by Sourav Deka
Sam chuckled. “Don’t worry, that was just to motivate you. The bullet went through his flesh, nowhere near his bone. He will be fine,” he signaled his men to patch up Martin.
There were four vehicles waiting outside. Sam and his men took us to the vehicles. From there our journey began. We had to go. We didn’t have any choice. Sam’s been spying on us for years and we never knew. What are his plans? Why did he show up now? Where is he taking us? Questions were roaming in my mind and he wasn’t in a mood to give any answers.
Aaron, Rowena, Andrea and I were in the same vehicle. We were sitting together at the back of the vehicle with Sam’s men in black suits.
“Dad said he is a psychopath, he killed thousands of people and you agreed to go with him?’ Aaron whispered.
“What choice did we have then?” I whispered back. “We had to agree. He shot martin. If he is a psychopath he would have killed us. Now at least we have time to think and get away from this.”
Rowena bit her lower lip. “I don’t understand. Why does he need us?” she said.
I rubbed my chin. “Yeah, that’s what I am worried about?”
“Maybe we are some key to solve some puzzle,” Andrea said.
“I was also thinking the same thing,” I looked at Aaron. “Remember, Tanner used our blood to open the door in the cave.”
“Yeah, if that’s why he is taking us then we can’t let him take the seeds, Ross. He is from Aivor,” Aaron scratched his head. “What the hell is that group by the way?”
I took a deep breath. “There are a lot of things we don’t know about. We need answers and only Sam can tell us.”
CHAPTER 10
After two hours of journey, all the vehicles stopped at the airport. People working at the airport looked at us but didn’t do anything. I guess Sam made sure that the airport’s employees don’t create any trouble. We thought of shouting and asking for help, but it was too risky. Sam would kill us if we tried something, so we stayed silent. His men took us inside his private plane.
What the hell was happening? Where is he going to take us? I couldn’t stay silent and keep wondering, I had to ask.
“Where are you taking us?” I asked.
Sam grinned and blew out the smoke from his mouth. “You will see,” he said.
After a few minutes the plane took off. In mid-flight Sam offered us some food. We didn’t trust him but we were hungry so everyone grabbed a bite, they wanted to forget for a moment that they were being captured. They just wanted to taste the food as we haven’t eaten good food for months. It felt really good. Dad was the only one who resisted his urge and stayed away from the food while the others ate.
“Come on Richard,” Sam said. “If I wanted you dead, you would be dead. Eat up, you will need your energy,” he patted dad’s shoulder and went to the cockpit.
I tried to convince dad to eat up but he didn’t listen. He didn’t trust Sam so he stayed away from the food. He also advised us to not eat it, but we did. The hunger was stronger. We haven’t tasted good food in days. We knew Sam wouldn’t poison our food. If he wanted us dead he would just shoot us, all of us are unarmed as they took our guns. His men patched up Martin’s arm and gave him some pills. He felt better. But still nothing was clear. We didn’t know where he was taking us.
After a while, Sam called me to talk with him in private. I guess now he was ready to share. I went to the cockpit, where he was sitting with the pilot. He stared at me for a couple of seconds and then broke the silence.
“I know what you are thinking?” Sam said.
I chuckled. “Yeah?” I sat beside him.
He took out the cigar from his mouth. “I am a psycho, isn’t it?”
“Of course you are.”
“Why? Because your dad said it or I shot Martin?”
“Both.”
He blew the smoke from his mouth. “You don’t know the real story, do you?”
“Which story? Nibshaw’s one?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Yeah, I know he helped people, made the seeds and hid it before he was killed.”
“No,” he clicked his tongue. “The other part of the story.”
My eyes widened. “There is another part,” I stood up.
“Sit down, everyone knows the whole story. Only you and Aaron are unaware of it.”
I sat down and took a deep breath. “What’s the other part then?”
“Nibshaw was not the type of man that you think he was, Ross. He was a killer.”
“Killer? No, he helped people.”
“Yes he did. But he was a killer first, a cold blooded killer,” he said. “Everybody thought that he was a great scientist but that isn’t entirely true,” he blew out some smoke. “Everyone in his family died. He began to hate God, and worshipped devil.”
“The devil?”
“He wanted to do good things but with the help of evil powers,” he gulped. “He lost his belief in god.”
“So the devil made the seeds for him?”
Sam pressed his lips together. “Not exactly. Once he saw Satan in his dream. He showed him a place where a powerful witch lived.”
“Wait? What did you say? Satan?”
He nodded. “Yeah the devil.”
“He exists??”
“I don’t know but he saw him in his dream.”
I blew my cheeks. “Oh god!”
“So the next day he went to find that place, the place that he saw in his dream. After trying for a couple of months he finally found the witch.”
“The witch in his dream?”
“Yes, the same witch who created the magical forest, where you all were stranded in. Nibshaw told the witch about his dream and he requested her to help him create such a thing which can cure any disease. The witch asked him a lot of gold in return. To pay her, he sold his entire property. But that wasn’t enough. She asked him to kill a hundred people and bring their dead blood. It was needed for the ritual.”
