Helios Exposed (The Helios Chronicles Book 2)

by Tawa M. Witko

  “Andrew?”

  “I know why?”

  Aaron sat up. “Why what?”

  “Why your brother did it,” Andrew said calmly.

  Aaron closed his eyes, tears already forming. “Don’t do it, son. Please, let’s talk about this.”

  “Please deposit fifty five cents for an additional three minutes,” the operator interrupted.

  “I have to go. I just wanted to say that I get it now and... It wasn’t your fault, Aaron.”

  Andrew hung up the phone. He had heard Aaron calling out to him, but he said what he wanted to say. He leaned against the phone booth staring at the drug deal. He lit another cigarette; never taking his eyes off of the men only a few feet away. What he wouldn’t give to feel nothing again, no more pain in his head, no more ache in his heart, his soul would be at peace, albeit only temporarily, but temporary peace was better than no peace at all. He licked his lips that were suddenly very dry. His body started to remember what it was like to be numb. His heart continued to race as he tried to think of all the reasons he didn’t want to use versus how good it would feel to forget everything. The drug dealer glanced his way and gave him a questioning head nod. Andrew shook his head slightly, his eyes finally blinked as the haze started to lift. Moreover, even though he was thousands of miles away, he could almost feel Aaron’s reassuring hand on his shoulder. He drew the cigarette back to his mouth only to realize that all he had left was ash. He quickly lit another cigarette, and with his head down and hood up, he started making the long trek back to the shelter.

  ~*~

  Not being able to sleep when he arrived at the shelter close to three in the morning, Andrew stayed up sketching until he felt it was okay to leave. He arrived at Madison’s office building thirty minutes before she normally arrived. He had hoped he could catch sight of her as she went into her office. He knew that wasn’t the healthiest decision, but he couldn’t let it go. He waited and waited for over an hour, but she never arrived. Frustrated that maybe she had come before he got there, or worse, that she didn’t come in at all, he headed back to the shelter. The long night was starting to catch up to him and this time when he laid down on the rickety bed, sleep came quickly.

  “Hey, Harrison, wake up!” one of the guards said coming into his room.

  Andrew rolled over, ignoring him. The guard stepped further inside and grabbed Andrew’s shoulder. Andrew immediately tensed and turned, pushing the guard with such force that he flew across the room. The man jumped up just as Andrew did.

  “Don’t fucking touch me!” Andrew snarled.

  The guard was angry but quickly assessed the situation and could tell that Andrew wasn’t some random homeless person. He was in fighting stance and his expression was lethal. Something deep inside of him whispered that it was in his best interest to back off, that if they fought, the outcome would not bode well for him. The guard eased his stance and brushed off his clothes.

  “Look! There’s someone in the waiting area that says he is a relative of yours, but he doesn’t look like you at all. He is being belligerent, saying he won’t leave without you. They threatened to call the cops on him if he didn’t vacate the premises. I figured if he really was a relative, you could take a look and calm him down before he gets himself arrested.”

  Andrew came out of his defensive posture and turned immediately, darting out his door as he made a mad dash down the hall, pushing anyone in his way to the side. As he barreled through the door to the waiting area, he saw Aaron being escorted out of the building by a couple of security guards. He was trying to move away from them but they had him boxed in. Andrew couldn’t describe what he was feeling inside. He was ecstatic and overjoyed that Aaron was there, that he had come for him, and then suddenly he was enraged that these people had the audacity to lay their hands on him. The fire burned within him, needing an escape.

  “AARON!” Andrew shouted.

  Aaron turned abruptly, shoving one of the guards, to free his arm from him. The guard, who was already frustrated with this man making a scene, proceeded to nudge him back. Andrew’s face contorted as he leapt towards the guard, swinging. The guard barely had time to duck back allowing him to avoid the full force of the punch. Angered that he did not make contact, he pushed him with all his force away from Aaron, making him stumble and fall back. He then turned to the other guard, who immediately let go of Aaron’s arm, stepping back.

