Will of Cody, Where's Your Morals?
Hey dudes, chicks, ladies…it's the great ole' general speaking to you! I hope that you guys are doing well in life and that you are finding many ways to amuse yourselves…as we have one life to live it, just don't end up like those drug addicts who are too busy chasing the dragon while you guys can pursue healthy lives. Go for our innovative activities and boo for the drugs and smokes we have, God bless Earth people!
Cody sat along with Gwen in the living room, both finding some friendly comfort in each other's presence as they sat in front of the television screen switching through channels to watch some of the good late night programs that the detective enjoyed but he would on occasion ask the goth if she had any shows she found interesting, and soon the whole idea of them just casually watching the show turned to conversation away from the screen itself. Cody was downright in a debate with Gwen, his eyes were fixated on hers as she just replied to the previous statement about the show her arms folded and body facing his as they went on head to head.
"I'm just saying: I think that he is a jerk who doesn't deserve to be much of a doctor, even if his skills of deducing the illness is accurate but not before he causes the patient to suffer and depend on their own will to live at all." She put out her point with a huff as Cody matched it with his arms just folded and his glare just teasing her in a childish grin while he sat there lowering the volume of the set so they both could hear each other.
"House is the best doctor famous people have ever made up, and I really love his sense of criticism against the patients who try to lie their way out of some dark truth they are facing and so they actually cause themselves harm." Cody seemed to win that round as the goth just gave a click of her tongue in reply, her eyes rolled over as she had a smile on her face at the time spent with her friend…at the word she felt some guilt fill her mind with what he had said back in the kitchen about his life being turned right around, even she couldn't at the time thought of how much hurt Cody was feeling then and how he could even go on when the going got so tough. She noticed that he never smiled at the crime scene at all, I mean, anyone wouldn't be standing there smiling at the bomb causing so much chaos as that would really be weird but the fact that even when he saw her for the first time in a few years the smile didn't show, and that kind of saddened her as with her messy life now. She lost Trent during the second season when he started to mistrust her friendship with Duncan and she can't blame him for being suspicious, but what he said and did was very much different and she stooped lower to sabotage the opposition instead of a clean fight which totally ruined her future with him and during the third season she had done the unthinkable even in her own mind and life lessons wouldn't agree with…kissing Duncan in the confessional leading to a ruined friendship and the cast having a lot of disagreements about her for months after the season though some were re-established and others left broken like Courtney obviously one of them. Her face lost its smile for a moment to think about what she had done during that interval of her life without Duncan to light up her life, crying in bedsheets for the first few weeks before she could actually not think about his devilish grin as well as his luring green eyes and she got out to the streets not as those groupies but a girl searching for ways to forget her cheating boyfriend, leading to her hanging out in discos and turning to some wine to drain any slivers of memories that reminded her of him including going as far as to burn the things he gave her like gifts. She had then lived a lonely life on her own, but she kept her chastity in check as well to ensure she had the necessary defense for herself when someone went too far in his advances and she had no man to stand up for her if she was overpowered in some dark alley where no one will hear her screams…such thoughts of insecurity and uncertainty of the future ahead of her eyes like a black fog for months, and she taking art classes outside the university when she could to pass the seemingly long mornings and she would hang around the studio until evening just drawing countless artworks of anything that came to her head.
That was what she was doing exactly on the day of the bombings. She had entered the studio in the morning two hours before the official classes start, her teacher always let her have access to the materials in the studio as he found her very trustworthy and also her unsurprising talent in art than the fact she was a famous person in a show, her sighing as she tossed the key she was given aside to the desk's wooded surface stretching her arms high in the air as she did so and immediately after a five minute cool down break she went to designing a brand new portrait for her collection of artwork to sell for some cash as she had almost no job and the university funds were not that sufficient for all her needs. Kicking back on her stool at the very back of the room facing the window where the sounds of early traffic jams were honking and blaring their horns impatiently to just get to their appointed workplaces on time, the sunlight reflected arcs across the multitude of glass windows that filled the whole office buildings with little designs of walls instead replacing it with tough dull concrete and metal which suited badly with the goth's own current color tastes now, she was wearing a black shirt but was covered by a light blue thin jacket which she discarded on the windowsill and her black jeans never showed much of her slim figure which she knew was a favorite distraction for the boy artists. She reached into her jean pocket, fingers almost jamming into it just to grab a hold of the wire that led to her earphones as she took them out carefully and placed it in her ears before she turned on the power to the Mp3 player setting the mode to her favorite radio station listening to the hosts just greeting with good mornings and she just stumbled on the morning news bringing a dissatisfied frown on her face before she heard the report that was on everybody's conversations, her face lightened slightly listening intently to the latest report.
