Chapter - 7
THE WAY OF THE WORLD
Frank sat on the sofa trying to push away the teriifying and mysterious events of the evening. The mysterious lady and now Lina in this state. What had happened he could not guess. He slowly pictured the events in his mind without panicking or anxiety. He had been waiting earlier in the evening to discuss a few things with Lina. The past week, Lina had been kind enough to give him updates on his brother's search for him. Frank felt concern rise in him, but it came out as anger, which he showed on the chinaware in Lina's house. 'The Psyche should not know about Joe', he kept thinking. He made a plan to sidetrack Joe from his investigation. He was mad at his brother for going through his personal stuff, but at the moment he couldn't do anything. He was glad that he had memorized every single letter his dealer had given him including last month's ( that was a tough one). Any way, the plan to sidetrack Joe wouldn't happen unless Lina agreed and he had been impatiently been waiting in the darkness of the living room. He didn't dare on the light, for the fear of inquisitive neighbors.
He kept looking at the luminiscent clock every five minutes. It had been almost 6:30 p.m and Lina had still not arrived. He felt a growing concern in his chest. Maybe, he should just go search for her, but then he remembered Lina's request to not come out to get her. The past week, Frank noted that Lina was more mysterious than ever. She would bring him dinner, but most of the time she would be sitting thoughtful as if she was playing a game of chess with her own self. Once Frank had asked her why she had painted her name on the walls in red paint and Lina had winced or maybe grimaced, he couldn't exactly identify. Anyway, he didn't know why, but he felt a kind of chill during the night in the secret room with the name written. It was almost a haunted cold dead feeling. More like he was sleeping in a graveyard. When he had mentioned the graveyard feeling to her, he had almost expected to get a slap, or wait, maybe not a slap , but altleast a glare from her. Instead, he got a thoughtful nod. Every day Frank discovered something mysterious about his hostess. He was absolutely sure that Lina telling Joe that she hadn't been to Bayport before was a lie. There was no way she could've found a secret door in four months time or had a grandmother to look after in that short period. He felt it surprising that Lina would forget a lie like that so quick and let slip about her grandmother, and then the drugs, that just didn't add up. Frank kept wondering if Lina had let slip on purpose. Anyway he kept quiet about it. He looked at the watch again, it was nearing 7:00 p.m and Frank was beginning to get concerned. He didn't mind the dark, he was just worried that Lina might have gotten herself into trouble. Just when he was about to get up from the sofa. He heard the back door open, he sighed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, his relief did not last long
"Lina !" a lady called and Frank froze. He quietly tip toed to the store room and thanked his stars it was not far away from the living room. He listened not daring to breathe. 'who was this ?'
"Lina ! please, I just want to talk." the lady said.
Frank guessed the lady was still near the kitchen, because that's where the back door was located.
"Lina, tell me what did you hear ? or...or I guess . how did you hear ?" the lady asked and Frank felt confused. No one he knew had a key to the backdoor except Lina. So, who was this lady? How did she know Lina's house ? and more importantly how did she have the key to the back door ? He slowly ventured to come out but ducked back into the store room. The lady had come into the living room. Even though it was dark Frank could make her out. She wore jeans and a purple or brown blouse. She had long jet black hair till her waist which camouflaged with her surroundings.
"Listen." she said again "whether you are listening to me or not, I just want to get this out of my chest okay ? I know that recently I have not been your most likeable person, sorry. I wanted to apologise when you came today. I know its hard, but you have to get yourself together. You remember the last words right ? So, I guess what I wanted to tell you was I acted immature then, I 'm really sorry." she paused for some time trying to keep her voice from breaking.
"I was twenty two then, I should have acted reasonable, but I didn't. I want to get to know you now. I want to do things together. I know you heard the news of my wedding. The groom is Damon Clauster from med school. You remember him ?"
Frank was tempted to say 'no.', but he kept quiet. The lady seemed to be talking to herself now. He just listened curiously as she went on.
"Well, he proposed to me three months back in June. You can imagine my shock. I didn't know what to do, I just agreed. Dad and Mom were happy you know ? but I know you are mad at me for that."
Frank nearly fell in shock. 'Lina ! mad ! at someone ! impossible!' he thought.
