Dark Guardian

by Ammar Habib

  “As I was saying, the public knows that the police are corrupt and taking bribes and they are fed up. This is the perfect time to start a grass-roots movement that would force Congress to pass laws to restore the lost individual liberties, even if the President is opposed. If we know which reporters we can trust and which ones we can’t, it’ll be easier to do this while minimizing personal risk.”

  Charles looked away for a moment, deep in thought, reflecting on what had just been said. After several moments he looked back at his counterpart. “So you think William Jones can be trusted based on the article he wrote today about Eugene?”

  Ethan nodded.

  “I like what you’re saying, Ethan. I really do. But I don’t know if the others would be too keen on doing this.”

  “Others meaning?”

  “The rest of our aristocratic peers.”

  “Does it really matter what they think?”

  “Seeing as they own not just the money in this town, but run most of the nation’s economy, it does. Tell you what. I’ll meet with them all individually and tell them about our conversation. I’ll see how they feel about this and then let you know. But I will get you an interview with William.”

  “Fair enough.”

  Charles stood up. “Now, there’s another order of business. I have scheduled your grandfather’s auction for the 15th of next month. It’s at the country home and starts at eight in the evening. It’s very important that you be there. Many prominent citizens are attending. You being there will show that you stand for what David stood for. And like I said, if you want your plan to have a chance of success, it is crucial that you gain public support.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  A smile came to Charles’s face. “My God, you really have changed, Ethan. You’re not that short-tempered kid anymore, are you? You’ve grown up. David would be proud.”

  Ethan smiled back without replying.

  “Well, I really should be off. Its past dinnertime already and I don’t want to keep the family waiting. Any big plans for tomorrow?”

  “Not for tomorrow. I was planning on visiting David’s real es—my real estate office and talking to the manager, probably Friday morning. Do you know if Bradley’s in town?”

  “He should be. You’ll probably see him at the office when you go.”

  As Charles turned to leave, Ethan spoke once more. “One minute, Charles. What do you know about a man named Anthony Griffin?”

  Charles stopped and turned his head to face Ethan. “Supposedly he’s the man behind the cartel. Word is that he’s in Crown City, but nobody has any hard proof. Why do you ask?”

  “Just heard the name today and wanted to know. Before I forget to ask, did they ever catch Mr. Zhao’s killer?”

  “They did. It was his CEO and right hand man. Apparently they both had been taking bribes and Zhao was about to confess, so the CEO killed him. Hard to imagine really, but the evidence was overwhelming.”

  So they still believed that.

  As Charles left the room, Ethan turned and walked towards the large window. Coming to it, he put his hands behind his back and looked down at the view below. The sun had completely set now and not a shimmer of its light could be seen. He watched the pedestrians slowly make their way under the streetlights. Cars zoomed through the streets as people tried to make their way home in time for dinner. The downtown skyline glimmered in the darkness.

  Reaching into his pocket, Ethan pulled out one of the rainbow bracelets he had carried on his journey home. The bracelets that Naira had made before she died—before she had been killed. He stared at it intently, reaffirming what he had to do. Faking that he was happy to be back was beginning to grate on him but he knew his return wasn’t in vain.

  Anthony Griffin’s death would come soon, just not soon enough.

  Chapter 4

  Preparations

  A fourteen-year-old Ethan sat in the back of the sleek, jet black limousine, looking out the tinted window and at the streets of Zimba. Next to him, David expressionlessly looked through the morning paper. As they drove through the business district, Ethan could see people dressed in suits and ties walking up and down the sidewalks under the cloudy skies. With a sigh, the young adolescent glanced at his grandfather. “Why do we have to go back?”

  “Don’t start this again.”

  Ethan hung his head and looked down at the floor.

  David stole a quick glance at his grandson, before looking back at the paper and continuing, “I know you don’t want to leave your friends, and I know that you don’t want things to change. But that’s part of life, Ethan. You adapt and change.”

  His wise words fell upon deaf ears. “But why can’t I stay here. I mean, you don’t have to sell the house. You can go back to Crown City and I can stay here in Zimba.”

  “Ethan, don’t be ridiculous. You’re fourteen. How are you going to take care of yourself? You’re my responsibility.”

  Suddenly, Ethan’s voice sharply rose. “I don’t want to leave! Why can’t you understand that! I hate Crown City!”

  Calmly, David folded the newspaper and put it on the seat beside him. “Ethan, I know why you don’t want to go back. You’re hesitant about seeing your father and brother after all these years. But think of this as an opportunity to set things right. Not only for you and them, but for your future generations.”

  “I hate them, David! I don’t want to see them!”

  Again, David remained composed, ignoring Ethan’s tone. “Ethan, you’re too young to understand this, but until you find forgiveness in your heart, you’ll never be able to live in peace.”

  Ethan looked out the window, knowing that the conversation was over. “You don’t understand. You never understand.”

  David knew the other reason Ethan didn’t want to leave, but he didn’t bring it up, knowing that it wasn’t the time nor place to do so. He saw the way his grandson acted around Boris’ granddaughter. It was the same way David had behaved around his deceased wife before he proposed to her.

