Chapter 238 - Guilt and Duty

No sooner than the lid closed, it opened again.

Light streamed in from the circular window above Char Char and she felt a sucking feeling as she was drawn up into the light.

She found herself squinting and blocking her eyes with her arm as her eyes adjusted to her bright surroundings.

“Did you forget something?” She asked, confused as to why she was let out of the mirror so quickly.

“What, you left something back at the estate?” Corbin’s all too familiar tone of annoyance pierced the air.

“Corbin?” Char Char frowned, disoriented. Corbin should have already left the city hours ago.

At this moment Char Char realized that she was not inside the sitting room at the estate, but was standing on a dirt path behind a horse drawn carriage. Farmland stretched out across a backdrop of rolling hills and country side. The sweet scent of pollen traveled along a warm summer’s breeze.

Her body tensed as she instinctively reached out with her sixth sense. The presences of Corbin Nao and Chloe blossomed in her awareness. Further down the road out of sight Char Char sensed another carriage and two men that were tending to the horses.

As her eyes quickly adjusted to the shining midday sunlight she saw Corbin chuckling at her.

“What’s so funny?” Char Char fumed.

“Nothing, you just looked so shocked.” Corbin grinned, “I see you weren’t given the courtesy of an explanation for your escape from the manor.”

“You mean about the mir-“ Char Char’s voice raised in excitement, but she stopped suddenly as she saw a cautionary glint in Corbin’s eyes. 

Not too loud. He said with his expression, His eyes flickered down the road to where the two drivers were waiting out of sight. It became apparent to Char Char that those non-exalted drivers hadn’t been told that they were smuggling Char Char out of the city.

“Let’s get going first.” Corbin said, turning to Chloe, “I’ll take the young miss from here.”

Chloe bowed, “Take care on your journey, Mr. Nao.”

Char Char glanced at Chloe’s hands, noting that the mirror had already disappeared into the maid’s pockets.

“Take care, miss Zhao.” Chloe bowed again to Char Char.

“Bye, Chloe.” Char Char said, “Thank you.”

Chloe left, and Char Char ‘watched’ the drivers and carriage depart down the road with her sixth sense. Corbin busied himself by double checking the two trunks in the back of the remaining carriage, tightening the straps. 

Char Char noted that it was not the usual luxury model that they usually used, but a more regular looking coach.

“Chloe’s mirror is a special artifact. Any person that enters it becomes suspended in time until they exit. It’s a useful secret, and has saved your grandfather on more than a few occasions.” Corbin explained unprompted, “Only Chloe, myself and your grandfather are aware of its existence. And now you.”

Char Char nodded seriously as she pieced together the explanation, “Does that mean… It’s no longer morning?”

“That’s right. It is six thirty three in the evening. Chloe won’t make it back to the estate until after dark.” Corbin nodded, opening the carriage door for Char Char, “We, too, have a place to be before sundown. We’ll rendezvous with the Red Lion Security company in Lielle and spend the night there.”

“After that, we’re off on our mission.”

-

In a dark cell, a wiry man with sunken cheeks sat dejectedly on a wooden cot. The black stone block walls glimmered subtly, as if embedded with specks of sparkling dust. They cast a soft glow over the room that only just barely kept the cell out of complete darkness. He wore a simple grey prisoner’s outfit, and held a pair of spectacles in his lap. A slew of papers were strewn about the otherwise bare cell.

His shoulders and back were slumped with guilt and regret. His lips twitched and tensed as he muttered softly to himself at times, and shook his head sadly at others.

Presently the stone door at the end of the narrow room opened and the orange light of a torch streamed in.

The sound of boots on stone strode in and stopped several paces away from the prisoner, who remained looking down at the floor. In his periphery he saw the starched grey slacks of the Noga police. Without looking, he knew who it was that had come for him.

“It’s time.” Finn Mackenzie said.

“Leave me to rot.” The prisoner said, “I deserve no less.”

Finn looked down at the man, observing his demeanour. Finn had once seen  him as an enemy and a traitor. But his investigation had uncovered the truth. This man had been used, manipulated and violated.

“I’ve completed my investigation.” Finn said. “You have been found not guilty for your crimes.”

“Not guilty! Not guilty?!” The man trembled as suddenly gripped his spectacles between his fists, twisting them out of shape. The glass cracked as he shouted, “Enzo is dead! Yang is dead! So many officers are dead! Because of me!”

