Dungeon

CHAPTER 7 - THE PAST RESURFACES

Crimson lights blared within the department, their sirens wailing throughout the building. On the other side of the hallway, Arnold straightened up, fixing his suit, keenly preparing for the council meeting, when the alarm took him by surprise. What the hell?! Right on cue, the telephone in his room erupted into a deafening shrill, making him momentarily believe the entire building was under siege.

"What's happening, Jessica? Why is the place going haywire?" His heart raced, pounding so fiercely he feared a heart attack was imminent. "Sir, it's a dire situation... Ethan has been brutally assaulted and is in critical condition. He's en route to the hospital. We require your authorization to proceed."

For an instant, it felt as though someone had declared the impending apocalypse. "BEATEN UP?! ETHAN?? ARE YOU INSANE, YOUNG LADY? A MAN HAS BEEN BEATEN UP, AND YOU ASK FOR CONSENT???" The telephone line went into a silent monotone, and Arnold sat heavily up on his chair. The room was brightly lit, with a heavy scent of cigars diffusing throughout the area. Which bastard would beat up my man inside my building?! If I ever get my hands on that son of a...

"May I come in?" Cutting across his thoughts, a deep, cold voice echoed behind the door. He didn't need a second thought to guess who that was, as who would be so daring enough to address him without a 'sir' at the end? "Yes, you may, and listen, young lad; I would prefer to be called sir." Arnold waved at Bryan and motioned for him to sit on the chair across from him. Rolling his eyes, he took his place and stared intently at his soon-to-be mentor.

Something about his gaze sent a signal of fright to Arnold. His gaze went through a quick scan of the boy's new makeover but stopped short at his hand. "What happened to your hand? It's bruised." Bryan lingered his gaze towards his own hand and smirked as if the pain resonating in his hand was nothing at all. I guess you have no parents at all. The very sentence resonated around his head, sending heat waves all around his body. He wanted to kill that bastard right then and there, but he knew that the purpose at hand was more important than some low life.

"Ahem, I believe I asked you a question." The old yet booming voice shook off the torment inside his head, and his mind slowly brought him back to the present. "Oh well, I just had a small fight with a cat who nudged me so badly. Low tolerance, you see." He knew very well that the old man behind him was about to collapse. Arnold's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Did this boy really beat Ethan?! Bryan was expecting to see a resignation letter thrown at him, but to his surprise, the man before him beamed a huge smile, as if he just heard that his daughter was about to get married. Is he for real?!

"I must say your bravery is skilled indeed; not many beat up that guy, you know". Grinning, he took out a familiar-looking clipboard and turned back to serious mode. "Your profile's done, you've got a new makeover, and yes, you look handsome, and now what else do we have here? Nothing? Perfect, you are all set to be present before the council."

I wasn't sure if I should be surprised by the fact that he just wiped out the whole Ethan thing or if I should be scared for my so-called interview. "Uhm, could you just elaborate? As you see, I wasn't born to a corporate dad and mom and haven't been to many interviews, you see." The ironic twist to the boy's words made the old man laugh, and that irritation laced around Bryan's face. "You know what? I'm done! Why don't you attend the interview on my behalf?" Rolling his sleeves up, he prepared to leave when Arnold threw a photo across the table. "Why don't you take a look at it before you go?"

Bryan gave it a second thought and took up the photo. If this is some lousy offer to keep me back, I swear... His voice seemed to find it hard to escape as his face turned butter white. "Th-There's no way th-that's..."

"It would be Adams Hathway, Head of Criminal Investigation, and his wife, Lily Adams, who left her inherited property to be with a man whom she fell head over heels for, and more precisely, your parents."

The voice blurred around his head. The void dreams kept coming back. The suitcase, the man with the maniacal grin, and most of all, the images of the lady and her husband became crystal clear. It was the exact people in the image! Slowly, he saw her husband, his father, raising the gun barrel... "NO!!!"

"Bryan? Snap out of it, lad." The harrowing images dissipated, but he felt as if the very ground had absorbed his energy. Tears streamed down his cheeks. For the first time, guilt gnawed at him. My dad died because of me! I'm the one who caused his death! He couldn't help but break out. His feet were too weak to hold him any longer, so he slumped on the ground. He felt a heavy hand pick him up and gently place him on the chair.

"Hey kid, look at me. Your father was a brave officer, a brave friend, and most of all, a loving father. I know this is too much information to go on your little head, but I had to show it to keep you here. You are a brave young man. The moment I saw you, I knew that your father's blood still runs through your veins." He offered a small smile and pushed the box of tissues to the lad before him.

Picking up the tissue, he wiped his wet, salty face and pocketed the photograph. "Why did he murder my parents?! WHO IS HE AND WHAT DOES HE WANT?!" His eyes were blooded with rage, and his nostrils flared with anger, spite, and distaste toward that one person who took his entire childhood from him. Every inch of his body wanted to shred that man to pieces, in such a way that his own mother might not be able to identify him.

"Alas, I do not know. The department has been on a huge heist since your dad's death to find the killer. Thousands of detectives took his place but couldn't find even a single lead to the case. That's when I decided to bring you up. You are the only one who can solve the problem and avenge your father's death. And to do so, you have to gear up for now and prepare yourselves for the council. Good luck, champ!"

For the first time, Bryan felt a certain sense of respect and admiration to the man before him. He beamed back a smile which even took Arnold by surprise. Nodding obediently, he lowered down his sleeves and tidied himself and turned about to leave the room when Arnold's voice called around. "I think you should keep this. When clearing up your dad's belonging from his work space, I found it and thought you might need this."

Bryan looked up at the photograph and gave a huge, joyous smile. Never has he ever been in possession of a valuable item, but now he has two to be proud of.

I WILL AVENGE YOU DAD, I PROMISE!