by H. M. Wolfe
Split personality, Benji thought, rage, pain, sadness, fury and a lot of other emotions overwhelming him. However, he didn’t want to jump to conclusions by himself, so he turned to the boy. “How many of you are there?”
“Only two,” the answer came hesitantly. “Sometimes, it’s more of me, sometimes, he also comes out, but it’s dangerous, so I step forward and silence him. Letting Armand out for good is not an option. Carter would come after his prey. No one escaped his clutches. Not alive, anyway.”
“He’s a goddamn liar. There are many people who ran away, defied the bastard and resisted him. Armand could be one of them if you let me help you. Both of you,” Benji looked into the kid’s eyes, giving him strength and courage.
“We have a deal,” Dubois spoke after a few moments of silence. Then, he extended his hand, offering it to Benji.
Outside, Seymour and Alasdair were watching the entire scene through the door’s little window. Seymour, who had gotten to know Benji pretty well during the time he’d spent at Rayne’s, recovering after the injuries, was almost sure he would succeed in his attempt of winning Dubois’ trust.
The redhead, on the other hand, was visibly impressed, the way Benji behaved around his friend reminding him a lot of Ardan. Suddenly, his dark-green eyes brightened, and he turned to Seymour.
“Your friend is a really great guy. Do you think he could do me a favor?”
“Of course.” The man smiled. “Benji is always ready to help. What’s the favor?” Ardan’s right-hand’s voice was laced with curiosity.
“I need him to take some blood samples from Landon and send them to a hospital to be analysed. I think someone’s poisoning him.”
CHAPTER 8
“What do you mean Landon’s being poisoned? Who would do something like that, especially to him, one of the oldest members of our crew? Ardan, Drew, Landon, Carlin, me—all of us belong to the original nucleus. We built this place from scrap. Why would someone want to harm him?” Seymour shook his head in disbelief.
“He’s right. Landon is poisoned,” Dubois spoke in a certitude-filled voice as he came out of the padded room, Benji one step behind him. “All the symptoms have been present from the beginning, but in the absence of specific lab tests, we couldn’t diagnose it accurately, so we only slowed it down.”
“By we, you mean Ross, or was someone else involved? Did you get help from someone else?” Alasdair asked, terrified by the possibility that Dubois asked for help the only person he shouldn’t have, Casey’s accomplice. On the long hours he spent thinking about the whole tangled situation, the redhead came to the conclusion that the brainless brute couldn't have acted by himself, he was too stupid, so he must have been helped by another person, most likely from the inside.
“Of course, it was Ross. Who else?” The kid’s voice was confused, then he finally understood. “Are you suggesting there are more of them?”
“More what?” It was the other two men’s turn to be confused. “Wait a minute! Are you trying to say that we have moles inside our organization? This can’t be! Never! No!” Seymour’s voice was categoric. “You don’t know how we built this, all the things we went through... It’s ridiculous!”
Alasdair lightly touched his friend on the hand. “Listen to me a little, please, and think about it. What if someone wants to take advantage of Ardan’s absence and destroy you? Get rid of you once and all? Is there such a person?”
As the redhead spoke, Seymour became more convinced that what he was saying was logical, that the filthy bastard who took almost everything away from them had some of their own on his payroll. He started to shiver at the possibility because, if it was true, that bloody bastard had won without raising a finger.
From then on, Seymour thought, he would look all the others with suspicious eyes, seeing each and every one of them as a possible traitor. And, if anything ever happened to Landon... Their Hong Kong associate, the one who offered them financial support and helped them in a million other ways, had promised Ardan that, once the pile of garbage bit the dust, he would give him to them to do as they wish with him.
However, if the one he loved as a brother died, Seymour would not be able to listen to anyone, anymore. He would go by himself into that bloody serpent’s nest and would blow out his shitty brains, even if it meant that he’d die there too.
“Everything will be just fine, you’ll see.” The man heard Alasdair near him. “Landon will get better, and we will find and neutralize the moles, then wait for Ardan’s decision.”
