Johann Victor Everett had been floating through the rest of week without any energy left in him. When he had managed to get home from the train station, he found it best to not tell anything to his family. He was going to run away with them anyways. It'd be best to not endanger them.
He felt as if he was being watched.
Ever since he came back from the station, after stressing over Nicholas and Molly's condition, he felt eyes on himself.
Every step he took was being recorded in a secret pager somewhere. Hidden from his sight. It wouldn't be long before they broke in through his front door and cuffed his family to take them away.
Through a pager.
A pager....
He reached home, finding the hall devoid of any life. Ethan was probably out. The scoldings were counterintuitive then, instead of keeping him in, it kept him out because of sheer spite.
Anastasia was upstairs, he could hear the slightest dragging of a chair through the floor.
She would be finishing her document. Writing down her client's suspicious activities in a file. Sorting them in an overly organized manner. She'd mark the details she found most prominent with different stickers.
She'd probably be stiff. Tired and overworked from all those hours at the court. He could brew a coffee for her. Yet, the last time he did so, she flat out ignored him.
He thought that maybe, just maybe, if he set down the cup on her table she'd eventually drink it.
He woke up the next day to find her at work, the coffee cold with a few flies floating in it.
If only he could make it up to her.
But how could he?
He was purposefully gatekeeping his own life at this point. Not for a day, not a week, but months.
He doesn't remember the last time he sat down next to her, holding her close, listening to her musing about careless clients. How one time she had to defend a corporate killer who left his gum at the crime scene.
Then he'd talk about himself. He found his words to be uninteresting, she would gobble them up though, like it was the most wonderful thing in the world.
Like a smile that could outshine a thousand suns, she would listen to all of it intently. He truly felt that what he was saying was relevant after all.
Now he was having a fight with the same person.
He wanted to yell. Say that he's doing it for her, for their family even if isn't. He knew that it was really just the perfect excuse he needed to put a bulwark between his family and information he considered, 'dangerous'.
Alas, he needed to find a way to make amends.
And as Anastasia's feet descended down the stairs, he mustered up all of his courage.
She fixed her glasses.
"Ann.." He smiled, "Where are you off to today?"
"Just work." She replied.
"Work? Well...what kind of case? Any interesting news going on?"
"No."
He barely maintained his smile,
"I see" he was finally looking at her now. God. She looked beautiful. Those gentle eyes and sun kissed skin that screamed at him to hold her. All of it could make him swoon.
He stepped closer, leaning on the kitchen counter.
"No more bizarre clients blaming their lawyer?"
"Sometimes."
"What about that case you told me about? That damned millionaire creep."
She was fixing her dress when her attention was stolen.
"Good grief, it's still going on."
"It hasn't finished?"
"Nope. Turns out with money, you can get away with anything. Assaulting a poor person's entire family is no big a deal either. Like, it was horrible, really, I di-"
When suddenly she stopped. Seeing it best to just brush it off, she nodded , making her way out of the house.
"Wait- Ann..where are you-?"
"Work." She was fierce.
"Ann...listen I'm sorry it's just-."
"Just let me go Johann."
"Listen to me....It's just a matter of time. After that I'll tell you everything."
"That time may never arrive. Let me go now."
That was when he saw his grip on her hand. Not yet.
"I'm serious this time Ann.."
"For the Goddess's sake, there's nothing to talk about anymore!" She fired back, "There's nothing you're going to say dear! Nothing!"
His face winced. A dreadful face it was, to see his beloved wife near tears.
"There's nothing you're going to say to me that matters anymore! You don't talk to me anymore! It's like I'm invisible. Tell me dear, and I say this again, what have I done wrong?"
"...no, it isn't you."
"Of course it isn't! it's the wind! What else was hiding all these gnarly secrets from me! You didn't tell me the real reason why you were attacked! Didn't tell me what happened at that party! Didn't tell me what you have been doing outside all this time!"
She was clutching his shirt as tight as she could. As if hoping for an anchor. Trying to protect the last thing she had left.
"Dear, is this your revenge? Revenge for Penelope's death?"
His mind shattered, "No! No! That's wrong! It's not that! It was never that!"
"I never apologized for it...and now I'm reaping the consequences." She wiped the tears off her eyes, composing herself, "I'm sorry. Just that.." A painful laugh, "..It feels I've lost the person I was with all this time."
He was griding his teeth. He had so much to say to her, yet none of it could come out. He was doing this for her. Yes. For her, for Ethan, for Reina.
He was doing this for his family.
"Ann...don't say that. I'm doing this for us."
"Good lord, there you go again."
