RYS KIRKPATRICK by Angeline80 on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

After reviewing the contents on the USB stick Gaetan had entrusted to him just hours before his untimely death, Kavan couldn't shake the feeling that his best friend had been murdered. It was that USB stick and what it contained, that laid heavily on the warrior's soul.

Kavan looked up as Rys entered the room, sitting at his side. The two men were very similar in appearance although Rys' hair was darker - like a rust-hued sunset. They were "Irish Twins" - born only nine months apart and growing up, had been thick as thieves. Inseparable, really. Kavan on the one hand had traveled to Canada searching for answers while his brother remained behind, completing the last of his studies. Kavan hadn't intended to be away from his family for so long but had faced nothing but dead ends. Then 9/11 happened and that changed everything. His mission and reason for being in Canada put aside, Kavan donned a uniform determined to fight back. The Irish regiment was a perfect fit for the young man and Kavan never regretted his decision. Not until a few days ago.

"Rys, I have something I'd like you to have a look at if you have a moment."

"Sure," Rys frowned at the solemnity in his sibling's voice.

"I have no reason to doubt there is truth in the contents," Kavan explained, watching as Rys plugged the USB stick into his laptop. "I'm running out of time, though, and need your help to get to the bottom of this. With your background in investigative journalism, and the fact you are the only person I can really trust..."

Silence filled the room for a moment before the video began to play. The footage wasn't high quality, the woman videotaping the incident was an amateur. That wouldn't matter, however, if it got into the right hands. In fact, the video could, potentially, have a snowball effect, revealing carefully guarded secrets - their betrayal by those they'd trusted.

"Bloody hell," Rys whispered as he leaned forward.

Kavan grinned at his brother's reaction. That was an understatement.

"Do you realize what you have here?" Rys' pale green eyes searched his own. "This is more than enough to prove the world was lied to. Not only that, but you are fighting - and dying - for a war that was created..." Riley paused, searching for the right words. "The whole thing is nothing more than a lie."

Out of the brothers, Rys was the more talkative, and right now he was summarizing the struggle in Kavan's soul.

"Right," Kavan raked his fingers through his cropped hair, "but I haven't yet decided what to do about it yet. If I put that uniform back on and continue to lead my men to their deaths now that I know the truth, my hands will drip with their blood. I didn't sign up to fight their wars. Rys, I'll be honest. Those people out there - they have nothing. They don't have nuclear weapons. In fact, we've been stationed there for years and haven't seen any fighting, and yet our men are still dying.

Do you know what is killing us? Roadside bombs. I've struggled with this for a long time. It doesn't make sense why they are leaving us overseas - almost as though they have forgotten us in that god-forsaken country. Good men have died for absolutely nothing..."

Kavan looked away, Gaetan's death still far too fresh.

Rys rubbed the back of his neck, deep in thought. He couldn't begin to know how his brother felt having stayed with his family in his homeland. He'd never seen a man die, let alone friends. Words of comfort wouldn't be enough. That is not what Kavan needed. That video proved Kavan and his men had been betrayed - and that was a huge pill to swallow.

"I'll help you," Rys finally broke the silence. "I'll help you get to the bottom of this. Kavan, it is far from over. I wouldn't think to tell you what to do but know I am here and will support you, whatever decision you make. When the time is right, I'll stand by your side when you make them pay for what they've done. I give you my word."

Kavan met his brother's eyes and nodded.

"Keep looking through those files. I need your help. In the meantime, I need to find Father."

"Are you going back?" Rys frowned.

"Yes, but not quite. Let me speak with Father for a moment, but I'd like you to come with me back to Canada. You're right. We are a team - always have been."