Criminal or Necessary Evil?

“Criminal or Necessary Evil?”, typed John as he took a sip from his coffee sitting in the corner of the cafe. John was a freelance blogger who used to be a journalist for a reputed organization once. He was rather famous, always known for his honesty and bluntness. John recently had a failed relationship and was having a hard time adjusting to the situation. Also, he was fired from the “reputed organization” as a senior journalist, after he was framed in a conspiracy theory. Life was going too tough for him as even his friends thought of him as a betrayer. Allegations were made on him for leaking an inside story after evidence was planted in his laptop.

John was judiciously browsing on the internet for the protagonist of his current blog he was working on. It was 10.30 in the morning and there were around 10–12 people in the cafe.

“More coffee, John?”, asked a smiling waitress of the cafe.

“Yes, thank you Mindy”, said John, smiling back.

This cafe was a bit old fashioned and it was almost every time less crowded. It still was John’s favorite restaurant and he used to go there to work everyday.

“Still on your mysterious man?”, asked Mindy.

“Uh-huh, it’s been 3 years he has been working like this and no one has caught him yet.”, said John looking at Mindy.

“Well, he has gained quite some attention and quite a few people agree with what he does”, said Mindy in a smirk-y way.

“Seriously? Killing people by taking the law into your own hands? That’s not justice. He’s just a coward and a mentally unstable person.”

John has been writing about this “mysterious man”, otherwise called as “Black Mask”, who has been hunting down criminals and putting them in the ground for the past 3 years. Beside every one of his victims, he used to leave a report stating what the criminal had done. The police were also taking him leniently because according to them, their job was getting “easier”.

During his young age, John used to be a popular guy in college and he was always the one who used to stand in the front against anything wrong that took place. He used to write articles, organize campaigns right from his college days against cases such as murder, bullying, etc.

His ideology was “to bring them down but using the system’s ladder”, and people had high praise for his such ideology. Thus, he went on to become a journalist and expose criminals thereby unmasking them in front of the law.

— flashback to 5 years ago

“Here is the list you asked for, Walt”, said Alan handing a piece of paper to Walter.

“You sure we are gonna do this?”, asked Alan with a little fear in his voice.

“I am, and I think this needs to be done. These people don’t deserve to carry on with their lives after destroying someone else’s”, said Walter adamantly.

“We will gather all evidence and we will investigate the issue. After we have enough to put them away one by one, we will hand it to the police anonymously”, Walter added.

“Alright, then,” uttered Alan.

Alan belonged to a rich family and after his parents died, they left a wealthy fortune for him. Now, normally a rich brat would go on spending this money like a barrel on a roll, but Alan invested it in helping poor homes and helpless people who had no one. Alan and Walter were childhood friends but Alan wasn’t too bright like Walter.

Walter went to a big shot college and got his computer science degree. He became quite extraordinary with technology after getting introduced to all the latest technological equipment gifted to him by Alan. By using Alan’s money and Walter’s smartness, they both started a job where they would solve the unsolved cases of the police department and put the people responsible for it away. They also took care of the cases which never reached the police, cases where people were too afraid to complain or rather cases where the police were too lazy to act.

The job was going well and once in every few days, the police would receive an anonymous package and one criminal would see the jail bars from inside.

This went on for almost 2 years and it was going pretty well. Then, one day, Alan was walking down the street. It was late at night. At the corner of the road, Alan saw a couple arguing. It was too dark, so Alan went near them. The guy’s face looked familiar. After looking more curiously, Alan recognized the guy. He was the son of a powerful politician there. As the argument was going on, the guy suddenly held the girl by her hair and pushed her into the car. He then drove the car away. Alan didn’t know what to do so he left the scene.

Next morning, Alan was sitting on the coffee table, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper. Alan and Walter used to share the same flat to make their “job” easier.

Suddenly, Alan dropped the coffee cup.

Alan was stunned and his eyes were locked on the newspaper. Walter rushed and went beside Alan. Before he could ask anything,

Alan said, “This is her.”

“Who?”, asked Walter.

“The girl from the corner of the street who I saw yesterday”, Alan exclaimed with his eyes wide open.

The news read, “Unidentified female found dead in the jungle.” Alan narrated the whole incident to Walter. Walter calmed Alan down and told him that they would go down to the police station and tell them the whole incident.

Alan took his coat and both went down to the police station. The police wrote Alan’s statement and asked him to be present at the courthouse two days later at a particular time. Alan nodded and they left the precinct.

The day arrived and Alan was due in court as a witness.

“I will manage on my own,” said Alan, “You go and investigate the case we are working on. I will meet you there after attending the courthouse”, added Alan.

