His Indulgence || Book Two

Portland

After many attempts of reassurance for my mom, I didn't manage to have her entirely on board with this expedition. She didn't stop me from leaving, but she also didn't necessarily give me the green light.

I decided to leave anyway, having complete hope on this trip and Ales. If there had been anyone who could find him, it'd definitely be her.

I packed on the lighter side, unsure whether or not I was under-packing or not. I brought some of my savings, lasting me for maybe two or three weeks, depending on how I chose to spend it.

Later that night Ales picked me up near midnight, and I gave my mom a parting hug. Before leaving, it almost seemed as if she understood exactly what I was doing. She looked into my eyes almost disappointed, sort of like she knew this trip had something to do with Eric.

After settling in her rented black car, we finally hit the road towards the airport. An hour until we get there, then another hour to wait for our flight. I might as well get comfortable.

"So, what's in Portland?" I asked, relaxing in my seat, staring out the window.

She didn't answer instantly, instead, she drove in silence for a few seconds until she finally spoke. "Same way Eric has his brainiac minion— Santiago, I too have my own. Except he lives in Portland."

I didn't know what exactly to say, and so I turned my attention to my wallet. I had a picture of Eric and I together stashed away safely. It was from our trip to San Francisco, and the photo brought me back to my reverie.

Those times seemed so simple, compared to now. We were both burning with passion for each other, flames ignited so bright within our hearts.

It ached me when comparing it to the present. Everything now appeared meaningless and empty without him. I was left feeling angry and confused, drowning in questions.

Why? What happened? What changed? Where'd he go?

The questions never seemed to have an end, and neither were there answers to each of them. I didn't know what to expect in this risky expedition, and at the same time, I didn't know if this was exactly a good choice.

Santiago's words seemed to continuously echo in my head, haunting my mind and clouding my judgment.

"If you go on a hunt to find him, the things you'll find won't be pretty, and he'll make sure you regret it."

He spoke the words with strong feelings— advising and pleading. Yet here I was, disobeying orders as always. The fear began to well over time as I soon realized I'd uncover what those words meant; what his warning was cautioning for.

On the way to the airport, I decided to fill Ales in on everything she'd missed, up until the day she left.

"And so the cycle repeats. . ." Ales sighed, muttering under her breath in annoyance.

"Wait, what'd you say?" I asked, unsure if I had heard right.

She pursed her lips and cleared her throat, "Eric gone through this after he found out about Scarlett's affair, and mother's death. Both destroyed him. He went off the rails and into a very dark state, nearly getting himself killed from how irresponsible he had been."

"What?" My voice came out as a whisper. The thought of him dying twisted my heart and stomach.

She turned to me and patted my arm, "Good news though, as of yesterday he's still alive. I checked the hierarchy status last night and his body count is rising," then a sudden thought made her sigh, "The bad news is that the number is climbing significantly."

"He's losing his mind." I filled in.

She nodded, "We need to find him soon, before he self destructs."