Daniel

Chapter 14 - The News

"Miss? Miss are you alright?" A young man stood over Aidelle, who was still lying on the floor.

She slowly opened her eyes turning her head to the side, and noticed people dragging the officers', and Daniel's, bodies into separate body bags. Aidelle's eyes began to sting as they watered up, and she watched the bag that contained Daniel get hoisted onto a stretcher.

"Miss? Can you hear me?"

Aidelle turned her head up and noticed a man standing over her.

"Yes, I, I can." She replied slowly, her eyes red.

"Do you need help getting up?" He offered her his hand.

She shook her head and gradually began lifting herself off the carpet floor.

"Can you tell me what happened here?" He asked her sternly, skipping to the question quickly.

"A, a woman. Called Irene I, I think. She came in and killed th-that boy," she stammered, pointing to the body bag that contained Daniel, as it was wheeled out of the doorway.

The mans eyes grew wide suddenly, and he excused himself from Aidelle. She watched him walking off and begin talking to an elderly man in a suited uniform, and he pointed over to her as they engaged in conversation. The two of the men nodded to one another and the younger man came back over to Aidelle.

"Okay, the sergeant knows what's happening, you're free to go," the man smiled.

"P-Please find her," she stuttered.

"We have it all under control, I assure you. Considering that Miss Irene Siffrer breached the protocols of the mission, we will track her down and bring her to justice," he reassured her, and paused before opening his mouth to say something else, "do you have family?" He asked.

"Yes, can you take me back home?"

----

The officer's car pulled up in the driveway of Aidelle's house, the darkness of the night enveloping the street. Aidelle didn't wait for the car to stop before opening the door and dragging her bag off the seat as she pulled herself out.

She stumbled up the driveway and quickly regained her balance, beginning sobbing again, thinking about Daniel, and her father, knowing they would never come back.

The front door swung open and Kristine came rushing out, wrapping her arms around Aidelle in a tight embrace.

"Thank god you're safe, Emily told me and Zoe that you had gone off with Daniel, we were so worried! He could have killed you!" She pulled back from Aidelle to study her, tears of joy filling her eyes. Aidelle looked back at her, tears streaming down her face and her lips trembling.

"What's wrong honey?" Kristine asked her, but she received no reply.

"Excuse me! Missus Durlan?" The young officer began walking up from the car still parked outside their house.

"Yes?" Kristine looked confused when she saw the man, and Aidelle stood to the side as the man approached her.

"My name is James, I am a deputy officer of the state, I have some unfortunate news to tell you and your family, you might want to sit inside."

"O-okay? Aidy? Is everything alright?" Kristine glanced over at her, unsure of what was happening, but she just looked back at her with sadness in her eyes.

The three of them slowly walked into the house and they all sat down at the table.

"Missus Durlan, I wish there were an easier way to say this, but your husband is dead," the man spoke slowly.

Kristine covered her hand with her mouth and her face screwed up, as her eyes began to flood with tears.

"Oh my god. How did this happen!?" She spoke in a shocked, upset tone, her breath spaced between gasps.

"He was killed by a vigilante on the run, who has since been dealt with. He was found dead earlier this evening, where we also found your daughter."

Kristine took a long pause, sobbing into her palms, before she spoke again.

"It was Daniel Atophis, wasn't it?" She sobbed.

"Unfortunately, yes. I am very sorry for your loss." The man replied.

"Th-thankyou, officer," she said in choked tears, "is there anything else?"

"No ma'am. Again, I am terribly sorry for your loss, if there is anything more that I can do, feel free to call for me at the police station," the man said as he got up from the chair and made his way out of the front door, closing it behind himself.

Kristine looked at Aidelle in disbelief.

"Mum... What did dad tell you he did for work?" Aidelle asked in a low voice, slowly.

"Why?" She asked, sobbing.

"I just want to know," she replied.

"He worked at a trophy shop, he made you your grade six graduation plaque," she replied, wiping her eyes.

"That wasn't true."

"What?"

"It wasn't true. Dad never worked at a trophy shop. When I was with Daniel, he told me dad always spoke to his mum. About him. Daniel killed people mum, it was on the news, I know he did, you wouldn'tve been able to see it though. He swore it was only because people were trying to kill him. Dad was one of those people. He took Dan back to a big government building and they did examinations and tests on him," she answered her mother, trying to make sense of it all herself.

"What are you taking about, none of this makes any sense, what made that boy so special!?" Kristine questioned, somewhat furious.

"He was special. Not just any special person mum. He could control people's bodies. Make people see what he sees. He showed me. I saw him kill people, mum, when he was trying to protect himself and I. They came for him, he killed the officers, but a woman shot him," Aidelle took a long pause, before burying her head in her hands, starting to cry. "He's dead mum, and it's all because of me," she spoke between sobs.

Kristine got up from her chair and knelt down beside Aidelle, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"I could've done something mum. I could've stopped him. I could've stopped her. But I didn't. I was too scared, and now he's dead!"