Levanter

Six years later.

Dirgan gasped, waking from a nightmare. He frantically scanned the luxurious penthouse suite of the Zoger Hotel. Anxiety gnawed at him, leaving him trembling. He ran a hand through his hair, his gaze falling upon Ellam, the only person who, despite his best efforts, could never truly fill the void in Dirgan's life.

"Another bad dream?" Ellam inquired, concern etched on his face. Dirgan nodded, the weight of the past six years pressing down on him. He had become a shell of his former self, gaunt and hollow-eyed. The constant torment had driven him to seek solace in drugs, a desperate attempt to numb the pain.

Dirgan pulled out a stack of files, a ritual he had performed countless times over the past six years – meticulously piecing together the fragments of his wife and child's murder.

He had been rescued from the burning house by a firefighter on the first floor, sustaining multiple injuries from the fall down the stairs. Ellam suspected foul play, believing Dirgan had been thrown from the upper floors while Harin and their child were deliberately left to perish in the flames.

Despite their exhaustive efforts, Dirgan and Ellam had uncovered few concrete leads. The only clue was the size of the wound, which Dirgan had meticulously compared to various weapons. They had also recovered two shell casings, charred but intact. Dirgan had fashioned one into a necklace, a grim reminder of the tragedy and a symbol of his unwavering quest for justice.

Over the past six years, Dirgan had become a legend in the underworld, feared by his enemies. His methods were brutal, yet he never killed. Instead, he subjected his adversaries to two days of relentless torture, extracting information bit by bit, his sole objective being to uncover the identity of his wife's murderer.

"My father has returned," Ellam announced, placing a tray of food on the nightstand. Dirgan rarely ate, his appetite long since extinguished by grief. Ellam, ever vigilant, ensured he consumed something, however meager.

"Your father? Isn't he dead?" Dirgan asked, bewildered. Ellam sank onto the worn-out sofa, exhaustion evident on his face. Dirgan rarely bothered to maintain the penthouse, a reflection of the desolation within him.

"We believe so. He was entangled with a powerful mafia organization abroad. He disappeared years ago, leaving us to fend for ourselves. Those were dark times. Mother was killed shortly after his departure, and I took Harin into hiding," Ellam explained, his voice heavy with the weight of the past.

Dirgan had only heard fragments of this story. Harin had once mentioned that her parents had been murdered by a foreign mafia after her father betrayed them by selling them unusable gunpowder.

Harin and Ellam had been orphaned at a young age, Harin just fifteen, and Ellam, barely eighteen, left to navigate the treacherous world alone. Ellam had assumed the responsibility of running the family business, a heavy burden for such young shoulders.

"You said you never heard from him again. How can you know that?" Dirgan asked.

"He contacted me earlier, on his way here. He asked about Harin, and I replied that he was deceased. If you wish to see him, he's at the grave. I no longer wish to deal with him again," explained Ellam.

"I have no intention of meeting Harin's father," Dirgan declared, his tone firm. Ellam nodded, his gaze fixed on Dirgan, who was struggling to maintain focus on his investigation. The thought of encountering Harin's father was deeply unsettling for Dirgan. He didn't know what to say to his in-laws, or how to explain his failure to protect his daughter.

"Then prepare yourself. The exchange is scheduled for the night after tomorrow. I suspect Lexus will try to interfere."

"Don't worry, just send me the location."

***

In the afternoon, before work, Dirgan followed his usual routine: visiting his beloved wife's grave and leaving a bunch of Harin's favorite lavender flowers. He replaced the wilted ones regularly, as Harin would be saddened by them. He entered the cemetery grounds when his phone rang. Dirgan looked at the caller ID – "Snake" – his contact name for Ziya.

"Yes, Ma'am?" Dirgan asked.

"Can you pick me up, Dirgan? I'm at the mall. We could have dinner together," Ziya suggested.

"I'm busy. I have a transaction tonight. Ellam planned it a couple of days ago. Please call your bodyguard."

"But—" Dirgan ended the call. Ziya always tried to persuade him to have dinner with her. He entered the exclusive cemetery. Each grave had its own private space.

Dirgan halted when he saw a man in a tattered camping suit sitting on the floor, drinking alcohol. The bodyguards assigned to the cemetery didn't interfere as long as the homeless person didn't attempt to disturb the graves.

