And at that moment, the sound of clashing forks and knives echoed through the dining room. Gabriel placed a piece of Venison Bourguignon in his mouth, chewing it slowly, carefully.
Dr. Harris was playing with his glass of red wine. He took a small sniff, his eyes widened from the sharp scent, and he asked: "Gabriel, what kind of wine is this? … It seems luxurious."
Gabriel raised his eyebrows at the question, a small smile forming on his lips: "Well… nothing worth mentioning. This is a… uh… Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, twenty-four thousand dollars."
COUGH!! Michael choked on a piece of potato when he heard that. He looked at his shocked brother, then at the calm Gabriel, and asked with a hoarse voice: "What do you mean… twenty thousand dollars? For a drink?!"
Gabriel stuck his fork into another piece of meat, lifted it and examined it for a moment, his eyes half-closed, and said in a dry tone: "Don't be so dramatic… there are bottles for half a million."
THUMP! … hah! Dr. Harris struck his hand on the table laughing, raising his glass: "To your health." He glanced at Michael for a moment; his eyes were empty, lost.
Harris placed his hand on his brother's shoulder to console him and said in a calm tone: "Come on, brother. I'm sure we'll find her soon."
Michael released a sigh filled with buried sorrow, his eyes on his plate, and said in a voice closer to a whisper: "I just… the reason, Harris…" He tilted his head toward his right shoulder. "If I had only stopped her from going to that date…"
Gabriel gave a faint smile, almost invisible, rested his elbow on the table and asked: "Michael."
— "What?"
"What exactly happened on the day your daughter disappeared? Just out of curiosity. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
Tears began gathering in Michael's eyes but not one fell. He placed his hands on his face, his voice turning sad and weak:
"Believe me. I don't know either! She just… said she was going to a date. And after that… she never came back…"
Harris bit his lip, patted Michael's shoulder and asked: "Are you still sure nothing happened between you two before that?"
Michael moved his hand away from his face, his tears beginning to escape, and replied: "Yes… and that's what scares me more! Th-there… there wasn't any problem at all. And that's worse!"
And in that moment, while Michael was collapsing and Harris trying to comfort him…
Gabriel placed the last piece of meat in his mouth. He glanced at the projector beside the chandelier, then at the two brothers with a cold look, blended with a quiet, strange… dangerous smile.
Gabriel set his fork on his empty plate, looked directly into Michael's eyes, and said in a half-calm, half-mocking tone: "You know what, Michael… your daughter may be closer than you think."
Michael gasped, leaning slightly toward Gabriel: "What do you mean by that? Do you know where she is?"
"… Yes."
After Gabriel's last word, the brothers' eyes widened with hope.
Harris smiled with excitement, leaned forward on the table, and asked: "You really know where she is?"
Gabriel nodded, looked at them, then at their empty plates: "She's part of us now."
Harris froze at the answer and took a deep breath: "Gabriel. Please, if you know where she is, just speak. If not… then please stop."
Gabriel's eyes widened for a moment. He looked at them, a mocking smile beginning to form, then looked toward a corner and said: "When I said your daughter became part of us… I meant it."
Michael tightened his grip on the fork, a chill crawling up his spine. He looked at Gabriel and asked in a low voice: "… What do you mean by that?"
Gabriel tilted his head to the left, a smile tugging at the right corner of his mouth. He slowly raised his hand, pointing with his index finger toward the white wall across from them. His eyebrows lifted slightly, his eyes fixed on Michael with a sarcastic whisper: "See for yourself."
Gabriel turned his back to them, facing the empty wall.
He gave them one last side-glance, then turned toward the wall and said in a low voice: "Now."
The lights? They went out.
Michael and Harris looked around: "What the hell?" — "Gabriel! What's happening!"
The room grew colder, their heartbeats faster. Suddenly—CLICK! … whrrrRRRmmm…
The projector began operating.
Gabriel stood still, head raised, eyes fixed.
Michael lifted his eyes toward the light—he froze, his heartbeat accelerating.
The projector began showing images rapidly.
His daughter tied up.
Gabriel in front of her.
A knife dripping with her blood in his hand.
Then her torn-apart body.
Harris's breathing intensified, his eyes struggled to pull away from the wall toward his brother.
Michael's eyes filled with tears, his knee weakening with every scene.
BAMM! … gasp!
Michael fell to his knees, mumbling: "… no… no…"
Gabriel turned toward them, the smile still on his face, his expression resembling a wolf removing a lamb's mask. In a half-mocking, half-elegant tone: "Now do you understand what I meant?" He looked at the table, the empty plates, then back at Michael. It had never been venison on that table.
Sorrow and rage swirled violently around Michael. He placed his hands on his head, refusing to believe what he saw… what he heard.
Dr. Harris stumbled backward, his eyes stuck on the images projected behind Gabriel.
Harris shifted his eyes toward his collapsing brother.
He stepped back twice, reached weakly for his plate, grabbed a dinner knife, his heartbeat rising. It was now or never.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!" Harris charged with everything he had, despite his old age. He thrust the blade directly toward Gabriel's throat without hesitation.