"Today right here in Canada, we are all having a great morning with the sun shining in all its summer glory. However, for a certain criminal who had surrendered himself to the custody of the police as the head investigator put it in his own words, 'It is not going to be a happy day for this man when he gets the death penalty'. That's right, today five days into the process of trials stretching since his capture, Amos Casteon otherwise known as the "Psychopath of the North" or also dubbed cheekily by the British investigators "The Bomber of Fleet Street" has been convicted of severe crimes against humanity besides his own charges of arson, inhumane torture, disregard of human life and bombing banks as well as other targets that were the national pride of our country. Amos started his killing spree close to three years ago starting a near decade of chaos all around the country, but British investigators also faced the same problems when he fled Canada and landed right in the midst of the population blowing up various night clubs and sent streets in a panic as he blew up random houses along his mad spree…" Gwen felt a bit of relief while she continued to listen in to the radio, her face was concentrated on the whole blank canvas twirling her paintbrush in deep thought of who to draw. She had heard of the bomber, and frankly she may have kicked that nut-case killer in the first season defeating him with a flurry of wild kicks into his chest sending him over the cafeteria floor but that didn't save her from a close encounter with such a dangerous criminal, he had been the talk of the city including the studio where she noticed students left talking about the new developments police had found about the bomber's own crimes which he reportedly explained in great detail with a smug remorseless smile on his face as he recalled each one and would laugh in between silent intervals…Gwen shivered at some of the stories she heard such as him using hostages as human bombs and luring police to be victims in their duty to protect the public and she remembered her thoughts about the other contestants who lived nearby or far away her concern stretching towards them for safety. The person that seemed to come to mind was definitely Cody who had rejected their invitation to the reunion had cut off all communication and as far as she knew he was totally pissed about the whole rejection because of her, causing a bitter taste in her tongue as she tried to shove the negative feelings away to the corner of her mind before she started on the painting an idea coming to her mind as the paintbrush moved fluently with her thoughts, the minutes passing through like water while she toiled with the new artwork she planned for her target audience her eyes squinting sometimes and looked out the window before she heard the scuttling of students starting to flood into the small room that she sighed in annoyance at the time on her watch, and then back at the incomplete painting but she just reluctantly packed the canvas away to place a new one on the stand ready to start her lessons as the conversations were filled with the bomber's name in it and his trial.
It was somewhere at 1pm in the afternoon that the class was almost into its hour and a half break, Gwen had smiled in victory at the finished painting she was attempting that morning trying her best to fill in every detail she could remember and bring together from her limited memories of the person, her paintbrush slotted in her metal case as she stood back a few steps and put her fingers out to picture frame the new creation before her observing any kind of errors in the details of the torso and the face scanning the ridge lines of the nose and the sharp bright blue eyes with the brown fair hair curled at the end on both sides. The whole process took a while and some mistakes were to be corrected but she eventually was satisfied with the results, her mouth curling to a bright smile as she thought of the receiver's reaction at this painting showing up at their doorstep not noticing that in the midst of her deep focus and concentration bubble she had been surrounded by some of the students who flocked over to see what the class protégé had drawn that required such care and concern, their faces full of recognition and wonder at the enhanced details of the striped sweater and the collar shadowed and colored as the background was that of a sun shining over the blue horizon on the bristling outline of the figure standing proudly with his hand outstretched in a peace sign before they turned to the artist who had just had a small blush on her cheeks.
"Hey, isn't that the guy who was trying to hit on you during the Total Drama series? Looks so much like him and the details are so real…" a student just said with his breath completely knocked out of his chest at the great care taken into the details even Gwen went as far as to add more color and features of the familiar face of her friend from long ago. Another student seemed to give a similar opinion, his glasses pushed up the bridge of his nose as he just took a close look at the portrait and just whistled impressed while Gwen took the compliments, saying that she was going to give it to him as a present when they met again if fate allowed it.
