Chapter nineteen

Chapter nineteen


Ethan

Kane got to my apartment not long after our call, looking moody as hell. I've always known Kane to be cold and unfeeling, like literally everyone else in my life.

I didn't have a problem with his personality as long as he did job well. But today, his cold attitude seem to have doubled. I had a feeling it was because of where we were headed.

“Darkwood is outside the city. A little government-neglected area. Bad things happen there.” He'd said almost an hour ago when we started our journey.

I probably should have packed more tightly before setting out, maybe a few more guns incase things go south. Not like I was going to shoot my father, I just didn't like wandering into a place unarmed.

At least, Kane remembered to take two guns. He knew the dangers of where we were headed more than I did. I didn't want to know how. I've learned that with people like Kane, it's better to be left in the dark.

I stared out the window, my mimd wandering to the last time I saw my father. Everyone wondered why I left the country to pursue my Master's degree. I graduated from an Ivy league only to move across the world to a public university for postgraduate.

It had been to find my father. I had found him. Untill I couldn't remember much about him. Six years later, the love of my life appears, the headache started, and I found out I had been given ‘memory blocking’ drugs that was only sold on the black market.

According to the doctors, the drugs was only used with the intent of blocking one memory. But somehow, it had fuck with other neural pathways, causing the constant headaches, frequent blackout, and now, nose bleeds.

Fucking hilarious.

I'd spent the first twenty four years of my life without a father. And when I found him, he left me with severe brain damage. Some father figure he was.

I wanted to know what he was so scared of people finding out that he had to literally fuck with my head to hide.

“How long until we get there?” I asked, getting impatient. It's been almost two hours since we left.

“About ten or fifteen minutes.” he responded, his voice strained.

We didn't speak again after that, the both of us obviously lost to our own demons.
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Fifteen minutes later, Kane parked the car in an abandoned alley. I arched an eyebrow in silent question.

“Trust me, you don't want to park this fancy car near Darkwood. We'll make the rest of the journey on foot.” he said.

Kane handed me a black mask and a gun. I wore the mask without question, and hid the gun in my pocket.

Kane drew his hoodie cap over his head. The only part of his face visible were his eyes. It was unsettling to see Kane so paranoid about something. It made me start thinking this was a bad idea. But what could be worse than dying without making the person responsible pay.

Okay, another thing I should have thought about before I hoped into the car, was how we were going to see him. It's not like we could scream his name and hope he would magically appear before us.

As if reading my mind, Kane said, “I’ve contacted a friend of mine. He's going to help us find out if Leonard is really here, or if he was leading us towards another dead end.”

I nodded, muttering my thanks. Hearing his name only intensified the anger in me. Kane marched into the alley, his hands inside his pocket. I followed him.

The hair on my body prickled as we walked further into the alley. The place reeked of death and decay. I understood why Kane didn't want to come here. It seems to suck the life out of everything in it. Dead plants. Piled trash. It was literal hell on earth.

If I hadn't come here myself, I would have never believed a place like this existed.

Unlike me, Kane didn't linger. He kept moving, obviously familiar with the way. He didn't make eye contact with anyone. My eyes lingered on the skinny, malnourished children strolling around the streets. I felt the need to stop and give them some money, or at least take them for a nice meal.

“If you pull out a single dollar, you aren't leaving this place in one piece.” Kane warned and nudged me forward.

“Don't pity them. Everyone here knew what they signed up for.” For the first time since we stepped into this cursed place, Kane lifted his head and dragged his gaze around. I didn't miss the flash of pain in his eyes but it quickly vanished. I knew then that he didn't just know this place, he'd had some unpleasant experience in this place. I didn't ask, and I could tell he appreciated it.

We walked for a few more minutes before Kane stopped in front of a nearly collapsing house. The door creaked loudly as Kane pushed it open. The inside was dim, the only source of light was the sunlight cascading through the several cracks in the wall.

“Billy.” Kane yelled.

Red laser lights appeared in the room before they went out.

“Come in.” a voice said from inside.

The floors creaked loudly as we stepped in. Kane moved towards a curtain in the only side of the house that was still in good condition. He drew the curtains.

My nostrils flared and I immediately pulled out my gun, trigger cocked. I pointed at the man, sitting legs crossed and a bored expression on his face.

“Woah! Woah!! Woah!!! Calm down, Ninja.” the other man, who I assumed was Billy said.

“Mr Hart, calm down. We should talk about this amicably.” Kane said.

I didn't look at either of them, I kept my gaze trained on my father who, thank God, had the decency to look frightened.

“Alright,” I lowered the gun. “Let's talk.”

Billy exhaled, his hand on his chest.
“Jesua Christ, does he always threathen people with gun?”

None of us paid any attention to him.

“We'll wait outside.” Kane said. He gestured to his friend who seem to hesitate for only a few seconds before nodding.

When they left the room, I leaned on the desk, the gun still in my hand and said, “If you think I'm not going to pull this trigger and blow your fucking brains out, then you have no idea what I'm capable of.”

Leonard sighed, his posture relaxing slightly. “I know very well what you're capable of. I'm your father after all.”

“Start fucking talking.” I growled.

He shifted clearly uncomfortable, but I didn't care.

“Where do you want me to start?”

“Maybe from where you literally fucked with my brain for eight years, or why you disappeared from the face of the earth for almost two years, and why you're back in New York. Why you're hiding out here. I want to know everything.”

His face turned solemn.
“I had nothing to do with your memories, Ethan.”

“Bullshit.” I scoffed. “I remembered everything that happened in Russia clearly. Everything except what happened the day I came to meet you. The last day of my degree. You conveniently disappeared after that. What were you hiding?”

“I had nothing to do with it.” he said, evading the question.

I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees.

“You might not know the side effect of the drugs you gave me, but it didn't just block one memory. It blocked other pathways in my brain, and apparently, if I don't unlock those things by myself, my brain will fight itself to literal death.” I let out a humorless laugh.

“I know.” he said.

I scoffed. Of course, he did. He'd somehow managed to keep to the shadows all this time.

“Then you know I'm desperate for a cure. I'm going to get it by any means.”

“It doesn't matter if you believe me. I came to New York because I found out about it. I wanted to see if I could help.” he said.

I laughed, the sound haunting and dry.
“You came to help or to watch me die. I don't know why it took me so long to realize you only ever cared about yourself. I can't believe I wasted years searching for you, wishing for that father son relationship I never had growing up.” I scoffed.

“You call stalking my mother and dropping random hints helping? Are you bothered that she's living her best life without you?” I mused.

His jaws ticked. It was obvious that he was holding himself back from commenting.

“I wasn't stalking Suzy. I just wanted you to stop searching for me. That's why I directed you here. I figured your employee would ask his little friend for help. Everyone knows everyone here.”

I didn't sense any lie in his words, but I've learned a long time ago to not trust a word from his mouth. He was a liar, a cheat, and a fraud.

“Why are you in Darkwood? What are you running from?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“It's safe here.” was all he said.

I wondered what kind of trouble he was in to call this place safe.

I picked up the gun and stood. I tried to hide the disappointment on my face.

“I don't care what you're doing or why you're hiding. You're coming with me to fix whatever you did to me, Leonard.” I said.

“Son, I can't–”

“Let's me make one thing very clear.” I seethed. “The only reason you're still breathing is so you can reverse whatever shit you gave me. I don't care about you or your goals. And I'm not your son, you lost the right to call me that the day you decided to walk away from your family.”

The truth settled between us. Leonard stared at me, emotions flickering in his eyes. But I didn't care. I meant what I said.

If I was going down, I would be damned if I didn't drag my father down with me.