The Black Flames

Chapter 6 - The Turmoil

One of the medics took a swab from Kiara's inside cheek and placed it on a glass slide. She covered it with a transparent strip and placed it in a cooler.

All the while, Kiara's heart drummed against her chest.

What was her father's box doing on that plane? What were the odds of that happening when Kiara was around? And more importantly, was he present on the pla...

Kiara stopped that last thought abruptly.

She got up to limp out of the ambulance. One of the medics helped her back into the wheelchair and out of the van. Looking around, she spotted Ved, arms crossed across his chest and engrossed in some serious discussion with Officer Dan. She swivelled over to them.

As she approached, they both looked in her direction and went silent. Ved brought down his arms and turned back to Dan. Her stomach fluttered.

Okay, so they were probably talking about me. She noticed.

"So, you will report any suspicious activity to me?" Dan asked Ved.

"Yes, officer. I'll do that," Ved nodded, looking at him, and took a deep breath.

Dan turned around and walked away over to his car. Ved looked at her and asked,

"So, you want to go inside your home? I can take you there,"

"What were you two talking about?" Kiara jumped to the point.

Ved took a deep breath and went silent. Kiara crossed her arms across her chest and lifted a brow.

"It is better if Officer Dan tells you. I don't think it is my place to say anything in an ongoing investigation," Ved remarked.

"You know you are making me more nervous. Ved, please tell me what it is. Clearly, you both were talking about me when I approached. I know it is about my father. Please spill. It is not like I am going to report you for telling me," Kiara said everything in one breath, shaking her head.

Ved took another deep breath and looked at his feet. Then he lifted his chin to look at her,

"It is your dad, Kiara. They found an ID in the cockpit. Apparently, the body that was..." he saw her strain her neck muscles and her face go blank. He suddenly felt at a loss for words.

Kiara was shaking now. She wiped her hand at her mouth and the back of her neck. Lost in thought, she completed his sentence out loud,

"...that was charred beyond recognition".

***

Ved helped Kiara get back inside the house and pulled the wheelchair in. As he stepped inside and looked around, his eyebrows shot up, but he kept silent.

As Kiara fell back into the wheelchair, he turned to go to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. He tiptoed to the fridge, straying away from the broken glass shards. He opened the door and peeped inside the refrigerator. It was empty except for a black container on the top shelve.

"Umm...Kiara, do you have any water?"

Kiara looked at him blankly. Then his words slowly registered with her,

"Huh? Ye...ah. Actually, I drink directly from the tap in the kitchen, but.." she glanced at the mess in the kitchen, "I think it's okay. I don't need any water."

Ved closed the fridge and came back to her. The silence was ringing in her ears. It was maddening.

My father...

My father...is...

My father...is...d...

She didn't want to complete the sentence.