Chapter 8

Tyler didn't hesitate as he brought out a picture for Leo to see on his phone.

Leo ticked his tongue silently as his next stop was the mortuary. Aaron was definitely coming with him.

He glanced at the troubled Tyler. To him, he was a nice friend who considers giving Ethan a proper funeral.

However, the most complicated thing was how the artifact got stuck with Ethan.

There was nothing like that on any of the bodies recovered from the affected building.

Tyler explains that the artifact was with Rodger and the last person with him was Ethan.

"I would need your help in identifying this Ethan" he requests and Tyler nodded.

He could neither trust this detective but he had no choice. It wasn't as though he was safe either with the rest gang.

Perhaps, if he gets on the good book of Leo, he would be spared.

***

Ethan gaze at Alex room, the happiness of a father could not be measured. 

He could still feel his son's warmth when he embraced him. How he missed his child.

Ethan began wondering how Gary got to accept Alex as his child.

Ethan had left the dozing Rachel in the room. 

She was exhausted for the day and sleepy that she didn't realize when she fell into slumber by just staring at the clock.

He wishes to see Alex again but heard that he was gone hunting with Mr Louis.

Speaking of which, the old man was hosting a mini-party tonight.

A lot of things puzzled him in this family and Rachel got to survive with Alex all these while.

He walked up to Alex's mirror and touched his face. It had a true resemblance of Gary.

Sadness crawl inside him as he heaves heavily. Why did he agree in the first place?

How did he end up in this mansion? The memory he had was blurry yet Rachel wasn't interpreting it to him.

Will it truly be over when Gary wakes up? Or possibly, it might worsen the situation.

A thought suddenly crossed his mind. He would leave tonight with Alex. While he was lost in the thought, the door squeak open.

Alex had returned back to his room, scared and trembling. It heightened when his eyes met with Ethan.

He had almost passed out but held himself. Ethan was please to see Alex.

He gave a friendly smile but it made the boy perturbed as he knew Gary's smile was scary.

Ethan noticed how he stood glue and leaning to the door. His eyes almost sinking at the sight of this man.

Curiously, Ethan stomps closer to him but Alex immediately said;

"I'm so sorry...I just came to get my book" he said in a shaky tone while controlling his haze breathe.

"Hey Alex, it's okay, dad's here now" Ethan whispered holding back his tears as he couldn't believe he was seeing his son again.

He didn't get a chance to speak to his son because of Rachel. She didn't want these two to form a bond either.

"You've grown so big and handsome" Ethan confesses giggling sheepishly as he tried to touch Alex but the child moved away.

He stood at a distance from Ethan, lowered his head and exhaled softly.

"Please don't hurt me, I promise not to fret at the sight of blood again" Alex declares running towards a shelf beside the window.

Ethan gape, watching his son move in a haste. From his observation, Alex was scared of Gary.

He took a book, gave a slight bow to Ethan and almost ran away but Ethan obstructed his path and he was stucked inside with him.

"Alex, what's wrong with you?" Ethan asked annoyed at his son's behavior.

"You're going to send me to the basement where I would get disciplined" he answered sadly while moving backward.

He was scared though but tried to look bold and brave before Ethan.

Every step Ethan took forward to his son, Alex takes two step back.

He gave up on coming closer and decided to know him more from a distance.

"Mr Louis...I heard you guys went hunting, what kind of hunting is it?"

"People who owe us debts, especially the poor masses, we makes them run in the woods and shoot them" he narrates devastated that he had to recall those memories.

Ethan gasped provoked at the secret he discovered about this mansion and Mr Louis who he looked up to as a model.

Now he knew why this mansion was located at the forest avenue in Rye.

Alex narrowed his eyes at him, surprised that his father was asking him questions that he was quite known to.

Gary had always told him to be strong because it was his dreams to make Alex a mafia.

He was strict and gave Alex harsh treatment that he doubts if he was his real father.

Alex pressed his book on his chest wondering what next his father would ask.

He was acting different which was awkward.

"Why would they involved a child in their bloody affair?" Ethan barked and Alex shudders.

"I'm taking you with me tonight! You can't stay here anymore, I blame your mom for keeping a blind eye"

The child pretended not to hear what Ethan said. If he was leaving with Ethan, he assumes it was to the basement.

"I'm okay with it dad! I promise to be courage at the sight of..."

"Shush! Don't make any promise, it ain't your fault, we would leave here tonight" Ethan interrupts attempting to keep calm because he was pissed off.

"Where are you taking him to?" A crook voice asked.

It was Mr Louis, behind the door and holding a pistol. He had come over to get Alex by himself.

Ethan grimanced as he muttered up courage to face Mr Louis. He was glaring at the old man with hatred.

Mr Louis noticed it but shun that attitude of his.

"The basement" Ethan covers up backing his son. 

He was afraid of this old man as he heard from Alex of his deadly act. His thoughts were on how not to be discovered.

If he was, just as Rachel had foresaw, they will lose their lives.

He beckons on Alex to join him in the field but Ethan refuses as he claims he wants to spend time with his son.

Mr Louis shrugged his shoulders and announced that a detective was there to see him.

"Why?" Ethan asked as he took a glimpse at Alex who had found his way to the window.

Lazily, he took a seat there and scan through the note in his hand. He'd prefer to be invisible.

"The artifact certainly, it was kept under my care in the empire museum and sadly, it got stolen..." He pauses and began to pace around Alex's room.

"The government entrusted me with it and I disappointed them" Mr Louis furthers, stomping the tip of the pistol on the ground.

Ethan could tell he was energetic and sturdy judging from the way he carries himself.

Ethan licked his lower lip subconsciously, he was nervous as his heart skips. 

Could he have been found?

"I suspected you Gary at first but since you almost lost your life, my assumptions deferred" Mr Louis continued peeping at troubled Alex.

He never likes it when father and son were involved in a discussion. 

Alex couldn't walk out on them or else he would have.

"Hurry up and join us at the garden" he concluded, heaves a sigh and left.

Almost immediately, Alex walked out. He didn't want to be involved in his father's interrogative section.

He had a lot to worry about.

Ethan raked his head, this cannot be happening! He felt his face itching and sweaty.

What if the detective discovers who he was? There was no way of escaping. 

The seven days he was away, Rachel had tried teaching him how to behave and act like Gary but it wasn't working.