Restlessly, Dante paced back and forth in his apartment. His footsteps echoed dully on the parquet floor, accompanied by the faint ticking of the wall clock. It was already two in the morning, and still there was no sign of Spider.
Frustrated, he looked at the damned wall clock for what felt like the hundredth time. The clock hands moved agonizingly slowly, while the feeling remained that every minute was slipping through his fingers. He was losing too much time.
Thoughts about Helios and what his father might be doing to him in the meantime swirled in his head. Forty-eight hours had passed—enough time to make Helios's life a living hell.
Had they fought again? Was he torturing Helios?
Dante clenched his fists. He couldn't be sure that Helios was really putting on a brave face—that he was outsmarting his father, as Spider had claimed. Sure, Helios was intelligent, calculating, strategic, and rarely made bad decisions. But that awful gut feeling just wouldn't go away.
Unlike Spider, Dante knew how the last confrontations between Helios and Jonathan Vale had gone. He had seen the hatred in Helios's eyes and knew that his patience had long since run out.
Maybe Vale hadn't given his son any choice. Something could have gone wrong—one wrong word from Helios, too much alcohol from Vale, and an irreparable situation would have been created.
He really wanted to believe that everything was fine and that Helios would be merely massively annoyed when he came to pick him up. He longed for that irritated look in those beautiful green eyes and the question of why he had taken so damn long. He'd apologize and make sure Helios's mood improved as quickly as possible.
God… he missed him.
He fell backward onto his bed with a heavy sigh. Waiting had never been his thing. In the past few years, he had always been on the move—chasing one goal after another, rarely getting the chance to truly breathe.
Unfortunately, he couldn't really go outside, since he was probably still being hunted by Vale's guards. Especially not during the day. But now, in the middle of the night, it was the perfect time to look for Helios.
He sat up on the edge of the bed.
To hell with Spider. He'd search for Helios himself.
Anything was better than wasting more time here.
Dante got up and put on his shoes. He was angry with himself—he shouldn't have spent the whole day sitting around. So much precious time had passed because he'd waited for that assassin.
That kind of stupidity wouldn't happen again.
He would find Helios.
Just as he grabbed his jacket, there was a knock at his window. With a few quick strides, Dante was there, opened it, and yanked Spider into his bedroom, visibly irritated.
"Damn it, where the hell have you been?!" Dante snapped, his voice tight with stress. "And why can't you use the door like a normal person?!"
"Whoa, calm down! I got here as fast as I could!" Spider replied wearily as he pulled himself free from Dante's grip. He straightened his clothes. "No need to get all violent right away."
Dante was about to fire back, but something about Spider's demeanor made him stop.
No trace of his usual grin. No flippant remarks, no provocative nonchalance.
Something was wrong.
"What happened?" Dante asked tensely, his gaze drilling into Spider's face.
The assassin was silent for a moment, then walked to the window, peered into the darkness outside, and drew the curtains closed. Only then did he sink heavily onto the edge of the bed.
"They're dead," Spider said finally, meeting Dante's eyes. "It was to be expected that they probably wouldn't make it. So… it's an outcome I was prepared for."
Dante exhaled slowly. He tried to steady himself, but it didn't really work.
"Shit," he muttered, reluctantly sitting down on a chair. "What do we do now? If there's no lead, we'll never find him!"
"Calm down," Spider said evenly. "Helios is immortal, so we have time. Like I said, I don't think Daddy Vale would harm his golden goose."
Dante glared at him.
"Don't be so sure, Spider," he said darkly. "He may be immortal, but Vale is unpredictable. If he wants something, he'll get it—no matter what it takes."
Spider sighed. "Yeah, that's how I see him too. But that doesn't change the fact that we'll definitely find Helios alive. Everything else is irrelevant. Which means we can approach this rationally," he said calmly.
"Rationally, my ass," Dante growled. "Do you have any information that's even remotely useful?!"
A faint smile tugged at Spider's lips. "Actually, yes. And I've got a couple of ideas too. Don't worry, big guy—we'll get him out. I really can't stand it when someone steals my favorite toy."
