Mr. Toe's at home.

He showed me a little side window years ago on his house that I can check. It's only lit when he's at home.

I know the code that opens the door, too. I'm his right-hand man. He trusts me completely.

I tell Gabriel to wait for my sign in the corridor, and I knock on the study's door.

"Duke! What a huge surprise, dear son!"

"Mr. Toe."

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"To whom, rather. I met an old friend from the old Agency times."

Mr. Toe's eyes narrow, making him look like an old vulture.

"And she'd be a valuable addition to our team," I add.

"She?" He grins. "It's a she, then. Okay. Where is she?"

"I brought her here," I answer. "I wouldn't dare to do this with anyone else, but she's a friend. She's waiting outside."

"Well, call her in! You can't let ladies waiting in the hall, Duke! That's rude!"

When Gabriel enters, Mr. Toe laughs out loud.

"What the hell? What is Mint's little girlfriend doing here, Duke?"

Only that's when I notice the gun in his hand. It's pointed at me.

I feel like falling. Into a bottomless pit, probably.

"Are you boys sharing, or what?"

I try to think faster than my brain capacity allows me, and it makes me light-headed. Luckily, Gabriel seems to be unfazed by the sudden burst of information.

"No, not yet," she says, in a voice as impassionate as ever.

Mr. Toe laughs again.

"What a funny girl you are, darling. You made me wonder why Mint kept you around. You were the jester in his court, weren't you?"

"Something like that," she agrees.

I feel like my head's going to explode. My thoughts are compressed into a single point, but I still can't see the bigger picture.

"I made a mistake by not checking your identity," Mr. Toe says. "You didn't seem that interesting, but you are now. Tell me, who are you, darling?"

Gabriel doesn't answer. Mr. Toe raises the weapon without blinking and points it at her.

"Do you want to keep your secrets, lady?"

"No," Gabriel answers. "There's no reason to keep my identity from you. Its relevance is under 8%."

"What, then?"

"I wanted you to point your gun at me instead of Duke because he was about to try something that would have him killed with an 89% probability. But my life, he won't risk."

Mr. Toe's eyes narrow again.

"What the fuck? Who are you, now seriously? Are you...?"

"Yes," Gabriel answers. "I am the voice in the darkness, and so on."

Mr. Toe's eyes bulge in an almost comical way.

"Fuck me! Wow, I'm speechless! I've never hoped to meet the world's most successful tactical controller in person!"

Gabriel smiles humbly. Meanwhile, I can't stop scanning the room for a chance to turn the situation around. But I don't even know what's going on. Mr. Toe apparently knows about Mint. And he met Gabriel while she's been with Mint. I'm on the verge of understanding something that—

"So you really have a computer where your brain should be!" Mr. Toe goes on. "Incredible! It's such an honor to meet you, Gabriel!"

"Likewise, Mr. Pavlov."

The room is taking a turn around me. Or is it my stomach? It feels like I'm having a really bad hangover.

"You're such a spoilsport, Gabriel," Mr. Toe giggles. "I wanted to have a little fun with our common friend here, providing him with some clues, nicely and slowly. Boys need time, you know. They aren't as fast as you and me, darling."

Gabriel nods. I'm still trying to find my voice.

"See what you did," Mr. Toe goes on. "Poor Duke's in a shock. You're not very good at taking other people's feelings into consideration, you naughty girl."

"Mr. Toe," I groan. "What the fuck's going on?"

I hope for a miracle. That he laughs it off, telling me that he was just joking. But that's the farthest possible from what he says, in reality.

"Put your gun on the ground, Duke. You're getting nervous, huh? Slowly, dear son, very slowly. I know how good you are. But, believe it or not, I'm not that bad, either. In my prime, I'd have kicked your ass."

Okay. That sounds like a challenge. And I've had enough. I feel like the biggest fool in the world because, honestly, I am. I swallowed everything he said, but now it's time for me to start thinking. Better late than never.

"If you shoot me," I say, "people will ask questions."

"What people, dear son? Your teammates? I don't think so. They're loyal to me. But if they did, well, I got that covered, too."

"How?"

"You, my dear Duke, stole the documentation. Everybody knows that. So you're a traitor."

I close my eyes for a second. It still feels like a bad dream.

"And," he carries on, "while your team would be devastated, they'd hunt you down, nonetheless. So it's a good thing you came here, son. This way, I can protect them from the trauma of killing one of their own."

"By killing me yourself," I snap.

"Sorry, Duke. You've always been the very best. You, and Mint. Thank you for the last few months, by the way. It was very entertaining to watch you two playing your game of cat and mouse. I was cheering, making bets, knowing that it doesn't matter which one of you wins, I win."

"You're fucking wrong! You might have bought Mint, but you could never buy me!"

"I know, dear son, I know. That's why I kept you away from the Agency. I needed time to convince everyone to share my point of view regarding the future of the world. Well, time and money, to be honest. They're nothing like you, Duke. They don't have a backbone."

I stare at him, shaking with rage. But still, even while concentrating on him, I notice something he doesn't. Gabriel, taking a careful step to the side.

"I knew I could never turn you, Duke." Mr. Toe smiles appreciatively, with a mock fatherly pride. "You are something else, darling boy. After the things you've seen and the things you've done, after so many years spent drenched in filth, you're still so astoundingly pure. How is it possible? Dear son, you should be called an angel, not her!"

He points at Gabriel, and she freezes on the spot, stopping in moving away from us, slowly, inch by inch in the opposite direction. I have no idea what she plans, but I know very well that I need to ask another question quickly.

"I still don't understand what you mean by no matter which one of us wins, Mint or I, you win."

"Oh, dear son! You, killing your best friend, would have done the trick that a shitload of money never could do. It's the only thing that could have made you join me. Not for money or power. For the redemption, I'd offer."

I almost lash out. But that would be seriously contra-productive in this situation. I can't give up looking for a way to escape. If we could get out of the room, we'd have a chance to flee. I'd give it a try if I were alone. But I can't leave Gabriel here, to die.

I breathe out three times.

"But I already have Mint," Mr. Toe says. "He doesn't have stupid principles. He's not limited by conscience. He's like me."

"No. He isn't."

I'm biting my tongue to suppress my anger. I'm not even sure if it's because I know Mint better and I'm offended in his place, or because I'm afraid that Mr. Toe is telling the truth. All I know for sure is that I must keep talking to let Gabriel leave Mr. Toe's field of vision for an unknown reason. But I trusted her with my life so many times without asking for an explanation. I can do it once again.

"I'd be the happiest if I could have you both," Mr. Toe pleads, extending his hand in my direction. "You've always been my favorite, Duke. My right-hand man. Join me! I want you to be part of my plan. There is a place prepared for you by my side from the beginning."

I shake my head.

"Why do you resist?" He grins like a maniac. "You are nothing without me! I am the Agency!"

"You're not the Agency. You're a terrorist."

I see his mouth twitching.

"Goodbye then, dear son."

I refuse to close my eyes.

There is a loud noise. A shot. A shot, without a doubt. And a quickly spreading red spot.

But not on me. On Mr. Toe's right shoulder.

I'm too slow to understand what happened,but I'm definitely not too slow to act. My body knows what to do.

I grab Gabriel's hand, and I drag her out, following the route I planned minutes ago.