Ghosts

Chapter 11

The next morning

"Did you know this lady Vittoria before the Collapse, dad?"

Mai could see her dad's face scrunch up at the mere mention of the woman's name, "I did."

She spent the early morning hours with her father prior to her planned journey getting as much information as she could about this Vittoria person.

It took about twenty minutes of poking and prodding before her father gave up more details about this ex-Eden's Gate member. She had joined the Cult not long after it had formed at the tender age of nineteen. She came from a family of Italian immigrants, hoping to get her shot at stardom by singing in seedy bars. Mai's father referred to her as a groupie that worked her way up the ranks quickly, eventually earning the title of High Priestess. She was known for her on-and-off relationship with his brother John. Apparently, there were rumors she was sleeping with Joseph as well, but they were left unfounded.

According to her father, there was bad blood between Vittoria and the Cult's newest Faith at the time, whatever that meant, so she just up and left one day with another member whose name escaped him.

"She's a real piece of work, so be warned and be careful."

"I always am."

She kissed the top of her father's head, inhaling his scent. Every moment she left his side, she was afraid it would be their last. But he could not go, not yet. Not until they found mom.

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A few hours later

The ride to the infamous Boshaw and Drubman residence did not take long, but the awkward silence between herself and Thomas was unbearable. She sat in the passenger seat, head rested against the window as the song on the radio filled the empty spaces of the car.

"~She's a lady, Oh, whoa, whoa, she's a lady. Talkin' about that little lady, And the lady is mine.~

The rhythm of the music made her long for the music player her parents had gifted her for her fifteenth birthday. The fact that they had gone through so much trouble to acquire it made her feel guilty that now it was lost amongst the burnt remains of their home, nothing more than dust now.

"I'm sorry about last night." Thomas' voice carried over the music.

The former Captain turned to her companion. His eyes were dead set on the road, but briefly, he glanced up at the rearview mirror, catching her eye.

"I don't want you to think that I doubt your abilities, or that I would ever use my position over you to make you do something you didn't want to do."

Mai kept her head facing forward like she was looking out the front window but her eyes were directed downward, watching as she absentmindedly picked at her nails as a way to keep herself occupied in a situation where she had no idea what to do or say.

"The only family I had left, I left behind in California to pursue this idea of rebuilding this country. I made a new family along the way, but lost them because of my own overzealous ambition."

She could feel the turn of his head. Instinctively she turned her head at the same moment. What she saw was vulnerability, the eyes of someone who had a dream but was not realizing that perhaps it was fruitless. Most of all though, the eyes of someone who look like the had just let the person they loved down.

"You're the closest thing I have to a family at this point, Mai. I don't want you getting hurt because of my mistakes."

He paused as he reached into the back, rummaging through his bag while still keeping his eyes on the road. He cursed like something had pricked him before returning to sit normally in his seat. In his hand was the knife he had given her. Mai had nearly erased it from her mind but was relieved he had retrieved it following their fight.