The Duns

Meeting

Chapter Nine

Peter

I know what I'm doing is wrong. But what can I say? Igetis not only has an exceptional spy team, but more than a hundred trained murderers. My powers- all four of them- would be useless against them all.

At least I am sure that she is safe- that is all that matters. Igetis agreed to my conditions, he had no choice and he knew it.

I shuffled around in my pockets for the keys to my house. It has been a long day- the talk with Cathy in the park, the argument with Igetis, the heated training session that followed- I am exhausted, and I still have to deal with the innocent parents tied up and thrown into my room.

I throw my drained body into making them dinner- after all, they were my guests. Carrying it delicately in two separate plates balancing in one hand, and a sharp knife in the other, I walk carefully into the room.

She was still wearing her jogging pants and an athleisure shirt. Her bangles are still on her right wrist, jingling as she continues trying to open the knot that has them tied firmly together behind her, against her back. He, on the other hand, looks like he has given up, slumping against the wall, his shirt untucked, his hair sticking together with sweat. Their eyes open wide as they see what I hold in my hand- no cookies for guessing which hand they look at first. I roll my eyes and walk over to them.

"I'm sorry," I begin, "this is not what I want. This is not what I choose."

They grunt in aspiration through the cotton handkerchief tied over their mouths. I carefully prise it open. "We know," they say to me. My vision turns into a funny shade of purple, the color and emotion spreading throughout my body. I'll never get used to this.

"We know, Peter..." they mumble, exhausted.

I stand behind them, looking at their backs, knife in hand and then I slowly, steadily cut through the rope, pushing them away from me, and the knife.

Then, hesitant, I take place two chairs near my study table, where the food rests, and turn towards them, "It's not poisoned."

I walk out of the room. They can't go anywhere, anyway- and I don't have the guts to torture them the way I was instructed to.

"Peter," Mrs. Davis calls out to me from inside the room as I turn to shut the door behind me, "is she safe?"

I don't know. "Mrs. Davis your daughter is the only reason I care to live right now and I don't plan on dying any time soon. She's safe." I say calmly, with respect pouring out of my mouth, but my lungs hurt, and my eyes burn and I know without looking into a mirror that they're burning red.

So, is Catherine safe? I try breaking down all the points I have:

Igetis has something ready for her- but not something that could kill her
Catherine is home- alone
Her parents are with me
Her parents' phone hasn't rung yet- she's not aware that they're here. Why?

I'm going to give myself 10 minutes for her call, her face to show up- a sign that she's not dead.

I stumble on to the couch, my limps dragging, exhausted. Putting a timer for 10 minutes on my phone, my eyes seal up and sleep has enveloped me.

No alarm rings, but when I get up, a message from Catherine awaits me:

You called?

She's safe. I smile and reply back saying that there's no need to call. As long as she's safe, its okay.

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