Chapter 13

“You have to toughen up to survive this unforgiving life.”

~~~

I waved down a taxi and sunk into the back seat. The pulsating pain in my stomach was the least of my worries. I couldn’t bear the misery of keeping such a grave secret to myself. It was like hiding a deadly ailment.

When the taxi came to a halt, I paid the driver and hopped out. As I made sluggish steps towards the door, my heartbeat picked a new rhythm. Confiding in my family would mean compromising their safety but if I kept mum, I would have to bear the aftermath of my plight. The door pulled open and I jerked back, almost losing my balance.

My father’s smile faltered as he studied me from head to toe with concern. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, forcing a smile to accompany the lie spilling off my lips. “I’m okay, just tired. I had a long day at work.”

“Oh, come on in then. You should eat and get some rest,” he said, opening the door wider.

Ashlie was preoccupied with a Netflix show while Mom set the table. She smooched my cheek and asked about my day before walking past me to the kitchen. Easing myself on the couch, my mind drifted back to the chip inside me and how I got into such a dilemma.

“Is something going on? You’re acting so unusual.” Just one look at him had my eyes tearing up again. I shook my head, mulling over whether to spill or not. Their safety depended on me but how long could I withstand this turmoil?

He took my hand into his and stared deep into my orbs. “You know you can always tell me anything, I won’t be angry if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

I had a split second to make the right decision but what was I supposed to do in such a situation? “I’m okay, it’s just been a bad day for me.”

Anguish crossed his features, propelling me to weigh my options. With my mind made, I slowly got on my feet and walked to Ashlie’s desk, hoping her assignment books were still there. I jotted down my predicament in as few words as I could and strode back to the living room before handing it to him. His eyes widened with each word he read, rage taking over his dismay.

Mom walked in at that moment, taking in the situation and grabbing the book. She skimmed through my words over and over again, disbelief painted on her face as she let the book drop to the floor. Ashlie was still oblivious of what was going on while Dad typed furiously on his burner phone. I was a mess, my hands were trembling, silent tears pooling at my neck. What if Matthew already caught on and was on his way to kill us all?

“Are you going to take a shower first before taking dinner?” Dad asked, waving his fingers around so I could talk.

“Yes, I will be right back,” was all I could say, impatiently waiting for his instructions.

Using hand gestures, he asked us to follow him. Once we were in his office, he pushed the wall behind the desk and it flipped to reveal a mystic room. He flickered the lights on and led us in. I couldn’t help but assess the room with awe. Every single corner was made of wood and painted in brown.

The plush sofa sets were coated in the same color and so were his office materials. The several row wardrobe at the corner was no exception, a full-length glass door adorned it, serving as the display for the distinct types of firearms I could barely put names to. For the second time that day, I was genuinely stunned.

“Where’s the mike? Who is responsible and why?” Dad queried, distress written all over his face as he waited for my response. Mom peered at me closely, I could tell she was nervous from the constant tap of her foot. I wasn’t good with signs but I tried to show them how dire the situation was.

“You can talk now. No form of sound transmitting device can surpass the system in this room. It’s soundproof and jumbles up any signal from the outside world,” he explained.

I let out a heavy sigh of relief and plunged on the couch. “He wants to kill us all,” I cried out.

“Who?” they chorused in unison.

“Matthew. He’s a serial criminal. A drug dealer and probably worse.” I shook my head from side to side. I was disgruntled in myself for bestowing such an enormous burden on my family.

“My goodness!” A tear slid down Mom’s cheek as she took a step back and slumped into the sofa.

“I don’t understand. Are you saying that your boyfriend Matthew is a dealer?” Dad’s eyes were close to popping out of their sockets.

“Yes, I’m so sorry.” I shut my eyes, rocking back and forth as tears soaked my shirt wet. Mom scurried towards me and wrapped her tiny arms around me, attempting to calm me down.

“Tell me exactly what happened.” Dad sat on the coffee table in front of me, lifting my head to face him.

Amidst tears of desperation, panic, and frustration, I explained everything in detail. From Kayleigh’s discovery to my decision to break up with Matthew, to the chip somewhere in my body. It was hard to believe I had gone through all that in twenty-four hours. It felt more like a horror movie.

“I always knew I was right about him. If I paid attention to my gut, we wouldn’t be here now.” He shoved his face in his hands and huffed out.

“I’m so sorry,” I repeated.

“It’s not your fault, Shannon,” Mom whispered. “You only fell in love with a jerk. It could happen to anyone.”

“Your mother is right. You couldn’t have known, he fooled us all.” He leaped to his feet and paced around the room. “What we should do is revolt.”

“But how?” I inquired.

“I don’t know yet. The only problem is, we don’t know how massive or influential this guy is. We can’t just strike or we might all end up dead. We need to tread very carefully.” He stopped pacing and turned to look at us. “I have a feeling that this is no ordinary guy. The chip in you is proof that he’s connected to something bigger. That kind of microchip is way above anyone’s league because it’s top secret and only a few selected high up in the chain government officials can access it.”

“Does this mean you will get him arrested?” I leaned forward and stared at him, all full of hope.

“That’s not how it works darling. We need solid evidence against him. Do you know where he keeps the drugs asides from the safe?”

“I don’t. I know nothing beyond what I told you.” I fell back and glanced at the plain ceiling.

“Then it’s going to take longer than I thought. I must warn you, it’s going to be tough and you’re going to need a lot of courage to overpower him.” His eyes softened as he spoke, he’d gotten into his overprotective father mode.

“I need you to promise me that whatever you do, you’ll keep her and yourself safe,” Mom glanced from Dad to me.

“Of course, I promise.” He stretched his arms towards me. “Let me teach you how we deal with hooligans.”