To Rescue a Villain

Chapter 34

"Mr. Hacket." The male voice rang from the speaker above my head and shook the floor underneath my chair. If he hadn't been so loud I might not have looked up from my computer screen with its distracting video feeds and top secret Hikarius documents. Ever since I'd become the new president, a title given to me after news of John Philip's death spread, I'd been given access to everything the company offered from hidden, experimental weapons to nuclear codes. I didn't plan to use them, though, since my alien artifact was ten times more powerful than anything they could offer.

Pushing my chair from the desk with my feet, I leaned back and angled my head toward the speaker. "What do you want?"

"Your daughter has arrived."

Finally! Something I wanted to hear.

As I marched toward the door my hands started to sweat and my throat became parched. I was racking my brain for a nice way to break the news to Polly because she didn't know what had happened here. I'd merely told her she'd be allowed to live on the station with me from now on. She'd assumed I'd meant Mary would be here too.

When I unlocked the door I found Zora standing before me, a gun strapped to her leg and a black hat covering the top of her head. She shot me a smile, one I still didn't trust, before stepping aside and allowing me to see my child for the first time in months.

She was still short for an eleven year old and her baby face made her look eight, a fact that she hated. I had always encouraged her, though, telling her that her growth spurt would arrive any day now.

Seeing her blonde hair and bright eyes, which grew brighter as she smiled at me, sent my heart throbbing and, before I could stop them, tears started streaming down my cheeks. She looked so much like her mother. I couldn't stand it.

"Daddy? What's wrong?" Polly asked as she clasped one of my shaking hands between her small, warm ones. "Where's Mom?"

Her questions grew muffled as I pulled her into the longest hug I think I'd ever given. I couldn't let her see me cry. I was supposed to be the strong one. I wasn't supposed to be the one who fell apart from loneliness and sorrow.

I was pathetic.

A few of the passing employees, all of whom had arrived a few days ago from the company to help me with my work, stared at me judgingly and that was enough to snap me out of my sobs so I could glare at them.

The only employees whose presence I didn't mind were the soldiers I'd hired to help me hunt down my wife's murderers. They were standing on each side of my door, dressed in black armor and helmets that covered their faces. If I gave the order, they could kill anyone I wanted. That was why I liked them. That and they didn't flinch when I started throwing heavy objects around the room to distract myself from thoughts of Mary.

"Everything's gonna be okay," I told my daughter, still holding her close as we entered the room. "I'm going to make everything okay."

"Why? What's wrong?" The girl's eyes darting back and forth between mine in search of answers. I felt a shiver run down my back in reaction to her intense stare. She'd be able to tell if I was lying or not so there was no point in hiding it.

"Polly." I took a deep breath, sucking in air to keep my nose from stinging. "It's about your mother."

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I had been trapped in the dark for so long. The pain had subsided quite suddenly a while ago but I hadn't woken up. I knew I was sleeping and had been for hours, years maybe, but I couldn't seem to tear myself out of this mass of black ooze. It wrapped around my brain, dulling my thoughts and senses.