Mark Of The Destiny - Chapter 288

JUMP

THUMP

CRASH

“WHO? WHO IS THERE?” The man ran to grab his rifle hung on the wall, and pointed at the two intruders who had jumped into the house through the window, and had landed straight over the potted cactus.

Oww…

o..

My bum…

“Get over me bastard, you are sitting on me.” Zeng yelled, his face scrunched awkwardly.

James smirked, “You deserve this. I wonder how will you do the morning work now?” Karma surely exists. Zeng had embarrassed him with the same question when James’s palm was scrapped by ropes.

“Shut up, you idiot. Think about the hunter standing ahead, ready to punch holes~ don’t know in what parts.”

James’ head snapped to the man who looked in late fifties and had French beard. “Sir, sir sir, please don’t shoot at us. We are not here with any malicious intentions but looking for Mrs. Claire Fraise. We are from Cheyna, and here to inquire about the Ricci family’s daughter Romana and her child.” He carefully raised Evan’s photograph towards the man. “This– this…. this child and the woman.”

The man’s eyes never blinked, his body perfectly still, frown a sign of irritation rather than concentration. He raised the rifle up, “Get out before I kill you. There’s no one named Claire.”

Zeng tried to stand, but the cactus was stuck in his bum. He grunted in pain, looking around for something to hold on and try standing then. Just then his gaze fell on the photo frame on the table, “You–You are Mrs. Claire’s husband?” Zeng stated.

“Honey, who’s there?” An elderly woman’s voice came from the stairs. Soon she clattered down to check and found her husband pointing a rifle at the two young men.

“Darling, why did you come. These two rascals are from Ricci family. I will handle them and will dispose their bodies in our farm. Let me see how well it will fertilise our land–”

“James?” The woman called, taking everyone by surprise.

James raised his hand up, “It’s me. I am James. Please, I would be a terrible option to fertilise your land. But this man beside me is good for that. You can use him, I will help you in chopping him into pieces.”

Zeng “….”

“James!” The woman called again, “You are James, my Lucy’s boyfriend? Oh my, you look so handsome in person!”

James “…”

Zeng, “How many boyfriends you have? Do you have STD? I better get checked,”

James cast a look at Zeng still stuck over a cactus plant, “You are saying as if I have slept with you. Moron.”

“Whatever,”

“Mrs. Fraise,” James took slow steps towards the woman, simultaneously keeping an eye on her husband. “You mistook me for someone. I am James, but my boyfriend’s name is Evan, and we are here to ask a few questions about the fire in Valentino apartments and Mrs. Romana Ricci.” he showed the photograph, “This woman and her child,”

Claire Fraise smiled. She pointed at the same little boy aka Evan in the picture, “This is my Lucy. I mean…. Lucian. Romana’s son. Your Evan.”

…

…..

James narrated the entire story about Evan and how they found him as beta working some secret organisation

…..

…..

In the fire at Valentino apartments twenty-six years back, Evan’s father and grandparents were burned alive. But Romana escaped with little Evan.

“But according to the police report, they found five bodies. Which includes a body of a toddler of the same age as of Evan…. I mean Lucian.” James said.

Claire shook her head, “Lucy and Romana were not among the dead ones. It was Romana’s friend and her son’s body. They were at her house that day to celebrate New Year, and couldn’t past run the fire,” the woman pulled the sleeves up to show the burned skin, “I was at the house, and saw everything.” Claire’s eye watered, her voice choked. The trauma still visible in her eyes.

James pressed on her hand.

Claire’s eyes swept over James’s face. “Lucy had told me about you. It shocked me first, two men in love~ I don’t understand all this. But he promised to bring you here to meet me once and show me why he chose you in life.” a smile broke on the corner of James’ lips. He was right, Evan loves him. There’s a reason behind Evan’s harsh words.

“Tell me more. Tell me everything. Where is Romana? When and how Evan met you? Everything. This is very important to me.”

“Soon after Romana left the country with Lucy to keep her child safe. She knew she was not in a position to get back to the powerful Ricci family, and it’s best she grab the only opportunity in hand that is to leave the country under the identity of her dead friend.”

“OWWWW….” Zeng howled, “Uncle, please be gentle.”

Claire dragged her eyes away from James’s flawless features and went to fetch a medicine from the drawer. She gave it to her husband who was nursing Zeng’s butt.

“I helped Romana to escape. When cops questioned me, I lied everyone died in the fire. Later I also accepted the bribe from Ricci family and gave a false statement that fire started because of the short circuit. I had to do that to stay alive, as otherwise they would have got me killed.”

“How did Evan…. Lucy, found you?”

“From the police records, Evan is looking for his past.” Claire suddenly turned to James, and squeezed his shoulder, “Tell me how did you find me? Lucy specially chose this place for me and no one knows I live here.” Her eyes protrude out in horror, “Lucy is in some kind of danger. I don’t know what, but I have seen the fear in his eyes when he came looking for me. Someone don’t want him to know about his past.”

“Oh oh,” Zeng spoke up from the couch, “The private detective I hired–”

James fast walked and parted the curtains slightly. Shocked someone was keeping eye on the house. “Aunty, we have to leave. Someone is keeping an eye on the house.”

The man stood up, grabbed his gun, “Don’t worry about us. I know what I have to do. You both leave from the back door. Go straight and take left to the blue lane towards the church road. Then right, and again right. Around two minutes of walk, and you will hear the sound of boats and seagulls.” He threw a key towards James, “White boat, yellow strips. CF initials. That’s mine. GO!”

Claire, “Jamie, Romana left for El Sandrios. If you want more information, that’s the place you should go. Be careful child.” She takes out a diary from the drawer, and threw it at James, “This has information about Romana’s dead friend, the identity she used to escape.”

James tug the diary on waist and gave Zeng a shoulder to help him out. After getting out, James turned to take a look at the house, hoping safety for the couple. To his relief, a few people from the village were fast walking to the old couple’s house. Everyone had hockey sticks, knives, guns in hand.

Surely the people in villages stand for each other in need.

James, “RUN!”

Zeng, “RUN!”

**********