She had drawn Cody as a present to him. But the whole crowd of awe was interrupted by a sudden boom that rocked the entire inner structure of the building, the students all falling to the ground unprepared for the aftershock of the blast as the painting of Cody had started to jitter on the stand and was about to fall on the ground, but Gwen quickly reacted by diving for the canvas taking the whole portrait with her as she used her back to bear the brunt of the fall her clothes nearly on fire as she slid across the floor her hands holding the canvas in the air feeling some of the plaster fall around her in small pieces of debris before she paused for a few moments just to make sure that the shakes were gone, but as she stood up another two rocked the floor and she felt her legs give way to the vibrations sending her crashing once more holding the painting securely. It took a few minutes of peace that time to convince her that she could finally pick herself up, her thoughts were instantly pointed to the painting in her sweaty hands from the shock turning it right round eyeing the grinning face of the detective in his youth ignorant to the unknown carnage outside as the students pressed their worried faces at the windows to catch the sight that greeted most people who were nearby witnessing the whole tragedy unfold before them. She was shaken as she unconsciously held the canvas protectively to her chest, her body rose up from her kneeling position as she moved herself towards an empty window unoccupied as she saw a few men chasing after a suited figure as he paused near the corner his body turned to meet his pursuers before she could see a sudden movement in his hand as it was raised in the air and then…sparks flew and the scene before her started to be distorted as the buildings on the same street began to produce fiery fireballs shooting out like living infernos consuming the small group in their places, and the man stood there his hands folded before he let out a loud sound that seemed to petrify the students who were staring right in the chaos ensuring with people scattering in all directions to the apparent amusement of the bomber.
He started to laugh, his voice in a maniacal pitch as he to the utter disgust of the artists he clapped his hands and yelled out in a loud boom that resounded across the burning cars that made up the motorcade and the blown up stores as alarms from the neighbouring cars were blaring from the blasts, the goth could catch the sight of what appeared to be black pieces with steam pouring out into the air made her look closely only to recoil in horror as the speck spread to the figure of a man lying face down with his body charred and beyond recognition as she caught sights of arms, legs and even if she was unlucky to find heads that were thrown from their necks across the rubble and twisted metal that littered the blown up concrete street.
"What an explosion, bravo! Bravos signores, but you have not won the whole battle!" He spoke taunting the dead bodies that were present in his presence as he walked over to one of them and with complete disrespect kicked and stamped at the body with such audacity and curses ran over his lips like a motor, the eagle-eyed ones in the buildings could catch the whole burned flesh caving into a whole pile of black ashes blown by the wind that came in as it was signaled to, the ash being sent into the air disappearing as the bomber turned and ran back across the corner to vanish from her visible sight. Fast forward the whole time she had looked at the painting for damages and stashing it away in a large bag to help secure it, the police then came knocking on the studio door and wanted a word with every single youth who was there asking questions and light interrogations of the whole bombing episode to which all of them answered truthfully though when it came to Gwen's turn to speak, she had blown the police away with more than they bargained for telling information about the man's route out of the vicinity and they checked it against the ground survey done to the passer-bys at the incident who had seen and confirmed the story. Next thing she knew was the giving way of her knees as the room spun, sending her nearly crashing to the floor had it not been for the nearby students who noticed something was wrong and grabbed her by the arms to help her stand and walked her to the parked ambulance for treatment…where she met Cody for the first time in years. Gwen suddenly realized about the painting as she stood up immediately in the middle of the program they both were watching, her eyes blank as she tried to recall if she had brought the bag she had kept the painting in while the detective looked up in wonder at what she would have been thinking this time about before he decided to ask and find out.
