Authors Note: Sorry for the long wait, school and my job have been very intense lately, but here's the next chapter. Hope you like it! and to all that have reviewed... you guys are awesome!
Avenge
Chapter 3 - A Familiar Friend
Throughout the whole night I found myself sitting upon my bed just staring across the room thinking. With the dozens of thoughts running through my mind, it was extremely difficult to get any sleep at all. I just remained there sitting in that gigantic bed by myself, alone in the dark wishing just to feel Jordan's presence. It wasn't the same without him there by my side. There were no more cuddles at night to keep me warm, no whispering soothing words into my ear to help me drift into a peaceful slumber, and the more I thought about it, the more it angered me inside knowing that he was gone. All of it was gone.
It seemed to me that no matter what I did, I wouldn't sleep and it worried me to know that this could be a continuous problem. However I just simply continued to sit up in my bed completely restless, soon noticing how enormous the bed really was. Two people were meant to sleep on it, and I realized right there and then that I wouldn't be able to sleep on it, not for a while anyway. So I then immediately grabbed my quilt and pillow and headed for the living room, it was the couch for me tonight.
But even on the couch brought back many memories, I just couldn't escape it. Memories of us cuddling together watching movies, sitting infront of our fireplace enjoying the crackling sounds of the fire, all those warm Christmas nights... it left me feeling devastated knowing I would never enjoy those moments ever again. I hugged myself tightly and remained sitting there, the television quietly on, its rays of light dimly illuminating the room. The late night news had come on, and of course what was the first story to air, none other than the horrendous murder of my fiancee. I quickly grabbed the remote and hit the off button, leaving myself sitting in the dark once again.
Was this how my life was going to be from now on? Me sitting alone in my own home, avoiding anything that reminded me of him? No! I wouldn't let myself become one of those people. I wasn't going let myself get lured into the world of depression where I block the rest of the world out of my life to just sit and sulk all throughout the rest of my days. The only thing that would prevent me from going that direction was finding Anton and bringing him down. He was my motivation. I realized that avenging Jordan's death was the only way for me to fill that empty hole. And after last night, I had found the one person who could hold all of the answers to my questions, and that was Tommy.
How could I forget about what I had learned about Tommy? Combined with all the emotions I was feeling throughout the night, the shock of it all played a huge part towards why I couldn't sleep. For me to learn that an ex-boyfriend, whom I had regretfully broken the heart of and haven't spoken to in over 8 years, had an association to a man that I wanted nothing more but dead, was far too outrageous to believe. To everyone else this seemed to be nothing but a little simple coisidence, but to me it was far more greater than it seemed. The only upside from knowing this information was now that I knew that he and Anton had worked together shortly before the explosion, Anton's mysterious disappearance and attitude transformation, I knew that Tommy had to have some answers for me.
Morning quickly came, and although I was happy to see the daylight, nothing else had changed. I was still angry, I was still bitter, I was still sad. But even with those feelings still lingering within me, I still managed to get along with my day. I made myself breakfast, read the newspaper and did a little cleaning, just like everyday during my regular morning ritual. And for the first time that morning, for some strange reason, I felt energized, like there was something out there for me to do. I stood still for a moment, and stared at my surroundings. This house felt so quiet and so lonely, it was far too big for just myself. And as I kept looking at all that was around me, each inch of the house bringing back memories of me and Jordan living here, I had realized something. It never occurred to me what I was supposed to do now that Jordan was gone. Of course finding Anton was at the top of my priorities, but what was supposed to come after it? It was like I had a to do list that the rest of my life depended on, except it was incomplete. Everything else was just one huge question mark.
I slowly shuffled my way over to my kitchen table and immediately sat myself down. If Jordan hadn't gone, I would have been making plans for our wedding right about now. I would be making a list of who to invite, and a list of what things were to be done, but now, after all that had happened, I was writing out a list of something completely different. I was writing a list for my life. As I sat and thought I realized that there would only be two things on that list. Number one, find Anton Mercer, and number two... move on.
Suddenly I was interrupted by a knock at my front door. I instantly looked up at my clock and saw that it was only eight thirty. Who would be visiting me this early? I hesitantly got up and made my way over to the door, and after taking a quick peek through the window, a great deal of emotion poured out of me. I covered my mouth to prevent loud sobs to come out and I immediately opened the door.