Walter was keen on driving with Alan but he refused. Both of them left the apartment and parted their ways. After an hour or so, while Walter was doing his investigation, his phone rang. He didn’t even look at the screen while picking up the call.

“Hello?”, said Walter while still being busy with his work. “Is this Walt?”, asked the voice over the phone.

“It is, who’s asking?” asked Walter, continuing his work.

“We found this phone with a guy named Alan and yours was the only number on his phone. I’m sorry to inform you but Alan has been shot and he’s currently in City General Hospital.”

Walter was shocked and he looked at his phone screen. It was Alan’s number.

Walter left for the hospital hurriedly.

Walter arrived in the ICU of the hospital but it was too late. Alan had passed away.

Walter was devastated. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Suddenly all the noise around him went silent for him. He became numb. Walter just stood there. Unmoved, like something struck him.

Alan was a very introverted person. He didn’t have any friends except Walter. Even his funeral was attended by very few people from his neighborhood.

Leaving his current case, Walter started investigating Alan’s case. Alan had told Walter about the incident he saw that night so Walter had a pretty serious doubt on the politician’s son. As Walter was pretty good at the job he was doing for 2 years, it took him a couple of days to confirm his friend’s killer. Walter did what they were doing for a long time.

He handed all the evidence to the police anonymously and waited for justice. Days passed and there was no arrest of the politician’s son. Walter sent the anonymous package again to the police. After a while, he himself went down to the precinct. Just when he was about to enter the station, he saw his evidence package torn and in the dustbin. Walter knew that the politician was powerful enough to silence anyone who comes his way and he has every police man in his pocket.

He kept trying but he couldn’t bring justice for his dearest friend.

In this trauma, the “job” which both were doing had to stop and Walter plunged into depression.

— snap back to present

As John was finishing his coffee, he heard a loud thud on the entrance door of the cafe. 6 people, one wearing a black cloth on his face and the others wearing a white mask entered the cafe carrying guns. It was them. John recognized that it was Black Mask. After entering, Black Mask went straight to a table and held a man by his collar. He kicked him in the shin and the man was down on his knees. Black Mask put a gun to his head. The other members of the squad pointed their guns at the remaining people in the cafe.

“This is for your wife, Emily. The girl who committed suicide because you used to beat her every night after coming home in a drunk state. ” Black Mask said in a grave tone.

The man was terrified.

“Please, don’t kill me,” the man pleaded.

“Did you listen to her when she used to beg you to stop? Even when she complained to the police, she couldn’t save her”, Black Mask affirmed.

“You don’t have to do this,” came a voice from a couple of tables across the one where the man was being held at gunpoint. It was John.

“And why not?” said Black Mask, turning his face towards John.

“We have law, enforcement and the system to protect us and do justice for us. He will go to trial, face a jury, and will be prosecuted in an orderly manner.”, said John in a voice to calm the situation.

“System? You mean the broken system? Where humans can be bought and then be used according to anyone’s will?”, Black mask

said in a furious voice.

“There are still good law enforcers out there. You just need to knock on the right door.”, said John, trying to close the distance between him and Black Mask.

“Doesn’t matter which door I knock. The door which is meant to open is gonna open. You see, we are all pawns to the powerful people. They abuse us and do whatever they want to in their favor. And then there are scumbags like this who get away with shitty things just because they know people in high places.”, Black mask said angrily, staring at the man he was pointing his gun to.

“ So you’ll become justice for them? And go on doing whatever you think is “right”? ”, asked John to Black Mask.

“Then what do you expect me to do? Do things “right” like you do it? By writing articles, organizing campaigns, exposing people? I don’t know when was the last time you actually looked out of your window but it’s pretty crazy out there.”, Black mask said walking a couple of steps towards John.

“You…. know me? ”, John asked shockingly.

“I do. I had huge respect for your ideology. Whatever I am today, I got it from you. You taught me that being good and doing what is needed can never go hand in hand. And sometimes there’s a difference between what is right and what is actually needed to be done”, Black Mask told John with praise for him in his voice.

“You’re wrong. You can be good and still do the right things, in the right way. You always have a choice.”, corrected John.

“Good? What did you get being the good guy? There are a lot of people out there, right? So why did wrong things happen to someone like you? Why did people use you, blame you? I know why. Because even the smallest of the stains are visible on the brightest cloth. And you, my friend, were too bright. Too good to be true.”, Black Mask said, trying to make a point.

“Who are you? How do you know so much about me?”, John asked curiously.

