by Pozel, Derek
“Yes,” Garrett drew his lips tight.
“Are you sure? It’s permanent,” Walter said.
“Garrett Wilk is gone,” Garrett lowered his head. “I shamed my family and I can’t pull them into this. I need to disappear and be forgotten.”
Walter covered his eyes. “I understand. You have wonderful parents and I can see why you would do everything to protect them. I know someone Garrett. Your identity will be completely erased.”
The words stung Garrett and he could not meet Walter’s eyes. “Thank you.”
“Now clean up this mess.” Walter walked back into the house with a nervous smirk on his face.
Garrett stood in the silent garage and could not take his eyes off the addresses. Blood rushed to his head and the room began to spin. He stole another peek at a grown up Emma, his knees wobbled and his heart raced. Warm tears flowed down his cool cheeks and the guilt swelled with every tear.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Heaven opened its gates and rain fell on the city of Chicago. People scurried for cover from the sheets of rain cascading off the buildings. The water washed away the grime on the city streets. Garrett stood underneath a black umbrella, staring at the address of the apartment building before him. His heart beat mimicked the pitter-patter of the raindrops on the sidewalk around him. His breath ragged, his hands trembled from something other than the cold.
What am I going to say? Garrett thought and lowered his eyes to look through the windows into the foyer. He patted his coat and felt the envelope Ethan had given Walter.
“Ok, let’s do this,” he said and forced himself to take the final step to reach for the door handle.
He swallowed hard and his fingers lurched forward. “Too late to turn back now,” he whispered.
Garrett strolled into the high-rise apartment building, expecting to find an Assembly surprise party. His afflicted sense told him none were near, he chalked up his worries to good old fashion nerves. He expected resistance and he dressed for it by wearing the gauntlet and bulletproof vest.
He stepped to the elevator and pressed the up button, folded the umbrella and leaned it against the wall. His right foot stamped on the granite floor. He stared into the reflective metal of the elevator door and saw the warped image of himself. It was difficult for him to recognize the man he had become. The door slid open and with heavy feet he crossed the threshold into the elevator. When each floor whizzed by, his stomach dropped a little further. When it reached the eighth floor, he felt he left his nerves on the ground floor.
“Well, here goes nothing,” he said and walked out from the elevator. His eyes drawn to the figure at the end of the hallway with a sword pointed at him. He could not help but to crack a smile, it almost was too easy.
“You’re going to have to stop there Garrett,” Crimson shouted down the hall, dressed in simple blue jeans and a black t-shirt. “I won’t let you hurt her.”
Garrett groaned and took a slow first step. “It’s nice seeing you again,” the venom dripped off Garrett’s words.
“Stop!” Crimson shimmed his feet to ready himself.
“Who said anything about hurting her?” Garrett said. “Is that what Patriot told you?” Garrett stepped forward, his hands up in front of him. Halfway to Crimson he stopped and planted his feet.
“I want to give her something,” Garrett said. “I think this is something she needs to see.” He pulled back his coat to show an envelope in the inside pocket.
“Stop, don’t move,” Crimson said.
“Hey now…” Garrett froze in place. “It’s an envelope, nothing else, I swear. I didn’t come here to hurt anyone.”
Crimson narrowed his eyes. “Fine, move slow or I’ll run you through again. This time I won’t miss your heart.”
“Funny,” Garrett pulled the envelope free from his coat pocket and moved up the hallway.
“I want to give this to Emma,” Garrett held out the envelope. “Then I’ll be gone then.”
“What are you talking about?” Crimson said. “There is no Emma here.”
“She has a different name now. She was a girl I used to know,” Garrett said. “She needs to know the truth.”
“Buddy, you got the wrong house or the wrong woman,” Crimson said. “You need to go now or this will get ugly.”
Garrett rolled his head. “Please, listen to me. The person I knew as Emma, was an old friend of mine. This is kind of complicated and I don’t think your neighbors want to know about our dirty little secrets.”
“My fiancée’s name is Zoe,” with a flash, the sword slid back into its sheath.