"What's happening here?" Dirgan inquired of a bodyguard.

"This man claims to be Mrs.'s father, Captain. He's been here for two days and refuses to leave," the bodyguard explained. Dirgan recalled Ellam mentioning that his father had come to the grave two days ago. He was still there. Dirgan approached the man, who had shoulder-length hair and a long beard.

"Dad…" Dirgan called out, his voice hesitant.

The man looked up, his eyes, bloodshot and weary, meeting Dirgan's. The two guards exchanged startled glances.

"Ellam?" the man slurred, his voice thick with alcohol. Dirgan confirmed his identity.

"I am Harin's husband, Dirgan," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil within him.

The man's eyes, filled with a profound sadness, met Dirgan's. "Ah… my daughter is married," he murmured, his voice cracking.

"We have a son, only two days old," he replied. Dirgan sat down beside Jason. He nodded to his bodyguard, who opened the door, allowing them both to see the photo of Harin's smiling face with her baby.

From the narrow gap, they remained silent. Dirgan didn't intend to discuss his wounds with Harin's father.

"So you're the reason she stopped texting me?" Jason said. Harin always sent her father a message once a month, even though Jason never replied. But he always read them and waited for the next update from Harin and Ellam.

However, seven years ago, Harin had informed him that she was engaged, forcibly, to a handsome man, and would be starting a new life. This meant that Harin would stop hoping for her father to return, even though she didn't know if he was still alive or not.

During that time, Jason waited for news from his daughter again. A year later, Harin sent an email stating that she would be starting a new life. Curious about the brief message, Jason finally decided to return to his children. It took him six years to get there because he had to erase his tracks. But he received a most unexpected reception: his daughter had been killed.

"I caused this," Dirgan said, blaming himself. Jason listened to his son-in-law's account of the attack that had occurred six years ago. Dirgan felt that Jason should know what had happened to his daughter after she became Dirgan's responsibility.

"Have you caught the culprit?" Jason asked. Dirgan shook his head.

"We've hit a dead end these past six years. They left no trace, as the location was also set on fire. I only recovered two bullets, and I kept one for myself."

Dirgan showed him the bullet necklace he had made. Jason choked when he saw the bullet. He pulled it closer and examined it carefully, while Dirgan observed his father-in-law's reaction.

"Do you know whose this is?"

"I—I'm has to check it out, come on!" Jason pulled Dirgan's necklace until it broke. Confused, Dirgan got up. He didn't have time to think before he immediately chased Harin's father, who was running out of the cemetery.

As they exited the cemetery and entered the parking lot, Dirgan noticed a red laser dot. He immediately caught Harin's father, who was then shot, causing them both to fall to the ground. Another shot struck Dirgan's car, forcing them to remain still.

"Captain?!" Dirgan's bodyguard returned fire at someone in a car parked some distance away. Dirgan checked on Jason, who had been shot in the left stomach.

"Captain?! Are you okay?" asked a bodyguard who approached, head bowed. Dirgan saw the shooter leaving the cemetery area.

"Dad is hurt. Whatever happens, save him," instructed Dirgan. His bodyguard nodded, taking over and applying pressure to Jason's groaning wound.

"No, Son! It's dangerous!" He urged, restraining Dirgan who was eager to pursue the enemy.

"He saw me here, at Harin's grave. I can't let this go." Dirgan immediately entered his car and gave chase. The vehicle, with a license plate ending in ND, led Dirgan down a quiet road.

The shooter occasionally fired shots at Dirgan's vehicle, which he easily avoided.

"You can't escape from me," Dirgan muttered, pressing harder on the gas pedal to close the distance. He overtook the enemy car, bringing them side-by-side. He pulled out his gun and fired, shattering the enemy's car window.

A woman, who had ducked to avoid Dirgan's shot, straightened up. Time seemed to slow down as Dirgan's pupils dilated, taking in the sight of the most beautiful person in his life, standing before him.

"Harin…" This woman, who resembled his wife, slammed the steering wheel towards Dirgan, causing his car to lose control. It veered off the highway and collided with a tree.

Dirgan struggled to revive his car. He stared at the vehicle, his body trembling. Dirgan couldn't be wrong. This woman looked exactly like his wife.

To Be Continued...