by Elen Chase
"Dan…?" I whispered, in shock. Jim turned to look at me, then let out an honest laugh as he saw my face.
"Ah, that just ruined the surprise effect. But that’s a nice face anyway."
I took a few steps toward the painting to look better at it. It showed a young well-dressed man, standing in the front hall of the casino, with long, wavy, dark brown hair tied in a high ponytail, big blue eyes and a fierce smile. The hair color and skin tone were different, and his eyebrows were shaped differently; it wasn't Dan, but he looked so much like him, even more than Dr. Miller. Especially those eyes.
"Come on, Drew," said Jim, and I slowly walked away from that painting. The woman who guided us there announced Jim’s name and let us into the boss' office. A wall entirely made of glass stood behind his back. The man was comfortably seated at his table and looked at us with an amused intensity. He was a few years older compared to the painting, now with shorter hair and stubble, but he had the same overconfident smile.
"I heard someone played a little prank on you," he said to Jim.
"Yeah, fucked up months of work," he replied. The man moved his eyes on me. He probably noticed I was staring at him.
"And you?" he asked me. "Are you a fan of mine or something?"
"You're his real father." My thoughts slipped out of my mouth. He let out an unrestrained laughter. Even that reminded me of Dan's.
"I see, I see, so that's it. You're a friend of Brook's kid," he rested his chin on the palm of his hand. "Dan, if I remember correctly. A smart kid."
"You remember his name, I'm impressed," I commented coldly.
"Macey, take Jimmy to look at the security cameras and bring a drink for the boy," he ordered the secretary. Jim seemed quite annoyed by him; that man had completely lost interest in him. He left the table and invited me to sit with him on the armchairs next to the window wall, from which he dominated the entire city.
Chapter 69
"Tell me, who are you for that boy?" he asked me.
"His family," I replied, underlining that I was his family, unlike him and his mother.
"I see," he said, looking at me. He didn't give a shit, but I should have known. "I probably made the same face you’re making now when I found him here, waiting for me in my office."
"Really?" I was unsure if I wanted him to tell me more.
"You can't imagine how many women and children come here everyday for my money. I usually let them in to have a laugh at the story they're going to make up."
"Are those just stories?"
"Of course. When I started my business I went through surgery so that I wouldn't have to bother with these kind of things. Then just imagine me coming back here and finding my look-alike sitting on my chair. At first I thought he was someone crazy enough to have a plastic surgery made to look like me, and I got incredibly interested in him. Then I learned he was Brook's kid, and it all made sense; his age, the color of his hair and that white skin, but also something in the way he talked reminded me of her."
"And you didn't lose interest in him when you found out who he was?" I asked, since he looked the type to get bored of things really fast.
"Good question. That's why I said he was smart. He used his face only to get in my office, once here he told me, ‘let's talk business,’ and, in actual fact, made me an offer for a deal with Jimmy's little drug business. Don't even remember why, I think we had taken somebody in custody or something like that."
"And you never saw him again?"
"Never. But I liked that spirit. I'd say he has potential."
"Dan can be very determined when he sets his mind on something."
"And you?" he asked me.
"Me, what?"
"Let's just say that there might be something in those camera recordings. What do you think? Jimmy should find what he's looking for, or not?"
So there really was something. And that man knew it right from the start. I didn't even have to think about it.
"No," I replied, "not now at least." Dan was my top priority. I didn't want anything or anybody between us until I talked to him, let alone a furious Jim.
The man sent a message, and then said, "Done. What are you giving me in return?"
"What do you want?"
"I want to meet that kid again."
"No, not if he doesn't want to," I said.
"Let me teach you how to negotiate: if you didn't want to do what I wanted, you should have offered me something else before, when I asked you what were you giving me in return. Remember that you're in debt, and I'm leading this deal. I want to meet that boy again. Let's say that I give you six months to bring him here to me."
"What if I don't?"
"I'll send someone to pick him up by force."
"I got it, it's your win," I had been too naive. "But after that, you'll never ask anything of me or Dan again."
"I only make fair deals. With all the money I have I could obtain everything easily, but there's no fun in playing without a handicap. I look forward to seeing my son again then, Andrew Lowell." He already knew my name, obviously.
"Feeling like playing the father now, after over twenty years, Zack Miller?" I said.
He looked at me for an instant, and then cackled. Damn it, stop laughing like him. "It's been ages since I heard that name. Was it my brother who told you?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Again kid, if you have an information the other wants, sell it instead of just going ‘yes.’"
I felt like an idiot. Jim came back soon after that, and I couldn't wait to go away from that place.
"Nothing," he said. "Looks like he was smart enough to avoid all the cameras on the outside too."
"It's a pity you couldn't find what you were looking for, Jimmy," said the man. "Andrew, it's been nice to meet you. I'll see you soon," he added. Jim looked at me with an interrogative expression and asked me what that “see you soon” meant on our way out.
"He said he wants to meet Dan again," I confessed. "You were right when you said he's annoying."
