The Beginning of An Apocalypse
Eight

Cas sat there by herself looking at a leaf bounce off the ground from the wind. She sat in the seat that Marcus usually sat in as if that would make a difference. As if it would tell her where Marcus went and why he went. How he left.

She sat there and tried to imagine what he was doing right now. He’d be reading or drawing things he saw. She imagined herself having a book in her hand. Marcus knows not to move from this small area unless he had to. He also knows about strangers.

She wondered what would make him get up. She thought about what Marcus would do if someone started acting suspiciously. She knew what he’d do. He’d get up and he’d calmly walk away.

Cas stood up and walked towards the alleyway but then she stopped. Marcus would have gone to her, not to the alley. Like she had told him to.

Cas turned around and walked past the small library to start walking in the direction of her work. She turned around and continued to play the scenario in her mind. So, someone made Marcus uncomfortable and he left. He looked back and maybe the same person was following him. Marcus would have sped up and continued walking.

If he continued walking he would make it to the store within twenty minutes. So what happened in that time frame?

What happened to Marcus?

Cas was broken from her thoughts when she saw two loud people walking by. She hurried to move knowing she would have knocked into them. And knowing people they would probably yell at her and cause a big deal out of nothing. She moved and for some reason waited for them to pass.

“Did you see the news today?” The older woman told her younger friend.

“Yes,” the younger one said. “About that disease-ridden boy. It was so sad.”

“Yeah,” the older woman said. “Everyone’s saying it’s no big deal, but five people on the interstate are dead. I think we should get out of this city and away.”

They both laughed because they didn’t take this that seriously. Who would?

Cas ignored their words, whatever was happening to the world was not her problem. She had her problems to deal with. And if she didn’t deal with them no one would. The police weren’t doing anything. The people sure wouldn’t. It’s the sad truth of this world, she didn’t think that would change.

She walked her way to the store and still found no answers. The kidnappers could have taken Marcus from any point between the library and the grocery store. They could have threatened him and made him walk with them. They could have knocked him out and thrown him in the back of their van.

There were so many possibilities that it made Cas sick.

She let go of the kidnapping theory and thought again about the possibility of running away. Marcus wasn’t happy with the way they were living. He was miserable and always tried to replace a way out of it, Cas knew.

She thought about it some more.

If Marcus thought he could get a better life, he would do it. But she also knew that he would never let go of her. Between the two of them, the family was the most important. And they were never going to go anywhere.

So, if he thought he could make a better life for both of them he would do it. He might not even care if there would be consequences or not.

But what could he see that would make him believe that he could give them a better life?

She walked back down the street looking at all the store windows. Maybe there was some kind of flyer or ad that told people they could get a better life easily. Marcus was naive, she knew he would fall for any one of those ads. It already happened too many times to count.

Cas walked back towards the library looking at every single store window and looking for a flyer. She looked for anything that would support her theory.

She found a promising store that had many flyers on its window. She looked at all of them. The one about saving gas prices. About deals on food. About a missing cat that would probably never be found. There were so many flyers on this wall but none of them would give Marcus a reason to run away.

At least she didn’t think so.

Cas leaned down to read a small flyer in the window and see what that was about. It was the last one she could read. It had to be something she hoped. It had to bring her answers.

She was putting a lot of pressure on this little paper.

She read it and her heart dropped. It was a coupon for fruits.

“Excuse me?”

Cas jumped up and spun around. She knew her appearance and her act may seem like she was stealing or suspicious. It was not the first time she had the police called on her because she was standing outside a window or standing beside food.

“Yes?!” Cas looked and when she didn’t see a cop she let out a calm breath. “Yes?” She asked calmly.

The man moved from the shadows and stood in the light. She stared at him for a long time knowing that she knew him from somewhere. That she had seen him before, in person. She looked at his features and the more she looked the more he became familiar.

“Well, Well, Cassidy, it’s been a long time,” he said as he walked over and held out his hand. “Gabriel Everett. I worked with your–”

“Parents,” Cas said. She shook his hand to get it over with and then she took a step back. She couldn’t help but look at him with a little bit of shock. She had seen him only a few times before, but they had never talked. They never knew each other and her parents didn’t talk about their work with her. Or with Marcus.

“You’ve grown from the last time I’ve seen you,” Gabriel said looking at her height. He looked almost intimidated, he was 6’2 and she was at least a few inches behind him. It’s not a lot that he saw tall women. She had to be at least 6’0.

“Yeah,” Cas said. She stared at him some more before she shook her head and crossed her arms. “What do you want?”

