by KJ Dahlen
Bane hesitated then gave her a slight nod.
She looked over at Raine and saw his agreement. Then she turned to Deke and said, “Raine and I will stay tonight and head back tomorrow when they go south.”
Deke nodded. “Then Dad and I will go on back home. We’ll catch up with you tomorrow when you get back.” They headed out to the hall and left the house.
Bastian and James went down to the SUV to get their IT set up.
Sarah stood and turned to Raine. “Maybe we can see what the kitchen has to offer?”
Raine hesitated as he looked over at Cricket.
Cricket gave him a nod.
“I will be downstairs, babe.” He leaned down and kissed Cricket’s cheek.
Sarah led the way out.
Bane was silent for a long time.
Cricket didn’t rush him, as she waited. She felt that the man needed to talk to her.
Bane finally spoke, “I think I was two and half when I came to live here. Apparently, I did something to Cane that our mother didn’t like.” He shrugged. “You know all too well what Cordelia was like, you grew up with her, you suffered because she didn’t have anyone that believed in her. I had him, my grandfather.”
“My mom and Dad tried, they really did,” Cricket replied.
Bane nodded. “I would imagine your mother did try, after all Cordelia was her child but she just didn’t know how to break through to her. The fact that she hated me I’m sure didn’t help either.”
Cricket was quiet for a moment then told him something she’d never told anyone before, “I think she was making progress with Cordy until she got sick. Cordy never could understand that mom was dying and she could no longer get the attention she needed. Cordy was a very selfish person and when mom couldn’t focus on her anymore, she didn’t like it.”
Bane nodded. “I wish I had known about her. Maybe I could have helped her understand what was going on.”
Cricket shook her head. “I think fate played her hand and it all worked out according to the way it was supposed to. If you had stepped in back then, you might not have Dusty and I might not have ever met Raine.”
Bane exhaled deeply. “The boy doesn’t even know me.”
“You didn’t want him to.” Cricket frowned. “Have you changed your mind about that?”
Bane shrugged. “I don’t know yet.” He paused then added, “Sarah is having my baby. I didn’t know if you knew that or not.”
Cricket gasped. “No I didn’t know.” She hesitated then asked, “Are you happy about the news?”
Bane shook his head. “You know the man I was before wouldn’t have been, but now... I think I am.” He ran his hand over his head. “Oh, I know I still have a long ways to go but I was enjoying this do over. That was until my old life sucked me back into the darkness I lived in before.”
Cricket sighed. “It doesn’t have to be permanent you know. You just have to find a balance. If the change is something you still want, then you’ll find a way to make it happen. But only you can do that.”
Bane paused then looked at her. “I wonder if I deserve her, the baby...You? That is why I do not try to see Dusty. I don’t want...” His voice fell away.
“You don’t want what?” she asked.
“To taint him in any way. I want to be the man I strive for. The one that Sarah sees.”
Cricket stared at him then set her hand on his. “The fact that you worry about that, means that you are very close to being the grandfather he needs.” She pulled her hand away and got to her feet. “I know you work with Bastian and James and that you’re doing good things there, but I also think you really care for Sarah and want a good life with her and the new baby. If you no longer want your old life, then don’t go back there. But again, only you can decide what you want. No one else can make those decisions for you. I do think that having Sarah close will help keep you where you need to be.”
“What should I do about this new twist?” Bane asked her.
Cricket shrugged then smiled. “The old Bane wouldn’t have even asked that question. Your humanity is beginning to show, uncle and I think you have a good grasp for the future. If you want to find him, then go find him. He’s your brother even if you didn’t know him all these years. Some would say you have to face your past before you let it go forever.” She turned around and saw the portrait above the fireplace. “Is that him? Your grandfather?”
Bane glanced at the portrait. “That’s him.”
She stared at the portrait for a moment then turned and said, “I can see both you and my father in him.”
Bane frowned and looked again at the portrait. “Really? I always thought I didn’t look like him at all.”
“You have his eyes and nose, Uncle Bane. And so did dad.” Cricket moved toward the doorway and paused before she went through it. “And so did Cordy. As soon as I saw you again, I knew who you were. She was truly your daughter. It was just who she was. Who you were. But for the record, I like the new you better than the old you.” With that said, she left the room.
Bane shook his head. He should have taken more time and had more patience with Cricket. Should have. Would have. He was still evolving and looking back didn’t help him. Looking back... “Fuck...”
Chapter Seven
After they ate supper, James came to Bane and sat down next to him. Bane looked over at him and James cleared his throat. “I found your parents.”
Bane raised his eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
James went on, “You dad is living alone. He’s still wheelchair bound and your mother is living with her fourth husband in Bethlehem, PA. Your dad is still in Hanover but he has no idea Cane is still living there as well.”
“And Cane? What happened to him?” Bane asked.
James shook his head. “He was adopted by Helen and Joshua Sayler. Josh just retired from the police force and Cane grew up and followed his footsteps. He’s a cop.”
