The Last flower

Chapter 2

ISAAC'S POV

I was sitting at home watching a game of football, screaming at the top of my lungs at the guy that just missed the goal for the second time in ten minutes. How are the teammates still passing the ball to him I don't know. But if we don't get a goal in the remaining five minutes of the game my team is surely going to lose. I won't be able to navigate myself at work without someone going in on me for supporting a losing team. I cannot watch this anymore. Right when I was about to shut the TV off my phone rings. Grabbing it and looking at the screen I groaned pinching my brow. God this day cannot be getting any better. I answered the phone.

"Hello", I said.

"Isaac mate we found them", my best friend August said from the other side of the phone.

Confused I answered. "Who have we found".

"Seriously, have you been in the meeting for the past three months? We have been going on and on about the last two members of the Patrick's family. There were in hiding and resurface a couple of weeks ago as the old bat is ill and in hospital", he said excitedly.

I didn't understand why August and his family were so obsessed with this so-called Patrick's family. If I had concentrated during these meetings maybe just maybe I might have learned something.

"Why were you looking for them again. And also, do you kiss your mouth with that tongue. It's rude to call women names", I said impatiently for him to just get the point.

"It's a family tradition. We have been tracking the whole family over the years and dropping them off one by one. It started with my great-great-grandfather and was just passed on from generation to generation. It's my turn to take over the hunt now. Kind of sad now it is going to end after these two", he said like it was nothing to hunt down a whole family.

"So, what is my role in all of this", I asked angrily. I do not want any death on my conscience

I could hear him laughing in the background, "You are my friend are going to track them for me. And then I can go in the family records as a legend who finished off what Augustus started".

"And if I say no", I asked not liking this plan at all.

"Well, I love you like a brother, but you will be fired. It's just better to join the family business. The real family business", he bluntly said. From hearing his voice, he was not laughing anymore.

"Dude we have been friends for more than ten years and all this time you failed to mention that you come from a nutcase family that hunts down people and kills them off one by one. What sort of cruelty is this? I'm starting to reconsider our friendship, I mean do all your friends know about this?", I asked now getting upset.

Not only was I talking to this i***t about offing people, but I was also watching the last of the game and my team lost. I was not going to hear the end of it tomorrow.

"None of these friends work with me. So, telling them is not relevant. You however are the best tracker we have with your military background. So, you are going to be a good soldier and track this old bat and her granddaughter and report back. Do you understand"

I cut the phone on him and took a breath. What have I gotten myself into because this is all kinds of messed up? I stood up and walked to my computer desk located to the right of the sofa I was seating in. Turning on the machine, I typed in my login detail and opened the mail. I scrolled down the inbox to find any of the brief emails on Patrick's family. After a few minutes of scrolling down the inbox, I found an update email on a meeting I missed to discuss Patrick's family.

Looking more into this email I need to find information on Elizabeth and Melody Patricks. I let out a frustrated breath, typing the names into the database I canceled off everyone in the area not fitting the description and it didn't take me a lot of time to locate them at St Mary's Hospital. I mean even a pigeon could have located these people without me having to get involved.

I opened the hospital files of Elizabeth Patrick's and I started to scroll down the file to see if there is anything I need to know. I learned the lady is 72 and in end-of-life care as she had failing kidneys and could not have surgery. From the doctors' notes, she did not have much longer to live but a timeline is not indicated. I felt sorry for her to have to struggle like that. I could not look into the file anymore and closed it.

I then investigated Melody, there was not much information on this girl except for registration details for online classes. It got me even more curious to dig more information but decided against it.

I stood from my seat and walked to my bedroom. I easily located my combat boots, wallet, and keys. Putting on my shoes I just thought of this family and the pain they must be going through to lose all those people. Do they even know who is doing this? I wondered.

Making sure I have everything I need I walked out of my apartment and to the car. The drive to the hospital was filled with me contemplating if I should carry on this task. Maybe lie to August and tell him I could not find these people. But at the end of the day, he knows me so well and can tell if I'm lying.

As I parked at the hospital entrance I looked at the entrance and this girl did not even make it hard for me to locate her as I saw her crossing the road to the park opposite the hospital. I watched as she walked to the pond and sit on the bench. I contemplated whether to follow her or just stay in the car. After a few minutes, I decided to get out of the car to stretch my legs.

Walking towards the direction of the pond, I found a tree to my body on. I noticed the park's delicate lights shown over her comely figure which was nice and curvy judging but the way the blanket was hugging her. Her face caught me by surprise, she had a symmetrical face framed by lovely midnight hair. As I looked closer, I notice nicely shaped eyebrows and long eyelashes, but I could not make out the color of her eyes. Her lips though, lord have mercy. I decided not to act like a p*****t and continue to shamelessly look at this girl.

I was about to walk back to my car when she stood up, stretched her muscles, and turned to walk back to the hospital. Taking a step back to hide more behind the tree, I stepped on a dry twig of all things which made her turn in my direction. There is no place I can go now. 

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MELODY'S POV

You know the moment your body goes into a fight or flight response, I was feeling it at that moment because I have a real fear of shadows and ghosts which is weird since I'm comfortable sitting or standing in the dark. I tried to strengthen my back, look strong and shout out confidently.

"Whoever or whatever you are, you can't scare me. Come out from behind that tree or I swear to God I will bring down the thunder on you", I said as confidently as I could.

