Athena watched, partly angry and sullen, as her n ticulously packaged the strange dead man in a black corpse bag. Each zip and tug of the fabric felt like a finality that gnawed at her psyche.
She had spoken with the agents and thanked them for their prompt response, but it felt like a waste of ti, an exercise in futility.
A waste of life too, she thought, wondering how soone could give up his life for such a useless cause. What was promised to him? Or was it a threat?
It was always between these two things, She mused, having encountered and interrogated her own share of suicide bombers or suicide ssengers.
"Doctor Athena..."
The familiar voice pulled her from her dark reverie. She turned to find Mr. Thorne, the old man standing beside her with a grave expression.
"You don’t have to worry. You can have my security details at your beck and call. I’ll make sure nothing happens to your family too. I’ll put my n on it. Anything you want, ask for it."
Athena felt a surge of gratitude but suppressed it with a cautious expression.
She bit her lip. It was true that she had been of help to the old man, but he had paid for it.
She pondered, What would I pay for this?
"What do you want in exchange?"
Mr. Thorne stared at her for a full minute, his intelligent black eyes glinting with a mix of amusent and incredulity, before breaking out in boisterous laughter. "Doctor Athena, really?"
But Athena refused to laugh, choosing instead to let the man know that she ant business. It was a risky ga to trust a man who kept poison for fun, and she was not about to fall for his charm.
"I know you have your doubts concerning , considering your past..."
"You investigated ?"
Mr. Thorne shrugged his shoulders, a gesture that felt a little too casual given the circumstances. "Don’t take it personally. It’s for security purposes. I investigate everyone I co in contact with, especially on a personal basis. You are my personal doctor; you don’t think I will check you out?"
Athena sighed, looking away at the flurry of activity in the background. Fair enough—she understood. "So, what did you find out?"
As much as she was pleased with her cyber hiding skills, Mr. Thorne wasn’t a newbie either; his family weren’t the leading family in society for nothing.
"That you’ve gone through a whole lot following your banishnt from your previous life—and that there’s more to you than ets the eye."
It wasn’t a detailed exposition per say, but it conveyed a truth—the old man had done a thorough assignnt.
"Allow to help you, Athena. It’s for free."
Athena bit her lip again. For free?
"You don’t really want anything—maybe free dical care or sothing?"
Old Mr. Thorne laughed, a sound that felt unusually light in the heavy atmosphere. "Not at all. I can foot my bills. I just want you as a friend. I think that will be okay. A cup of tea here and there."
Athena furrowed her eyebrows, crossing her arms defensively. "A friend? I’m sure you have a lot of that. Unless you an..."
Mr. Thorne shook his head vigorously, already seeing the scowl forming on Athena’s face. "Don’t finish that statent because that’s not what I want. I just want you as a friend."
"Why? I’m way younger than you."
"And way wiser than a lot above your age."
Mr. Thorne looked away, his gaze drifting to the horizon.
The agents were set to leave the building, their forms moving like shadows against the fading light.
"You remind of soone. I just can’t help but reach out to you and help out in any way I can. In a way, it makes feel like I’m reaching out to her too."
Athena exhaled softly, intrigue piquing her interest like a spark. "An important person then?"
Mr. Thorne nodded solemnly. "Very important."
His mood dampened now, and Athena could see the weight of mories behind his eyes. It was as if he were montarily lost in a world where light and laughter once thrived.
She should pull him out of this daze, she thought, before throwing her hand over his shoulder, startling the old man. To her surprise, his mouth dropped open in astonishnt.
"Well, you asked for a friend. You have one. I hope you can keep up with the youthful exuberance."
The old man laughed then, a genuine sound that filled the air with warmth, and he patted Athena’s hand. "Of course, I’m a young man at heart. I’m sure I can keep up."
"We’ll see about that, old man..." Athena teased as they sauntered toward the exit of the building, a fragile camaraderie blossoming amidst the chaos.
However, before they could take two steps, Jake hurried into the building, startling Athena.
"Jake, what are you doing here!" She looked around her, relieved that the equipnt had all been removed by the agents.
Yet, she noted him breathing heavily, his phone shaking in his hand, and an alarming sense of dread crept over her.
What now?
"What’s the problem, Jake?"
But Jake couldn’t articulate his fears. Instead, he stretched the phone toward Athena, his hand trembling as if it could hardly bear the weight of the news it held.
Athena exchanged a worried glance with the old man before she took the phone, the frisson of anxiety prickling the back of her neck.
The screen was plastered with a news headline from The Guardian. Her heart sank to her stomach as it registered the words:
"Explosion at the Laner’s Prestigious School."
Pale and shaken, she scrolled down, the world around her fading, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm.
In horror, she read: "Overall, there weren’t any deaths, but two children were abducted—twins, actually. Children of the famous Doctor Athena Caddels. This can be said to be..."
Athena’s breath caught in her throat, eyes wide as she continued to scroll. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her as she read.
Hands shaking, she almost dropped the phone when she saw a video clip start to play. Her mind spun as the image of two masked n dragging her fighting children, screaming and kicking, to a waiting black seda, flashed across the screen.
"No... no..." She whispered. It was just like her dream when she had returned from the kidnapper’s hideout.
Stumbling backward, she recalled the agonizing mont of her own kidnap—pain had been etched into every fiber of her being. What would they do to her kids, especially now they knew who she was?
As the video showed her Kate desperately waving her tiny arms, screaming from a window, her heart shattered.
Without another thought, she regained her composure and sprinted out of the building, ignoring Mr. Thorne’s call.
"Athena, wait!"
She heard him shout, but the sound faded into the background like a distant echo.
The gang had started their promise, she thought, determination igniting within her. And she wouldn’t sleep until she had caught all of them, even if it ant sacrificing every bit of her peace and safety.
How dare they touch her children?
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