At last.

Chapter 5:

Jack line.

Noticing the icon on an incoming video call flash on my desktop screen, I see that my sister Jesse is calling. The first genuine smile I had today crosses my face as I push the button to take the call. Jesse's striking beauty fills the screen which is mounted on the opposite wall that faces my cheery wood desk where I am seated. With her black raven hair cut short, our mother's looks, and her father's grey eyes, Jesse is a stunning young woman. A fact that kept gathering a huge amount of attention from her work environment. At only twenty-four she is the youngest owner of a dance company. Jesse is a wonder which I am proud of.

" Salut serrette!" {Hi Sister !}. "comment te porte-tu ?" {how are you doing?}.

Oh, and another thing about Jesse, she hates speaking in English. She always tries her best to communicate in our mother's language, French, when we are together. A fact that still bring with It the bitter taste of guilt.

" Bien, rien de spéciale. Comme tu vois je suis au travail. » (Good, nothing new. as you can see, I am at work.) I answer her but her eyes narrow and she cocks her head to her right, the move enlighten my mood and make me fight a smirk, this habit is really a family trait.

"Ne me dis pas, qu'il n'y a rien de spécial... c'est aujourd'hui n'est-ce pas ? Après toutes ces années. Enfin vous nous avez fait attendre tous les deux" (Do not say there is nothing special… it is today right ? After all these years, you made us wait both of you)

Jesse lightly shakes her head with a small smile that warm my heart. While the topic of discussion is truly uncomfortable to say the least, the sight of my little Jessy's smile is always welcome.

"Oui, c'est aujourd'hui..." (Yes, it is today). Confirming what she already knew. "il a utilisé un verbe synonyme de son nom pour prendre rendez-vous aujourd'hui" (He used the verb synonym to his name to arrange a meeting today). I add, with a sigh.

Jesse's eyebrows lift, and she raise her clasped hand to her chin to rest her head on them. The move is a tell that means she is finding the situation funny and does not know if laughing is the right thing to do. My eyes narrow at her knowing what is coming. At least one of us is entertained.

Getting up, I go to the tea pot and make a cup, then I sit in the armchair and raise my feet to the ottoman.

Still facing the camera of the screen, I see Jesse trying and failing miserably to conceal her laugh. At least I got comfortable to enjoy her amusement. I sip my Darjeeling slowly, enjoying the smell and taste of the spices. After a few minutes, I look up when I hear her snort and sniff. Ah at last.

"Donc si je compend, bien le garçon que tu as..." (So if I understood the situation clearly, the guy you…) She pauses trying to find the word to express the type of feeling I have toward Drake. "Adopté" (Adopted). I raise an eyebrow at that. "A commencer à se faire remarquer après plus de 10 ans de silence imposé surprenant" (Has started to be noticeable after 10 years of imposed silence.) Not exactly, I always had eyes on Drake as he did on me. These years were like a long drown out game of GO, both of us had to prepare a plan of action, and it seems that he had chosen to take the first step.

"Tu peux dire ça." (You can say that.) No need to alarm my baby sister and shock her with the extent of the abnormality of my relationship with Drake.

« Mais dis-moi tu m'appelle seulement pour ça ? » (But tell me, did you only call me for this?). I say as I put my teacup down.

"Not exactly." Uh-Oh, Jessy using English means that the news she is about to deliver, could vary from confusing and slightly upsetting to devastating. But since she started the conversation with a light teasing note, I still had hopes.

I take a subtle breath, and prompt her to continue with a nod and a small smile.

"So… Do you remember the contest I was invited to be part?" At my head tilt she further explains. "The one you taught was a suicide in the making?" Ah, that one. A few weeks ago, Jessy had received an invite from a newly famous tv show. The show featured people who delt with the extreme. From sport to magic they showed it all and got a huge scrutiny from it. To say that humans loved the adrenaline rushes provided from such actions would be an understatement.

When she sees on my face the recognition, she continues after a breath. "Well… they called again… and I kind of… said yes." The last is said in a rush.

I blink at that and ask. "To what?"

After she answers, I remember again why I created my private space in The Tower, complete with soundproof system and bullet proof reflective glass.

I also remind my lawyer why I pay him. My sister might be a prodigy, but she seldom reminds me why I am the oldest.

Drake.

The Field Tower.

It stood smack dab at the center of the town, with a combination of futuristic architecture designed by South Korean and American architect, and environment friendly technology. Since its inauguration seven years ago The Tower became Manhattan's masterpiece, and it deserved every praise.

I have always dreamed of stepping inside Jack's world. After all these years I felt like I knew every aspect of this building. Every plant and flower seemed to welcome me. Every step I took towards the entrance felt like the most important steps I took in my whole life.

Ahead a security check for visitors stood close to the electronic panels where the employees entered using a special smart watch that identified them as personals.

The watch is a Field tech, it is a best seller now even more than the unfamous fruit watch, thought the one used by The Field's employees is one of a kind. It is confirmed from multiple unsavory sources that the watch is until now impossible to hack, its firewalls impenetrable. The same is said about the whole industry's server. The rumor has it that the government has asked to get the same type of server for their own system, but no answer has been given to them yet.

After a thorough check done via a metal scanner and what looked like an X-ray scanner, I am handed a visitor watch. The watch did not look any different from a normal one that is until you tapped the screen. After the check, the security guard had explained with a polite almost disturbingly serene tone, that the removal of the watch, or any tweaking on it will trigger an alarm, and will shut down the building, the room, and floor I am in until I am found via the live feed, and delt with. It will also prevent me from getting off at a floor I was not assigned to and use the camera or voice recording app on my electronics. So, I was literally dog tagged in Jack's building, nice.

When I get to the elevator, I pass the watch screen on the side panel as I was instructed, It Identify and select the floor I need to get off into to automatically. I notice that there is no button or control panel inside the elevator, just a screen showing the weight and floor reached. The cabin takes off and I take a moment to breath. This is it, in a few minutes we will be face to face. Granted others will be in the room too, but it will be the first time we acknowledge each other in years. I cannot wait to see Jack to speak to her.

Suddenly the watch on my wrist pings with a notification, and the elevator stops. When the doors slide open, I find myself in front of my obsession, my doom, and salvation all wrapped up in the most breath-taking package. Thanks God I trained my grip strength, or my brief case would have met the shiny surface of the floor along with my dignity.

"Mr. Plow, I presume. I am Jack-line Acker, welcome to The Field."

I felt my lip curl, and I inwardly sighed, At last.