Dark Guardian

by Ammar Habib

  William fiercely slammed his fist against the wall. “You selfish son of a gun! Don’t you realize what you’ve started!? For once there is hope on the streets! After four years of living in hell, people are finally finding the courage to stand up against tyranny! They think you’re here to help them get their country back! And now you’re abandoning them.” The reporter’s face began to turn red as his voice increased. “Just today police tried to harass a business owner. They were trying to collect protection money from him. And do you know what happened? For the first time, a group of bystanders stepped in and defended that man! People are actually helping one another. They have someone to look up to! Even if you are a cold hearted killer…and you’re just going to leave now because you’ve had enough?”

  Uncrossing his arms, Ethan turned around and began to leave.

  “You have a chance to start something here and you’re just going to walk away? What the hell am I supposed to do?”

  “I gave you the tools for your revenge. Go and get it if that’s what you want.”

  “Even if I get this evidence out there, the mayor will get away with it.”

  “No he won’t. The president would not let him live. ”

  William tried to think of something, anything, to stop him. He had hoped that it would not come to this. That he could keep this knowledge a secret. But he had to use it now. He finally played his trump card. “What about Anthony Griffin? What about your revenge…Ethan?”

  Ethan looked back to face the reporter. If there was any shock on his face, it did not show.

  “I figured out who you were after we first met.”

  Ethan was silent.

  “Griffin somehow responsible for that girl’s death, isn’t he?”

  Again, there was no response.

  “And you’re just going to let him walk?”

  “He’ll face his justice one day. I no longer need revenge to bring me peace.”

  “You’re afraid. You’re afraid of failing.”

  “I’m afraid what would happen to me if I succeeded.”

  William took a step towards his counterpart. “You don’t get it, Ethan. If I could figure out who you are, then one day they will. You know they won’t stop until they do. You’ve made them bleed too much for them to let you walk away. And the day they figure out who you are, there won’t be any place left for you to hide. Everything you love will be destroyed right before your eyes. You have to finish this.”

  There was a long silence before Ethan once again turned his back to the reporter. “I’ll help this city as Ethan Daniels, not some killer. I’ll use my resources and connections to do good. To spur change. But I won’t risk my life anymore. I can’t. I have too much to live for now.”

  With those words, Ethan opened the door and disappeared.

  ***

  “Ethan, have you heard a word I’ve said?”

  His thoughts suddenly came back to reality. He had been staring across the round table into Katrina’s deep eyes but had not heard a single word she had said over the past few minutes. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to ignore you.”

  Katrina slightly shook her head with a smile.

  The sun was almost at its peak in the sky now this Wednesday afternoon, but there were plenty of light clouds to keep away the heat. The two of them were surrounded by numerous round tables, most of which were occupied by well-dressed people on their lunch break. All of the tables were covered by thick, white tablecloths and had two black chairs on opposite sides. An off-white fence separated the outside part of the diner from the sidewalk.

  Ethan and Katrina’s table was only a few feet from the sidewalk to his left. To his far right were the brown doors that led to the inner part of the diner, but the tinted windows made it impossible to look inside.

  Except for the few people sitting alone, everybody seemed to be engrossed in deep conversation. Their loud voices consumed the air, but Ethan and Katrina could still hear one another. In front of him was an empty plate, except for some scattered crumbs. In front of her was a half-eaten, fresh salad. Next to each plate was a partially empty glass of water.

  Her long, black hair was straightened and she wore a yellow headband. She wore a pearl white, sleeveless dress that went to her knees. Thrown over the dress was a light pink cardigan.

  Ethan wore a pair of nice pants with a white, buttoned down shirt tucked into them. Over his shirt he wore a brown sport coat.

  “I was saying that I heard about you starting those boys and girls homes in the city. That you have already bought and donated the land and were starting construction within a month.”

  Ethan was surprised that word had gotten out. “Really? How’d you find out?”

  “My secretary told me, but I’m not sure how she knew.”

  “My plan is to go back to a lot of the places I travelled and build shelters for orphans. A lot of places aren’t safe for children on the streets and people take advantage of that. It’s…it’s something I saw a lot of. Once this project is underway, I plan to build some more shelters for the poor…especially women and children.”

  Katrina’s genuine smile grew as she heard his plan. “You’re going to change a lot of lives, Ethan.”

  “It’s what David would want. He would want me to use my resources this way.”

  “No, it’s what you want. You have a good heart Ethan. Don’t ever doubt that.”

  Ethan smiled, but looked away from her.

  “But you have really been distracted all day.”

  “Sorry, just had a lot on my mind.”

  “Anything you want to talk about?”

  Ethan leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. Looking down, he pushed the glass in front of him a few inches with his finger. He finally looked back up at her as she leaned on the table, anxiously waiting for him to speak. “I’m going to go see Brett today.”

  The fork dropped from Katrina’s hand and fell to the plate below it. Her eyes immediately lit up. “…God, Ethan! I can’t believe this!”

  “You were right, Katrina. It’s time for a fresh start. It’s time to forget about the past.”

