Chapter 82
Confronting Pasts
“We are not killers. How on earth do we fight them?” Annie asked in a tiny voice.
Margaret knew that it would not be as easy as anything she had ever done in her life, she was angry, hurt and scared. This went beyond anything she had to ever face in her life, she looked at Annie, “There are many ways to fight. Kelvin I think we need to hasten our preparations.”
Kelvin nodded in understanding, they had plans to introduce themselves formally to the board but they had to ensure that they had a good name before doing that to invite confidence but it seemed like they would have to assure the board before any real change happened. As Betsy used to say, a flock of sheep without a shepherd is the wolves Christmas. Bernie decided to put aside his grief and protect his family, the danger seemed more real than ever before. A guard came into the room with a purple box and whispered to Margaret that it had been left at the gate by a drone.
Margaret looked at the small box suspiciously and stared at the rest of them in the room, she could understand why Betsy had kept secrets from them, it was difficult to put your loved ones in danger but she had just established a no secret rule, she asked him if there was any hint of danger such as explosives in it in which he said it had gone through the normal tests and there was nothing wrong but there was something odd but he could not decipher what it was without opening the box.
“Okay… This was left for us at the gate.” Margaret signaled at the Guard to put it on the table.
“I don’t think we should accept gifts at this time, we don’t know what it could be.” Bernie suggested.
“I think you should open it, it could give you an insight into what this entire thing is about. I mean it’s crazy or getting crazier if you think about it.” Mariam countered.
“It could be a warning.” Annie was still trying to get over the fact that her father might not be the man she thought he was and that her mother was killed along with him. She didn’t want any more changes, she wasn’t good with changes but there had been so much in their lives lately that she wondered if she could ever get peace.
“Surely, you don’t think that. I agree with Mariam… we should open the box, ignoring it might lead to bigger problems in the future. We should face them instead of running from them.” Kelvin was not as shaken as the rest of them but he was nonetheless shocked by the information Koruna had given them regarding their history.
Bernie scoffed, “It is not running if we decide not to allow them lure us into their games. This is obviously some ploy to mess with our minds, you heard Koruna, Simi liked mind games and this seems a lot like the kind of thing she would do.”
“We know that she doesn’t make empty threats, let’s just open the box. My imagination is already beginning to take to places I do not want to go.” Margaret decided as she slowly opened the box.
A soft gasp came from her as she sighted a pinky finger along with a small letter that said “I think it’s time we met. Love Simi. PS- This is your beloved Shola’s finger.”
“She is sick.” Mariam said as she ran into the rest room to throw up.
“Shola?” Annie groaned and closed her eyes.
Bernie closed the box and tightly closed his first in anger, he could not sit and do nothing. He texted Koruna about what had happened, he wasn’t expecting her to answer immediately but she told him to come to the Flames with the box along with the rest of them. He knew the route but Koruna was afraid of him being followed that she suggested they come with the Arks.
“Koruna says to come with Oni to the Flames, we need to do something.” Bernie said as he tried to hold it together, his stomach grew queasy the more he thought about the finger in the box.
Margaret agreed and they all changed to something more comfortable as they waited for a ride to the Flames.
…
Koruna and the others were in their cave when they were suddenly surrounded. Flank and Telih had already started packing every thing that was important to them, the fact that Jonathan Reeves men were already surrounding them meant Ati’s men were dead. They just surrounded them and never moving, waiting for something to happen.
“Why haven’t they attacked yet?” Lola armed herself.
“You know Jonathan, he likes to make an entrance.” Koruna was preparing tea instead and completely seemed to be unbothered by the entire event.
“Tea… Tea??? Really???” Flank hissed.
“It would be rude not to entertain guests, when you guys are done leave with the other entrance then wait for my siblings by the intersection then you all will go to Ati’s, I’ll meet you when I am done.”
Lola slapped Koruna’s hand, “I have sa…”
“I am not being suicidal. Jonathan won’t kill me immediately and if I run with you, he’llckem after us and then there’ll be very little chance of us leaving unscathed. He has a perverted thing for me, trust me. I swear I will see you in Ati’s territory with the truck. Leave now!!!”
Lola hesitated but was dragged by Telih, “Trust her, she knows what she’s doing.”