“Until then, let’s go to your friend and take the samples, then I will take them to the Institute, so they can analyse them and establish the chemical composition of the poison. This will allow us to create an effective antidote,” Benji said.
“Wait a minute, what Institute?” Alasdair and Dubois asked in sync. Realizing it, the two boys looked at each other and started to laugh.
“The Van der Meerwe Institute for Human Genome Research, where new, revolutionary treatments for a lot of severe, life-threatening conditions are developed and implemented.” A bright smile formed on Benji’s lips when he heard the enthusiasm in the kids’ voices.
“Here we are.” Seymour indicated the door of Landon’s room, knocking softly on it.
A barely audible voice answered from inside, letting the visitors know that it was open. Ardan’s right hand was the first to go inside, letting out a loud gasp of shock at the sight of his best friend. There, on the bed, wrapped in two thick blankets, lay a ghost of the man Landon had been only a few weeks earlier.
His once bright, honey-brown eyes were dull, his auburn hair, usually so shiny and impeccably combed, was disheveled. Seymour’s heart wrenched in pain, but he managed to keep his sadness and anger hidden, putting on a happy face instead. He went to the bed, hugging his friend carefully.
“Well, look who’s here. The prodigal son finally decided to come back home.” Landon smirked, returning the hug. “Who’s the novice?” He gestured to Benji.
“Hello to you, too, big brother, and thanks for the warm welcome.” Seymour grinned widely. “This is Benji. He’s here to help our boys Alasdair and Armand, show them one or two tricks of what he knows. Right now, he’s here to take blood samples from you and send them to a lab to be analysed.”
“Goddamn it, Seymour! What’s in your head? How can you say that name?! Don’t you know that poor kid is terrified each time he hears it?” Landon was almost angry at his good friend’s imprudence, but to his huge surprise, the kid in question didn’t react the way he expected.
“Why should he not say that? It’s my name, after all,” Armand said, smiling shyly. “I’m not going to be afraid or hide any longer.”
“Okay, good people, let’s take those blood samples and send them to the lab. The sooner we do that, the shorter the period your recovery will be,” Benji said in a professional but warm tone.
“We took the rest of the day off, so we could take care of you, big guy,” Alasdair said affectionately, taking Landon’s hand in his.
“After I collect the samples, which will only take a minute, could I have a word with you? It’s important.” The Van der Meerwe heir looked straight into the redhead’s dark-green eyes.
“Of course. We could go to my room, no one will disturb us there.” The kid nodded. “We can go once you're done with Landon if you don’t have anything else to do.”
On the way to his room, Alasdair couldn’t stop from wondering what Benji, a guy he’d only met a couple of hours earlier, could possibly want to say to him. The redhead had a gut feeling the conversation was going to be extremely important to him. Lost in his thoughts, Alasdair didn’t notice the man coming from the opposite direction, the two of them running into each other.
It was Carlin, another trusted friend of Ardan’s, who had been with him since the beginning. He apologized, then started to walk really fast as if he was being chased by someone. Indeed, moments after, Derek, who was also part of the initial crew, came running, but he didn’t catch C
arlin, who had disappeared around the corner.
Alasdair didn’t have much time to think about the scene because he arrived at his room. Unlocking the door and opening it widely, the kid gestured to the entrance so Benji could step inside. Looking around the room, he was visibly impressed by how everything was designed so the redhead could spend a pleasant time in a cocoon of comfort.
Then, the young man noticed the bookshelves, his jaw dropping to the floor at the sight of the medical books neatly stacked on them. There were so many, some of them centuries-old original manuscripts, others the most recent editions of modern medicine books. Alasdair noticed the visible interest in Benji’s eyes, a wide smile forming on his face.
“Do you like what you see? I got most of them from Ardan, but Leon also bought me some,” the redhead pointed to a stack of books with new, shiny covers.
“Leon? Like Leon Stanley?” The young man’s eyes widened even more at the mention of the ‘resident guardian angel’ as Liam affectionately called his best friend. And a guardian angel was he, indeed, Benji thought, smiling inwardly.