  She reached over and excitedly took his hand in hers. “…when are you going?”

  “Around three. I think he comes home from work around then.”

  “David would be proud of you, Ethan, just like I am.”

  He looked down. “I know.”

  As their well-dressed waiter came towards them, Katrina let go of his hand and sat back upright in her chair. “Are you ready for the check, sir?”

  Ethan nodded and the young man put the receipt on the table. In a matter of moments, the waiter took the two plates out of the way and walked back inside.

  Leaning back in his seat, Ethan looked over at Katrina with a boyish grin. “You’re paying right?”

  “I’m sure David taught you to never let a woman pay for the meal.”

  Ethan picked up the check and quickly glanced at the total. “He might’ve mentioned that once or twice. The question is whether or not I listened.” Ethan pulled out a couple of bills from his wallet and set them on top of the receipt. “You know, your grandfather called me this morning.”

  “Really? What’d he say?”

  “That it’s about high time you and I got together. That he had been planning to forge a love letter from me and give it to you when you got back.”

  Katrina laughed and covered her mouth.

  Ethan looked down his watch. “You should probably get back to the office. I don’t want you to be late.”

  “I can’t be late. I own the place.”

  Ethan chuckled. “Amen to that.”

  Katrina leaned forward and lightly kissed him on the cheek . “Good luck with your father today, Ethan. Everything will work out for the best.”

  “…I know.”

  With a smile, Katrina turned around and began to make her way back towards the inside of the diner. After seeing her walk safely through the doors, Ethan looked around at all the surroun
ding people before checking his watch one more time. It was almost noon. He still had three hours to go before Brett would get home.

  When telling Katrina about his plans, he had failed to mention one thing: he was afraid.

  He was completely terrified of falling flat on his face and facing rejection once again. But this time, he would not let fear stop him. No matter how terrified he was, knowing that David would be smiling down gave him the courage to see this through. And Katrina’s reassurance gave him the conviction to stick out his hand once more.

  ***

  The old, beat up brown town car pulled up onto the driveway. It sputtered to a stop right outside the closed garage door, but Brett did not step out. As he pulled the keys out of the ignition, he looked at the man sitting on his neglected porch right outside of his front door. The man dressed in his brown pants and a tucked in, button-down white shirt.

  Under the shade of the patio and on top of the dirty welcome mat, Ethan sat against the entrance with his legs outstretched and his arms crossed. He wore a grim expression as he tried to hide his fear. His eyes were locked on Brett’s face as Brett looked away and down at his lap.

  After a long day of work, this was the last thing Brett had expected to find today.

  Sitting in his car under the hot sun, Brett had absolutely no idea what to do. He knew what he wanted to do. He knew that he wanted to get out of the car and walk straight up to his son. But fear was forcing him to stay in his seat. The fatigue of the work day had been replaced by trepidation, causing Brett’s heart rate to spike. Fear had become a boulder on his lap, forcing him to stay put.

  He looked back at Ethan, whose eyes were still fixed on him. He was waiting for Brett to get out of the car, waiting to see if he was ready to forgive.

  With a sudden move, Brett suddenly opened the door and pushed off the terror that was keeping him down. His son was here. He had put aside his ego and come here. Brett was not about to blow this chance and let his son slip through his fingers once again.

  He stepped out of the car. Standing on the driveway, he and Ethan locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity. The dirty blue walls of the house became completely invisible to him. Nothing else existed in his field of vision except his son. His palms began to sweat and it was not just from the heat.

  With a courageous move, Brett took a stride towards his house. Seeing his father coming, Ethan slowly rose to his feet. Brett walked up the steps to the porch. His eyes were still locked with his son’s as both of them looked for any sign of emotion on the other’s face. Wordlessly, he stopped just a few feet from Ethan right outside the screen door. His insides were trembling, but he did not show it.

  After a long, awkward silence, Brett spoke. “Why don’t you come inside?”

  Using the keys he held in his hand, Brett unlocked the front door to his house. He swung the door open and stepped aside, allowing Ethan to enter first. He tried to smile at his son, but failed to make the expression.

  Following Ethan into the foyer, Brett closed the door behind them before flicking on the lights. He felt like a complete idiot for not being able to smile. Standing a few feet away, Ethan turned around to look at Brett. This was the first time Ethan had ever been here. It was the first time Ethan had even been within ten miles of the place. Locking the door, Brett turned around. “I’m surprised you’re here.”

  “I’m surprised you let me in.”

  Hearing Ethan’s light tone, Brett slightly smiled.

  ***

  A few minutes later, Ethan sat on the edge of an old couch, while Brett sat uncomfortably on a red armchair directly in front of him. The fan above them slowly rotated while the ceiling light there lit up the room. The blinds were closed shut, completely concealing everything that happened inside the room from the outside world.

  Other than the sound of the rotating fan, there was complete silence. Neither person knew where to begin. They both wanted the same thing, but didn’t know what to say first. Brett finally looked up at his son. “So how have you been, Ethan?”

  Ethan looked up at Brett. “A lot better lately.”

