Sleeper #6 is an issue of the series Sleeper (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 2003. It was published on June 18, 2003.
Synopsis for "The First Mistake"
Somewhere in England, a new Syndicate initiate known as Pit Bull recounts his origin to Holden Carver and Genocide Jones.
Gabriel and his brother Teddy were orphaned at an early age when their parents and 14 other people were killed by a lunatic in a supermarket. The two were shuffled through the foster care system until being taken to live with an old man named Dan who raised pit bulls. One night, Dan took the brothers to a nightly pit bull fight and made Teddy fight one after he started to cry. Teddy was killed.
Pit Bull's story abruptly ends when Genocide Jones tells him that no one had asked him for his origin story as the three are waiting for a train to board. As the three board the train, Holden reveals that their mission is to find and capture Jeffers Nillsun, who is an assistant to the scientist who adapted the technology that made the black hole suitcase bomb possible. Nillsun, it turns out, has been in the custody of Department P.S.I. and is being handed to the British Secret Intelligence. The three are to intercept the transport while incognito and plan out a false trail that blames the Russians for Nillsun's capture. Pit Bull's purpose on the mission is to cause a distraction, which Genocide and Holden are precarious over the new initiate.
In a flashback, Holden meets with Tao and the other Prodigals concerning over Turbine's interference and the deactivation of the black hole bomb. Tao wants to know how Turbine was able to know about the bomb, which Holden answers that someone within the Syndicate double-crossed them. Tao seems content to hear this before sending Holden and Miss Misery away for speaking with Peter Grimm.
In the present, Holden also reveals that his relationship with Misery has been mildly sexual, and that Tao's right-hand man Peter Grimm has something against Holden, and maybe suspects him as a double agent. Holden, Genocide and Pit Bull proceed on their mission, until they enter a passenger car, Holden immediately recognizes someone, a P.S.I. woman who also recognizes him. The mission is entirely botched as the woman shoots at Holden. Holden stops Pit Bull from shooting the woman, and the three Syndicate members are then forced to jump out of the train. They then steal a passing car and drive away.
Holden reveals that the woman on the train was Veronica St. James, his former fiancee. It is further elaborate that he first met Veronica in 1996 in Paris while working for P.S.I.. Following their mission it was then that it was Bastille Day, where they had wait for their train during the cramming holiday. It is there that they developed their relationship. Three years afterward, Holden was acting out as a double agent and John Lynch falsely lied to Veronica that her fiancee had gone rogue.
At their safehouse in London, Holden tells a half-truth tale of his life with Veronica to Genocide and Pit Bull, and revealing that she is now married to another man, who was also the agent on the train with her. Pit Bull then decides to leave for "sightseeing".
Later that night, Holden reports to Tao about recent events. Tao is not very disappointed and orders Holden to go with the back-up plan of revealing Nillsun's location to the Russians, which would end with the same results. Holden then questions Tao if he knows that his former fiancee would be on the train, but their communication abruptly breaks up and lose contact between them. Holden begins to suspect that everything has been some kind of test orchestrated by Tao. His pondering is interrupted by Pit Bull, who eagerly wants him to see something. Pit Bull leads Holden to his car and opens up its trunk to reveal Veronica's husband, who is tied and gagged up. Pit Bull explains that ever since Holden told him and Genocide that he has a grudge against Veronica's new lover, he decided to kidnap and bring him to Holden as a favor. Holden instead knocks out Pit Bull and drives the car far away.
Holden then releases Veronica's husband and tells him to peacefully leave at gunpoint. After the P.S.I. agent leaves, Holden had chosen to spare him because he cared about Veronica and that she has already lost too much.
Appearing in "The First Mistake"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Genocide Jones
- Pit Bull (First appearance)
- Miss Misery (Flashback only)
- Veronica St. James (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Tao (Flashback only)
- Peter Grimm (Flashback only)
Other Characters:
- John Lynch (Flashback only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
See Also