“I’ve betrayed everyone that placed their trust and confidence in me.” He let out a coughing whine as he dropped the broken spectacles onto the floor. Blood dripped from his fingers. “I’ve… I’ve…”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Finn replied, “You were under psychological control. Your actions were not your own.”

“You can’t say that!” The prisoner shook violently as he looked down at his bony, bloodied palms. “You don’t know what I felt! How I grew to despise Yang and Jintang. How I schemed with Enzo and how that scheming led to his death. I made Jintang kill him.”

“You were under Gantt’s control.” Finn stated firmly, “As was Chief Bear.”

“I made those choices. I acted on those choices. I gave the cultists the details of Yang’s operation at the woodcutter’s cabin. He walked into a death trap because of me.”

“Chief Vox…”

“Don’t ‘Chief’ me!” Chief Vox screamed.

Finn grit his teeth as he considered how to get the chief to listen to him. The documents that Vox had scattered on his cell floor had detailed the results of the investigation. Information on Gantt’s powers, acknowledgement of Vox’s crimes and Lord Noga’s official pardon.

After Vox’s arrest for his part in the God of Life’s failed resurrection, Finn had been assigned to uncover the full extent of Vox’s actions. Shortly after his incarceration a black strange slug emerged from Vox’s ear and perished. This slug was a parasite that grew in the folds of its host’s brain, slowly infecting the mind and influencing the victim to do its master’s bidding - that master being Markus Gantt.

The death of the slug indicated that Gantt had abandoned his control over Vox. Doing so prevented Lord Noga’s forces from retrieving it and using it to track Gantt down.

This information was in the report strewn at Vox’s feet, top secret intel that Finn had gained through the cooperation of Sansen Zhao.

According to Sansen, for the hosts he implanted parasites into Gantt’s methods went beyond simple mind control. He twisted his victim’s minds, using their natural vices such as jealousy and greed against them. A victim under Gantt’s control would act according to their nature, but their actions would fulfill Gantt’s objectives. 

Vox would have full recollection of his motives and his actions while under Gantt’s spell. He would remember justifying his acts of hatred and betrayal, as he acted out the worst version of himself. And with the cloud lifted from his mind he would feel intense regret and remorse.

Finn felt a hand on his shoulder as Chief Luan came up from behind him and took a step toward Chief Vox.

“Dexter.” Chief Luan said softly, “Come, old friend. We need you.”

“Kinpo, how can you… How can anyone forgive me?” Chief Vox asked.

“Only the Chiefs and Officer Mackenzie are aware of all the details. Your men don’t know.” Chief Luan replied, “We’ve lost too many Chiefs, we can’t afford to lose you too. There is still good that you can do.”

A side glance from Chief Luan prompted Finn to quietly leave the cell. He stepped out to the hallway, letting the two Chiefs talk amongst themselves. After a few minutes Chief Luan emerged alone, beckoning Finn to follow him down the hallway as they left the door to cell open behind them.

“Let me stay and talk to him for a bit. He may yet come around.” Chief Luan said once they were out of earshot in the stairwell. He sighed heavily, shaking his head, “It’s… hard.”

“What’s hard?” Finn asked.

“To be honest, I never liked Dexter.” Chief Luan said, “He is a good officer, a good Chief. But too cold hearted. If not for your report on Gantt’s methods and the proof that Dexter was under Gantt’s control… I would not have doubted for a moment that Dexter had simply turned traitor.

“After the parasite left his brain and he came to - When Dexter admitted all of his crimes to us in painstaking detail, I didn’t think, ‘this is a man who has been manipulated’. I thought, ‘this is a guilty man who is ashamed of his crimes.” Chief Luan inhaled deeply, looking up at the ceiling like he was looking for answers, “Even thinking back on all of our interactions… Even when Dexter was at his worst. It was typical Dexter, all the way.”

“How insidious, this enemy of ours.” Chief Luan whispered as he shook his head sadly. 

Finn only stood next to his former supervisor, unsure of what to say to console or comfort him.

“Your investigation against Gantt is still active, yes?” Chief Luan asked after a moment.

“It is.” Finn nodded.

The pained look in Chief Luan’s eyes as he looked at Finn told Finn that he was thinking about Chief Yun. About the mentor and father figure that had been taken away from Finn by Gantt through Chief Vox’s hands.

“To think of all the pain he has wrought upon our city and our families…” Chief Luan muttered, “Of all the men and women that Gantt has subjected this inner hell to… in pursuit of what?”

“I don’t know.” Finn said, “But I will find him and put an end to it.”