Chapter 18- Repercussions

  No one has bothered me in the last hour as I sat underneath the flickering fluorescent lights in the lobby of Ofeno Hospital. At four in the morning, there were more patients than I expected. As crowded as it is, no one dares to come near me, the only person there covered in blood.

  A janitor finally shows up to clean the dried footprints I tracked in when I rushed Kraken in.

  Other than filling out paperwork and answering basic questions, no nurse or doctor has updated me on his condition since. Whether he’s alive or dead, I have no idea.

  I watch the janitor mop up the stains, following every curve and movement unfocused. I’ve yet to sleep, and now that the adrenaline has worn off, the fatigue weighs heavily on me. But it’s probably not a good idea to sleep until a doctor checks me for a concussion.

  When the floor is pristine again, I crouch down and bury my face in my arms and try to rest my eyes, but the events of the night flash behind my lids—the abrupt distress call; the metal gate flying off the loading dock; crashing my motor and hammering my head; the grenades; the chunks of flesh—what is he? Nothing pieces together, and it still feels unreal, like I’m still in the nightmare.

  I drift off between what’s real and my imagination, when a sudden shout jolts me awake. The early dawn light seeps through the window, and most of the patients in the ward have cleared. The remaining patients raise their heads toward the ruckus at the end of the hall. It takes me a few confusing seconds to recognize Vikson’s voice.

  Despite the mass stress on his shoulders, Vikson usually keeps a mild demeanor. But that’s not the case here as he rounds the lobby counter and spots me. His anger rises with his voice. A few nurses and a doctor at his flank, all urging him to hush. He waves them off and storms to me. His trench coat flails behind him, still donning his night clothes underneath. Before I can get a word in, he lifts a hand and strikes me across the face.

  The slap catches me entirely off guard. I take full impact, the shock of the action rather than the infliction itself. His temper is known in the family. I’ve witnessed him lay hands on all my male cousins whenever they’ve done something wrong. I do well keeping myself on his good side, but it’s only a matter of time before I make the same mistakes. His print surfaces a few moments later, the heat and spike pulsing on my skin. Deserved.

  “Reckless fool,” he scowls. “Are you happy, proud of your actions?”

  The hospital staff reels him back as he threatens another fist, cursing the staff and me altogether. His wristlet rings. He gets a call, followed by another, endless rings he mentally dismisses as his attention glues to me. Eventually, he’s forced to answer them in a separate room, gesturing at me. Without another word, his security team lifts me under my arm and escorts me out of the hospital, where they take me back to the headquarters.

  *

  After a shower, rinsing off the blood and dirt and grim, I’m back standing across Vikson’s desk in his office before the first staff arrive for work. We both had a sleepless night, but the old man has freshened up since his return, in his steel charcoal suit with silver hair groomed, sitting properly in his leather chair.

  Still, he’s visibly tired with dark hollows sunken around his eyes. He sets aside the SEM research with the other pile of documents, then wastes no more time and comes out to say it. “You’re off the operation.”

  I suck in a deep breath, hiding my disappointment, but not surprised. I’d been expecting it since the moment he slapped my face. But no matter how much I’ve prepared, the urge to defend myself outweighs all else.

  “You can’t do that,” I say. He can, and he has every right to. “I almost…” Had him. “He almost killed me, and I can’t just let someone—something—like that continue to roam around the Void, around Bowen.”

  His head dips as his eyes lift to mine. “That is not your responsibility. Not your problem. Not anymore.”

  I shut my eyes for a second, feeling the burning aftermath of a long night through my lids. There’s more I want to explain, a wall of defense for my position, but my mind can only handle so much after shock.

  “You’re lucky I still allow you to keep your tester position,” Vikson continues. “That is if you want it.”

  “No, the…thing you’re dealing with,” I sputter. “Nox. He’s—” The events flood back to the front of my mind like a fever dream. “I have to know what he is.”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  If he’s human at all.

  There’s just something that doesn’t sit right. After that incident, I can’t just idle around, waiting for someone to do something.

  “I know, I saw your footage. We’re dealing with something entirely incomprehensible, even for our experts. We may need to strengthen our offenses, change our approach. Nox is far more dangerous than we had expected. And I appreciate you for showing that to us tonight.” He sighs and leans into his chair. “I know you’re a good kid, and you think you can impress me by capturing him.”

