Chapter 44: She will Come

Hank opened his eyes. His attention was fully on them. It seemed like it was news to him as well. The mention of the girl in black caught their interest.

“Do you know her?” Chad asked. Cecilia shook her head. “I don’t think so..”

“What does she look like?” Hank threw out a question of his own. His interest was something they didn’t anticipate.

“I.. I don’t know. It was dark and she wore black all over. I couldn’t see clearly. I.. I don’t think I looked at her for more than two seconds,” Cecilia was quick to explain herself. She was petrified that Chad wouldn’t be satisfied with her explanation and put her into the fire instead.

Chad looked over at Hank. He seemed to be deep in thought. “Then, the explosion happened?” Chad continued drilling for more information. Cecilia nodded. “Y.. Yes..” she stuttered. “Do you think that she has anything to do with the explosion?” Chad asked. Cecilia thought for a second. She had calmed down a little.

“I’m.. I’m.. not sure but she saved my life,” she said in a small voice. “How so?”

“When we crossed paths, she told me to run,” she explained, “her words stopped me from going in. I was unsure of what to do. If I were to walk in immediately, I would’ve..” She felt a shiver run down her spine at the thought.

There was a moment of silence as the new information and the weight of the situation sunk in.

“Think carefully. Have you seen her before?” Chad looked her dead in the eyes as he queried. She could only shake her head. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Any details about her that you can remember?” She was about to shake her head when she caught the look in his eyes. It made her swallow hard. “Think carefully before you answer,” Chad warned. “S..S.. She’s a little shorter than me.. M..Maybe around 5 feet 4.. or.. or maybe 5 feet 3..,” she started shivering, trying hard to continue talking.

“Take her back,” Chad ordered the men. Cecilia let out a breath of relief. Going back to the shed would be a hundred times better than being in the dungeon, facing life-threatening intimidation. They brought her out of the dungeon, leaving only Chad, alone with Hank.

“Who would that be?” Chad asked, the question was directed to both Hank and himself. There was a pause before Hank said, “probably someone after my life.” He folded his arms in front of him while closing his eyes, looking like he didn’t have a care in this world. Chad scrutinized the man.

“The weak fall victim to those who are evil. Once the weak unite and become stronger, there will be no place for evil in this world. In the end, evil beings will realize that they are the weakest,” Chad said.

His words made Hank smile. He opened his eyes, still maintaining his position. “Do you believe in karma, young folk?” Chad’s brows furrowed in confusion. The question really came out of nowhere. “There’s always a cause for everything. The reason everything happens is because of something that was done in the previous settings. There’s no exception to it. Everyone is bound to taste the fruit of what they sow,” Hank said. That was the most he’s ever said ever since they brought him in. Even after being tortured, he said nothing.

“You reap what you sow,” Chad looked him dead in the eyes while saying the words. Hank chuckled. “Yes, that I am,” he accepted willingly. With that, he ended the conversation and went back to resting with his eyes closed.

“Aren’t you afraid?” Chad asked. “Will that stop people from coming after me?” Hank replied with a question. His answer made so much sense. Even if he’s petrified, it won’t save him from the danger of being killed.

“You’re still young. Not everything is as simple as you see,” Hank said suddenly. “What do you mean?” The reply came in a defensive tone. That made Hank chuckle. “What do you think is the worst punishment?”

Chad gave it a thought. “Stop talking in riddles, old man. What are you implying?” He replied instead. “Do you hate me that much?” Hank asked suddenly. Chad started to feel a headache building up. “Of course I do. What do you think..”

“Then you should modify your torture routine. There might not be enough time left,” he said. He was asking for more torture, which didn’t make any sense. Was he implying that he would escape soon? Chad stood on alert. Or was he thinking of..

“Don’t underestimate the power of hate. Whoever that was, she will come for me,” Hank said, “she will come.” The last sentence sounded like he was assuring himself.

The exchange with Hank was in his mind for the rest of the day. He’d asked the men to keep an eye on the old snake. He was still unsure of what his words meant. Did he intend to end his own life? Or he had already arranged everything beforehand, for him to look so calm? He said the girl would come for him. Was she someone arranged to get him out?

“Chad,” the voice behind him pulled him back to reality. He was thinking too hard while staring out the window to realize that someone was calling from the door. He turned to see Zalen at the door.

“Have you found anything regarding the mystery girl?” His question was met with a simple shake of head. He sighed. First, it was Gus. Now, a girl appeared out of nowhere, adding to the mess. Who could that be?

“None of the cameras caught anything that could possibly point to her. It was so convenient, there might be two explanations behind it,” Zalen reported, “she might be really good, or there’s someone behind her who helped alter the footage. Otherwise, we should consider the probability of false information.”

Chad nodded. “You mean, Cecilia might be making things up about this girl?”