"How long has it been since you supposedly died? Six-seven months or so? I guess you were in a Beach town somewhere sipping three-umbrella drinks." Said Rudolph with his face all up in Jack's.
Jack remained quiet. He glued his eyes to the ground. He had been tied up for three days. He only had a few minutes to relieve himself a day.
The ropes were retied looser each time. He was thinking of how he was to escape. Rudolph wasn't around most of the time. He only came when he needed to emotionally beat Jack up. Sometimes he would throw a few punches but light ones.
He wanted Jack's face to be easily recognisable.
Jack needed to sit through a few more minutes of Rudolph's banter. He would soon leave.
Jack would remain with the two guards posted outside- of wherever he was. He wasn't sure.
The whole scenario was playing out in his head. It was something Rudolph said that broke his concentration.
"What did you say?" Asked Jack.
Rudolph smiled,"I have your attention now! I asked a question, did you know Rachel tried to kill herself?"
Jack couldn't believe it. He wished it were false but he could see Rudolph wasn't lying.
He didn't know he would cause Rachel that much pain that she would want to commit suicide. He felt for her.
All this while Jack couldn't help himself. His eyes were watery.
"You didn't even wait until marriage then kill her and inherit everything. You really didn't want to commit to a relationship. I mean, after she proposed! Do you really hate her that much?
Rudolph noticed his eyes were watery. He had a sudden realisation. He was utterly bewildered.
"Oh my God! You don't hate her, you loved her?"
Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath then opened his eyes and looked at Rudolph with a stern expression.
Rudolph laughed. He was having fun.
"With all the deception and facade in order to steal her money. You actually fell in love with her? That's not very professional, is it?" Rudolph laughed again.
Jack avoided eye contact with him.
"Even though you loved her, you still left. Even after she poured her heart to you and proposed, you still left." Rudolph paused for a breath.
"She proposed to you. Yet you still betrayed her trust."
Jack raised his head. He wanted to say something. His heart wanted to speak but his heart wanted to remain silent.
Rudolph held him by the jaw, "You got something to say. Well speak up or forever hold your peace." Rudolph bursted into laughter.
"It was just business!" Muttered Jack.
He felt his energy sap away. His heart ached. He couldn't feel worse than he was then.
"It was just business to you?" Said a feminine voice with a hint of anger.
Jack looked up to see Rachel in front of her.
Shea's House
Chris was outside. A distance away from the house. He looked around to see no one in sight.
He took out a phone and made a call. After a few seconds the person on the other side answered.
"What is it?"
"Callisto is MIA. I can't reach him." Said Chris in a whisper.
"Does it compromise the mission?"
"No! The mission is going on fine. We had unexpected setback and Jack went off to deal with it. Now I haven't heard from him."
"What do you need us to do?"
"Find him! He may be in trouble. He said he was going back to Happy Harbour. Where we had the last job."
"OK. We'll send a team in!"
"I don't need to tell you what will happen if my brother were to be hurt in anyway."
The person hang up. Chris put the phone back in his pocket.
"Dammit Jack!"
Mandy's House
Shea was bored from staying home all day. She didn't need it but she had an excuse to go over to Mandy's house.
"So, have you made up your mind? " Asked Shea
Mandy sat herself down next to her.
"No! I'm still conflicted. "
"Weren't you friends with Mathew for a long time? You liked him for all those years and never told him directly? "
"There was time we were dating." She said with a subtle voice.
Shea heard. She wasn't sure she had heard correctly though. Shea nudged Mandy who made eye contact.
Shea read her eyes,she had heard correctly.
"So, what happened?"
"I don't know. We were in our late teens. We were the best of friends then we chose to get intimate. It was really great. I liked him, he liked me. It was great you know."
"I could imagine. A boyfriend who is also your best friend? It's like a dream come true." Said Shea with delight in her voice
"It was, then one day he just said let's go back to being friends." Mandy paused a bit.
"Then just like that we were friends again."
"Well he'll be back today so you'll have your chance."
"How did you know he'll be back today?"
"He told me. We talk sometimes." Said Shea.
Mandy felt the dagger slowly pierce her chest. She had never spoken to Mathew since he left.
"You agreed to be friends ever since then knowing you still loved him?" Shea continued.
"I thought I didn't love him anymore. My emotions started resurfacing when he told me he-" Mandy stopped abruptly.
Shea was confused."When he told you what?"
Mandy was uncomfortable,"Nothing, just forget it!"
Shea could sense there was something more to the story. Mandy needed to get it off her chest in order to feel better.
"Come on. You can tell me. I'm your friend!" Shea kept on pressing. Mandy had resolved not to speak about it but Shea wouldn't have it.
"Stop Shea. I don't want to talk about it! Ok!" Mandy burst out. She got up and walked out of the room.
How could she tell her that she was the reason? That her emotions resurfaced when Mathew declared his interest in Shea. That, jealousy reignited something that had long since died out.
Shea was stunned. Normally a simple yell would have a residual effect but in her case it was more.
