Chapter 5

The look he gives me after I give him permission to enter my home sends shivers down my spine. He lifts one foot and stretches it across the threshold in slow motion, as if to emphasize the gravity of the decision that I just made by inviting him in. The queasy feeling in my stomach is the cherry on top of the shit sundae that is my life right now. 

I just invited a monster into my home. 

But what choice did I have? My family is caught in the cross-hairs of these psychopaths and it’s all my fault. At this point, going further into the lions’ den is my only option. 

So here I am, walking through my house with a predator at my heels – literally. As we enter the kitchen, Kathryn is back at the stove finishing the meal for us, while Serena is at the table coloring again. She looks up at us as we enter. 

“Daddy, help me color!”

“Not now, love. Daddy needs to go out back and have a grown-up talk with his friend.”

“Aw, no fair! I want to be a grown-up…” 

I lean over and kiss the top of her head while passing the table. Standing back up, I share a glance with Kathryn, who is looking over her shoulder at us; a mother keeping an eye on her young. I give her my best smile, but she turns her back on me. It’s hard to fault her for feeling that way. I continue towards the back door and head outside. 

I hold the slider open and Jahko passes through. As I stand there, my eyes survey the backyard. There’s enough light from street lamps and other periphery sources that I can see shadows dancing against the trees and bushes. A few stand out to me, and a thought crosses my mind as they continue to play tricks on me. 

What if these shadows aren’t playing tricks on me? 

Are his friends surrounding us?

I stand uneasy on the back patio with my hands in my pockets as he gets comfortable in a nearby chair. I have no idea what he wants to talk about, and I’m not inclined to start rambling pleasantries back and forth. I start rocking back and forth, waiting for him to begin. From the look on his face, he enjoys every minute of my uneasiness. 

“I don’t plan to stay late. Considering current events, I want to ensure the two of us are on the same page.”

I nod in response. I don’t trust my voice to not fail me. 

“The blood flowing through the veins of Mr. Benividez was special. You know this just as much as anyone else; you spent months looking for it. Finding another won’t be so easy.”

Jahko lets the words hang in the air as he walks off our concrete patio into the grass, eyeing the same shadows I was earlier. Either my imagination continues to play tricks on me, or the shadows run away from each other and disappear. I’m struggling to maintain my focus. The anxiety of the situation floods my brain and I start seeing more shadows dance across my vision. 

I stumble backwards. 

Someone catches me. Of course, it’s him. 

“We should sit,” is all he says. Once again, I nod in response, and he helps me into the nearby wicker chair. He sits adjacent to me. 

“Clayton, I understand why you would be nervous. This is all very overwhelming, and the untimely death of Mr. Benividez is enough to cause anyone stress. Regardless, the others have responded well to the treatment, but I want to reassure you, we still need your help. ”

He emphasizes each word about needing my help. While sitting, I’m slowly regaining my composure. The more I think about the entire situation I find myself in, I realize he must be right. Why would he come here to talk? If he didn’t need me anymore, he could simply kill me and my family and we would never know. He wants to talk with me because I can still help him. I need to focus on that. I clear my throat.

“I understand, but I’m not sure my office has the funding to spend another eight months looking for a singular person. I need to see my normal patients again. I can deflect the questions only for so long. Things need to go back to normal, both professionally and personally.”

Raising his hands in defense, he chuckles softly to himself. 

“Your concerns are valid. Funding will not be an issue, and we can be more flexible with your schedule. As a reminder, we aren’t starting from scratch. The blood you’ve harvested has helped us tremendously with tangible results. You’re saving lives.”

I have to focus. The gravity of that statement is daunting. 

My mind threatens to wander at the range of possibilities to how this night can go and each passing second causes me even more anxiety than the last. However, hearing him almost pleading with me is a difficult contrast to wrap my head around considering moments ago the thought of him at my door caused shivers down my spine. Now, the urgency in his voice is enough to convince me that whatever value I can still provide must be substantial. I need to focus on that. 

“Do you have any next steps in mind?” I ask. 

“We continue the research. Simple as that,” he replies. 

I let out my own chuckle at that. The months and months of research can’t be replicated. True, the pathways to discover another Benny are still relatively open, and the process of finding another person like him might be relatively easier. Nonetheless, actually finding another Benny will still prove incredibly difficult. On top of all that, Jahko made sure to clean out the supply of blood everyday, sending some lackey in the night to relocate the vials to some unknown destination. I have no reserves.  

But he mentioned the others. 

The ones that responded positively to the treatment. If I can run tests on them, maybe that can help expedite the process. Will he let me test them? Will he be as protective of his family as I am of mine? There’s a case to be made. Here he is, sitting within feet of my family, with access to my home. If he’s so desperate for help from me, I should be allowed the same concessions. 

The logical answer is to work with the test subjects who have been receiving whatever treatment from the blood samples I supplied. The mixture of their blood and Benny’s is working to some extent, according to Jahko. 

“The ones who have been receiving treatment with Benny’s blood, where are they?” I ask. 

The lighting in the backyard is less than ideal. Despite that, I sense a change in his demeanor, almost as if the very air around me has gotten heavier. He seems to be sitting taller, his muscles tensed. The feeling of prey being stalked by a predator is undeniable. My breath is caught in my chest. 

I may have crossed a line. 

He continues to stare at me, unblinking, until finally, he pushes himself up from the chair and begins pacing on the concrete patio. Again, it seems there are more shadows than normal dancing across the backdrop of my yard. It’s impossible to focus on both potential dangers at once. I clear my head of potential threats in the darkness and focus on the one deliberating in front of me. 

Jahko stops. He turns and looks at me, while stroking his chin in contemplation. It’s a strange sight to see considering the level of confidence he typically exudes. 

“That would be the most logical next step, wouldn’t it?” he asks, although he’s averted his gaze to some distant point, so I debate answering or not. Thankfully, he continues speaking. 

“There will need to be restrictions. Rules. Any deviation will be seen as an act of aggression. You need to understand that before this goes any further.”

“Of course,” I say, and then gesturing to my house, “I would hope you understand that trust is a two-way street here. I’ve already invited you into my home. It’s time you return the courtesy.”

Jahko releases a deep breath, and places his hands on his hips. It’s a very…human thing to do, and considering the entirety of the situation I find myself in, rather funny to see. Obviously, I refrain from releasing that laughter, but nonetheless, I take note of it. 

“You make a good point, although it’s my ‘family’ that I worry about accepting your introduction to their lives.”

This time he looks off into the distance of my backyard, towards the same area I’ve been seeing the dancing shadows, as he considers his next words carefully. 

“Let me speak with them first. If all goes well, you’ll hear from me tomorrow. Sleep well…friend.”

And with that, he disappears into the night before I can respond.