Chapter 140 - I'd Rather Die

Colonel Maverick was feeling quite anxious. It was already 7 p.m. but Yelena was nowhere to be seen. He doubted that she would miss this meeting for whatever reason. Did something happen to her?

They were supposed to meet the next day but he was given an urgent task. He already finished gathering everything he could, so he decided to tell her everything he knew tonight.

When she didn't show up even after he waited for minutes, he tried calling her but her phone was switched off. He decided to wait for a little while, thinking about the possibility of the Captain being caught up with something.

He was sitting alone in the small park where they agreed to meet. After a quiet fifteen minutes, he couldn't be at ease now. Besides, being late was not really a soldier thing.

He rose from his seat, trying to seek her whereabouts. But the moment he did that, five men came to him, blocking his way. When he identified one of them, his eyes grew wide!

"How did you come here?" Maverick grunted, stepping forward. When one thing crossed his mind, he furiously grabbed the man by the collar. "Where is Yelena? Did you do something to her?" He growled.

"Please come with us, sir. He is waiting for you." The man spoke up, having no intention to break free from the Colonel's grip.

"If you touch the Captain, I will make sure to kill you, Sergeant Cayce." Maverick roughly shoved the Sergeant, making him involuntarily took a few steps backwards.

"You must come with us first, sir. I don't want to use force. Please follow us." Sergeant Cayce formally said again.

Being convinced that Yelena was with these men, Maverick suppressed his rage and followed the men. He was blindfolded and he gets inside the car, having no idea of where they were planning to take him. 

After an hour, the blindfold was removed and he finds himself in a dark room, being chained to a chair. He quickly scanned his surroundings but Yelena was nowhere to be seen! What was the meaning of this?!

"Are you searching for something, perhaps someone?" A voice asked him from one corner.

Maverick eyes darted in the direction where the voice came. He was very familiar with the voice and he knows who he was.

The man gradually approached him with a calm face. He halted when he was just a step away from Maverick. "You betrayed me, Maverick. You are siding with Captain Yelena Arista." Lt. Gen. Haric Geraci muttered.

Maverick couldn't think of anything else but Yelena. What happened to her? "Where is she? What did you do to her?" He was glaring at the Lt. General, struggling to break free but he was bounded by chains!

"That's what I want to ask you. Did you hide her somewhere? She should be joining you here." Lt. Gen. Haric was calm like always.

Maverick was puzzled. They didn't abduct Yelena? Then where was she?! Knowing that Yelena was not in their hands, he suddenly wondered how the Lt. General knew about them.

Lt. General Haric walked to the small window which was the only source of light in the room. The moon was clearly visible from there and he ended up gazing quietly for a few seconds. "Do you wonder how I find out about your plan?" He gave Maverick a side glance but his face was still devoid of any expression. "I'm not a fool, Maverick. I know you well than you thought. I can sense it right away when there is a difference in you."

"You can do whatever you want to me but don't touch Yelena. You already killed her brother, that's enough." Maverick uttered, staring at the Lt. General for the whole time.

"I never want to kill anyone, Maverick, especially my fellow soldiers. But sometimes, things get out of hand, just like 6 years ago." The Lt. General's voice trailed off. He blankly narrowed his eyes at the floor.

All at once, he darted his eyes to Maverick. "Why are you trying to ruin the grand plan that I already carried on for 18 years?" He grunted. Anger erupting in his face for the first time. "I almost achieve my dream, Maverick."

"How many more people will have to suffer for that grand plan of yours? That plan is only ruining you! Please stop now, Lt. General." Maverick pleaded.

Lt. General Haric quietly stared at Maverick for a while. His face was unreadable. Then he suddenly turned away from him. "I don't care. It's a promise I made to my twenty comrades who died due to the weakness of the leaders of this country. I cannot stop now."

"Maverick, you know a kind country I dreamed of. I dedicated almost two decades to this and now, I only have to wait for a few more months." He added.

"For that, you have to shed more blood. You will only harm this country and the people. What happened 18 years ago, will not happen again. You should stop before more people suffer." Maverick argued. Was he fooling himself? He knows very well how the Lt. General was obsessed with his plan!

"What happened has already happened. That's what people always said." Lt. Gen. Haric scoffed. He lifted his hands and patted his heart. "But what about this? The scar that remained even after 18 years! Even today, the faces of my deceased comrades still lingered in my imagination. I will never forget what this country had done to them." He howled.

Maverick realized that it's pointless to argue with this man who was controlled by his mental scar. The Lt. General was blinded by the death of his twenty comrades that happened in a mission that took place 18 years ago! That stripped him off of his conscience.

"I admired your talent and skills, Maverick. I know that you will be one of my strength after I build the country I dreamed of. But why? Why did you betray me?" Lt. Gen. Haric uttered. 

"I don't want anything else. All I want is to stop living in guilt." Maverick firmly stated.

The Lt. General approached him again and put his hand on his shoulder. "It's not too late. If you change your mind and come back to my side, I will forgive you for everything. We only have to shut up that Captain and her aides." He glanced at Maverick with hope.

Colonel Maverick shook his head, hopelessly staring at the Lt. General. "That means you have to shed more blood. I don't want that kind of life anymore.

"You know the weight of your decision, Maverick. You won't be able to get out of this place alive. I will also end everyone who knows this, starting with Yelena Arista." His voice was cold and threatening.

Maverick remained quiet for a few seconds, narrowing his eyes at himself. Then he lifted his head. "You are a superior whom I used to truly respect. I hope that you will regret your actions before it's too late, sir." He made a deliberate paused before he said, "When I followed your men, I don't hope to get out alive anyway. Just end me. I'd rather die than adding my guilt."

Hearing his words, Lt. General Haric's hand slipped from his shoulder. "Are you really going to choose that?" He whispered, finding it hard to believe his own ears. It's not easy for him to do that! But if Maverick insisted to turn his back on him, he must do it for the sake of the country he dreamed of!

"Yes. Kill me. Besides, my life is already in your hands since seven years ago." Maverick stood firm in his decision. His voice was unyielding and there was not a hint of fear on his face!

He was prepared for this. His life already went wrong ever since the day he witnessed what he shouldn't. But at that time, he wasn't brave enough to stand firm in his belief while Marvin Arista died for doing the opposite.

Sometimes, he used to find his life so laughable. A single night ruined his whole life! He often wondered how his life must be now if he didn't witness that scene. Would he be an upright Army Officer like he always wanted ever since he was a child? But it's too late now.

"I adored you, Maverick. But you give me no choice. I can't give up when I only need one more step to complete my lifelong dream." Lt. General Haric took a few steps backwards and picked up a handgun which was placed on a small table. Then he walked to Maverick again, pressing the muzzle against the latter's head. He loaded the gun and his index finger was right before the trigger.

Feeling the handgun that could crack his skull any second, Colonel Maverick closed his eyes, no acting up or struggling. He accepted his fate, thinking of it as a punishment for his sins. He was ready to be embraced by the cold hands of the most dreadful thing - death.....