“So Nibshaw agreed to do it?”
He nodded and blew some smoke. “Yeah, he was an unknown serial killer at that time who used to manipulate people and kill them. He did exactly what the witch asked him to do.”
I clasped my hands. “That’s how he created the cure for any disease.”
“Yes, but there is a twist.”
“Twist?”
“After the seeds were made, he wrote the diary as you know.”
“Yeah, but what’s the twist?”
“After the seeds were made he tried to kill the witch so that no one can ever find out that he killed so many people for the ritual. She was the only one who knew. He wanted to pretend that he is a saint. He didn’t want to leave any clue.”
I gulped. “So it was all a lie.”
“He was a serial killer, Ross. He killed her too. Unfortunately the witch’s eight year old daughter saw it. Nibshaw chased her but somehow she managed to run away. Luckily, her Aunt found her. She told her aunt about Nibshaw murdering her mother. Her aunt called her close friends and they planned to find the seeds and expose Nibshaw as a killer to the king.”
“Why couldn’t they just kill him with their magic?”
He shook his head. “They couldn’t. Practicing witchcraft was a crime back then.”
“But Nibshaw’s witch did magic.”
“Yes, but the other witches didn’t want to take the risk. They had families. If the king would have known, he would have executed their families. So they planned to find the seeds and expose Nibshaw as a killer to the king. They thought that was a better way.”
“So, that’s how the king found out about the cure?”
He smiled. “Yes, it was a big mistake. They informed the king, but the king was selfish. He was only interested in taking and using the cure for himself. That was his first priority. When the king didn’t find the cure he killed Nibshaw and took his diary. When the witch’s family came to know that the king wants to use the cure only for himself, they planned to go against him and Aivor group was
formed.”
I raised my eyebrows. “The Aivor group? The group you mentioned?”
“Yes, I am from that group. Every descendant of the members of Aivor is now currently Aivor’s member.”
“Oh, are you a witch then?”
“From birth, yes I am,” he shrugged. “But magic is hard, I don’t practice. I never did.”
“The king was dead ages ago, why is the group still there?”
“Our objective was not only the king, we want to find the seeds and destroy them.”
My forehead creased. “What????”
“It is a dangerous thing, Ross. It must be destroyed,” he opened the cold drink beside him and took a sip.
“How it can be dangerous? It can cure any disease. It will be the best medicine to save people in today’s world.”
“Medicine?” he laughed. “Are you out of your mind? If a person uses it again and again, he stays immortal. No one should live forever, Ross. Do you have any idea what he can do if he gets immortality? He will begin to think he is god.”
“That can happen if it falls in wrong hands, Sam. If it stays with good people, it can save humanity.”
“Save humanity???” he scoffed. “We already have an overpopulation problem.”
“We can find solutions to solve that.”
“No, there is no solution. There are no good people in this world, Ross, not anymore. People are greedy, everyone thinks of themselves.”
“No, you are wrong. I know good people, I am one of them”
“Really??” he took a sip from his drink. “You tortured Kelvin Wilson. Is that something a good person will do?”
I pressed my lips and gulped. “That was necessary.”
“Every bad person was a good person at some point of time. When they gain power, they become greedy. They Mistake themselves as god,” Sam put down his drink on the seat.
“I understand there are evil people in this world. But we can keep the seeds safe from them and use it for people. It can save lives.”
He tightened his cheeks. “People are meant to die, Ross. Everything is meant to die. That’s how the universe works, it maintains the balance. Nothing should change that.”
“So you are just going to destroy it if you find it?”
He raised his chin. “Yeah, that’s Aivor’s only goal.”
“But you should…………………..’
He stared into my eyes. “Remember I can do bad things. I have done worse,” Sam clenched his jaw. “We don’t care who comes in our way. We kill them. Aivor’s way is the right way.”
“Why do you need us?”
He half smiled. “You will know, just have patience.”
“Patience? For how long?”
“As long as I say.”
“But……….”
“Just wait, Ross. You will know everything, we have a lot to do. Trust me, I am doing the right thing. I am not as bad as you think, I work for Aivor and I am going to achieve our goal. That’s what this is. So stay calm and cooperate with me.”
“Don’t kill anyone.”
He smirked. “Just cooperate with me and nothing bad will happen.”
“Where are you taking us?”
Sam took out another cigar from his pocket and lighted it. “Again questions? Just wait, Ross. You will know soon. Don’t worry, as I said if you all cooperate, it will go well.”
It was hard to believe him as he wasn’t answering all my questions. He was just telling what he wanted to tell. I knew there was no point asking him the same questions again and again, so I left the cockpit.
Everyone was talking to each other. I saw dad, he was finally eating. I guess he couldn’t stay hungry after all. The hunger won at last. Seeing him made me remember something. I turned around and went back to the cockpit.
“I have one more question?” I said.
“Patience, Ross,” Sam said.
“Just one question?”
Sam took out his cigar from his mouth and blew the smoke. “Okay, ask.”
