STORM: IT'S A CURSE TO REMEMBER

by Gurpreet Kaur Sidhu

  Evan was beginning to become irritated. No one understood where he was coming from and a part of him didn’t expect anyone to understand either. No one knew the amount of guilt he carried around for what happened in a different lifetime. Maybe it didn’t make sense or there wasn’t a logical explanation to it, but in his heart, he knew this was what he was supposed to do.

  “Life’s also about taking risks. I can’t leave her.”

  Mr. Brar aggressively shook his head in disagreement. His brows furrowed.

  Given that Evan had respect for Mr. Brar, he didn’t have the heart to argue with him. He knew Mr. Brar was coming from a good place, but he needed to do what had to be done, whether or not anyone was on board with the idea.

  “Think about it. Sleep on it for a couple of days. At least do that. Can you do that for me?”

  Evan hesitated for a bit before he nodded in agreement just to please him. This was the second lie he’d let someone he cared for to believe.

  “Son, I’m gonna head inside now. The cold is getting to me,” he said, turning the wheels to his wheelchair.

  Evan nodded, needing to be alone with his thoughts.

  Mr. Brar wheeled away toward his driveway. “Lord, why are you doing this to me?” It doesn’t seem like life gets any easier when you get old, does it?

  Mr. Brar hurriedly picked up the phone from the receiver on his nightstand and punched in the one number he always dreaded dialing.

  Pick up! Pick up!

  Moments later, Mr. Brar heard a muffled voice on the other end. “Bruce?”

  “Yeah…everything okay?”

  Mr. Brar took a long pause before responding. “It doesn’t look good. Evan’s got this crazy idea that he needs to protect the girl. You need to get this under control.”

  “I’ve been up all night trying to figure out how to put an end to this. The thing is, the girl, Shadow, she’s Roy’s daughter. Her ex-fiancé, Marvin, is a fourth floor agent.”

  “Roy as in Roy Hex? The man running the whole damn operation?”

  “Yeah, so this shit ain’t gonna be easy.”

  “You know what’s going to happen, don’t you?”

  “That’s the last thing I want to think about.”

  There was a beat of dead silence. The horrendous thoughts crossed both of their minds.

  “It’s not over yet, Bruce. There’s still time to take this Marvin guy out.”

  “That’s the only option I have now. There’s nothing else I can do at this point. I’ll probably never see Evan or Denise again but it’ll keep everyone safe.”

  “Give me a ring if you need help.”

  “Yeah. Thanks, Mr. Brar.”

  Bruce pushed the button, ending the call. He turned to his side, barely reaching the tip of the drawer. He shifted closer just enough to reach the inside of the drawer to put his burner phone back in its place, then shut it.

  He lay on his back with one arm resting behind his head, the other on top of his chest. For some reason, suddenly, a rush of hot air began to fill his body. Bruce pushed the sheets aside with his feet. A teardrop escaped the side of his left eye. Life for Bruce had been one huge roller coaster ever since Geneva died. He was at a constant battle trying to figure out what he’d done to deserve everything he’d been through. Aside from the fact he left his two children in the care of his mother twenty-seven years ago, he was still a good man. He always tried his best to do the right thing. He’d never wanted or had put anyone in pain.

  Or had he? If he did, it was some lifetime ago that he possibly couldn’t remember.

  Shifting from one side to the other, he finally sat up, knowing there was no way he was going to get any sleep tonight.

  He got dressed and went to work.

  Chapter 19

  How’ve you been?” Venice asked, cozying up next to Ryan on the couch after breakfast.

  Ryan refused to see a therapist. He was stubborn to admit there was a problem. Venice decided she was going to try to help him as a friend, rather than a specialist.

  Denise was in the kitchen cleaning up and insisted on doing it all on her own. Nate was at Skylar’s house for another play date. Everyone agreed Nate needed to be preoccupied with other things. They still hadn’t told Nate the severity of Ryan’s accident.

