Page 119 of The Daredevil

Tears tried to push their way out of my eyes, but I pushed them down. I wasn’t the eight-year-old boy all alone after the death of his mother. I wasn’t the frightened kid who wondered where his dad had been when he needed him most.

I knew I couldn’t avoid him, and I didn’t want to. It was delayed action—a pause in my life’s hypothesis. Sometimes the pause revealed more than the action itself. Questions needed answers. Why did he leave his family? What was more important thanhis family?

My fingers curled into fists. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. This emotional drain exhausted me. I needed energy to repair my relationship with Michelle. She didn’t even know I loved her.

Love made me give my father a moment’s pause. Before Michelle, I couldn’t have cared less if he’d shown up. Why should I welcome him into my life when he never attempted to visit? But love transformed people. I believed it now because I wanted to hear his explanation. And Michelle said he’d saved her, so he got points there. He also saved my life, so I supposed he was racking up points.

I was about to put away my phone when I received an incoming call from Oskar’s wife.

Unsure of why she was calling, I picked up.

“Sara, is everything okay?”

“It’s been a while,” Oskar said. “How are you?”

I blinked as chills skidded down my spine. “Oskar? It’s really you?”

He mentioned the date when he’d been hired at Excursions for You.

“Where have you been?”

“In hiding. Now that the fucker is dead, I’m back. He would have come after Sara and the kids if he knew I was alive. A good guy saved me and offered me a place to stay until I was well again. Now I’m back, but with a new identity. I don’t think Dominic’s associates would track me. Oskar Karlsson is now dead, okay? My family and I are moving to Finland. My new name is Arto Eskola.”

I agreed new identities were the safest route for him and his family. The elusive crime organization needed to be uncovered. At our last get-together, the boys and I discussed this. It would be another side project we’d work on besides the video game. We couldn’t just sit around and pray that someone wouldn’t link us to that day. Perhaps no one would find out, but it gave us peace of mind that we were doing something about it.

We had more than ourselves to protect now. For Remi, it was Audri. For me, it was Michelle.

“That’s wonderful, Arto. Who helped you?”

“I’m not sure. I was out of it when I felt someone drag me away. When I woke, a guard offered me the phone to speak to the unknown man. All I know is that he doesn’t like Dominic or his father. I didn’t pry, though. I had issues of my own.” He sighed. “Thank you for taking care of my family. The money helped Sara a lot. I know I didn’t buy as many policies as you told her. I’m forever grateful. I should probably buy more now, though.” He laughed.

“Thank you for not shooting me.”

“I couldn’t kill you. You gave me a job when others denied me one. I’d never forget that. I should have come to you when Dominic first threatened to kill my family. Did you check all the other employees? Maybe he got to them too.”

“I did. A few have been arrested. Dominic would’ve eventually asked them to blow up my excursion sites. He didn’t want to see me succeed.”

“What did you do to him to garner this revenge?”

“During a fight in high school, I broke his arm, injured his shoulder, and that stopped him from being a baseball player.”

“What an asshole.”

“The more power a man gains, the bigger the ego. A massive ego blinds a man. He believed the organization could protect him, so that gave him free rein without consequences.”

“I’m glad he’s dead. My first cancer treatment starts next week. I got a scan the other day, and the tumor has shrunk. Must be God’s will.”

“Make the best of it.”

We chatted for a few more minutes until he had to help his wife.

I was thrilled for Oskar—Arto—and his family. His kids could now grow up with their dad. An uncomfortable ache pulled at my chest.

“Why are you smiling?” Michelle strode over to the couch and stood in front of me, looking more refreshed.

“Oskar isalive,” I said, gripping her wrists to check on the markings left by the zip ties.

“That’s fantastic news!” Her eyes glittered. “How? What happened? I thought they said he died.”

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