Tenebris Renasci: A World of Magic and Gunpowder

"If he dies, I'll use his corpse to find Alexander," Ben replied, his patience worn thin and anger from his altercation with Antoinette boiling over.

Ben popped his knuckles as he took a step back from the suspect. 

He was tired of sitting on the sidelines, doing nothing as Alexander got further and further away from him. 

Just the thought of Alexander's fear and pain sent Ben's emotions in a flurry of negative thoughts and anger.

Breathing heavily through his nose, Ben pulled his fist back as he pressed to strike the suspect.

"Wait!" The suspect shouted, just before Ben was about to punch him, "Just wait!"

Ben paused, his gaze sharp as he paused mid-swing.

The suspect, who was previously in a full and drowsy state, was now fully animated, and speaking clearly no less.

He spoke hurriedly, his body trembling as his eyes, bucked and wild, darted around the room nervously.

Ben quietly stared at him, his mind processing the information he had been given.

"You're… what?" He said, still confused by the suspect's sudden shift in demeanor, the desperation oozed from his horse voice.

"I'm just a decoy!" The man shouted, "I was told to throw you off the trail temporarily, and then I'd get rescued, that's all I know, I swear!"

"A decoy?" Tanya said in disbelief.

Ben, desperate for answers, swiftly moved to grab the suspect's collar, yanking him closer towards his face. "Start talking!" Ben shouted. 

The suspect's breath hitched as Ben yanked him up. "I-I was told to throw you guys off, make noise, cause a disturbance, that's it!"

Ben narrowed his eyes as he shook the man, "bullshit, you expect me to believe that's all you know?" Ben shouted, "Who do I look like, do I look like an idiot to you?"

"I can't help that!" The suspect shouted as he visibly trembled, "I'm telling the truth, that's all I know, honest!"

Ben gritted his teeth as he tightened his grip around the man's collar. "Well, you better start pulling that answer out of your ass, because I'm not buying it."

Ben wasn't letting this opportunity slip. A decoy? It was certainly possible that the man could be a simple diversion, a clever ploy to buy time.

It would certainly explain why the man was so easily caught.

"Who told you to be a decoy?" Ben demanded. His tone was low and dangerous, "I need answers, not excuses."

"I-I don't know!" He stammered in a panic, his eyes darting around the room, almost as if he were looking for an escape route. "I didn't see their faces, just masks and black clothes!"

Ben, feeling a surge of anger, threw the man back into his chair, and quickly upped his revolver. 

"Ben?!" Tanya said, taken aback.

Maybe the man was simply a decoy,

Maybe he wasn't.

It simply didn't matter, this man helped in Alexander's kidnapping, so either he was going to die, or squeal.

Pointing his cold steel against the man's forehead, "You better start talking." Ben said coldly.

The man's eyes widened, his breathing growing ragged as beads of sweat began to trickle down his forehead. "W-wait, hold on now…" he begged, his voice cracking and weak.

"I've waited long enough," Ben replied, placing his thumb on the hammer of the gun, and pulling it back with a click. 

The suspect gulped audibly as he glanced over at Tanya, who watched the situation unfold with an eager grin on her lips. "Holy shit." She uttered under her breath.

The suspect watched as Ben's finger slowly pulled against the trigger, his heart racing, palms sweating as the gun pressed against his skull.

But just as Ben was about to pull the trigger, the suspect sighed deeply. "Alright, alright…"

Ben raised an eyebrow, "you wanna talk?" 

The suspect nodded, "yeah…" he said softly, "I'll talk."

Ben pulled his gun back from the man's head, holding it towards the ceiling.

"Look," the suspect began, "I'll admit, I… I do know who took your boy, at least I think I do."

Ben nodded, "Okay."

"Have you ever heard of the Clamori?" The suspect asked, looking up at Ben, his eyes tired and posture defeated. 

Ben shook his head, "Nope, never heard of them."

The suspect chuckled softly, nodding his head slowly, "Makes sense, you don't sound like an Ambur kid anyway, got a thick Fallen accent."

Ben frowned, "stay on topic, or I'll see what an Amber kid's brains look like."

The suspect nodded, "All alright, relax." The suspect leaned back in his seat, "They're an organized crime group, take jobs from the rich and powerful, and complete them at the expense of the innocent."

"Sounds like your typical criminals," Ben replied, lowering his gun. 

"Not exactly," the suspect replied, "unlike your typical criminals, the Calmori take jobs dealing with high stakes, kidnapping, extortion, murder, grand theft, trafficking, you name it, they've done it."

He then groaned as he shifted on his seat, "With a record like that, you might be wondering why you've never heard of them, or why they've never been caught."

"Yeah, something like that," Ben said with a nod, his grip tightening around his revolver.

"It's because they're surgical, move in the shadows and behind the scenes, they never leave a trace, cutting loose ends and covering their tracks."

Ben felt his chest grow tight, squeezing his chest. 

The suspect's words, the way he described Alexander's kidnappers… It was terrifying. "I see," Ben replied, "so what would a group like that want with Alexander, and where is he?"

The suspect chuckled as he closed his eyes, "You really are a hot head and you don't listen for shit."

"What the fuck did you say?!" Ben hissed in irritation.

"The Calmori didn't want anything to do with your boy, someone rich did, probably some old pervert who gets off to that sort of thing." The suspect replied, "As for where, I don't have a clue, like I said before, I'm just one of many decoys."

Ben stood there, his mind racing as he tightly clenched his fist. 

The suspect's words settled into his mind like a needle, the revelation that Alexander wasn't just kidnapped, but lost to some advanced and shadowy syndicate, was daunting.

Tanya, who had been quietly listening from the side, spoke up. "I call bullshit." She said, her tone filled with skepticism, "because there is no way in hell a group like that would employ you."

The suspect turned towards Tanya, his expression unfazed. "Exactly." He replied, "It's like spotting a pickpocket in the streets, he draws your attention and distracts you, all while he rips your funds from your purse."

Ben and Tanya exchanged sharp glances. 

Their eyes conveyed that they both thought the same thing.

"Why tell us this?" Ben asked.

The suspect gave Ben a sincere and honest look, "Because I'm a dead man, the moment I spoke, my fate was sealed."