"But he really looks like him, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, those eyes must be a family trait," I said, with memories of the way Dan looked at me burning in my heart.
"I didn't mean physically," said Jim. "I mean, that's obvious, but I think their characters are alike too."
"What do you mean?" I didn't follow. Dan wasn't such an overconfident egomaniac like him.
"They're that type ready to throw anything away to get what they want," he said.
I thought about it for a while. "No, all that Dan did… he never did it for himself. Even if it looks like he doesn't care… he's putting always others before himself."
"And what is he doing now?" Jim asked me. "You know how much I owe him. But if he ends up putting my group in danger, he's finished with me."
"He won't," I said, feeling incredibly bad toward Jim and Bill.
"You look different somehow," said Jim. "Is that his earring that you're wearing?"
On my way back from the rehab center, I got a piercing on my left earlobe, so that I could wear An's earring, the one Colten stole from Dan.
"It was my sister's, originally," I said, touching it. That earring and Shallie's necklace, which I always brought with me in my pocket, had become the objects I would always look at to find the strength to go on. And I had the feeling they would tie me to Dan more too.
When we got back, the atmosphere was heavy; everybody in the group was nervous. It's just a matter of time now, I thought. When that camera is ready I'll go place it in their bunker. Once we know the code I'll go back… and then I will only have to think of him.
"Drew, want to train for a while?" Bill asked me. He seemed quite stressed out since that morning. I accepted and we went to their gym. I really needed to get back in shape after that month I spent in bed barely eating. "You need to gain back some stamina or you're gonna faint after running a little," he told me. I stretched and we started the session with physical combat.
"I know Ji
m invited you to join us," he told me, his fighting style perfectly clean, as always. "What will you do?"
"I'm still thinking about it," I said, focused on dodging his attacks. Bill fought the same way he talked: aggressive, precise and straightforward, each movement meant not to waste even a second.
"It's a drastic change for someone who wanted to be a cop." He was strong, and my body wasn't reacting as I wanted, so I ended up on the floor. He helped me up and I went back into position.
"You're right," I told him, determined to land at least a hit this time, "but what I'll do with my life depends mostly on how things will go with the sect and with Dan." Dan's name distracted him, and I managed to score a hit. Encouraged by the adrenaline of the moment, I decided to tease him a little, like he used to do with me. "Apparently the police uniform turns him on, you know."
"Oh, really?" He smirked back at me. It seemed like he was cheering up. "He did enjoy handcuffs, now that I think about it. Did you try it?"
"I might have tied him up once," I said, remembering our last time together.
After an hour of training I was completely exhausted, and Bill passed me an energy drink. "Bill," I called his name, reflecting seriously on his position in the group and on all they did for me, "whatever I'll do after this is over, I will never forget the help I got from you. When the truth about the sect is revealed, nobody will find out you were involved, I promise."
"That's good to hear," he exhaled slowly. "I can tell you’ve been out of your head recently, but I want to trust you, Drew."
"You won't regret it."
I had one thing worrying me considerably, though. Kevin Tyler, the assassin still prisoner in Bill's facility in Pholis.
After his initial reticence, he slowly became more cooperative and revealed to us all he knew about the sect; he had realized he was on a sinking boat, and sold off his precious order to us in exchange for his life. At least, apparently. But once we were handing him over to the police, what was he going to do?
I had often talked with Dan about him, since he was the one who had gotten to know him best. He didn't trust him at all. He believed that man hated him, and that even if he was revealing things to us, he only had blood lust in his eyes.
"It seems that his hand won't ever go back to what it was," Dan had told me. "I pierced a nerve when I threw that knife at him. Also, I'm the one who's been torturing him… I can't really blame him for hating me, but the problem is what he's gonna do to get his revenge on me. You don't have to worry about it, though. I'll think of something when the time comes."
I wondered how Dan found the courage to deal with that man and harm him after all he had suffered because of Colten. Did he take out his frustration for Shallie’s death on him? Or maybe he was hurting all along, remembering his own pain every time he had to torture him. What kind of relationship did Dan and Tyler ended up having? I was scared of that man hating and resenting him.
The time came now, Dan, but you're not here with me. What can I do?
Chapter 70
"I can't believe you got yourself involved in such deep shit," said Chloe's father to her, clearly disappointed.
"Come on, Daddy, it's for a right cause," she said as she showed a flawless smile.
"Please, don't think badly of us, Father," said Sean. "We only want justice."
"Who are you calling ‘Father’? Say that again and I'm kicking you out of my house." The look in his eyes was more than scary. Despite the idiotic smile he had on his face, Sean turned to stone. "Andrew, you said..." I felt incredibly nervous when he moved his murderous gaze on me.
"Yes, sir?" I said.
"So you're the one who got my daughter caught in this mess."
"I…" I didn't know what to say.
"I didn't really do anything, Dad. I'm just a person informed of the facts," she said.