"Gwen, are you alright-" He didn't finish as he watched her turn towards the main hall and dashed off, his mind now in question of what she was trying to do as he shut off the television and ran after her with a hint of worry in his thoughts. He heard the thundering of her feet on the stairs that led to the top level of the house, his feet skidding to an abrupt halt as his skin felt prickly and hot as he slid across the marble floor which was so smooth he could have promised himself that Valen had done too good a job with keeping up the shiny polish, muttering under his breath about the floor as he slowed down enough to briskly go up the stairs as the heat in his red sore feet started to burn him with each agonizing step from the friction. He walked slowly up as he entered the hallway that made up most of the second floor with surrounding the rooms within the walls and windows, the excess glass and curtains of expensive materials hung in the wake of the darkening sky reminding him of the time that he had left as he gave a deep frown at his own thoughts about what happened today concerning Gwen…he had understood that she may not have been living so dandy either but then again, the grudge was so easy to build up and yet not so difficult to destroy in one night. He still had the remains of a grudge against Duncan which was renewed with the fact that he had left Gwen for Courtney again, he hoped secretly that Courtney would refuse him entry into her life another time so that he won't go back and forth but in Cody's own twisted thoughts he figured it would even better if she slapped him outright at the doorstep and leave him to be alone regretting his decision for the rest of his life and not marry to probably die like the hermit he was…Cody smirked at his own thoughts, he was starting to think like the devious girls with him during the three seasons and that really made him feel a little guilty but hey, that delinquent of a young man needed to be fed some fire to stop him right in his tracks before he makes more mistakes and ruin his life like his is already in shambles. He had been picking up the pieces for years just having himself to blame for all those things he might have done to deserve the punishment even though he had known it wasn't his doing of any kind, though he still put the shame and humiliation he went through not solely on Gwen due to his supportive nature as well as the fact he still had feelings for her he couldn't just throw away like trash and wasn't the type of guy to stamp on a relationship he had established with so much effort. Unfortunately the moment that he was rejected by Gwen to act as a friend that was the moment that sealed all his refusals to talk nor help her, he would always feel a dark bitter feeling whenever he felt it but shook it aside and reject it with reprises of the circumstances and when she was voted off he knew damn well that he had put in his own vote against her, but later in his own cabin he was sick to the core and unable to even look at himself in the mirror but he still told himself to suck up any sign of guilt and with the help of his ex-stalker Sierra he had gotten up to third place in the competition before he had time to think about what he had done, but he justified himself firmly and stuck with it. At the open double doors which served as Gwen's personal room where he stopped in respect of her privacy, hearing the distinct rummaging of baggage and somehow he found himself looking at personal items scattered all over the bed to clothing being tossed around into a pile of messy color chimera of cloth and fabric as he curiously knocked softly on the door listening intently to her mutterings of finding something important before he then knocked again politely to get her attention.
"Gwen you rushed off suddenly and so I was thinking if you're alright." He said past the door as he heard a pause in all movement from the room, his ears perked up to hear the shuffling of feet past various obstacles before the door was flung fully open for him to look at Gwen who looked at him with a surprised look. I didn't expect him to follow me, but then he does still have feelings for me so…Gwen thought with some reasoning for the caution Cody put for her even in the safety of his own home with two other people, but the extent of the care he showed for her made her think it was cute of him to do so. She suddenly shook her head clearing off the thought, her breath quickened by a pace as she tried to keep herself calm in the face of the said cute boy she saw in front of the door looking at her…crap, she just did it again and that brought a slight embarrassed look to cross her face while Cody could stand there dumbly not knowing what on earth she was looking at him like that, a strange cross between embarrassment and something else he couldn't exactly pick up from the goth before Gwen held up her hand to stop him a slight smile on her face.
"Could you please wait outside I have a surprise for you that I forgot." Cody's heart instantly felt like flying as he nodded sheepishly, his face filled with surprised and confusion at what she could mean by that as she shut the door behind her and Gwen took a deep breath as she reached for the black sling bag that held the canvas, her hands untying the knot perfectly and slickly as she slowly and carefully pulled back the small hole feeling the rope give way and slide back in the fabric cover loosening the bag and her fingers nimbly took the painting of Cody out securely her eyes scanning the whole landscape for any signs the portrait could have been ruined by the bombs in any way but to her utter surprise Gwen found the entirety intact without the wet paint being smudged all across the whole canvas which in her experience would have definitely ruined the painting as a whole and she would have literally nothing to give in a show of gratitude to Cody, but a small nagging feeling made her consider the detective as a friend as she unpacked the painting and stroked the face like a precious artifact which did throw her off.
"Cody's sweet, and he's better looking than the last time with almost his own attitude intact…but from what I can tell I have had two relationships and so far they were total crap, at least for one of them anyway. But do I really show care for Cody like he always did for me?" She mused quietly to herself, unsure of those thoughts that she had for him but she brushed the whole issue aside and took the painting proudly in her grasp smiling at the face of the past. For all those grueling and hard back-breaking weeks with the cast of Total Drama and the new additions she could find absolutely hardly anyone who was as devoted and friendly as Cody, he was the one who had been there for her and during the first season she gave him friendship and in later seasons she had even considered him a brotherly figure in her life besides the one she had in her family who was very annoying to her breaking point, though Cody was so…different by means of his confident smile and how he would face the challenges head on without any hesitation in what extent he brought himself to do especially when she asked him out of curiosity once why he would let himself get hurt so badly just to complete the challenge even when he knew it was hard and impossible for him to do. She was so surprised by his answer as he scratched the back of his head and had that same old goofy grin over his face before he replied simply "I guess that when I see you do it I get fired up you know, and whenever I see that the going might get tough, I just say to myself 'if Gwen can do it…so can I!'"
