Chapter 54: The Visit
The medical room lights glared bright, reflecting off the rows of medicine bottles on the metal table. Xavier pressed an alcohol pad to Agatha's side. A red stain was already seeping through the white bandage he had put on just ten minutes ago. Xavier's face was tight. He hadn't said a word since they left the docks.
"Press harder if you really want to punish me, Xavier," Agatha said. She sat on the edge of the bed with her black t-shirt pulled up just below her chest.
"I'm not punishing you. I'm trying to make sure you don't bleed out just because you're stubborn," Xavier replied. He tossed the dirty cotton into the trash and grabbed a fresh bandage.
"You saw his moves. The guy wasn't an amateur," Agatha said. Her eyes stared straight at the wall, trying to replay the memory of the masked figure blocking her attacks.
Xavier stopped moving. He looked closely at Agatha. "He knew how to take you down without doing permanent damage. Who is he?"
"I don't know yet. But he used a grappling technique that's only taught in one place," Agatha answered.
The sliding door opened automatically. The heavy, measured sound of dress shoes echoed on the tile floor. Xavier immediately stood up and turned around. Cardios stood there. The old man wore a perfectly tailored black suit. His white hair was slicked back without a single strand out of place.
Xavier shifted his stance a bit, trying to shield Agatha's half exposed torso from Cardios's view. "What are you doing here? This is a private area."
Cardios didn't answer Xavier. His eyes locked straight onto the bandage on Agatha's waist. His jaw clenched for a split second. He walked closer, completely ignoring Xavier's hostile glare.
"You let yourself get hurt by a little rat like Vargo?" Cardios asked. His voice was heavy and commanding, echoing in the quiet room.
Agatha slowly pulled her shirt down. She looked at Cardios with the same flat expression she had given Xavier at the docks. "He just got lucky."
"Luck is an excuse for the unprepared," Cardios shot back. He stopped right in front of Agatha. He didn't touch her, but his eyes scanned her from head to toe, making sure there were no other hidden injuries.
Xavier stepped forward, placing himself between them. "Cardios, if you only came here to lecture my wife, you can leave right now."
Cardios shifted his gaze to Xavier. His eyes were sharp, as if pricing the life of the man standing in front of him. "Your wife? You can't even keep your own prisoner secured inside your own house, Xavier. Don't talk to me about protecting a wife."
Xavier clenched his fists at his sides. "It was a planned infiltration. A third party was involved."
"I know. A speedboat with a modified engine. I heard the report before I even got here," Cardios said. He looked back at Agatha. "You chased him all the way to the docks in this condition?"
"I made the call to go," Agatha cut in before Xavier could speak. "Don't blame Xavier."
Cardios gave a soft snort. He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small silver box. He placed it on the medical table next to Agatha. "Use that. It'll close your wound faster than your private doctor's rough stitch work."
Agatha glanced at the box but didn't touch it. "Thank you."
"I don't need your thanks. I just don't want to see you looking pathetic over a knife scratch," Cardios said. He stared at the bandage that was still seeping a little blood.
Xavier frowned. Something felt off. Cardios's concern felt very real, even wrapped in such harsh words. "Why do you care so much, Cardios? You never even really bothered to know us."
Cardios adjusted his tie. He didn't look at Xavier when he answered. "Agatha is a valuable asset. If she gets damaged, a lot of people lose out."
"I'm not an asset," Agatha replied coldly.
"In my eyes, everyone is either a promising asset or a liability, Agatha," Cardios fired back. He turned around, getting ready to leave. "Xavier, if you don't find Vargo in twenty four hours, I'm taking over the search myself."
"You have no jurisdiction here, Cardios," Xavier stated firmly.
Cardios stopped in the doorway. He looked over his shoulder, giving a stare that made the room drop a few degrees. "Jurisdiction is something I take, not something I ask for. Take proper care of her, or I'll take her back to where she belongs."
The door slid shut behind Cardios. Xavier let out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding. He looked at Agatha, completely baffled.
"Why is he always like that?" Xavier asked.
"Maybe he just hates seeing things he considers his property in a less than perfect condition," Agatha answered. She grabbed the silver box Cardios left behind and opened it. Inside was a clear ointment with a strong herbal smell.
Xavier sat back down in his chair. "The way he looked at you just now, it was like he was inspecting a weapon that just got scratched."
"Don't overthink it, Xavier," Agatha said. She started applying the ointment to her wound. A cooling sensation spread immediately, killing the stinging pain from before.
"It's like he knows exactly who you are, but he's making a point not to say it in front of me," Xavier muttered.
Agatha stopped rubbing the ointment. "Not necessarily. We're having a hard time digging up my real identity, so there's no guarantee he knows it either."
Xavier caught Agatha's hand, stopping her movements. "What did he mean about taking you back? Do you have another home I don't know about?"
Agatha looked into Xavier's eyes. She saw the fear in them, a very human fear of loss. She slowly pulled her hand back. "Xavier, focus on Vargo. Cardios is just trying to get in your head."
"Well, it's working," Xavier replied shortly. He stood up and walked to the window, staring out at the dark mansion grounds. "I feel like I'm surrounded by people who know me, but I don't know them at all. You, Cardios, even Frans."
"Frans isn't hiding anything from you," Agatha said.
"But you're hiding a lot," Xavier shot back without turning around. "You turned into a completely different person today. Cold, untouchable, lethal. I'm honestly starting to wonder if the woman who was crying in my arms this morning even exists."
Agatha stood up. She walked over to Xavier, even though her steps were still a little stiff. She stood next to her husband, joining him in looking out at the darkness. "She exists, Xavier. But she can't survive in this world if she keeps showing her face."
Xavier turned his head. He brushed the back of his knuckles against Agatha's cheek. "Cardios was seriously worried about you. I saw how he clenched his fists when he looked at your bandage. He's not as cold as he sounds."
"He's just afraid of losing his asset, you heard him," Agatha said flatly.
"No. He looked like a guy terrified of losing his granddaughter," Xavier corrected. He let out a sigh. "What are you going to do now? There's no way you're sleeping after all this."
Agatha looked over at the table where Frans had left her gun. "I'm checking the comms log in the basement. I want to know who contacted Vargo right before the explosion."
"You need rest, Agatha. That ointment from Cardios isn't magic. It's not going to heal you in a minute," Xavier warned.
"I'll be fine. Come down there with me if you don't want me going alone," Agatha challenged.
Xavier stared at his wife for a long moment, then finally nodded in defeat. "Fine. But the second you start looking pale, I'm carrying you right back here, and I don't care if you try to hit me."
Agatha gave a faint smile. "Fair deal."
They walked out of the room and headed for the elevator down to the basement. Silence fell over them inside the elevator car. Xavier felt like a massive wall had just been built between them, built out of Agatha's dark past and Cardios's threatening presence.
"Xavier," Agatha called out as the elevator doors opened.
"Yeah?"
"Never fully trust Cardios. Even if he looks like he's trying to help you," Agatha whispered, before stepping out toward the control room.
Xavier just stayed silent, following his wife from behind. He realized one thing. In this world, love might exist, but safety only came from endless paranoia.