"I realized you were right. Once Damon and I get married old memories will become an obstacle in our lives. He will find what I'm doing a hindrance, and when we have kids its only going to be worse." she took a deep breath and then continued "Lina, I decided that I'm not getting married. I'm breaking off the wedding with Clauster tomorrow. For your sake, my sake and for the sake of old times." In the last line her voice broke and Frank was shocked. He wasn't able to react for sometime. He heard the scribbling of pencil on paper. Whoever it was had no problem of being in the dark and before he could actually reason with himself. The door was shut. He figured the lady had left.
Frank came out of the store room and a dozen questions passed through his head. It was a familiar feeling for him these days. 'Who was that mystery lady ? How did she know Lina ? What was she to her ? What was she apologising for ? Why should she break off her wedding for Lina or for some old memory ? As he kept thinking he almost tripped over something small. He bent down and picked it up. It was a phone. 'This wasn't here before.' He acidentally pressed the okay button and it started playing
"whether you are listening...
It was then Frank realized that the lady hadn't simply wasted her time talking to darkness. She had wanted to make an apology when she was ready and when she found Lina wasn't there, she had recorded it for her to hear. Frank tucked the phone into his pocket feeling all the more mystified about these weird occurances.
It was 8:00 p.m when Frank heard the door open with a furious force and was closed with a loud bang that made Frank flinch. He heard a low whimpering sound which he recognized as Lina's voice. 'What had happened ?' He got up from the sofa and went to confront her. Lina ran up the stairs nearly pushing Frank.
"Lina !" Frank called as he stumbled after her. The surroundings weren't that familiar to him in the dark. He heard another bang. Frank went upto her room and knocked on the door. As expected he received no answer. He heard Lina's muffled sobbing and his concern grew by every second. He heard many things crash onto the floor and a frustrated scream.
"Lina !" Frank called banging on the door. He knew something had gone disastrously wrong. "What did you hear ?" the mysterious lady had asked. Frank sat down dejected, leaning on the door . He noticed something on the floor. He took it and felt it. It was some sort of sticker. He strained his eyes in the dark to read it. 'VISITOR'S PASS' it read and Frank strained his eyes again to know if he had read right. He heard more screaming and more things crashed to the floor.
"Lina ! open the door." Frank ordered. He heard nothing for sometime and then he heard a loud crash. Frank immediately jumped up and banged on the door.
"Lina ! Lina ! are you alright ?" Fearing the worst, Frank kicked the door open and was surprised when it opened. He rushed in and saw Lina lying on the floor clinging onto a blanket. He quickly got down to his knees beside her and shook her shoulder.
"Lina. Lina." He knew she was conscious because she was sobbing softly.
"Talk to me." Frank said, but received no response. A dim light radiated from the night lamp and Frank was able to see her face. . She lay down clinging onto the blanket and sobbing into it. Frank gently pulled her to his side. That was when he noticed blood trickling from the side of her head.
"Lina ! Lina !" Frank shook her but she lay on his shoulder sobbing.
"you're hurt !" Frank exclaimed.
Frank didn't understand what had upset her so much. He looked at the things strewn around. Frank looked up in a prayer to the force above to tell him what was going on. He noticed the ceiling fan was shaking. 'Blanket. Shaking Fan. Hurt Lina on the floor. oh - uh ! that wasn't good.'
"Lina what were you trying to do ?" Frank asked fearing the worst explanation.
"Lina ? " Frank asked as he turned to her and shook her shoulders. She only wept harder.
"Please, Lina don't tell me you were doing the most senseless act of a lifetime" Frank pleaded. His eyes showed fear. She cried harder and screamed at Frank.
"Lina ! Answer me !" Frank shouted at her and immediately felt guilty, but he needed answers. What was the mystery surrounding Lina ? Then in a soft voice that was only audible to her he murmured.
"You weren't ... try...trying to .. to ki...yourself ? " somehow Frank wasn't able to say that word. Lina who never ever once lost her composure, who didn't care about the faults the world had, she almost was a saintly figure to Frank. Now, she was in his arms, sobbing like life and death.
"Lina ?" Frank whispered.
She screamed at him and he flinched. This confirmed that his question had got through.
