by C. S. Won
Jae finished off his lemonade and held the glass by its rim. This talk of love and bond and commitment made him reminisce for Madeline, and it caused a swell of hurt and regret burning up in his chest. He missed her so much, and there wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do to bring her back, even if it was for just a moment. “How did Marlowe beat the cancer? Was it the storm?”
“No other explanation. Not a single trace of the cancer remained after he was hit.”
“Adam was effectively crippled after he was injured in an apartment fire. After the storm, he regained full use of his legs again, although his burn wounds remained.”
“These were just some of the mysteries that I’m hoping your brother can answer for me once we reestablish contact.”
“Did my brother ever say anything to you about—”
“Dad! Mr. Yeon!” Marlowe called out to them, waving his hands to catch their attention. “There’s something you need to see here!”
“What is it?” Clay called back.
“Just come! Hurry!”
Jae and Clay exchanged glances. They stood from their seats and trekked across the length of the backyard. The sun welcomed their presence by submerging them in a depth of sweltering heat, and as they came closer to the edge of the yard, Jae saw Marlowe kneeling next to a cluster of trees, rubbing his hand gently across a patch of dirt.
“What is it?” Clay asked.
Marlowe pointed at the ground. Hardened in the dirt was a boot print.
“What the hell is that?” Jae asked.
Marlowe leaned in closer and sniffed the print. “I knew it.”
“Who does it belong to?” Clay asked. The first beads of sweat glistened in the creases of his face.
Marlowe looked up at them. “The stalker.”
The name invoked silence. Rustling grass, whispering winds, and singing birds rushed in to fill the void.
“Are you sure?” Clay asked, looking around.
Marlowe ran his fingers against the raised ridges of the print. “It’s been here for at least a couple of days.”
“A couple of days? And you’re just finding out about it?” Jae asked.
“I think he came when no one was home.” Marlowe stood and looked around. “And his odor was very weak. I couldn’t even find it at first.” He sniffed the air. “And there’s so many different smells here. It basically concealed him.”
Jae knelt next to the print, and realized that from this angle, he had a great visual of his home. Nothing blocked his line of sight, and the home’s interior was clearly visible through the windows as long as the curtains weren’t drawn, which they rarely were. And not only that, but the surrounding trees provided great cover if he shifted just a few feet to his left or to his right, and even he could detect the different smells of the foliage around him. The stalker’s odor being diluted seemed plausible.
“Gather your things, boy. We’re leaving,” Clay said.
Jae looked up at him. “Why?”
“We’ve been made. He knows where we are.”
“Hold on, think this through. If these prints are a couple days old, and this stalker knows you’re here, then why hasn’t he made his move yet? What is he waiting for?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not going to sit around to wait and find out.”
“If I was this man chasing after you for several months, then I knew exactly where you were, the next logical move would be to act immediately, right? Otherwise, what’s the point of knowing where you are then not acting upon that information?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. I can’t afford to play guessing games here. I have to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. It’s what kept us alive so far. Assuming the worst can only help me.”
“It could also send you running around in circles. Maybe that’s what they want you to do. This could be nothing for all we know.”
“Nothing? You heard what my boy said—this is undoubtedly the stalker’s prints. This ain’t nothing.” Clay pressed two fingers against the bridge of his nose. “Listen. You haven’t seen what this stalker can do, what he’s capable of. The man’s very existence scares the hell out of my son, and it scares me too. As long as—”
“Han entrusted me to protect you. He sent you to me for a reason, so you’re my responsibility now.”
“But you can’t always be around. You have a life and a career. You have obligations that demand a good portion of your time.”
“Why seek me out if you’re going to run at the first sign of trouble? How much longer do you intend to run? This is the feds we’re talking about here. They will always find you no matter what. Doesn’t matter where you run or hide, they’ll catch you. But if you stick by me, then maybe we can confront this thing head-on. No more running.” Jae cupped his chin, thinking. “How about this. I’ll take the next few weeks off, just to make sure nothing happens. I have a lot of vacation days allocated, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“But my boy—”
“Will be protected, no matter what. You have my word on that. No one will come close to your son.”
