Heaven

Chapter 9 - A vacation at the beach

Benjamin walked up to the apartment door ringing the bell.

After a moment of wait, a woman opened it slightly, peering at him with suspicion.

"Quién eres?" she asked.

"I'm looking for someone—Abhinav Patel," Benjamin said.

The woman frowned. "I No conozco a nadie con ese nombre.." She shut the door abruptly. From inside, the muffled cries of a baby could be heard.

Benjamin sighed and turned back toward the elevator, disappointment settling in.

As he stood in the elevator, descending, it stopped at the seventh floor. A man in a hooded jacket stepped in.

"Mr. Benjamin, right?" the man said, his voice low. "I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while."

Benjamin tensed. "Abhinav Patel?"

"Did anyone follow you?"

"I don’t think so," Benjamin replied, glancing back at the elevator doors.

"Don’t look at me. Just listen. Meet me at the ninth floor—apartment 302," the man muttered quickly.

Then, without another word, he stepped out when the elevator reached the basement, disappearing into the shadows.

Benjamin hesitated, then pressed the button for the ninth floor.

When he arrived, he waited. Minutes passed before the hooded man finally emerged from the stairwell, looking around anxiously before approaching.

"Sorry, had to make sure you weren’t followed," the man said in a hushed tone. His eyes darted around the hallway, checking every corner. "You gave the wrong address," Benjamin noted.

"Yes," Abhinav said, unlocking the door. "You can’t be too careful these days."

Inside, the apartment was a chaotic mess—papers stacked haphazardly, half-unpacked bags on the floor, takeout containers piled in the corner. A TV in the hallway displayed live surveillance footage of the entire building, feeds from multiple security cameras flickering across the screen.

Benjamin took it all in. "You’ve been hiding for a long time."

Abhinav locked the door, double-checking it twice before turning to him. His hands twitched slightly, and his eyes kept shifting toward the TV.

"You have no idea," he muttered.

"I've been on the run my whole life, Mr. Benjamin. You know what that does to a person?"

Benjamin’s gaze hardened. "What happened in Neuragen?"

"They caught me," Abhinav muttered. "I managed to escape... but not without sacrifice." He raised his hands.

Benjamin’s eyes locked onto Abhinav’s right wrist — plastic and lifeless from there down.

"How’s Mr. Vijay?" Abhinav asked, his voice softer.

"He looked for you," Benjamin said.

"I know... but I couldn’t risk it. I'd already lost too much trying to keep them safe."

"What made you come back now, after all these years?"

Abhinav's arm twitched, muscles tightening involuntarily. Whatever memory had surfaced, he wanted no part of it.

"I’d rather not talk about that, Mr. Benjamin."

Benjamin leaned in. "We can end Neuragen for good, Abhinav, if you help me here."

Abhinav walked to his fridge, grabbed a beer, and popped the cap off with a tired flick of his wrist.

"You know..." He took a long swig. "...that’s exactly what Rachael Avery told me — right before she died."