Pools of Blood

Chapter 53

The journey to Seoul from Damyang was long and tedious unlike the time of our arrival. Jasmine and I conversed the whole way and time passed smoothly. But this time, I was alone. Evil thoughts started to crawl inside me and made their way towards my brain. They breached my cognitive thinking capacity and I became a shell holding a galleon full of negative thoughts. Frank knew my weakness clearly, perhaps more than I did. He knew where to pierce the arrow and how to maim me. What if I couldn’t reach there in time and unable to save my parents? I was not in the position to see another dead body of someone I loved. Within a short span, I encountered all that no one ever experiences throughout their lives. 

I had seen my biological parents’ scattered pieces of flesh at a young age. I had seen my wife, my love being shot by a bullet. I had seen my brother sacrificing his life to save his wife and child. And each time, I have failed them. Each time I emerged as a loser, who could neither protect his parents nor his wife. And now my adopted family. Mrs. Wang and her husband, the one I call mom and dad, the one who embraced me when no one was there to hold my hand, the ones who wrapped my soul into their love and warmth, was crying and begging for freedom. Their tears and horror-stricken cries were still ringing in my ears. They were old and they probably were beaten and manhandled by Frank and his goons.

My blood boiled in rage. Frank had crossed all limits of humanity. He can't simply kill people to satisfy his grudge upon me. He needed to be stopped. I just hoped that Jasmine cracked the clue soon enough for me to rescue my last living family.

I pulled my car into my garage and stepped down on the empty threshold. The lights were off and the door was ajar. Angela was sitting outside on the porch smoking a cigarette. She looked haggard and skinny. When was the last time she had eaten? I wondered. When was the last time I had eaten too? From the day the news of the Jasmine r**e incident came up, I literally didn’t keep a track of my eating and sleeping habits. One incident after the other. One murder after another. The city was already in chaos. And now the only one who could handle the things in blood and iron was missing.

"Hey, Michael", Angela came up.

-"Any news on the two cases? " I asked her.

We moved inside my house.

" No. We have kept the whole matter in wraps. No one should know about the missing case of our chief. It will bring us more troubles than we are already in."

My house was neat and clean. Mom always loved to tidy and wash everything. When we were kids, Amiya used to call her Dame Washaway, a character from Enid Blyton Books. But, the living room was a mess. Teacups were lying scattered and there was a thin dried streak of tea on the floor. The biscuits were lying on the floor and the mattress was crumpled. A rocking chair was lying upturned and there were clear signs of a hassle. Maybe they were dragged out of the house or my father tried his best to protect both of them from the kidnappers.

" Michael, come and look here", Angela called me from the threshold. A few drops of blood –dried blood were there near the shoe racks. "I think somebody had been hit here and blood oozed out."

-"Yes. I think there had been a small fight. Dada won't ever be so careless in these situations. He probably has fought his best to save himself and my mom. But,-"

-" Michael", Angela held my arm and gripped me tightly. "They are old. They did their best to escape. But you have to remember they are old. They can't tolerate the pain that Frank is gifting them. We have to do something."

-"What am I supposed to do? Bo Chang is missing. There is a clue to solve for the will. I have left Jasmine in a traphole full of people whom I can't trust and now my parents are missing. Angela, I am tired of these. My body and soul are too much damaged. Every day, I get to hear news of people dying, getting murdered, and being killed brutally. I could do nothing to save them."

I sat down on the sofa and put my face into my hands. Hot tears started to build inside and rolled down my cheeks. Angela sat down beside me and hugged me tightly. Maybe I needed a shoulder. I could have never cried before Jasmine. She was already broken and damaged beyond repair. Seeing me cry, would have shattered her leftover mental stamina too.

"Don’t worry", Angela pulled up my face and rubbed my tears. "Don’t worry, okay. We are going to find all three of them. We have fought so many battles together. This one we will too win. Have faith in yourself."

I nodded. The landline of my house shrilled loudly. It broke my trance and I stood up.

" Hello? "

-"Brother. My sweet brother. Oh boy! Look how you are crying! I remember when your parents died, you cried just like this."

Frank started to laugh. His voice made me mad in rage.

-"Where have you kept them? And why are you doing this? Haven’t your done enough already? You have killed both their children."

-" It's all your fault. Years ago I thought you have died. Owning that property was never my desire. I have achieved more than that. But I was jealous. You got your parents' love while I was called a bastard. I thought that blast killed all three of you. Seeing you again, at your wife’s case, made me realize, the revenge was still on. I won't stop until you are dead. And I will kill everyone who is in love with you."

He hung up. I turned around. Angela was looking at me with curiosity.

-" Was it Frank?", she asked.

I nodded.

"Angela", I looked at the ceiling and let my eyes hover around the room.

"How did he know I am crying at my own home? "