Ephalon - Triumvirate
Chapter 1 - Desperation
Ephalon - Bonds of Destiny
Chapter 1 - Grave beginnings
"Tensions continue to rise as Numen-Nier officials express ongoing discontent by the transportation ban across the Kraad ocean. The governments of Enterra and Arack still maintain their stance as they fear increasing sea piracy with the growing amount of arms production coming from the southern continent. Furthermore, there are... " The television broadcast was suddenly overpowered as Alexander, the leader of the group, shouted to turn it off.
"Sorry boss. Just trying to ease the nerves, ya know?" Quinten replied as he pressed the power switch.
"I understand but stay focused. Before I leave, I'd like to go over the plan one last time. I need to know everyone is on the same page. Victor, if you would please?" Four well-dressed men in suits stood gathered together within the confines of a warehouse office, discussing plans of a devious nature.
"It would be my pleasure, Alexander. Our goal is to frighten these people so that they'll leave the district, permanently. We need to show them that the Ceruleus Organisation is not to be trifled with. I've prepared a few pistols for the occasion, both as a necessity and back up in case things go sour. Quinten, as per usual, you're the driver. Samuelle, you're going inside with me." The boss nodded pleased with the level of preparation.
"We've discovered where two of the opposing faction members are currently holed up. The plan is to break in through the front door, find them, and accost them while they are still sleeping safely in their beds. I'll recite the usual lingo, and that should suffice. Did I miss anything, boss?" Alexander took a moment to mull over Victor's question, and while doing so, he scrutinised his crew one last time.
"That sounds correct to me. While you're all doing this, I'll be at home with my mother to establish my alibi. Don't forget to wear your masks and use one of the unmarked vans. We don't want another fiasco like last time." Quinten let out a noticeable groan as he felt his reputation being attacked. It wasn't the first time he'd heard Alex's remark.
"Again with this? The lights were out; it was an honest mistake!" The man received an intense stare from Alexander, which immediately silenced him. The boss then shifted his gaze to Samuelle, who had yet to say a word about any of what was discussed; his muteness intrigued Alexander, so he had to know.
"Samuelle, why are you so quiet tonight? You're usually more chatty." The man smirked and shook his head a few times.
"Apologies boss, but even you should know by now that I'm a doer, not a thinker. All this talk is pointless; I'll follow Victor's orders and get the job done, no questions asked. You know I'm good for it." Alexander wasn't sure if he should smile or be annoyed; Samuelle's words had implications that hit close to home, something that Victor took careful note of.
"Boss, do you mind stepping outside with me for a moment?" Victor's request received no objections, so the two stepped out of the office space which served as the central hub of an enormous warehouse building. It was well into the evening, and all the workers had gone home for the day, even the security night shift had been dismissed to avoid any information leaking out. The two friends walked together amid the long aisles of pallets filled to the brim with a wide variety of goods, all of which were destined for the kind folk of the Melderra district of the city of Maya.
"So, what did you want to discuss?" In reaction to Alex's question, Victor halted in place and watched his friend take a few more steps ahead before coming to a complete stop.
"It's been almost a year since your father died. I can't imagine it has been easy taking over as the head of Ceruleus. Not only do you have to ensure that everything runs smoothly, but you also deal with the less legal side of things." Victor's little speech was cut short as Alex's hand rose up.
"It's alright. I appreciate the concern, my friend; I honestly do, especially coming from you. I wouldn't have got as far as I have without your help, but there's no need to worry about me. I've got things under control, and I trust everyone in charge to act accordingly." If there was one thing that Victor knew for sure, it was when Alexander was lying. The man was easy to read; he'd first raise his rose-tinted glasses close to his eyes in order to obscure them. Next, he'd keep his gaze fixated in another direction to avoid any eye contact.
"Alex, I know you're a strong guy, but I know you well enough by now to recognise this anniversary is affecting you. I've seen you in your office when you weren't looking, face down on the desk. That's not a good sign boss." Victor's words frustrated Alexander; however, he kept his grievance locked up since his friend was merely being honest. The lack of a prompt response was more than enough to tip Victor off to the correctness of his assertion.
