Meeting Again

I and mum were shocked into silence. Even dad looked dumbstruck by his own confession. He closed his eyes for sometime regaining his composure and opened them, exhaling loudly, like trying to stabilize his emotions, before a.s.suming his cold indifferent mask. My mouth was open wide enough to fit a egg into it. I was staring at Dad speechless. Dad had Twen with him all this time? It was mum who recovered first, and asked in an angry firm tone,

"What do you mean, Ric? Didn"t you just said that you backed out?"

"Yes I did. But Stephan didn"t put his plans to rest" Dad replied, looking agitated, "You know that in the past his import-export business was just a sham. He used the business as a pretext to smuggle drugs and made his fortune through that. I was worried that he would use the drugs on the boy. So, I got back on plan only this time I told him to hand the boy over to me"

"And what about Tony?" I asked hurriedly

"What about him? I don"t care what he does to him! I didn"t wanted the kid involved so I got him out of the way!" he said with cold indifference

"So, all this time you knew where Twen is and you kept lying!" Mum said, now angry tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

Dad didn"t looked at us and was staring at the opposite wall. He didn"t look remotely guilty rather he had a determined look on his face. He spoke emotionlessly,

"I just did what I should, for this family and business. That Omega was obstructing it and I just removed the obstacle, that"s all!"

I and mum were speechless. I never thought that all this would take such a grim turn. I was relieved that Twen was not in the hands of that awful man"s minion but at the same time, I felt furious that Dad had put Twen and Tony in danger. Heck! Tony is still in danger. It is already more than forty minutes since he had been abducted. I can only hope that That sick a**hole doesn"t do anything to him before I reach him.

"Where"s the child, Ric?" Mum asked in deadly calm voice

"In our farm house. I had two bodyguards by him and sent Dr. Foster to check on him. He is fine" Dad replied, off-handedly.

Mum and I looked at each other. She spoke to me in a soothing voice, "Honey, I"ll go check on him. You focus on finding Tony!"

I nodded. I saw dad didn"t stop her. She looked at dad, and there was clear disappointment in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. She closed her eyes, exhaled deeply, turned and left.

Now, we both were the only one"s in the room. My heart had already been beating so fast, that I am surprised, it hadn"t exploded yet. I asked dad in a grim dark voice,

"Where is Tony?"

"I don"t know" Dad replied coldly

"STOP LYING" I said with thunderous roar. Even someone as cold as dad too looked at me with shocked expression. I stormed down the room and slammed the gla.s.s table top hard enough to break my own hand, "You said you didn"t know where Twen is when you had him all this time. And now your lying about the whereabouts of Tony. Tell me where he is or else I wouldn"t leave any stone unturned to destroy this beloved business of yours"

Dad gave me a frozen look. He spoke each word through gritted teeth, "I got back on plan to get the kid out of the way, why would I stop Stephan from removing that Omega from my path? I left the rest to him. I don"t know where he took your b*tch!"

I got numb. I could see that this time dad wasn"t lying. I turned and quickly picked up the phone to make a call to Fred. I can only hope, his cousin can track Tony down though, I don"t know how. I turned to dad and glared at him but he ignored me. I spoke to him coldly,

"I hope you can explain the facts to the cops. I am abdicating my position as the heir"

"WHAT?" Dad hissed, "Listen here, you brat, I didn"t raise you and train you so that you can walk out from our family as you wish! This family and this business is suppose to be carried on-"

"I refuse!" I thundered, "I don"t want anything to do with the family that threatens the life of my son and my partner!"

"Is your relationship with that d.a.m.ned Omega so important that you would give up on your father? Are you going to abandon your mother for that b*tch?" Dad retorted furiously

"ENOUGH" I roared turning to him, gripping my cellphone in tight trembling grip, "What father puts the business above his son"s happiness? What father puts the lives of two innocents in danger to prevent their family honour? What had Tony even done to be the victim of your wrath?"

Dad glared at me gritting his teeth. He bristled angrily, "That Omega had literally broken our family apart!"

"NO! TONY DIDN"T BROKE OUR FAMILY APART! YOU DID!" I yelled so loudly that my throat felt strained, "It was your blind following of family tradition that didn"t let you see our love or mother"s loneliness! To you, I was and am always just a tool to proceed your family business. From my childhood, all I have heard and learnt was family business!! When have you ever spoken to me or spent time with me as a family?"

