Chapter Eighteen
A piece of furniture smashed against the other side of the door right as they approached the room where they trapped the young men. “I’m telling you that something is wrong! Please! Help me break down this door. You have your family in danger as well!” He Bao pleaded on the other side.
How ironic that he’s the only one who has a sense of danger, Aiden couldn’t help thinking to himself. The doorknob shook, and the edge of the door barely lifted outside the frame before slamming back into place by the electronic lock.
“You’re overreacting. There was a traitor in Infinite. The gunshots were to murder the traitor, and the locks were to ensure we would stay safe. They’ll come get us soon,” one of the boys said inside.
The door rattled even harder.
They stood in position, with Brendan and Zhu Zhu a good distance away from the door. Zhu Zhu looked to Aiden for the cue, and when he nodded, she sent a single text to her brother, “Cover your mouth and nose.”
A beat later, Diane unlocked the door. Aiden pulled it open slightly to toss a small ball over the threshold, and a foul-smelling gas released in green smoke.
And back away immediately. He leapt back, covering his nose.
The door released, and He Bao stumbled onto the ground with tearful eyes.
Diane kicked the door shut, and the sound of unconscious bodies hit the ground.
Aiden brushed the stinging air away. “It didn’t get to your nose, did it?” he asked Zhu Zhu.
Zhu Zhu’s eyes widened. She pulled away from him and ran toward He Bao, whose heavy footsteps pounded against the floor. His shoulders braced, and his fists clenched.
“He Bao—wait, let Aiden explain.” Zhu Zhu threw herself in front of her brother, but He Bao bulldozed past her pacifying attempts with a laser focus on Aiden’s face.
He's just worried, he tried to reassure himself. Diane’s right over there. Besides, I can protect myself.
Burning hatred rolled off of every inch of He Bao’s body. “I knew you were the traitor. What did you do to Ma? I’ll kill you if you did something to her!” He raised his arm in a flash.
Aiden jumped back and placed his feet into position, but He Bao stepped forward faster than he calculated. It’s okay. Readjust, and then just—
A familiar shadow fell over his face, and the impact of the fist against skin echoed in the air. “Brendan!” Aiden cried, heart stopping at the loud crunch.
Brendan stumbled away in pain. Blood dripped from his nose.
All thoughts of self-defense evaporated. He reached for Brendan. “Let me see.” Gently, he pulled Brendan’s hand down, wincing at the stream of red trickling down the poor boy’s face, brighter than usual against his pale skin. Brendan continued to reel from the impact.
He Bao eyes narrowed. “You bought undercover police with you?” He stomped forward, arms bulging.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Aiden stepped in front of Brendan, holding out his arms. “He’s just a white boy in his first year of college from a well-off family. He’s not undercover!”
“You sure have the nerve to make up such a ridiculous story.”
“It’s true,” Brendan interrupted with a muted voice. He pinched his nose and leaned his face upward. “I am a white boy in my first year of college from a well-off family.”
“It sounds even more ridiculous coming from you! You’re here to profile us.”
“I swear we’re telling the truth.” Aiden flashed eyes of help to Diane, but she remained in her comfortable position leaning against the wall in the background with an amused grin on her face.
“They’re telling the truth, He Bao.” Zhu Zhu tried to grab her brother, but he shook her off.
“I’m not profiling anyone. I’m here because I love Aiden.”
Time screeched to a halt.
Aiden whirled around to see Brendan still more focused on stopping the nosebleed than reacting to the words that fell from his mouth.
Zhu Zhu and He Bao stared in fascination and disbelief, and finally feeling enough eyes, Brendan turned around and looked to Aiden—those blue eyes that hid nothing.
A sea of complete calm twinkled at his bold proclamation.
Aiden’s face flared with heat when Brendan nonchalantly shrugged at the others’ reactions.
“I love Aiden,” he reiterated, tentatively letting go of his nose.
A squeak fell out of Aiden’s mouth.
“Pfft.” Diane covered her mouth, thinly veiling her laughter.
“Is—is now really the best time to say something like this?” Aiden stuttered.
“Well, what else am I supposed to say?” Brendan rubbed his punched face. “It’s the truth.”
Danger screeched from the steam rising from He Bao’s head. Aiden stepped in front of Brendan. “Is this a joke?” He Bao practically screamed. He raised his fists. “Do you think this is time to be funny?”
“You listen to me, right now!” Zhu Zhu circled around He Bao, punching him in the arm. Instantly, everyone froze aside from Diane, who raised an eyebrow and continued to lean comfortably against the wall. “You are being such a child. Aiden’s not the traitor.”