"I can't die. I can't. You just don't care what happens. You are not bound to anything. I am and I can't die." she sobbed.
Frank felt a chill run down his spine.
"I heard, Frank. I heard." Lina sobbed into his chest.
The last words she had said rang in his ears.
"What had she heard ?" he thought loudly. He was now sitting staring at the note the mysterious lady had left on the table. A dim light burned in the living room. He wasn't able to stay in the dark anymore so he had turned on the dim fluorescent light. It had hurt Frank more than anything when Lina had said that he didn't care. Is that what every body thought about him ?. No, no,no. Lina had told him in detail what the others had thought about him. Frank was broken from his thoughts when he heard Lina's voice. It startled him.
"what do you want to eat ?" she asked the tone of her voice back to the serene one. Frank didn't know how to get used to the dual personalities.
"uh... actually nothing." Frank said then pointed to the note on the table and took out the phone from the pocket and gave it to her. Frank could've sworn that Lina's face had darkened a bit.
"Do you have something on your mind Frank ?" Lina asked as she read the note.
"uh... yes actually" Frank said glad to have something to distract Lina with. Lina looked at him and gave him a look that said 'still listening'
"I have a place to check out." he said "I was wondering if you could come along."
Lina smiled thoughtfully "Fine."
Frank looked at his watch it was 10:00 p.m. He had his hood up and so did Lina. She was wearing a jacket over her usual outfit. A few more blocks and he would get there. A few patrol cars passed by them but they did not notice the two teenagers. Finally, they successfully made it to the abandoned building, that is if you could actually call it one. It more or less looked like a shelter for tramps. Frank gently opened the door, and waited for Lina to go in. At first Frank could notice the hesitation on Lina's face, but she went in. What they saw stunned Frank, there were different types of pictures of archers. The run down building had different kinds of bows and quivers hung on its walls.
"I wonder who owns this place ?" Frank said as he examined the walls.
Different kinds of arrows were used for the target boards. A particular arrow caught Frank's attention. That particular arrow had struck the centre of every single target board in the room. Frank went upto one of the target boards and pulled out an arrow.
"looks familiar" he murmured to himself. He looked at the end part of the arrow, the tag read in bold letters 'thearcher91' . He looked at every arrow that had struck the centre, each of those arrows had been struck by 'thearcher91'.
"this guy could really participate in the olympics." Frank commented looking at Lina. She just gave a sad thoughtful nod.
"except if he wasn't a criminal." Frank said.
"what makes you think he is a criminal ?" Lina questioned quietly.
"This was the same kind of arrow that hit me last month." Frank said. Lina looked at the arrow and frowned.
"really."
Frank nodded. They went upstairs and Frank found five computer systems.
"I wonder what kind of office this was." Frank said. He took a look at the papers lying on the floor.
"Bayport's academy of Archery and Fencing." Frank read aloud.
"That explains the quivers and bows then." Lina said.
He then went to the corner of the room and found different kinds of arrows, with tags that said 'thearcher91'.
"This is it. the archer 91 is after me."
"For what reason ? " Lina asked.
"I believe he is related to the 'Psyche'. He wants revenge for what I did to the 'Psyche'." he said and threw a quiver onto the floor."
"How do you know that ?" Lina asked putting up her thoughtful look.
"Bard told me."
"Bard ?" Lina questioned giving a frowning expression atleast that was what Frank thought. It was hard to read Lina.
"uh... My dealer."
Lina gave a 'oh. I see.' look and continued looking around.
Frank took another quiver with the same tag. This time he found a name.
"So, this is the archer 91 's true name huh ?" Lina froze.
"what?" she asked.
"Francis Mc Connery." Frank said and Lina went to look at the name.
"Mc Connery looks like blasted name." Lina said serenely, but Frank who was at that moment looking at her could tell she was seeing it with a cold gaze.
"It is blasted." Frank agreed. "I plan on going to the BAAF, tomorrow in the morning at 5:00 a.m. It's not far from your home and we can avoid spectators at that time."
"Frank, don't you think its a bit risky ?" Lina asked.
"Lina, this archer 91, Mc Connery is coming after me for revenge. I don't want Joe involved in my problems. You must sidetrack him."
