Tom looked at his brother-in-law with a lethal stare. “That would be the perfect ending for you, wouldn’t it Alex? Cover up the real evidence, save your ass with a simple ‘lone madman’ story, and get rid of your annoying brother-in-law – all in one single step. Talk about keeping up appearances. I can’t imagine a better Christmas gift for Captain fucking America than a storybook ending like that.” He shook his head and stared dejectedly at the floor. “Congratulations, brother. You’ve managed to fuck this investigation as badly as anyone possibly could and still find a way to come out on top. You’ve had it all wrong from the start…
except for one thing.”
“What’s that?” Alex asked indifferently, turning his back on Tom as he continued to pace the floor.
“I’ve got nothing left to lose.”
Alex paused in surprise as a thin plastic tube suddenly dropped over his head. Before he realized what was happening, the tube was drawn tightly around his neck, pulling him violently backwards. An instant later he fell hard against the steel railing of the bed.
“What the fu–”
The words were suddenly choked from Alex’s throat as Tom tightened the IV tube around his neck with crushing force. Alex gasped for breath as a sudden surge of panic rose within him. He swung frantically back at Tom with his good arm, but it was useless. With his back pinned against the railing, he growled in fury as Tom grabbed his arm and tied it tightly to the bed rail with his second IV tube.
“That should do it,” Tom muttered as he leaned over and playfully slapped Alex on the face. He then reached down and took the handgun from his holster.
“Wha… what the fuck are you doing?” Alex gasped between breaths.
“Shut up,” Tom said flatly as he pulled Alex’s head back and secured the tube around his neck to the bed rail. He then lowered the railing on the opposite side of the bed and slowly lowered his feet to the ground. Alex listened as Tom tried to put his weight on his wounded leg and groaned in agony. A moment later, Tom hopped around the bed on his good leg and stopped in front of Alex.
“Do you honestly think you can escape?” Alex asked, looking at him with astonishment.
“What other choice do I have?” Tom replied, waving Alex’s handgun angrily. “You’ve made it clear what’ll happen if I stay. My only chance out of this fucking nightmare is to find Chip, and I sure as hell can’t count on any of you fuckers to do it.” He leaned forward and shoved his hand into Alex’s pocket. “If you don’t mind, I’ll take that confession note with me.”
“You’re out of your mind, Tom. Just think about what you’re doing.”
Tom grabbed the evidence bag containing the note from Alex’s pocket and then gently pressed the barrel of the gun against his forehead.
“Tell me the truth, Alex. Do you really think I did this, or was this just the easiest answer?”
Alex looked at Tom with a thin smile. “You see, that’s why you never would’ve made a good agent, Tom. You never learned that the truth is the easiest answer.”
Tom studied his brother-in-law’s face before slowly nodding his head. “Well, no matter what happens to me, I’ll at least take some comfort in knowing this little predicament isn’t going to help your career. Good luck explaining how a wounded terrorist managed to tie you up and take your gun.”
“You’re insane, Tom.”
Tom smiled and raised the handgun over Alex’s head. “Goodnight, Captain America,” he said quietly before swinging the gun hard against Alex’s temple. Alex recoiled in pain, his dark blue eyes staring at Tom in surprise before slowly dilating into unconsciousness. A moment later his muscular body collapsed limply against the side of the bed.
Tom quickly glanced around the room. He needed to go – now. As expected, his clothes were gone. Probably collected and stuffed into an evidence bag along with everything else when he was admitted to the hospital. He briefly considered taking Alex’s clothes, but they wouldn’t fit. And there wasn’t enough time. At any moment a nurse could walk in and see what had just happened. Tom grabbed the IV stand next to the bed and, using it as a crutch, shuffled towards the door. Once there, he cracked the door open and peered down the hallway. A nurse in blue scrubs was walking in the opposite direction. He opened the door further and suddenly noticed a chair across from his door. A folded newspaper rested on the seat, a steaming cup of coffee sat next to it on the floor. Tom realized with a sudden feeling of dread that he was staring at the empty chair of a police officer stationed outside his hospital room. Standard procedure for any hospitalized criminal… or terrorist he though sullenly as he scanned the hallway again. Luckily, the officer must have decided to take a quick break after Alex had entered his room.