“I’m the guy which you are supposed to be. And you’re the guy I was, a few years ago. I believed in doing things the “systematic” way. Tried to bring the bad people down with the help of your law and order. But I learnt it the hard way that doesn’t matter how good we become, we’ll always fall short. And in the end, we’ll get what we deserve.”, Black mask said wiping his gun.

As the conversation was going on, a customer silently made a call to the police.

“So, what happened? Bad things happen to you? What, huh? People left you? You lost someone? You got broke? Well, sorry to break it to you, but everyone deals with shit throughout their life. But we suck it up and move on.”, John said in a frustrated tone.

“Well I guess moving on wasn’t an option for me. And sometimes when something happens to you, you change so much that even you don’t recognize yourself.”, uttered Black Mask looking in John’s eyes.

“That’s the thing then. I was loyal to myself before and after whatever happened with me in my life. Still believe in good things. Still believe in doing things the right way. Didn’t change my ideology and methods to achieve what I set out to achieve.”, said John keeping his point.

“Loyalty? You know what scares me the most? In this era, even loyalty can be bought. Not necessarily by money. But by fear. By leverage. The one thing which can never buy loyalty is love. So, at the end of the day, it comes down to one thing. Who’s the highest bidder?”, remarked Black Mask.

“And what was your price?”, John asked immediately.

“You think I do this because someone told me to do so? I do this because this is what needs to be done. I ain’t in it for money or power.”, stated Black Mask.

“Wrong. You do this because you think you are doing something “good”. Making a difference. I don’t know what all exactly happened to you, what broke you to the point where you can no longer differentiate between good and bad.”, John said in a tone to control the situation.

“I’m not a bad person, John”, Black mask said in a convincing tone.

“You think you can still call yourself a “person” after the things you’ve done?”, asked John.

“That’s what you think about me? I’m some maniac who’s roaming around and putting bullets in the head of these scumbags?”, said Black Mask.

“That’s who you are, whether you accept it or not”, John completed Black Mask’s sentence.

“That’s not it. You were talking about choice, right? I’ll teach you what happens when you have to choose between two bad options. Here, take this gun. Now you either pull the trigger on this scumbag or I’ll unload mine on this innocent lady.”, Black Mask said furiously, throwing a gun to John and pointing his gun on a middle aged lady.

“What? What does the lady have to do with any of this?”, John questioned, holding the gun in an amateur manner.

“Nothing and that’s my point. Innocent people die because the sane ones are not brave enough to do the right thing. Now you have to choose, between two bad options, one — whether to let this piece of shit live or two — to let the innocent lady die.” , Black Mask said in a firm voice.

“You’re insane. You don’t have to do this.”, pleaded John.

“I don’t. Whatever is going to happen is in your hands.”, said Black Mask immediately.

“That’s what your ideology has made you? Putting people in bad situations to see whether they’ll become your pawn or not?”, asked John, trying to keep the gun away from him.

“You’re not my pawn. I used to admire you so much. You were my role model. But you’re just coward enough to not do the right thing just because you don’t want to get your hands dirty.”, said Black Mask.

“You don’t have to get your hands dirty to achieve what you want. Let’s think this through. I beg you. We can take this guy to the nearest police station and we’ll make a strong case against him. I’ll make sure he gets the punishment he deserves! Please! Let’s.. do.. that”, John said in a pleading voice.

“And how do you propose to do that? By writing another article? By putting him in the fucking newspaper? He’ll be walking on the streets again before you and I reach our homes.”, said Black Mask furiously.

“He may be a bad person, but he still deserves a second chance right. Maybe not on the streets, but in jail. Either way, no one gives you the right to claim his life. Who do you think you are?”, asked John.

“You know, someone once told me, that if you really search for the devil, you might find him. I kept on looking until I found him when I looked in the mirror.”, said Black Mask looking at his reflection in a glass nearby.

“You can self pity yourself all you want, but this doesn’t make you a hero. You are a coward. The worst of it’s kind. You’re so shit scared to see a process happening that you’d rather choose to see the results.”, said John

“You’re right. And the result is sometimes all that matters.”, said Black Mask adjusting his mask.

“That’s what you tell yourself. But, the path you take to reach somewhere is more important than reaching there.”, conveyed John.

“And what is your destination?”, asked Black Mask.

“Same as yours. Just not by taking everything into my own hands. By not being a God.”, stated John.

“For a God to exist, you just need enough believers to believe.”, said Black Mask.

“So you think you’re a God now, huh?”, asked John in a frustrating voice.

“I’m not. But look at my side. There are people who believe in my ideology and they are standing behind me. According to you, I’m wrong? But still, you’re the one who’s standing alone.”, said Black Mask.

“I’d rather be alone on the right side than choose to fall in the pit of the wrong side”, John said looking at the gun Black Mask was pointing at the lady.

