The Trail

Chapter 8 | Black box

The next day carried on as usual. Me and Juniper went for a morning swim in our pond. Then, we shared the leftovers of the roasted duck before we allowed ourselves a siesta as the weather had slowly started to turn viciously hot again.
I tried my best to put my thoughts elsewhere, away from the task that I knew had to be completed. With my heartrate slowly being raised by the minute, I laid on my side, intertwining my fingers with Juniper's silk like fur. Despite the heat, cold sweat ran down my palms. I knew it was time.

I sat up, and reached for the silver wrapped package. The surface was rough and the edges slightly worn after being brought around for so long. Any other person would have ripped it open in an instant, I thought, but clearly not Charlie Rhod. I wouldn't lie and say that I wasn't afraid, because I was. I knew that there was more to my parents story than what they had led on to. I also knew that the package, gripped by my cold fingers, held answers. Answers to questions that I might not wan't to ask. I was, however, done protecting something that I had no clue to what it was.

The water in the pond shimmered, reflecting upon rocks and stone to leave a shadowplay of marble on its wet surface. Dragonflies in various colours and variations made their way across the pond, while birds drilled from the tops of the trees. It was an impeccable day, just as it had been one year ago. The year when all hell had brooke lose.

"Don't open it", I heard the slithering voice of the hissing woman.

"Throw it in the fire tonight. For it to be forgotten. All they ever did was to betray you, leave you alone... Alone for those bastards to find you", the one always in a hurry could be heard.

"You don't need them anymore, they're gone. Gone, gone, gone. Most probably, definitely dead!", the last word was screamed in such a high pitch that I, in desperation, had to cover my ears.

"Why would you need them when you have us? Get rid of it! Now!"

The voices echoed through my head, blending together as if they flowed through a stream. They all spoke as one, yet they were many.

In rage, I ripped the wrapping open before they would utter another word. It wasn't a matter of curiousity or a desperate need to find out the truth. It was simply what had to be done.

Inside, I found a matte, black box together with a map. Blue, chrome letters were printed on the surface of the box that spelt 'Quadrex BioTech'. I assumed it must be the name of a company. I recognized it, but couldn't quite place it.

I let my fingertips follow the thick letters, feeling my blood pumping vessel starting to race. I quickly wiped the sweat of my palms onto my jeans before I opened the box.

I raised an eyebrow as I picked up a vial embedded in black foam.

It contained a transparent liquid with no label. That was all there was - a glass container with some fluid in it. I had to admit that I was disappointed. Although in the same time, intrigued. Whatever was in the vial was obviously important. So important that it might have been the reason for my father's arrest that day.

Carefully, I put the vial back, shut the box and pulled out the map. It showed a large area which I didn't recognize. It had unreadable, smudged notes scribbled all over it. The only thing that seemed to make any sort of sense was certain locations that had been marked out with a green marker. Then, at the top of the left corner of the map, was a defined, red x marking what seemed like a building of some sort.

"We told you that you would be disappointed, didn't we?", I flinched when I heard the whispers through my ears.

Except, they were wrong. I was no longer disappointed. Because as I turned the map, I found a petite writing on the back of it. Clean and elegant, it was impossible to mistake. It was my father's handwriting.

I read it in a lowered voice. Yet, it was enough for Juniper to wake from her sleep.

"Follow the map."