The Journey The Only Survivors

Chapter X: A Bit of Luck

"Dad? Is that you?" Bryan looked to the crowd.

The crowd didn't want The Terrible to die, of course, so they put their thumbs up, signifying they wanted The Terrible to live. Bryan let Dad free. The crowd cheered loudly.

Dad's face was hard as he sneered and growled, but I recognized it even though I had never seen that expression before.

"I don't have a son," he said with anger etched in his tone.

"Dad, it's me, Bryan." He turned the palm of his free hand upward to help Dad up.

"I don't know you. Get him away from me." He spat on the ground and pushed himself up to his feet.

Everyone stared as Bryan and The Terrible stared at each other, some were still cheering. Some were confused at how the two knew each other.

The guards came on after a few minutes of staring and pulled Bryan and The Terrible away. "Your name is Benjamin," Bryan said, shouting now. "Don't forget who you are." The guards pulled him farther away and led him to the coliseum gates.

Dad told the guards to let him go. Because of their fear of The Terrible, they did so, and Dad stood motionless.

"Bryan?" Dad said.

He remembered! I shot upward and ran as fast as I could out of the coliseum gates.

By now, a crowd had gathered outside, and Dad began shoving his way through. "Get out of my way." When he reached Bryan, they embraced.

"Dad, you remembered," Bryan said. Bella was close behind me and reached my side, with her mouth wide open.

"I'm so sorry," Dad said.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Bryan just fought a gladiator nicknamed The Terrible, and that gladiator turned out to be our father. How was that possible? Bryan could have killed him. Dad could have killed Bryan!

Everyone else caught up, and Amy and Luke ran after Dad.

Dad pulled away from his embrace with Bryan and smiled at the kids and me. He gave Amy and Luke a hug, but he seemed to have unfinished business with Bryan. He turned back toward him. "How did you know it was me?"

"You knew he was Dad?" I asked. Was this how Bryan knew he wasn't going to die?

"I had a hunch."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I felt betrayed.

Bryan gritted his teeth. He glanced at the others and then back at me. He obviously didn't want the others to know how he knew.

I flung my arms around Dad, being careful with his bad arm. Gratitude and joy swept over me. We weren't in this alone anymore.

"Daddy." Amy and Luke joined us in a group hug.

"I'm so happy you're all here," Dad said.

"I missed you," Amy said. She hadn't stuttered at all since we saw Dad.

"Who's this?" Dad asked, looking at Bella, Lucious, and Augustus's family.

"I thought you said your father had left you four." It was Augustus who spoke. "Why are you so excited to see him if he abandoned you?"

Now Bryan and I had to come up with another story.

"He actually didn't abandon us-" Bryan began.

"It's quite a long story." Lucious cut in. "I will tell you later."

I mouthed the words thank you to Lucious, and he nodded. Augustus tilted his head slightly but shrugged his thoughts off.

Dad squinted his eyes at Bryan and then raised an eyebrow at me. I looked away. We would have to tell Dad the story later, and he would tell his.