  Brett slightly nodded in approval. “Good…good.”

  “And you? How’s work going?”

  “Oh, it’s fine. Can’t complain.”

  There was another awkward silence. Neither one of them could believe how polite their counterpart was being right now.

  Brett rubbed his chin thoughtfully, trying to figure out what to say next as Ethan looked around the room. “Do you want something to drink, Ethan? There’s soda in the fridge.”

  Ethan shook his head.

  “Have you seen Jonathan lately?”

  “He came by my place a while back, but not since then.”

  “That’s right. He told me he visited you.” Brett looked away for a brief second.

  “Hey, is this a bad time for you? I mean, do you have somewhere to go? I don’t mean to force myself on you.”

  “Oh, no. Not at all.”

  “The reason…the reason I’m here is that I need to talk to you about something.”

  Brett simply nodded.

  “I’m not really sure where to begin. I…well…” Ethan shook his head as he tried to gather his thoughts. “Were―were you standing outside my building a couple of weeks ago? I thought I saw you out on the sidewalk.”

  “I saw you out on the balcony. You…you looked very handsome.”

  The last sentence was spoken so softly and quickly that Ethan almost missed it. It was the first time Brett had complimented Ethan. He was not exactly sure how to respond to the praise, and his own reply was just as awkwardly said. “…thanks.”

  “Were…were you going on a date?”

  Ethan nodded.

  Seeing that, Brett’s eyes suddenly lit up for a split second. “With who?”

  “Her name’s Katrina. You’d like her…and so would Jonathan.”

  “I’m sure…that’s a very beautiful name.”

  Ethan was silent for a few moments. He did not respond to the compliment, but the words meant a lot to him. “Why were you there, outside my house?”

  Brett glanced down at the ground for a long time. “I…I wanted to see you, Ethan. I wanted to come and talk to you. I wanted to tell you…tell you…”

  “…You know, Katrina’s the one who convinced me to come here, convinced me to come and see you.”

  Brett’s gaze fell back on his son. “What did she tell you?”

  “She told me about my funeral. She told me about how you were the first one there and the last one to leave. About how…how sad you looked. And how Jonathan had to physically force you to leave the graveyard.”

  Brett was silent for a while. Ethan was not sure if he was considering denying that fact or if he was not sure what to say next. Once again, the only sound in the room was the rotating fan. Finally, a slight smile formed at the corner of Brett’s mouth. “She sounds just like your mother…this Katrina.”

  Hearing that, Ethan was silent once again, not knowing how to respond. Ethan looked away for a few, long moments. “Tell―tell me about her. Tell me about my mother.”

  For the first time in Ethan’s life, he saw a smile come onto Brett’s face. A genuine smile that could only be brought on by the thought of his late wife. This was a smile that Brett could never hide, no matter how hard he tried. “If anybody in this world was an angel, it was her.”

  Ethan leaned forward in his seat, encouraging Brett to continue.

  “From the first time I saw her, I knew that there was not another girl in the world like her. Everything she did was perfect. I mean everything. From the way she laughed, to the way she talked …to the way she would stare into my eyes.”

  As Brett spoke, a sparkle came into Ethan’s eyes.

  Brett let out a sigh as his smile disappeared. “But, she was the reason that David and I had a falling out. Your grandfather, he…he did not approve of her. He just thought she did not come from a good family. Of course, any good father would
have done what he did. And he was right. Your mother did not come from a very good family and David wanted what was best for me. I tried to explain to him that she was not like the rest of her family. She was different. She had a good heart.” The middle-aged man slightly shook his head. “But he would not listen. This went on for several months. Then, one night the argument got so bad that he kicked me out of the house with nothing but the clothes on my back. He thought that I would come back and ask for forgiveness…but I didn’t. I ended up marrying her the next day and I swore that I would never go back.”

  “And what happened then?”

  “Like I said, your mother was an angel. Every day after we got married, she encouraged me to go and make up with David. She said that I would never have true peace in my heart until I did. At first, I would not listen. I wanted nothing to do with him. I told her that David hated her, but she said that it did not matter. Sooner or later, David would accept her after he saw who she really was. After a while, I decided that she knew what was best for me.”

  “And did David take you back?”

  “Both of us. Seeing that she did not love me because of his wealth, David finally accepted her as a daughter-in-law. From then on, it was the happiest time of my life. And hers. It was only two years later Jonathan was born…and four years later you were born.”

  “And then mom died.”

  Brett solemnly nodded as his eyes looked back at the ground.

  “After that…after my mother died and David took me in, you and him fell out again. It was after you gave me up for adoption, right?”

  Again, Brett nodded without looking at Ethan. He wanted to tell Ethan that it was the most cowardly and sinful thing he had ever done, but the words did not come out.

  “And…because of me, you two never fully made up.”

  Brett did not even have to do anything for Ethan to get his answer. He looked back at his son and sadly nodded, expecting Ethan to come to his feet and start yelling. Brett knew that an outburst from his son was coming. He could tell by the way Ethan was speaking. This conversation would end just like every other one.