Riki sat quietly in the car and examined the streets.
— You do understand that there will be no way back? — My home is my fortress. I reminded him.
— I know. But it's better this way than otherwise. — He spoke in riddles, or rather, nothing was clear at all.
— You know that my house is like a black hole. No one will know and no one will hear what happens to you there. No one will even know that you ever went inside. Even if I bury you in the yard near the tree, no one will ever find out. Do you understand that? — I wanted to understand what he was trying to achieve.
— That's even better. — His voice was calm. What was he planning?
My mother hired him, she definitely knows his history. I don't think the clan could pull off such a scheme, two people slipping into "San Eros" at once under different identities? I don't think so. My mother and our security must have checked him thoroughly; if she allowed him to stand behind me, then there were reasons. What kind of game are they playing here while I was amusing myself and enjoying alcohol and girls.
Does my mother know about Maya and Hope? But this morning she was asking who Maya was. What is even happening? I had hoped so much that the last two years would be quiet.
The rest of the way we drove in silence. The car entered the territory belonging to my family. The gates closed, which meant that the last chance of escape was gone for you, Riki. But he behaved as if nothing had happened. All his behavior, gestures, face, and eyes — everything was ordinary. Who is he?
The guards escorted us into the house, and then, accompanied by Arthur, we headed to my room. Arthur stayed outside the doors, as usual. As soon as we entered the room, I looked at Riki, waiting for answers. Meanwhile, he let out a relieved breath.
— Whew, thank God we didn't run into your mother, otherwise I'd have kicked the bucket.
— Talk. — I walked over to my bar, but alcohol was still in my blood from last night. So I simply chose water. I sat down in the chair, waiting for Riki's story.
— It would be better for you if you tell me everything yourself.
— Yes, yes, yes. — He began lazily.
— Don't play with fire. — It sounded like a threat.
— In truth, everything is all mixed together, I just need to decide where to start. — He thought. — It's very good that no one will ever hear what I'm about to tell you. I hope our conversation will not leave the walls of this room.
— Speak already. — So that's why he agreed to come here. It was important for him that no one heard us.
— My family and I really are from the "Western Clan." — I was stunned at how simply he admitted it, sitting right in front of me. — Six years ago, because of the danger they exposed me to, my parents decided to leave the clan. But you don't get rid of them that easily. They're like a brand — for life. Something significant happened in the clan, and they were under threat. In exchange for a favor and keeping silent, my parents were promised freedom and no persecution as traitors. Our family, of course, agreed to their terms. After fulfilling our obligations, we moved to another city. A quiet, small town in the north of America. But soon they asked us to do work for them again, and then again, and again. Then we realized that as long as we were on their territory, they would never leave us alone. It was important for my parents that I be safe. They did not want to lose the last member of the family and their only son.
Riki took a breath and looked at me.
— Can I have a glass of whiskey? — It was the first time he asked me for anything.
I poured him a glass and handed it to him. He took a sip and grimaced.
— How do you drink this all the time.
— Continue. While it's quiet, tell me everything. Because if Mother comes, the peace will be broken forever and ever.
— After long deliberation, our family decided to move to a place where the clan cannot exert influence over people. America, Canada, and part of Latin America are entirely their territory; Europe and Africa are neutral zones. Your family protects Europe well from invasions and the appearance of clans, but anyone with money can get information and find people. So we chose Asia. The local clan didn't know about our conflict, and we also changed our names and resorted to several cosmetic procedures. We managed to live in different countries of Asia and make ends meet, but it was hard to keep running forever. One day, an agent from "San Eros" offered a contract under which I was supposed to study and help rich children. In return, they provided security and a scholarship. I had no right to complain about how I was treated inside the institution, even if it was humiliating. It was important to my parents that I be safe; everything else seemed like a trifle. But not everything at "San Eros" was smooth. Those were the first years of the merger, and back then we scholarship students took a lot of abuse from the elite. We were like slaves, without a voice or dignity. But I had to endure it, because only that way could we finally break the connection with the clan.
Riki took another sip.
— And then we met you. Your mother held a two-hour interview with me and my parents. She said that we don't choose our relatives, and therefore she would help us. She asked us simply to accept it as charity.
— Who is Maya to you?
Riki sighed.
