by Ammar Habib
Katrina slightly nodded. “The company’s project is in a stage where it needs his direct supervision. Grandpa is feeling better now so he’s coming down to check the progress for a few weeks. Then he’ll go back.”
“But you’re staying, right?”
She again nodded with a smile.
Ethan smiled at her response. “Grandpa and I were talking about all of us going on a road trip for a couple of weeks.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Grandpa?”
“He asked me to start calling him that.”
“Really?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“But these plans? How come you didn’t ask me?”
“Well, as he put it, you only live once. It was his idea. We’ll take a two week road trip, leaving this Sunday. Then he’ll spend a couple of weeks attending to the company’s matters. I’ve already picked out the spots to hit up. You’ll love it. We’ll go scuba diving, do a little hiking and rock-climbing, visit some historical sites. It’ll be fun.”
Seeing his boyish excitement, she laughed. “I’m sure it will be.”
Playfully, she leaned over and bumped her shoulder into his. He acted like he was about to fall down and she pulled on his arm to help him keep balance. Reaching the top of the hill, Ethan saw Ivan standing next to the black vehicle. He lightly waved towards the bodyguard. This time, the Russian quickly waved back. Ethan turned towards her and was about to make a comment about how Ivan was starting to like him, but he stopped when he heard Katrina speak. “Besides, I’ve always wanted to see more of the country.”
***
The death of Shaun O’Hara was old news two days after he was found dead in his bedroom. Like all stories, it became obsolete when a bigger one hit the newsstands. Even the story of the police chief’s death seemed like ancient history. The police were not pursuing an investigation, classifying it as a suicide.
William stared at the front page of the newspaper on his desk. He had hoped that his article showing Chavez’s corruption would lead to his resignation, maybe even a trial. He never could have fathomed that it would lead to Mayor Chavez’s death by assassination.
But that was what happened. This morning, a sniper took him out as he stood near his office’s window. There were rumors that Chavez was planning on silencing the press once more until they rebuked the article about his corruption and said that it was false. There were already rumors that the president ordered Chavez killed, believing that if people dug into his corruption enough, it would lead to him.
Of course, now that he was dead, people were too busy talking about what a great man he was. The media seemed to be focusing on his two good deeds, not the thousands of evil acts he had committed. No one was interested in knowing the dark, dirty secrets of Chavez. Nobody cared if he had been doing illegal business under the direct orders of the president.
And as for the assassin, his identity was a secret. There were no leads. The only description had come from a homeless man who had claimed to have seen the assassin sniping from the rooftop. He said the assassin had curly brown hair and was fair skinned, with a well-toned body.
Of course, that description did not help much.
William angrily flung the newspaper into the trash bin that rested next to his desk. He had thought he would rejoice at this moment. His family’s deaths had been avenged, hadn’t it? The two men responsible were dead and gone. There was nobody alive left to blame.
But what had he really accomplished? The mayor was being honored like a hero. The masked killer was being blamed for the death of O’Hara and the police had even more reason to find him. Even O’Hara’s parents were being given the highest award a police officer could receive.
William wished he could go and kill that scumbag again.
And this new commissioner. This Victor Sanchez character. Where the hell did he come from? The day before he was assassinated, the mayor named him as Robert Dawson’s replacement. Then, the mayor is killed off and Victor’s first official business is to classify Dawson’s death as a suicide. It was all too convenient. If William was a betting man, he would vouch that Victor was working directly under Anthony Griffin.
In the place of two dictators were now two devils.
***
Ethan stood atop the white stage behind the podium. With blinding lights obnoxiously staring him in the face, a crowd of elegantly dressed people stood before him in the large party hall. Vibrant colored balloons were everywhere. Bright lights illuminated every crook and corner of the room. Numerous black and gold banners hung from the ceiling with the name “David & Naira Foundation” boldly inscribed upon them. There were two rows of smooth, circular columns spaced out between the front of the hall and the stage. They gave the hall a very formal look. To both sides of the room were long buffet tables completely covered from end to end with food of all kinds.
Looking into the crowd, Ethan spotted Jonathan standing in his black tuxedo. He wore a proud smile seeing his brother behind the podium and his father by his side. A few feet away from them he saw Cathy and Katrina. His sister-in-law wore a beautiful green gown, while Katrina looked stunning in her dark pink ball gown. He even saw Charles standing in the back of the crowd. Charles tried to hide it, but Ethan could see him smiling.
The crowd was completely silent as they waited for Ethan to speak. He looked over the scribbled on note card sitting right in front of him. He could feel Brett’s proud gaze on him. Bradley stood to his left and kept his eyes on the crowd as he chivalrously smiled at each and every person. That smile alone could raise millions of dollars.
“My late grandfather, David, would have been proud to see this day. I don’t think even he could have ever imagined me doing something like this. As most of you know, I wasn’t the easiest teenager to live with.”
The crowd let out a quick laugh.