  Ryan wore one of his gray thermals and jeans. He picked at some imaginary lint before turning to Venice and meeting her eyes. “I don’t know how to answer that question.” He pondered the thoughts he’d had in the last couple of days, none of them leading in a positive direction. “I don’t know,” he sighed. He rested his head back on the edge of the sofa, looking up at the ceiling, hoping the answers to his problems would appear.

  “When you look at Denise, how do you feel?”

  For this question, he’d already known the answer. He said with a smile, “I feel lucky.”

  “You feel lucky. Why does she make you feel lucky?”

  His eyes fixated at the ceiling, he answered, “She always put me first. I don’t remember a time when she hasn’t put her needs aside to help me or listen to me when I had a horrible day at work. She’s just amazing. She’s selfless, caring—she’s my rock, Venice.”

  She nodded, agreeing. “Do you remember anything from that night, right before the accident?”

  “I was walking. I was pretty pissed at Denise…”

  “Why?”

  He tilted his head in Venice’s direction. “I don’t remember. I know we had a fight but I don’t remember what it was about.”

  Venice thought hard about Ryan’s answer. It raised many questions of her own. Why hadn’t they talked about the itty bitty things that led up to the fight? Why was the main reason behind this tragedy overlooked?

  “Denise!” she shouted. “Come in here, will ya darling.”

  Denise was leaning against the kitchen sink. She’d just put away the last dish in the cupboard along with the rest of them. She’d heard the entire conversation since the two of them couldn’t bother whispering and the walls, well, they weren’t as thin as everybody thought. Denise was dreading to have this conversation with Ryan. Confiding in Evan and Venice was easy. They weren’t there the day Denise and Ryan had a major outburst. They didn’t know the entire truth behind the argument. And this was why it was easier to talk to them about than with Ryan.

  Running away from the issue wasn’t going to solve anything, but right now, that’s what Denise wanted to do.

  Denise entered the room nonchalantly. “What’s up?”

  “Sit down, dear,” she ordered nicely. “There’s something the two of you need to talk about.”

  Hesitant, Denise walked across the room, placing herself in the chaise, angled in a way that both Ryan and Venice were visible. She curled up, knowing what was coming.

  “Why is it that you two haven’t talked about the fight?”

  Ryan and Denise exchanged wide-eyed looks.

  “I don’t know.” Denise shrugged.

  Venice looked down at her watch. She rose from the couch, having planted the seed. She patted Ryan on the shoulder as she walked past behind him, heading toward the front door.

  “Both of you guys need to get everything out in the open.” Her eyes flicked from Ryan to Denise, with a serious look painted across her face, and then back at Denise. “You can’t avoid this.”

  After the door closed behind Venice, Denise and Ryan sat in silence. Denise prompted to biting her fingernails out of habit. Ryan shifted around on the couch, feeling the dynamic of their relationship had somehow changed without realizing it.

  He patted the empty space next to him. “I don’t bite.”

  Denise flashed a soft smile. She remained where she sat and took a moment to gather her thoughts.

  “I was pregnant,” she began, “I was excited when the test turned out to be positive. I even went to the d
octors just to make sure a hundred percent. I knew how much you wanted another baby. I knew how much you wanted a big family and I wanted to give you all of that, but…” And then suddenly, trying to keep her composure started to become a challenge. She looked past Ryan, eyes brimmed with tears. Her voice cracked as she spoke. “But before I could even tell you, I’d lost the baby. I don’t know how, but I felt it. I went to the doctors to confirm it. He said it could happen to anyone. After that, I started becoming more involved with work…”

  Ryan’s heart sank, feeling a heavy pressure on his chest. “Denise…”

  She took a deep breath and wiped away the tears with her forefingers.

  “You thought I was having an affair. I understand why you’d go there, now. But back then, I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that you’d think I’d cheat on you, you know?” She looked down at her lap, where her hands fidgeted. Finally, the burden was lifted off her shoulders. Although, she still worried about how Ryan would react with this news.