That was what he stuck by, Gwen could amusingly recall her own face of surprise at his answer before she just merely turned away and went on her way to other things on her mind right then during the long stay on the flight. Now when she actually took the time to reflect on his words, it did kind of made sense for someone to watch another person finish an obstacle and then they are inspired to do the same thing…and Cody she used to think was a person who had no life trying to hit on her constantly without any regard for his own safety, but now when she was faced with those words it really told her something about him. Like Gwen, he was also frightened by the challenges deep inside and he also had his own secretive worries about her than himself but everytime Gwen seemed to complete her challenge she noticed that for a huge number of occasions that he would try it too with a confident smirk on his face, but now she knew how false it was and she could only wonder that with her own smarts and one of the most intelligent competitors on the show made the goth wonder seriously how many times Cody's façade fooled everyone who merely shrugged it off as suicidal or wrote it off as mad…looking back, she had really underestimated Cody's own determination than she ever thought. The knock on the door suddenly returned her back to her world as the thoughts dissolved into the back of her mind for another time of reflection, the goth's eyes and body reacted to the detective left alone in the hallway as she took a glance at some of the mess on the bed but ignored it and opened the door her hand still clutching the painting securely to her chest, Cody had a raised eyebrow and his hands folded patiently before he set his eyes even more intrigued by the mysterious canvas in her hands which she replied with a thankful smile as she stretched her hands out to give him the artwork she had spent hours doing. Cody took it and started to study the features while Gwen spoke with a small hint of blushing coloring some of her face as she watched his face grow to such of amazement as he took closer inspections of the detailed drawing and the background as the goth artist drew her feet in circles on the carpeted floor hands crossed behind her back.
"This…was for you, Cody. I wanted to use this as a present, but I guess it could also be the thanks that I wanted to give to you as a gift for forgiveness." She said as her teal black hair hung over her forehead as a stray bang fell lower to cover her eyes but she brushed it aside as the two young adults stood at the doorway in silence, Cody's face seemed to brighten a little and his muscles relaxed in reply as he took it and turned it to face her direction with a smile of his own.
"Thanks Gwen…this, this means a lot. Let's hang it up at the front hall, I think that such a creative and beautiful artist like you should have the honors of your painting going up on the wall of my house." He said in a thankful tone as he walked down the hallway followed by the artist who joined him to see the picture go up, a small embarrassed look from the compliment coloring her face.
The chair was kicked back on its front legs, the occupant falling to the floor with a loud clank as the backrest managed to cushion the floor and stop the man's head from hitting the hard surface risking a concussion as the man started breathing heavily from exhaustion and weariness, his face was covered in blood raining down from his own forehead and smeared itself over his eyelids and down to his chin like rivers as the lips were cracked and broken with small fissures of blood red valleys causing blood to drip down the bottom of his lower lip. His hands jittered and jingled with the tight wire that tied him securely and painfully to the back of the chair, ensuring he was like a trapped animal in a cage while he could hardly look up at his own interrogator who was standing over his desk on one foot desecrating the documents which were placed neatly on the table and a hand grasped the stand of the lamp and shone it right into the man's face. The man recoiled his head to the side unable to stand the concentration of light glaring into his irritated eyes that twitched as he saw spectrums coloring his vision from knowing who the intruder was, although he had himself already a damn good idea who the fuck it was as the victimized office worker gritted his teeth spewing the words out like poison at the grinning menace above.
"Well, if it isn't the fucking nutcase himself…the bomber." His reply was an even greater grin that spread over the bomber's face as he saw a black looming figure over his face but the glaring light prevented him from even seeing what happened next as the large shoe zoomed down and smashed the man's face, the victim crying out as he heard the distinct cracking of bone in his cheek as the flesh started to loosen up and the shoe was retracted to its sadistic owner with his eyes gleaming in the dark office. The worker was working late night shift and had heard the alarm and the bomber had infiltrated the building, but he decided that it was to be taken care of by the asylum's own guard…now he was face to face with the bomber and he noticed that there were others captured and trapped in the complex but he never recognized any of them from the asylum work offices, but it didn't matter anymore with them being captive and knowing the reports he saw on the television the bomber was ruthless and not the type to negotiate. Casteon merely shook his head in half-pity at the sorry state that he had put the worker through, but he was mostly apathetic about how he went about interrogating him…he had expected the tortures to make him crack and tell him what he needed as information to continue, but the man was just so stubborn that even the bomber's tactics had all but failed to make him talk. He could sigh, people nowadays think that they can play hero and invincibility to criminals terrorizing their homes without a second's thought about a compromise…which was why he had in fact took a little scroll over the list of staff in the asylum and checked each and every name to include those high ranking workers like his own victim here, which he then made sure if he caught them that they will talk with their families on the line with various bombs planted in their homes.