"Look, Alex, there's nothing wrong with feeling down about your father's death, especially someone like Falon. He might have been your father, but he used to be my boss and a dear friend as well. He was a good man, who we all miss." Once again Alexander remained silent, though it was plain as day, he was holding back a lot of emotion. Victor patted his friend on the shoulder, for now, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
A few minutes later Alexander returned to the office, receiving greetings and expectant stares from the entire group.
"Alright, it's time. You know what to do. I'm heading home; I'll meet you guys tomorrow at the restaurant around noon. Good luck." Before venturing out, Alex grabbed his raincoat since the weather forecast predicted a drizzle that night. The front door was on the far end of the warehouse, and it would take a fair few minutes to reach, giving Alex plenty of time to stew in his thoughts about what Victor had stated. He knew the man even before his father's death as he'd in recent years been shown more of the inner workings of the Ceruleus Organisation. Because of this, everyone already knew who Alex was before he inherited the title of CEO.
Many of his father's birthdays were celebrated in the company of the higher-ups and trustees of the various companies that Falon kept under his belt. Even with all that history, it wasn't until this past year that Alex got to socialise with the employees under the Ceruleus banner. It was comforting to discover how loyal and dedicated each and every one of them was. All these thoughts put a smile on Alex's face as he knew that he could depend on these people, even with his life. Despite the occasional falling out with his father, he mostly retained fond memories.
The Ceruleus CEO's thoughts evaporated the instant he stepped outside as he felt the light trickle of rain splash upon his coat. The door locked behind automatically making it one less worry to consider when going forward. A quick survey of the street in front revealed only the odd car driving across. The lack of traffic wasn't a strange occurrence as the roads were always very calm in the Melderra district during the evening hours. Most folks tended to either walk or use the subway to get to their destinations. At the corner of the upcoming crossing, Alexander noticed someone sitting scrunched on the ground whilst holding a piece of cardboard overhead.
"You alright there?" Alex asked. The person looked up, and it was clear from the way he appeared that he was not a human but a hybrid. The pattern of brown scales along his eye line was a dead giveaway. It wasn't a rare occurrence to encounter such an individual here, far from it in fact, as Melderra was commonly referred to as 'the' hybrid district of Maya.
"Just down on my luck sir. You wouldn't happen to have some spare change, would you?" Rather than giving the man some entars, the currency used throughout Enterra, the continent in which Maya was the capital of, Alex helped him up to his feet.
"How about we get you out of the rain and dried off?" The proposal surprised the man, but he offered no resistance and let himself be guided down the street. There was a place nearby where the homeless could stay the night to keep warm and have a bite to eat. It was out of Alex's way, but he didn't mind as he had some time to spare, besides it would make for a solid alibi.
The so-called forecasted drizzle turned into a proper downpour, prompting the two to speed up their journey to the almshouse. With heightened urgency, they soon arrived at the desired location and rushed through the front door. Drenched, the two took a few steps further inside before calling out for some assistance. It wasn't long before a few of the nightshift volunteers came over to help. Sharon, one of the aides, recognised Alex beneath his raincoat.
"I wasn't expecting to see the CEO of Ceruleus out this late at night, especially helping someone like this." The comment made Alexander laugh; he couldn't help but find it very apt given the stereotype that CEOs oft received.
"Don't let the suit fool you, Sharon. I might be the boss of Ceruleus, but I'm a hands-on kind of guy. I can't leave a fellow man down on his luck to catch something unpleasant." A few of the other residents came over and praised Alex for all the donation money he'd put forth into sustaining the almshouse. They claimed he was a hero and that many of them would be dead if not for his generosity.
"Thank you for the gratitude. I'm just disheartened that things have to be this way, I'd rather something more structural be done, but time will tell if we ever manage changes like that. Until then, you're always welcome in this place." The little speech was profoundly appreciated, receiving applause from the residents. Alexander was more than just a company boss; he was the liaison for the hybrid species in the entirety of Maya because he himself was one of them. If anything newsworthy happened regarding hybrids, he'd be there to speak as their representative. However, as of late he'd not been very involved with the city politics; instead, he'd taken on an assistant to handle most of the work on his behalf. The man Alex brought in with him was taken away and provided for, leaving him and Sharon alone as they wandered to the front desk.
