MOMENT OF TRUTH.

APTER 10: MOMENT OF TRUTH.

Justin looked at Mr Bishop, wondering why he smirked.

"Why did you do it, sir?" Justin enquired.

The men standing guard were sulking, wondering who the hell that Justin was, that their boss allowed him to speak freely with him.

"Well, let's just say they were suddenly interested in what I've had my eyes on for a while now," Mr Bishop answered.

Justin raised his left eyebrow, looking intently at Mr Bishop. He knew Mr Bishop's answer was way too bogus. He could sense there was more to it than meets the eye.

"You think I had a hand in your abduction?" Mr Bishop said. "Here. Why don't you have a look?"

He handed Justin his cellphone after he flipped through it, showing him a surveillance footage of the rescue. Justin played it and saw that he was actually resued.

"I truly am grateful sir, for the rescue. But, who are those folks who came after me? Why me, of all people? What did they want?" Justin asked.

Mr Bishop sighed softly, and looked at Justin.

"This was bound to happen sooner or later. So, let's get this over with." 

Justin furrowed his brow, wondering what Mr Bishop meant by that statement. But he was all ears, eager to know what it meant.

"They were after you because, you're my son."

The eyes of his bodyguard widened in surprise, but they couldn't dare utter a word. They knew the consequences.

"Sorry sir, but I uh, I don't think I got you," Justin said, gulping, having a scrunched face, evidently perplexed, not knowing if what he heard, he heard it right. 

Mr Bishop chuckled softly, looking at Justin. 

"Your name is Justin Campbell, born on the 12th of August, 2001, to a beautiful redhead, Mary Campbell, who died giving birth to you. As a result, you were raised by your shitty aunt, Magdalene Adams, and her family," Mr Bishop began revealing, to the surprise of Justin.

"You graduated high school and was offered a scholarship at San Jacinto College, Texas. You graduated with honors about a month ago, and moved to New York to make something of yourself," Mr Bishop concluded.

"How in the world did you know all that?" Justin asked, surprised.

"Your scholarship, how do you think you got it, when the others rejected you, despite meeting all their requirements?" Mr Bishop asked. 

"That was you?" Justin replied with a question, to which Mr Bishop nodded once, gently.

"Nah. This can't be real. Mm mm. You're just messing with me, aren't you?" Justin found it hard to believe it. 

"I really don't have the time to try to convince you otherwise. So we can simply go do a um... What do you call it again?" Mr Bishop snapped his finger thinking.

"A DNA test."

"Uh huh! A DNA test," he reiterated the answer of the man standing beside him.

Justin looked at Mr Bishop intently, as tears began welling up in his eyes. He saw that Mr Bishop barely expressed any emotion of either joy, or sadness, or any warm emotions at all. 

"Where have you been, all my life? Huh? Where were you?!" Justin yelled.

"It's complicated," Mr Bishop answered. 

"It's complicated? Always the convenient excuse for everyone that runs from responsibility. Do you have any idea what I've been through?"

"I've been watching over you, all your life," Mr Bishop responded sharply.

"How about getting involved in my life? Huh? Was that also complicated?" Justin fired back.

"Trust me Justin, you won't understand," Mr Bishop said, controlling his temper. 

Justin snorted derogatorily, shaking his head as tears ran down his cheeks, and yet he was furious.

"Let's say I believe you, do you think I'm just gonna accept you into my life?" Justin asked, speaking softly.

"I wouldn't expect it either, if I were you. But am all you've got now," he replied coldly.

"The moment you step out that door, just as Justin Campbell, you're gone. They'll get you just like they already had." 

Justin shook his head in disbelief, chuckling.

"You're best at survival, is remaining here, for now," Mr Bishop tried convincing Justin. It wasn't like he had any other choice anyway.

"I know this is a lot to take in, but it is what it is," Mr Bishop tried to sympathize with his son, but he was lousy at it.

Mr Bishop got up and headed for his study, accompanied by the man who has seen Justin earlier, leaving Justin alone in the living room.

"Phew! I'm just glad it's done and over with Gomez," Mr Bishop sighed sitting in his custom made reclining chair behind his desk.

"He has your fire and spirit sir. He definitely is your son. Not to mention the striking resemblance," Gomez pointed out.

"Indeed," he acknowledged.

"I truly am surprised that he wasn't ecstatic to know you're his father, knowing what that would entail, in every way. Other kids would've gone crazy," Gomez also pointed out. 

"He gets that independent spirit from his mother," he responded.

"The abduction means Russell is now aware of his existence. How was that possible?" Mr Bishop reasoned. 

"I fear someone amongst the detail I had attached to his surveillance must've revealed that to Night Clan," Gomez said, feeling disappointed, with his head faced down.

"We'll respond to the Night Clan appropriately. But in the meantime, look into the matter of the possible mole amongst us, and end him."

"Yes sir," Gomez responded, bowing as he exited the study.

Mr Bishop thought about what to do next, now that he has a son in his life.

_________

The police and paramedics arrived the scene of the previous night's shooting, sealing off the perimeter with their yellow tape, as investigations were on going.

A vehicle pulled over, and two folks, a man and a woman, all dressed in nicely, made their way to the crime scene. Getting to where the cops were, they were given access. 

"Detective Savannah, Riley," one of the cops welcomed them.

"So, what do we have here?" Detective Savannah asked looking round. 

"This isn't just some regular gang killing detective. That's why I called for you guys, knowing this would pique your interest." 

The cop took the detectives to the corpses covered on the floor. He pulled up the sleeves on their hands, revealing a tattoo on the forearm.

"The Night Clan!" Detective Savannah said, as her heart quaked a bit. 

She checked all the corpses and saw they all had the same tattoo. She sighed as she stood up.

"There's only one mafia group capable of ousting the Night Clan this way," she said.

"The Bulls Clan," her partner Riley responded.

"The Bulls Clan," she affirmed. 

"After all these years of silence between the two biggest Mafia gangs, why did they crawl out of their hiding to shed blood? What could the reason be?" she reasoned.