"Don't say that Ann! You don't know! You don't what I'm facing. All this time I've wanted to say something but I haven't! All because I care for all of you!"
Her grip loosened, she met his eyes, raged and hurt at the same time.
"I don't go out every single day to come back looking like a pig to hear shit from the two of you about me being a terrible person! Do you know what I'm going through? Do you know how much it hurts just being here? You don't!"
He wasn't holding back, was he?
"You're right darling...I don't know. I don't know anything"
Tears rolled down her pearly eyes, the same he had yearned for all his life now wept due to his own words, "You've never shouted at me before."
Shit. Even he didn't realize until that point what he said. He attempted to say something, maybe reconcile, apologize, yet all he could spew would be bullshit. He was sure of it. So he stuck to what he was most good at it. Staring away from Anastasia at a wall to the side, not facing what he had just done. To accept being the coward he always was. Paranoia wouldn't save him from this, would it?
"I'm not a mind reading you know. If you don't tell me I wouldn't know." She managed, "But thank you...you made me realize something.."
His head snapped up. Realize what? That he wasn't trying to hurt her? That his words were really just for her safety?
"I truly lost the man I knew."
And that was all she had said, before walking off through the front door, with Johann's still body not being able to move a single muscle to stop her.
Pathetic as always.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
He got up from the chair which he had stationed himself in for the past half an hour. Time had flown by just as fast as Anastasia's trust in him. If it even existed at this point.
He propelled himself up. He had work to do, lazying now would only lead to consequences. He needed to save his family after all.....
He headed to the drawer in his room, and after clutching something in his hand, returned back to the living room. Seating himself on the chair, he inspected the watmatia once again. Following the same mechanism, he found the coordinates and made a note of them.
He found a pen and paper, soon enough he was done decoding it. Pinpointing the location to an obscure place on Marlen's map he had to contemplate whether it would be worthwhile to go there in the first place. It wasn't too far from him.
It didn't make sense. It was a military messenger, given to Ethan by a random stranger. The first it would be was a death trap.
Yet the more he thought of it, the more the possibilities presented themselves.
The feeling of being watched, it didn't seem to be plain paranoia, in a way he had saved himself by now revealing anything. He wasn't the only one in the department as well, if he was being trailed then so would every one else be.
That left only one choice.
To send a message through someone who could reach them without being trailed by others or looking suspicious.
That was why sending it through his son would've been the best choice.
If it was a trap though, regret wouldn't save his family. So he had decided it.
He would need to find an independent pager operator though, someone who wouldn't be ready to give off all transmissions to the government, when that's done he'd get a pager back home. He would need to be ready at all moments, if he by chance doesn't return he needs them to flee.
With motivation and reluctant legs, he made his way out of his house and to the coordinates.
It wasn't too far away, yet it still required him to travel through train. Which meant he needed to conceal himself from anything or anyone who might find him.
A hood would be too conspicuous, it's like holding a sign saying, 'Wohooo! I'm doing something wronnnggg!'
To be more discreet he needed a full makeover....
...At this point he realized, how much he needed Anastasia.
Fortunately for him, the winters allowed him to adorn himself in a large jacket, a muffler and glasses that made him looked vastly different, and with a hairstyle that deemed him unattractive (as if he considered himself attractive in the first place) he was ready to be off.
The train was crowded, which made it even better to not be recognized. His eyes went from one corner to the other, one seat to the next, scanning for anyone who might be suspicious.
He still felt watched, like all the passengers had a personal vendetta against him. Anyone of them could be armed, could be recording all of his movements.
Finally, after subduing numerous dreadful situations from his head, he got off at a nearby station, still in Old Magshire.
He strode through the station and off to the streets, one bus ride he was in a small town he had no idea of. It was a bar called, 'The local Palace' quite a name for a place that had obviously seen better days.
He entered without further interruption. He knew the more he thought about it, the more he'd hesitate. He might even turn back at the last moment.
For only God knows why he had been asked to come here, though when he entered, he was sure it was an avenue reserved for him. The bar was completely empty, and as soon as the door closed itself, all that was left were the purple lights and intoxicating smell. It was pleasant yet unnerving. Heavy.
He stepped forward through the blue lights and light jazz music, taking his seat at the bar stool.
There was a bartender there, yet he looked to be one. Maybe Johann's forced visit to famous bars had built this wrong conception of all male bartenders being over the age of forty, just like him, yet this man seemed much younger. Like he was in his late twenties or early thirties.
In fact his build even looked similar, and even the smile...
"You made it, Everett." He said.