  “Take your fucking hands off of him!” Andrew growled through clenched teeth.

  Aaron could see that Andrew was about to cross the line so he reached out and touched his shoulder, squeezing gently, “Andrew,” Aaron said softly.

  Andrew turned to him; his breath came out ragged, while his brow tightened under the sheen of sweat there. His expression softened at the look of compassion he saw on Aaron’s face. He blew out a strangled breath and relaxed his stance as his body slowly started to settle and become calm.

  “Let’s get your things and get out of here,” Aaron said, looking him deeply in the eyes.

  “Umm, yeah, hold on,” Andrew muttered.

  He turned to go back to his room, but stopped when he realized that the security guard had his bags. The guard dropped them in front of him, looking annoyed, as if dealing with Andrew completely wrecked his otherwise normal day. Aaron reached down, grabbing Andrew’s duffle bag and then his backpack, smiling at Andrew’s bewildered expression. When he stood completely, he wrapped his free arm around Andrew’s shoulders and pulled him close to him. Andrew was filled with unrecognizable emotions; the simple gesture was done with more love than his own father was capable of. In fact, he couldn’t remember how many times his father had hugged him, but he knew that usually those times stemmed from his father having hurt him in some way. This was not the case with Aaron

  “Why are you here?” Andrew asked; he still couldn’t believe that Aaron had come all the way to New York.

  “Come on, son, we can talk in private,” Aaron said, moving them towards the door.

  Olivia waited impatiently in the car. They had found Andrew’s Harley in the parking structure, so they knew that he was here. Aaron had insisted that she stay in the car. He wasn’t sure what to expect at this shelter and didn’t want her in any danger. She understood but she was desperate to get Andrew out of there. She had not come for him in Chicago and she would not make that mistake a second time. When she saw them approaching, she nearly cried, but stopped herself. Instead, she exited the vehicle just as Andrew made eye contact with her. The closer he got, the more his face constricted as it appeared he was trying to hold back his emotions. She instinctually reached out to him, to reassure him, to tell him he would never be alone.

  “We both love you very much,” Aaron said as he squeezed his shoulder.

  Andrew had not expected Olivia, and when she got out of the car, all of the feelings he was trying so desperately to keep down came bubbling to the surface. When she reached her arms to him, all his bravado was gone. For all intents and purposes, she was his mother, more so than his actual mother had been. Even when he had rejected her, she never showed him anything less than complete and absolute love. He found that he could barely breathe as her arms enveloped him in the tightest hug he had ever experienced thus far.

  “We’re here for you, Andrew; you’ll never be alone, ever. Do you understand me?” she asked him in a heated whisper that was laced with feeling.

  He nodded as his head dropped to her shoulder. The floodgates opened and his tears came in droves. He found that he was not only crying for the loss he was currently experiencing but for all his losses; for his parents, for Randall, for Jayden, for Aaron and for her. As his heavy and wretched sobbing continued, he felt as if the weight of the world was being lifted off of him. Although his heart still ached for Madison, he didn’t feel that he must suffer alone.

  “I love you, Mom,” Andrew stuttered, not realizing what he had just said, “I... I... I mean Auntie,” he tried to correct, but in reality it felt comforting and
right to call her mom.

  She gasped and held him tighter. “I love you too, son.”

  Olivia looked up to see Aaron smiling; his hand gently stroked her hair. She had waited her entire life to hear the words I love you, Mom whispered to her. To have it come from Andrew after everything he had gone through just made it even sweeter. If Aaron had any doubt about coming out to New York, it was washed away in that very moment.

  “I can’t believe you are both here,” Andrew said as he released Olivia and wiped his eyes.

  “You needed us, where else would we be?” Aaron replied as his hand rested on his shoulder.

  “We came as soon as we could,” Olivia added.

  “After your call yesterday evening we did everything we could to get out here. We have a room at the Sheraton on 25th. Do you know where that is?” Aaron asked, already not enjoying the New York traffic.

  Andrew nodded. “Yeah, that’s the one by Seventh. Do you want to follow me?”