As soon as I flung the door wide open, those saddened eyes looked down upon me. I could see the sympathy all over his face which only made me cry even more. I didn't know whether my tears were of saddenss or of gratitude.
"Adam." I whispered, as I wiped the tears from under my eyes and immediately flung my arms around him.
"Hey." He whispered back and gave me a tight hug in return. "I'm sorry I didn't make it out sooner. I tried getting out of business meetings, but I just couldn't until yesterday. I took the quickest flight out here."
"Don't apologize." I muttered. "I'm just glad you're here."
Seeing one of my oldest and dearest friends come all the way out to be at my doorstep meant much more to me than what it seemed. I couldn't help but cry and Adam realized that and continued his embrace. She gently patted his hand on my back trying to calm me down, and in time it worked. I let go of him and let my tearful eyes stare up at his, I was so happy he was there.
"I was so mad that I couldn't get out of doing those meetings... if I had, I would have so been there for the funeral."
"Don't worry about it." I whispered.
Besides Jason, Adam was the only other friend back from highschool that I still remained close with. Jason, Adam and I had all met up with eachother in L.A when we were all freshmen's in college. My gymnastics career was soon concluding and so I decided to go back to school. After a brief return to Angel Grove, Jason and I had made the decision to move out to L.A, and coinsidentally, Adam did as well. Our four years of college were well spent, as our friendships grew stronger and stronger. Soon as we graduated Jason made a career from his talents in martial arts and as soon as he had saved up enough money, he opened up his own dojo. It was so successful that he was in demand to coach some top noch amateurs. That soon led to travelling all around the world which was where he currently was at the moment. I haven't talked to him in a month, but the last time we had spoken a word to eachother, he was in Japan with one of his students at a tournament.
As for Adam, he was studying business marketing and advertising in college and soon after graduation he had landed at job at one the top advertising companies in L.A. However, after two years of serving to that company he was then transfered to a company in New York. It was sad to see him go, but I was so proud of him with his successes. And so with Adam in New York, Jason somewhere overseas, and I still residing in L.A, we were all separted but never broken up. I'm proud to say that we're still all so close no matter how many miles may be between us.
"Have you talked to Jason at all?" Adam had asked me, as the both of us made our way into the living room.
"No." I shook my head. "I don't know how to reach him. I don't even know where he is. Usually I wait for him to call me first."
"Yeah... same here." Adam replied. "That's what's so hard about this, he doesn't even know."
"Well at least I can depend on you guys to even care. I called my mom when it all happened, and she still hasn't come out to be here."
"I'm so sorry Kim."
"You know what... it doesn't even matter anyway. She's been out of my life ever since I was sixteen. I feel like she's raised me over the phone... some mother I have!"
"Kim... don't get into this again."
Adam was right. Everytime my mother came into the topic I had always gotten myself worked up over it. It was something I had always gotten myself into over the years. Both Adam and Jason went through plenty of my ramblings about my mother, and at that moment right there, I knew Adam wasn't surpirsed. It wasn't that I hated my mother, it just made me furious that she never made the effort to fly out. She didn't fly out for my engagement party, I even wondered if she would have even flown out for the wedding.
"You're mother does care about you Kim, she may not show it, but she does." Adam assured me. "Now forget this... this is not what I came here to talk about... I'm here to talk about you. What have you been up to?"
I paused for a moment to think to myself. What have I been up to? Missing Jordan mostly, but I knew that wasn't the answer Adam was looking for. I looked over at him and noticed he was watching my every move. It was something he had always done, his eyes concentrating on me in order to read my every thought, and on some good days, he was actually able to.
"There's actually something I need to talk to you about." I replied.
"What is it?" He asked.
"You will not believe how complicated this story is." I muttered. I then began to tell him the story from when Jordan and I were talking to Candace and Jordan's aunt up on the balcony to when the fight between Anton and Jordan's father and uncles had occured. The next part was extremely difficult for me as I found it painful to go into detail of how Jordan died.
"The man who shot Jordan was actually his uncle." I added.
"Uncle?" Adam repeated. I nodded back at him. "Why would he want to shoot his own nephew?"
"I don't know." I shrugged. "But there is this one party I left out."
"What?"
"I remember way before Anton had even pulled out a gun, and everyone was arguing back and forth, he had said something about me."
"What was that?"
"I distinctly remember him saying to Jordan's father, 'you're boy cannot marry that woman!'"
