Black and Silver Chapter 32

Sorry for the long wait. I'll keep the updates more frequent again. I've just had other stuff to post about recently. Not that anyone reads them, so I might as well do this because I'm not reaching new people anyway, it seems.

November 2nd, 2023. 05:10am - Los Angeles

After hanging up the phone, the expression on Adam's face tells the story of something being terribly wrong.

Alexa is the first one to ask about it.

"What was that?"

Adam tries to avoid the question, even though it's a wasted effort. Kevin grabs Adam by the shoulder and begins an interrogation of his own.

"Adam? I know that look."

Not sure how to phrase it, Adam just spits it out.

"They've got Maria and Bruce."

Saying that makes Adam realize that it's the second time in 24 hours that Maria's life is in danger because of something Adam is involved in. It's absurd. He knows Kevin was merely provoking him earlier the day when he said everything Adam touches turns up dead sooner or later, but it doesn't change the fact that there was truth to what Kevin said.

Alexa and Kevin both try to make sense of what Adam just said.

"Who? What do they want?"

"The people after the memory card. They want me to deliver it."

Both Alexa and Kevin get filled with conflicting emotions; they both have a vested interest in what's on the memory card, but they both know there's no way Adam is going to sacrifice Maria for it. And there's no way they can make him - nor do they want to.

Adam has more to say, however, and he turns to Alexa.

"But that's not all they want."

"What do you mean?"

"The caller said to deliver you, as well."

"Me?"

"He said he wants the 'Silver Fox'."

Kevin predicts that Alexa may attempt to make a move and pulls his gun on her, but Adam quickly shuts him out.

"Kev! There's no need. Don't."

Alexa thinks about it.

"I know how much Maria means to you."

Adam is not sure how to feel, but the idea of Alexa willingly sacrificing herself doesn't sit well with him, whatever the situation.

"Alexa. I can't let you do it."

Alexa takes grabs her phone, removes the back cover and takes out the memory card.

"You give him this."

"What?"

"Hold on to the real card, deliver me to him, and give him this memory card. There's no other way."

"Alexa."

"You don't have another choice, and you know it. You and I both know you're not going to sacrifice Maria. You saw what those guys can do. These are not your average terrorists. The SG6 data is more important than me."

Having no real emotional attachment to Alexa, Kevin finds it easy to be rational.

"Adam, I think this is our best play."

Adam, however, does have an emotional attachment to Alexa. He's not at all sure what it is, exactly - or why it's there - but it's there. Prior to this, he never really had a chance to realize or study it. The idea that sacrificing Alexa is the "best play" reminds Adam of the decision he was forced to regarding Paul's life earlier and it brings back negative emotions.

"Don't you talk to me about best plays, Kev. I mean it."

Alexa remains calm.

"Adam! Think about Maria. Think about what I just told you. About The Order. About who these people are. I've put everything on the line today to retrieve the data that's on that card! I'm willing to give my life to make sure it gets in the right hands."

"Damn it, Alexa."

No, shut up. This his isn't just about you. I'll hook you up with a friend of mine, Chad. He'll know what to do with it. I'll be fine. We're wasting time here."*

Adam struggles to respond, so Kevin steps in to make the decision.

"She's right. We don't have a choice. Think, Adam. You know how these things go."

"Yeah. I do."

Adam grabs Alexa and looks her in the eyes.

"Are you sure about this?"

Alexa places her hands on Adam's and gives them a slight squeeze. They both feel a connection there. It's something Adam has never really felt with anyone but Maria until now. There's no time to make anything of it, though.

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Okay, let's go."

---

Maria's Apartment

Sitting motionless on the couch, Maria and Bruce are unable to move due to being held in place by gunpoint.

The black suit-wearing agent has said nothing the entire time after calling Adam. Motionless, almost robotic, he just stands firmly in place and points his gun at them.

Both Bruce and Maria know that this has something to do with Adam, but obviously, they have no idea what. It keeps coming back to the people close to Adam being in constant danger every time he's around.

Bruce gets tired of not know what is going on and breaks the silence.

"You're threatening me and my daughter with a gun. At least have the courtesy to let us know what this is about."

The MIB doesn't respond.

"I'm talking to you, you son of a bitch."

Maria gets scared and tries to calm Bruce down.

"Dad, don't..."

Bruce has always been a bit of a hot head when it comes to things like his basic rights being violated, something that stems from his years of government and military service, reciting the constitution hundreds of thousands of times - made worse by the fact that his daughter is also being threatened.

"No, Maria. I demand to know what's going on. What do you want with Adam?"

The MIB still keeps quiet.

Angered, Bruce sits up.

"You're threatening my daughter with a gun, and you will answer m-"

The MIB kicks Bruce back into the couch. The power of the kick feels like it came from a mule instead of a human being.

Maria gets hysterical and gets closer to Bruce to check up on him.

"Dad! Please! Don't be stupid."

The MIB finally decides to speak up.

"If Adam Black does what's asked of him, no further harm will come to you. That's all you need to know."

Bruce refuses to obey and keeps pushing.

"I am the former Secretary of Defense of the United States of America, do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"I know who you are, Bruce Miller. Further information is of no value to you, I assure you."

The MIB then makes another phone call to Adam.

---

The chopper is getting off the ground, as Adam picks up the phone.

"Have you agreed to my demands?"

"I'll do what you asked. But if anything happens to them, there's gonna be hell to pay, you understand me? I really hope you know who you're dealing with and what I'm capable of."

"I do. Thank you."

The MIB hangs up.

Alexa questions Adam about the call.

"What did he say?"

"Just called to check whether or not I agreed to his terms."

There's a prolonged awkward silence until Adam breaks it up.