“See, I don’t want to hurt anyone,” Garrett said.
Crimson stepped forward. “Give me the envelope.”
Garrett dropped his hands and cleared his throat.
“He warned me you would try to come here,” Crimson said. “She has no part in any of this. She never mentioned you, ever. Just go and leave us alone.”
Garrett shoulders slumped and he lowered his eyes to the carpet. “She has a bigger part in this than you know. She’s the reason why this happened.” He tried to shake the image away of his perfect little Emma married to someone.
The door to the right of Crimson slid open a sliver and a figure peaked through the tiny open space.
“Let him in,” a woman’s voice said.
Garrett’s eyes hungered to catch a glimpse of the woman. He walked forward, his body seemed lighter than before. Crimson moved to block Garrett with lightening reflexes, unsheathing both of his swords while he slid into place in front of the door.
“Please, shut the door,” Crimson said. “This man is dangerous.”
“Greg,” she said, the door opened wider.
Garrett stopped in his tracks and the envelope fell from his hand. “Emma it’s you,” his lips traced her name when she stepped into the light of the hallway. Long sandy brown hair flowed down the side of her soft tanned cheeks. Her lips curved downward into a frown. Those same copper eyes watched him like they did when they were kids. When his eyes saw the hand he held, his knees grew weak and his fingers trembled.
“I know, let’s hear him out,” she said. “He took a risk coming here. You won’t do anything right?”
Garrett shook his head. “I would never hurt you.”
“Ok, no more fighting,” she said. “Let him in. I want to know why he came here. I want to know what he wants from my father and me. Because you boys, you only want to fight and never try to talk it out.” She turned back to the apartment and left the door open for Greg and Garrett.
Garrett could not stifle a chuckle at how similar Emma’s comment was to what Ethan’s said the night he went after Sage.
“What’s so funny?” Crimson furrowed his brow.
“Long story,” Garrett said.
Greg pushed open the door and shot a menacing glance back at Garrett. “If you try anything, I’ll kill you,” he touched the handle of one of his swords.
“I won’t put up a fight this time,” Garrett said.
“Come in,” Crimson pushed the door open and followed Zoe.
Garrett stood still and swayed in the hallway. He wanted his feet to move, he was afraid of what they would lead him too. His head pounded, his heart soared and sank at the same time. He brushed his gauntleted hand against his face and the cold steel jolted him back to this strange reality.
“I can’t believe this,” Garrett said and forced the first step into Emma’s new life, without him.
Garrett walked through their short hallway, his eyes wandered to the new memories Emma had on display in frames. He sniffed his nose when he noticed a picture of Crimson and Emma staring into each other’s eyes, their faces inches apart.
He entered the living room and saw Emma sat on a large black leather couch with her back to him. Crimson stood in front of her. Garrett felt Crimson’s glare and shrugged his heavy shoulders.
“Please, don’t be scared,” Garrett said. “I don’t want to fight today.” H
e walked around the couch. He saw Emma’s legs bounced, her hands clutching her knees.
“Have a seat,” Crimson said. “Call me Greg in here. I don’t go by my Afflicted name at home.” Crimson motioned to a chair in front of the couch and sat down next to Zoe.
“Thank you,” Garrett stared at her while he sat down on a chair across from her. “Your name is Zoe?”
“Yes, you’re Garrett, right?” Zoe said and looked away from Garrett.
Garrett gulped when she said his name, it sounded the same way it had almost 13 years ago. “Yep, and don’t call me the hunter or whatever else the Assembly named me. I’m Garrett, just Garrett.”
He noticed Zoe could not even look at him. He couldn’t blame her, he was a stranger in her eyes.
“This is hard,” Garrett’s chin began to quiver. “I’m sorry for doing this to you.” He looked to Greg. “To both of you, I know it wasn’t easy letting me in here. But, I had to know.”
“What did you have to know?” Zoe said with a frown.
Garrett exhaled and dropped his eyes to focus on his scarred right hand. “If the people I have hurt had been for nothing.”
“I don’t follow,” Greg leaned forward. “Why are you here?”