“And how’s that working out for you so far? What have you achieved?”, asked Black Mask.

“I might’ve put lesser people in jail than you have killed, but at least I did it the right way and gave them a chance to try.”, answered John.

“Try? To commit murder again? To rape again? To steal again? ”, Black Mask asked rhetorically.

“No, to live again. They might be just 5 percent good, but that doesn’t mean you can just claim their life for the remaining 95 percent.”, answered John.

“Enough talks. You’re gonna pull the trigger or should I do it?”, said Black Mask in a heavy voice.

The banter continued and sirens from a distance were audible. The police had arrived with backup. A team of tactical operatives also arrived with the police.

“Status?”, asked the captain.

“Six hostile and armed people, sir”, answered an officer.

“Alright, listen up! All units obtain a clear line of sight on each of the targets and give me a signal”, ordered the captain.

“I’m in position. I’ve cross-hairs on Black Mask”, said Alpha, holding a sniper.

“Roger, sir”, answered Bravo.

“Target in sight”, said Charlie.

“On your go, captain”, said Delta.

“Got eyes on the fifth member”, said Echelon, with his thumb on the trigger.

“Covered the last member, captain. We’re good to go”, said Frost. All six operatives were ready to shoot the members.

“We only need Black Mask for questioning. Aim for his knee cap. Eliminate the others.”, advised the captain to his operatives.

“On my mark…… go!”, ordered the captain.

Seeing the situation, shots were fired. Black Mask was shot in the knee while others didn’t survive the blows to their head. The bullet almost brushed his femoral artery and Black Mask was bleeding badly. Instead of taking him to the hospital, he was kept there as moving him would’ve made things worse.

“He didn’t deserve that”, Black Mask mumbled taking off his mask.

“What? Who?, asked John.

“He was a good person. A brother to me. Was only a witness in an argument”, Black Mask said in breaking voice.

“We tried to do things the right way, but he was shot on the way to court.”, Black Mask continued.

“We made a list of all the people who were free but deserved hell, and tried bringing them down with the help of the system. Did it for almost 2 years. We were happy with the little good we were doing in the world.”, his voice kept breaking.

“When he died, I learnt that it doesn’t matter how good we choose to be, in the end, we always get what we deserve. But still, he didn’t deserve that. So why the hell do these bad people deserve another chance?”, said Black Mask.

“He was your brother?”, John asked in a low tone.

“You don’t need to have the same blood to call someone family”, Black Mask said with tears in his eyes.

“I know you don’t even remember me. You were popular in college. I was a nobody. Used to sit a couple of desks behind you. But I followed you ardently. Your ideology really made me feel like there’s someone out there like me and I felt so good. So I started doing the same things which you preached. I wanted to make a difference.” said Black Mask with his eyes fully red and half closed.

“But you could’ve done it the right way. We can’t just do things without thinking of the consequences. Look at you and this moment. It’s over.”

“Who said it’s over? ”, chuckled Black Mask with pain.

“Why do you think I chose this place to confront that criminal? Why do you think I didn’t kill him in the first place?”, asked Black Mask looking at John.

“For……me?”

Black Mask took a deep breath and looked in the other way, outside the window.

He said, “The world is a very strange place. And people like you are too rare to exist. I really admire your work. I just wanted someone who has more control over his emotions to continue what I’ve been doing. You see, anyone can be a hero or a villain. But the real one is the one who knows when to act according to the situation. Too much power can demolish anyone. So can too much loss. Me, I don’t even know whether I have a heart anymore. I do everything with my brain. And having a heart makes us human. I am no longer one. I am too much into this that I am not able to think with feelings whether what I’m doing is right or not. But I still believe my ideology.”, Black Mask coughed in pain.

He held John’s hand and pulled him a little closer, since his voice had become too low.

He added, “You’re a generous person. After all that has happened with you, you still choose to see the right in every wrong. But unless people like us take the hard decisions, this world will never become a better place. I’m sure you’ll do this in the way which is the best.”

Walter continued by facing towards John, “You just need to grow some balls”, he chuckled.

John on the verge of tears said, “I don’t even know your name. But you seem like a good person. I don’t know what happened to you in your life, I can only imagine what brought you to this level.”

“You don’t need to know my name. I never did all this for people to know my name. I…just wanted to make a difference by doing what’s needed. But I don’t know myself anymore. And I hope you never reach this level, ever. ”, Black Mask said.

The ambulance arrived. Black Mask was deep asleep. The paramedics tried their best to revive him but they couldn’t. After some time, every customer left the restaurant with a horrible experience of their life, except one.