“But I guess people do change. I really appreciate everyone coming out here. Just having this many people show up means the world to me. It’s really reassuring to everyone involved in the foundation. I would like to thank everyone who helped put this together, especially my father, Mr. Brett Daniels. He did a great job of organizing this event.”
As the crowd politely applauded, Ethan turned and smiled at his father.
“And, of course, I’d like to thank Mr. Bradley Green. He’s done an amazing job over the last couple of weeks getting the land for our multiple projects and getting the construction crews in line. I’ll tell you what, I’m amazed by the amount of work he can get done in a single day. He’s been absolutely amazing behind the scenes. And he’s also been amazing at letting me take all the credit.”
There was another round of applause and some more laughter.
“And, of course, I want to thank everyone here for bringing their checkbooks. It wouldn’t be as good a night without them.”
As another short burst of amusement came from the crowd, Ethan looked to his right.
“Here to present us with our first donation, Mr. Boris Weaving has flown in all the way from Zimba.”
An elderly man dressed in a brand new suit came onstage. Wearing a pair of glasses, his hair was perfectly combed over. He gave off such a sense of energy that nobody here could have guessed he had been too sick to travel only a few weeks ago. Quickly following him was his young assistant who carried a very large cardboard check made out in the amount of 5 million dollars. The two men shook hands before Ethan leaned over and gave Boris a long hug. Boris waved to the crowd and was greeted with a standing ovation.
Ten minutes later, Ethan was offstage mingling with the crowd. Surrounded by well-dressed people, he felt numerous pats on the back as people walked by him. He did his best to acknowledge each one, but missed a handful. Ethan shook hands with his business associate as Charles spoke. “Good job up there. You sounded just like David.”
“I’m glad you decided to come out.”
“I reviewed the file you left…several times.”
“That’s a good sign.”
“And I think it’s something we should do. Come by my house tomorrow morning and we’ll talk about it.”
“Definitely.”
“By the way, I fired Emanuel. He’s not exactly what you’d call the ideal chef.”
“Welcome to my world.”
Charles lightly chuckled. “But I think Marion would be glad to see you.”
“The feeling’s mutual.”
“I’ll visit the donation boxes on my way out. I am sure the figure will be to your liking.”
“Every bit helps.”
He reached over and put his hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “I was wrong, Ethan. David would be proud of you for everything that you’re doing.”
“It means a lot coming from you.”
With a genuine smile, Charles turned around and began to make his way to the donation boxes as he pulled out his checkbook. Ethan stood still as he watched his associate make his way through the crowd. Soon, the old man was out of sight.
Ethan stood in the same position with his hands at his sides. He was amazed by the amount of people at the boxes writing out checks. Seeing this many people doing the right thing brought an unfathomable amount of joy to his heart. Sensing somebody coming up from behind him, Ethan slightly smiled knowing who it was. He could sense she was only a few feet away, but acted like he was oblivious to her.
Katrina came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him as she laid her chin upon his shoulder. She tightly squeezed him for an instant before loosening her grip. He turned his head to the side to look into her eyes as she spoke. “You looked great up there.”
“Not as good as you looked down here.”
She lightly laughed as they rocked side to side for a few moments before she let go.
He turned around to face her. “Have you started packing for the trip yet?”
“I finished this morning.”
“Look at you go! I haven’t even started.”
She leaned in a little closer until their foreheads almost touched. “Slacker.”
Ethan let out a laugh before looking to his side to see the next person headed his way. The elderly fellow held a half full glass of wine in his hand and wore a beaming smile on his face. He was fighting through the last line of the crowd as approached the young couple.
“Well, look at you two lovebirds.” From the surrounding crowd, Boris emerged with his arms outstretched. Katrina sheepishly looked downwards as her grandfather quickly came closer. Coming upon the duo, he wrapped his arm around both of them and gave them a quick hug. “Ethan, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your brother and sister-in-law. They both seem like very lovely people.”
“They’re the loveliest people I know. I take it you’ve been testing out the food.”
Boris nodded. “It’s the best food I’ve had at a fundraiser, but that’s not saying much.”
Ethan quickly chuckled. “I know what you mean. The lack of good food is why I avoid attending these types of things. I’d rather grab a burger and send the check in the mail.”
Boris let out a thunderous laugh as he patted Ethan on his shoulder. “Good man.” He looked over at his granddaughter. “Maybe we can go to that burger joint Katrina’s been bragging to me about.”
Ethan looked over at Katrina surprised. “Really? I thought she hated it.”
“Not at all. She loved it.”
Ethan and Boris looked back at one another. “In that case I guess we can go.”
Boris let out a quick chuckle. “Now Katrina’s been filling me in on some of your activities.”
“Hopefully only the good things.”
“She told me you’ve been spending almost every day this week at a lot of orphanages speaking to children.”
“Well not the entire week. We managed to catch movie last night.”
“Don’t humble your good deeds, Ethan. Just know that David would be proud of you—I take it back. He is proud of you.”
