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His open smile reminds me of a coldblooded reptile.

He knows I’m lying, since I’ve been looking for him for years.

The only information I have, though, is the journal the scientist kept while training him, which Linda found in the facility where he was held, and some scattered facts Rami was able to discover.

Very little compared to what he seems to know about me.

Not that I care about his life, but the fact that he knows more puts me at a disadvantage. And that, I don’t fucking like.

“The first body was a gift to show you I’m open to sharing information on Phoenix.

The second and most recent one was, as I said, a coincidence.

He saw my face while I was taking care of a client, and he called me by your name.

I found out he was one of your…what do you call them?

Donors. That AI, Serena, is a great time saver. ”

When Raph saw the headless guy’s picture, he told me we’d met him at a gala six months ago.

He remembered me talking to him. I have a vague memory of an obnoxious fucker hitting on everything that moved that night, even me.

I told Rami to check him out that night, and I found out that Jasper Pendelton was an eligible donor.

My list is long, though, and there are last-minute additions as well, that’s why his execution kept getting postponed.

Ezra points Annie toward the wall with the targets. His stance is steady and balanced; he must have experience with guns, not only arrows and beheading people.

“So why did you cut his head off?”

“I wanted to try my new machete.” He shrugs, then shakes Annie in the air. “Where do you keep the ammo for this?”

I stare at him while I lift my gun toward the targets.

I fire two shots without taking my eyes off him.

I don’t need to look, because I know those bullets hit right between the silhouette’s eyes.

“Third drawer on the left,” I tell him, confident he got the message.

This is my reign. If he tries something, I’ll end him. No hesitation.

He moves to the line of drawers, and after finding the right one, he starts loading the gun.

“I know you have questions. I’ll answer three.”

It seems like a let’s-cut-the-bullshit act, but it feels more like a calculated step.

He didn’t have Meg and Linda growing up.

He’s probably not a high-functioning psychopath like Raph, who possesses core psychopathic characteristics and leverages them for success in specific contexts, while following—more or less—societal norms.

Apathetic, narcissistic, charming, secretive, sexually deviant—all terms that describe me perfectly, but I, too, am a good sociopath.

I wear my mask of sanity , presenting a facade of normalcy, making it hard for others to identify my true nature.

We have the ability to control and apply our psychopathic/sociopathic traits.

But Ezra is a dangerous enigma. One that we will probably need to eliminate.

I don’t have any problem with that. I didn’t search for him out of brotherly concern—I don’t understand the purpose of that emotion—I did it out of arrogance.

I was sure I’d be able to find him easily; he is my twin brother.

And when that didn’t happen, it was my frustration and stubbornness that kept me going.

Maybe that’s why I like detective stories so much, the thrill of the chase, the obscurity and ambiguity.

But like my revenge, Ezra took that from me when he appeared out of the blue.

He didn’t come to me, though. He went to see Linda first—three times—who didn’t share the fact until recently.

“Why are you here in my house? And don’t give me the same enemy crap, you’ve been stalking me and my brothers.” Wearing that stupid white mask like a sicko serial killer.

I hear the soft click of the closing drawer, then Ezra turns around, gun aimed at me, eyes void of any emotion. He shoots. The bullet flies, cutting the air near my ear before piercing the target behind me.

I don’t move. My heart keeps beating at its usual rhythm as I give him a hard stare.

I’m not afraid of dying. Death isn’t the worst phenomenon; it’s just the final act of life.

I’ve been shot at more times than I can count, and I have quite a few scars to prove it— a repercussion of the bloody business I’m part of. I accepted it, and I’m used to it.

“I’m on vacation,” he then says. A very long vacation. He’s been lurking around for three months.

“You said you were working when you met headless guy,” I growl, sick of this half malarkey. I’m still looking down Annie’s barrel, and I feel an overwhelming urge to reciprocate.

“That was just a little extra on the side. I got slightly bored… stalking you. Your double life is not as enjoyable to observe as I thought.”

Fucker! “My family would enjoy observing you, though. You don’t mind if I invite them here, right?” I grab my phone from my pants pocket. It’s time to contact Rami.

He tilts his head to the side, giving me another empty stare. “I’m afraid I can’t tonight. Two questions left.”

