Chapter 23: Tic tock..
Things had happened fast, perhaps too fast. Sonny and his men had apprehended the villain. It had been easier for Sonny to do than the villain expected. He had counted on familybonds to hold Sonny back.
But Sonny and D'Jok had an advantage. They only knew this relative through the description given by Sonny's gandfather.
There was no personal connection.
But, the whole mess, and conspiracy against Duke Maddox, robbing him the control of his own company, had made the pirates storm forth with their plans.
Now, they were once again gathered in a courtroom. The difference was, Sonny wasn't accused of any wrongdoings. Technoid was. They were accused of an unprovoced attack on Shiloh, resulting in the deaths of 50 pirates, with their families. Technoid couldn't justify why this attack had taken place. And as a provocation to be able to detain Sonny and imprison him, it didn't stick.
It was already a wellknown fact that Sonny had been seriously sick. Dame Simbai had already testified to what kind of treatment she had provided for him, and the bedrest he was under.
«To move him bac to Technoid's custody at the time, could easily have killed him» she said.
Sonny had kept a stoneface. He knew Dame Simbai had lied to justify his stay at the Aarch academy.
As he sat next to the lawyer, Mr. Winters, he looked at Duke Maddox. Sectech had requested him and the boardmembers of Technoid, and his uncle placed in SecTech custody. The deal SecTech had with Technoid had paid off. A little snooping around the files, had brought forth all the evidence the pirates needed to take matters to court.
No one asked where the pirates had gathered their information, they knew the pirates wouldn't tell. One by one, the pirates took the stand, to give their testimony.
Sonny had to smile when he saw Corso take the stand. Without his cap and in a pinstriped suit, the second in command looked out of place. But, he was calm as ever when he started giving his testimony.
Sonny was glad he didn't have to. He trusted his men enough to let them handle this. Again, his gaze searched Duke Maddox. He was looking old. The realisation of just how much he had lost control over Technoid, had made him very old.
Sonny had started fearing for the old Duke's life. Life in prison, could mean a deathsentence for him.
Sonny knew, over the years, he himself could be accused of a lot of things, he had not always been kind. But, he had not taken anyone's life..yet. And he planned to keep it that way.
After a long week, the judge read the sentences. It was a full victory to SecTech. The boardmembers of Technoid, were surrendered to SecTech's custody.
Duke maddox looked both old and tired. As they were about to take them away, Sonny stoped Corso.
«Leave Duke Maddox!».
«What? Have you lost your mind Sonny?» the second in command asked.
Sonny shook his head.
«No, just showing a humane side to my personality» Sonny said.
«Ok, you're the boss».
Corso and the other pirates, dressed in the pirates uniforms, of black, gold and grey, took the prisoners away.
Duke Maddox looked at Sonny. There was confusion in his eyes.
«Why are you doing this Sonny?» he asked.
Sonny didn't reply immideately. He uncuffed the old man.
«Because Your Excellency, even you are human. You just got sidetracked. You're every bit as much a victim in this as myself and my men are. And your health won't make prisonlife any easier for you».
Duke maddox nodded.
«And then what?»
Sonny had the answer ready.
«You'll be put in housearrest. My men will guard you in your home, and all computer activity will be logged and checked»
Duke Maddox nodded.
«You're being more than fair, after all my company put you through over the years».
Sonny nodded.
«It wouldn't benefit Technoid if you died in prison, as of now, I don't think you'd survive it.»
Sonny sighed, before he sat down.
«Duke, I am responsible for many wrongdoings too, but killing isn't one of them, and I don't plan to start now».
Duke Maddox looked at him for a long time.
«You've changed Sonny, but still, I see I'Son in you».
Sonny shook his head.
«No, Your Excellency. What you see are just tiny pieces of who I once was, I'Son is dead, all that remains, is the pirate chief, Sonny Blackbones. But, in a changed version».
Duke Maddox nodded, as Bennet and Artie came to take him to his housearrest...
Now that matters was getting solved, most pirates sleept sound at night. All but one. As Sonny had started relaxing, it was evident that it would take more than placing the ones that ran Technoid behind barrs to make him have a good nights sleep. In the midst of night, Sonny woke up, screaming, and sweat dripping. Corso came running through the door, wearing just his pajamapants, and a hook to arm himself.
«Sonny! Are you allright?»
Sonny could only nodd as he was trying to catch his breath. Corso looked at him.
«Nightmares?» he asked.
«More, night horrors» Sonny whispered.
He couldn't explain why, but there was this urgent sense of danger in the air. No matter what he did, he couldn't shake it.
«Talk to Dame Simbai about matters, maybe she has something that will help?» suggested Corso.
Sonny nodded.
«In the morning, also, I want my grandfather to come to the prison with me to talk to my uncle»
«Why Sonny? We got all out of him, didn't we?»
«No, he's still hiding something. He was too calm when we apprehended him. It was just too easy».
Sonny seemed to be in deep thought. Corso placed a hand to his shoulder.
«You won't get anything done this late Sonny, you need to rest».
Corso pulled out the sleeping device, and strapped it around Sonny's arm.
«You need this Sonny, I'll look after things while you sleep, but you need to sleep».
Seconds later, Sonny was sleeping again. But it was far from the peaceful sleep he needed...
Evan looked worried when Sonny filled him in on the latest events.
«I had a feeling that there was someone within Technoid that meant you harm son, now I know».
Sonny nodded.
«He's locked up, under heavy guarding. But, to make him talk, I'll need both you and granddad here, this man is an oyster, he won't say a word if he doesn't have to».
