Woo Tang’s lower eyelids began to swell. “Her manner of conveying her feelings always made sense to me, and I could not be displeased with her after that. I departed that evening and returned three weeks later. I called immediately after debriefing, but she did not answer. I did not think anything of it, no concerns entered my mind until I returned home and found our apartment building entwined in yellow crime scene tape.” He took a long pause. “I was not allowed inside, but found a way in anyway. There was…blood everywhere. Torn shreds of clothing, broken glass, patches of her gloss black hair. A narcotics dealer with close ties to the cartels had been hunting a former errand boy turned informant who had, at one time, lived on our floor. My wife and our unborn were…slaughtered by mistake. I never saw her smiling face again, never uttered a suitable goodbye to her. However…I did seek atonement for her unlawful death.”
He took several breaths before continuing. “I mourned her for days before rallying with six of my brothers, including my senior, who had no business being there. He showed up, nevertheless, to set us all straight on the conceivable implications of what we were proposing to effectuate.”
“And what was that?” Lauren queried, her attention focused on his every word now.
“We…did what we did best. Silently worked the system, circumnavigated the criminal class structure, and ultimately found those directly responsible. Every assailant paid for his transgressions with his life, but the venture cost two of my brothers theirs. That is as far into detail as I wish to share; it is not something I would ever do again. Everyone encounters loss; no one is exempted. It is how we conduct ourselves in redressing loss that demonstrates our true characters. I do not condemn you for wanting vengeance. The premise is a primal one and has existed since the beginning of time. But you are not the only person in this world who has lost a loved one, and I implore you not to use your loss as a pretext to destroy yourself.” Woo Tang looked away and started off. “That is all I have to say for now. Know that I will not be going anywhere without you. Please let me know what you intend to do from here.”
The veteran frogman marched away beneath the moon’s intense glow without another word, leaving Lauren with a lot to think about. She sat motionless, her legs dangling from the seat, staring a hole into the ground, feeling the weight of her decisions, realizing now that she had been wrong in so many ways, with no direction of where to go from here, other than home.
Lauren thought over the judgment she would most definitely receive in the wake of this. She had acted, only to now feel as though the path she’d chosen had simply enhanced the laundry list of challenges the valley had been facing. Would she come to regret what she had done? Would she wake in the middle of the night with nightmares from this day forward in consequence of her actions? Would John find a way to forgive her? Would her parents pardon her mistakes? Would God absolve her?
As Woo Tang moved out of sight, a figure yet to be announced turned the corner from the forest road and treaded into Jade’s field of view, catching her by surprise. She went to level her rifle but stopped upon identifying the night-vision binoculars and skull crusher he was wearing. “Alan? W-where did you come from?”
“Back there a little ways,” he said casually, pointing to the road while making his way hastily to Lauren.
She jumped down from the driver’s seat upon seeing him enter her periphery. She looked upon him in an expectant daze, her pulse quickening at the sound of his voice.
“I won’t discount anything he said to you, but I would like to add a few things,” Alan said. “But before that, know that I’m not mad at you and didn’t come to lecture you. I’m overjoyed seeing that you’re okay, and I love you…more than life itself.”
Lauren shuddered. “How did you find us?”
Alan shrugged and moved closer to her. “I followed my heart. Actually, after a great deal of pleading on my end, your friend Will gave me a ride. I wasn’t supposed to come, you see. Your mother and I argued about it. Her reasons for not wanting me to leave were sound. But I came anyway because I had to. Because I’m a dad and you’re my kid, and I won’t consent to you throwing your life away like this.”
Lauren turned her head aside.
“I know you’re hurting, and I wish I could do something to ease your pain and make this all go away, but that’s out
