T.N - Chapter 27

As soon as Charlie was at the mercy of the Dragon (I just can’t think of him as Clark Gable…the name is too innocent sounding), I put up my hands to show that I wasn’t going to attack. Looking him straight in the eye, I slowly knelt down in front of Wolfgang, who had fallen at my feet. Wolfgang’s breath was short and shallow, and the blood bloomed right beneath his collarbone. I took the bottom hem of his shirt and ripped it into a makeshift bandage, which I then bound around his wound tightly. Throughout this, I could feel the piercing eyes of the Dragon dig into me, watching my every move like a hawk.

I looked back up at him from my crouching position, and met his gaze. He now had Charlie in a headlock, and he pointed at Heathcliff with his pistol. Heathcliff dropped to his knees and held up his hands in surrender. I closed my eyes, and slowly stood up. I was now on the same level as him, staring at him, into his grayish green eyes. I don’t know what came into my mind at that moment, but I felt my mouth open to speak. Clearly, my mind was in shock, because otherwise I would’ve never said what was truly in my heart.

“I despise people like you,” I said with rage creeping into my voice. “It’s people like you that I cannot abide.” The booms and cries outside of the door mirrored my heart’s turmoil.

For the first time, the Dragon gave me a cold, dangerous, calculating smile. I could feel the goose bumps rise over my skin, but I didn’t allow him to realize how frightened I was.

“Oh, really now then,” he replied, amused. “There’s not much you can do about it right now. You’re my hostage, I have a gun, and you have no weapons upon your being. One false move,” and he pointed the gun at me, “and you’re a goner. You want to be more than a corpse for your Grandfather North, don’t you?”

“You bastard,” I hissed. “Here you are, more worried about your hostages, while your son lies here bleeding to death.” I look at him in disgust. “No wonder he hates you.”

“Keep my son out of this. Before you interfered, he was happy to be my son, the heir of a criminal empire. But then you came, and he changed. You stuck your nose where it didn’t belong,” he waved at the diary that was still on the ground, “and as a consequence, you’ve broken a family apart.”

“You know, this family was already broken. And do you know why? Because you didn’t bother to listen. Your wife deserted you because you didn’t pay heed to her warnings and her worries about your safety. Your son turned his back on you because it was always your way or the highway, and you never listened to his opinion. I’m disgusted by the deeds you do, but the thing that makes me hate you?” I clenched my fists in anger. “You’re self-centered, ignorant, and so blind with power and greed that you break your own family apart, and then blame it on others. It’s those type of people that I abhor.”

Before the Dragon could reply or do anything to me, there was a pounding at the door, and voice called “Theodora! Are you alright?” It was Grandfather!

The Dragon narrowed his eyes at me, daring me to make a move. I decided not to, for fear that he would blow Charlie’s head off. He turned his head to the door behind me, and said loudly, “Damian, if you want these children alive, you better go out to the helipad, where you probably came from. Otherwise, you’re going to have the blood of three youngsters on your hand here.”

“If that’s what it takes for the children to be alive, then fine. I’ll meet you there, but don’t think I came unprepared.” I could hear the footsteps of Grandfather move away.

“Time for the grand opening,” said the Dragon. “Come along, children. And don’t even think of running away.” He turned away from the door, and towards some sort of secret passage.