Blood Brothers
Chapter 11
Twelve years prior to the current events…
Two short years had passed since Nathan and Mary's escape from the Earl or Trancy on that quiet night. Soon after their secret departure, Mary gave birth to Nathan and her third son. Unlike Jim and Edwin, who are now both four years old, the youngest child does not look very much like the other two. The infant's hair is of a rich, orange-reddish texture, unlike the two pale-blonds, and his eyes are dark grey in color, instead of sky blue like his brothers'. Nevertheless, his parents love him just as much as his brothers, and after some time, the two young couples decided to name the boy Luka.
Nathan and his family had taken refuge in a village unknown and unheard of to most, including, the young man believed, Earl Trancy. The five now live a calm and simple life, without much worries and regrets. Little do they know, their peaceful facade is going to soon be completely shattered.
A bolt of lightning flashes across the dark, stormy night sky as Nathan runs alone through an empty road in the middle of the village. The dark-haired man is soaked with rain water as he rushes through the muddy, puddle-ridden dirt road and past the other locked houses, towards his home near the edge of the small town. Despite the terrible weather, Nathan is happy at the thought that he would soon be spending the rest of this dreadful evening with the comfort of his family. A few minutes pass, and the young man finally reaches the wooden front door of his modest house. Knocking a couple of times, the door opens, and a feeling of warmth washes through the dark-haired man's body as he sees his lover.
"Nathan! Where have you been?" Mary cries as she pulls her husband inside and removes his drenching overcoat, "You had me worried sick, I thought something awful had happened!"
"I had to help some villagers on my way home," Nathan replies as he kisses his lover softly on the forehead, "And before I knew it, the sky became pitch black and began to rain."
"Dear, you're freezing cold," Mary speaks worriedly as she gently touches her husband's face, "You'll get sick if you don't get warmed up. I'll go prepare some tea for you."
"Thank you, love," The young man says calmly as he takes a seat by the fireplace. His wife then leaves the small living room to bring her fatigued, soaked lover some beverages.
Alone again, Nathan looks outside into the dark night, its expansive, pitch-black mass painted with sudden streaks of lightning. A small smile crosses the young man's lips, as he watches nature's wrath. With all its violence, the storm brings a strange feeling of peace amidst its fearful nature to Nathan, and with that, the young man closes his tired eyes for some rest.
Shortly, Mary returns with a cup of hot tea. Placing on a small table next to Nathan, the young woman takes a seat on the comfortable couch beside her husband. A particularly bright flash of lightning, followed by a violent roar of thunder, shakes the small house and its occupants.
"I've always hated summer storms," The blond-haired woman says nervously, "Ever since I was a child."
"I don't like it either," Nathan replies quietly, as he himself is also somewhat disturbed by the rough weather.
The young couple does not speak as the tempest continues, until a small voice from the staircase interrupts their silence.
"Mommy, I'm scared."
Turning around, the two sees a scared Edwin, in his nightgown, followed by Jim behind him. As soon as the boy finishes his sentence, the youngest son begins to cry in his cradle.
"Oh, come here you two," Their father says benevolently to his two elder sons, and turns to his wife, "Mary, would you mind taking care of Luka?"
"Of course, dear," The young wife answers and withdraws from the living room, leaving Nathan with the two children.
"Come, sit by daddy," The young man says warmly, "And tell me what is bothering the two of you."
The little blond boys climb up the couch and sits alongside their father, gently hugging him for protection from their childish fears.
"Is the storm scaring you two?" Nathan asks tenderly, and gently pats his son's fuzzy head.
The two young boys glance at their father with their big, tear-filled sky-blue eyes and nod slightly in unison.
"There are monsters in the dark," Jim says nervously, unable to let go of his childish paranoias, "And monsters are scary."
"Monsters," The young father replies confidently, "Do not worry. I've already scared them away."
"Really?" Edwin asks doubtfully, the violent storm still a fearful sight to the young boy, "You really scared the monsters away?"
"Of course, Edwin!" Nathan boasts at his two sons, "There are no monsters that daddy can't beat!"
