Rune System: The Crimson Knight

CHAPTER TEN

“Hold it right there, kid.”

Dominic did as he was told, halting a few centimeters from a towering steel gate. Two men, dressed in full gear like SWAT officers, stood behind the bars, scowling at him like he’d stolen their dinner.

“This place is off limits, kid,” the first man continued in his gruff voice. “Run along before you get hurt.”

“Come on, Rowan,” the second one said, with a lazy hand on the automatic rifle hanging from his shoulder. “You don’t have to make us look bad by threatening him like that. What do you mean by ‘before you get hurt’?”

“Besides,” he went on as he stepped closer and peered at Dominic, “he already looks like shit. What happened to you, kid? Bike crash?”

“Shut up, Derek,” Rowan scolded. He stood taller and possessed a more menacing physique, in addition to the intimidating demeanor he displayed. “Don’t engage the kid. Keep your dumb curiosity at bay this time.”

“I’m not a kid,” Dominic said quietly. “And I’m here to see my father.”

Derek looked at Rowan with what seemed like amusement in his eyes. “Well, what do you know? He speaks.”

He turned to Dominic with his hands balanced on his knees. “Hate to break it to you, kid, but you’ve got the wrong house. ‘Cause the boss is well accounted for by his kids, who are all inside, by the way. So, if you’re done sulking, I suggest—”

“Matthew Heathley,” Dominic supplied, cutting Derek off. “He’s my father and I know he’s in there. I need to speak to him.”

The smug expression on Derek’s angular face fell swiftly, replaced by confusion. Rowan stayed quiet as well, but only for a moment.

“You must’ve hit your head really badly after that bike crash,” he assumed. “‘Cause the boss’s name is Conrad, not Heathley. So I’ll be nice enough to give you one chance to get the hell out of here. Otherwise, I’m booting you out myself.”

Of course, Dominic thought. His father must have adopted the family name of his new wife, which explained why the guards didn’t know him as Heathley. He tilted his head to the side, stealing a glance at the flamboyant villa several yards behind the gates. Against the backdrop of the night sky, the entire property seemed like a festival of lights and colors, with the enormous house, the surrounding environment, and even the elaborate water fountain being brightly illuminated. The estate boasted of unfathomable wealth and opulence, which made Dominic sick to his stomach.

“I can’t leave without seeing him,” he persisted in the same calm tone. “It’s a matter of great importance and he has to help.”

Rowan’s scowl etched deeper as he took a step forward. “Listen here, kid. You’re not the first person to come by here, falsely claiming to be the boss’s kid. And you won’t be the first one I’ll beat to a pulp either. So, I’m telling you now, this is your very last warning.”

As a form of emphasis, he pulled out a retractable baton from one of his numerous pockets, extending it to its full length as he held it out like a sword. Derek remained quiet, but the message was clear from him as well: Get out, or get kicked out.

With no way to get past the unyielding guards, Dominic resorted to the only option he had; although an utterly stupid one.

“DAD!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, squeezing his eye shut. “DAD! COME OUT! HELP ME!”

“Shit!” Rowan hissed furiously. “Stop screaming, you twat! Stop it, goddamn it! That’s it! Open the gates, Derek!”

Just as the tall bars of steel slid open with a squeal, headlight beams flashed at the gate from behind. Dominic wheeled around, bringing his hands up to shield his eyes from the blinding lights. The vehicle crunched on tiny pebbles on the sand-filled driveway as it crawled closer, then it came to a stop. With the headlights still on, and the engine still purring, the door to the driver’s side swung open, and a sandy-haired head poked out.

“Dominic?”

Recognizing the voice without fail, Dominic moved forward until the lights no longer obscured his vision. Then he paused, standing before a tall man who was scowling at him.

“What the hell…?” Matthew said, confusion written all over his stern face. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“I’ve always known where you lived,” Dominic answered. “I chose to stay away because you chose to leave us behind.”

Matthew’s eyes darkened. “Then why did you choose to find me now? Is it your mother? Did she put you up to this?”

“Mom is dead,” Dominic said, surprisingly coldly. “I came here because Anya is in trouble and I need your help to save her.”

