32. Jack
32
JACK
Willem took Ava not because he wanted her back but because he wanted me to witness his power. Then he’ll destroy me, and perhaps her too. He’d failed to lure me with the information about my kidnapper, and now he’s taken the only woman that matters to me. I will end him today.
I haven’t heard from him. I’m sure his invitation will come, and I won’t give him any more time to prepare. I want to arrive on my terms.
The arrogant man wasn’t joking when he had lunch with Los Angeles’ lieutenant governor and told him that W-Bot’s new headquarters would be fitted with technology so advanced that hacking the AT&T network would be child’s play. He was planning something big in that building. It’s his pride, and it’s where he wants to show me his might and his control over Ava for one last time. Besides, the unfinished nature of the premises will help his cause, providing him with many hiding places.
Tyler and I arrive at the complex just before sunset. It’s quiet, a stark contrast with how it was when I first surveyed it. Ava told me construction used to be going on nonstop. Now, there isn’t even lighting in here. The cranes and heavy machinery are gone, leaving only scaffolding with messy netting and mud on the ground.
Tyler scans the width of the site, commenting, “Some office!”
“It would’ve been thirty stories tall if it had been finished.” I gaze up. Currently, it has barely reached four or five floors.
Wearing ballistic vests and carrying light packs, we navigate our way over the construction fencing and pick a spot right by one of the mounted cameras.
Tyler takes out a can of spray paint from his pack and covers the camera with it, then we wait.
The complex has been seized, and I’m unsure how much of its security features are still working or if they’re being monitored 24/7. If someone notices one of the cameras has gone black, movement should start soon. But for now, it stays quiet.
We run across the field to reach a chained gate into the building, which I break with a bolt cutter to enter.
“Sam, we’re in,” I alert my brother. “If you don’t hear from us in two hours, bring in the LAPD.”
Tyler lifts his gaze, remarking, “There’s not much to see up there.”
He’s right. Above ground, the building is nothing but a shell. However, Ava had told me how important the basement was.
“We go down,” I say.
There’s a lift, but we both agree to take the fire escape to descend.
We enter a space resembling a secret military installation—or what’s left of it. The temporary lighting casts feeble shadows, barely illuminating the surroundings .
“Which one?” Tyler asks, gesturing towards the two entrances that stand opposite each other.
Ava could be anywhere within this building, and time is of the essence. “We should split up,” I suggest.
Tyler nods in agreement, and we each venture into a different door.
I turn on my flashlight, shining on the bare concrete floor as I scan the area.
“The only way is down from here,” Tyler relays on the radio.
I trace the walls encircling me, searching for any sign of irregularity, but I find nothing. “Same here,” I respond, making my way down the stairs.
As I traverse each level and continue descending, I can’t shake the feeling that there are people lurking in this place.
“Ty, where are you?” I call out.
“Basement three.”
“Anything?”
“It’s just empty rooms with partially built benches and shelves,” he describes.
“There’s nothing on this side, only concrete,” I explain. “Do you think these two sides could be connected?”
“I’m not sure, L.T. So far, I don’t see a way to get to where you are.” He pauses, seemingly looking around. “Well, unless you consider the air duct.”
“All right. I’m heading to basement four.”
“Roger that.”
After advancing past an unfinished doorway, my eyes catch sight of a man in the distance, positioned as a guard for another entryway. Obviously, Willem’s financial struggles have left him with an inexperienced skeleton crew. That guard bears the hallmarks of an amateur mercenary with his pristine camouflage attire and casual grip of his Ruger rifle as if he’s hoisting a flagpole.
“Someone’s here,” I whisper.
“Should I go over there? I still need to check out one more floor. The layout seems different, and there are rooms here.”
“Keep looking. Ava may be hidden in one of those rooms,” I command, keeping my focus on the guard.
Stepping into the light, I take down the lone man before he can react. Crossing the threshold of the doorway, I’m transported into a chamber that seems to bridge the gap between reality and imagination.
“I’m inside some kind of lab,” I inform Ty. This futuristic laboratory serves as a testament to the millions Willem invested.
“I’ve scanned all floors. I didn’t find anything, not even in these rooms on the lowest basement.”
“Come meet me. Once you reach this side of the building, go straight down. You’ll see a dead soldier in front of a doorway. Go past it, and you’ll find me.”
Suddenly, a thud resonates through the air, its origin difficult to discern amid the echoing acoustics. But the impact is unmistakable. The doorway slams shut behind me, trapping me within.
Shit!
“Ty?”
No answer.
“Ty!”
The radio is dead. I think this room is completely isolated.
As I pivot, my gaze meets the figure of Willem himself. If it wasn’t for his arms raising in surrender, his whole frame would only reach my chest. He appears in a flawless suit, resembling his pre-fugitive style.
It’s clear that my arrival ahead of his invitation is getting to him. But he masks the flash of annoyance with a smile. His eyes turn hopeful, much like those ambitious businesspeople who are eager to befriend you.
“You’ve read my mind,” he says. “Although not entirely. If you had brought Quinton with you, I might have let you go.”
I point the gun at him. “Where’s Ava?”
Trying to salvage his pride, Willem responds, “You’ve made it too easy, Mr. Kelleher. You can’t do anything about her. But, I must remind you, on the other side of the room, there’s a machine that holds the answers to all your life’s questions.”