"Cute."
Gabriel stepped aside swiftly in the darkness, Pulled Harris's hand away, then delivered a quick strike directly to his throat.
CCOUGH-COUGH!! "You… you son of a… b*ch!!"
Gabriel's cold expression didn't change a bit.
He kicked Harris's face forcefully, then turned toward the collapsed Michael. Michael's hands were still on his face, unable to believe, unable to move, his mind looping through the shock.
"You will pay for what you've done!" Harris shouted as he grabbed Gabriel's leg, unable to move.
Gabriel crouched down, placed his hands around Harris's head, turning his face toward his broken brother. He leaned toward his ear and whispered: "See? It's your fault. If you weren't this stupid, you wouldn't be here in the first place. But what can I say? You're my favorite kind."
PTUHHH! Harris spat in Gabriel's face and shouted through clenched teeth: "Go to hell!"
Gabriel slammed Harris's head violently against the floor.
He pulled out a white handkerchief from his pocket, wiping his face as he said: "Ethan… now."
"Finally! Ethan time!" Ethan emerged from the corner of the room, walking quickly toward Michael. His hand moved swiftly to his shirt, pulling out a Glock 17.
He stood directly behind Michael, pressed the muzzle to the back of his head, smiled insanely, and said in a hysterical tone: "That date with your daughter? It was disgusting."
And before Michael could even realize— BANG!
THUD! Michael's body collapsed like a torn cloth on the floor. Ethan stepped over him, brought the gun's muzzle close to his nose, inhaled the burnt gunpowder slowly until his lungs filled with smoke.
"Haaah."
Ethan stood in front of Dr. Harris, examining his features. Harris was unable to move, his eyes locked on his brother's body.
Ethan placed his foot right in front of him, lifted his head: "KRAKK! … UHHhh!" He kicked his face hard, then looked at Gabriel: "Why? … hahhh. Why are you doing this?!"
— …
Gabriel remained silent, shifted his eyes toward Ethan: "Ethan… now. Do it."
Right after the last word, Ethan raised his gun toward Gabriel, smiling confidently: "Sorry boss, but this one's gonna hurt."
BANG!! — UUGGHH!!
Gabriel fell to the ground. His hand pressed against his left shoulder as blood began to spread.
"… ugh… your turn now."
Ethan didn't look at Gabriel. He went straight to the dining table, lifted the wine bottle, looked at Gabriel with confidence: "Wait until I drink first."
Gulp-glup — haahh.
Dr. Harris stood in shock, confused. Gabriel bleeding beside him, Ethan drinking, and his brother a lifeless corpse. And he was too weak to resist.
Gabriel looked at the clock, then at Ethan, shouting impatiently: "Ethan! Now!"
CRASHHH! … SHHHHrrrsshh!
Ethan smashed the bottle violently: "WHAOOO!! Let's go darling!"
He aimed the gun at his own leg, shut his eyes tight and—BANG!
Ethan dropped to the floor, biting his lips hard to keep from screaming as his body trembled.
At that moment, the gun slipped from Ethan's hand and landed in front of Dr. Harris. He didn't think twice.
He looked at his brother's corpse, then at the gun.
He grabbed it tightly, stood with difficulty, and aimed it straight at Gabriel, his expression turning hollow.
CLICK! … CLACK!
Harris gasped, pulling the trigger repeatedly, but… it was empty.
HAHAHAHAHAAAHHAAAA!! Ethan burst into laughter, deepening Harris's collapse.
He threw the gun at Harris's head and shouted: "Shut up!"
"It won't happen, my friend."
Suddenly, police sirens began approaching from outside. Red and blue lights flooded the place.
Dr. Harris felt joy at their arrival.
He ran toward the door and shouted: "Help! Here!"
BAMMM! … CRASHHH!
Three officers broke the door open. Their eyes fell directly on the injured Gabriel and Ethan, then on Dr. Harris— the only unharmed one.
"Freeze!"
The officers shouted at Harris. They looked around; Gabriel bleeding heavily from his arm, Ethan wounded in his leg, and a corpse lying in the middle of the room.
"On the ground, now!"
Harris dropped to the floor, trying to speak: "I didn't do anything!"
"Quiet!"
"This is Michelle, we've got a homicide and two injured.
We need an ambulance immediately."
Gabriel lowered his head to the ground, then lifted it toward Ethan.
He smiled at him for a moment before returning to his position.
Five minutes later, Gabriel and Ethan were in the ambulance.
Dr. Harris, with handcuffs on his wrists, tried to defend himself—
but who would believe him?
Meanwhile, far up in North Beverly Park Drive, inside Château Noctura—
Elena sat in her room, a lit cigar between her fingers.
Her eyes were on her screen showing Ethan shooting Gabriel and then himself.
She took out her phone and pressed "Call": "Hello?"
— "Daniel. My favorite attorney. It seems I'll be needing you tomorrow."
— "Anytime."
Elena hung up.
She blew smoke from her nose: "Oh my sweet angel. You put on a wonderful show."