A MILLION WAYS TO KILL ADNELL

As soon as my eyes locked with hers, my heart skipped a bit. Not just that, actually, it was beating real fast and loud, I thought mama Blake would pick up on it. She was still embracing me and weeping. I was torn between tapping her and not doing anything, given the look, her husband was shooting at me.

'Isn't he supposed to be smiling with me instead?' I asked in my head. I finally decided on tapping her lightly on the back.

"He'll do the same for me, Ma'am," I said over her shoulder, not taking my eyes off her daughter.

"What are they discussing behind those doors?" Ally asked as soon as her Mother-in-Law released me from her embrace. 

"Just some crabby procedures to fit protocol, He'll be out in no time?" I said to Ally.

"I thought he was supposed to be undergoing a medical check-up right now, right?" 

As soon as Stacy uttered those words, my brain and heart simultaneously ceased. 'Why?' Probably because of the wild thoughts I was having right now.

 It was just a simple question, but that voice was messing up my reasoning to stupor.

"He was already examined in the ambulance, since there were only minor burns, I guess they couldn't delay the proceedings because of that." I explained patiently.

"How long do we have to wait?" Papa Blake asked.

"He'll be out anytime soon." Just as I finished saying that, the door opened. Men dressed in captain blues stepped out. A few nodded at me__ well, those who knew me, while the others just wore straight faces as they walked by. 

"Just about how many people were present in that room?" I heard Stacy whisper, asking her father.

He did not answer though.

"How big is it inside there?" She asked again, this time a little bit more audible.

 I smiled because I knew that the questions wouldn't stop until her father gave a reply.

"Why isn't he coming out? maybe they killed him?"

"Shut the hell up Stacy!!! Do you want to get arrested? He would come out soon." Papa Blake whisper-yelled.

She dramatically drew an imaginary zip across her mouth. Which obviously did not last, because the next minute, I heard...

"What is taking him so long to pop out?" She whispered again.

"I never knew that you loved your brother this much." Ally teased. 

The others chuckled.

"Duhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! I don't love him, I want to make sure he is healthy for the slaughter."

A light knock sounded.

"OUCH!!!! Stacy yelled and leapt away from her father seconds after she received a knock on the head, from him.

 " Why would you nurse me for seventeen years to kill me now? you could have just done an abortion instead. simple right?" She asked, looking up to her mother with a bright smile.

'Damn!! that smile'. 

"OUCH!!!!!!!! Mom... you too?" she yelled when her mother slapped the back of her head slightly too. "I can't believe my parents want to kill me in broad daylight."

"And what makes you think that they are even your parents? Shithead!!!" Nathan said from behind us, surprising everyone.

"Baby"

"Daddy"

Both Ally and Noah screamed simultaneously just as we all turned to the owner of the voice. They both ran into Nathan's arms. He picked Noah up in his arms and together, embraced his wife.

It was really a touching scene, as they shared a brief kiss.

"I am glad that you are alive. You scared me!" Ally said in-between sobs as she tightened her embrace around him.

"I cannot die, your husband is unkillable," He said in-between chuckles.

"You are too crazy to die of course". She laughed in his arms.

"Uhmm, I don't mean to ruin the mood, but is 'Unkillable' actually a word??" Stacy asked with raised eyebrows.

'...silence...'

All eyes fell on her….plus invisible stones. "Well, that's where my heartbeat lies." I said silently to myself.

"I'll really use you for barbecue one of these days," Nathan said as he broke off from the hug.

I just stood aside watching the family squabble back and forth.

"Speaking of which...." Stacy took a few steps forward and kicked Nathan hard on the shin bone.

"Owwww!!!.... What's that for ?" Nathan cried out as he held onto his hurting leg.

"That...." she said pointing at his leg. " ...is for calling me adopted, technically."

"What?? but that's not a lie. Ask mom? he said smiling.

"Come here boy." Mama Blake pulled Nathan in for a hug, ignoring his banter with his sister.

Well, there was another round of hugs left and right, emotions spilt, tears of joy...

"You are one hell of a crazy motherchucker," Nathan said smiling as he walked up to me and tapped me on the shoulder. " Thank you, man! I owe you."

"Of course you owe me." we toasted hands, boys style...

"Sadist!!" we both chuckled.

"You did great, boy." Papa Blake said as he tapped me on the shoulder.

I couldn't help but smile. I felt like he was giving me the go-ahead in pursuing Stacy.

"How did it go at the station?" Nathan asked when it was just us.

"Just the normal boring procedure" I shrugged.

********

Back there at the station

"Looks like you have a reputation of playing the hero, huh??" The office who sat on the chair across me said while flipping through what I guess was my file. He closed the file and leaned on the table, supporting his jaw on his folded knuckles.

I just stared at him silently.

"Boy, listen to me. I have sat across this table with a lot of people like you, claiming to be tough and calm. But trust me, I am patient enough... Very patient at that." He said, pushing his chair backwards as he bent over the table to stare at me sternly.

I held his gaze without blinking.

He kept on rambling all the police lines you'll normally hear in investigation movies, it was so boring.

"You broke countless rules trying to be a hero." He said again.

" A hero?" I snapped. "Do you think I want to be a hero? Well, I guess I am the hero you or nobody else in this fucked up government would ever be. I saved over 200 lives... No, we saved over 200 lives, exactly what you, the man of experience could not do. I ought to be receiving a medal of Honor right now. " I said without breaking as I stood up.

 " I'll leave right now, along with my colleagues, and if your government thinks that it is a crime... you know my doorstep," I said as I stormed out the door.

********

"How's Frank holding up?" Nathan asked.

"He is probably writing a novel in his head titled 'A MILLION WAYS TO KILL ADNELL'." We both chuckled as we started walking out.

"How did you get him onboard all this?"

"Do you believe in miracles?" I faced him briefly.

"Guess, now I do." He Chuckled lightly.

"Captain Blake, can I have a second of your time?" Nathan was called back by a guy in an engineer's uniform. I guess he was the chief engineer assigned to this case.

I wonder why an engineer was needed here when the crash was due to birds strike and not mechanical malfunctioning.

Well, I guess they are too idle, so they need all these shitty things to pass time...

I knew my mom was still waiting for me, so I kind of was intentionally pulling my steps.

"You really like him huh?"

 I almost jolted when I heard that particular feminine voice speak behind me.

I turned around slowly to face the owner of the voice.

"I thought you went ahead with the others," I said.

"well, young man, you better stop thoughting," she said folding her arms across her chest.

I could swear my butt that my brain stopped for a sec when she said that word. 'thoughting'. How am I supposed to reply to that?

"So what kept you behind," I asked instead.

" I wanted to thank you," she said bluntly.

"Oh. ok." ...

"yeah"...

"right"...

"Why are we saying one-word sentences?" she asked, breaking the awkwardness.

I just raised my brows questioningly

"Thank you for saving him." she said.

"Okay then. Why don't you thank me properly then. " I said with a mischievous grin. I'm not the type to take advantage of people. But of course, I do take advantage of situations like this. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"Huh?" she asked as she raised her hand to her chin thoughtfully while supporting it on her other folded arm. "So how do you want me to thank you 'properly' ?" she asked, narrowing her eyes as she looked up at me.

My heart was beating violently. I could not believe I was doing this.

"Join me for dinner," I said plainly.

"Di...what? wait you eat?" she asked with a surprised look.

"What?" it was my turn to be surprised.

 "Did you just ask me if I eat?" I asked back. My brain could not comprehend that.

"Are you flirting with me?" she asked back.

"What???" This time I couldn't help but pop my eyes.

When did the conversation turn like this?