open and there was no way of knowing who they were going for."

"That doesn't change the fact that I left him at the first chance to find out what's going on.." Gates sighs a heavy sigh.

"I am going to meet Morris. Est.... keep him safe."

Thomas stood up . "Hey, he'll calm down in a few days, getting shot, it's new for him."

"Yeah, I hope so."

As he went down the hallway towards the same elevators he came up on earlier, he pulled out his phone and called Morris.

"Hey Gates. How's it going?"

"Shut up, Morris"

"WHOA, why so angry old fella?"

"Meet me and then I'll tell you"

"As you wish Mate"

After a long drive Gates reached the destination.

"Hey Gates"

"Morris"

"Come inside will you"

"Sure"

"So what were you doing beside Bill's Apartment in the alley?"

"I am the chief, Gates. I have to keep an eye on my employees"

"I've had enough bullshit for one day, Morris, if you're lying -"

Morris was shocked, he'd never seen Gates this mad. "Maybe all of this was starting to get to him" he thought.

Listen, I told you. All I did was check on him."

"Are you sure?" said Gates in an intimidating tone of voice

"Positive"

"Alright, well I have to depart now, have to do some work take care of. I'll be seeing you."

"Yeah. Bye."

After a few drinks Gates went out and saw a piece of paper sticking out of his car and it was not in Morris' handwriting

It was written

"Не доверяйте тем, кому вы доверяете, и доверяйте тем, кого не доверяете, потому что все не те, кем кажутся"

Meaning

"Don't trust the ones you do and trust those you don't because everyone is not who they seem to be"