Lawrence was roused at precisely six a.m. He quickly dressed in his usual suit, white starched shirt, tie and Italian loafers. He drew his winter coat around his shoulders as he slid into the backseat of the car. Sitting on the small, custom-made stand was his breakfast. Tea, toast, a hard-boiled egg and half a grapefruit.
“Not too fast, Cliff. I don’t want to stain my suit.”
Cliff said nothing as they pulled off the property. It would take them at least an hour, possibly longer, to get to the warehouse, depending on traffic.
The world outside was just waking. People were headed to D.C., Fredericksburg, Arlington, and other spots housing the country’s government locations.
When they pulled up to the warehouses, the car was driven into the second one. This one had boxes of cargo, mostly legal. Lawrence looked out the window, not seeing any other vehicles and no footprints in the snow.
“We’ve beat them here,” he smiled. “Good. I’ll be in the office watching from the window.”
“Sir, don’t sit too close to the window,” said Cliff.
“Cliff, you really do worry too much,” he chuckled. “We’ve got this taken care of.”
As the minutes ticked by, turning into half-hours, then an hour, Lawrence started to become concerned that no one would show. Then, the crunch of snow and gravel alerted him to a car.
“Finally,” he smiled. Stepping out of a what was probably a rental car, a tall, blonde man of about forty, maybe more, maybe less, stood and looked around the space.
“Only one man?” asked Cliff. “Sir, I don’t like this.”
“Let it play out, Cliff. These are the type of men that will sacrifice themselves for others. This might be the man who actually killed my father. We’ll be fine.”
They watched as the man approached the door to the warehouse, turning and looking around once more. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. They waited a few minutes, then one of his men locked the door. They heard banging from the inside, then silence.
“Come along, Cliff. We’ll use the underground tunnel to the building. Our guest should be getting anxious right about now.”
Marc stood in the dark warehouse, not saying a word, not moving. He knew there was lighting, because he could see it from the light of the windows along the top of the building. What he couldn’t be certain of, was whether or not anyone else was in the building.
After a few tense moments, he heard shuffling behind and a door slamming shut. He turned, waiting anxiously.
“You killed my father,” said a voice.
“No. I didn’t kill your father,” he said.
“Then why did you come? Selfless volunteering by the great warrior?”
“Nope.”
“Then what? Don’t test me, I’m ready to be done with all of you!”
“You are but I have something you want,” said Marc holding up a small thumb drive. He swung it in the air on the cord wrapped around his finger. “You want all of us. Why kill one when you can have all?”
He started to step forward, then thought better of it. Could it be a trap? He looked around the warehouse and didn’t see anyone other than his own men. They’d brought six inside and there were six inside the other warehouse.
“I want the man who killed my father.”
“That would be me,” said Christopher stepping forward.
Where had he come from? He couldn’t possibly just appear out of thin air. There was no one else in this warehouse. They’d not seen anyone enter. How?
“It wasn’t you, asshole. You’re always taking credit for my work,” said Patrick.
“Both of you stop your bitching,” said Wes. “We know I’m the better of all of us.”
“Wh-what’s happening?” said Morris whispering to Cliff.
“I don’t know sir. They’re identical.”
