Blessed by Night-Chapter 385: Fear of Unknown

Malachi and Morgan were leaving the facility with two headaches that they certainly hadn't come with.

Visiting Arias in jail was certainly always a memorable experience but this time took the cake for sure.

"…Scale of 1 to 10, how panicked do you think we should be right now?"

Malachi already had a firm answer.

"He wouldn't actually break out." Mal shook his head. "He knows doing so after all of his grandstanding about leaving the world in our hands would be counterproductive."

Morgan was in slight agreement. If Arias even got so much as a single second sunlight privilege, then every news station from here to Hawaii would cover the so-called breach of national security.

"So then he's just trying to light a fire under our asses to spurn us into acting then."

"More than likely."

"He's such a dick.."

"That he is… and we're actually mad enough to be friends with the lunatic."

"Certainly not one of our finest decisions."

"No, it is not."

Malachi and Morgan sighed in unison.

Out of nowhere, Morgan stopped in the middle of the corridor and stared at Malachi. "Level with me, lad. How come you didn't tell me about the state of the rest of the world?"

Malachi shuffled back and forth awkwardly on his feet. "Oh, you know... I just.. wasn't sure if it was our burden to bear."

"Level with me, lad. Don't try to give me any of that geo-political stuff you're learning in your classes." Morgan said seriously.

Malachi sighed in exhaustion.

He leaned against the corridor wall and pulled off the dark sunglasses covering his eyes.

"Lately... things have just been real good. The girls and I have a great relationship. Our kids are getting along. Jo even started teaching self-defense classes on weekdays. We're even about to get married next week."

Morgan nodded. "Right..."

"But I can't help feeling like another shoe is about to drop." Malachi finished. "It's not a feeling that's coming from the human part of me, it's like it's animal. I feel like I'm standing on a frozen lake, trying to walk as softly as I can so as not to crack the ice underneath me and plunge into the water."

Morgan was confused. "The idea of helping people makes you feel like this?"

"No." Malachi shook his head. "I know people need help. What makes me feel like this is... fuck, I can't explain it." Malachi ruffled his fingers through his hair in frustration.

Malachi didn't know how to explain what he was feeling because it was difficult for humans to get a grasp of.

It was similar to how animals know not to go beyond a certain threshold when they are in the wild or even if they happen to be domesticated.

Every time that Mal looked at what was going on overseas, he felt his nerves start to eat him alive.

He had even begun to get that feeling here at home too if he were honest. Though far less infrequently.

Mal knew he wasn't wrong. Stepping outside of the U.S. was going to come with consequences. He just didn't know what.

Morgan had never seen Malachi this frustrated about anything before. Conversely, Mal had only rarely ever felt this agitated with himself.

"Lad... I understand that you have your misgivings, but Arias is right. We have a responsibility to help people who need us."

"I-I know, I know..." Malachi slowly called down. "I just... I'm not used to feeling this on edge."

Morgan could understand that. Seeing his young friend so stressed had certainly done a number on him as well.

Malachi took several deep breaths to resolve himself and stared at Morgan with a much more steady look.

"...I'm going to do something. I promise."

Morgan seemed surprised at the change of heart. "Are you certain you wouldn't be-"

"I won't be forcing myself, no." He said resolutely.

Morgan still didn't look quite so sure.

"And the girls..? Your wedding?"

"I'll tell them after the barbecue on Sunday." Malachi vowed. "I won't let it interfere with my wedding, but... I at least should see what they want to do."

At the mention of the event, Morgan's expression soured. "Oh, yes. The event I'm not allowed to bring anything to."

"You know how Bianca's dad is. He wants to look good for his family. It took a lot for him to find all of them again."

Morgan just grumbled more unkind words under his breath.

"...You can bring some plates."

Morgan gave Malachi the uglies glare he had ever seen.

"O-Or potato salad-"

"So you're on his side is what I'm hearing." Morgan accused.

"What? No!"

Yes.

Ali was Malachi's only father-in-law. He had to stay on his good side no matter what.

Morgan clicked his teeth and scoffed. "That's fine, it doesn't matter... The man can't smoke a proper brisket to save his life, but there's no harm in letting him play the big shot in front of his family."

"Exactly." Mal nodded.

"H-He just doesn't have the patience! Thicker cuts of meat must be cooked at lower heats and longer times so that the juices properly spread out! But he thinks he can just throw that spice blend of his on anything and it'll all work out!"

"It works a lot of the time though..."

"I know it does, that's what's so frustrating about it!" Morgan slammed his head on a nearby wall.

Malachi couldn't do anything but pat his friend on the back.

As someone who also happened to have a best friend with whom he shared a slight rivalry with, Malachi understood this feeling better than most.

But Morgan suddenly righted himself and regained a hopeful look in his eye. "...I know what I'm going to do..!"

'Shit...'

"I'll just bring one or two slabs of beef ribs, you know just like they're a gesture, like I didn't even think about it!" Morgan was growing more and more proud of himself by the second.

"I genuinely cannot think of anything that you should do less."

"No, no, no, this is a good idea!" Morgan assured. " A little good food will lift everyone's spirits and... what are you doing?"

Malachi's nose was already buried in his phone. "Texting Emilia and Crystal to make sure you don't bring anything but potato salad."

"Don't you dare!"

Morgan grabbed for Malachi's phone, but he used his cat-like reflexes to leap on top of the ceiling.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

He tried to pull the young man down, but Malachi used the shadows to root his feet in place.

*Ka-Ting!*

"They said they were already ahead of me. They put a lock on your grill." Malachi informed.

"No!"

Morgan nearly fell to his knees in the middle of the corridor.

"Did you want to make a grocery store run for the potato salad or did you want Em to make something?"

"Fuck the potato salad!!" Morgan roared.

"Gentleman, gentleman!" A new voice said. "What's all this commotion? This hardly seems like the place for such antics, don't you think?"