"It's good to see you again Sharon, been a while hasn't it?" Alex said, receiving an audible sigh from the human woman.
"I suppose it has, two years, was it? It doesn't matter. Look, I think you should head home. I'd rather not talk with you." Alex's head drooped down in disappointment as he received the cold shoulder from his ex-girlfriend.
"Fair enough. I wish you success in life and love; I hope you find a good partner, I really do." Sharon shook her head before waving Alex off. The man wrapped himself up tight in his raincoat to dare the watery street once more.
Alexander's encounter with Sharon left him pondering the mistakes he'd made which led to their breakup a few years ago. He tried to convince himself that it was wholly mutual but couldn't help but wonder how truthful that really was. It was so long ago that it made it difficult for Alex to reflect on his mindset at the time. The death of Falon almost a year to the day had brought a lot of change to the young CEO's life. He'd grown a tremendous amount as a person and took the responsibility he was given very seriously.
Alex deemed that the loud sound the rainfall created belied its severity, as it had eased up quite a bit during his little stroll. The moist weather in combination with the late-night hour made the streets utterly devoid of life. The architects who designed the city of Maya had taken extreme weather conditions into account when constructing its many districts. Therefore, they were all raised off the ground which allowed for the construction of an extensive drainage system below, one that was desperately needed due to the proximity of the Kraad ocean.
Alexander soon reached a particular street corner which allowed him to observe his desired destination, Burchin street. Once at the crossing there, he put his thoughts about his ex-girlfriend aside as he had to get this story straight regarding his alibi. His house was a short distance westbound and stood among a slew of other free-standing homes near the edge of the Melderra district, which was both the most extensive and central section of the entire city.
To Alex's delight, the downpour stopped altogether, allowing him to take off his hood for the final hundred meters of his journey. The man couldn't help but snicker as he'd become so accustomed to this routine, he could predict what was going to happen when he got home. Apart from the obvious greeting he'd receive from his mother, a rather tenacious woman who he so respected, there would be the usual ethical discussion about the morality of what he was doing; a conversation that his father Falon received many a time as well.
At long last Alexander reached the path up to his front door; however, something seemed wrong. All the lights were out, and upon nearing the house's entrance, he noticed it was ajar. Alex peered inside wondering what was going, all the while various scenario's started to play out in his head. He put his paranoid theories to the wayside for now as perhaps his mother had merely gone to a neighbour to ask for help with a faulty fuse. The most likely outcome, he thought.
"Mother, I'm home. Are you here?" Alex's request was met with silence, not unexpected, but worrisome nonetheless. His raincoat was the first thing to go, then his shoes as he wasn't eager to soak all the carpets. Dressed in a stylish tan and white suit, Alex proceeded further into the house. The fuse box was in the basement, so he needed to collect a flashlight before heading down. The open plan living room which he traversed first, covered almost half the ground floor and had a very cosy fireplace on the western end.
The hallway in the centre of the house contained a staircase to the first floor as well as a doorway to the kitchen, one to his mother's study room, the basement, and a spare bedroom. The room Alex needed right now was the kitchen as it contained the sought-after flashlight. It was a bit of a fumble walking about as most of the curtains had been drawn shut. After bashing his knee into various cabinets and counters, he found the drawer containing the flashlight. A quick flip of the switch turned it on and prompted him to shine it around the room. Alex noticed that there were droplets of water strewn about the place beyond the ones that he'd trampled inside. The spray pattern appeared very erratic, making it impossible for him to discern anything significant from it, and with the main lights still out, there was little he could do to investigate more in depth.