"You gonna tell me about it, or do I have to pay you for the info first?" Dante hissed.
Spider rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket. Then he tossed Dante a folded piece of paper.
"Go on, open it," Spider said.
Dante unfolded the paper and stared at what was on it. His head started to ache as he looked, trying with all the focus he could muster to make any sense of what he was holding. He wasn't exactly known for his artistic taste, but what he saw was worse than anything his two-year-old niece had ever drawn.
Confused, he lifted the sheet of paper. "What the hell is this supposed to be?"
"A map," Spider announced proudly. "I've compiled all the information and managed to narrow down the radius. I'll admit, it's not perfect yet—but maybe this way we can figure out where Helios is. Or at least shrink the search area."
"That…" Dante said in disbelief, staring at the paper again. No, he couldn't make out a single thing on it. "That's supposed to be a map?!"
"I'm a master of encryption. Wouldn't want anyone knowing what I'm working on," Spider grinned.
Dante rubbed his face wearily.
"You call that encryption? You can't make out a damn thing!" he swore.
"That's the whole point," Spider said cheerfully and jumped to his feet.
"Are you sure you're not just really bad at drawing?"
For a moment, Spider looked like he was genuinely considering the question. Then he shrugged. "Nope."
He walked over to Dante and began explaining the "map." Dante listened, ignoring the paper entirely. The more Spider talked, the more confusing the so-called map became. But what he did understand was that the lab had to be somewhere here in Panthea.
In his mind, he recalled the city map and tried to narrow down the area based on Spider's explanations.
Even with Spider's information, though, the area was still far too large.
Apparently, Vale took a different route to the research lab every day. It wouldn't even surprise Dante if the section Spider had marked turned out to lead nowhere.
Vale was clever as a fox—and twice as paranoid.
Still, they had no other choice. They had to check the area as quickly as possible. He glanced at the clock—it was already three in the morning. If they wanted to get anything done, they had to start soon.
"I'm guessing you've cleared your schedule?" Dante asked, looking at Spider.
Spider nodded. "I rearranged my assignments so we'll have enough time to get him out."
"Good." Dante stood up. "Let's go—we've got work to do," he said, heading for the door. Spider followed silently behind him. It surprised Dante that, for once, Spider didn't take the window, but he preferred it that way anyway.
Finally, he could do something. He was eager to move, to feel his muscles working again.
Under the cover of night, he didn't have to worry much about Vale's guards—and with Spider's dark skin, the man was practically a shadow himself.
They would find him. Without a doubt.
Hang in there, Helios… I'm coming for you.
___
Around noon, Dante returned to his apartment, exhausted. Spider had already said goodbye at the door. They had covered a lot of ground, yet they hadn't made any real progress. They had searched almost the entire area, but there had been no sign of Vale's guards—nor any clue of a secret facility anywhere.
The whole situation had reminded Dante of Soley, where they, too, had spent ages searching for the facility before finally finding a lead.
He yanked off his jacket and threw it angrily onto one of the kitchen chairs, which wobbled under the force of the impact.
Sure, he had finally been able to do something—but it had all been for nothing. Absolutely, goddamn nothing.
Spider had promised to personally track Vale this time. They would search for the facility again that night, and the next morning, Spider would follow Vale directly. The thought made Dante uneasy. He trusted Spider's skills far more than those of any of his unknown subordinates—but still, the idea left a hollow feeling in his gut. Spider wasn't immortal like he was. If something happened to him, Dante wouldn't know until much later. It would take far too long before he'd have any certainty about whether the plan had worked—or failed.
They had even discussed breaking into Vale's study. After all, Spider knew ways to sneak onto the property unseen, and Dante knew what was probably the only secret way into the mansion itself.
He decided that if Spider's pursuit turned up nothing, he would break in alone.
But what if that failed too? They were losing so much time, and the thought of what Helios might be enduring was eating him alive.
Desperation started to creep in.
Maybe he should take advantage of the fact that there were barely any guards at the Vale estate during the day. It would actually be easier to sneak in now than at night—the only problem was the open garden area. He couldn't just climb over that tall wall without being seen.