“Yes, why are you asking? Do you know him?” Alasdair frowned a little, trying to guess what his ward and the guy in front of him could have in common.
“Leon is one of the best men I have the honor of knowing. A true, loyal friend, and a man of his word, just like his father was,” Benji answered, his eyes shining with admiration.
“Did you know his dad? You must’ve been very young then. Leon once told me his father passed away when he was ten.” Alasdair was a little confused, wondering who this guy really was.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t have that pleasure, but someone who’s like a father to me was Leon’s dad’s superior officer and brother in arms.”
Benji let out a sigh of relief, grateful that the conversation has taken that turn. It allowed him to bring the Starks into the discussion smoothly, avoiding potential awkward moments. Plus, by speaking about the bond the boy’s grandfather shared with Derek Stanley, he could get Alasdair interested in knowing Alastair Stark and the rest of the family.
“Wow, you know a Navy SEAL?” The redhead’s eyes were shining with enthusiasm and curiosity. “Leon told me his dad was part of that elite division.”
“Actually, our mutual friend’s father was recruited by an elite undercover operations unit, and it was there where he befriended the then-major. His name was Alastair Stark, your grandfather, the one your dad named you after.”
“I have no grandfather.” Alasdair vehemently shook his head. “That guy refused to meet dad, didn’t even want to speak to him on the phone. His goddamn assistant said he was busy... One minute was all dad wanted, one minute alone with his father... The rejection broke his heart, and it brought him closer to his grave.”
“It was a huge, messy misunderstanding. Your grandfather was never informed about those visits. He never knew anything about your dad trying to get to him. Besides, the name Tyler Flemming wouldn’t have meant anything to your grandfather. When he gave his little boy up to Social Services, he was named Arthur, not Tyler.”
“He abandoned his child, left and never looked back. I don’t think I’m very thrilled at the prospect of meeting a man who chose a career over his child.” Alasdair’s jaw was clenched, his eyes narrowed and almost black.
“It’s your decision, and I won’t influence it.” Benji nodded, his hands raised in surrender. “But I think your uncles and cousins deserve a chance.”
After a moment of silence that seemed like an eternity, the redhead finally spoke, “I want to know about them. Tell me more, please.”
Benji started to tell a story about honor, friendship, loyalty, hardships, battles won and lost. About revenge, loss, sorrow, but especially, about love. And with every word, Alasdair became even more engrossed in the story, more fascinated by it, wanting to know everything there was to know.
CHAPTER 9
Alasdair was lying in bed on his back, hands folded under his head, staring at the ceiling. In spite of looking so passive, the little cogs inside the kid’s head were spinning at warp speed. This must be it, he thought, a wide grin forming on his face, spreading from one ear to another. Ardan was as deceiving and sly as a fox, fooling everyone.
The man had known right from the start that something was wrong with Landon, that’s why he allowed Seymour to bring in Benji, who was a complete stranger. This was also the reason why he put that nasty Casey Cantrell guy to guard the lab. The bastard was just a pawn. Someone else was the mole, the enemy’s communication channel, someone from the initial crew.
Ardan knew Alasdair would figure up the identity of the traitor, he even knew what the teen would do afterwards. He had come to know him that well. The redhead was not going to disappoint him, he will show the leader of the organization what he was made of. A soft knock on the door, followed by a harder one stopped the teen’s train of thought.
“Come in,” he said, “the door is always open.” First the head, then the entire silhouette of Armand appeared in the doorway. “Oh, it’s you, come inside. I won’t bite and the pups are not in sight.”
“I’m not afraid of them. They are still small and cute. It’s the big ones that scare me,” the teen spoke, his voice a little shaky. “I have news for you. Ardan’s coming home.” A barely-there smile appeared on Armand’s pale lips as he spoke.
“Really?! Where is he? Why am I the one who finds out last?” Alasdair got up from the bed, nearly tripping himself.
“Hey, relax. You’re always running, never listening to the whole story. One day, you’ll break that neck of yours if you continue like that,” Armand huffed, trying to mask the concern in his voice.
