Vincent Kane's Rise From Ash

10: Pieces of The Puzzle

Lucas White, the major general of Division 6, got a call that morning. They had said it was urgent- duty calls from an old friend of his.

“Hello, Luke,” the aging voice spoke on the line. A smile slowly crept onto the corners of White's lips.

“To what do I owe this surprise, Chief?” Lucas White asked.

The retired chief on the phone call hadn't been in touch for years. So- really- to what did he owe such surprise? Archie Watson was renowned and revered all through his service in the Quincia State army, and even fifteen good years after, he still commanded so much respect that Lucas held his breath at the sound of the familiar baritone. 

“Chief…” Archie laughed, “I haven't been called that in over a decade. How's the lovely Mrs?”

“Tabitha's doing just great, Archie. We were actually planning on paying a visit soon”

“Is that right?” Archie scratched the greying undergrowth of his beard. “Well, you're always welcome anytime, son. And make sure to bring the kids along. It gets a little quiet down here most days, so a little bit of chaos would go a long way,” he laughed again and coughed this time around. A bitter cough that came with the distress of being seventy-five. 

Silence followed, and Lucas, sensing there was more to the conversation than simple chit-chat, finally asked.

“You still haven't said why you called.”

“I need a favour from you, dear Lucas. Well, a friend of a friend needs it,” Archie admitted.

“And might I know who this friend is?”

“It's Vincent… Kane.”

The former atmosphere tensed, and what was once of camaraderie suddenly vanished and replaced itself with soberness. Of course Lucas remembered his old partner-in-arms, infact they were once tagged as the most inseparable duo in their platoon. That was a long time ago, and in Vincent's parting words- times change. 

“Vincent?”

“The boy's got himself in something deep, Lucas. It's his sister. She's been kidnapped.”

Lucas understood then why Archie had made the phone call. Although retired, the man could still pull all the strings behind the scenes. And that was exactly what he was doing.

“So how about that favour I asked you for?” 

“I have to report back to HQ,” Lucas said reluctantly.

“You don't need to worry about the big guys. You've all the permission and backup you need….”

Silence. Reluctance. But gravity.

“Find the girl, Lucas. Send in your best men. Do whatever it takes for old time's sake… and if not, for a friend of a friend.”

*

Later that day, Madam Larissa sent someone in to take care of “the girl's mess”- as she put it. She found Tamar on the floor, drenched in sweat and blood as she painted heavily through the gag. The first thing she did when she crouched low was to take it out, and Tamar coughed from the dirt that had piled up at the back of her throat.

“Oh dearie,” the blondie said, treating and examining Tamar like she was some sort of rain-drenched feline.

Tamar instinctively pulled at the cloth tying her hands together, then started to sob uncontrollably when her every attempt at getting free ended with futility.

“Stop crying, you're only going to make it worse,” the girl said.

But Tamar didn't hear the candid advice, nor was she willing to listen to anything the girl had to say.

“If you need money, I'll pay you in millions. There's been a kind of mistake… you need…. You need to let me go,” Tamar begged through stutters. 

The girl only stared and waited until Tamar was done trying to bargain. 

“You need to get cleaned up now… And it's best you do before Larissa gets angry again”

Tamar's cries quieted eventually.

“I promise you'll be okay…. Someday,” The girl said and senses Tamar was level-headed enough to help get to the bathroom.

“My name's Sophie,” Sophie said as she helped Tamar loosen the cloth. 

Sophie waited for a reaction, sending Tamar would run.

“The door’s locked from outside. There's no where to run,” she warned when she followed Tamar's gaze to the door handle. “Trust me, the bath tub is a much safer plan.”

Reluctantly, Tamar dipped her feet one after the other into the cold water that filled the tub and sat. Sophie helped in the scrubbing.

“You get used to it after a while.”

So I've heard, Tamar thought. 

*

When Vincent saw Lucas again for the first time in thirteen years, there was a slight tension in the air. Still, one of the two had left their egos aside and went in for a brotherly embrace.

“I heard about your sister,” Lucas greeted. 

“Well, not the best of news, I imagine,” Vincent greeted back with a pat to Luke's shoulder. 

Behind him, a formation of Division 6’s swiftest team dropped down from the noisome aircraft that had brought them to the parts of Quincia that now belonged to the Duke.

“So you're the new Duke?” Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, but you can taunt me about it later. For now, I did some diggings and found multiple brothels and traffick rings affiliated with Regina Kane,” Vincent said adamantly.

“Correct me if I'm wrong Vincent, but that name sounds oddly familiar,” Lucas replied, desperately trying to do the right calculations.

“You guessed it right. The b*tch is my evil stepmother.”

“Well you call the shots, gives us every name and detail and I'll have the team searching the places at my command.”

Vincent was grateful to Archie for putting Lucas in. Even he could count on the general for an impossible mission and he silently prayed in that moment, not for Regina's downfall- yet- but to find Tamar safe and in God's hands.

“Sir!” Vincent turned and found Gary running towards him. “Sir!!” Gary Lynch called, running towards his boss.

When he reached the two men, he was out of breath. “You might w

ant to check the Ghoul's night house. It's an underground club nearing the outerskirts sir. She might be one of the newer recruited escorts,” Gary informed.