  “I love you so much, I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize our relationship,” she went on. “That day, things got out of hand. You left the house, raging, in the rain. My gut told me to run after you, but I didn’t. About an hour later, I found out that you were hit by a drunk driver.”

  She looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “There’s so much regret just from that day alone. Sometimes I don’t even know what I’m doing. It’s like I’m doing things just to get through the day. Nothing makes sense. I feel like…all our lives are torn apart and if I had just gone after you that night, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

  Ryan was blindsided by the truth but what hurt the most was that Denise had gone through all of it alone. He got up, walked over to Denise and sat on the armrest, pulling her body closer. He kissed the top of her forehead as he reached for her hand.

  “I know there’s nothing I can do or say that’s going to make all of this better. I’m so sorry. So sorry,” he said and hugged her tighter. “None of this is your fault. You hear me? You’re always trying to tackle everything on your own, Denise. And I know where it comes from so I can’t blame you for wanting to make sure everyone else around you is okay but from here on out, let me take care of the family. Let me take care of you.”

  Ryan never realized how much Denise took upon herself to make sure everything flowed smoothly. It was in her nature to have things done in a certain way. A perfectionist. But at the end of the day, Denise was just like everyone else. She was only human. She had gone far beyond her breaking point months ago.

  “You’re my warrior and I don’t know what I did to deserve you, I really don’t. I’m so grateful for you, for us, and we’re going to get through this. That’s my promise to you.”

  He lifted up her chin, wiping away the tears, feeling the bond of their relationship strengthen.

  “I love you, babe,” he said, hugging her tighter.

  “I love you, too.”

  ***

  That following morning, Shadow sat in her office. Laid out were photos of herself and Evan from the evening before. She looked at each one carefully, being reminded of the entire night. Shadow propped up both of her elbows on top of her desk, with her hands pressed against her temples. She knew the message Marvin was sending her. Still, a part of her wanted to run away, far away, where tracking her down would be nearly impossible. Changing identity was a thought she pondered on. Right now, it was the easiest solution, but every time she’d convince herself running away was the best option, Evan’s words came to mind.

  I will protect you.

  Shadow picked up the picture of the two of them walking back from Cherry Park. She hadn’t noticed this at that time, but a picture most certainly was worth a thousand words. Evan was looking at her the way she’d seen new couples look into each other’s eyes when they were beginning to fall in love. And she missed the moment. Ironically, Marvin had given her the photo that captured it for her. She couldn’t seem to wipe away the smile until reality hit her like a thunderstorm.

  Whether or not Evan listened to her, it didn’t make the fact that he was still in danger any less important. She was in danger too but Marvin wouldn’t lay a hand on her. She contemplated moving to a whole new town, somewhere that was secluded and quiet. It seemed like a great idea, but after rationalizing it, she knew she would be constantly on the run because somehow Marvin would manage to find her. As long as he was out there, she would always be looking over her shoulder.

  She peered over at her wrist. She’d changed the bandage this morning after taking a shower. It nearly brought her to tears, remembering the look in Evan’s eyes when he cleaned the wound and wrapped it with care. If it hadn’t been for Evan, it would’ve been the night where it all would have ended. But she felt the universe had another plan, which of course involved Evan. His timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

  ***

  Marvin walked down the brightly lit hallway of the Secret Eye Agency with a black folder in hand. As he approached the room on the right-hand side, he pushed down the door handle, entering a conference room with six agents, all waiting to be filled in for this new assignment Marvin ordered. Each agent had his or her own black folder, sealed. On order, they were able to break the seal and see exactly what they were getting themselves into.

  “Sorry I’m late,” his voice boomed throughout the room. He made his way to the front where he set down his folder in front of his seat. Marvin unbuttoned his black blazer and placed it over the head of the chair. After he rolled up his sleeves, he booted up the laptop and began. “As you know, each one of you was hand-selected for this assignment; otherwise you wouldn’t be here right now. Now, the pay for this specific assignment is indicated on the last page in your folder, but you will have to break the seal before seeing it. If there is any hesitation in your mind that you do not want to work on this assignment, or want to work for me, you have the right to walk away. Once the seal is broken, there’s no going back.”