"I see, apparently you wish to be the hero. Ok then, let's see: right now I have a few young adults about to get killed by me and if you do not cooperate…I'll just spare them the torture." He faked the statement, the man staring right at him and just spat on the floor in disgust as he retorted with a triumphant smirk at the criminal who would not get the important information from his mouth.
"No, even if you killed them all at least you spared them some gruesome death you've planned for them…nice try bastard." Good, he fell for it really nicely. Casteon smirked inwardly as he dragged the man out from his chair and without mercy slammed the man's chest hard into the desk edge causing a few snaps to occur, the worker groaning in pain where his ribs were once in place.
"Oh? Are you a married man, Mr. Gardener?" The question seemed to throw the victim out of balance, his confidence shaking by a little as he sat there stunned by the bomber before his eyes narrowed past the blood rivers and spoke with a threatening tone.
"You better not have done anything to them, but then again I won't believe that you will have a bomb in my house! I have security cameras to catch your every move…" His words were cut off by the bomber who just tapped in a few keys on his personal laptop and entered a code, then pushed it to face the man where the content showed a variety of screens that circled his entire house even one in the car overseeing a woman driving with a small child playing with her doll at the back seat. Horrified, Gardener attempted to try and break free with all his confidence actually being slowly and painfully as he struggled and broke the skin of his wrist trying to fight the rope before the bomber punched the victim across the face with his two knuckles slamming into the jaw almost dislocating it with a twist from the cheekbone as the worker's vision blurred further while his face still held a scared look. Casteon smiled broadly, now he had him where he wanted him to be in and with the child provided the edge he needed in the negotiation at will as he slid behind the laptop and his fingers pointed towards the two people in the vehicle watching the man's face twist in pain.
"Is that your wife and child? So beautiful aren't they, they are your pride and joy…without them you feel like you're just a lowly cowardly person with no life and reason to live. The child is, how long, six years of age and she's going to have a big surprise…"
"You bastard…you sick bastard." Gardener could answer weakly as Amos laughed, clapping his hands in glee at the man's reply before he just gave a sadistic glare in his direction, he didn't really care about the child and he was going to blow them up anyway. He put his hands on the table just smiling as he tapped in another sequence of keys and inserted a small device with numbers on it, handing it to the worker as he went behind him and with a tug released one hand from the knot and smashed it on the table hard enough for the man to feel the burning feeling shoot through his system as he twitched and shivered, his other hand taking the back of his head aiming before he slammed the worker's bloody head onto the table sending cracks of pain in the victim while he screamed in pain more blood trails were flowing down from his wounds and then proceeded to send his face on the front of the keyboard where the device was, a sort of enjoyment from the torture as Casteon sat on the other side with a gun now to Gardener's head with a tracer aimed at his forehead.
"Now, if you want to save your wife and child I suggest you type in the codes to grant me full access to the building and the armories available. Also, give me complete control over the whole layout of the grounds and operations you have done in recent years…oh, and you have about five minutes to give me all that before I end you." His eyes fixed on his target to get his point, the worker sprung into action typing in the various codes sent to the main computer just to get it all worked out for the bomber's way this time. The criminal merely had an unsurprised look on his face, time and time again he had always gotten his way with most of his victims when their families were in danger but when it came down to the ones who had none and nothing to lose…his methods began to be a bit more tragic, his eyes narrowing at the keyboard as he put aside the detonator which held the bomb in activation and destruction. The man keyed and typed in the codes for one after the other, his head sweating wet blood and sweat as he continued with his work to save his only family he had left before a few minutes had passed and by that time he reluctantly frowned at himself for what he was doing to betray the asylum secrets to the bomber, but the entire reasoning of seeing his family alive made him forcibly cooperate and refuse any smart ideas of attempting to change any codes to sabotage him, his fingers numbed and raw when he was done as he heard the bomber scrape his foot on the floor his hands taking the laptop and spun it around for himself to check as he took out a piece of paper with the list of codes written all over it to the worker's utter realization that he was right in not trying anything funny with the guy. Casteon found it amusing how the trick always worked as he flipped the laptop again to the man's hand and a small window had popped out, demanding an identity code from the man's tag number making the poor victim stutter in protest at the smirking bomber.
