Episode 4

“Hello, uncle!” Daniel exclaimed, grinning ear to ear as his uncle was the first person he saw at the entrance. It seemed he was waiting for him to arrive.

“My boy! You’ve grown so big now,” his uncle Mark remarked in his coarse old voice, but he was still standing tall and vibrant just the way Daniel had remembered.

“You don’t look bad yourself,” Daniel complimented, and his uncle patted him on the back.

“Come with me, you must be exhausted from the entire chaos,” Uncle Mark suggested, holding Daniel on the shoulder as he walked him into the house.

……

“So, it has all been a lie then. My father didn’t die of a stroke?” Daniel asked, confused, glaring at his uncle who sat at the arm of his chair in his office.

They decided to go somewhere discreet because Uncle Mark had something important to tell Daniel.

“Of course he didn’t. It’s uh… actually very sad and I feel heavy speaking about it,” he said with a sad face, looking down at his shoes.

“Tell me, uncle, I need to know more. I’m not a kid anymore,” Daniel insisted, while his uncle chuckled lightly at the sound of ‘I’m not a kid anymore.’

“Listen to me, kid, what I’m about to tell you, it is very important that you brace yourself,” Uncle Mark warned, suddenly turning a serious face.

“You really think I don’t want to know who did that to my father?!” Daniel shouted, already getting impatient.

“Alright. Look to your left. There is a box there and in that box contains a tube. A powerful tube like your father told me before he died. In that tube contains a substance that he invented to make humans age backwards,” Uncle Mark revealed, pointing at the box on their left, and Daniel followed his finger, fixing his gaze on the box.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Daniel said incredulously, while laughing. He thought it was actually a joke.

“I’m being serious. Your father was working with the world’s best scientist who has been arrested a couple of times for always venturing into things that the state refuses,” Uncle Mark said, and Daniel was starting to pay attention.

“And trust your father to make friends with the most notorious! He was so ambitious and that’s what led him to his death, unfortunately,” Uncle Mark said with a sad tone.

“That scientist’s name is Dr. Stark. He survived the massacre, but unfortunately his lab didn’t… these people… they wanted to take everything down because your father refused to give them access and ownership of the substance, so they raided the lab and when they couldn’t find anything, they burned it to the ground with your father in it,” Uncle Mark said, as Daniel swallowed hard, trying so hard for tears not to form in his eyes.

“I… I don’t know what to say… this is a lot to take in,” Daniel said with a trembling voice, while his uncle patted his shoulder.

“Don’t worry. Those people are still on the lookout for Dr. Stark and that’s why he handed me the substance. They would never have guessed I was with it until now…” Uncle Mark said, fear evident in his voice.

“Wait… they know you have it?” Daniel asked with widened eyes.

“Yes, and they are coming for it. They sent threats that they would kill me and anyone else who knows about it, which includes you now,” Uncle Mark said, and Daniel froze.

“What?! We have to call the police!” Daniel exclaimed, terrified, while Uncle Mark laughed at him.

“And who do you think are the people looking for the substance?” Uncle Mark asked, raising his eyebrows as Daniel widened his eyes in realization.

“The government,” he muttered, while Uncle Mark nodded.

“You’re very smart. But not to worry. You just need to watch your back. I have a very tight security system, so it would be difficult to penetrate me,” he said, and Daniel scoffed.

“And what about me?” He asked, while his uncle grinned.

“I think you’ve learned your lesson. It’s high time I returned your father’s assets to you,” Uncle Mark said, getting up from the chair where he was seated and reaching for a file in his drawer.

“What do you mean? I thought you said my father lost everything,” Daniel asked, confused, because that was what he was told when his father died.

“I did that because you were still young and making the wrong choices. Including marrying that wife of yours, I must say,” he said, with a sneer, while Daniel scratched his head.

“Here… all you need to do is to sign these documents and I will give you a key to a house he kept for you and a key to a car as a personal gift from me to welcome you officially back into the family,” Uncle Mark said, handing him a document, while Daniel looked at it in disbelief.

He wanted to rub his eyes to make sure it wasn’t a dream. He quickly skimmed through the papers and signed them, while his uncle took out a bunch of keys and handed them to him.

“The location of the house will be sent to your phone. Be safe,” Uncle Mark said, while Daniel thanked him profusely.

“It’s alright. I will keep in touch, of course. Now, get some sleep, you’re leaving my house tomorrow,” Uncle Mark said, while Daniel chuckled.

Uncle Mark was still the same. He was very strict and loved to keep to himself, but he was still a very wise and strong man whom Daniel admired so much.

……

Daniel had woken up refreshed and it was finally time to leave his uncle’s house. His uncle kept to his promise and gave him the car gift, which he collected with gratitude.

“Now remember all that we have talked about! Your father’s death must be avenged. You need to keep your eye on the prize!” Uncle Mark shouted after him from the door, while Daniel walked down the stairs and into the garage, after waving his uncle goodbye.

Daniel bounced into the garage with so much happiness. “Finally! My life is back!” He shouted, throwing his keys in the air and catching them again.

He spotted the Acura MDX his uncle had told him about and pressed the buttons to open the car. The car’s brake lights blinked and he heard a beep.

He got into the car and heard a gun cock, but before he could turn behind him, the mouth of the pistol was already on his head.

Daniel’s heart skipped two beats upon realizing he had been ambushed.

“Don’t move and do not say a word!” The voice behind him in the passenger seat said, while Daniel swallowed hard, raising both his hands up.

“Now, start the car and move,” the voice ordered, and Daniel did just that.

While they were about to drive through the gate, the voice said again, “If you say anything, trust me, this bullet is loaded and I’ll blow your head off.”

Daniel obeyed and didn’t say a word till he passed the security system and then out on the road.

“Good, now do exactly as I say. Turn left,” the voice instructed, and Daniel obeyed, with his trembling hands on the steering wheel.

They made a few more turns until Daniel noticed a car was trailing behind them.

Once the car got closer, they started shooting. The air was filled with sounds of gunshots and Daniel, scared for his life, stopped the car abruptly and opened the door to run out.

He stumbled and fell in the process.

“Stay right where you are!” He heard the same voice from the car shout, and he lay there on the ground, motionless.

“Let him go!” Another voice shouted, and it seemed like there was some kind of tension in the air.

“If you make a move, I will blow his head off right now,” the voice said again, and Daniel felt the gun cocked on his head again.

“Alright then, let’s see who’s the faster shooter,” the opposing voice said, with a chuckle.

Bang!!!