Bane just shook his head. “Well, that should be interesting.”
Bastian joined them and looked at James. “Have you told him yet?”
James shook his head. “No, not yet.”
“Told me what?” Bane narrowed his eyes.
“I was checking on Dexter Evans and found something interesting about the man.” James cleared his throat.
“And what was that?” Bane drawled.
“The man betrayed his brothers behind bars and gained his freedom because of his betrayal. He uncovered the plot to a planned takeover of the prison and let the guards know and then asked for protection. Once he got outside the prison, he was freed by some of his men and is now on the loose. The authorities don’t know where he is but there is a warrant out for his arrest.” James hesitated then said, “He’s been out about three months now, and someone spotted him near Hanover, just a couple of days ago.”
Bane narrowed his gaze on James’ face. “You think he’s going after Cane?”
James shrugged. “He may think Cane is actually you, depending on if you two are identical or not.”
Bane blanched. “Damn, I never thought about that. But Cricket told me something earlier. She said Orrin and I looked alike. I guess I never thought about the fact that we were brothers in that way before.”
“But you and Cane are twins,” Bastian pointed out. “He could look enough like you that Dexter could mistake him for you and since you put him behind bars, he might want revenge.”
Bane growled. “Yeah he would, that’s the kind of dirtbag, shithole he is.”
“I think we have to at least warn Cane that there might be someone out there hunting him, don’t you?” James asked.
“Yeah, I do. Then I think we should join the hunt for this shit for brains, don’t you?” Bane growled. “He deserves his hole in the ground and I’m not leaving him alive to come after me or my family again. He’s going to learn he should have stayed safely behind bars.”
Bastian looked over at James and shook his head slowly. He knew this was not goi
ng to be pleasant.
James looked back at him. “Told ya.”
Bane looked over at him. “You know Mr. Ghoster that I won’t do exactly what you think.”
James shook his head. “When have you ever? But you have to know that we are a team.”
Bane paused and raised a brow at him. “I haven’t forgotten. But when it comes to what I need to do in the end...I refuse to take either of you with me down that path.”
James looked back over at Bastian.
“Told ya,” Bastian quipped.
Raine joined them and sat down at the table. He looked at Bane. “You might want to give something a thought here. I overheard your conversation, so did your women and you are scaring them. They know you have to do what you have to do but you don’t need to drag them into this fight. You might be better off letting her come back to Troy with Cricket and me tomorrow. Once you settle this business in Hanover, you can pick them up there. Or at least let me call some of the brothers over here to keep a watch on them.” He stared at Bane.
Bane’s lips curled up a bit and he shook his head. “I agree the women should stay here but if you stay, one man will be enough to watch over them, especially here.”
Bastian and James looked puzzled, as did Raine.
Bane got to his feet. “Come with me if you don’t believe me.” He walked over to the fireplace and hit another hidden switch. The other side of the fireplace opened up and showed them a staircase leading downstairs.
The staircase opened up to a security room that would rival any bank or corporation. Turning on the light, Bane walked over to the camera system and flipped it on.
Immediately, the men could see both inside every room in the house and the outside grounds.
“My grandfather had this house built to specific instructions, 4 inch steel walls hidden in a cement block outer core, hidden behind the stone exterior. The glass in the windows is bulletproof. What he did and I continued doing is a dangerous business but this place is or was our home. He wanted to know that he and his family would be safe when we laid our heads down at night to sleep. He installed top notch security systems both inside and outside. The front gate is made of 8 inch steel so even if you wanted to just smash it to get inside, you couldn’t. You would wreck whatever kind of vehicle you had first. Those posts are sunk deep into the ground and are surrounded by concrete.”
The men raised their brows as he continued the security tour.
“Even the ceiling and the roof is made of steel hidden by stone. One man could hold off any army from this room. And there is a safety room on every floor hidden in the closets back space in case someone does get in. Once you set the system for night time, there are motion detectors that will pick up on anything that moves.”
Raine stilled then slowly raised his glare to Bane. “Is this how you knew Cricket was here that first time when she came to return the jar of stones to you?”
Bane nodded. “I was able to track her progress through the tunnel and into the study. I wanted to see if she would really bring the jar back.” He shrugged. “It was the first of three tests wasn’t it? I didn’t know anything about her back then. All I knew was she was Orrin and Grace’s daughter. I never knew until then that Orrin and Grace were dead or that I had a child by Grace and that she too, was dead.” He shrugged and looked away from them all. “All I knew at the time was I was tired of being cheated and lied to. Even the life I was living back then was getting to me, but there was one thing I couldn’t have and that was the secrets my grandfather had put in the safe. I couldn’t get to them because when Orrin stole Grace and they left the house, he had triggered the tumblers on the safe so they wouldn’t open and then he took the key with them. He did tell me that they had put something in the safe that would change my life if I knew about it.” He stepped away from them and he stared at the outside screens for a moment. “So with that knowledge, I began looking for my brother. But Orrin knew how to hide and he kept his family safe. I did find them once after about six years but I made a mistake of trusting them to be there when I came back. They weren’t. After that, I couldn’t find them again and it was only when someone clicked on Orrin’s photo that I was able to track Cricket down.” He shook his head. “I’m afraid I wasn’t very nice to her back then but I didn’t really know her either.”