Jim and Edwin's faces brighten up with excitement and relief, and a big smile reaches them.
"Daddy's the best!" Jim yells happily and hugs his father tightly, and his twin brother.
Laughing warmheartedly, Nathan tenderly embraces his two children, silently wishing that times like these could last forever.
Suddenly, the young father's time with his children are disrupted when he hears three heavy thumps come from the entrance. As Nathan wonders who could be visiting him at such a late hour, the stranger on the other side bangs impatiently again, this time with more force.
"Who is it?" Nathan shouts as he goes to the door, but there came no reply. A sense of uneasiness flows through the dark-haired father, and quietly, he tells his children to return to their rooms.
As the puzzled boys leaves, Nathan reaches for the handle and opens the door a little to see who the uninvited guest is. To his surprise, the stranger is not a fellow townsfolk, but a bulk man covered from head to toe with clothing. The big man wears a large coat and a bowler hat, and a scarf conceals most of his face unhidden by his other garbs. The stranger's dark, cold eyes are all that Nathan could distinguish.
"Good evening lad," The bulk man speaks coarsely with a heavy accent, "My carriage broke down near here, do you mind if I come in?"
Nathan, through his past experiences, easily perceives that the man is lying. However, the young man does not know what the stranger could possibly wish to hide from him. Nevertheless, not wanting to put his family at risk, the young man politely refuses before closing the entryway. Immediately, the large man grabs the edge of the old door, and being much bigger and stronger than Nathan, he pulls the door open again. Staring menacingly at the startled smaller man, the stranger speaks again.
"I suggest that you let me in," The bulk man says in a rough, deep voice, "If you know what's good for you."
Frightened, more for his family than himself, Nathan reluctantly agrees to let the strange to enter his house. Once inside, the large man does remove any of his concealing attire, and walks to take a seat on the couch next to the fireplace.
"The weather is terrible at this time of the year," The unwelcome guest utters emotionlessly as he looks at the warm fireplace. Nathan does not respond, and takes a seat facing the other man.
As soon as Nathan sits down, Mary comes in the poorly-lit living room, curious at who their visitor is. The stranger turns around, and remains unmoving for a few seconds upon seeing the anxious young woman. Suddenly, the bulk man bursts out in a wild laughter, greatly perplexing the young couple.
"I was right from the start," The man laughs uncivilly, and turning to Nathan, he speaks loudly, "I've finally found you."
The fear in the hearts of the young man and his wife begins to rise rapidly, as the words spoken by the stranger pierces through their illusions of security.
"Excuse me," Nathan says shakily as he tries to evade truth, "But what do you mean by that?"
"You know damn well what I mean," The bulk man leans towards the young man, and utters grimly as he pulls down his thick scarf, "Nathan Mackens!"
Absolute horror fills the dark-haired man as he recognizes the man sitting in front of him as Derek Neville, one of Earl Trancy's top henchmen in the criminal world. As the former head butler of the Trancy Estate, Nathan knows Neville for his pure violence and brutality in dealing with his work.
Nathan sits frozen, with cold sweat pours down his forehead, as his mind races for a resolution, but in the bottom of his heart, he knows there are none. He thought that his family would not be found by the Earl, he thought that he could protect them from danger, and in the end, he had failed. After all those short, happy years, His affectionate family, Mary, Edwin, Jim, and Luka, everyone he loves and all that he has left in this dark world, are about to be torn away from him. A single tear drop flows down his face as he finally musters enough strength to speak.
"What do you want from me?" The young father asks mutely in defeat.
"From you?" Neville chuckles, "Oh no, I need nothing from you. In fact, I would let you unharmed."
Then, pointing at Mary, Neville continues, "The lady is all that I need."
Silence fills the small living room as the atmosphere intensifies. His past had finally caught up with Nathan. Suddenly, a small voice shouts from behind Mary.
"You can't take mommy! She's ours, not yours!"
The three adults turns to look at the speaker, and to the Nathan and Mary's fear, it is Edwin. Their son, after hearing the commotion, had left Jim and his room to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Don't worry, mommy," Edwin says confidently, "Daddy said he would protect us!"
