Chapter 49
Truth Beckons
The heart of mankind ultimately beat good–that was what Elijah always believed. Ever since he was a young little boy and his mom used to take him to work with her, where she drove 'round town helping random stray animals and answering calls from people in need of a rescuer, he'd decided that people were good. His mom was good, all her colleagues were good, and his dad worked hard in the military to save the world. All people Elijah knew were good–so, he assumed that the whole world was good.
Though he'd eventually learn that wasn't the case, it never managed to disassemble his faith. Good would always prevail, of that he was certain. And even now, in a world swarmed with anxiety, worry, and things that defied reason, he still believed. That was why he ended up wanting to go back–wanting to convince everyone to work together. He didn't agree with Ethan that the military was that selfish and vengeful. And he didn't have it in his heart to sit back and do nothing while knowing that people were dying.
Perhaps, to Ethan and men like him, he was a naive child. Someone who was yet to grow up and accept the ways of the world. But it didn't matter. If growing up meant becoming cynical of everything good and kind, then he would never grow up.
He was determined to do anything and everything to make the meeting possible. Ethan, despite his personality and almost alien apathy, was quintessential for humanity's future–after all, he knew everything about it. And, against all odds, he wasn't selfishly abusing it for his own gain to reign as a king. For better or for worse, to Elijah, Ethan was the perfect type to become laden with the burden of knowing. Those lesser than him would abuse it, and those better would undoubtedly overreach in an attempt to help, failing.
But he was just one man–by now, there was not a spec of doubt in either Ronald's or his mind. They watched his battle with a lion, and they saw a man grapple with a beast that no other could, but he was still not enough wholly. Even with him telling them countless times that he was nowhere as strong as they imagined him to be, all three of them had built up a fantasy inside their minds, a fantasy of a man who could sleepwalk into any victory.
They were rudely awakened from it, however. Perhaps, if they'd listened to him more keenly, and if they'd trusted his words over their own fantasies, the timelines would have changed. But the wayward thoughts weren't helpful. As such, Elijah dispersed them, taking a deep breath and walking out into the open streets, walking toward the checkpoint.
By now, there was at least one passable lane void of cars on every street, and Elijah had heard several dozen trucks and cars come and go as he descended from the mountain and toward the city. Bit by bit, in the troves of the unimaginable, life was coming to. That was why Elijah believed–no matter what, people united.
"Halt!" a soldier came out as soon as he was spotted, carrying a gun. However, as soon as he saw that Elijah was just a slightly chubby teenage boy, the man lowered the gun and walked up casually. "Did you sneak out kid?"
"N-no," Elijah stuttered, taking a deep breath. "I… my father is…"
"Eh? Elijah? Is that you? Oh my God, it is! Elijah!" a woman's voice startled him as he glanced past the man who also turned in confusion. He quickly recognised the woman–her name was Jane. She and his sister used to go to the same college together and she'd come over on occasion.
"You know the kid, J'?" the man asked casually.
"You don't?! Really, you should at least be awake for the briefings!"
"Huh? Who is he?"
"He's Major General Redding's son," Jane said. "You know, the kid we were told to be on the lookout for that was kidnapped?!"
"Oh, shit!" the man exclaimed, swiftly turning toward Elijah. "You sure?!"
"Yeah, I'm sure," Jane rolled her eyes. "I'm friends with his sister. Are you alright, Elijah? Come on in, hurry up. Inform the base, Kevin. It's gonna get busy here."
"Right. Yeah, of course." As the man called Kevin disappeared, Jane escorted him into the outpost, barraging him with questions on the way over.
"You sure you are okay? Are you hurt? Should I have told Kev' to also ask for an ambulance? Nah, they're gonna send it anyway."
"N-no, I'm fine, really," Elijah quickly said.
"Jesus. I'm so happy to see you. When we got told you were taken… it broke my heart, honestly. Your dad raised all hell, I hear. He almost got stripped of his ranks with how much he yelled at the brass."
"..." Elijah remained mute. Whether true or not, he still felt a twinge of anger; though he knew that his father was extremely busy, beyond busy even, he still wished the man had come to see him more often than once a month.
"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're safe and you're back. He's gonna be so happy. Laura's been asking about you, you know? I'm pretty sure she thinks something's wrong already. She's gonna be super happy to see you, too." He wanted to see his sister too. In fact, if he thought it possible, he'd first see her and then meet with his father. But he knew that wouldn't fly. He'd likely be summoned in front of the General himself to explain what happened and where he was.
"... I missed her too." He said. It was then that Kevin returned, appearing somewhat nervous.
"Everything alright?" Jane asked.
"Yeah, no, everything's fine. Uh. General's coming."
"... General's coming?"
"Yup."
"As in, General Vyorn?"
"One and only," Kevin nodded.
"..."
"..."
"Fuck. Get everyone back and up, and prepare for his arrival!" Jane jumped to her feet, appearing no less nervous than Kevin himself.
"Yup."
"Sorry, Elijah," Jane glanced at the boy sympathetically. "I gotta help too. You'll be okay here?"
"Of course."