  “What—no…I—”

  “That won’t impress me,” he cuts in. “Not by putting yourself in danger. Even if you did manage to capture the assailant tonight, that’s not what I want to see from you, Raze. Not what I expected from you.

  “You want to impress me? Get a real position in the company? Take a look at your cousins, they’re good examples. They’re starting businesses and companies and have made a name for themselves. Building onto the family business.”

  I stifle a groan at the mention of them as if I haven’t heard this lecture a million times before. Vikson appreciates many passions in life: the arts, the establishments, the potential, and, most of all, expanding the Lotus group.

  “You have a great advantage, Raze.” He leans his elbows onto the desk. “You’re born into money, power, and status. The world is at your grasp, don’t knock away what’s handed to you on a silver plate by throwing your life away at some beast in the Void. Leave that to the ex-military men.”

  “They don’t know what they’re doing,” I retort. “All they do is sit around waiting for something to happen. They’re unprepared, incompetent at getting you what you want.”

  “And you can?”

  “I can. I’m capable of going out there—”

  He gestures a finger for me to pause. “Even if you are the most qualified for the job, why would I send my own family, my own blood out there?”

  I force myself to breathe steadily out of my nose, containing what I can only assume is bitterness. I have no power against his authority. He has the last say, even if things are irrational.

  “You sent me out there once,” I remind him politely. “And I came back alive. I can do it again.”

  He blinks slowly. “I allowed it for one, because I assumed our suspect was some kid with a powerful weapon. I was clearly wrong. Second, I needed to know that you can follow orders, to test your obedience, even if the order came from Dr. Breena. And you failed miserably.”

  “If I didn’t respond to the call, that man would’ve bled out,” I cry, unable to control the frustration.

  “These men know what they signed up for.” His voice remains calm.

  “Did they?” I exclaim. The sight of Kraken on the ground under a pool of blood comes to the front of my mind. He knew nothing of the suspect. Barely prepared. “You hardly told them anything about Nox. They assumed it was just a normal person.”

  “I appreciate your passion for this case.” The old man purses his lips with an unreadable face. “But my decision is set. Whether it’s to save a person’s life or for your own ego, you have proven to me that you can’t be trusted to follow orders. And you don’t know what’s best for you, or the future of Lotus. You’re still young and have much to learn.”

  “Don’t treat me like a child. I made the right call.” I shout and storm towards him. But the moment those aggressive words come out, his office doors swing open. Two security storms in and seize me by the arm. “Get off me!”

  “You need some sleep,” Vikson says. “You’re grouchy and not in the right headspace for this conversation. We’ll talk more when you’ve gotten some rest. Take him to his room.”

  “No.” I know the moment I leave this room, there won’t be another chance to speak with him for a very long time. I struggle and fight against the two men, but they’re resilient.

  They drag me out of the room and down the hall as I wrestle and shout to no avail. The staff members keep their heads on their work, but their eyes follow me as I’m hauled into the elevator.

  They shove the door open to my room and toss me onto the bed.

  “Spoiled little shit,” one of them says before slamming the door shut.

  For the rest of the day, the door is locked from the outside with a guard standing post, who slipped in a tray of food while I fell into a deep slumber after multiple attempts to leave.

  When I wake, unrested and groggy, the sheets soaked with night sweat, the surreal events come back to haunt me once again. But this time with an objective clarity.

  The events no longer shake my memories, and I can analyze the night more clearly in a better mindset. I blew him to pieces, and yet with my own eyes I witnessed the regeneration—his foot set back into place, even if my memories are hazy, there’s the footage to prove it. Then there was the unbelievable prowess that tossed a trailer truck over my head.

  Inhuman strength.

  I hardly processed any of it after my escape, and once I’m in a better spot again, I want to return. At that moment, I blew the suspect to pieces. He was hurt and down. I should’ve taken the mask off. Find his other weaknesses. Seize him then and there. Instead, I let my fear get to me.

  But before I can do that, I need to make amends with my great uncle again. I doubt he’ll want to see me for next weekend's target shooting and make some lame excuse to avoid me. He’ll never be in his office when I need him, his schedule packed with meetings and other excuses to keep me away.

  I lie in bed for another hour and think of a way to make him come to me. Vikson kept me locked up like a prisoner, but I still have access to the outside world with my wristlet. With some research and digging, I devise a plan.

  But it’s not a solid plan since it’ll involve Qonni.