Those words brought more joy to Ethan’s heart than Boris knew. “Thanks, grandpa.” Ethan began to look around at the surrounding crowd. “By the way, have you seen my dad? I hope he’s not too overwhelmed.”
Boris nodded as he pointed towards the donation boxes. “He’s entertaining some guests who have big pocketbooks. He has quite a knack for this sort of thing.”
Following Boris’s finger, Ethan saw Brett surrounded by four men in black tuxedos. They were all laughing and smiling at his jokes while two of them were scribbling in their checkbooks. The father and son locked eyes for half a moment and Ethan sent his father a reaffirming nod.
***
The newly appointed Police Chief Victor Sanchez entered the domain of the only man he feared. Standing in the doorway, he looked across the room and at none other than Anthony Griffin.
In his private gym, Anthony sat upright on a long padded bench. Both arms were fully extended above his head and in each hand he held a dumbbell weighing over 100 pounds. He hardly seemed to be feeling any fatigue during his routine. His sleeveless shirt showed off the intimidating muscles he had built up over the years. Muscles that had come in handy when he had personally beat people to death with his own hands.
Seeing his subordinate, Anthony carelessly dropped the two weights on the floor and picked up the towel that sat by his feet. He casually wiped his face before slinging the towel over his shoulder and looking back at Victor.
“It appears as if our assassin is more elusive than we imagined, sir.”
“I take it the search of the docks is complete?”
Victor nodded.
“So he’s escaped then?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And we’re no closer to getting him than before?”
“Correct…sir.”
He was expecting to face Anthony’s wrath upon delivering the news. Anthony had a reputation for slaying people who failed him, just like he had sent Victor to kill Robert. It did not matter how loyal you were. The pain he received from the masked killer slicing his arm would pale in comparison to what Anthony would do.
But no punishment came.
Anthony expressionlessly sat on the bench for several moments as if he was lost in thought before breaking the silence with his chilling voice. “Sometimes it takes time to catch a prey…but they always get caught. All we have to do is wait. One day somebody will come forward with the identity of this ‘guardian’.” He looked over at his subordinate. “All we have to do now is patiently wait in the grass for our prey to make the wrong move. We have thousands of eyes in the city. Loyal eyes. One of them will see something sooner or later. Then, we’ll turn our prey and everything he loves into nothing more than a pile of ash.”
Victor silently nodded.
“Nobody escapes me.” Anthony cruelly smiled. “Ever.”
Chapter 25
Freedom
Time stops for nothing. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. Winter replaced the fall and snow replaced the grass. The trees were stripped barren of their leaves as the holiday season blew in.
Five months had passed since Ethan’s first charity ball. The road trip that the he took with Katrina and Boris went above and beyond their expectations. Every experience they had had become a life-long memory for the three of them. It had been a time for love to bloom and grow in all their hearts.
After the trip, Boris had only stayed two more weeks before he and Katrina departed for Zimba. But a few weeks later, she returned to Crown City due to some of the company’s newer projects, expecting to stay past New Year’s Day this time.
Ethan’s charity foundation became his focus for the past few months. It raised much more finances than he was expecting. At first he had thought most of the money would come out of his pocket, but in the end they received more than enough donations to start everything. Including the nation’s orphanages he had taken under his wing, all the new orphanages built over the last five months were currently holding tens of thousands of children collectively that would have otherwise been on
the streets, where the chances of them becoming involved with the cartel were much higher. The women’s shelters had helped countless women get back on their feet after escaping abusive relationships. Many of them had run from their homes with nothing but their children and the clothes on their back. They had started to build many orphanages in the foreign nations that had granted them permission. The first international orphanage built was in Naira’s hometown. Ethan appropriately named the orphanage after his sister. It currently housed almost a hundred girls. Ethan went as far as to hire a private security firm to protect the orphanage from potential kidnappers.
Ethan’s plan to prosecute officers suspected of abusing their powers and crimes against the people was working just like he and Charles had predicted. They had numerous officers currently on trial, and they were optimistic. Ever since they started to have success with prosecution, it seemed like majority of the officers out on the streets had toned down their abusive ways. Although riots and outright violence against officers had almost come to a halt, there was still an air of defiance against the corrupt.
But it had not been completely peaceful time. Three officers had been killed. All of them had been accused of crimes but had not been convicted. Each of the three men had been shot dead while sleeping. The police tried to pursue their leads, but had little evidence to go off of. They were accusing the masked killer of these crimes. Ethan was the only person in the city who knew who the real killer was. After all, Ethan had given him the gun.
But none of that mattered today.
The pond was covered in a thick layer of ice, completely marked up by scratches as numerous children and their parents gracefully skated atop the frozen waters. They were dressed in thick jackets and warm scarves. Most everyone, except for a few young ones, looked like professional skaters. Joyous and cheerful laughter was coming from every corner. Around the park that surrounded the lake, children and adults joined together in making snowmen, sledding down the smooth slopes, and battling one another in snowball fights. Snow was constantly flying through the air as people ran after one another on the glorious day.