“Why not we go somewhere else to talk?” Gabriel asked looking around. His hands were neatly placed in the pockets of his black trench coat. “Go for dinner.”

“I’ve already had dinner,” Cas said. “Sorry, but I am not interested in talking with you. I’m not my parents.”

Cas said good night and she forced herself to walk past him. She didn’t know what he wanted with her, but she knew he wasn’t good news. He was a greedy man and he would do whatever he wanted if it was to get personal gain.

She remembered the conversation that her parents had about working with that man. The conversation quickly turned into a fight. Her mom wanted to work with Gabriel Everett. She argued that even if he wasn’t a good person his work was grand and they could get ahead in their career if they worked with him. Being a good person didn’t matter because it would give them fame and money.

Her dad wanted them to avoid working with Gabriel Everett at all costs. He argued that Gabriel screwed people over when it convinced him. He thought about himself with every move he made. He had no problem ruining someone’s life if it gave him to gain. Her dad knew many people who had their careers thrown in the garbage because Gabriel had made them take fall for the failures instead of taking responsibility himself.

Gabriel Everett was a mad man and he was dangerous. He believed in the impossible and did anything to get the impossible.

They did not finish the argument about what they were going to do. Instead, they left and when her mother came back Gabriel was beside her. Cas knew her dad didn’t want to work with Gabriel, but after the three of them talked her dad was working with him as if he always wanted to.

Cas believed her father. Their work with Gabriel Everett consumed their mother and it ruined a lot of things. There were more fights and there were fewer and fewer of the two of them being at home.

And then they disappeared completely. Either run away from their work and responsibilities or are dead somewhere.

Cas wasn’t accusing Gabriel of what happened to her parents, but there was not a force in the world that would make her trust him.

Gabriel stood there watching Cas leave. He knew the thoughts running in her head and he knew that she would not help him willingly. So he had to give her an offer she couldn’t refuse.

“It’s about your brother,” Gabriel called out. “Marcus?”

Cas stopped like he knew she would. He hid the grin on his face and turned to face her when she turned around and angrily walked back to face him. “What do you know about him?” She asked. “Did you do something to him?!”

“No, no,” Gabriel said. “I just know he’s missing.”

“How do you know that?” Cas said. “I’m not falling for your tricks. Get to the point and let me decide what is true.”

Gabriel gave her a smile before he took a step forward and nodded, “As I’ve said, I can not discuss the matter of your brother in public. You need to come with me.” He knew that speaking out in public for everyone to hear was a stupid idea.

“Why can’t you just tell me?!” Cas asked. She looked at him furiously knowing he was stringing her along and waiting for her to take the bait. Cas’s expression softened, she held onto her heart and asked, “Is he… Is he dead?”

“No,” Gabriel said and watched as Cas took an audible gasp of relief. He let those words sink in before he thought about his next words. He knew he had to say certain words or this could blow up in his face. He was not going to underestimate anything any longer.

Marcus was enough of a wake-up call.

“But he is in danger and you need to come with me so I can discuss it with you,” Gabriel said. Gabriel took a step back and let her think over what he said.

Cas’s eyes widened and she stepped into the gap that Gabriel made. “What do you mean? He’s in danger, where is he? Do you know?!”

“No, I don’t know where he is. But I know he is in danger and if you do not come with me he could be dead within a few days.”

“Where are we going?” Cas asked. As much as Cas wanted to just take his bait and go with him to replace her brother. She also knew she could not have her brother back if she was in trouble of her own. If she involved herself with the wrong people without knowing anything.

“We will talk in the car,” Gabriel turned and pointed to his car. “And if you agree to help me then we can go to my lab and we can work on replaceing your brother.”

Cas couldn’t help but laugh a little bit. “You are insane if you think that I am going to go with you and help you with anything. Accept your help.”

“Listen, Cassidy,” Gabriel said. “Your little brother is very, very sick and he is hurting other people. If we do not get him back now he will be dead. He will be killed.” Gabriel took a deep breath in and paused.

“I went to you because you are his sister and I thought you would know him best. To be able to help me replace him before the police do and decide they have to kill him before he hurts others. This is very serious and it is not the time for your stubborn attitude. Got it?” Gabriel asked.

“What do you mean sick? Hurting others?” Cas said. Cas knew Marcus and Marcus would never hurt another person. He cared too much about life to do that. And he seemed fine psychically and mentally when she last saw him. She didn’t understand any of this.

“I can not talk about this in public,” Gabriel said. “Please, come with me.”

Cas crossed her arms over her chest and looked the other way. She did not trust this man but he was talking about her brother. And she had to help him if what Gabriel said is true.