He was tired—bone-tired—and he should rest to have enough energy for the night, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. He glanced at the clock. Spider was supposed to come back around 9 p.m. That gave him roughly eight hours.
He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door before he could change his mind. No one ever died just from being tired. So he could keep going—at least until he finally found Helios.
He had to do something.
Anything.
But before he could open the door, there was a knock. It was an unobtrusive knock. But who would be looking for him here? No one knew about this place. No one except Helios, Spider, and himself.
His heart beat faster. Could it be Vale's guards? No — they wouldn't knock and politely wait for him to be kind enough to invite them in.
A second knock pulled him out of his thoughts.
There was only one way to find out who was on the other side of the door.
Mentally bracing for a scuffle, he reached for his pistol and cocked it. More than once he had cursed not having a peephole. He couldn't see in advance who — or how many — were at the door.
Then again, this apartment had never been intended for long-term living. It had always been a backup he could hide out in for a while when everything around him blew up.
That was enough for him. That's why the windows didn't face the street but the alley. Little light came in, and from the living-room window you could access the fire escape.
It was cheap, inconspicuous, and no one else would willingly live here.
Dante took a deep breath and prepared himself for his unplanned visitor. Single person or multiple — whoever it was would have to answer some questions, whether they did so willingly or not. He reached for the doorknob, inhaled, and finally opened it.
But instead of being attacked or greeted by the postman, standing before him was none other than the Vale family's old butler.
"Thomas?" Dante asked, confused.
The old butler smiled at him kindly. "I'm truly glad to see they haven't caught you."
"What are you doing here? No — wait, how do you know where I live? No one knows about this place and—"
The old butler chuckled softly. "How about you invite me in first and we talk over a cup of coffee?"
Without a word Dante stepped aside and let Thomas in. Still, he glanced around the hallway briefly; apparently Thomas had come alone.
He exhaled in relief; the tension eased from him a little. Still, he wanted nothing more than to know why Thomas had come to his apartment. He shut the door behind him, secured his pistol, and followed Thomas, who had already gone into the kitchen.
"Nice little apartment you've got here," Thomas said. "I hope you don't mind if I make the coffee quickly?"
"Coffee? No, go ahead…" Dante muttered. Then it struck him that Thomas probably knew where Helios was. "Wait! That's absolutely not important right now!"
Dante hurried up to Thomas and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Please tell me you know where he is!" he cried out desperately.
Thomas smiled sadly and patted Dante's arm reassuringly.
"I know where he is," Thomas said. "He is the reason I've come to see you."
Dante exhaled slowly; his hands were trembling.
"Do you know how he's doing?" Dante asked softly. "Please tell me he's okay."
Thomas looked somewhat conflicted, then sighed.
"He's holding on bravely."
"What does that mean? What is he doing to him?!" Dante erupted.
"Dante, sit down. Right now there's nothing you can do anyway, and you look like you're about to bolt out the door."
Dante ran his hand through his hair in agitation and clenched his teeth. Seeing Thomas here stirred him up. He wanted to know immediately where Helios was so he could storm the damned place.
Reluctantly, Dante dropped into one of the kitchen chairs while Thomas set about making coffee.
Dante tapped his foot nervously as he waited for Thomas to finish. The situation felt surreal. He couldn't believe Thomas was actually here and that he apparently intended to tell him where Helios was. He could bring him back tonight. Then he would finally be with him again.
When Thomas finally set the steaming cup of coffee down in front of him and sat across from him, Dante only then noticed how tense he'd been sitting. He took a sip of the coffee.
"Where is he?" Dante asked bluntly.
"In Emeras," Thomas replied.
Dante looked at him, surprised.
"Emeras is an hour from here," he considered. "Wasn't Emeras an industrial area where some products from Aeternum Pharmaceuticals are manufactured?"
Thomas nodded. "Exactly. But not aboveground. Mr. Vale had him moved underground. A former production bunker converted into labs—shielded, with its own supply shafts, surveillance, and a network of security personnel."
Dante rubbed his face tiredly. "That's what I feared."
