The Revenge

Chapter 14 - The Revelation

"I was fleeing the place as I heard a gunshot. But then, I decided to check it out. I saw men in black approach you take your blood sample in a syringe. Next, maybe to avoid suspicion, they positioned you against a tree as if you were sleeping."

"How many hours have I been sleeping?"

"It's been two hours." Dad said.

"How many men were there?"

"Just two."

"Were they gloved?" I asked.

"Yeah, white gloves." Rowan answered.

"What did they drug me with?"

"Nothing was really found on examining the site but as described as a gunshot, I assume a vial was hit." Said dad.

"But why would someone want my blood sample?"

There was a moment of silence. I presumed an 'I don't know' or 'No idea' as the response but somewhere on the edge of my gut, I felt an eerie feeling of uneasiness. As the silence stretched, I tried to push that feeling off me. "What?" I asked as dad lowered his head and let a deep breath.

"I think I know why." Dad said with a serious expression. Sally and Rowan look at dad in unison as I stared at him blankly. He only looked away and sighed. My feeling was right. Now my gut grew bigger with more uneasiness as if it would burst open my abdomen if not answered to. Questions again surrounded me. The more he remained quiet, the more I sank in the ocean. My mouth was too filled with them to be able to spit any out. "What do you mean?" Sally spitted for me.

"This is bad." He started. "I know now why your mom was kidnapped..." This lone statement was enough to overflow the ocean of questions that zipped my mouth. "...we're all doomed now. I didn't know they would go this far..." Dad was weaving puzzles. I was confused as to why the kidnapping of my mom would lead all of us to doom. And, who was dad referring to as 'they'? "...Evelyn's mom was a biochemical scientist working for the government. She had been assigned to develop a bio - weapon. It took her three years to complete the project including all the research work, work on the weapon and trials. After the completion, she discovered that one chemical she used in the recipe was highly dangerous to be stored and used carelessly...she stored it in an airtight container and, (sighed) secured it with Evelyn's DNA as the only option to unlock and obtain it. She has caried it with her ever since to prevent unauthorized collection."

My heartbeat paced after the revelation. I was breathing open – mouthed. It took me a moment to sink in all the information, "What?" slipped out of my mouth softly spotlighting my dry throat. "And you had hidden that all the while...why?"

"No. I realized it today only."

"Who are 'they'?" Sally inquired.

"The communists of East Lourn."

"So, you mean they're making her evolve the weapon again?" I asked. Dad nodded.

"How dangerous is the weapon?" Rowan asked.

"It can erode kilometers of land within the diameter of the point it lands at. If they use it on us, it'll only be a span of hours before famine hits and some days before we all die."

We were stunned at his reply. But then Rowan said we might be able to stop them if it takes that hell of time to make it. Dad chuckled, "Do you think it'll take her three years to make it after all the research and trials already completed? (soft laugh) We're done for guys and this chemical was the last ingredient to be added. Since there are no connections of transport from here to the East, whatever route they might take, it's only about one week at the most until devastation." He had given up. I could feel it in his voice. He meant there was no escape from the storm. "Is there no cure for it?" Sally asked. "No. atleast not yet."

"What makes you think its East Lourn's behind this?"

We told them all about the incidents yet starting from framing Sally, coming to hostage me and including the tracking device one and how we confiscated the chip made of the unique material only found in East Lourn. We summarized our discussion held that day. During the narration, a question arose in my mind, how could mom agree to do this? She loves her country more than anything else. I think this is why dad seems to have lost all hope. If mom really has reached the last stage with us having no cure, it's hard to protect the people. Besides there must have been some serious condition kept to convince mom for such a dangerous task.

"There is a judas among us." I said in a tough tone.

"What do you mean?"

"How do you think they know of all this? My mom and the bio – weapon?"

"They can just hack your systems dude."

"That's a possibility. But I'm sure of having such a damned being among us. if only we could find that person, we cou-" "Wait." I whispered. I looked around the room and got off the bed. Took a sheet of paper lying nearby and a pen from the stand on Sally's study desk and wrote, 'If someone really is spying for them, they could be around listening.' And on the space left, 'We should be careful' and held it in air close enough for them to be able to read. I could feel everyone shocked to learn that and think I might just be guessing but I knew it wasn't just a mere possibility. If they have passed on information all this time, they would have never left the opportunity to follow dad when he had received the call from Sally and might've reacted worried. She/he would really accompany in such a situation to know what new story would be cooked here they could serve the Easterns on a silver platter.

Rowan took the sheet from my hand and another pen from the stand after permission from Sally and wrote, 'We must look for him/her' I looked at dad for his opinion and he nodded in return. This was such a proud moment for me to have dad's consent on what I deducted in merely hours. Usually, taking such decisions to be quickly acted upon take days in various investigations. Sally touched my arm for me to look at her and then pronounced, "But how?" inaudibly. With all the people in the room in favor of what I had thought and everyone agreeing to cooperate, a new energy flowed through the top of my spine to the bottom of my legs. I felt rejuvenated with all the weariness of the two-hour long sleep faded away. I heard a voice in me say, "This time we'll make it closer to bring mom back." I smirked, "I have a plan."