  “Definitely,” Aaron said, relieved that he wouldn’t have to figure it out.

  20 Dead End

  Madison, once again, woke before her alarm. Two nights without Andrew was already taking its toll. She couldn’t seem to sleep for more than two or three hours at a time. She was glad today was Friday and that she could lie in bed all weekend, wallowing in her misery. As she yawned and stretched, she remembered that she was supposed to meet with Mr. Turner that morning.

  “Wonderful!” she mumbled as she crawled out of bed.

  For the second morning in a row, she went through her daily routine as if she were in a trance. She recognized that she was barely functional, but, at this point, she had no desire to change that. She supposed that at some point she would need to do something about it, but for now she was content in her unhappiness. She glanced around her apartment and could still feel his presence there. She closed her eyes before finally walking out the door.

  “Hey, Madison. God, I never see you anymore now that you are at the other office,” Monique said, giving her friend a hug before noticing her red eyes and blotched skin. “Are you okay?”

  Madison nodded. “I think I am coming down with something,” she lied.

  “Well, stay away from me,” Monique joked, bringing her hand to her mouth. “Hey, how’s Andrew?”

  Madison winced. “Umm, fine, is Mr. Turner here?” Madison asked, changing the subject.

  “I believe so. Since you’re here, we should have lunch, catch up.”

  “Another time, Monique. I don’t want to get you sick. Hey, I need to go,” Madison said, making her way down the hall.

  Mr. Turner’s office was open so Madison walked to the doorway and gently rapped on the door. He looked up from his papers and smiled, motioning for her to come in. He rose, walked over and closed the door behind her, and then walked back to his desk.

  “I suppose you are wondering why I wanted to meet with you,” Mr. Turner said as he walked behind his desk.

  “Yes,” Madison answered nervously.

  “I assure you that you have done nothing wrong. In fact, I have heard nothing but wonderful things about not only your work ethic but your keen understanding of the fine principles of corporate finances. I knew it was the right decision to promote you to that position,” he said with a smile before sitting back down.

  “Thank you, sir,” Madison replied flattered.

  “You’re welcome. Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?” he asked and Madison nodded. “I called you in for a couple of reasons, one professional and one personal.” He looked down for a moment before continuing, “This is a little delicate.” He gently tapped his fingers on the desk before leaning back in his chair. “It has come to my attention that Andrew is a registered sex offender. Now, what you do in your personal life is of no concern to me, as is anything he may have done when he was young.”

  “That was a long time ago, Mr. Turner. He served his time and has lived his life well, never getting into trouble or anything. If someone is saying differently they are lying, sir,” Madison said protectively.

  Andrew may have left her but she would be damned if she let people talk badly about him. She would always defend him. Especially now, when he wasn’t there to defend himself.

  Mr. Turner nodded. “No one is accusing him of anything, Madison. I read the information on the registry and know that this occurred a long time ago.”

  “Why would you look that up?” Madison asked incredulous, her anger seeping through.

  “I was actually given this information but verified it before I asked to meet you.”

  “From who, who gave you this information?” Madison asked, her face becoming flushed, ready to attack whoever had done that.

  “The ‘who’ really isn’t important, Madison...” Mr. Turner started to say before Madison interrupted him.

  “Yes, yes it is important, because if someone is going around telling people about Andrew’s PAST, not who he is NOW, but his PAST, it is very important to me. I won’t have anyone disparage him. He served his time. Why won’t people leave him alone? Why does he have to pay for one mistake for the rest of his life?” Madison said, through angry tears.

  “Madison, please lower your voice,” Mr. Turner stated calmly.

  Madison took a couple of deep breaths. “So are you firing me, is that what this meeting is about?”

  “Firing you? God no,” Mr. Turner said almost in a laugh. “I just wanted to get some information about what happened, in case it was brought to my attention by a client. I have met Andrew and he seems like a generally decent and insightful human being. I won’t hold his past against him but I do need to understand what happened so I can best defend myself, this company, and you as well, should someone question our integrity,” he paused, assessing her posture. She seemed to be calming down so he continued, “Can you please tell me what you believe Andrew would be comfortable having me know?” He finished with sincerity.