No wonder he and Spider hadn't found him. It also didn't surprise him that Spider's men hadn't been able to follow. Vale had almost certainly posted guards all over the site.
If Helios was in that industrial area, it would be damn hard to get him out unnoticed.
He would need a plan, and he definitely couldn't do it without Spider. It was really fortunate that Spider wanted to help him rescue Helios.
Dante's gaze returned to Thomas.
"What's he doing to him?" Dante asked again.
"He…is trying to make him develop the formula," Thomas answered. He suddenly looked very old. His eyes seemed to drift off into the distance before he looked back at Dante. "So far, at least, he hasn't physically harmed him."
"There are more ways than physical harm to hurt someone."
"I know, Dante," Thomas said quietly. "You know, he's like my own son. I raised the boy and taught him manners when he was stubborn. When Madame Ophelia was still alive I only kept a watchful eye now and then, but since she's been dead… it became my responsibility to look after him…"
A tear rolled down his cheek.
"Mr. Vale has retreated into delusions, and over the years he's become truly obsessive about Madame Ophelia. He could never let go, he neglected his son and used him whenever it suited him," Thomas said in a trembling voice. "I kept hoping that father and son would rebuild a better relationship and that Mr. Vale would finally let go. But Helios never managed to break through to him."
Dante listened silently; he couldn't interrupt the old man while he was pouring out his heart. Thomas was here because he wanted to help, and Spider wouldn't be back until the evening anyway. Even though he wanted to go right away, it was wiser to wait.
"I'm sure I could have done more over the years. But what can an old man like me accomplish?" Thomas continued. "And now everything has spiraled out of control."
"What is he doing to him?" Dante asked through clenched teeth.
"He tortures my boy—and all because he wants that damned formula! He doesn't let him rest for a second. Either the doctor fiddles with him to try to find out what lies behind the immortality, or Mr. Vale takes him to Madame Ophelia…"
Dante suddenly felt ice-cold and burning hot at the same time.
"That can't be fucking serious!" Dante growled.
He still vividly remembered the look on Helios's face when he'd told him about his mother. He could almost feel the tremor that had run through Helios's body as he spoke. He still remembered the angry words Helios had said and how much he hated his father for preserving his mother all those years.
Now Thomas wept openly.
"I beg you, Dante. You have to get him out of there. Save my boy from that tyrant," Thomas implored. "He never had a childhood. I want him to at least enjoy his time now and travel. He should make memories outside the lab, fall in love, and do stupid things like any normal boy his age should have done by now!"
Dante took the old butler's hand and squeezed it encouragingly.
"I'll get him out of there," Dante promised solemnly. "Do you know how I can get in?"
Thomas nodded. "I can take you in the trunk. The garage isn't guarded—only the driveway. No one ever checks the trunk."
"Would another person be noticed? I'm not alone."
Thomas shook his head. "No, an additional person shouldn't draw attention."
"Good. From the garage, where do we need to go to get him out?"
Over the next few hours Thomas told him everything he knew. He explained which route they needed to take and how the guards patrolled. If they didn't act foolishly, no one would notice them getting Helios out. Maybe they could even manage it without bloodshed.
Dante, however, was more than ready to kill anyone who stood in their way.
When Thomas had finished telling him everything, Dante was glad to finally have a plan that would bring him to Helios. But one thing still weighed heavily on his conscience. He couldn't shake his guilt.
"Sorry for turning your car into a pile of scrap," Dante said at last.
Thomas smiled indulgently.
"I'm just glad you're safe and that my car helped you escape," he said with a sad smile. "I don't want to lose you too, not after Davis is gone. That's enough—young people should enjoy life. I don't want to see anyone I care about die, Dante."
Dante swallowed hard. Thomas's words made him sad because the old man didn't have much time left. At the same time, no one else made him feel as much fatherly love as Thomas did. He really wished he had met him sooner.
"Don't worry, Thomas. Neither Helios nor I will die."
"I hope you're right," Thomas said quietly.
Dante smiled encouragingly. Shortly afterward Thomas left again—he couldn't stay away for long without attracting attention.
Tired, Dante collapsed into bed. It wouldn't be long now before he'd finally be with Helios.