A chance to play God: The Devil's way

Chapter 5: A life changing plan

"Where is this place?" Hector asked as he moved toward the large window.

The room was larger than an average-sized room, it could fit about five king-sized beds and there would be space left for twenty people to march around.

"It is…was my house," the strange man said.

"It's beautiful," Hector took in the sight as he stood by the window. He was staring at the nightlife wherever he was. The city seemed to never sleep, various buildings had their lights on. It made the scenery look like a vast sky with small flashy stars.

"Yeah, I could stare at that window all night," the man sighed, dismayed. Hector looked at his faint reflection at the window, he couldn't see the strange man's reflection.

"I don't even know what your name is," Hector continued to stare at the window even though he couldn't see him.

"Henry Alvarez," the strange man, now Henry, said.

"¿Como estas?" Hector said. Henry snorted.

"Not everyone named Alvarez speaks Spanish, you bigot."

Hector chuckled and looked at the scene once again. His wife would have loved something like this. She loved nature, that was why she loved that fountain. She said there was something so attractive about the way the stream danced out of the Cupids.

She would have been mesmerized by this. His daughter even more so, she would have whipped out her sketch pad and attempted to draw it. She wasn't that good, but Hector loved to stick them to his bunk anytime he got them.

"Hector?" Henry called out.

"Yeah?"

"We need to come up with a plan."

Hector sighed, he would do anything to be back at work without a single thought of his wife's and daughter's death hovering over him like a dark cloud.

"We do, but to be honest with you, Henry? I'm broke. Like dead ass broke. I sold my house and wiped my account clean so I could pay the ransom money and…"

Hector could feel it, that sadness bubbling in his chest again. He wanted to make those people pay, but to make them pay, he had to have money to afford the bill.

"That's where I come in," Henry moved closer to the window till Hector could see him from the side of his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Hector asked.

"Open the bottom drawer."

"What drawer?"

"There," Henry pointed to a black desk that was by the corner of the room. Hector walked toward it and pulled the bottom drawer. There was a long box with silver engravings on the body.

"It's a black box," Hector said.

"No shit, Sherlock."

Hector lifted the box out of the drawer and placed it on the table. Henry glided over to the table. Hector's thumbs were hooked around the edges, ready to lift it. He looked at Henry who gave a nod. Inside a box was a scroll wound with a thin thread.

"That's a pictorial depiction of this house," Henry said. Hector unrolled the scroll and his eyes bulged.

"Christ, the house is fucking huge," Hector exclaimed.

"Your house," Henry corrected.

"My house? What do you mean?" Hector continued to gawk at the beautiful diagrams.

"The house…this house…and the cars in the garage, are now yours, Hector," Henry stated.

"What?" Hector dropped the scroll confused. "I don't understand, how? Why?" Hector stared at Henry who looked unfazed.

"You were right about one thing, you need to have money to make these powerful men pay. I had that, but I wasn't as…clever, as you are," Henry concluded.

"This is a lot to take in, Henry," Hector pulled the chair out and sat. He was overwhelmed with a lot of emotions.

"I don't think I can take—" Hector started.

"Do you want them to go Scot-free for what they did to your wife and daughter because you did your job?"

It was a low blow, but Henry was running out of options.

"No," Hector said sternly. Henry was right, he needed this, the wealth.

"How does this work? Does it automatically become mine now? Do I need to register fingerprints or something?" Hector asked.

Henry laughed.

"It's a mansion, not a digital fortress, Dan Brown. You'll need to call my Lawyer."

"Okay, how?"

"There's something called a telephone, Hector, Jesus." Henry wished he could roll his eyes properly.

"Haha, I mean his number?" Hector asked again, clearer.

"It's the only number on the flip phone inside the box," Henry said. Hector looked inside the box again, there was a phone taped to the side. He hadn't seen it when he opened it the first time.

"You had all this wealth and you used this?" Hector raised the burner to eye level.

"It's untraceable and you can go undetected," Henry beamed with pride.

"Yet, you're dead," Hector quipped. Henry laughed.

Hector dialled the Lawyer's number and he picked up at the first ring. The line was quiet, but Hector could hear someone breathing.

"Hello?" Hector said.

"Who is this and how did you get this line?" The lawyer was brash. Hector looked at Henry who could hear the conversation as well. Henry mouthed words to guide Hector.

"Henry asked me to call you?" Hector internally sighed at how stupid he sounded.

"Henry is dead, try again," the lawyer said.

"He says he has transferred everything to me, his billion-dollar company, his properties as well, everything," Hector read the lips of Henry who guided him on replies. The lawyer was quiet for a minute before he spoke again.

"If he did, then he must have told you the answer to the question," the Lawyer said.

"What question?" Hector asked both the lawyer and Henry.

"What was the last thing he said to me before he was killed?" the Lawyer said. Hector looked at Henry who shook his head before he responded.

"They can't kill me, Josh," Hector responded. The line crackled.

"The paperwork will be ready in 24 hours, sir," Josh said before he ended the call. Hector looked at Henry who avoided his gaze.

"You jinxed your death," Hector teased him.

"Shut up, and wait," Henry disappeared.

"Wait, I'm hungry," Hector called out to an empty room.

***

Hector had spent a lot of time in the field and had trained his senses to detect even the minutest change in weather. His back was facing the door as he continued to make a sandwich but he could hear the tiny footsteps of someone approaching.

When he sensed the person was within gun range, Hector whipped out the gun he had found under the bed and aimed it at the intruder.

Hector was smitten, the lady before him was beautiful. Her skin looked flawless like she never went through a horrible pubertal phase. Her eyes were blue, like the sea, and her hair was light brown.

The lady screamed when she saw the gun. Henry appeared.

"Oh, silly me, I forgot to tell you about my brat daughter, Cassie."

Hector couldn't take his eyes off her.