Chapter Fifteen
"Ives please be careful, your mother was my husband's assistant. She died days after he went missing."
Ives froze when he heard these words, Sabine's hand gripped his tightly before suddenly losing strength.
The Medical devices monitoring her health began blaring warning alarms.
"We need a doctor!" The Nurse said into her comms and rushed to Sabine. Ives assisted with chest compressions while Zeke left to find more staff.
'Fuck. Don't die!' Ives cursed under his breath, he fought with the nurse to keep Sabine alive. One because it was their job and the other because she was the key to finding the scumbags who sent his life to hell.
"Clear!" More staff arrived with a defibrillator and began their work on Sabine. Ives didn't waste time in moving away in order to give them space, Sabine's life depended on it.
Outside the room, he sat down observing the events going on. A myraid of thoughts rushed through his mind as he clutched the dove necklace like it was the most important thing in the world. In reverie he didn't notice when Zeke returned with a steaming cup of coffee.
"Here. I hope you like the brand."
Ives had a sip, the liquid was hot though not enough to scald his tongue. It tasted like a blend of roasted coffee beans, cinnamon and a rich milk taste. The second it hit his stomach, Ives' entire body felt warm and relaxed.
Ives took a glance at the brand name and logo.
"May Queen." Ives read out.
"Delicious?" Zeke smiled satisfied at his employer's reaction.
Ives set the cup aside and returned his sight to the white dove figurine on his palm.
"Will she recover?" Not fully knowing the answer, he conferred the question to someone he knew to be vastly more knowledgeable than he was.
Zeke set his sights on the crowded noisy room and focused his gaze intently on the female figure who was being subjected to countless resuscitation procedures by the medical staff.
For a brief moment, it seemed as if his irises glowed before reverting to normal.
Zeke gave an answer not an approximation.
"Her organs have already failed, they will succeed in keeping her alive but in a little while she will fade completely, peacefully in her sleep."
Ives sighed tired from the spiraling series of misfortune events surrounding him.
"Maybe that's for the best." Ives said in surrender but Zeke proposed another option.
"That is the way a common thinks but you Mister Rothschild are anything but common. In this our kind of world, what could be possible isn't a matter of 'IF' rather what you should say 'HOW MUCH? AND MAKE IT HAPPEN'.
I do recall that just a few months ago, you arrived at Beelzebub's door a day old corspe but with a simple transaction, here you are alive and looking better than ever. Is that something the common man could hope for?"
"How could I have been so stupid?" Ives lamented. All this time, he had always thought as if he was still constrained by the same limitations of his past self despite everything he had experienced and achieved.
It wasn't that he was powerless to solve the situation, all he needed to realise was that he had the power, the only thing required was the willingness to use it.
"I need that woman alive and well by any means necessary." Ives commanded Zeke.
"Of course sir. Let me make some calls, it shouldn't take more than a moment. Are you willing to cover the costs?"
"Sure." Ives said with resolve.
"Alright." Zeke stepped away for a bit leaving Ives once more to his thoughts but that loneliness didn't last long.
Chime! A soothing medley played, that was his ringtone. Back when his mother was still alive, she used to listen to this song with him. They would both snuggle up in warm clothes during winter, sipping hot cocoa and vibing to their favourite melody while they watched the snowflakes slide down through the air. Whenever he heard this song, Ives felt he was alive right back at that moment.
With a renewed spirit, Ives reached into his pocket and retrieved his device.
The one calling was a number he didn't recognise, he picked up and a familiar feminine voice came from the other end.
"Hello. Mister Rothschild."
Ives remained silent for a few minutes, he dragged on the patience of his caller forcing them to terminate their mysterious façade and properly identify themselves.
The woman on the other end said flustered.
"It's Selene. Selene Arman. You saved me from that.. guy."
The latter part of her words was somewhat shaky evidence that she felt anxious speaking to Ives.
"I see. Well, How are you then?" Ives decided to humor her, she was a powerful woman having her by his side could open doors. He needed associates outside the Cabal control.
"I'm alright. All thanks to you. It isn't a stretch to say that you are my hero."