Clay looked at Marlowe.
“We’ll also seek a new place to stay, at least for the time being, until we can figure things out,” Jae said.
“Where?”
“It doesn’t matter. Anywhere. Just not here.” Jae thought about asking Gabe if they could stay in his guest house, but quickly decided against it. He couldn’t involve anyone else into this.
Marlowe tugged at his father’s sleeve. “Stay with Mr. Yeon, dad. He promised to help us.”
Clay hesitated, pressing his lips together. He then took a deep breath. “Okay, fine. We’ll do it your way. But I’m keeping the run option on the table, as insurance.”
“Fair enough. Go ahead and pack up your things, then. I’ll call my boss and let him know I’ll be away. He won’t like it, but I’ll make him understand,” Jae said.
Clay nodded and threw an arm around his son, hustling him back into the house. Jae knelt next to the boot print again, sliding his fingers against it, and as he traced the outline of the print, he came to a realization: there were no other prints around. It was just this one pair hardened in the dirt, and nothing else. There should have been at least a trail of them leading up to this point, but no path was evident. Did the other prints wash away? Jae didn’t think it likely. They’ve been dry for at least several days now. Then where were the other prints? It was as if the stalker had dropped in from the sky itself, landed at this specific spot, then moved not a single inch. But then that begged another question: how did he leave? There were no matching set of departing track prints either.
Jae stood and looked around at the density of trees that surrounded him, at the woodland that darkened at the farthest point he could see, at the assorted fauna that made their residence in these thickets, their collective sounds the natural orchestra that filled the air around him, and at the diversity of colors that painted his yard, from rich shades of green, to dark, deep blotches of brown, to thin, shimmering beams of yellow sunray, and to small pockets of oily blackness.
How the hell did this guy get here?
Chapter Eight
“How long are you going to be away?” Gabe asked.
Jae reached into his locker, pulled out his uniform, and rolled it into a misshapen bundle before stuffing it inside his bag. He closed the locker, contemplated the question, then looked at Gabe. “Three weeks. I don’t like leaving you guys hanging like this, especially with everything that’s been going on, but I need to make sure nothing happens to Clay.”
“I’m fine with it, but I was surprised that the chief was. He’s made it clear that he wanted all hands on deck.”
“He knows I need the time off. I haven’t taken any in a long time.” Even after Madeline’s death.
“Hey, Jae!” Tommy Rachetti poked his head in through the entrance of the locker-room. “You have a visitor.”
“Who?” Jae asked.
“A woman. Real
cute. She said her name was Andrea. New girlfriend?”
“Andrea?” Jae stopped what he was doing. “Did you catch a last name?”
“Didn’t give one, but she said you should know her.”
“Wait a second, Adam’s sister?” Gabe whispered to Jae.
“Tell her I’ll be right out,” Jae said.
“Glad to see you dating again!” Tommy waved and disappeared. Jae turned and pointed at an exit sign near the rear of the locker room.
“Get everyone out of here. Evacuate the building,” Jae said.
The command left Gabe looking perplexed. “Why?”
“Just do it. You and everyone else here need to clear out of here. Now.”
“You think she came here to attack us?” Gabe cupped his ear. “But I don’t hear anything. Where’s the blood-curdling screams? Where’s the explosions? The sizzle of electricity? There’s nothing’s happening. If she came to attack the station, then she’s doing a pretty poor job of it.”
“It doesn’t matter, damn it. I need you to get everyone out of here, right now.”
“But she asked for you politely, so clearly she wants to talk things out. That sounds pretty reasonable to me. Why not meet her and see what she wants?”
“I’d rather you evacuate the building and call the police.”
“Call the police? Now you’re just being unreasonable. Come on, let’s go meet her. I’m curious to know why she’s here, and more importantly, what she looks like. Tommy said she was cute.”