— I was just a boy then, I only remember the basics, but she is my blood cousin. Our mothers are sisters.
— Tell me what you remember and know!
— Her parents always kept her close, so I rarely saw her when I was a child. Hope Anderson, one of the two heirs of the "Western Clan."
— Is there someone else? — This was new to me. I want to know everything.
— Perhaps I should start with a story that happened twenty-five years ago. — Riki took another sip. I went over and topped up the whiskey. As they say, a drunk has a longer tongue. — Do you remember the story about Anna Helsing, the flawless killer and leader of the "Northern Clan"?
— They say that out of mad love she killed her uncle and brother first, and then exterminated her entire clan. — Everyone knows this story, but there is no evidence; the entire "Northern Clan" disappeared — all dead.
— After that she, out of unhappy love, committed suicide — crazy. But those stories don't talk about the details. — He took another sip. — The clan placed great hopes on her; they trained her to madness. She was fast, ruthless, strong. A perfect weapon. No one knows how long they worked on her, but she became the strongest killer of that time. Her mind matched that of a future leader. She was an excellent strategist. But they failed to keep track of her personal life, and what happened, happened. I can't say whether it was good or not, since she was a killer.
— Why are you telling me all this? — I knew the story, but never went into the details.
— This is the backstory. — He drained the whiskey in one gulp. — The Western Clan decided to do the same with Hope, but to take her under full control. Her paternal uncles, Robert and Klaus, went mad with this idea. They wanted to see her flawless: cold, calculating, fast, strong, ruthless. My mother worked as a doctor, and all the clan's health was on her. She also took care of Hope's health. Once I overheard their conversation. They said that Robert and Klaus had completely lost it. They trained and beat her almost to death, and then revived her. She was only seven or eight years old then. Mom tried to explain to them that her body wouldn't withstand such a load. But no one listened to her or noticed. Hope's parents completely and blindly trusted Robert and Klaus. My mother pulled Hope back from the brink of death three times on her own. At eleven, Hope's eye color began to change. Mom became wary and secretly conducted her own examination and took Hope's samples.
Riki fell silent.
Without a word, I poured more whiskey. But I think it was the last glass. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to continue the conversation.
— From the tests, Mom realized that they had begun injecting her with drugs she had never even heard of. New innovations in medicine, or something like that. They turned her into a guinea pig. This continued until she was fourteen. By then she was already terrifying. But an uprising occurred; many wanted a man to be the next head of the clan after Robert, but his son was ill and could barely walk. There were no other heirs.
— And what about you? — I interrupted him.
— They didn't consider relatives through the female line. One way or another, the uprising led to greater discord. After another almost fatal training session, people burst into the hospital and took Hope away. They were the rebels. They demanded that the clan reconsider its decision, otherwise they would tear the clan apart and kill Hope. Her parents were very worried; they were ready for anything. Hope's mother even offered to deliberately give birth to an heir, she was ready to give herself completely. While the three brothers were deciding how to save the girl and restore order, Hope returned on her own.
She returned to my mother covered in blood, with bright blue eyes. Every inch of her clothes was soaked through with blood. Mom kept her at our house and informed the clan of what had happened. A day later, their lair was found. The police discovered a building with fifty corpses. A fourteen-year-old girl killed fifty people and came back. And this was after she had been pulled back from the brink of death the day before.
Her parents were worried, but Robert and Klaus were pleased with their work. They created an indestructible weapon, or rather, a plant. Because Hope was little different from an ordinary houseplant. She spoke little, couldn't read or write, and mathematics could be forgotten entirely. All she knew how to do was kill. They created a perfect weapon that was completely under their control.
Riki drank the entire glass at once. I felt his intoxication.
— When she returned after the kidnapping, she slept for two days. And when she woke up, she remembered nothing — who she was, what her name was, couldn't speak and couldn't even walk. My mother decided to talk to Hope's parents. She told them about the strange drugs and frequent beatings, expressed concern for Hope's health and life. They were furious and went to Robert and Klaus. Their entire plan was under threat. They didn't want to give up Hope, but they couldn't defy her parents either.
This disagreement didn't last long; a week later, Hope's parents died in a car accident. Robert and Klaus took advantage of the fact that no one knew about the situation except my mother. They completely gained control of Hope, but she had no memory. What had happened during that time required a lot of strength and attention, and so they made use of my mother. For conducting tests on Hope without their permission, they threatened to make me their guinea pig as well.