The basement was next, and so he made his way down. It wasn't as spacious as the ground floor as the city itself had various old tunnels running underneath the streets. These shafts often travelled beneath houses and were sealed off to the public. Alex located the fuse box but upon opening it discovered something worrisome. The fuses along with half the wiring were missing, or more accurately, it looked as though they were torn out. Those paranoid thoughts from earlier quickly returned to flood Alex's mind as a soft panic concerning foul play entered the forefront.
"Mom!?" Alexander's yell was far louder this time, and it was accompanied by aggressive movements as he rushed up the stairs into the hallway; once there, he called out yet again. A genuine sense of trepidation began to set in, a feeling that Alex wasn't used to experiencing. He tried his best to determine where to go first, but he found no reasoning to go to any one place over the other, thus he chose to head upstairs.
The first floor contained a few large storage closets and three bedrooms, each with their own en-suite bathroom. Alex ran into his mother's bedchamber where he discovered a rather troubling sight. One of the windows was shattered and left open. The space around it was very wet, leading Alex to believe this had occurred not too long ago. With nothing else significant in the room there was only one place Alex imagined his mother could be, her study. Filled with dread, he rushed down the stairs but tripped up at the last step causing him to fall flat on his face.
"Shit! Daerah, are you here!?" Alex called out to his mother by her first name, hoping it might evoke a response, but yet again, he received no reply. He picked himself up off the ground and proceeded around the corner of the hallway, which connected to the spare bedroom and study. It was then that Alex's heart sank as the flashlight reflected off a puddle of red liquid. He'd seen that colour before, and it compelled him to be more cautious going forward. The Ceruleus CEO made sure to avoid stepping in any of the blood as he had no desire to incriminate himself. The study's doors were swung open, and the interior was in shambles as books and torn pieces of paper laid strewn all over the place. Alex's eyes darted around hoping to locate any trace of his mother, and that was when he saw it, there was a person's leg sticking out from behind the desk.
Cautiously, Alexander stepped inside and recoiled at the sight of his mother laying on the ground overtop of a massive pool of blood. He pushed the nearby office chair out of the way and knelt beside her, reaching down to check her pulse.
"Please be alright; please be alright; please be alive." He kept repeating those words to himself hoping it might somehow help. Regardless, there was no pulse and no sign of breathing.
Alex slowly stood up as an incredible wave of emotions washed over him. Sadness and rage poured together to create a deadly mixture of feelings. The man's breathing sped up while his eyes scanned the room in an attempt to process what he'd just experienced. Numerous trained instincts suddenly kicked in, forcing memories of how to handle being in a murder scene to the forefront. However, never once during his training did the concept of it being his own mother come to mind.
The situation was too much, and in a fit of rage, Alex flung the office chair beside across the room with such force that it broke apart on impact. He was livid; someone had broken into his home and murdered his mother. The Ceruleus CEO peered down at the desk and saw that the phone was still there on the hook, a silent unused witness to this atrocity. His training came into full swing now, prompting him to remove his vest and wrap it around his hand before picking up the phone and dialling two-seven-seven. It only went over once before a voice on the other side spoke.
"Melderra Emergency Services, how may I help you?" Alex was unable to speak at first, still awestruck at what he'd walked into.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" The follow-up question snapped him out of his daze.
"I'd like to report a murder. My mother, she's dead." Alex further relayed his address, and before anything else could be communicated, put the phone down on the hook. The study was then vacated in such a manner as to avoid incriminating himself. The disheartened man stumbled his way into the living room, where he placed the flashlight on a cupboard so that it cast its glow at the western wall. The drink cabinet was nearby, and from it, Alexander grabbed a bottle of the strongest liquor he could find, Cenebrian death brandy. With bottle in hand, he sat down on his favourite chair which overlooked the now illuminated fireplace.
There he remained in silence in anticipation for the sound of sirens to echo throughout the streets. Red and blue lights soon swirled through the living room as four human officers burst inside. One of them saw Alex and ordered him to put his hands up. The Ceruleus CEO ignored the demand and instead stayed in place taking another swig of his drink.
"She's in the study; it's through the hallway and to the right. There's a lot of blood splatter, so you might want to wait for forensics." Another officer joined the one who had instructed Alex to raise his hands. They carefully approached him from the side with their pistols and flashlights trained on him. The moment the light hit his eyes, he raised his hand to block it.