“You didn’t answer my first yet.” He’s a crafty asshole, but growing up with Raph I learned how to recognize all the half-truths hidden among the horseshit.

“I was doing a recon to see what you were all up to. Don’t you do the same with your donors?”

“To kidnap and kill them without repercussions,” I clip.

“It’s too early to tell what will happen.” His retort reflects my thoughts exactly.

“How did you get inside my house?”

“You should have asked me how I move undetected around Chicago city. Because getting inside this lake house was child’s play. I think I overestimated you.” I growl in reply to his insult. He smiles. “You’re still irascible, so easy to fuck with.”

“And you’re still an asshole.”

He finally lowers the pistol, sniffing at my words. “That’s a word I hear often.”

From whom? Rami didn’t find any trace of a family or a partner.

Does he attend an assassin annual reunion?

Even if there were one, he wouldn’t go. No, Ezra gives out crazy loner vibes, but again, we didn’t find much about his life.

We don’t even know how he escaped from the facility.

Unless…he didn’t. He is an assassin, which was the goal of the experiment—to turn us into emotionless, killer puppets.

But Ezra doesn’t work for the government. He’s…self-employed.

“It’s more fun to find that answer by yourself, isn’t it?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Why is Phoenix targeting you as well?”

He hums. “We share a past.”

Finally we are getting somewhere. “What past, Ezra?” Did he work for him? With him? Was Phoenix a client?

“Unfortunately time’s up.”

“No, it isn’t.” I lift my semi-auto at him.

“If you wanted to kill me, you’d have done it by now,” he states without showing a smidge of fear.

“I can still shoot you in both legs and prevent you from leaving.”

He hums again. I’m starting to hate that fucking noncommittal sound.

“You could, but that wouldn’t be wise. Phoenix is getting closer, and you need all help you can get.”

“What I need is answers,” I snarl.

“And I’ll give them to you in time.”

“Time,” I echo, putting my gun down, still keeping the safety off.

He’s studying my face again with acute concentration. “We are inextricably linked, Uriel,” he finally utters in a stern tone. “Our faces. Our lives. Maybe even our deaths.”

“Funny, since you’re the one who stayed away all this time,” I retort.

His eyes darken just a split second before he shifts to the left, making me move to the right, my gun pointing at his knee.

He unloads Annie…at the silhouette target with his eyes on me—mimicking my intimidation act from earlier.

In the corner of my eye, I see the holes he left on the face of the target forming a downcast mouth.

I’m not that impressed. Good aim must simply be in our genes.

“Don’t you have any questions for me?” I ask him, as he leaves the gun on the counter and turns toward the door.

He stops for a moment. “That’s for next time.” When he passes the threshold, he adds, “Don’t follow me.” And disappears.

Nobody tells me what to do. I lift my phone. “Serena, show me the man who’s exiting my house.”

“Here is the live video, Uri,” she promptly answers.

Ezra appears on my phone screen. He’s walking purposefully to the back door, through the garage.

When he’s out, he follows the path to the lake.

I have fewer cameras out there, but I added motion sensors.

I need to see how he gets in and out so quickly to disappear completely.

He shifts behind a tall bush; there’s no CCTV there.

The motion sensors still catch his movements as he keeps advancing until he reaches the lake and vanishes.

I quickly find my way out of the house after I grab a flashlight, retracing his steps.

It’s damn cold. As I’m making my way to the lake I see it.

A jet boat cutting through the water. Fuck!

Ezra is at the wheel, I could chase him with the cruiser tied on the deck, but it would take to much time to prep it.

I let out a loud growl, when the light coming from the flashlight shows the utility hole half covered by snow. My mind goes back to Ezra’s previous words. Damn it!

“Serena, call Rami.”

“Yes, Uri.”

I turn around, heading back to the house, phone near my ear. I feel both irritated at myself and excited by the new discovery. When my bro picks up, I don’t give him time to talk. “He was here.”

“Who?” Rami asks, sounding alert.

“Ezra. My bio bro. I know how he appears out of thin air to disappear just as fast in the city.”

“Ezra? Okay, you need to tell me everything.”

I don’t know everything…yet. Next time, though, he will tell me his true intentions through his own volition or my gun’s. Either way, he’ll talk.