Page 95 of Diluted Truths

“First Sergeant Malachi James.”

I watched as the receptionist nervously wrote down their names and turned to me. “And your name, sir?”

“Dr. William Bly.” I watched as her eyes widened.

My name had power. I had power and she knew it.

She gestured towards the door where two orderlies waited, also seeming scared. Whether they were scared for me or of me I wasn’t sure yet. We followed behind them as they led us through the maze and towards the same room I had visited before.

“Try not to agitate him. He just left our high security level,” one of the orderlies stated.

“No promises,” I heard Kai mumble under his breath.

No shit. My whole plan was to agitate him.

Slowly they opened the door and there he was. Griffin Whitley sat at his desk chair, staring at us with an unhinged smile adorning his face.

I heard Fai begin to speak to me, but I didn’t have the time or energy to do this the right way. I stormed into the room and immediately picked him up by his collar and threw him against the wall. I saw the shock and fear ripple through his features before he tried to school his emotions.

“What the fuck did you do to her?” I hissed out while maintaining a punishing grip.

“You’ll find out.” He bared his teeth in a sickly smile.

I dropped him to his feet and waited for him to get his footing before I gave him a solid and punishing punch to his jaw. I watched as the pathetic excuse for a man collapsed beneath me. I squatted down to look at him. “Tell me, Griffin. How much do you value breathing?”

“You can’t threaten me!” he responded with a gasp.

“I can do whatever the fuck I want,” I growled as I stepped on his hand and began to press down. He could try and test me, but I was learning that without Jackie I was crazy on another level. He cried out in pain as I crushed his hand beneath me.

Slowly I let up. “What did you do to her?”

“It was her time.”

I stepped down again, hearing him cry out again. “Want to try again? What. Did. You. Do.”

“Nothing! I didn’t do anything!” he screamed.

God, he wasn’t going to give me anything. I stood and dusted my coat. I looked around the room. There was a new picture of Jackie sitting on his desk. I picked it up to inspect it. She was sitting on a hill with someone else. Griffin hadn’t finished drawing her companion yet. She was wearing the shirt of mine I had put on her on our last night together.

I felt myself start to break.

My Jackie was beautiful, and she was gone.

I turned to face Griffin. I knew that he had knowledge of what happened. I turned to Kai. I could see in his eyes he felt the same. We both turned back to Griffin. Kai approached him slowly and looked down at him.

“You really are pathetic, aren’t you?” Kai asked in the most demeaning voice you could imagine.

“Excuse me? Who even are you?” Griffin asked, trying to sound strong, but still whimpering as he held his hand to his chest.

“Malachi. Malachi James,” he began in a calm voice. “Jackie? You know the woman who is gone? The woman you are obsessed with? She’s my sister.”

It was impressive to watch him work.

“You’re Malachi?” Griffin asked, growing excited.

No one responded to him, he must have taken that as an agreement.

“You're the first Advocate.”