“Sorry that I made you worry about me, but I can’t help it. Okay, I’ll listen patiently. What’s it all about?”
“I heard Seymour talking to Benji about Ardan returning from the meeting with the man who helped them build all this.” Armand gestured around the room. “I’m not a fan of eavesdropping, so I left. But then, Benji told me the rest of the conversation.”
“And? What was it about?” Alasdair asked, worried by the other teen’s sudden change of disposition.
The progress Armand had made since Benji arrived at The Base, about a week ago, was amazing. He wasn’t afraid of being called by his first name anymore, and he only used sign language when the conversation was intended for those who were also experts in that kind of communication. Also, Armand didn’t avoid being touched like before, in some cases, even initiating the contact himself.
Alasdair couldn’t be more proud of Dubois, seeing him like an older brother as he did, one he had a lot to learn from. In a way, the pharmacist reminded Alasdair a lot of Ezra, who, after suffering enormously, had recovered relatively quickly. The similarities made the redhead keep an eye on Armand at all times, so he could help to bring him back in case of an unexpected slip-up.
“Benji said Ardan won’t be coming alone,” the pharmacist spoke again after a long pause. “Seymour told him something about a kid, a badly damaged one.” The teen fell silent again, his eyes shadowed by an immense sadness.
Alasdair frowned. “What do you mean by ‘damaged?’ You mean badly hurt, don’t you?” In fact, the redhead understood perfectly, but he was terrified about the word’s implications.
Armand lowered his head. “That, too. But I meant damaged like I was when they brought me to this place when they saved me... Keep in mind what I tell you, Ardan is the greatest guy who ever walked on the face of the Earth.”
“Don’t listen to him. The kid exaggerates way too much when speaking about my humble, insignificant qualities.” Ardan grinned from the doorway.
“You’re home, finally! How much I missed you!” Alasdair jumped from the bed straight into the man’s strong arms, inhaling his scent.
“I missed you too, kiddo. I really did,” Ardan spoke softly, kissing the top of the teen’s head. “I’m going to be a little busy over the next few hours, I’m afraid, but I promise to catch u
p with you this evening. Which reminds me,” the man said, a guilty look on his face, “no more cuddles for a while.”
“What do you mean by no more cuddles? I waited for you to come home for more than a week, and the first thing you tell me is that you’re no longer cuddling with me?” Alasdair turned his back at the man, feeling betrayed and abandoned.
“Kiddo, please, understand. It’s only a temporary solution until Bailey gets well enough and can be moved into a room alone. Until then, I can’t risk leaving him...”
“Who is this Bailey guy who has replaced me in your room? Does he give you what you don’t want to take from me? Why can he sleep in your bed and I can’t anymore?”
Ardan looked at the kid in front of him, saw the pain in his eyes, and felt it like a punch in his stomach. He never imagined the little redhead would react so violently, so categorically. Alasdair wasn’t a spoiled brat but a lost boy who didn’t have anyone to turn to, nowhere to go. There were the Starks, of course, but because of how he was betrayed by his own brother, the teen wasn’t so thrilled at the prospect of meeting them.
He knew all those things, and instead of thinking of a better way of solving Bailey’s problem, Ardan chose the easy way, pushing the redhead aside. Right at that moment, he felt like the lowest of the low, mentally scolding himself for making Alasdair’s little heart ache like that.
“I’m sorry,” the man said, lowering his head. “You’re right, and I’m stupid and insensitive, the usual moron. I’ll talk to Seymour, ask him to sleep with Bailey, and you can have your cuddle pillow back. Forgive me, Alasdair!”
The redhead turned around, shocked to see so much sadness and regret in Ardan’s eyes. It was overwhelming, and it made him very confused about his feelings. On one hand, he was happy that the problem was solved in his favor, but on the other hand, he wasn’t feeling quite as content at the thought of making Ardan suffer. “There’s nothing to forgive. I’m happy you are back.”
“Just a few moments and I’m all yours,” the man spoke in a soft voice, his strange, turquoise eyes shining behind the thick-rimmed glasses. “We have a lot to talk about.” He smiled brightly.