"You have to be kidding me…I've given you all the codes and you have access to every level, every room and every secret. What is my number code for?"
"Oh that? That is to just make sure that the data is saved, and that when I'm done…you can be free with your family. Don't you want to see your smiling daughter ever again?" Casteon asked the tracer still pointed to his head, the man immediately sighed in defeat and with trembling fingers typed in the code number and pressed the ok button. But no sooner did he have second doubts did the window disappear and switched to the house, where his wife opened the door and the child followed in from a camera view outside the house and the bomber counted. Three, two, one…game over.
The sound of the explosion sounded through the air to the worker's utter shock and horror as he faced the burning house which his wife and daughter were in moments when he thought they were safe, the bomber did not have a frown or sadness at his deed as he merely took the laptop and shut the screen in his face packing the electronic device while the victim raved and screamed at him, his eyes maddened with rage and grief as the chair rocked with fury.
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU PROMISED, AND YOU FUCKING BLEW HER UP!" Casteon paused mid-step as he took out the laptop and flicked it open as though to check if he was actually responsible, his hand taking the detonator and waved it in front of the anguished worker who watched in sheer shock as the bomber showed him a mere pipe with a red light attached right to the top with batteries inside the tube.
"That…that's not the detonator. That means that…" Casteon smiled sinisterly as he showed Gardener the screen with a large window that said, 'Bomb activated by Mr. James Gardener at the Gardener home'. His eyes fixed on the prize of the night, the sheer realization that the man had killed his own family with his own hands, the bomber removing himself of his pistol and placed the black metallic weapon in the man's trembling soaking hands as he moved his face inches away from the scared victim's own staring at his eyes.
"I didn't kill them…you did." He said as he patted the free hand on the pistol, putting the laptop in his suitcase and slung it across his back whistling a joyful tune as he left the depressed man alone with the gun. Seconds after the door closed behind him, Amos heard the distinct tap and then the thud of the body hitting the floor as he held that same sadistic smirk on his face turning to the closed office door where the lamp shone on the outline of a body lying in the chair head thrown back.
"Guess Mr. Gardener dug himself a garden of dirt to rest in." He said with open malice as he walked away from the main office closing the door to the section of the block.
"Valen, we need to talk about something. The whole case of the bomber…"
"I heard it all over the phone sir, the police chief called up and spoke to me about the details which I already suspected since you were so eager to invite your friend over to stay permanently." Cody and Valen were standing in the kitchen, their hands holding wine glasses as they took a small sip of the alcohol that laid on the table the cap popped open. The two men were silent in the moments that followed, each drinking their own cup wondering what to say about this case and what they could say to make the other comforted. Cody was the first to speak out of the silence, his eyes downcast as he stared down at the floor and his mind turned to the girl sleeping upstairs for a long night she enjoyed while he took another drink of the cup to drown the sorrows in as he let out a long sigh.
"I can't believe it, she just came here and now I have to not only get over my grudges but also with the fact she will stay here with me. It's such a pain, Valen…you want to forget her but then when you have a life or death situation calling you want to forgive her completely and then go with no regrets, however…" Valen interrupted Cody's words with a clearing of his aged throat as he gave a sympathetic smile.
"I know how it felt, sir. When my father died, I had not made peace with him for all the abuse he gave me for years that I wished him dead when we last spoke…ironic, how he died the next day and my wish came true…but just not how I wanted it to be. All I can say from this experience is that when your friends or family who you hold grudges against are alive, try to be kind to them, for you never know when they will be gone. All I am saying is that forgive Gwen before you can't do it yourself if you don't return." The detective nodded glumly, the drink becoming sour in his tongue from the negative talk between employer and employee in the relationship though Cody had always treated Valen as a grandfather to him with his advice and wisdom not one rich person ever thought he would have. The detective stood at the kitchen counter letting out a long sigh, unable to even think of what he could do for the man who was a father to him before he remembered something as he turned to Valen, who had taken another pour of his glass.