  Marvin looked around the room. There was no hesitation. Everyone sat quietly, anxious and ready to be informed about the assignment they agreed to take part in.

  His eyes scanned the room, making sure everyone was on board. “You’re free to break the seal,” he said after a moment.

  Marvin plugged in his USB stick, pulling up a file onto the flat screen behind him.

  “Sir, this is Agent 513,” exclaimed one of the agents from the far left, as he looked in the file, then met Marvin’s eyes.

  Marvin crossed his arms at his chest. “And?”

  “Sir, if it’s one thing that I know, it’s that our own agents are off limits. I may be only a third floor agent, but our own agents are never a target.”

  “If this assignment wasn’t signed off, you wouldn’t be so heavily compensated for your work.”

  The agent scuffled to the last page, noticing the sum of money he’d make on this assignment. It was enough to take a year off from the agency and travel, if he wanted to.

  The agent looked back at Marvin, satisfied. “Sir, what do you need us to do?”

  Marvin smirked. He knew the pay grade for this assignment would have every agent in the force crawling at his door.

  “Turn to page two and you will find everything you need to know about the missions and assignments Agent 513 has ever been on. He indeed is an intelligent man. We have to be five steps ahead of him,” Marvin started, pondering over their brawl. Bruce was still strong but the men he had in this room were twice as strong. “That’s why this assignment will run only for two days, day one being today. You will gather all the equipment today—all the equipment that we’ve been cleared for is on the second to last page. If you look behind me, you’ll see the perimeter of Agent 513’s home. Memorize it.”

  Marvin led the meeting about the entire assignment, from the beginning to the end. The plan would ensure Bruce would have n
o way to interrupt Marvin’s assignment. Once Marvin completed his assignment, Bruce was going to be a free man. Marvin wanted to make it crystal clear to Bruce about what happened to people who got in his way.

  Marvin looked through his folder, making sure he hadn’t missed any important information.

  “Although this is a simple assignment, Agent 513 is highly trained, as you can see from the file. He will put up a hefty fight, which may result in using some of the defense equipment that has been cleared for this assignment. However, no excessive force can be used against Agent 513 since he is highly valuable to the agency. In other words, he needs to be alive. Are there any questions?”

  One of the agents from the left side of the table spoke up. “Sir, what is the motive for this objective? There is no indication why we’re on this assignment. In all fairness, I believe we are entitled to know exactly why we’re doing what we’re doing.”

  Marvin hated when anyone questioned his authority. He slid his hands into his pockets, holding back his bitter and arrogant response. “Look at the last page for me.”

  He waited as the agent turned to the end of the file, looking at the compensation. “Sir, this is the pay grade?”

  “If we wanted you to know the motive, it would have been stated in the file, wouldn’t it have?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “For reasons I cannot discuss, your compensation is as high as it is so there are no questions. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  He nodded.

  Every agent was trained to think outside of the box. They were taught to ask questions, wonder the what-if’s and constantly be on their toes for any surprises that may come their way. Not knowing the motive for this assignment put each agent in their very own box of darkness. It would make the good agents question their morals and values, even though they worked for an agency that sometimes disregarded common ethical values.

  “Know your target inside out. I expect all rules to be followed once he steps foot into the agency. I’ve sent each one of you a file,” Marvin said, pointing at the flat screen. “Study it. Have an execution plan by tonight. Tomorrow, each one of you is expected to have Agent 513 back here at 8:00 sharp.” Marvin studied the room for a bit as he pursed his lips. “Follow all protocol once releasing him. I advise everyone to get started on this right away. I’ll be in my office if there is something that is unclear. Once the assignment is complete, your managers will have your review by next Friday.”