“I wanted to give her this,” Garrett reached into his pocket and pulled free the envelope. Their eyes met and Garrett saw the lack of recognition. The pain in his heart flowed forth. He thrust his hand with the envelope across the void between them. Greg snatched the envelope from Garrett’s shaky grip, before Zoe could place a hand on it.
“What is this?” Greg asked. His eyes narrowed on the beat up looking envelope, then to Garrett.
Garrett’s eyes never left Zoe. “Pictures of Emma.”
“Who is this Emma?” Zoe asked. “Was she someone special to you? Is she why you’ve hurt my family?”
“Yes, she was special to me,” he could no longer stand to peer into Zoe’s copper eyes. “She was my best friend, my first kiss, and my first love. My feelings for her is why I hurt the people in your life. It was because of her, or so I told myself.”
Garrett noticed a picture of Zoe on the wall to his right, dressed in a cap and gown. “I have missed you so much,” he whispered to himself.
“What happened to her?” Zoe scooted forward on the couch.
“I lost her,” Garrett’s voice cracked. “I let go of her hand and I lost her. I promised I would never leave her behind and I did.” He buried his face into his right hand.
“So, there is a reason why you’ve been going after us,” Greg peeked into the envelope.
“Yes,” Garrett raised his red eyes to the happy couple. “The problem is, I’m looking right at her.”
Zoe jumped back in her seat and shook her head. “I don’t remember you. But, I don’t remember anything from my childhood.”
“We grew up together,” Garrett chose his words.
“I don’t…” Zoe paused and turned to Greg. “I don’t remember you, I’m sorry. Maybe, I’m not this Emma you lost.”
Greg wrapped an arm around Zoe. “No way, this is not even possible.”
Tears began to moisten Garrett’s dark blue eyes. “You know you can turn invisible and I can steal the Afflicted’s powers. Anything is possible in this world.”
“You have a point,” Greg said.
“Someone told me,” Garrett paused. “They found you and I had to know, if it was you. You look exactly like Emma. Well, what I imagined Emma would look like grown up.”
Zoe sank into the couch and placed her head into her hands. Rivers of sandy brown hair flowed over her face when she shook her head.
“I know this is hard to believe,” Garrett said. “I’m a stranger to you. I can tell by looking at you. You don’t remember me.” He relaxed back into the chair and took a slow deep breath.
“Zoe is Emma?” Greg said.
“Yep,” Garrett cleared his throat. “Emma was the sweetest and most beautiful girl I had ever known. You are as beautiful and I bet you’re just as wonderful as she was back then. She was special. The kind of special you only get to meet once, maybe twice in your lifetime, if you’re lucky.”
Greg nodded his head.
Garrett sniffed back a tear. “She is why I’m doing this.” He lifted up his left arm and pulled back his sleeve to reveal Shadow Guard’s gauntlet. “This was for her. Losing her made me learn who I am. I did this for you.”
“I can’t believe any of this,” Greg wrapped his arms around Zoe. “You attacked the Assembly because of a girl you knew when you were a kid?”
Garrett drew his lips tight and nodded. “Wouldn’t you?”
“You did this for me,” Zoe said through her hands, “or Emma or I can’t even keep this straight. What happened to me? How did I forget you and my childhood?” She pulled away from Greg and stood to face Garrett.
“It’s complicated,” Garrett said. “You’re not ready to hear it.”
Tears streaked down Zoe’s face. “The Assembly is my family and you hurt them for me? What kind of person does that?”
Garrett covered his face. “Not a good one.”
Her mouth hung open. “How was I taken? Was I kidnapped? What happened, please tell me.”
“I can’t,” Garrett said through his hand “I’m really not sure myself.”
“What do you mean you can’t,” Zoe hovered over Garrett. “Look at me.”
Garrett closed his eyes and exhaled. He caught the scent of her perfume and fought the urge to jump to his feet and wrap his arms around her. He wanted to hold her and never let go.
“Look at me!” Zoe slapped him hard across the face.
Garrett took the blow without batting an eyelash. He raised his eyes to meet Zoe’s. “It’s not my place to say.”