"Valen, for the will I have…I want to give my house and some of my money to you and Naomi. But now I also am thinking about giving Gwen some of my assets, if that is alright with you and my parents." Valen seemed to have a surprised look on his face as he put the glass aside on the counter and pushed it away, his aged black eyes told Cody that he was about to put a word of disagreement into it as the detective smiled at his own recklessness causing him to swirl his glass.
"I don't think your parents would agree to such a thing, even one concerning her…no, the show's reputation has soared even when you two and the rest retired from the third season and your father and mother since the incident involving your friend Owen, have been very edgy about the situation even to silence me from mentioning Miss Gwen in front of you back in their home. I guess now I don't have to waste my breath." He joked, the detective took it with a small chuckle of amusement at the fact she was staying here but his smile disappeared as his mind searched for another way, his mouth twitched at the corners before he pushed forward another statement to his loyal butler.
"Valen, I already wanted you to have some of the assets and cash along with my sister…but I want to add a new clause to my will, and as much as I hate having to disobey my own parents, I have to entrust it to you." Valen's eyes raised an eyebrow to explain what he had in mind, though a corner of his mind had a small idea what that favor would already take from him as he tensed at his employer who put his glass down and set it aside for later before he faced the butler with a serious gaze and his hands were placed gripping the surface of the counter feet tapping slightly.
"I would like you to take good care of Gwen should I not survive. You have to make sure that if things go bad you have to ensure that she and Naomi get out of the town and retreat to the winter home near the mountains and wait out the danger before you come back, and from then on you have to the obligation to help Gwen and raise her like she was your own…for my sake." Cody said almost pleadingly to his servant who was so taken by the extent of his proposed actions, he had always heard from his parents how devoted he was to Gwen and his actions were reminiscent of his dad's who talked to him about his exploits to earn his wife, to which the woman would just smile slightly and defend herself with the words 'I fell in love with his personality'. He gave his master a tight smile on his face as he spoke again, this time with wonder and some envy as he folded his suited arms together.
"Master, in all my years I have worked for you and your family I have always heard of you and Miss Gwen's…relationship but I see now just how determined you are to ensure that she is happy with or without you. For that kind of determination makes me much more willing to do as you say…though it will take a lot of strings off the violin to pull before I can make your parents play along and accept the terms." Valen spoke with a hint of truth in his words, Cody felt even more reassured with the terms as he nodded and looked at the clock ticking away on the wall.
6:30pm. He frowned deeply as Valen followed his gaze upward to see the time running out for him as the call to duty sounded just minutes away, the butler instantly clearing the alcohol into the cupboard as Cody cleared his throat and smiled widely at his servant in farewell before Valen replied with a nod of his head, the detective now left for one last stop before he would go to the asylum entrance. He followed up the stairs silently like a cat avoiding making much noise from his steps, his feet almost in a tip toe as he crept into the door and opened it slowly to make sure the light did not cast too much light on the person sleeping peacefully in the bed, the teal black hair blackened the vision of her full face as she slept on unbeknownst of the figure of Cody sitting at her bedside having a small smile on his face as he spoke softly to her.
"Gwen…it's been a short while since we talked and all, we did have much fun didn't we this afternoon before I say a quick goodbye. It's just painful, knowing that maybe I won't even see your beautiful face again along with seeing my sister grow up and be the woman I would be proud of…before I go, I have everything worked out for you with Valen so you won't have to have much problems after. All I can say is that, I loved you then and I still do today even when I tried to keep the feelings flooding back in but it came back stronger than ever. When I'm gone, be happy for me, strong for me, and find a better man who is positive and confident with an equal love like mine…goodbye, forever." He said under his breath as he watched her form breathing lightly, his hand reaching out for her hair but retracted it instead curbing that desire to do so by gripping the sheets tightly. He knew that he wasn't good for her then, and right through the years he started to treat the relationship like a one sided coin where he loved her and she saw him as a friend…it was never meant to be, the detective reasoned as he gave a final look at her and went out the way he came closing the door silently behind her as he grabbed the keys to his car in his hand which surprisingly felt so warm when he had not touched it in hours as he walked out to the garage. Back in the room, Gwen's eyes opened slightly to allow her some sight as she sat up from her bed as she glanced at the doorway where the door was just left slightly open as she held the emerald green bed cover tightly her hand sliding over her eyes, she had listened in on the talk and frankly she just didn't know what to say but merely had a look of deep concern on her face watching her trembling fingers as a tear started to show.
"Cody, why are you doing this to me?"
End