"Way too close," Gabriel muttered.
Leonard glanced back over his shoulder through the rear windshield at the fading black caterpillar like procession of government vehicles heading now to a false alarm. He said, "For us, you mean?"
"You," Gabriel corrected. "Though I now qualify as an unknown accomplice."
Leonard squinted in bewilderment. "That was my next question," he said. How'd you know I was at the motel?"
"Slipped a tracker in your back pant pocket. Left side. You being a righty, like your brother I presume, figured you wouldn't notice it between that time and now."
"Really? Leonard quipped. "I guess one of the skills listed on your resume is sneakiness."
"I do okay when I must."
"So, what's your angle, Gab? Spy on or bodyguard me?"
"Let's substitute spy on for watch out for."
"I feel safer already."
"You should," Gabriel indicated. "Proof is in the pudding and all that pudding just rode by us on the opposite side of the road. That wasn't a welcoming committee. Apprehension intention being the operative phrase here, brother. After immobilizing three of their agents, you've earned the prestigious Numero Uno spot on the most wanted list."
"So now what?"
"Well, Gabriel began, "we need to establish what I call T-T-H."
"T-T-H?" Leonard repeated, with no clue as to the meaning of the acronym. "Educate me."
"Truth. Trust. Honesty. The very foundation for any good and lasting relationship."
Leonard was duly puzzled. "Thought we already had that," he stated, maintaining the facade of being Lawrence.
"I did...," Gabriel said, as he rolled the SUV to a smooth stop behind a delivery truck at a red traffic light, looking over at Leonard. "…With your brother."
Leonard squirmed momentarily from embarrassment as if he had been suddenly tossed into a crowded arena naked, yet at the same time he felt a blanket of relief cover him now that his true identity was no longer hidden, while being further intrigued by this mysterious Gabriel to whom it seemed had no end of surprises.
"So, you knew who I was all along." Leonard said. "Why'd you pretend?"
"Why did you?" Gabriel shot back.
"Touche," Leonard said.
Gabriel went on, "I knew my buddy was dead perhaps before you did. Oh - on second though - maybe not?" Gabriel was referring to the fact of the possibility that Leonard may have felt a transmission of energy from his twin brother's demise the very moment it occurred. And he had. So strong and overwhelming was the sorrowful sensation at the time that he was forced to excuse himself from the company in which he was so that he could place a call to his parents' house to confirm objectively what he felt subjectively.
"If you were such tight friends with my brother, why weren't you at the funeral?" Leonard asked.
"Wasn't supposed to be. Of course, I wanted to go and felt miserable that I couldn't, but I was honoring your brother's explicit instruction. And turned out to be great advice. The place was crawling with agents sent by the people who anticipated your honorary presence, and I would've blown my cover - they think I'm still out of the country. Sorry."
"His instruction? Leonard said with surprise and just as much confusion. "Lawrence knew he was going to die?"
The traffic light changed green. The SUV purred into motion.
"He had a premonition," Gabriel said. "He was prepared more or less."
"Strange I didn't pick up on his premonition."
"Maybe," Gabriel said, "because Lawrence didn't want you to."
"Why? What was he up to?"
"Complicated. But what little I do know I'll try my best to explain to you after we get to our destination."
"Next question," Leonard said, "how'd these agents know I'd still be in the area?"
"C'mon. You've been in the down-under too long, brother of my friend," Gabriel said mockingly but with a degree of seriousness. "It's undermined your healthy level of paranoia and awareness of U.S. governmental and secret agencies debauchery. They know more about you then you realize… but they don't know as much as they'd like. What they do know is what your capable of and what happens to you when you use that gift of yours."
"I presume they found the two agents from last night then," Leonard surmised.
Leonard looked at Gabriel or moreover, attempted to look through him, forgetting momentarily that his sensate ability was temporarily in remission. His sense of wonder about this Gabriel was growing along with his suspicions. "Sounds like you're not much in the dark yourself, Gab."
"Lawrence told me about the experiments." Gabriel granted Leonard a few seconds for that to sink in. "He told me a lot. Not everything, but enough. We were very good friends. In fact, we were brothers from another mother."
"Our past," Leonard said softly. "He must've really trusted you then because he stopped talking about that for years. What little he remembered.
"He trusted me, yes," Gabriel agreed. "And he knew more than he wanted you to know he knew. He said he had found a way to retrieve what memories were erased from him."
And now it dawned on Leonard. "So that's what's been gnawing at my mind lately."
"Yeah," Gabriel said. "He mentioned that would happen to you sooner or later. That's why he didn't feel the need to reveal it to you himself. He felt it better for you to find out when you were ready to know. So now you do. And brother of my brother from another you can also trust me."
Leonard appreciated the gesture, but it did not lubricate and loosen the stubborn, rusted screws that sealed his weakened faith in humanity and men in particular. "That being the case then, Gab, what the hell's really going on?"
"Lawrence left me instructions… made me sign a contract promising that my services would extend to you. Not that he had to write up a contract, but he was being cautious."
"What services?" Leonard asked.
"Like I said, Lawrence and I were best friends. That's how we started out. When Lawrence learned of my background, he then hired – slash - appointed me his body guard… sort of…."
"Seems more sort of the way things turned out," Leonard remarked with biting disappointment.
"Not fair," Gabriel said sharply his eyes tear-misting. "I loved Lawrence like a brother, man. Not in no gay way either so don't get it twisted. I wouldn't have hesitated to give my life for him. Not only was Lawrence gifted, but he had that rare quality of genius and talent blended with compassion. His very existence was a light worth keeping lit in this ever growing darker by the minute world of ours. Unfortunately, we live among and are ruled by people who love darkness and have grown so accustomed to it that even a mere point of light tortures their very existence. I'm not trying to shift blame but, in all honesty, I warned him, begged him not to go to that meeting alone. He promised he wouldn't and did without my knowing because he knew I wouldn't have tolerated him going without me. I should've followed my instincts and kept a closer eye on him, but he made his decision. Unfortunate and regrettable as it turned out to be."
Gabriel had revealed a sensitive and acutely perceptive side of himself that was surprising and even admirable to Leonard. It was not a habit in which most men indulged or shared between one another unless it was in theaters of war where their lives were under constant threat of extinction, or in the arena of conquering the opposite sex or the almighty dollar. Leonard was beginning to have a fresh appreciation and respect for this friend of his brother's. "Sorry for the remark," Leonard apologized. "You didn't deserve that."
"It's okay. Lawrence schooled me about your sarcasm and chronic suspicious nature." A slight smile played at the corners of Gabriel's mouth.
"Meeting," Leonard continued. "What meeting? Where and with whom?"