RUFUS
How did she end up in jail? How is she awaiting for a trial? It’s lonely in the house. No one’s bothering me, throwing random things at me.
I’m upset. She’s a friend, a trustworthy one. I expected that she’s going to be the one I will talk to about what’s going to happen.
My phone rings. “What’s up, Archer?”
“Nothing. Just want to remind you that today’s the day.” Then he hangs up. He’s been calling me every morning for the past few days. Most of the time, he will ask me to drink with him after his shift and always agree. He’s lost. He didn’t even want to visit Jess or hear her name.
My phone rings. It’s Pol, he wants to video chat me. “What’s up brother?” He’s smiling.
“What’s up? You still home?” I recognized his background. It’s his house just outside West.
“Yeah. Little bud wants me to bring him to school. He’s just shy to say the he wants to show off his Papa.” He laughs, then he moved the phone so I can see his son. Leo waves at me, he can’t speak full words yet.
“I see his teeth in the middle.”
“It’s growing, right?” He pauses to get out of the car. “How’s your little vacation with you know who.” He teasingly said.
I smiled. He must be too busy to watch news TV. “We’re okay. She’s out of here right now. It’s just me.”
“Don’t be sad, brother. If you come back here, we’ll be having a lot of fun. All right?” He pauses to say good bye to Leo then he walk back to the car. “I’ll see you when you go back here. Good bye, brother.” He fist bump the screen, so did I.
“Take care while you drive. See you.” I hang up. I let out a heavy sigh, but it’s not enough for my heart to calm down. I hope Pol will be safe tonight, for his son.
Before I leave the house, I gaze at the chandelier. The day we got here, it was bedtime when I found her sitting on the stairs admiring the Chandelier. She said that for some reason, the chandelier reminds her of her mother. She thought that maybe it’s because she knows that her Mother picked it for a reason. It’s big, but simple.
I close the door, then left a spare key under the vase.
When I got to the station. Robert talked to me first. I explained him everything there is to know about the Island. He said that I will be explaining the area in front of the team.
My mind is in constant battle on whether I should regret this or not. But all I know is that Actions cannot be undone.
DETECTIVE SANCHEZ
Jess is awaiting trial. Every day since she was transported, I visit her. I’ve seen people took their lives because of situation like her and I don’t want that to happen.
Archer made himself busy with work. He doubles his shift, and take over people’s work. He never went home since last week. I wonder where he sleeps.
I heard the back door open. “Det? They’re here.” Cruz said.
I threw my cigarette on the floor and stepped on it. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
When I got to the briefing room, Robert, Miranda, Reyes, and the rest of the team
already started everything.
“This is the blueprint of the mansion with the secret room, and the tunnel.” Robert explains, then he called Rufus.
Rufus is devastated when he heard about Jess. He made himself busy with cooperating with us. Helping us understand Mr. Bartley’s Illegal business, and the Island.
He pins the blueprint on the point, grabs a pen and draw a connecting line outside the other side of the tunnel. “Now, all of this is water. In here, this is where we park the boats. You will not see the Island just from looking from outside the tunnel. We need to ride the boat right, straight for 15 minutes before we see the Island. And then, 10 minutes more to reach it.”
Miranda speaks, “Tell us what to know about the Island.”
“When you reach the Island, there is another 5 minutes walk to reach the operation area.”
Reyes raises his hand to ask a question. “Are you coming with us to the Island? How will we know the way to the operation area?”
“There will be yellow line painted on the trees. It will guide your way to the operation area.”
“Detective Sanchez will tell everyone how we conduct the operation.” Robert signaled me to come forward.
“Good morning, folks. We will start our operation at seven in the evening. It is the time where William East and most of his guards are home.” I let out a sigh before continuing. “These people will fight back. This is a big operation and we have kids on the Island. We need William and his guys in the mansion. Our priority here, folks, is the get the kids to safety. Robert, Miranda and this team—“ I point to the left side. “—will go to the Island. While me, Archer, Reyes, and the rest of the remaining team will go to the mansion.” I explain.
Miranda speaks, “Gear up, people! We’ll go to West in 30 minutes to meet our people there. Good luck.”
I’ve been looking for Archer for 5 minutes. The only place I haven’t look yet is the parking lot. What could he be doing in the parking lot?
I see him inside his car, sleeping. When I knock, he flinched. “Are you sleeping in your car?” I ask him as he roll down the window.
“No! Why would you think that?” The fact that he’s defensive tells me that he’s really living in his car for days.
I nod. “Explains the wrappers, bottled water, and the hygiene products you bring every time you use the Station’s bathroom for half an hour.” I signaled him to get out of the car. “Let’s go. We’re going to west.” While we wait for the rest of the team, I told him the plan.
Reyes, him, me, and Rufus are on the same car. Reyes and Rufus is at the back collaborating ideas, and refreshing the plan. Archer is asleep, while I drive quietly. The West police headquarter greeted us with a lot of shake hands. Everyone’s geared up, and most tables are occupied.
The chief guided us in front of a large briefing room where we explained the whole plan once again.
It’s almost seven in the evening. My team are all near by the mansion. Miranda’s team had to find a place near the water and had to change their direction from straight right to straight left. They said that they are already on the boat.
“All right, people. This is Robert, everyone listen to your superior’s signal. Our priority here are the kids. If they fight, we fight back. Good luck.”
