You Again

CH. 27

Sang's POV

I watched as Gabriel and Luke drove away. My heart broke for them, seeing them so broken and hurting. Anger welled up in me. Why didn't the others see this? I had noticed the bracelets and the long sleeves but didn't want to believe it. I sighed, knowing that I would have been the same as them if I didn't have Rin, Rowan, and Cian. They always drove away the darkness and pulled me back from my dark depression.

Arms came around me, the scent of smoky pineapple and woodsy notes calming me. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head slightly, tears gathering in my eyes. "I am, but they aren't. They were a family, Ryker. Why didn't they see it? Why didn't they stop it?"

His lips kissed the back of my head. "I don't know, Sang. I know that they all are suffering. Each of them is but they suffer differently."

I nodded. "I'm tired, Ryker."

He sighed. "Go back to my room, and I'll be there in a bit. It would be rude if we just disappeared on our guests."

I kissed his cheek before walking towards the stairs. Before I could go up the stairs, a voice spoke, halting me. "Sang, can I speak to you?"

I turned, looking at Victor. His eyes burned with hope that I would say yes. I smiled, nodding. I led him out on the front porch and sat on the rocking chairs. I faced Victor who was looking at his clasped hands. "I overheard what you said to Ryker."

I looked away, down the road Gabriel and Luke drove a few minutes ago. "Why didn't you see it, Victor?"

He sighed heavily. "That mission was hard on all of us. We were in a hard position that only allowed two of us to go in. We couldn't go in without raising suspicion but were nearby. What happened to them was my fault. I was the person who put bugs in a person's office. When one started to malfunction, Luke and Gabriel volunteered to go in and retrieve and switch it out. They were caught. We were close, but by the time we got there, Sang, they had suffered." Tears streamed down his face. His shoulders shook as he tried no hid his sobbing. "I tried to help, but I didn't know what to do. They didn't blame me, but I did. It was my fault!"

I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his head. His arms came around my hips as he buried his face in my stomach. I softly petted his head as he let out his fear, frustration, anger, and sadness. When his sobs turned into sniffles, he spoke softly. "I felt so guilty that I started to work like crazy. Everyone was worried about Luke and Gabriel but also blamed themselves about what happened to them. We withdrew from each other, faked smiles, told lies. Gabriel and Luke aren't the only ones who hide behind a mask. We ignored the cracks within our family until it was almost too late."

I sighed softly. "Everyone has a mask, but it's up to us whether we are strong enough to remove the mask. Having others support you helps. Tell me, Victor, do you still want the nine of you to be a family?"

He nodded. "I miss everyone. I miss how we used to be, how we used to joke and laugh. I miss being myself."

I looked up to see six people standing there. They were quiet, but I knew when they had quietly walked out. They all had the same expression. Sadness and want. Want to be who they used to be. "Then I help. My team, Dr. Roberts, Uncle, your family. All of us will help." I said softly so the others could hear me. They nodded with tears in their eyes and shoulders stooped as if there was a great burden on their back. "It'll be a hard journey with many ups and downs, but it will be worth it."

Nathan whispered. "How do you know all of this, Sang?"

I saw Ryker appear in the front door with a soft smile on his face. With tears in my eyes, I looked at the fallen Blackbourne team. "Because I've been in the similar situation." With their eyes set on me, I began to tell my story. "Before Ryker joined our team, we were assigned a mission that required deep undercover and strong resolve. People were kidnapping children off the streets and forcing them to fight to the death. We were assigned to find out how far up this ring went in the city, if any politicians or important people were supporting them. 

"The first night, I almost broke when I had to watch two boys barely fourteen fight each other. I could tell that they didn't want to do it, but they were forced to. I had to do nothing as I watched the older boy wrapped his arms around the younger and snapped his neck. I had to watch the body fall to the ground, wishing he would move. I had to watch as they tossed the boy who died into a room to be waited to be disposed on. I had to watch evil things happen in that ring, and I wasn't able to lift a single finger to help.

" When the mission finished two weeks later, I had watched a total of eleven boys die in that ring. I blamed myself. If I had been quicker with my research, I would have saved some of them. If I had even "bought" one of them, at least one of them would be alive. I was in a dark place, and so were my teammates who had to work around the boys. But we managed to get through by depending on each other and others. If we hadn't, I know that I wouldn't be here or even be like this today."

"Agelle Mou," Silas spoke softly. Tears ran down his cheeks. "I want to try. I want to heal."

"So do I," the others spoke.