“You put a blade in her shoulder and you threatened to kill every one of us if she didn’t return something her parents took from you. You wouldn’t even tell her what it was they took.” Raine growled as his fists tightened at his sides.
“I admit I was a prick.” Bane nodded. “But nothing I ever encountered in my life prepared me for her. She was more like her mother than I ever thought possible. Grace was the strongest woman that I ever knew and Cricket took right after her. But then she had some of her father in her too. She is as stubborn as Orrin ever was. He never let anything get past him. He always worked on something until he understood it well enough to get around it. No lock could ever keep him out. But he specialized in explosives. Once he set a charge, he knew exactly what he would destroy and not a damn thing else would be touched.” He paused. “But when she showed up and actually put that damn jar on the mantle, I think I was stunned.”
“Why? She did what you wanted,” James asked.
“She did indeed.” Bane shrugged. “I think I expected her to run, rather than even try.” He swung his gaze over at Raine. “But she knew I would keep my word. She knew if she didn’t do as I asked that I would come back and kill each and every one of you.”
Raine snarled, “You would have tried. You might have even taken out some of us but you never would have taken us all. You attack us and we would have fought back.”
Bane nodded. “But lucky for us all, because of her we never had to find out.” He went back to the table where the cameras were. “You’ll need to get enough food in the house to last a few days as once you lock this place down, you have to keep it that way. This plan should give us enough time to go down to Hanover, find out what we need to know and get back. No one can get in or out of here once you lock it down.”
Raine nodded. “I’ll make a run for food.” He turned to head toward the door.
“Raine,” Bane called out to him.
Raine turned back around.
Bane stepped over to him. “I wronged Cricket. I’ve known that for 2 years. And in doing that, I wronged you. After I finish with the business I have, you can have a go at me.”
James gasped at this offer.
Raine blinked hard at him. “A go?”
Bane slowly nodded.
Raine stared into his eyes. “I’ve wanted that for a long time. You hurt her badly. You scared her to the core. But then...when she called you for help, you came.”
“Ahh, the Bulldog.” Bane nodded.
“The what?” James asked, as he looked entirely confused.
Bane ignored his question as he stared at Raine. “So, are you saying that makes us even?”
Raine glared back at him. “No. But what you just said did.” He turned and left the security room.
“Ok, the Bulldog? And you actually would allow that man to beat you up? No way. I am totally lost!” James tossed his hands up in the air.
Bastian slapped him on the back. “So what else is new, Ghoster?”
An odd sound echoed in the room.
Bastian and James snapped their heads up and stared at Bane.
“Was t-that a like snicker or...?” James stuttered.
“Yes, I believe it was,” Bastian replied.
Bane did not look at either of them, as he said not a word and headed out.
Chapter Eight
Later that night when Bane and Sarah were laying in his old bed, Sarah looked over at him and asked, “How do you feel?”
Bane didn’t understand the question. “I feel fine why?” He frowned.
Sarah shook her head. “No, I mean how do you feel? About your brother? About what you learned today about your family?”
>
Bane shook his head. He laid back and pulled her close. Pressing her head to his chest, he looked at the ceiling for a moment then began to talk, “I’m not sure how I feel about that. Part of me feels like my whole life was nothing but a lie but another part of me is curious about what happened. As you know, I hate lies and liars and when I first heard about him, I was angry. Angry at my parents who I never knew but I was angry at the man who raised me too. I thought he had always been open with me, about everything. He raised me to always tell the truth then I find he lied to me about the fact that I had a brother, a twin. The letter I found explained some of the mess but not all of it. I still have so many questions.”
“Questions,” Sarah whispered.
Bane nodded. “I want to know what happened that separated us. I mean I know I didn’t have many feelings back then but I was still their child. Why did they bring me here and abandon me? Why did I never see either of them again? I’m forty nine years old and I just found out my parents are still alive but I’ve had no contact with either of them since I was two and half. Why?” He got up out of bed. He walked over to the table and pulled his grandfather’s box over to where he was sitting. He opened it up and began looking for another file his grandfather had have in this box.
Snapping on the light, he pulled one file after another out. Opening each file, he began to read.
Sarah sighed and settled down into bed and closed her eyes. This was something she had gotten used to over the two years she’d been with him. His mind liked to focus at times and when he was on a mission, he became very focused. He shut out the rest of the world around him and concentrated on the one thing in front of him. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep...
Bane slipped into his old habit as he studied the contents of his grandfather’s file like there was nothing else in the room. His scowl deepened as he read page after page. Then he got to the last page in this particular file and his grandfather’s written words chilled him to the bone. He studied the last page again and again. Finally, he slowly closed the file and pushed it a short distance away from him.