I could see that dad was tongue tied. He looked taken aback by my sudden reversal in att.i.tude. I guess I just had had enough. All this time I followed whatever dad said without a word hoping against hope that one day he would recognise my hardwork and talent. That one day we would be able to have a family dinner or spent some time together but that day never came. Once I was successful in one endeavour, dad would hand me another. It was never ending. Neither I had my family around nor did I had one genuine friend. All those who wanted to be close to me was only because of my status as the heir of the Walker family. The only person ever showed genuine feelings and love for me without even knowing my true origin was Tony. And to maintain my dad"s so-called societal standard, I even abandoned him. The bitterness and emptiness I had felt all this years had finally burst forth. I just couldn"t stop myself any more.

"Tony never chased me, I did. Whether in high school or now, it always was me who chased after him. You call him cheap gold digger but he had never asked me for a single penny ever. He never blackmailed me even though, he had my son and could have easily done so. He just wanted to live a peaceful life but now..."

I couldn"t speak as a lump formed in my throat. My eyes welled up to realize it was all my fault that Tony and Twen had to go through such sufferings again! I had desperately wanted to give them a better life. I just wanted them to live happily but because of me they both got into such a mess. Dad too didn"t speak. His eyes was bulging as he stared at me. I looked up at him, hatred burning in my eyes,

"I will never forgive you for this dad! Never! If anything happens to Tony, you will lose your son and this business as well!" I said, turning around and making a call to Fred.

Dad was clutching his fist tightly. He was looking at the floor and his black and white hair covered his eyes. I couldn"t tell what he was thinking or what emotions he was going through but frankly I don"t care any longer. The phone rang just three times when I heard the booming voice of Fred,

"Did you talk to your dad? What news about Champ and Tony?"

"Twen is fine. I am texting you the address where he is. My mum had already gone to retrieve him. Can you please ask Sam to go too?"

"You found Champ? What about Tony? Is he there as well?" Fred asked in a shocked voice

"No. Dad got Twen but Tony was taken by someone else" I said, my voice breaking

"Who took him?" Fred asked, his voice suddenly sombre

"His name is Stephan Olsen. Please Fred can you, can you trace him?" I pleaded.

There was a momentary pause. Fred spoke in a serious tone, "Olsen? Don"t tell me it that celebrity faced politician! Why would he..."

"Please find him. Please! Before that b.a.s.t.a.r.d does anything to Tony, please find his whereabouts!" I was trying so hard to hold back my panic and tears that it was almost choking me

"What is it, uncle? You don"t sound well!" Fred asked, concerned

"Please find him! I"ll send you the cell phone number, and the car-" I started saying when

"That won"t work. He has a burn phone and he never uses his own car" It was dad but his voice sounded strange, almost like a robot

I looked at dad bewildered. He wasn"t looking at me. His face was still hidden behind his hair. I asked in a doubtful voice,

"What do you mean?"

"He is a old crook. He won"t do anything that could possibly trace him down" dad still spoke in the same mechanical voice, "Trace Amanda. The last time I saw him, he was with her" he said and looked up, his eyes were dark like the abyss, "That"s the most I can do for your b*tch"

I didn"t know what to say. Why did dad suddenly helped me? I really can"t tell what was going on in his head. One moment he want Tony out of his way and another moment, he was helping me find him? I was so surprised by dad"s weird turn that I forgot I was in call with Fred. It was his voice that brought me back from my thoughts,

"Hey Uncle? You there? h.e.l.llooo? Old man? ROBBIE!!"

"Huh? Ye-yes...I am sending you a phone number trace it. It might very well lead to Tony. Once you get the address send it to the cops and me"

"What are you going to do?" Fred asked

My face contorted in an ugly expression, "I have someone to take with me. I"ll meet you soon" I said hanging the call.

Dad was standing with his back on me. I narrowed my eyes and spoke in an indifferent voice, "Don"t think that I"ll forgive you and neither am I going to take back my position as the heir"

"I am not asking for it!" he replied in a dead pan voice

There was a silence that rolled over the entire room. I stood staring at his back,

"Divorce mum"

Dad said something which I expected,

"In Walker family no one divorces!"

"Stop being so stubborn, dad! Forcing mum and yourself to stay in this meaningless relationship is only making both of you suffer. You are the head of the family now. You can change the rules. You don"t need to follow the old ones!" I said. Dad remained quiet. He didn"t say anything.

I didn"t have time to waste so I turned and started walking away as I said,

"So do yourself and mum a favor, get divorced!"