Lina lookeed at him and frowned.
"Please." Frank said.
"I promise I wouldn't play a direct part in in solving your problems with Joe and the others."
"Thanks Lina." Frank smiled gratefully at her. "Lets go home."
Lina agreed. She ofcourse had other plans in her mind.
The drug dealer quietly entered his place of stock. He nearly screamed when he saw the teenager in front of him.
"You ?" he asked in horror. His eyes wildly darting around.
"Yes."
"I...I... you were a..."
"I know Bard. Children grow."
The man flinched when the teenager mentioned his name.
"How is ..." Bard was about to ask but stopped halfway thinking better not to ask.
"You gave the address."
Bard's face paled "you know ? How ?"
"You do know why I have come back, don't you ?"
Bard gulped and nodded.
"How did you know I was still in Bayport ?" the man asked fear threatening to trample him.
"I saw you in the mall, last month." the teenager replied.
"No way." Bard whispered.
"How many times I have seen you ? how many times you used to scare me away ? how many times you killed ? How many times you used to sneak through the back entrance ? I know your face more than I know his."
Bard trembled. True. He had scared the teenager as a child, but now he was terrified of what he had done, and this teenager was a reminder of the days he wished to forget. The teenager scared him more than his previous master.
"I have star...st...started over. New life, you see." Bard stammered pathetically.
"I din't think so. You are still selling drugs to teenagers." the teenager said.
"I ain't working for that creep fella anymore." Bard said.
"Then how come you gave Frank Hardy that address ?"
Bard trembled. "I... he asked for some help. I ain't fooling."
"Alright, so what was Mc Connery doing in the bunk all these years ?"
Bard's lip quivered. "I never saw that freaking boy after last time. He did the bunkin' I guess."
Then he pleaded with the teenager again "I jus' wanted to help the kid."
"If you wanted to help him, you wouldn't have given him drugs." the teenager said with a smile.
"I'll look into Mc Connery if you want. Tell him to clear off. I still have nightmares about last time. I wanted to save that Hardy kid, but he disappeared."
"You don't have to worry about Hardy. He already taken care off. All you have to do is keep quiet."
"You know where Hardy is ? The cops are looking for him. His father was the guy who you know_"
"I know. Interesting isn't it what Mr. Hardy would do for his own son ? , but unfortunately the Yakuza was more important to him, because the words of a lonely, deranged person doesn't carry enough weight."
"But he saved_" Bard interrupted.
"Yeah he did." the teenager replied sarcastically "Only thing he was too late, now his son is suffering and he is able to feel the pain."
Bard stayed silent. He knew that the teenager was damned right. He remembered that windy evening when Mr. Hardy opened his door and shut it back again right onto the face
"Sorry. see you are delusional. You have to go to a doctor." Mr. Hardy said
"I am not mad ! If you could just please listen to me. You are the only person who can help me." all pleading fell onto deaf ears.
"Listen. I don't have time for this."
"but please, I need help, what would you do if it was your son, would you lock him out too ?"
"My sons are perfectly level headed boys, thank you." Mr. Hardy said with a bit of pride in his voice. Frank was ten years old and Joe was nine and both of them were well appreciated by the people.
"Don't, please Don't." but the door slammed right onto the face.
He had witnessed this all at a fair distance. The pride of the father was his two children. At that time Bard had no faith in good or bad, but years later now when he recalled past events. He remembered the distraught face that had asked for help. Bard let a grin come onto his face. Mr. Hardy had turned down the poor soul that had asked for help, and now when his son was a runaway, he was thinking why his son had never come for help.
The teenager smiled at Bard. "Old memories I suppose."
"just been thinkin'. Mr. Hardy must be wondering why his level headed son did not ask for help." Bard said sadly with a knowing glance at the teenager in front of him.
Bard had realized now that the universe made people pay for every action they commited. He could now tell that the pain of that poor soul was so much that even the universe couldn't bear it. It seemed like God himself had cursed Mr. Hardy, and now only one person could save the Hardy family without breaking a sweat.
" Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." the teenager quoted Newton's third law of motion and took down the hood that was covering the face.
"You are right, Ms. John." Bard said.