“Patriot knows doesn’t he?” Greg said and began to open the envelope. “That’s why you came and why he locked you away.”
“Zoe, I can’t tell you what happened,” Garrett said. “But I can tell you who you were. I can tell you about Emma. It’s why I came tonight. In the envelope are pictures of you and your family. Even if you can’t remember, you’re our Emma. To your family you still are and always will be their little girl, and a little sister. The girl I changed my life for in a single day.”
Zoe stumbled back to Greg, a hand over her mouth. “My parents are still alive? I have a brother or sister?” Zoe grabbed the envelope from Greg.
“A brother,” Garrett said. “Who loves you very much.”
Greg stood and looked over her shoulder while she fumbled to open the envelope.
“Your fiancée here actually…” Garrett paused when he saw Greg’s eyes open in horror. “He met him already.”
Garrett held up his index finger to his mouth to hush Greg.
“Where do they live? Where did I live?” Zoe said when she managed to pull a picture free. It was of picture of her feeding a goat at a petting zoo. She smiled and a teardrop rolled off the tip of her nose onto the photo.
“They live in Mount Prospect,” Garrett said. “It’s where we grew up. It is our hometown. Your brother Ethan lives in the city with his wife.”
“He’s married…” Zoe said and she glanced at Garrett before she grabbed another photo. She plopped her slender body back down onto the couch. Greg followed right behind to catch every detail of her lost childhood.
Garrett saw the two huddled around the pictures and stifled a smile.
“It’s the three of us,” Zoe said and showed the photo to Greg. “I don’t remember this, but I know it’s me. How can I know that?”
“I remember that one,” Garrett said. “We went to play at the park right by our house. You would always beeline right for the swings and we had to take turns pushing you.” A smile spread across Garrett’s face when he thought of that day. In that moment he realized what Walter went through when his memories were overshadowed with the pain of loss.
Garrett slid forward in his chair and watched Zoe. “The three of us were best friends. Ethan a
nd I are still best friends. He’s like a brother to me too. I would have been lying dead in some gutter if it wasn’t for him. He’s a good man and his wife is unbelievable. She’s pregnant with their first child.” The gravity of the situation came down on him when he saw how close Greg was to Zoe. The love he had for Emma and the closeness they shared when they were children was buried in the ground.
“Ethan lives in the city?” Zoe said. “I want to see my family.” She placed her left hand on Greg’s forearm.
Greg exhaled, his eyes opened wide from her request.
“Start with Ethan,” Garrett said.
Zoe’s eyes flicked up to Garrett and then moved to Greg.
Greg tightened his lips and nodded. “Ok, if it’s what you want.”
“He’ll be waiting to hear from you,” Garrett said. “I wrote his number on the back of one of the photos.” Emotions rushed him like an avalanche and he knew the longer he stayed here the harder it would be to leave.
“Please, look at the photos and call him if you think you are ready to learn about who you are,” Garrett stood from the chair.
Greg jumped to his feet.
“Easy there. I’m sorry, I have to get going,” Garrett said. “I still have something I have to take care of.”
“You’re going after my father. He did something to me, didn’t he?” Zoe’s features darkened. “Uncle Walter said you weren’t a bad man. But my father said you’re dangerous. Probably the most dangerous Afflicted he has ever faced.”
Garrett’s eyes narrowed. “He never faced me. He sent the goon squad after me, no offense Crimson. It is not over between me and Patriot yet. He did things to…” Garrett stopped himself before he let too much out. “He did things to me and I am not going to forgive and forget.”
“Did I forgive him?” Zoe asked. “What are you going to do to him? I can’t let you hurt him. He’s my father.”
“He’s not your real father,” Garrett said. “He’s a lonely superhero whose head got too big.”
“You can work this out,” Zoe said. “Please, don’t fight anymore.” Zoe jumped from the couch and ran to Garrett. Her fingers dug into Garrett’s arms. He looked down into her eyes and the crack in his heart was almost audible. Even though Zoe did not remember him, she knew exactly how to get to him.