"Just yell for me if something comes up. I'll come immediately, okay?"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Elijah was beginning to grow nervous, ever so slightly. Though he knew he'd eventually have to meet with the ever-respected General Michael Vyorn, one of the youngest Generals in modern U.S. history, he didn't think it'd be that soon. After all, General was a busy man, and Elijah was just a boy. Even if he was a son of a high-ranking military outfit, as his own father was Major General, this seemed… inappropriate. Nonetheless, just as Jane and Kevin and others had to prepare for the General's arrival, so did Elijah.
He went through all of Ethan's instructions over and over in his mind. They were rather specific, going so far as what he was allowed to disclose about Ethan and Ronald. Just enough to pique interest, but not enough to allow the military to identify them through the database. It was a fine dance that Elijah found bothersome, but he had to dance it as that was how the 'adults' of the world seemed to operate.
His silence and calm were interrupted about fifteen minutes later when he heard the approaching cars and heard shouts of men and women saying 'They're here'. The first man through the doors wasn't the General, but his father–the balded figure sprinted as quickly as his legs allowed him across the room and tossed his arms around Elijah. The latter's eyes grew watery as he felt his father's strong arms embrace him.
"Eli', I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…" the man apologised profusely. So much so, in fact, that Elijah felt a sense of guilt. After all, he wasn't kidnapped–not exactly. Fed up with both the people around him as well as this man's seeming indifference, he chose to leave. Perhaps… he was misguided, in more ways than one.
"I'm fine, dad," Elijah reassured the man. "I'm fine."
"You are?" the man's arms straddled Elijah's face as he seemed to look for even just a scratch to go berserk over, but Elijah was wholly healthy. He'd even lost some weight in the meantime and appeared healthier than ever. "You are. Oh, thank the Lord. I'm so happy. Ah, apologies, Ser General," his father suddenly stood up as a semi-elderly man walked into the room. He had a kind expression and a pair of piercing eyes that were eerily similar to Ethan's–not in the sense of how they saw the world, but how they saw through it.
"Nonsense," the man waved the apology off. "I'd sooner die than be annoyed by a father's love for his son. My old bastard used to show his with fists and belts. This… this is what it was supposed to be like. Hello, Elijah."
"H-hello," Elijah nodded respectfully. That man was General Vyorn, the 'head of the snake' that was the military complex of the city.
"Nice to meet you. My name's Michael, but you can call me Mike."
"Uh…" Elijah felt awkward, so he glanced at his father who winked in approval.
"O-okay… Mike?"
"The room's stuffy," the General said, whereupon everyone behind him quickly dispersed, leaving only four people in the room–the General himself, Elijah and his Father, as well as a young woman who stood ready by the General's side, though one that Elijah didn't recognise.
"Her name's Sarah," the General said when he noticed Elijah's wandering gaze. "She's here to brighten the room up for you in the midst of two old scrooges." Elijah chuckled ever so slightly for a moment. "Do you know why I rushed over, Elijah?" The man's question surprised the boy, prompting him to shake his head. "By all rights, I should have given you and your old man a room and enough time to reunite properly. Unfortunately, we live in an ever-changing world. So, I had to meddle with your reunion."
"That is quite fine, Ser." Elijah's dad said, though the General's eyes never left Elijah.
"The man who took you," the General said, threading through to the heart of it all immediately. "What did he tell you to tell us?"
"..."
"... Ser?" Save for the General and Elijah, the other two people in the room seemed confused by the question.
"I…"
"Don't be afraid," the man said. "Tell us. Why did he send you?"
"... he… he didn't." Elijah's answer seemed to shock the General who frowned.
"Are you telling the truth?"
"I am," Elijah said, building some confidence in himself. "I… I insisted with him to come. And he let me."
"..." While his father and the woman called Sarah seemed to be in the flux of confusion, the General pondered in silence for a moment, stroking his chin. "When you say he 'let' you…?"
"Can… we talk alone?" Elijah's works struck like thunder. Just as his father was about to say something, the General interrupted.
"Out, you two."
"But Ser–"
"Out." The worry was multiple. Sarah, especially, feared the boy might be a 'booby trap' sent to kill the General. Even Max, ever for a moment, thought that–that his own son was being used as a murder weapon. But the General's insistence was firm–and thus they left the room, ready to sprint back inside in case they heard anything untoward. "It's just you and me now, Elijah. What is so secret that you won't even let your father hear?"
"I wasn't kidnapped," Elijah's words fell gently on the General's ears as the man didn't seem to be surprised at the statement. "The man saved me that day and asked me if I wanted to come with him. And I said yes."
"..."
"I… I don't know why," Elijah said. "I just… I felt like it was the right thing to do."
"Do you think it was, now?" the General asked.
"More right than any other decision I've made in my life."
"..." These words did seem to surprise the General for a moment. "This man. Was he the same one who caused that mart to burn down and killed four soldiers?"
"... yes." Elijah affirmed. It was one of the things Ethan told him was fine to divulge.
"Why did he do that?" the General asked. "If he'd just come to the city, he would have been taken care of, like the rest."
"..."
"Hm. So, there are only certain questions you can or will answer."
"He's… not a good man," Elijah said after a momentary thought. "But he's not evil either. All I ask is that you listen to me and keep an open mind."
"... I'm not a good man either, Elijah, nor am I evil," the old man said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "So, tell me. What made you insist with the man that you must come down here, knowing that you most likely would never get to go back?" Elijah took a deep breath and began telling his story.