Reyes is younger than me, but he’s an FBI guy. 7:00 drops on the clock, and he signaled us that it’s a go. The moment the guards saw us walking towards the gate wearing our gear, they tried to shot us. But we managed to take them out quietly. We tried to shot them in the leg, if they are alive, we will get more information about the whole business.
But when we enter the mansion, we didn’t expect the bloodbath we painted the mansion.
Reyes said that we should find Mr. Bartley.“Archer, let’s go.” Reyes pulled Archer upstairs with few people in the team.
Rufus made sure that the library’s clear. “Over here.” The library looks neat, except that a part of the shelf is open. “That’s the secret room, then tunnel.” The secret room’s empty as well.
“Where is he?” I ask. There is no sign of Mr. Bartley here. I look at the other guys. “You guys sweep the place for important evidence. Rufus and I will go trough the tunnel. Radio us if there’s a conflict.” I didn’t wait for their response. We need to find old man as soon as possible because if he’s really on the other side of the tunnel, he might escape using the boat.
We made it through the other side of the tunnel. “Well, this is not what I expected.” I whispered.
His walking cane is resting beside him. “Ah, just in time my boy.” He looks at Rufus. “Come, sit. You too, Detective.”
“Stop this nonsense. You’re busted now.” I said. “Get him up.”
“Detective. That’s the thing, I’m busted. Will you just let me have a few minutes to talk to my boy—“
Rufus cuts him off. “Stop calling me like I am your son, because you’re not.” He sits beside him.
“You see, family does not require a matching blood. The only thing it requires is love and care.”
“You love me? Then why the hell did you took my parents away from me, huh? Where are they!?”
“Your parents left you with me—“
“Bullsh*t! The note you said mama gave me was not written by her, you faked it. You made me believe it. What did you do to them, huh? Where is my brother?” He threw old man’s walking cane in the waters.
It’s news that he has a brother or had a brother. This must be the reason why he went to me with all of the evidences to put old man behind the bars. He’s been waiting for this moment all of his life.
“Son, do you remember our little meeting about Kathy’s investigation? The meeting where I hired a man to kill the Detective?” Old man asks. He continues, “I told him to stop. Yesterday, I found out that you betrayed me, and your friends.” He referred to his guards. “And I thought, this will be the best chance for your friends to kill he’s friend.” He smirks.
Something clicked on me. “Archer.” I look at him. “This is your plan? To kill one man?”
“It is. You will never find the Island, you will never save the kids. And you…” he looks at Rufus. “Will never find the truth about your parents, and your brother.” Instead of paying attention to what old man just said, he runs out the tunnel.
“Old man’s done. He’s going to rot in jail. What we need is to get Jax out of here-“ A gunshot nailed us at our spot.
I don’t to agree with what my head composed base on the gunshot. It was a complete chaos for a minute. I didn’t even notice that Rufus left me. I ran towards the sound of the gunshot.
My eyes are searching for Archer. “Archer? Archer!” I called for him, but nothing. When I look down the floor, I see blood.
“Why would you do that, huh?” His voice is trembling. “Why didn’t you just stay home?”
I walk around to see who he’s holding. I want to thank God because it’s not Jax, but I saw in Rufus’ eyes that this guys is important to him.
“Brother. You sold us…” He’s coughing out blood but still managed to chuckle. “But it’s all right. If my kid’s the one inside the Island, I want someone to help him too.”
Rufus held his hands tight. “I’m sorry. So sorry…” the pain in his voice made me stay. I want to find Archer but I know I need to stay.
“It’s all right, brother. I apologize for trying to kill your friend—“ he coughs again. “It’s just old man said that he’ll pay me double if I do it. You know that I want to get my family out of that shit hole, eh?”
“I know, brother. But you need to hold on, okay? For Leo. He is going to send an ambulance here.” He pointed at me. I’m about to radio for an ambulance when the guy waved me ‘no’.
“Brother, I’m gone. You know how it is for guys like us. If you take me to the hospital, they’re just going to slice through my body without means of saving me.” The moment he said it, Rufus lost it. “I want Leo to be able to show off his father, even if it’s a funeral.”
Rufus begs, “Brother, please…”
“Well done, brother. For saving those kids, now you go save mine.” No more gunshots to cover the sound of his last breath. No more shouting to cover the pain Rufus is in right now.
I held him up. “Come on, we need to go.”
His hands is on his mouth, he just couldn’t believe it. But he also know that we need to go find Archer.
“Det!” Archer runs toward us. “Some guy— some guy tried to shot me and—“
“Napoleon. Napoleon Villia was his name.” Rufus said before he went down the stairs. He’s in pain. He needs time.
“Come on. We have one more thing to finish. Want to make the arrest?” I smiled at Archer.
“Yes, sir.”
MR. BARTLEY
I’m afraid I was bluffing. By now, Archer is dead. When I said that they will never going to find the Island, that was a part of bluffing too. I know they will.
This is my Karma for using those poor kids who thought they will be saved. I made them run my drug business, and made them do bad things.
Before I went to the tunnel, I took a drug. This drug will stop your heart within an hour after taking them. I just need a time to talk to Rufus.
I hear the boats from afar. I feel something in my heart. I lay down, and I slightly close my eyes.
The Detectives are here. They are shaking my body, checking my pulse, and calling for my name. Before I ran our of breath, I smiled at them.
I defeated them by death.