“Now’s not the time to mess around, Gabe. She can really—hey, wait!”
Gabe was already on his way out of the locker room. “Loosen up! I’m sure nothing will happen.” With a smile on his face, he exited the room.
“You damned idiot.” Jae quickly followed after him.
They found her standing near the opening of the garage doors, her gaze lingering at the world outside, the sun dousing her in a glowing shade of yellow. Andrea was outfitted in a short-sleeved oversized T-shirt, cropped jeans with rips at the knees, white slip-on sneakers, and a purse hanging loose in the nook of her crossed arms.
“That’s her? Adam’s sister? Goddamn, she’s gorgeous,” Gabe said.
“Stop gawking and start fleeing,” Jae said.
But Gabe didn’t flee. Instead, he strode over to her, all stupid confidence and no fear, his smile growing wider when she turned to look at him. When the gap between the two was closed, Gabe extended his hand out in greeting. Jae moved to intervene, but she took the hand before he could do anything, and in a completely stunning development, shook it.
“You must be Andrea?” Gabe asked.
Andrea offered a smile. “And you’re . . . Gabe Kwon, correct?”
Gabe nodded, his smile reaching the limits of its length, delighted that she knew who he was.
“My brother really hated you,” she said.
Like a block of ice in the sun, the handshake melted away, as did Gabe’s smile. She turned to Jae as he made his approach.
“Hello again,” Andrea said.
“What are you doing here?” Jae asked.
“I want to talk.”
“I’m not sure if I want to.”
She frowned at that. “I’m not here to fight. I just want a conversation. Five, maybe ten minutes. That’s all.”
“You attacked me in my own home, and now you expect me to grant you an audience?”
“I know, and I’m . . . sorry. I was rash and reckless. I won’t attack you again, I promise. I just want a discussion. Please.”
Jae’s initial thought was that this was just a scheme to have him bring his guard down before she finished what she started, but judging by her calm demeanor and the lack of any electricity flaring from her arms, perhaps that wasn’t the case. While he may not possess Marlowe’s acute sense of danger, he didn’t sense any sort of malice radiating from her presence, so at the very least her intent for a friendly chat seemed genuine enough, and her passivity was a stark contrast to how she was the last time around, when she was a nothing more than a conduit of aggression.
But it could still just be an act. With the Erste family, he could never be too sure. For now though, compliance was the path of least resistance, so he decided to play along.
“Gabe, give us a moment,” Jae said.
“You sure?” Gabe asked.
Jae nodded. Gabe took a moment to look at Andrea, before patting Jae on the shoulder and turning to leave. Jae motioned over to the benches near the wall.
“Welcome to my office. Have a seat,” Jae said.
She took a place near the end of the bench, closer to the garage doors, where the furthest extension of the sun’s light bathed the tips of her shoes. She set her purse down on the floor and began fussing with her hair, stroking it from front to back. She’s nervous, Jae realized. He took a seat next to her but made sure to keep a distance. Peril still lurked just around the corner, no matter how peaceful things seemed.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” Jae asked.
She picked on the ripped frays of her jeans. “I saw what you did on the news, saving that girl in that dorm fire.”
Jae gave no acknowledgement, only staring at her in silence. She took a glance outside before turning back to look at him. “Is it true that you didn’t kill my brother? Was that little boy telling the truth?”
So that’s what this is about. Jae sighed through his nose. “He still drew breath after the conclusion to our fight. With no body found in the aftermath, I’m certain he still lives.”
“Why were you two fighting?”
“You don’t know?”
“I want to hear it from you.”
“I’m not sure I want to tell you.”
“Please.”