Neville, shocked at the sudden appearance of a young boy, begins another wave of crude laughter.
"Are those your kids?" The thug chuckles as he stares into Nathan like a predator to its prey, "I can't believe you actually-"
"Do not lay a finger on them," Nathan says sternly, his fighting spirit slowly returning to him, "Or you'll regret it."
"Please," Neville says coldly as he lifts his coat and unholsters a loaded revolver, "I have no intention of harming anyone tonight, unless I have to."
Looking at the young man's family, Neville speaks again, "I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen."
Terrified at the thought of harm coming to his wife and children, Nathan hesitantly, and with all his ability, contains himself from retaliating to Neville's words.
"Mary," The dark-haired father says without looking, "Take Edwin up stairs for now. You've always loved stormy days."
The young wife understands his husband, and with a quick nod, takes her child to their second floor. As she carries her young son, Mary begins to quietly weep, as this could be the last time she would ever see her husband.
The time she had spent with Nathan was the best of her life. Never before had a man bring so much joy to her, and at the same time truly love her with tenderness and care. Nathan's love for her was real, unlike Earl Trancy, who arranged her marriage just so he could get her father's wealth and properties. As the young woman reaches the top of the staircase with her son, more tears flow down her delicate, pale face. She had finally found happiness, and yet in such a short time, it will all be gone. The only man she truly loves will be forever separated from her.
Suddenly a gunshot rings through the small house, followed by a heavy thud. Instantly, terror fills Mary's heart as she rushes downstairs, silently praying that her husband would be alright. Reaching the first floor, Mary sees her husband and Neville tangled together on the ground, throwing devastating punches against each other.
"Mary!" Nathan yells desperately as he tries to reach for the dropped pistol, "Get out of here with the kids!"
With haste, the young woman does as she is told, and runs into the dark, violent night with her children as Nathan keeps Neville on the ground.
Nathan was a soldier, and he had fought in some of the most brutal battles of his time before serving the Trancy Estate. Although he had not been in a fight for a long time, Nathan is still a fighter at heart. With a strong kick, the dark-haired father pushes his opponent back, and reaches for the revolver. Before Nathan could touch the gun, Neville gets on his feet, and grabbing the young man with both hands, lets out a savage roar as he throws him against the wall.
Pain rushes through the dark-haired man's body, but he does not give up. Standing up, Nathan charges into the bulk man, ramming him against the opposite wall. Letting out a painful cry, Neville pushes Nathan to the ground, and lands on top of the smaller man. Nathan again kicks his opponent off him, and this time, the young man manages to grab the revolver. Spinning around, Nathan points the gun at Neville, as the thug slowly raises both his hands and step away from his enemy.
All of the sudden, the young man hears a distinct scream from the outside. The voice belongs to Mary.
Leaving Neville, Nathan rushes into the thundering night and finds, to his horror, his family at gunpoint, taken hostage by the other thugs working for Earl Trancy.
"One more step and I'll shoot the kid!" One of the brutes yell through the heavy rain.
"No!" Nathan screams and drops his gun, "Please, don't hurt my family!"
"Get on the bloody ground!" Another thickly-clad hired-gun yells.
Hopeless, Nathan weakly falls to his knees, and puts his hands above his head. Cold rain, mixed with his warm tears, cover his face as the his worst fears become reality.
Neville had left the house, and upon seeing his prey incapacitated, a sick smile reaches his lips. Grabbing the pistol lying on the muddy road, the bulk man laughs crudely. With a powerful strike from the grip of his gun, the thug knocks Nathan unconscious.
"Good job, lads," Neville yells to his fellow henchmen as he drags the limp body of Nathan back to their carriage, "I'm gonna personally show this brat the consequences of messing with the Spider."
As reality fades away from him, the only thought Nathan had left in his mind was shame at the failure that he could not even protect his own family. With that, consciousness leaves the young man. His wife and kids begin to cry painfully at their father's defeat, and Mary, gently hugging her three sons, makes false promises of comfort to them in vain. She knows that her world would never be the same.