"And you've been hanging out with those rats of the drug market. Well done, Chloe! I told you a thousand times that being close to that guy would have ruined you sooner or later."
Chloe frowned and rolled her eyes. Was he talking about Dan? I didn't like it at all.
"Sir, with all due respect, those rats, like you called them, are the only ones who actively did something to help me uncover the truth about my girlfriend's death. Unlike perfectly respectable police officers and detectives who swing their tails at their boss like puppies, while he kills women on an altar as a sacrifice for a better world." I spoke without even taking a breath, and now I found myself hoping not to have pissed him off even more.
"That's why you want me to cover for them?"
"I wouldn't ask this much. I will take the full responsibility for kidnapping that assassin. I'll pretend to have kept him in an abandoned garage of Downtown on my own. I just need you to pay attention to the anonymous call you will receive on September 10 and go there to find him and bring him to jail. I need you to confirm my version of the facts, because I can't trust him to collaborate when the time comes."
Chloe's dad took his glasses off and scratched his eyes.
"I will," he said, "but you won't call my daughter to the witness stand or do anything. She will be completely outside all of this in front of the law."
"I never had the intention to involve any of my friends in this. I told you, I'll take full responsibility for all that happened in the past months."
"Good," he said.
Sean and I left Chloe's apartment and went back home by car. "So, this is done too," said Sean.
"Yes, I hope it's enough to prevent that guy from putting you all in danger." I exhaled, still thinking of Tyler.
"Drew, I know you’re worried about us, but I'm ready to testify anytime. I want to support Jim's group too, they deserve it."
"I appreciate it, Sean, but I don't want to make you my accomplice. I did this because I wanted justice, but I ended up doing a lot of illegal things: kidnapping, burning down that library, leaving a corpse there, spying on people. Of course I was forced to do this by the very bugged system, so they can't punish me too heavily, but you never know; I want to be the only one to put my face on it, just in case."
Sean looked at me without a word. I was sure he was thinking, “I'll pretend to agree with you but if the time comes when you need me, I'm going to testify anyway.” That idiot, he'd never let me act cool. Sean left his car in the parking area next to the brothel and we walked back to the apartment building.
"By the way," he said, "Chloe's dad is scary."
"Yeah, I'd never want him as father-in-law."
"Since he's so serious, I have to be careful when I go ask him for his daughter's hand."
I clapped the back of his head. "First you should ask her out, don't you think?"
"About that, she's not telling me that I'm hopeless so often like before. I think we're making progress."
"Maybe she just got tired of repeating it to you over and over."
"Are you on my side or not?"
"I swear that if she falls for you, I'll lend you a bulletproof vest when you go ask for her hand." I had to hold back a laugh, imagining the scene.
"Laugh now that you can. I'll have a lot of fun when you'll go tell your parents you're dating a guy." The sadistic smile on his face didn’t suit him at all. I thought about what he said, holding my chin with my hand.
"Hum… won't they be alright about it? It's Dan, not just anyone."
"What? Won't they be shocked?"
"Not shocked, but surprised at first maybe… but come on, we’re talking about Dan. After An died, for a while I couldn't sleep without him in my bed, I followed him everywhere, and we even took baths together. Oh, and he used to feed me when I didn’t feel like eating… So I guess my parents are prepared for it somehow."
"What kind of relationship is that?!" He had an astonished look on his face, which I found incredibly funny. "Besides, did you do those things in front of them?!"
"You know what? I’m worried about one thing," I said. "My room in my parents' house is right next to theirs�
� How can we have sex when we go visit?"
"That’s what you’re worried about?" He almost slapped the palm of his hand on his face.
"Yes, I mean, we're not usually too loud, but even doing it normally they'd hear us, it's weird."
Sean listened to me with a disgusted face. "What about refraining from it?"
"Impossible," I said, super serious.
"Then there must be a way, if you never heard your parents doing it."
"Sean, parents don't have sex, you're creeping me out."
"Drew, you're still a kid under many points of view."
"Damn it Sean, because of you now I can't help thinking of me and Dan having sex."
"You're the one who brought this subject up!"
"Now you have to listen to my sex stories!"
"No fucking way, not interested!"
"You see, the last time we did it, we were—"
"Lalalalala, not listening!" He covered his ears.
"Stop being so loud in front of other people's houses, you fucking brats!" screamed the old lady from her window of the first floor. For a second I thought she would have shot us, like the first time I met her.
"We're sorry!" we said in sync.
"By the way, Drew," she told me, "there's someone here who wishes to speak with you. Come inside."
Sean and I exchanged a look, and I stopped by the old lady's house, while he went upstairs to my apartment. In her living room, Sara and Dr. Miller were drinking tea and chatting.
"Drew, welcome back." Sara gave me an awkward smile. They didn't hear that conversation between me and Sean, did they?
"Andrew, since the other day you didn’t look too well, I thought I'd come to see how you were doing. But I'm glad to find you so cheerful," said Miller, smiling. So they heard everything. I wanted to disappear.