"____"
She was there at the assembly. The day Thomas had taken care of Leofric.
When he did learn to adopt such terminology? Take care of? Leofric had been killed. It didn't matter if he was from Aaergale...it didn't matter. He was still murdered. And nothing had been done of it.
"You are an unexpected guest to this mission. I hope you turn to be someone more competent."
"What is that supposed to entail? I have done enough to know I am capable."
"I hope so. Because what we are planning currently is no easy feat. You're here as a testament to your own beliefs. If you are prepared enough to do anything."
"Why the hell should I believe you of all people? Sure you may have stood up for me at Thomas's mansion, but you stay by his side at all times."
"That is necessary."
"Necessary to be a loyal fucking dog?"
"You really are troublesome, Everett. Don't think too deeply in it, you're already in deep water aren't you?" He slipped him a glass of scotch.
"Deep waters." He sneered. Bring the glass to his face, he smelled it once, then daring not to take a sip put it back on the table, "Why was I sent that message?"
"Nicholas's staging a coup."
"What?" If he had taken a sip, he would've blasted it out of his mouth by now.
"You heard what I said."
"At this point in time? He is that foolish? The country is at war!" He yelled, then shot himself back down, "..Most soldiers are not here."
"Exactly." She said, "We are still in the planning phase and Nicholas decided for you to be included. So be overjoyed Everett, you've found your purpose."
His face winced in scorn, "Of course, my purpose is to bring a thousand people to march into town to the parliament and ultimately have them gunned down right? Hah....this is just the old republic all over again."
"What else do you think this is? History will always repeat itself. The Campbells fought the old republic to allow a democratic government to exist in our nation, now we fight the regime to allow people of your ethnicity to not get deported to war every second."
"'Fight the regime' of course. We'd be no different then the ministers dropping by every month. Didn't your Mr Trivola say he'd take care of it? That he'd be the one to catch the murderers?"
Her eyes widened. She was taken aback, not from resentment, but from disappointment.
"Everett, have you yet not realized.." She leaned closer, as if there was someone behind her, listening to all her words, "Trivola is the killer."
Killer? Killer. Killer.
Hah...HAHHAHAHA!
It all made sense now!
It was all a grand plan. Johann laughed at himself, for being the fool he was.
Thomas's expression was all a farce, of course it was, of course he had replacements ready for every single fucking minister that died, of course he blamed the Aaergalian spies for their death.
"Wake up Everett, Marlen is changing for the worse. If it keeps happening, Thomas would soon be at the top. From the Martial department, to the president. When Mr. Campbell retires, from either being unable to work or dying, he's taking over. It's a ticking time bomb."
"Hah..what does it matter." He gulped down the scotch. It travelled down his esophagus, leaving a burning trail. God he needed a smoke. Smoke away the promises he made to Anastasia as well.
"..What does it matter?" She was visibly disturbed, "Are out of your mind? It matters for the entire country-Wait.."
He slid the glass forward, "Another shot."
"What were your plans?"
"Another shot I said."
"What the hell were you planning?"
He clicked his tongue, "You don't need to fucking know!" He turned his head away.
Her looming gaze remained on him, unblinking, unwavering. Studying his very facial expression, becoming more grim by the second.
"You mut. You were planning on running away aren't you?"
He was silent.
"Trusting you with something like this would've been a death wish."
"Correction. I PLAN on running away. That will never change."
"A mut through the end, aren't you Everett?"
He gulped down the second glass as soon as the word came out, immediately after that, the glass was flung across the room hitting the counter behind ____ and shattering, "And the hell do you think you'll do? Be a sitting duck and let shit play out? Hope your 'Mr Trivola' doesn't find out about your shenanigans and doesn't kill you?"
"I won't run away. I know that. Me and my wife will stay here, in this land to fight for it."
"OH dear noblest, run me a fucking horse through the countryside as the knight in shining armor for the people of this country. I have had enough of all of yours bullshit. I have a family, and I have a life. You can all go fuck yourselves with your righteousness."
He got up from the stool, resisting the urge to kick it across the room. He was done with this shit, done with everything. Yet, why did he fear leaving this place? The hollowness took a hold of him now.
A familyman who had never done anything for the people.
It didn't matter. It shouldn't matter.
He stepped towards the door.
Yes.
It didn't matter.
"There's a town between Old Magshire and Rakansas. You would remember it. It's called El Medigol. The same place where the liberals set up camp during the civil against the old republic. Go there, in the ruins of the Church of Mai in 5 days. If you still wish to do anything that is."
Johann had shut the door, but not before burning the information into his brain.