Page 94 of Her Faithful Protector

“Hold up!” Sam stops me from handling the pesky tape. “You’re making it worse. Let me deal with that. But first…” He winces at my stab wound.

“Just a scratch.”

“Thought you were going to say that!” He opens his IFAK,or individual first aid kit, then wraps a bandage around the open flesh.

The surprise keeps coming as Cora-Lee enters the room.

“Sam?” I frown.

My brother signals Cora-Lee to proceed with her task. Inspecting several computers in the room, she checks out what’s loading on each one. Eventually, she decides to operate the smallest machine—the one that Willem had pointed out before his demise.

With my stab wound securely bandaged, Sam begins to free my arm. The adhesive clings to my black and purple skin like heavy-duty duct tape on a pipe. My brother’s hands move with caution, but?—

Fuck… fuck… fuck…

I can’t remember experiencing pain that bad since I broke my collarbone at training in Camp Lejeune while I was still a rookie. But if I can still sense pain, that’s got to be a good thing.

“Fuck, Jack!” Sam cringes as he carefully lifts my mangled arm, now dark and swollen.

“Just a bad case of cupping,” I quip.

“Jesus Christ!” he exclaims. “Compared to that, your stab wound does look like a scratch!”

I ignore him as I wonder how he got here. “You were in the air when I called you, weren’t you?”

He shrugs as he carefully spreads ointment all over my bruises. “Our accountant may question my extravagant expenditure on chartering two private jets in a single day. But hey, there’s nothing I won’t do for my brother.”

“You shouldn’t be here…” I sigh.

He smiles sideways. “Well, Jack, what can I say? I was as close to the heart of the beast as you were. Ihadto be here.”

Cora-Lee remains silent and focused. I have no idea howshe managed to bypass the password, but she’s renowned for her resourcefulness, as Sam would say. What’s loading and flickering on the screen baffles me, but I’m certain she’s well-informed about her search objectives. Suddenly, she shuts down the laptop, rises from her seat, and passes something to Sam just as the distant sound of sirens grows louder.

“Go!” says Sam to Cora-Lee, who quickly disappears.

Sam shows me a small drive. Despite advocating for me to leave my past behind, tonight, he’s giving me a choice. “I’ll give this to you when you’re ready. You can do whatever you want with it.”

I pat him on the shoulder. “Thank you for everything, brother.” He has moved mountains and dug through the earth to find me, not just tonight but during the two decades of search following my disappearance. Most of my childhood is like a blank sheet of paper. Yet, somehow, the image of him is imprinted on it, albeit faint, like a watermark. Our bond has always been there. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have believed him when he suddenly turned up in Kabul, claiming to be my brother.

“Don’t get sentimental now!” Sam warns, hiding his glistening eyes.

While he secures the device that may reveal the answers to my life’s enigma, my mind wanders to Ava. With Willem no longer posing a threat and both of us standing strong together, maybe, just maybe, I will pursue those answers. But it will be a decision made by both of us—me and my incredible other half.

35

AVA

The news of Willem’s death sent shockwaves not only through the tech community but also throughout a significant portion of the corporate network in the country and internationally.

Following his demise, several arrests took place, revealing the extent of Willem’s illicit activities. Many conspiracy theories arose, claiming that the man behind W-Bot was alive, but most investors knew their chances of getting retribution were non-existent.

The bearded man, as it turned out, was Willem’s childhood friend. His true identity had remained a mystery until authorities discovered a connection to a deportation case. According to reports, when they were both seventeen, Willem rescued him during a climbing accident. This incident could have been the reason for the bearded man’s loyalty, or maybe Willem had made promises to aid him with his deportation case. There is good in everyone, but unfortunately, Willem crossed the point of no return.

As with any headline, Willem eventually became old news after a few weeks.

Meanwhile, Jack and I have recovered from our injuries.His stab wound and torn tendons have healed fully, although he’s still undergoing physiotherapy to regain full strength in his left arm.

As for me, I have been equipped with a 3D-printed prosthetic. It’s made from custom resin specifically designed to construct artificial bones. The bearded man sliced it just below the bottom knuckle, allowing the prosthetic to attach to my real finger, functioning as an extension. The bionic mechanism takes some getting used to. Sometimes, it reduces me to tears. But Jack never fails to uplift and motivate me. Now, I’m getting the hang of it.

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