Chapter 35
The Lost
Damiew was in the tunnel looking closely at the GPS device which carried the blueprint of Ricky’s maze. The room number and the rail lane changed from time to time. But the device allowed him to ride which carts and which room to enter at the specific time.
He was carrying a very powerful gun, which was often used to hunt elephants. So far he has killed more than fifty creatures inside the tunnel.
“The mine cart moves whenever someone opens the hatch to enter the tunnel,” mumbled Damiew, reading what Dorothy texted on the device. “It moves toward that direction like a taxi.”
There were many turns during the traveling, as if all it does is going around in circle. He guessed that the lane changes by design because he has never confronted with the other carts on the lane.
“Interesting,” murmured Damiew, looking closely at the GPS device.
He decided to take a break; he stopped the cart and moved to the first storage. He changed the screen of the GPS device and started calling Dorothy. However, when he called, she didn’t pick up the phone. Damiew shrugged and called her again, but still, there was no answer. He went down the stairs and continued to travel.
Few hours later, Damiew stopped, stared at the device; there was a blinking yellow dot on the screen, indicating that he has arrived at the destination. He shot the creature which was biting the rail track in front of him. The bullet hit on its back, it shredded the spine and good chunk of flesh came apart from the creature. It died without making a noise.
Damiew climbed up the stair, grumbling, and found the location of the room. He glimpsed at the device and the room number respectively and felt a triumph. But when he entered the room, he just saw the spiral case and the huge sunken ground.
The sun ray was coming down, baking the soil and tanning the multitude of creatures. As the door made a creaking sound, they all stared at Damiew, growling. Damiew closed the door sheepishly and locked it.
“Huh,” said Damiew, calling Dorothy again.
The phone was ringing in the boat house in the Basileus Republic. Heston picked up the phone, smirking. He was very excited when Damiew’s voice came out from the phone. Protter was cuffed, standing near him, held by agents.
Heston glimpsed at Dorothy, giving her the phone, insisting her to talk. Dorothy looked at the phone with horror.
“Hello? Hello?!” said Damiew. “If you’re not going to say anything, why did you pick it up?!”
“Talk,” he said silently, only moving his lip. His smile faded and the eyes beamed dangerously. Dorothy, scared, took the phone and coughed lightly.
“Hello?” said Dorothy, her voice trembling.
“Hey, there’s nothing here! Nothing! It’s empty, there are a lot of creatures but…” shouted Damiew.
“Ask about Ricky,” whispered Heston to Dorothy’s ear. Dorothy winced, frightened.
“Damiew?” said Dorothy, gulping.
“Yeah?” said Damiew.
“There… there is nothing there?” inquired Dorothy.
“Yeah! Duh!” said Damiew.
“I… don’t know… it is supposed to be there…” said Dorothy. Heston stared at Dorothy, frowning.
“What do you mean? Are you nuts? There is nothing here there is…” said Damiew.
“I… I miss you, I’m scared…” said Dorothy. Her tear came down. Heston rolled his eyes and snatched the phone from her.
“Hello Damiew.” said Heston. “It’s been a long time.”
Damiew paused for a moment, little surprised at Dorothy’s reaction.
“Who am I speaking to?” said Damiew with a thickened voice.
“It’s Heston. See I’m really pissed about you little boys and girls working against our national interests,” said Heston.
“Against it?” said Damiew, frowning.
“Yes! We have a reason to believe that you are engaged in treason, by conspiring with Ricky Guido to conquer Cassandra,” sneered Heston. “You do know that this is a sensitive issue, since we have established the government of our interest there.”
Damiew wondered whether Heston was telling the truth. He knew that they have put the puppet government in Cassandra but he didn’t really investigate deep enough before he took a job.
“Bullshit,” said Damiew.
“Oh? You didn’t know?” sneered Heston. “Well, we have Protter in custody. If you give a testimony against him, we might reduce your term. Well, we can talk all about it when you get home. But if you stay there then…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll find you,” said Damiew and turned off the phone.
