For the Sake of Breathing

Chapter Eighteen

Aven

I see him in the crowd through the window on the train. Lake looks older, like he has aged more since I last saw him. He still stands tall and confident, but there are dark shadows beneath his eyes, and his expression seems guarded. I stand up, a little miffed still at his actions from before. We all unload, and I sift through the people until we come face to face.
Lake strides up to me, keeping a few feet away from me. "Aven," he greets softly. He quietly studies me, and his eyes analyze everything they see. "How have you been?"
"It's been six months, Lake, not forty years," I grunt, arching an eyebrow at him. "So you're some big deal now, huh?" I add with a bit of a laugh.
Lake smiles, and nods. "I guess you could say that. Come on." He turns around, and leads me through the mass of people until we arrive in front of a limousine. He pauses, and notices my expression. "What?" the amusement is clear in his voice.
"Well aren't you a rich little man?" is all I manage to say before I burst out laughing.
Lake rolls his eyes, and plops down in the back seat. He glances back at me. "Are you getting in?"
"I'm worried that if I touch it, it will explode."
"Why?"
"Things have a tendency to come blowing back up in my face," I admit, grinning slyly.
"Just get in."
"Hmph, you think you know a guy. Then he gets a limo, and suddenly he turns all bossy on you," I mock as I sit down next to him and shut the door. "Alright, down to seriousness. How's Emica?"
"Don't you know?"
"They're not letting me see her," I mutter, glaring at the leather in front of me.
The limousine smells clean and yet old.
"I can understand why. It's making me sick, just thinking about it."
I force myself to nod in understanding, but, really, all his reaction does is make my imminent concern spike up. "Is she alright?"
"She's safe, if that's what you're asking."
"So why can you see her, but I can't? That seems a little, I don't know, idiotic?" I grumble, digging my fingers into the seat.
"Because I'm the chief," he replies.
"I've noticed."
Lake gives me a sharp, warning, look. "They're still running tests. Apparently other than her abnormal extreme body heat, Emica is perfectly fine," he explains in a low voice.
I nod.
"So what happened, exactly, to her family?"
"My brother killed all of them," I say slowly, the muscles throughout my entire body tensing.
"Wait, so you were there?" Lake presses.
"Yes. I'm the one who lead her away from it all. I knew that if I reported it to the police, they would most likely just arrest me."
Silence drifts between the both of us.
Finally, Lake murmurs, "Why'd you leave, Aven? You left when I needed you."
I shrug. "I couldn't stay, not with Ivan around. But he's here, now, so I suppose that was a stupid decision."
"We're all here now." He pauses, and glances at me from the corner of his eye. "She seems healthy. Emica, I mean. She looks quite a bit like her sister."
"Have you seen Kaylo?" I ask.
Lake tenses, and shakes his head. "No."
"I've been hoping that she and Emica could meet," I inform him.
Lake meets my gaze. "So your job will be done?"
I pause, and then shake my head. "No. I don't think I'll leave Emica when they meet," I admit quietly. Lake lifts a curious eyebrow. "I've been with her too long to leave her. I'm not the time of person who would abandon someone."
"You do realize you're putting them in danger, right?" Lake responds softly.
"I've already put them in danger," I remind him. "And also: I think Emica is safe. Ivan..." I trail off, peering over at Lake. His gray eyes are staring back at me imploringly, urging me to continue. "Warned her, before he made that explosion in the north-eastern sector. He told her to run."
"That was Ivan?!"
I nod.
"So do you think he was protecting her?"
I glare down into my lap. "I know he was."
"And why is that?"
"I'm not sure. But Ivan has always had questionable motives," I mutter, frowning at a group of children gathered outside of a store.
The limousine pulls to a stop in front of a large marble building that informs me that it is the main police station. "Sorry, I need to talk to the sheriff about the case. Can you come in, you're kind of involved with the case now."
I nod mutely, and follow him inside. The sun is high in the sky.
The air is thick, and guards stand by the glass doors. They incline their heads in Lake's direction.
Lake nods to them in return, and they open the doors for him. He struts up with that air of confidence that's always irritated me.
I trail in after him in silence.
Someone immediately rushes up to Lake: "Sir, we have imperative news!"
They whisper quickly to him, and then scurry away when he nods. Lake faces me, expression startled but intrigued.
"What is it?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at him.
"It's Emica. She's awake."
"Well, then I'd better --"
"That's not all, Aven."
I pause, glancing back at him.
"Her blood tests came back."
The look in his eyes makes my excitement die. "And?" I dare to breath.
"They've noticed something very. Very. Peculiar in her DNA. So."
"Soo...?" I urge, wanting to know if she's okay or not.
"So they're taking her to a laboratory."
I suddenly have a difficult time swallowing. "What?"
Lake repeats himself.
I begin pacing. "Where?"
"They're not giving me a location."
"Why? You're the chief, you should be able to know these things!" I notice a faint snap creeping into my voice.
"They're moving her outside of the country. I have no control over the situation."
I whirl around, and stalk off.
"Where are you going?!" Lake yells after me.
"I told you. I'm not the type of person who would just abandon people." With that much said, I march out of the building, leaving Lake Simon, the chief over the wealthiest nation in the world, staring listlessly after me.