"Sir, was it you who called in the murder?" Alex affirmed the question, immediately after which, another police car, as well as an ambulance, arrived. This time a couple of detectives wandered through the front door, and right at that moment, the other two officers verified that they found the body of a human woman. The police who had yet to apprehend Alex informed the agents that he was not co-operating but at the same time posed no direct threat either. The female detective of the duo approached Alex.
"Sir, I'm detective Traci Garwing, and I'm afraid I have to put you under arrest for suspicion of murder. I'd appreciate it if you co-operated from this point forward." Alex peered at the woman assessing her posture and appearance. She looked around his age, though seemed a bit bloated due to the thick heavy raincoat she was wearing.
"Very well, I won't resist, I didn't kill my mother. Her name is Daerah Ceruleus." Alex calmly stood up out of his chair and took a few steps forwards before placing his hands at his back. The whole room tensed up for a moment as they thought he had a weapon.
"Cuff him, and take him to the car. I want the entire place cordoned off, and be careful about not disturbing the crime scene. Call in forensics as well, and tell them they're on the night shift," the female detective ordered. Alex was brought to the front door where one of the officers helped him put on a fresh pair of shoes. While this was going on, the people behind started to whisper; they knew of the Ceruleus name, and how prominent it was, so there was a lot of conjecture being shared. Alex didn't care; he felt utterly defeated. He lost both his parents within the last year, so he kept telling himself to take the time and grieve tonight as tomorrow morning would bring forth a never-ending cycle of questions.
Two of the officers guided him towards one of the police cruisers; however, the ambulance crew stopped them to ask if Alex needed medical attention.
"There's no one here you can help tonight," he replied. The Ceruleus CEO's choice of words disturbed all in earshot. After a brief pause, the officers proceeded onwards, leaving the detainee alone in the back of the squad car. Alexander didn't know what to think right now; there were just so many conflicting emotions. One thing he concluded was that the alcohol he had drunk was a poor choice. The man chuckled at the memories of how headstrong he was earlier; his supposed ability to predict the flow the evening proved faulty. His routine was well and truly broken.
The female detective from moments ago stepped into the front of the car and peered back through the steel mesh that separated them.
"You're Alexander Ceruleus, aren't you?" Her question although nothing special did set off a few alarm bells inside Alex's head. He had to be wary of what she'd ask less it be used against him later on.
"That's correct. Did you want to confirm that before you take me in?" Traci nodded, though had more to say.
"I called the precinct just now to report on our findings. To my surprise, I was suddenly put through to the chief of police herself. I can tell you, that's not standard procedure. The chief told me a fascinating story, and warned me that I had to take great care when handling you; to not overstep my bounds as she put it." Alexander snickered at the quote; however, his position did indeed grant him some leeway when it came to particular legal problems.
"Look, Alex. I don't care who you are, where you're from, or what your affiliation is. I only care about finding out the truth. If you're truly innocent as you claim, then that'll come to light. I don't want to see you walking free just because you're a person of importance to the city." Alex could easily discern annoyance at her predicament; however, at the same time, he did appreciate her sense of justice.
"I am innocent, of that, you can be assured. But even I know that the circumstances of tonight will make it hard for me to prove that. This incident wasn't a setup; I can tell you that much." Traci found his response very intriguing indeed.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I came home and found her dead; then I called it in. If someone wanted to blame the murder on me, this would have gone very differently. I don't know by who or why my mother was killed, but I can assure you I'm going to hunt the bastard down and make them pay." Even though Traci smelled alcohol on Alex's breath, the ferocity and conviction with which he articulated his words almost persuaded her of his innocence right there and then; however, the evidence that they find would have to prove that beyond a doubt.
"Take care Alex, and sleep well tonight; sober up, would you? I'm going to have a lot of questions for you tomorrow." The Ceruleus CEO smiled and said his goodnight. He leaned himself back and instantly fell asleep as the evening's events had emotionally drained him.