The Final Capture (Vanasagheray Trilogy Part II)

Chapter Four: The Agent-gone-Rogue

Sitting on the couch that evening, absentmindedly flipping through the channels, Jean's mind was lingering on the usual struggles of a teenage life—school, friendships, and the occasional flare of rebellion against his parents. He was tired from a long day but decided to zone out in front of the television, letting the flickering images wash over him without paying much attention.

But then, something caught his eye. The news anchor's grave tone pulled him out of his daze. His eyes focused on the screen, and the bold letters on the ticker at the bottom froze his blood.

"Breaking News: Elias Thomas, high-ranking government official, arrested on charges of treason."

For a moment, Jean couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. His father's name. Arrested. Treason. The words seemed to blur together, unreal and impossible. His mind immediately rejected it. No, this couldn't be right. They must have made a mistake.

His heart began to pound in his chest, hard and irregular, as though his body was reacting to something his mind refused to accept. He leaned forward, gripping the edges of the couch as if holding on to something tangible would ground him in this moment of disbelief. The TV droned on, showing footage of government buildings and police cars, flashing lights reflecting off polished marble.

He frantically grabbed his phone and called his mother. She would know. She would have answers. She always had answers. His hands shook as he dialed her number, pressing the phone tightly against his ear, his breath shallow. Each ring felt like an eternity.

But no answer. It went to voicemail.

"Mom, it's me. Please, call me back. I just saw the news. What's going on? Is it true?"

Jean hung up and immediately called again, his heart thudding louder in his ears. Come on, pick up. Please, just pick up.

This time too it went straight to voicemail.

He hung up, swallowing hard, his heart pounding as he tried again. No answer. His breath quickened, panic creeping into his chest. Why wasn't she picking up?

He dialed again. And again. Still nothing.

"Come on, Mom, pick up... please..." Jean whispered, desperation clinging to his voice.

His thoughts spiraled as he stared at the phone, willing it to ring. His stomach churned with the sickening thought that something was wrong—terribly wrong. Maybe she was busy trying to fix things, maybe she couldn't talk right now. But why hadn't she at least sent him a message? Was she in danger too?

His anxiety escalated, his mind conjuring up worst-case scenarios faster than he could control. He could feel the weight of helplessness crushing down on him, his heart pounding harder with every second that passed.

Then, as if to answer the questions he couldn't stop asking, the television screen changed. The news anchor's voice, cold and steady, announced breaking news. Jean's breath caught in his throat as the camera cut to live footage, and what he saw made the world tilt beneath him.

There, on the screen, were his parents. His father, Elias Thomas, standing tall in handcuffs, his face impassive but worn, eyes dark with something Jean couldn't quite recognize—anger, fear, or maybe something deeper, something resigned. But it wasn't just his father.

His mother was there too. Jean's heart dropped into his stomach. She was in handcuffs as well, being dragged toward a dark, armored vehicle. Her face was strained, but she held her head high, her composure barely intact as the agents shoved her forward.

"No... no, no, no..." Jean muttered, stumbling backward, his legs weak beneath him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. His mother, his rock, was arrested too? How was this even possible? Why? Why were they both being treated like criminals?