Shortly after they had left, Jonathan walked in and removed his hat when he entered. He saw Koruna sipping tea as she gave him a small smile which he returned and sat opposite her. “Love what you have done with the place.”
“I am honored to be graced with your presence. It’s baffling how a small fry like me can warrant your attention, I am moved to tears to be honest.” Koruna smirked.
“Humor, I have always hated that part about you.”
“Why? Because you didn’t have it?”
"No, because it was unfit for a lady.”
“I did not know you thought of me as a lady.” She touched her chest in mock appreciation.
“You know exactly what I think of you. It’s sad it has to come to this but an agreement is an agreement.” He gave her a smile that told her he had her exactly where he had her.
“Now, that is not true, is it?”
Jonathan narrowed his eyes at her, “What do you mean?”
“Our agreement was that you would stay out of our business as long as we remained neutral, now I cannot say that I had expectations from you but I cannot help but be disappointed.”
“Is this another one of your games?”
“No, games are your thing. You gave us up to Simi as potentials for her little army of brainwashed people, I admit that the uniforms are something glorious but common… Abriel was a collateral damage for your side deals which violates the agreement.”
Jonathan’s expression changed into something venomous as he glared at Koruna and wondered how she came by that information. “Aren’t you a beautiful storyteller?”
“Yes, I am beautiful but a storyteller… I don’t think my skills are up to that level. Don’t worry, I get it, you have your ways and I have mine. Denial doesn’t look good on you Jonathan.” Koruna calmly poured him tea.
Jonathan knew from experience not to underestimate Koruna, even more than most people which was why he had kept her alive for this long. “I see… Why are you here? To protect your little friends? Or is it because you could not keep the darker nature of yours and finally killed someone. Surely, you are not hiding here because of that.”
“That was you? Really? Cold Jonathan, cold. I thought we had a connection and history, how could you do me bad like that?” Koruna shook her head in mock disappointment.
“Tell me you haven’t thought about killing her yourself.”
Koruna eyed him carefully,
“You know an awful lot about me for someone who never leaves the Flames. Are you that obsessed about me?”
“Can’t you tell? I have never once stopped thinking about you.”
“It’s sweet, it really is.”
Jonathan gave a genuine smile, “You had the opportunity to make the best out of your life. You had the chance to leave this place for wealth and all the gory details but you couldn’t mind your business at the end of the day, always so drawn to the darkness. Your father gave his life for you, you know?”
“I have heard. Was that your handiwork?” Koruna raised her brow.
Jonathan looked at the tea in suspicion, “Is it poisoned?”
“Poisons are not my thing.” Koruna scoffed.
“He was a fair man your father, don’t you want to know about him?” He taunted.
“You think you are the best person to tell me about him if I wanted to know?”
Jonathan shrugged, “Why not? He was my business partner on occasion.”
“I see, business. That is what you call what you do.”
“Why are you here? You could have escaped with your friends in that little escape route at the back there, yet you are here. What do you want?”
“To ask what you want.” She grinned.
“Interesting…”
“Is it? You don’t want me dead, you want me to work for you again… don’t you? Isn’t that why you recommended me for the brain washing, somehow you think I have my will shaken, I would do whatever you want me to do.”
“You think highly of yourself.”
“I have got good self-esteem. The best even.”
“Work for me and I will let all your friends live. It could be like old times again.”
“Awwwwwnnnn, lonely… you are lonely.”
“Yes Koruna.”
“I am not stupid, you don’t care about me, the only thing you have ever cared about is money. Ati is giving you problems, real problems… You want me to help you get rid of him by allowing my friends do you your dirty work. Destroy from within, that has always been your favourite method.”
Jonathan looked at Koruna appreciatively, “This is why I like you. You always know what I need without me saying a single word and now you have given me a solution that I honestly didn’t think of, it’s amazing how your mind works. You do tend to overthink and over estimate people Which is your weakness like now, giving me the answers to my headaches. Brilliant, you are brilliant.”
Koruna swallowed, “You are welcome, before we go further I have to know something. Was that your handiwork? The death of the Ballans.”
“No, I am much more discreet.”
“Did Shola have anything to do with it?” Koruna focused on his body language as she waited for his reply.
Jonathan looked at her in surprise, which broke his composure… “What?”
Koruna's rage knew no bounds as she thought in her head, “That son of a bitch!”