«He always was. I just can't understand why he would betay us all like this»
«Profits, money, I don't know, but I intend to find out!» Sonny said staring at the screen with clenched fists.
«Your mother and I will be on our way to Akillian shortly, I want to look my brother in the eye personally, to see what kind of monster he is now».
Sonny nodded. They made a quick farewell, before Sonny made a call to his grandfather.
«Granddad, this is Sonny, we need to talk»...
The SecTech prison rose like a gigantic building in front of them. The facility was the closes the galaxy could ever come to an escapeproof prison. Even the pirates themselves had tested it before it was put in use. They made any possible escaperoute secure, unless, you were a pirate yourself. Sonny always had that sneaking feeling that things could turn on them, even if matters looked ok for the time being. Therefore, he had ordered somekind of escaperoutes made for them all.
Just in case.
Now, Sonny pulled his winterjacket closer anround himself. The cold on Akillian was freezing, and even hardened pirates like himself, had to make sure they had a wardrobe that was made to fit the conditions.
Behind him, stood a group of four people. His chosen secret weapon.
They entered the prison facillity.
«Bring out Jake D'Arish for interrogationroom 2» Sonny requested.
«Will Do Sonny!»
The group made way towards the interrogationroom.
Corso was on watch as Sonny arrived.
«He's not talking Sonny, just sitting there with a smile on his face».
Sonny nodded when he heard this.
«Well, let's see if we can shake that shall we?» he asked.
Corso nodded, then he followed the group into the room.
Jake D'Arish was chained to a chair.
An evil grin formed on his lips as he looked at Sonny and his guests.
«My, my, more or less the whole family is present! To what do I owe this honor?»
Henry D'Arish, proved himself, a man of action. He slammed his hand to the table.
«You bastard! How could you sell out your family like that? Have you no shame?»
Jake looked unaffected.
«Well, Dad, I only did what you asked me to, be more like my brother!»
«That's not what I meant!»
Sonny observed the bikering between father and son, he looked for any clue as to what had led his uncle astray.
The more the two men talked, and his own father got involved in the conversation, Sonny started getting a picture of the hardships of the D'Arish family. It was pride, and a desire for control, that had caused his grandfather to loose both sons. Not physically, but in an emotional distance.
Sonny learned of his grandfathers expectations to his sons, to marry wealthy women and secure the family bloodline. Evan had other plans. He had already met Sonny's mother, and made his decission, it was her, or no one. Sonny had to smile at that. It seemed that was a trait that ran in the family. But things had been different for him, he had been free to make that choise, or, at least, he made himself free to.
When Sonny learned of his uncle's love for his wife, it became harder, much harder, to remain an observer. Jake acted arrogant. To him, women was like cattle, they belonged to a man if he lay eyes on them. They became his property. Even if Niobe had been several years younger than him, he still wanted her to marry him. Niobe had turned him down. For him. When his uncle proposed to her, she was already too much in love with Sonny, her lover and soulmate.
Then, Sonny learned of the real depths of the darkness in his uncle's soul, and the darnkness within Technoid. Sonny realised that over the years, fighting the company, the pirates had only scratched the surface. The darkness and horrors of the company, was far worse. Sonny knew it would take time to clean up the mess. Technoid would need a serious rebuild. If he could get Duke Maddox to go along with it, the company could give something back to the galaxy it swore to protect.
So lost in his own thoughts he had been, that he didn't notice Evan patting his shoulder.
«Son, he's talking to you!»
Sonny turned his attention on the prisoner.
Jake looked at him.
«You may have won the battle for your wife, Sonny Blackbones, but you couldn't protect her in the end, could you?»
Jake knew how to twist the knife. Sonny felt like an old, infected wound, was opened to bleed again.
«Not true, she died from giving birth to our son..»
«Is that so? Or did the invention of yours and your partners, the exploding metaflux, actually cause her to fall sick?»
«No, it wasn't till later that surfaced..»
«Within babies that was still in their mothers vombs at the time, if I remember correctly»
Sonny felt how anger was starting to build up inside him.
«What is your point?» he asked.
«You couldn't protect your wife then, you don't know wheter you're guilty of her death, and now you're trying to protect your doughter in law, your son, and their baby from reliving your worst nightmare»
Sonny slammed his hands to the table.
«Don't you tell me what I'm trying to do. I am fully able to defend them and my men».
Jake looked at him, a smile formed on his face.
«Is that so?»
Sonny was beginning to have enough of this game.
«We found your little antidote, it will be administered to the baby shortly» he said.
Jake continued to smile, a smile that started to make the group nervous.
«If you're doing anything to hurt this baby..» Evan started.
Jake turned to him.
«Stay out of this Evan, you got nothing to do with this. Now that I know you're alive, I'll make sure to track you down where you live, and wipe out the entire family!»
Sonny felt cold inside.
«You won't be able to. I'll find an antidote for whatever you planted in us».
Jake turned to him.
«When you changed your name, you became dead to the family Sonny».
«I already was» he snapped back.
«And soon, all of you will be, including your precious son».
Sonny launched himself forth and grabbed Jake by the collar.
«Making a threat towards my son and his family, is the last thing you'll do in this world, before I order you disposed of».
«You're no killer Sonny, that's my calling» Jake replied icecold.
Sonny looked at him.
«What have you done?»
A sly smile formed on Jake's lips.
«Tic tock, tic tock..» ...
Will this end well? There is a huge drama up and coming, and a true battle against the clock. Keep reading.