Free A Question of Will by Alex Albrinck

slapped Will’s face, and the pain nearly caused him to faint. “Wake up, Stark, and stop lying. You’ve never denied any of this before. Of course, usually you’ve managed to escape by now, too, but let’s not go there. Answer the questions!”
    “I am proud to be married to Hope. I don’t know what that group is you spoke of, so I don’t know what rules or oaths you’re talking about. I haven’t started any type of groups like what you described.” Will wasn’t sure how he managed to speak so many words at once in his condition.
    Porthos groaned. “Athos, just Read him and get this over with. Screw the stupid rules that seem only to exist to keep us from capturing him. We all know he’s guilty anyway.”
    Athos grabbed him, and Will thought he’d once again get throttled. But the man simply put his palm on Will’s forehead, closed his eyes, and concentrated. When he opened his eyes, Athos looked concerned. “He’s not lying. He truly has no memory of anything.”
    Aramis turned on Porthos. “You idiot ! Did you actually track the wrong man ?”
    Porthos shoved Aramis, dislodging the top hat, which Aramis stooped to retrieve. Athos and Porthos looked concerned until Aramis donned the hat and resumed his hold on Will.
    Porthos glared at Aramis. “I tracked nothing wrong. The Energy reading was off the charts. There’s only one registered fugitive with a reading like that, and that’s Will Stark. The Energy scent was his. Look at him ! How can you consider the idea that that man is not Will Stark?”
    Athos spoke, his voice quiet and uncertain. “He has no memory in his mind of his past with the Aliomenti. That’s not to say that the memories have not, somehow, been erased. But he does seem...taller, though.”
    “Impossible. Nobody has that type of technology.” Porthos was adamant, but his face showed doubt.
    “There’s no way we can know that for certain,” Aramis said. “We do not have information on what the Alliance does when it’s not fleeing from us. It’s not impossible to believe that they’ve developed just such a technology. We have no one inside the Alliance to report on such matters.” His eyes narrowed. “Or do we?”
    I wish I could move right now, Will thought. I could get away and find Hope and Josh and escape while they bicker.
    Athos held up his hand, seeming to recognize this as well. “Gentlemen, this is not something we can settle here today. It is, indeed, our assessment that this man is Will Stark in the flesh, if not quite the mind, and that for his past crimes he is at the minimum subject to arrest. Are we in agreement?”
    “Thoroughly,” Porthos said. Aramis nodded.
    “Then I would propose we detain the suspect and return him to Headquarters where he can be properly questioned to determine the extent of this apparent memory loss, and recommendation of final punishment,” Athos stated. Then, in a lower voice: “Though I’ve never been unable to unravel even a cellular level indication of memory before. This is truly bizarre.”
    Aramis nodded. “I’m in agreement that we are within the rules to detain him. At this point, we’ve said enough that he’s a danger to our anonymity even if by chance this is not our Will Stark.”
    Porthos snorted. “You basically just said that we broke Oath Number 1. Shall we have someone hunt us down and bring us in for questioning?”
    Aramis’ face reddened. “The Oath specifically states that you must knowingly expose the Aliomenti. We had, and have, reasonable suspicion that this man is our main fugitive from justice. Will Stark. He knows more about the Aliomenti than anyone, no? It’s impossible that we could expose our existence to him . He was Aliomenti before any of us!”
    Porthos patted Aramis on the arm. “Ease up. I agree with you. But this is very strange. Very strange indeed. It’s almost as if...” He paused, looking thoughtful.
    “Out with it, man,” Athos snapped. “What are you