“Hello? Hello?” said Heston, but there was no answer; he flushed. He gripped the phone hard and threw it on the wall. Heston looked at Dorothy and Protter loathsomely.
“Take her away,” said Heston, pointing at Dorothy.
“Yes sir,” said one of the agents.
“No! No! Let me go! You bastards!” Dorothy screamed on the way out, struggling to break free. The door closed and Heston was left with one agent and Protter. He turned to the agent.
“Do the special investigation in the island of riddles,” said Heston.
“Yes sir,” said the agent, smiling shrewdly.
Heston was working covertly with the Assassins’ Chamber. He colluded with few of the agents to work with him; it was for the throne in Cassandra. Heston didn’t trust the Assassins’ Chamber fully. He knew it was not possible for them to establish the thrones if Ricky is protecting the current refugees inside the bunker, as those individuals were connected deeply with the underlying power in Cassandra. Therefore, it was crucial for him to search for Ricky first and the Assassins’ Chamber was the best means to do it.
Heston was avoiding Protter’s eyes, as his face was full of disappointment at his friend’s betrayer.
“Don’t look at me like that… We are all at the table, with the dice and chips,” muttered Heston. “Can’t we just relax and sip martinis, Protter? Well, I guess it doesn’t matter now, I could put Nina in to the crime of genocide.”
“She delivered justice, Heston,” said Protter.
“I couldn’t care less if she gives me the location of Ricky Guido,” said Heston.
“… I should’ve guessed,” said Protter. “So, the creatures weren’t the problem in the first place. It was to make sure Nina and Ricky meet first and you are going to take them out completely by deploying troops. Running to the Secretary of Defense now?”
“Close,” said Heston, smiling. “You are not rusty at all.”
“Why?” said Protter, sadly. “Do you want Ricky to die that bad? He is our friend!”
“… Don’t interfere, or you won’t be safe either,” growled Heston.
“... Are you really, going to kill me too?” said Protter.
Hestone didn’t speak for a while; he sighed and reached for his cigarette as his lungs were stuffy. He lighted up and puffed the smoke. The burnt air filled and tickled his lung.
“You don’t know about Ricky, Protter,” said Heston.
“What? What do I not know about Ricky?” groaned Protter. “We were friends since…”
“I’m not talking about that,” said Heston. “I’m talking about what he became after his wife died.”
“Rachel…?” said Protter, his eyes glittering.
It was true that Ricky closed his heart to everyone around him after his wife died. Ricky became quite distant to the others, he was always into something. And he disappeared later.
“He is a dangerous man,” muttered Heston, somberly.
“What do you mean?” inquired Protter. But Heston didn’t answer him; he walked out of the room.
Protter was left alone in the room, confused and lost. Ricky indeed was devastated when his wife died; he attempted suicide and ended up being in an emergency room after his neighbor called a police. He didn’t die, but disappeared month later. That was the reason why everyone thought Ricky was dead until recently.
Indeed he built a secretive maze in the island. Ricky was always obsessed with the puzzle. But who cares about that, if Ricky is fighting against a bad guy like Veron Komer? What was Heston talking about?
Protter closed his eyes, unable to think anymore.
In the Island of Riddles, Damiew was looking at the device and then he dropped it on the floor, stepping on it. They’ve been exposed. Now he cannot go back; he didn’t want to go to prison again.
Damiew went down the stairs, to the mine cart, he has to get out of tunnel now. ‘But go where?’ he thought. He went down and stopped inside the cart. He is planning to get out of the island. He pressed the lever and the carts started moving.
“Damn it…” said Damiew. He stopped and bashed his fists on the carts.
And then he took another device from his backpack and observed it for a while. It was the same type of transmission device he has planted inside his house secretly before he came here.
If he calls, it will connect him to Jago, his roommate who was supposed to dig his grave back at home. He pressed the button. Somewhere in the ghetto part in the Bascileus Republic, in that fungus and rat dwelling house, the phone started ringing.