If I was being serious with myself, I sounded terrified like having a c***k in a windshield that can grow at the slightest bump in the road. Whoever this person is in the shadows did not have to know about that though.

For some reason what I said must have been funny to this person because I started hearing a full-on belly laugh. From the sound, it sounded like a man, and upon looking more at this shadow, it looked like he was leaning on the tree.

"Come out now!", I shouted.

He stopped laughing and started coming out from behind the tree and my God he was handsome. I bet a lot of women flock themselves at him. Standing at around 6'2, in combat boots and trousers I suspected he has had some type of military training. Even under those clothes, you can tell he was built like a brick house, with strong legs that can probably squeeze melons. The clothes he was wearing hugged him beautifully. I did not go far with my ogling before I heard,

"Are you finished looking at me or do you want me to stand in another position so that you can look at me some more", he said chuckling to himself.

Embarrassed I looked away and turned to look at the pond instead. I felt surprised I was not terrified anymore in the company of this stranger. In fact, I felt relaxed.

"Who are you and why were you hiding behind a tree?", I asked.

He looked at me uncomfortably shifting his weight to his right leg. He was quiet for a while and finally took a deep breath scratching the back of his head.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you", he said.

Well, what am I supposed to think about that? Is he some kind of an assassin coming to kill me or something? I tilted my head to the side looking at him curiously.

"Mmmm you look like some type of GI Joe with that trousers you got on and those shoes. So that means you are either coming from a mission and just looking for entertainment starring at a girl in the park, or you are here to kidnap me and do god knows what to me", I thought out loud. I don't think I would have minded being kidn*pped by this good-looking person but I quickly scratched that from my mind. Be careful what you wish for that's what l told me.

He just stared at me in shock but quickly covered it with a small smile.

"Well smart lady you caught me. I was walking towards the hospital and saw you just sitting there by yourself. For a moment I thought you were asleep, and then I felt bad to leave you vulnerable. Call me whatever you want but I would have protected you if something were to happen to you", he said smiling more

If I was naïve I would have fallen for his charms, since I had a wide-angle view of this park and I didn't see anyone walk from the direction he is speaking of but I decided to play along.

"Why thank you, good sir. Such a gentleman taking care of a vulnerable damsel in distress. I am forever in your debt", I even exaggerated my bow for good measure.

"You are so welcome my fair lady", he said bowing as well playing along with me and ruining my fun altogether. I rolled my eyes at that.

"What is the name of my hero", I asked laughing to myself curious to know how long this conversation will last.

"Uhh, my name is, wait for you first", is this a game he is playing or what because there is no way l am sharing my name without him sharing his.

"I asked first. Plus, you are the one that was creeping behind a tree doing god knows. Why should I trust you with my name first", I was standing ready to be going back to the hospital before I saw this handsome guy, so I sat back down enjoying talking to someone else other than my grandmother.

I carried on looking at him, he did not seem like the serial killer kind. But then again, I have not been in the outside world for long enough to get an actual read on people. Maybe this is why my grandmother says I am so trusting sometimes. I just pray this does not bite me in the backside.

"Ok ok, I will tell you. My name is Isaac. Happy now", he said with a bit of sadness in his voice. Studying his face more he looked like he was guilty of something which made me even more curious about this person. So before I could think twice I said,

"I'm Melody, come and sit with me. I can talk for a bit before I have to go back to the hospital"

He weirdly looked at me probably weighing the options to either come and sit with me or to leave. After like a minute of waiting he started walking towards me and finally sat down. We fell into a comfortable silence for a while which was weird for me since he was a stranger.

"So, you invite me to sit next to you, and then you don't have anything to say", he finally said looking in my direction.

"I just thought to give you time so that you can actually tell me why you were looking at me behind that tree. I know you said you were trying to protect me but why do I get the feeling there is more to this story of yours", l said hoping he tells me the truth. This damsel in distress story he gave me sounded too good to be true. I may be naïve sometimes but even I know in this world no one just takes their time to stand and protect someone they do not know.

"If I tell you, you won't believe me. All you need to know is that I'm not going to hurt you", he said still looking into space.

He said he will not hurt me but then again with what my grandmother was telling me, should I be trusting people. I decided I just put myself in a ditch inviting this person to sit next to me, may as well talk to my heart's content and have a conversation with someone other than my grandmother for a change.

"Well, I will trust you for now. I just needed a break from being in the hospital. Do you know how depressing it can be in there?. My grandmother is not well, and she has not been 100% for a while. When she is asleep, I just like to do something that will distract me and take my mind off stuff", I said mostly to myself as I turn towards the pond.

"I'm sorry to hear about that. I cannot keep you here since you need to go to your grandmother. You were about to leave earlier", well damn him for already dismissing me before I even got started on my ranting. But he was right, the sky was beginning to lighten up and my grandmother usually wakes up early.

I smiled, "Ok then. It was nice to meet you Isaac and hopefully I see you next time I come out of the hospital for a walk".

He just smiled at me and stood up. "See you", he said and started walking towards the hospital. Went to a car on the roadside, got in, and drove off.

Well, that was weird. I told myself before I stood up for the second time and walked towards the hospital.

When I walked into the hospital waiting area again it had quieted down some. Everyone left to see the doctors or nurses didn't look like they were in much pain. But then again most of them were just resting their eyes. People don't look like they are in a lot of pain when they are asleep.

I got into the escalator and pressed the floor number where my grandmother is, waited patiently until the doors opened and I got out of the escalator to my grandmother's room.