“How do you know that?” He Bao glared.
“Because it wasn’t Aiden who betrayed the group. It was Hui Ye.” She stepped forward, and her brother stepped back. “You were wrong. Ma could hurt people. She did. She killed Hui Ye.”
“You’re lying. You don’t have proof.” He Bao’s eyes darted to Aiden’s and rushed back to Zhu Zhu. “They’re lying to you, Zhu Zhu. Who are you going to trust? Your family or strangers?”
“Aiden is not a stranger.”
“He is a stranger! He barely interacts with us!”
“Ma’s the one who wouldn’t let us get close to him.”
“It’s not just Ma. Admit it. He never wanted to be one of us.
He runs away from his family and responsibilities at every chance he gets.
Even when Hui Ye was alive, he did nothing to help out.
He’s ashamed of who he is!” He Bao pointed his finger at Aiden, but his eyes betrayed what he really felt inside.
Surprised, Aiden watched He Bao. The increasingly short breaths, the sweat dripping from his forehead, the constantly straying eyes, and the legs that bounced against each other screamed of panic.
He knows Zhu Zhu’s telling the truth. Aiden realized.
He Bao continued to scream at Zhu Zhu. He just doesn’t want to believe it.
“You’re such a child! Accept reality for once, won’t you?!” Zhu Zhu’s shrill voice rang. She kicked at He Bao’s legs, forcing him backward, and once far enough, she shoved him into the wall. Shaking, He Bao sank to the ground, while Zhu Zhu towered over him.
“Being part of Infinite is not what makes us Chinese! Ma’s the one who put that ridiculous notion in your head!
” Zhu Zhu pulled at her hair. “We’re miserable because of her.
Just let her go! We’ll both be happier, and you know it!
” The words exploded from her mouth, leaving Zhu Zhu gasping.
She looked down at her brother. “Infinite and Ma do not get to define our identities. We do, and it’s time that we do. ”
Aiden’s chest clenched. The memories of his torment in the basement resurfaced in his bones.
The rationalization of what his stepmother wanted from him, his self-reassurance of his place in the family, and the sinking hopelessness that simmered below the surface, waiting for his spirit to drop below and drown.
Aiden watched the same torment released from Zhu Zhu, but He Bao grab onto his own misery even harder.
Not even his sister can reach him, Aiden realized.
He walked over and lowered himself to the ground to sit across from He Bao.
“Your mom’s still alive.” Aiden smiled softly at him.
“I know you’re angry because you think I got her killed or that I want to kill her, but it’s not true.
She’s alive, and I’m relieved that she is. Let’s go find her.”
He Bao stared back warily. “Is that the truth?”
“Your mother’s an exceptional survivor,” Diane interrupted for the first time since the whole confrontation. “She made it out of that room without any wounds.”
“Then she will come looking for us,” He Bao said. “We don’t need to look for her. We can just wait here until she arrives.”
Diane tipped her head. “You really believe that?”
“She’s our mother. She would never abandon us.”
Diane sighed, shaking her head. “Your mother will not be here.” She stared down coldly, leaving Aiden shivering under a gaze not meant for him.
“She’ll be trying to escape, because that’s the type of person she is.
” Without another word of acknowledgement to He Bao’s existence, she walked away, motioning at Brendan to follow her.
“Catch up when you’re ready,” she said to Aiden.
I wish she’d be kinder. The apathy in Diane’s voice only grew the pain Aiden felt for his stepbrother. He offered his hand to He Bao. “Let’s go look for her.”
Diane’s cruelty only enhanced the invisible vines tying He Bao’s feet to the ground. His stepbrother relaxed his whole weight against the wall. “I’m going to wait right here.” He turned away.
Zhu Zhu rolled her eyes. “Get up right now.” She yanked He Bao’s arm, but the boy remained a boulder.
Aiden continued to offer his hand. “I think it’s better if we look for her. The sooner she sees you, the more relieved she’ll be.”
He Bao looked his way.
I hope I’m right. The wish lodged into Aiden’s heart. He stood up with his arm outstretched. I really hope she’s looking for him.
He Bao slapped the hand away, but the invisible chains gradually loosened around his legs. The fury on his face dissipated. Unhappily, He Bao allowed Zhu Zhu to drag him away.
It was okay that he didn’t fully trust Aiden.
Aiden gripped his hands together, watching a cloud of despair follow He Bao.
More than anything, his heart broke at He Bao’s face, his eyes scrunched and his brows furrowed.
She’s looking for him. Aiden tried to will it into existence.
For He Bao’s sake, I’ll believe she’s looking for him.