It woke up something inside her. Something she held deep in her heart. Thanks to recent threat to her life the shackles loosed up.
Her memory of that fateful night came to her. Her body was overcome with dread.
She could see the gun flailing in the air. She remembered she was hidden in the closet but she could see and hear everything.
She remembered seeing the hand which held the gun. A wolf tattoo was inked on it. She remembered the firing of the gun.
BANG! And her father was dead!
Mandy comes back to the living room.
"I'm sorry I snapped-"
Shea was gone!
Shea's House
Chris was at the porch when Olivia arrived. She was in a particularly good mood.
"Shea's not here!" Said Chris
"I'm here for you!" Chris sighed, "You know why I'm here."
"I don't actually." Said Chris confidently
"Tell me your name. Your name before it was changed I mean." Olivia said with conviction in her voice.
"Why do you want to know?" Chris wasn't having it."What are you going to do with the name?"
"Nothing!"
"Then there's no reason to tell you. If you are just going to do nothing with it!" Chris sighed and got up. "I chose to forget that part of my life. I don't appreciate you trying to dig it up. Where is this even coming from? Why on Earth are you so interested in my past?"
Olivia sat down,"To be honest, I don't know. I saw the photo with you and Kiaru Don and my mind just went crazy."
"Is that it? I don't think that's it." Chris sat back down. "I think there is a deeper reason you are doing this. You may not even know it!"
"I wanted to be a reporter you know? I never wanted to be lawyer. But it was either a lawyer or a doctor. A lawyer felt closer to a reporter. When I saw that photo, the reporter inside me really awoke. Suddenly nothing else mattered, except the truth."
"Why were the choices only a lawyer or a doctor?" Asked Chris
"My mother is a lawyer. My father, a doctor. They wanted me to be like them, either of them!" Olivia paused for a moment.
"Even if you still want to forget your past, there is still someone you shouldn't hide it from!"
Just then,the front gate opened and Shea's car drove in. She quickly got out of the car and walked into the house.
"I know." Chris muttered to Olivia as he got up.
A second car drove in. This time it was Mandy. She too went into the house with urgency.
Chris and Olivia followed behind them.
Mandy caught up to Shea. She held her hand from behind.
Shea turned back with a start.
"I'm sorry OK. I didn't mean to bite your head off like that." Said Mandy
"It's OK. It's not you. " Said Shea
"Are you two OK?" Asked Chris who appeared from the corner.
"We're fine baby."
Chris walked over to Shea. They hugged.
"Excuse us please," said Chris as he and Shea took the stairs.
Mandy embraced Olivia. It felt like a long time since they saw each other.
"What's going on with you?" Asked Mandy jokingly.
"A bit of crisis of faith." Said Olivia,"Career and all!"
"Do you want to talk about it?" Asked Mandy
"Maybe another time! I need to go back home. My mother is waiting for me." Said Olivia.
"Tell her I said hi."
Olivia started off to her car. Mandy looked back, there was no one. No reason for her remain at Shea's house.
She thought of going home. She didn't want to be alone. She had no choice though. She proceeded to her car to start her journey home.
Up in Shea's bedroom. She lay curled up on the bed. Chris was beside her.
"What happened? I'm sure it's not about Mandy. There's something more. Do you want to talk about it?"
Shea could see the hand again. She saw the hand grip the gun. The hand with a snake tattoo.
She could hear the person shouting and cursing. She could also see her father, pleading for his life. Then BANG! Her father was dead!
Olivia's House
Olivia's mother had her arms crossed the entire time Olivia was explaining herself. She didn't like the thought of her daughter becoming a lazy bum. They taught her to work hard, and she would be the best at what she wanted.
Olivia then stopped. Her eyes were watery. She took a deep breath and sat down.
Olivia's mother got up. She held Olivia's hand.
"It's OK that you wanted to help your friends but you aren't in highschool anymore. You can't keep on getting in trouble because of your friends anymore."
Said the sixty four year old woman named Shannon
"I need some time to think, Mama. Right now I don't know what I want. I need to figure it out."
"Figure what out? You are a twenty eight year old lawyer working in a big law firm. What else do you want?" Said Shannon.
"Is it a husband? Because you know your father and I don't want to rush you."
Olivia stood up in annoyance,"No, Mama! It's about my-" she looked back at her mother.
"Yes, I just can't seem to find a good guy in Old Town."
Shannon smiled. She hugged her daughter.
"I married your father when I was thirty four. You see, the right man will come to you."
Olivia nodded. She couldn't bear telling Shannon that she was having doubts about her career.
Happy Harbour
Rachel's eyes were sunken and had dark rings around them. Probably from a lot of crying.
Rachel had her engagement ring on her finger. She was having a hard time looking at Jack.
Rudolph had left the room. It was just Rachel and Jack in the room. Jack had his eyes glued to her feet.
He refused to make eye contact. He had even resolved to remain silent.
Rachel took out a knife from her purse.
"You caused me so much pain. I should end you right now."