Grey Zone

Webb pulled up in front of Geisler Manor and stared in awe at the grand building.

Striding across the beautiful garden, he found Charles sitting at a table by a river surrounded by picturesque trees.

“Good day Joseph,” he said.  “Do join me.”

Webb sat down and let Charles pour him a drink, but before he could raise it to his lips, Charles stopped him.

“Look at me Joseph,” Charles said, staring at him again.  “Good boy.  I can’t believe you would try to record our conversation.”

“How did you know?

“Who do you think you’re talking with?  We’ve known each other since we were both rookies…I know you.”

“Most impressive.”

“Not really.  Just a standard human skill.  Now what did you wish to discuss?  Something about an assassin?”

“Yes, someone’s trying to kill me.”

“That must be Zedd.”

“Who?”

“The assassin I sent to kill you.”

“So you admit it?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

“You’ve never been so direct with me before.  In the past, it’s only been a few vague suggestions that you were responsible for something.”

“Well this matter concerns you, so I figure you have a right to know.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“If I had the nerve, I’d kill you myself…but I don’t.  In the past, you’ve snooped around my business, never really posing a threat.  But now, you’ve become a bit of a nuisance and this is really the wrong time for you to ruin anything.”

“All your efforts being put into your final campaign?”

“Exactly.  How in the world did you know I would have to bring in some new guns?”

“Who do you think you’re talking with?”

“I suppose I had that coming,” Charles chuckled.

“What’s the name of this man?  Zedd?”

“Yes, that’s the fellow.  My best man.  When he’s told to kill someone, he never stops until the task is completed.”

“Why is he called Zedd?”

“‘Z’ for Zombie.  That guy’s been shot loads of time and he still hasn’t died.”

“I did shoot him twice and he just got up like he didn’t even feel it.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.  He’s so full of so many drugs, I’d be surprised if he could feel anything anymore.  Let me give you some advice.  If you want to kill him, you gotta shoot him in the head.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Because I want you to win.  I don’t really want to kill you, I just want you to stay out of my business.  If you do, I’ll call Zedd off…and if you don’t, well…at least it’ll be a distraction.  If I’m honest, I would be sad if you died…I would miss you, so try to stay alive Joseph.”

“Don’t worry, I will.  Only one of us can win, Charles.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Say Joseph, this is your first time visiting the mansion, isn’t it?” Charles expertly changed the subject.  “What do you think?”

“It’s very nice Charles.  I wonder how many died so Geisler could buy it.”

“You know what your problem is Joseph?  Well, your main one is that you’re too judgmental, a terrible quality for a human.  And yes, I see the irony of judging you to be judgmental, that is because I am too, to some extent.  Your anger towards others is misplaced.  No one can choose what kind of person they are.  It’s a random combination of our genes and our environment that crafts the blueprints for the kind of choices in life we shall make.  This means we really have no control over ourselves.  Nobody really wants to be what you would consider bad, they just can’t help it.  It’s true that these people shouldn’t be among the rest of the population, but don’t hate them for it because it’ll damage you much more than them.  Send those who will harm other members of society to places like Edgeways, just remember that this is the reason they must go…don’t give in to spite.  Say, can I ask you something?”

“I suppose it’s only fair.”

“Do you think I’m evil?”

“Well you did just confess that you’re trying to kill me.  But what does it matter what I think?”

“It matters a great deal to me.  You believe that most people turn to crime because their greed for money gets the better of them.  But for some, it’s the only choice they have…and the only option left is to just do the best they can.”

“That’s not true for you.  You had a good job and you threw it away.  Does that mean you were motivated by greed?”

“And so you think I’m evil because of that.  I used to think like you.  I believed you could make a choice in this world, whether you want to try to be either good or evil.  You thought I chose the easy path but it was a lot harder being evil than good.  You have to overcome your natural human morals in order to attain your goals.  At least, this is what I first thought.  But then, something happened.  I had many contacts in this world, but do you know why I chose to ally myself with Geisler?”

“He’s got a nice house.”

“Ha!” Charles laughed.  “No, not that.  It’s not because he was most powerful or the most respected or even the most feared.  He was the most noble.  He is a ruthless crime lord who will use brutal tactics to protect his businesses from his rivals, but did you know that he gave a lot of his profits to charity?  He made me realise that most of the time, there is no evil lord and no crusading knight.  We are all adrift in the Grey Zone.  Human notions of good and evil…they’re a myth.  There’s no such thing as either.  No one considers themselves to be evil.  What one person thinks is evil would be different from another.  So, with no universal definition of good and evil, neither can exist.  There are no evil humans, no good humans.  All people are the same.  We are all controlled by one fundamental rule.  We all just do what we think is right.  Every human who has ever lived has strived to accomplish this.  It’s all you can ever ask from someone.  Once you accept this fact, I guarantee you will no longer feel any hate.”

“You thought corruption was right?”

“For me…at that time, yes.  But I don’t want to debate that again.  We’ve wasted so much time on that in the past.”

“Tell me what’s going to happen, Charles.  What will you do after you have defeated Hesitance and you rule all crime in the city unopposed?”

Charles leaned closer to him with that smile of his and said, “That’s a secret.”

***

After his tiring meeting with an old friend, Webb leant against the lift wall as it ascended through his building.

Webb soon arrived at the door to his apartment and as soon as he entered, he spotted Zedd sitting in a chair in a dark corner.

Webb managed to take cover back in the corridor just before Zedd shot at him.

He then ran down the corridor, turning a corner before Zedd emerged from the apartment.

Webb rushed across the landing, eyeing the area behind him.  He arrived at the lift and pushed the call button once, looked behind him to see no one and then repeatedly continued pushing the button until the lift door opened, allowing him to enter.

He rushed inside and pressed the ground floor button.  As the doors began to close, Zedd appeared again, walking slowly to the lift while shooting systematically, which made Webb crouch in a corner.

As the doors closed fully and the lift began to descend.  The emotionless Zedd simply trotted down the stairs at an efficient rate.

Webb sat in the lift as it brought him downwards, choosing this time to unholster his weapon.

He pointed it at the lift doors as it came to a halt and they opened to reveal nothing.

It took Webb a few seconds before suspiciously approaching the exit and scanning the sides.  Webb then stepped out cautiously and looked around some more.

His gaze shot to the stairs and then to the exit, before heading for it.  Webb glanced back to the stairs one more time just as Zedd arrived, forcing Webb to take cover as he was open fired upon.

From their two positions, a stalemate occurred for a few minutes of nothing but exchanging inaccurate shots between each other.

Then, Webb suddenly decided to step out from his cover, constantly firing in Zedd’s direction as he made for the exit.  Halfway there, he stopped shooting and ran flat out for his escape.

It was at this point, Zedd stood up and shot him, the bullet hitting Webb’s exposed back near his left shoulder.  Webb dropped his gun and fell to the floor.  He attempted to get up but Zedd was already standing over him, pistol at the ready.

Webb saw a thin smile form itself on Zedd’s face just before an old lady hit him hard over the back of the head with her cane and he fell down unconscious.

Webb looked down in shock at the recently knocked out Zedd and then up to the old woman, who by this point was already wandering back to her ground floor apartment while mumbling to herself, “Damn brats and their guns.  Why can’t they kill each other when people aren’t trying to sleep?”