Jae took a deep breath, contemplating whether he wanted to deny her, and moreover, anticipating the anger and hurt that was going to rise up in his throat if he decided to tell her. Recollecting Madeline’s death was an exercise he wanted to avoid, an act that was sure to dredge up, at best, hard feelings. But after giving it some thought, he decided to divulge. Maybe listening to the pain and anger of one of Adam’s victims was something Andrea needed to hear. “He attacked this station and killed two people: my former chief, and a recruit we had recently hired. I had to stop him.” He pressed his lips together, an image of Madeline taking form in his head. “When I finally confronted him, he had also already killed my fiancée and unborn child. But I didn’t know it at the time, only after the fact. If I had known, then your brother . . .” He trailed off. Some things were best left unsaid.
Andrea wrung her hands together. “So it’s true. Goddamn it, Adam.”
“Adam had his issues, too many to count, but nobody thought he was capable of this. Nobody. It caught all of us off guard.” Except Jae should have seen it coming. All the signs were there. The anger. The jealousy. The hate. Only a willful fool could have missed it.
Andrea took a moment to peer out of the garage doors again. “When I heard about all the terrible things my brother had done, all the people that he had hurt, I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t. I convinced myself that it was all just a bunch of lies. The Adam I knew—the brother that I grew up with—was not capable of such terrible things. He was a sweet, sweet boy. But as I sit here listening to you, and sense the hurt in your voice, I . . .” She buried a hand into her face. Jae could hear the tightness in her throat. “Now I can’t help but wonder if I even knew him to begin with.” She dropped her hands away from her face, revealing bloodshot eyes and trembling lips. “I’m so sorry about your fiancée and child.” The first tears spilled from her eyes, and she worked to remove them as quickly as she could, catching each drop with a swipe of her fingers. Jae could only nod in silence, staring at the ground.
“My brother wasn’t always like this,” she went on. “He was a gentle soul growing up. I know it’s hard to believe after everything he’s done, but Adam wasn’t always a bad person.”
Jae almost scoffed
at that. “You’re right. That is hard for me to believe. I can’t even think of Adam as anything but a bad person.”
Andrea continued to wipe her tears. ‘Your anger is justified. I’d be furious too if I were in your shoes. But Adam was not born evil. Forces out of his control shaped him into who he was, forces that left tremendous scars on his soul.”
“You’re right, people are not born evil. But that does not, and should not, excuse them if they do end up doing something evil. It’s a poor defense. Unfortunate circumstances do not justify wrongdoing.”
“I know, and I’m not here to convince you otherwise, it’s just . . . I don’t know.” She gave a weary sigh. “Is it okay if I tell you how we grew up? Maybe it’ll provide some insight into how he turned out to be the person that he was. You know, just some context to help you fill in the gaps, make sense of things.”
Jae almost declined the offer. In fact, he almost told her to leave, because the last thing he wanted to do was waste his time listening to a sob story that involved her godforsaken brother. But he didn’t, and he wasn’t quite sure why. Perhaps it was because she had come all this way in apparent repentance, with olive branch in hand, seeking amends for the wrongs she had committed, so it only seemed right to at least hear what she had to say. Or maybe it was the way she struggled to keep her emotions in check, which triggered in him an outpouring of empathy, or a moment of weakness, or maybe even both, that compelled a need to hear her out. Whatever the reason, he found it difficult to suppress the notion of lending a sympathetic ear, despite flaring urges that encouraged him to turn his nose and wave her away.
And so, with a weary sigh of his own, he relented.
“Okay. I’m listening,” Jae said.
Andrea cleared her throat and dried the last remnants of tears from her eyes. “As I mentioned before, Adam wasn’t always like this. He was a sweet child growing up. Full of laughs and smiles. Always positive. Cheery kid. But things took a turn for the worst when he was about four years old. During a trip to the city . . .” She took another moment to recompose herself before continuing. “. . . During a trip to the city, Adam had somehow slipped away from our mother and crossed over onto a busy intersection, not fully realizing what he was doing. My mom chased after him and caught him, but before she could turn around and double back, a speeding car came out of nowhere and slammed into her while she was still holding him. She bore the full brunt of that impact, and it killed her immediately. Adam miraculously survived with only a few cuts, bruises, and a sprained wrist, most likely because our mother was shielding him in her arms.”