  Acting as if nothing had happened, he looked at the paper and picked up where he left off as the car continued to cruise down the bumpy road.

  ***

  Following his Friday morning routine, Bradley walked through the lobby doors five minutes until eight. Wearing a navy suit and red tie, the middle-aged man carried a yellow file folder under his arm as he walked under the florescent lights. His shoes squeaked on the recently cleaned floors as he strode to his office.

  As he passed his secretary’s desk, he nodded with a smile and prepared to walk through the door leading to his private office when her voice stopped him. “Sir, Ethan Daniels is in your office waiting for you. He arrived nearly an hour ago.”

  “You don’t say?” His expression showed his shock at hearing the news. “What has he been doing since he got here?”

  “He requested to see some files of our property holdings and took them into your office. He hasn’t come out since.”

  Bradley rubbed his chin for a quick second as he turned to the closed door of his office. Without a word, he left the receptionist’s desk and entered his office to find Ethan seated and reclining back in a brown, leather chair with his feet resting upon the desk. A stack of folders overflowing with papers sat next to his shoes. The computer screen in front of him was illuminated and he was staring at it quite intently. The young man was wearing a white buttoned-down shirt along with grey dress pants and a tailored grey sports coat.

  “Ethan Daniels. I never thought I’d walk in and find you, of all people, sitting in my office.”

  Ethan looked up from the screen with a slight smile and slowly came to his feet. “It’s good to see you too Bradley.”

  The two men shook hands. Ethan moved away from the chair, allowing Bradley to take a seat while he sat on the cushioned chair across the desk. As he settled in, the middle-aged man spoke. “Back only a few days and you’ve already made the front page. I read in the papers that you’re going to be
doing an exclusive interview with William Jones soon.”

  Ethan nodded. “As soon as I can find the time.”

  “I’m sure it’s all for the best.” Bradley changed the topic. “Now what would be important enough to make the young and wealthy get out of bed this early in the morning?”

  “Just thought I would stop by. Get to know my company better.” Ethan motioned over to the stack of folders. “I’ve been reviewing the books. Seems like you’ve been doing a good job keeping the company afloat since David’s passing.”

  “That’s an understatement. This last quarter has been the most profitable in the history of the company.”

  “I noticed. And the profits?”

  Bradley cleared his throat. “I’ve been having the profits earned since David’s passing placed in a separate account. I’ll have my secretary transfer it over to you before the day is over.”

  Ethan nodded approvingly as he looked back over at the folders. “I couldn’t help but notice a certain piece of property.”

  “Which one was that?”

  “The warehouse we own near the docks. I think it used to belong to the Brown Construction Company. The records state that David bought it nearly four years ago after they went out of business.” As he spoke, Ethan checked his phone to see if there were any new messages.

  Bradley thoughtfully paused for a moment before leaning forward. “Yes, I recall that piece. David thought that the price of the land would go up, but it hasn’t so far. In fact, it’s depreciated over the last year. The area is run down and has become a really nasty slum.”

  “I want to transfer it from the company’s account to my private one.”

  Upon hearing the request, Bradley raised his eyebrows. “Now why’s that?”

  A sly smirk emerged on the young man’s face. “Do I really need to give you a reason?”

  “I think I deserve one.”

  Coming to his feet, Ethan laid both his palms on the surface of the table and put his weight on it. “Well, seeing as I’m the sole owner of the company, everything the company owns is technically mine. I was just trying to be polite by asking you first.”

  There was a completely blank expression on Bradley’s face as he stared at his young boss. He couldn’t understand whether this was a threat or if his new employer was simply being sarcastic. He waited several seconds before breaking the awkward silence. “…Fair enough.”

  “I want it transferred before lunchtime.” Taking his hands off the table, Ethan put them into his pockets as he took a step back. “I need it for a meeting tonight.”

  “A meeting? With who?”

  “Someone you don’t know.” Ethan turned and left the room, leaving the manager alone.

  Bradley let out a sigh as he shook his head. David had always treated him like an equal, but it seemed as if his new boss was not going in that direction.

  He looked at his watch and realized that he had about half an hour now until his next appointment. He picked up the morning paper from his desk, and quickly scanned the headlines regarding a young man supposedly beaten to death by three officers. Apparently, his mom had withdrawn the charges filed against the police, no doubt in response to some sort of arm-twisting.

  Outside the building, Ethan slowly made his way under the cloudy morning sky towards his crimson Ferrari that sat in the empty parking lot. He heard a beeping noise come from his phone and he quickly pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was a message from Charles. Graveyard management had called him and affirmed that the tombstone change would be made before the week ended.

  Ethan put the phone away. He knew Bradley hadn’t taken it well when Ethan left him in the dark but about why he needed the warehouse, but he would get over it. And if he tried to prod the situation too much, Ethan would take care of his questions for good. Even if Bradley had been a friend of David’s.

  After all, Ethan was no stranger to murder.