"I see. Thank you. How do you get my contact?" Ives was curious to know in what she was able to reach him, he needed to ascertain if he needed to take more steps to ensure his security and privacy.
'If she could reach me. Anyone can' He reasoned within himself.
"I found you on the gala's contact list, anyone who is scheduled to attend the gala has to drop their contact information in case they needed to be reached if they are late or an emergency occurs and they need to be informed. Of course, some bribery was involved in this." Selene ended with that sarcastic punch line.
"Figures." Ives commented dryly.
After a minute of silence, Selene spoke again.
"What is the matter?" Her voice held genuine care and affection as she said this to Ives.
"What are you talking about?" Ives asked flustered.
"You sound utterly miserable, I honestly thought after what you did, this would be the opposite of what you would be feeling but it seems your personal life is more complicated than I thought." Selene sighed over the phone and continued, "I'm here for you. If there is anything no matter how big, I want to help you with it."
Ives chuckled dryly at her words.
"I'm sorry, Miss Arman but what I have on the plate isn't something I can reveal without risking my life in the process."
Suddenly the atmosphere turned grim. The first instinct would have been to throw this off like a joke but Selene knew Ives meant it.
"Then let me do something else. Something where you don't have to reveal anything. Would you be willing to attend a party later, those involved in the massacre are also invited though I am not sure how many would want to come around. After everything that has happened, I am not anyone's number one right now."
"Okay whenever you wish, I will make myself available." Ives agreed. He understood how Selene was feeling at the moment, many still considered her the cause of the massacres since the assaliant had a motive because of her and the footage showing her violation was still circulating.
Countless important figures died in those incidents, anyone who would have caused these tragedies had to be identified and this logic was why numerous theories and conspiracies were now circulating.
Selene stood alone in the center of this, watching as others made opinions about her, they would never openly voice out at her.
They would never truly accept her and thus she was alone with puppets.
"Thank you so much. Umm… I will get things ready."
"Sure."
"Ives?!"
"What?"
"No matter what you might be facing, know that someone out there thinks you are their hero. Okay?"
"No problem."
Ives put his phone back into his pocket, his heart now felt so much more lighter.
Zeke came forward.
"Sir. It is done. An envoy will come later to transfer Sabine to a more suitable facility."
"Good."
"Mister Rothschild, we do have something else to attend to in the meantime."
Ives faced Zeke with an anticipatory expression.
"We have been assigned a directive."
Zeke handed over his phone to Ives. The screen was a blur to say the least. Layered colors and abstract images assembled and disassembled in increasingly complex patterns and frequencies.
Together all this seemed like mindless visual noise but the longer Ives stared at the more his mind began to gather an image, the chaotic froth presented a message.
"By the order of the veiled initates. You Ives Rothschild who wears the eagle mask, as our enforcer you are tasked with the destruction of Zhou gin chemicals plants and all corresponding facilities. This task needs to be carried out before the end of the next day for the sake of the order and all of Valkyren. Your reward - all costs concerning Sabine Carpenter will be taken care of and you will be allocated assets within the domain of two hundred million."
Having read it fully, Ives couldn't shake off an odd feeling. The memory of the wheel of fortune app returned along with the hypnotic interface which this message closely mimicked.
'No, They're the same thing' The realisation came to Ives, the Cabal was connected to the wheel of fortune app or at least one of the countless eccentric minds within it. Ives didn't voice out his concerns, he simply returned the phone to Zeke and began his departure from the hospital. From the fact that Sabine was mentioned in the message, he knew now that the Cabal had its eyes on him at all times and he questioned if he should trust Zeke who apparently was now his handler.
At the end of the corridor, two faces came into view; Isolde and her grandfather.
Ives went comfortably to Isolde ignoring the old man who remained paralysed to one spot. His eyes focused fearfully on Zeke, after a while he pieced it together that the white haired gentleman was Ives.
"I'll be back soon. Your mother isn't well right now, there are people coming around to take somewhere she can get much better care or she would be dead before tomorrow".
Isolde bowed, "Yes, Master."
"That's good I have other things to attend to." Ives moved around her but before he left the door, he turned and said with finality.
"Isolde Carpenter. You are free. I forgive your debt."