For a second, a mixture of shock and despair flashed across Matthew’s face. Then his cold demeanor returned. “You should’ve gone to the police. In case you’re not aware, I’m not capable of conducting search-and-rescue operations. So, if you’ll excuse me—”

In a surprising act of desperation, Dominic lunged forward and grabbed his father’s arm, just as he was about to settle back into the car.

“Mom is dead,” he repeated through gritted teeth, his composure cracking. “Right here in my arms, and I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t save any of my jobs or the apartment… I could barely even save myself. I’ve already lost so much today and I don’t know what I’d do if anything happens to my sister. Just… please. Help me. Please, Dad.”

“Matthew?”

Dominic’s head whipped towards the voice that came from within the vehicle. He watched as a woman—several years younger than Erica—emerged from the passenger seat, with long, wavy blonde hair shaping her round face.

“Liam’s asleep in the back, so is Rosa,” her light voice had the obvious hint of irritation in it. “Why are you still talking with this…?” She gave Dominic a spiteful glare.

“Liam? Rosa?”

“My children,” Matthew explained to Dominic. “It’s been a long day and they’re exhausted.”

Dominic turned to him angrily. “You think they’ve had a long day? I’ve had the absolute worst! And it could all go up in flames if anything happens to Anya.”

“Do you think we care what happens?” the woman belted out, equally infuriated. “Just take a good look at yourself. You’ve obviously gotten involved with the wrong crowd, and now you’re here with bruises and cuts begging to get out of the mess you made.”

She turned to Matthew. “I don’t have the time for this, Matt. Send him away or I will. I won’t have his bad influence rub off on my home or my kids.”

As she hopped back into the car, Dominic glanced at his father, who was looking back at him with equal intensity.

“She’s right,” he said quietly. “You’ve changed, mixing up with the wrong crowd and gotten involved in heaven-knows-what. This is your mess, not mine. We’ve all kept our distance for years now, and it should stay that way. Find a way to fix this, and don’t come back here again.”

With that, Matthew slipped into the driver’s seat and banged the door shut. Dominic’s brain was dormant for a brief moment as he simply stared at the moving car, but the urgency of the situation kicked him back to life, prompting him to chase after the vehicle.

“Wait!” he yelled, limping hurriedly with a wince. “Wait, please! Please, don’t do this to Anya! Please—”

A back-handed slap suddenly landed across Dominic’s face, hard enough to send him stumbling backwards and landing on the rough ground with a thud.

“I told you to leave, didn’t I?” Rowan growled. “That’s what you get for trying to be smart with me. Get him out of here, Derek.”

Dominic didn’t fight or resist when he felt someone—most likely Derek—tugging on his legs. He didn’t complain or cry out when the small, sharp stones beneath cut and scraped his exposed skin, as he was dragged to the very edge of the driveway. Only after he was abandoned in the middle of the lonely street did he stir and get up to a sitting position, with the device in his pocket ringing loudly.

He pulled it out and switched the screen on to find a message waiting for him; a video sent from an unknown source. When he clicked on it, a lag occurred briefly. Then the face of a bald man with a dark, busy beard came up.

“Greetings again, Heathley,” he started with a creepy smile. “Seems like you didn’t get our message the first time, because your time, if you haven’t noticed, is entirely up. Six hours and not a single word from you. As agreed, we took the measures we deemed necessary for the repayment of your debt.”

He moved his lean figure aside, allowing the camera to pan out to a still body lying on a wide bench a few yards away.

The phone slipped from Dominic’s fingers as his hands became numb. But it didn’t matter—the image of his sister’s lifeless body on an operating table was burned into his mind like an engraved tattoo.

“She was a brave girl,” the man continued, even as the phone’s screen was flipped over. “Fought ‘til the very end. In another circumstance, maybe she would’ve been kept alive. Oh, well. Her organs would definitely fetch quite the price in the black market. But, mind you, this doesn’t mean we won’t find you still. The boss just wants this to sink in, so you’ll understand what you forced our hand to do. Then, soon enough, we will come for you. Cheers.”

The phone went silent for a moment, then popped explosively into bits of plastic, glass, and wires. Dominic wasn’t even present enough to notice—his mind had disconnected from his body, seemingly standing apart from his battered figure.

So he didn’t feel a thing when that body held its head in its hands and unleashed a feral scream for a long time.