  ***

  “You really have changed.”

  Sitting at his long dining table, Ethan turned his head to see a stout woman enter the room. “That’s what everyone keeps telling me. Hopefully it’s for the better.”

  As Marion came around, she took a seat next to her employer. “I never thought I would see you with a book in your hands.”

  Ethan replied with a smile as he set the book down. “Marion, you do know that I graduated valedictorian, right?”

  “But you did so without ever picking up a book.”

  “Can’t argue with you on that one.”

  “How was your appointment with Mr. Bradley?”

  “Couldn’t have gone better.”

  She nodded in approval as she glanced down at the bowl of chicken fettuccini in front of him. “Do you need anything else to eat?”

  “Oh no, not at all. I think Emanuel made enough for me to eat for dinner as well.”

  There was a brief silence before Marion spoke. “I know this is none of my business, but have you called that nice, young girl back. The one who left a message for you yesterday?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Well, she is a very sweet girl. Is she the girl whose picture used to be on your bedside?”

  The young man chuckled. “You still remember that, Marion?”

  “How could I forget!? It was the cutest thing. And if she is the same girl, then she is very sweet and very pretty.”

  Ethan looked down at his food as he shook his head before changing the subject. “I noticed that you dug out my old knife-throwing set. I’m surprised that you still had it.”

  “You used to take it everywhere you went…except school of course. Whenever you were at the country home you’d spend every moment you could get outside throwing the knives at those targets David had bought for you.”

  “It used to help me clear my head.”

  Marion leaned in a little closer. “Except for that one time you cut up your arm and had to get all those stitches.

  “Yeah, except for that time.”

  “But you were very good at it.”

  “David’s father used to throw knives for the circus so he taught David how and then David taught me. I guess it’s a family trade now.”

  “Did you keep it up during your travels?”

  “Not really.” There was a brief silence after he said the lie, but Ethan quickly broke it, again changing the subject. “Marion, why don’t you take the rest of the day off?”

  Her head jerked back as she shook her head. “Oh no, I can’t! There’s much to do here.”

  “It can wait. Go ahead and spend some time with the kids.”

  “But Eth—”

  “Think of it as an order.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out five hundred dollars. Taking Marion’s hand he put the money into her palm. “Buy the kids something nice from me.”

  An expression of awe came across Marion’s face as she stared at the money.

  “Besides,” Ethan continued, “I have to go to a late night meeting so I won’t get back until early morning.”

  Slowly, Marion put the money into her pocket. She spoke slowly, the expression of shock still covering her face. “Another meeting? May I ask with whom?”

  “A business associate. Well…sort of.”

  ***

  The air was still and the night was cold. Millions of stars glimmered across the clear, night sky alongside of the beautiful crescent moon that reflected down onto the shining city below. Ethan slowly proceeded through the dimly lit shipyard. An eerie silence encompassed the entire area and the distinct smell of the ocean consumed the air, reminding him of his first day back in Crown City. Massive, rectangular, steel crates were spread and stacked on top of one another. They were all different sizes and different colors, but the darkness made it difficult to distinguish their details.

  At least it would have been for the average man. However, Ethan’s eyes had been trained to adapt to the dark, and he could easily make out the features of each individual crate. The echo of his footsteps was all th
at could be heard as he walked across the concrete ground. To his left, past the high fence that enclosed him and the crates, he could see an immense fishing ship that had been pulled onshore for repairs. The white coating had been worn down through the years of its service. Hundreds of scratches and dents reflecting off its bow left it only a fraction of the beautiful ship that it once was.

  His black trench coat kept him warm from the relentless icy wind that surrounded him and encompassed the shipyard. Stopping under a flickering street light, he looked down at his watch. It was nearly an hour to midnight now. He was on time, but there was no sign of the other party. Ethan looked in the direction of a navy blue crate. “You can come out, Vlad. I’m not here to kill you…at least not tonight.”

  Three men emerged from behind the crate. Ethan immediately recognized the gruff-looking leader as the man he was here to meet. His tattered clothing gave him away even before Ethan had a chance to get a good look at his face. Just like Ethan had expected, there was a lit cigarette in his mouth. The two large men behind him were obviously sailors employed by the captain. He remembered seeing them on his journey back to Crown City.

  Ethan paid no heed to the two sailors as he stared intently at the captain. “Glad to see you’re on time, for once.”

  Vladimir took the cigarette out of his mouth and released a puff of smoke. Holding the cigarette between his two fingers, he spoke with a thick, Russian accent. “I loaded up your boxes as we agreed.”

  “Where?”

  With his head, Vladimir motioned to a parked eighteen-wheeler right outside the gate.

  Ethan quickly glanced in the vehicle’s direction but then returned his gaze to the captain. “You sure it’s all in there? I would hate to make two trips.”

  With a smirk, Vladimir replied, “Why? Do you rich boys have a bedtime?”

  One of the sailors snickered at his boss’s remark, but Ethan ignored it. “I’m sure the boxes remain unopened as requested.”