"He said that! Why would he say something like that?"
"I have no idea." I vigorously shook my head. "And it scares me everyday thinking about what the reason is."
"So what else happened?"
"Anton disappeared. And the cops... they haven't found him at all." I angrily muttered. "But get this... I was talking to Candace a couple days ago, and she told me that a few years back, Anton had killed a friend of hers, and he disappeared from that murder as well."
"He's killed before!" Adam spat out.
"Yes, he has." I slowly nodded. "And he's never been caught for it." I then immediately got up from my seat in frustration, and paced back in forth in front of the fireplace. "I swear to god Adam, if he gets away with murdering Jordan, just like he has with that other guy...."
"Kim calm down." Adam stood up. "The police will find him, don't worry about it."
"What makes you think that they'll find him now, if they haven't those few years ago?" I snapped.
"People slip up, they make mistakes..."
"You don't know this guy, Adam... he's really smart."
"Well if he's so smart, then why did he show his face at a public event? That's just begging for anyone to turn him in to the police."
"The police." I scoffed. "What good will they do!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Adam replied.
"The police haven't found anything Adam!" I snapped. "And they told me, that if they don't find any leads by the end of this month, they'll close the case."
"What?" Adam whispered in disbelief.
"I know. That was my same reaction too. So I've come to realize that the police aren't going to help me."
"Well then what?"
"I'm just going to have to take matters into my own hands."
"In you own hands?" Adam raised his voice. "And what on earth are you going to do? You don't even know where to begin!"
"I do actually." I replied.
"Huh?"
"Adam, have you heard anything about Tommy at all?" I asked.
"Tommy?"
"Yeah." I nodded.
"What does Tommy have to..."
"Just answer me!" I interrupted.
"Well, actually... I had a chance to talk to Billy a while back. He told me he talks to Tommy on a constant basis. He said something about Tommy moving out to Hawaii a few years ago, and that he teaches at a highschool over there now. I think it's called Reefside High, or something like that."
"Really." I responded.
"Yeah." Adam awkwardly nodded. "But what does Tommy have to do with any of this anyway."
"I read some articles on the internet about Anton, and I came across this one." I replied, and began to walk over to my computer. Luckily I had it bookmarked, so I quickly clicked on the link and showed Adam. I watched his face as he read it, and I could see the look of disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding me." He muttered.
"No. This is real." I intensly replied. "When I was talking to Candace that one time, she told me Anton never used to be the cruel man that he is today. She said he never used to be a violent kind of guy, but something happened on this island Adam." I whispered, as I pointed my finger at the picture of Anton and Tommy. "Their laboratory exploded, and Anton disappeared for months. When he returned back here he was different. He was evil... a complete personality transformation."
"What do you think caused that?"
"I don't know. All I do know is that Tommy was there. He must at least know something about Anton's disappearance or transformation." I answered and then quickly paused as soon as I saw the skepticism on Adam's face. "I believe Tommy's the only one that can help me." I assured him.
"Kim... what are you trying to say."
"Considering the fact that he's worked with Anton, it must mean that he's at least as smart as Anton was. He is the only one."
"So what? Are you going to go over there and talk to Tommy?" Adam blurted out.
I stared intensly into his eyes and nodded. "Yes."
"Kim! That's crazy!" He responded.
"How so?" I yelled back, quite offended by his outburst.
"You're telling me you're going to fly all the way out to Hawaii, somehow track down Tommy, and demand him to tell you all about his life?"
It did seem quite of a big step for me to take after how Adam had described it, but what Adam didn't realize was how desperate I was. I needed a way to find Anton, and Tommy was the only one who could possibly hold the answers.
"Look I'm sorry for yelling at you like this Kim, but it does seem a bit ridiculous."
"I don't care what I have to do in order to find Anton. Even if it meant flying all the way over to Mount Everest and climbing that damn mountain, I'll do it." I sneered.
As soon as I blurted out those words Adam backed off. I guess he could tell that I was determined. He simply stared back at me, still with that skeptic look on his face. I knew he felt worried, but he had to realize that I wasn't going to just sit here and do nothing.
"So you're going to Hawaii?"
"Yes." I nodded.
"And you're going to go find Tommy?"
"Yes." I said again.
"Tell me this Kim... if you do find Anton.... what are you going to do?"
I paused. "I'll kill him."