In the Aftermath

Chapter Three

Chapter Three: In the Aftermath

Because of his father being in the military, Ethan had never even thought about being involved in anything that was even remotely illegal. Smoking never appealed to him because he thought it was a waste of time, money, and destroys one's heath. So what did he do to acquire the interest of these men?

He did not want to know.

A single oof escaped from Ethan's lips as he hit one of the men in black like a wall, trying to escape through the doorway they had just entered. The other two men became animated as soon as Ethan touched the man who spoke. Without much difficulty, the three were able to subdue Ethan and replaced him back on his seat.

"We can't leave without your mother," the man spoke again, adjusting his suit and his glasses after being messed up with Ethan's sudden hostility. "Do you know where she is?"

Ethan felt defeated, looking anywhere else but the speaker's face, and answered the man's question with reluctance. The man motioned for his friends with a nod from his head and the other two went out through the door, Ethan thought, to find his mother.

"We are not here to harm you, Mr. Blunt," the man said with a voice that was eerily calm. "In a few moments, we will inform you of our objective and we shall be on our way."

Then a dead silence enveloped the room.

Tick-tock...tick-tock

The only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the grandfather clock inside the office. Ethan remembered how he adored the gigantic clock when he was younger and then smiled, realizing how much he despised it now. Where the hell is his mother?

Tick-tock... Boom!

An explosion penetrated the silent room as the door swung open once again; this time, revealing a more comforting sight for Ethan.

His mother, still in her doctor's garb, rushed into the room with a hard look on her face filled with worry. She did not even spared a glance toward the giant man standing right beside the office door and headed straight towards her son who was seated in one of the chairs, sweating bullets and pale with fear.

Ethan felt like a child again; seeking comfort from his mother after being bullied by a stranger. But he couldn't help it. 

"Are you alright?" his mother asked. "Did they hurt you?"

Her son, still dealing with the unability to form words, responded with a small shake of his head. The doctor placed both her hands on each side of his cheeks and looked him straight in the eye. 

And, just like old times, Ethan felt better once again.

Turning towards the other man in the room, Ethan's mother said, "What do you want?"

The man cleared his throat and answered, "We are here on behalf of the U.S. military, because of your husband, Mrs. Blunt."

A momentary panic filled both mother and son, noticing the negative implication in the man's words. What did Alvin do? Is he still alive?

"What happened?" the doctor asked, her voice a little softer but was still as cold and hard as ever.

The man gulped as if with guilt. "Forgive the misunderstanding," he said, "your husband did nothing wrong and he is still fine. But, the same thing can't be said about other things."

Noticing how both of his audience were quiet, the man took it that they wanted him to continue. And so he did. He said, "Immidiately, we are to escort you to the Ark. I would give you five minutes to arrange your urgent leave but we can't wait for longer. Meet us outside once your ready."

And with that, the man turned, opened the door, and went out. The door slammed behind him, making the other two people in the room jump with the explosive sound.

Ethan, finally finding his voice again, spoke first. He asked, "What the hell is going on, mom?" His words came out more of a complaint than a respectful question.

This did not sit well with his mother. "How in the world should I know?" she answered, her voice reflective of her son's: sounding like a complaint because of fear and uncertainty. "Get youself ready. The only way we could get to the bottom of this is to go with them. If I ever see your father, I swear to God, I will smack the shit out of him."

A small smile crept across Ethan's lips. He loved his mother.

The doctor took off her white coat and revealed a dark blue blouse underneath. She quickly fidgeted with her bag, talked to the phone for a little, and, in a couple of minutes, was ready to go.

Her son, not one to carry much on his person, just stood up and dusted himself off. They both headed out the door and weren't surprised to find another man in a black suit standing guard right outside of the office.

He motioned for them to follow and they did. The man led Ethan and his mother through the hospital and into the parking lot where a black limousine waited for them. The other man who spoke with them earlier was there, waiting beside the car.

With their footsteps echoing atop the concrete, the doctor and her son quickly made their way towards the man. 

Ethan, without much hesitation, slid inside the cold and dark interior of the limousine. His mother followed closely behind but before she ducked inside the car, she looked at the man who stood right by the door.

"Just one last thing before I get inside," she pleaded, making it clear that she won't go anywhere with them otherwise.

The man nodded once and urged the woman to hurry.

"What is really going on? Is it another terrorist attack?" she asked. "Or a contagious disease perhaps? I'm a doctor, you know, and if it's a disease I might be able to help."

The man's face was as hard and serious as ever. "None of those even compare to what is waiting to happen," he answered.

With a weak shove, he forced the doctor inside the car. She grunted in rebellion but slid inside anyways.

"We're on the verge of World War Three," the man said and slammed the door close.

Then, there was silence.

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A/N: I would just like to thank everyone who had read, commented and voted so far. I'm really excited about this story and I feel great realizing how others seem just as excited about it as me. Otherwise, hold on tight. The story is just starting to pick up. Like always, don't forget to comment and vote if you guys like this! 

-rboy03