"About what you told me earlier. What do these people want? Seems like an awful lot of trouble just for controlling what people see on their social media feeds."

"Does it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't underestimate the power that has on people."

"I'm not. But surely it's about more than that."

"It is. Control. A new world order. Shaping the world as they see fit."

"But for what?"

"To reorganize the world. To make it better."

"By enslaving humanity?"

"One man's dystopia is always another man's utopia."

Adam recognizes that phrase. It was a phrase his father used to say a lot.

"That's what my father used to say."

"I know. Look, Adam. I've never been afraid to die. The only thing I've ever been afraid of my entire life has been dying for nothing. I've never been good at anything besides fighting - and AJ gave me a reason to fight. So that I wouldn't die for nothing."

Adam gets awkward and goes to look away, but Alexa tries to maintain eye contact.

"Look at me, Adam. Don't make me die for nothing. Promise me."

Adam finally admits to feeling weak in this situation. Something he rarely does, but there's certainly a unique bond of trust between himself and Alexa that allows him to open up a little.

"I'm not sure what it is that you want me to do."

"To fight."

"For what?"

"You already know that. It's the same reason you're here now. The reason you couldn't walk away when ATC asked you to track down the virus. You tried, but you couldn't. That's because this is where you belong. This is your purpose."

Alexa's words resonate with Adam; 18 months prior, he was in Mexico, drinking too much and with a gun in his mouth. He lacked purpose. Adam has always dreamed of a normal life, but for the first time, he begins to realize that maybe it wasn't what he dreamed about, but rather that he dreamed about being able to dream about it. In reality, fighting gives him purpose. Just like Alexa, he's only ever been good at fighting.

With Adam speechless in his thoughts, Alexa hands him her phone.

"Like I said, after this is over, contact a friend of mine called Chad. He's one of us. You'll find his number there. Tell him you have the SG6. He'll know what to do."

"Yeah."

Adam fiddles with the phone for a while, but hands it back to Alexa.

"I copied the number. You keep the phone. Just in case."

Confused, Alexa takes the phone back. She figures that Adam may be right: something may happen and the phone may help her, so it's better to keep it - even though she herself is at peace with her decision to give herself up.

The chopper starts closing in on Maria's apartment. Adam notices this and tells Kevin to land it.

"Let's not get closer, Kev. Find a place to land."

"Copy that."

---

Near Maria's Apartment

The chopper slowly lands on the ground and as Adam opens the door, he realizes what he has to do now.

"Alexa..."

"My gun."

"Yeah."

Alexa hands Adam her gun. The two make eye contact one last time.

Adam grabs Alexa by the arm, as Kevin also jumps out of the helicopter and pulls out his gun and the three start approaching Maria's apartment.

The MIB heard the helicopter and told Maria and Bruce to get up, and takes them outside.

The exchange takes place in the middle of the neighborhood, but being so early in the morning, the sleeping folk is none the wiser.

Maria and Bruce step out with the MIB behind them with his weapon out.

He then questions whether Adam has the memory card.

"The card, Mr. Black."

Adam takes out the fake memory card from his pocket.

"Right here."

"Throw it to me."

Adam does as he's asked, and then makes a demand of his own.

"They walk first!"

The MIB grabs the card from the ground and accepts the demand.

"Very well."

Maria and Bruce slowly start to walk towards Adam, Kevin, and Alexa. As they get closer, Alexa begins to move towards the MIB. There's a slight moment where Adam and Alexa hold hands but quickly release the hold.

Alexa and Maria come across each other, and Alexa stops briefly to say something to Maria.

"Take care of him, okay?"

Maria doesn't know how to respond and the two start moving again in separate directions.

Alexa reaches the MIB, and he knocks her out with his gun. Adam hates seeing this, but there's nothing he can do. One wrong move and Alexa is dead.

The MIB picks Alexa up and shoves her to the backseat of his car. Before getting inside himself, he has one last thing to say to Adam.

"Attempt to follow me and she's dead."

The MIB gets inside the car and drives away.

Despite what happened earlier with Paul, Maria instinctively hugs Adam and Adam hugs her back, hard, but then ignores the questions from her and Bruce and instead makes a phone call.

Kevin tries to ask about what he's going.

"What are you up to?"

Adam doesn't say anything but just raises his hand to tell Kevin to be quiet.

"Alex, it's me."

Alex had gotten home from work a little while ago, and was already sleeping. He's a little out of it on the phone.

"Uh, Adam? What's going on?"

"Can you access the ATC mainframe from where you are?"

"Uhh, yeah?"

"I need you to track a phone for me. I've set it to send out a tracking signal that ATC's system should be able to follow."

Alex gets up to a sitting position on his bed and tries to shake off the sleepiness.

"What's going on? You worked for ATC, you know that's against protocol, I need auth-"

"Alex."

"Yeah, I'll do it."

Alex gets on his computer and enters the ATC server.

"Okay, I'm on."

"The tracker code is 921-355-120-35."

"Got it."

"Give me satellite coverage, I'm in pursuit."

Bruce doesn't need to know what is going on, he knows Adam will do what Adam will do. He always does. Adam doesn't need to ask, Bruce throws him his car keys.

"Do what you have to."

"Thanks, Bruce."

Before leaving, Adam turns to Kevin for a second and hands him the memory card.

"Hold on to this. Take the chopper and take Maria and Bruce to ATC. And don't you let anything happen to them."

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Do as I said."

Adam runs to Bruce's car, as Kevin tries to talk sense to him.

"Adam! Don't be a fucking idiot!"

Maria knows Adam well enough to know that Kevin's attempts are in vain.

"You know that's his middle name, Kev."

Adam starts the car, puts Alex on speaker and speeds away.