  Madison stared open mouthed at him and nodded. She took a deep breath and began talking. She told him what she felt was necessary, although she did not disclose that Andrew had left. It had felt oddly comforting to talk about Andrew in that capacity, as if he were still at home. She wanted to call him and tell him it was okay, that Mr. Turner knew and was alright with everything but she wasn’t able to do that. She wished she knew who had brought Andrew’s sex offender status to Mr. Turner, but as hard as she tried, he would not disclose that information to her.

  “Thank you, Madison. I’d like to spend some time going over a few cases and then,” he tapped a file on his desk, “I’d like you to take on something that needs to be handled carefully.”

  “Okay, sure,” she eyed the file on the desk.

  It was close to noon when she finally walked out of Mr. Turner’s office. They had talked extensively about some of her current cases, many of which he had worked on before, and then he gave her another high profile account. It turned out to be some politician that had wanted things to be done discreetly, meaning he was probably trying to hide some of his assets, or paying for some mistress’ expenses and he didn’t want the wife to know. As long as he wasn’t trying to have her doctor his books, she didn’t care. Mr. Turner had assured her that there was nothing illegal about the case, and since he had been so understanding, she had to believe that. After all, this was Grayson Turner. He would never do anything illegal.

  Madison exited her old office building with a smile. Things seemed to be falling in to place. Now all she needed was to find Andrew. She was certain if he knew that it was alright, that he would stay. She quickly grabbed a coffee at the local coffee shop, knowing that she would need the caffeine to make it through the remainder of her day and then headed back to her office. She was completely lost in thought, wondering about Andrew, as she entered her building and walked passed the receptionist.

  “Ms. Ellis, Ms. Ellis,” Susan practically hollered as Madison went by without stopping like she generally did.

  Madison stopped, a li
ttle startled. “I’m sorry, Susan, I was... never mind, what is it?”

  “Someone named Callie Mitchell has been trying to reach you. She’s left five messages and said you aren’t answering your cell. I tried to tell her you were in a meeting but she was very insistent.”

  Madison smiled. “Callie can be that way, thank you. I turned my phone off and...” Madison pulled her phone out, rolling her eyes at herself. “I forgot to turn it back on.” She sighed. She hated when she did stuff like that. “I’ll call her, thank you, Susan.”

  As Madison walked into her office, she saw that she had missed several phone calls from Callie and a couple of text messages as well. Madison frowned and shut her door before calling her frantic friend.

  “Madison, thank God,” Callie immediately answered.

  “I’m sorry, I was...”

  “I know where he is!” Callie said, cutting her off.

  Madison started breathing fast, suddenly feeling lightheaded. She immediately sat down as her eyes welled up with fresh tears. It took her brain a moment to catch up and send the appropriate message to start speaking.

  “Where is he?”

  “Aaron came over yesterday and told Jay that Andrew is in some kind of shelter in New York. I didn’t find out until this morning. I swear I almost killed him for not telling me last night. He told me not to tell you but I wouldn’t promise that because you deserved to know,” she said indignant.

  “Oh my god! He’s in a shelter?” Madison trailed off.

  “Yes, he is, now get the hell over there, Madison. He needs you.”

  “Oh God!” Madison cried, thinking of him having to resort to that again.

  “MADISON! Go...Get...Him...” Callie stated with a fierceness that Madison was not accustomed to.

  Madison nodded as if Callie could see her. “I...I need to look it up.”

  “It’s on 30th and First,” she said quickly. “I had a lot of free time while I waited for your call back. It’s the intake shelter for all the other ones in the city. From what I read online, it is ugly, Madison. There were some reviews that the guards there are mean and disrespectful. Why are there guards at a shelter anyway?” she asked but then began talking again before Madison could answer. “And another review said there were rats. Rats, Madison!” Callie practically screeched.