“Is my dad also from Aivor?”
He grinned. “No, he is from the other group.”
I raised my eyebrows. “There is another group?”
“Why don’t you ask your dad? I am sure he has the answer,” he gave a smirk.
“He never told me about that,” I said in a low voice.
Sam chuckled. “Your old man has many mysteries.”
I turned around and walked up to dad. He was in his seat eating and talking to Mark.
“Hey Mark. Can you excuse us?” I said. “I have to talk about something with my dad.”
“Yeah, of course,” Mark left the sit next to dad and moved to the sit next to Dave to talk.
I sat beside dad. “You never told me why you are searching for the seeds?” I asked.
“You know why,” dad said. “It can save many people. This will be a great discovery.”
I half smiled. “That’s it? You want to save lives?”
He nodded and took a bite from his burger. “Yeah, why? Do you have other things on your mind?”
“I think you are lying.”
“No, why should I lie?”
“Well, you lied before.”
“Look, then it was different. You were kids. Knowing about the seeds was dangerous.”
“And now? You think it’s safe? You think I am a grown up now.”
“No,” he sighed. “I never wanted you to get involved in this. Your mother wanted the same. But you got involved anyway.”
“Which group are you from?”
A line etched between dad’s eyebrows. “Group? What are you talking about?” he said.
“Stop lying dad. I know you are lying. I know about the secret groups.”
He gulped and took the rest of his burger down on the plate. “Look, I don’t know what Sam told you. But whatever he said is not true. Don’t believe what he says, he can’t be trusted. He is a psychopath.”
“What is Aivor?”
“Aivor,” he shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Aah, you are still lying, huh?” I clenched my fists. “What is your problem, dad? Why can’t you be honest with me? I am your son.”
He looked away. “It’s dangerous, Ross.”
“We are already in danger, dad. We are involved now. Tell me everything I need to know.”
He bit his lower lip and stayed silent.
“I know Sam is from Aivor, and the real Nibshaw’s story. How he killed hundreds of people to make the seeds.”
Dad tightened his cheeks. “He shouldn’t have told you this.”
“Come on dad!” I grabbed his hands on the table. “Tell me.”
“This isn't the right time,” he said softly.
“There is never a right time. Tell me now, I need to know before it’s too late.”
“Aivor is a secret society. He shouldn’t reveal it like that. It’s dangerous for you to know these types of things.”
I exhaled sharply. “We already faced a lot of danger dad and we survived. I can survive dad,” I looked into his eyes. “Just be honest with me.”
“Look son, you don’t understand. If you know about the groups, it is much more dangerous compared to finding out the seeds.”
“It’s okay, dad. I am your son, I need to know. You have to believe in me,” I said softly. “Aaron and I are not the same kids whom you left with your brother. We changed, life changed us.”
“If they know that you know about them, you will always be in danger.”
“I am okay with that. We are already in danger, dad. Just tell me. I want to know.”
He sighed and paused for a couple of seconds. “We are from Savor,” he said. “It’s a secret group that formed after Nibshaw death.”
“Savor?”
“I am a descendent of a Savior’s member. There are many of us around the world.”
“What is this group about?” I asked.
“After Nibshaw was killed some of the people who were cured
by his seeds decided to form a group. They loved him as he saved their life. After the king killed him, they wanted revenge. They wanted to kill the king.”
“Did they kill him?”
“Yes, they destroyed the king’s empire. But after the king's death, the group became more than that, it was not only about revenge, they wanted to find the seeds to help people. Like Nibshaw cured them and gave them life, they wanted to do the same for others. So they made it their mission and began searching for the seeds. Over the time Savor’s members increased, it has many intelligent people who work for the group.”
“So they are like Aivors.”
“Not really, if someone comes in their way, they show no mercy. They kill but their mission is different from Aivors. They want the seeds to save people while Aivors want to destroy the seeds as they think people shouldn’t have it.”
“Yeah, Sam said they think people are going to try to be immortal and do bad stuff.”
He sighed. “Both groups are ruthless, son. They will do whatever they can to get the seeds.”
“At least Savors want to do good with the seeds.”
“Yeah, but you don’t know how many people died because of this, Ross. They want to save people. That’s their goal, but they changed over time. In order to achieve their goal, they killed thousands of people.”
“Then why are you searching for the seeds?” I crossed my arms. “If they are so bad, why are you with them?”
He shook his head lightly. “No one can leave the group even if they wanted to. If someone tries to go against them or leave them, they kill their family.”
“What?” My jaw dropped.
“Yes son, we tried to hide,” he tightened his cheeks. “But every time they find us. So your mother and I planned to leave you and Aaron, so that you don’t get involved in this,” he sighed and lowered his head. “But we failed again and you are here.”
“Is mom also from Savor?”
He shook his head. “No, she is from Aivor,” he scratched his nose. “I didn’t know that before I married your mother. I came to know after a year you are born.”
“What Aaron and I are then? We are descended from which group?”
“That is confusing. Kids whose parents are from opposite groups are called rare child.”
“Rare child?”