Ignoring his words, I repeat, “Where’s Ava?”
Willem scoffs, “You’d rather choose her? She’s just an emotional crutch for you. Once you uncover your past, you’ll feel fulfilled and move on to a bigger and better thing. How does Colonel Jack Kelleher sound? Or even General?” He pauses to appraise me. “Or maybe you’ll find another woman instead of stealing someone else’s wife!”
I retort fiercely, “She’s not your wife! She never was and never will be.”
“You’re right. She’s not, and she won’t ever be. Sometimes, I forget that.” Willem straightens himself. “But she won’t be yours either, Mr. Kelleher. So you might as well take the only offer on the table. I’m giving you the key to the mystery behind your lingering pain, and in return, you let Quinton go. It’s a fair deal.”
My patience is wearing thin. I press the gun against his forehead. “Your end of the bargain is at the end of this barrel.”
Willem laughs. “Go ahead and shoot me. And you’ll get out of here empty-handed, or worse still, empty-chested.”
With that, the room plunges into darkness. I aim my gun, but it’s pointed at nothing but hollow air. Willem has vanished .
“Fuck! Willem!” I shout, but all I hear is the echo of my own voice.
I turn on my flashlight, scanning the room for any sign of him. Then, a light flickers on behind one of the walls, which has transformed into a wide window. Through the glass, I see Ava sitting helplessly in a room filled with computers. Her pale face and the dark circles under her eyes tell a tale of immense pain and hardship.
“Ava!” I yell, pounding at the thick glass.
She rises from her seat, revealing a bandage wrapped around her left hand, blood seeping through. My jaw tightens, and an unquenchable rage soars behind my ribcage. No one can empty my chest until Willem Botha is eradicated!
Ava’s voice comes through a speaker as she cries out. She tries to conceal her injured hand, pressing herself against the glass with her right palm, the one unmarred. “Jack… can you see me? Can you hear me?”
“Back away! Back away, Ava!” I shout, hoping she can hear me. She runs back, seeking cover behind a desk on the other side of the room.
I release a few shots at the glass, but to my dismay, I realize it’s bulletproof. How the fuck am I going to get to her?
Just then, Willem appears behind Ava, pulling her back, taking her into his arms, and laughing triumphantly.
This room is an illusion, constantly changing its appearance. I search every side, desperate to reach Ava. Finally, my eyes lock onto a lever, discreetly tucked at the end of a shallow hole in the wall, right next to the wide, bulletproof window. My grip on the gun tightens in my right hand as I mentally prepare myself for any potential threats, whether from the other side or lurking behind me.
I extend my left hand into the hole, my fingers finding the lever. With caution, I press it .
Fuck!
A powerful suction pulls my arm in, and I’m helpless to fight it. At the same time, a ring constricts just above my elbow, immobilizing it. The only possible escape is to cut my forearm.
Just like the other deceptive elements in this sinister space, nothing is as it seems, and I have fallen into its trap. My arm is stuck inside a narrow steel tube, the unrelenting air pressure mercilessly tormenting my flesh and bones. It feels as if an enormous weight is crushing my forearm while pliers squeeze my fingers with excruciating force.
Willem’s mocking voice emerges from the same speaker as Ava’s. “A pressure chamber to a microchip is like fire to a sword.”
Ava desperately pleads for him to let me go, but Willem remains unaffected. Behind the glass, he puts on a show, kissing her lips and fondling her breasts.
“Willem you fucking cockbag!” I yell.
He continues his taunting. “It’s like a moth to a flame. Like the mighty Jack Kelleher drawn to my trap.” He steps close to the window, reveling in my agony in close-up. “This is a prototype, repurposed just for you,” he boasts. “It seems to be working perfectly, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Kelleher?”
Willem then turns to Ava, emphasizing his victory. “What did I say, darling? The brain always wins!”
Ava’s pleas grow more desperate as the pressure on my arm intensifies, threatening to crush it entirely.
“Please, stop!” she cries.
“It’s a shame that she’s such a whore.” Willem takes her injured arm, putting it on display. “We would’ve had the most spectacular wedding, one that you could only dream of giving her. Well, I would’ve had to reconstruct her ring finger, but hey! ”
He cut her finger off?
He fucking cut her finger off?
Rage burns me, intensifying my determination to escape. Tremors course through my body, causing even Willem himself to cast concerned glances at my strength. But the trap is unyielding. I unleash a roar, cursing, “Willem Botha! You won’t leave this place alive!”
He touches the bandage on Ava’s finger, causing her to grimace in pain. Then, he forcefully pushes her against the glass, making her face him as he closely studies her expression. “Bring me Quinton, or she and you will be another wasted Romeo and Juliet story.”
My teeth grind together. The pain from witnessing this scene and the agony in my arm exceed my limits. My skin is about to tear, and everything beneath it feels like it’s about to explode, much like flesh in zombie movies.
I have to do something. Perhaps it’s time to cut my arm…
Amid Ava’s cries and my own screams, the pressure suddenly stops, giving me momentary respite. But my arm remains trapped inside the unforgiving tube.
A man approaches my dangling arm from the other side—the bearded man, Willem’s last line of defense. He yanks at my wrist, making me shake in agony. Then, he injects something into my vein.
Pain, tingling, and numbness surge through my body. But I know this is just the beginning. Tyler had better find us before Willem unleashes his worst!