Mom said that if they touched me, she would not keep silent and she was not afraid of death. After long arguments, they came to a conclusion: in exchange for leaving the clan and keeping silent, she promised to take care of Hope until her memory returned. Because the brothers had a long job ahead of them — restoring order in the clan — Hope would have been left alone. My mother hoped that her memory would never return.
After that, we moved to another city in America and gave her a new name, Maya Simpson, because there were still people who wanted more power in the clan than Robert and Klaus, and between them always stood the legitimate heir, Hope.
— Why Maya? — I asked simply, but my heart began to beat faster just from her name. I didn't show it, though he barely noticed anything anymore.
— Because it happened in the month of May, and Simpson because that's the name of an ordinary American. I taught her to write and read, although at that time I myself wasn't very good at it. She loved books, and instead of games preferred to study. Everything interested her. She considered me a genius who could answer any of her questions. It was a fun time for both of us.
He fell silent.
Maya considered him a genius? That's so funny. They must have been close back then.
— She was very sweet and cheerful. I loved her with all my heart. — Riki looked sad.
— What happened next? — I urged Riki to continue the story.
— My mother took care of her like her own daughter. We found peace for a while, but that peace didn't last forever. Robert and Klaus returned with questions. They accused my mother of Maya's memory loss. They said it was her fault.
The argument escalated into shouting, and then they pulled out their guns and began to threaten us. They needed Hope, more so for her to carry out their orders and continue training. They didn't care about her condition or health. They needed a perfect weapon. They threatened my mother. Father couldn't do anything.
At that moment, Maya lost control. We all saw that cold-blooded killer in action. In the blink of an eye, she put Klaus and Robert on the floor, taking their weapons. Her body was so small and fragile, but as soon as she started moving, all her actions were precise and powerful; even grown men couldn't withstand her strength. She wielded two pistols at once, as if they were toys. All her dormant power returned; it could be seen in her movements.
Riki fell silent again.
— Pour some more.
If I pour him more, he'll lose control and hardly be able to tell anything. But there was nothing else to do. I poured the whiskey.
— I was scared, I wanted to stop this horror. I approached Maya, who was holding two grown men at gunpoint. I asked her to calm down, but she had lost control. She aimed both pistols at me. And now I was her target. At the moment she pointed the guns at me, my mother lost consciousness. I remember her eyes; she was like a hungry beast. I was afraid.
Riki poured the entire glass of whiskey down in one gulp.
— That's why I ask you, for your own sake and for hers, stop, leave her alone. Right now, no one can say for sure how strong she is. Please. She never had a normal life. "San Eros" is her first educational institution.
— I told you, I've settled this issue.
— How? — Riki could barely sit now; he was about to pass out. — She can be dangerous. I can only guess why she studies as Maya.
— I'll listen to your guesses.
— They need control and Hope's safety, and there will be no questions about Maya. That's the only thing that has come to mind so far. Although this whole story is strange. After all, they would never give up Hope, and at the same time they're merging with their main enemy, the "Eastern Clan." I can't say for sure. All my ties to the clan are severed.
— Does my mother know about Maya? — This question interested me no less than the rest.
— I didn't tell her anything, but what the truth is, I can't answer. — His eyes were already closing, and his words became fragmented. — Leon, please, stay away from her, she can be dangerous.
— Maybe, but so far I've seen only something completely different. Don't worry, there's a chance she won't harm me.
— You can't be so self-confident, she's cold-blooded, she doesn't even have emotions or desires. If they order it, she won't hesitate to kill you. She… Hope can kill you.
Those were Riki's last slurred words; after that, he simply fell asleep.
— Hope? No, I can't say that about Maya, she didn't just allow me to kiss her.
Riki was already asleep and didn't hear me.
She didn't just let me kiss her, she responded to my kiss. Her lips answered my touch, even her hand. She touched my face, trying to pull herself even closer. From these memories my body shuddered. My chest breathed wildly. I want to see her, I want to see you… Maya.
Riki's story added a bit of clarity and answered my questions. Her uncles would take Maya immediately if they sensed something was wrong. I need to be more careful.
But who is she really now? Maya or Hope?