Chapter 1

Today has been a long, stressful day for Tasha. She came out of the nurses’ dressing room and stumbled into Jalyn. She looked down in frustration and discharged a deep breath because she loathed seeing her.

Jalyn was a bone tied around Tasha's neck, and she always found her way to pick up a fight with Tasha.

She fixed her eyes on the ground and walked past Jalyn. Jalyn snickered and pulled her back with her long hair, raising a question. "Where do you think you are going?"

Tasha veered around to her, disgruntled. "What have I done today?"

Jalyn folded her hand on her chest and let a vicious smile escape her mouth. "You are still asking me what you did?" 

She clapped her hand and hit Tasha on the chest, challengingly. "You are a husband snatcher!"

Tasha withered her face and sighed. She hated all the petty fights Jalyn always engaged her in. "Jalyn, please stop."

Jalyn turned her face to the left a little and scoffed. She hit Tasha again, challenging her. "If I don't stop, what will you do?"

"Calm down, Jalyn…" Tasha coaxed.

"I should calm down after you steal my man, hun?" Jalyn lifted her cheek and pushed Tasha on the chest.

Jalyn had a crush on Talon, the hospital director, and chief surgeon, and she pestered Tasha because she believed Talon didn’t have her time because he was always with Tasha.

"There is nothing between us. We have been best friends since childhood." Tasha voiced out, but Jalyn gave her no space. All she wanted to do was to thwart her till she would step down from the hospital.

"Shut the fuck up!" Jalyn yelled. She lessened her voice and continued. "I don’t give a fuck about who you are to him. Just leave this hospital so he will have my time."

"But…" Tasha wanted to talk, but Jalyn’s voice overwhelmed her tiny voice.

"Everything was fine until you showed up from nowhere. If you don’t come, maybe we will be engaged already! He was showing interest before you came." Jalyn pointed out.

"What’s going on there?"

A cute, manly voice signed on Jalyn’s ear from behind. She writhed back, and it was Talon. She smiled insincerely and twisted her head, respectively. 

"Sir, Tasha made a mistake and I am correcting her." Jalyn lied.

Talon knew Jalyn was lying because it wasn't her first time, but he desired to confirm from Tasha because whatever she said was what he would act on. 

"Is that so, Tasha?" He oppugn, looking at Tasha's face.

Jalyn lifted her gaze in stupefaction and fixed her eyes on Tasha. If she told the truth, Talon would discipline Jalyn or she might face the worst fate, because Talon might sack her. 

Tasha glanced at Jalyn’s face and was quiet for a moment. She put a smile on her face and bobbed her head. "Yes," she replied and paused for a second. 

"She is just correcting me because of next time." She added.

He bobbed his head, probing. "Are you sure?"

She wore a persuasive smile on her face. "Yes."

"Better…" Talon beamed. 

He walked closer to Tasha and wrapped his arm around her neck. "Come into my office. I have something great for you."

She spilled her mouth and looked at his face. "What's it?" She queried. 

"Checking things out isn’t a sin, right?" He widened his eyes. 

She sighed and smiled excitedly. "Okay, let's go."  

He girded his hand around her neck more tightly and they turned to the elevator. 

Tasha looked back at Jalyn’s face and she could easily see rage jumping around in her eyes. She could feel her pain; the pain of looking at the guy you love walking away with someone that wasn't a match for you.

"Stop it, Talon…" Tasha said. 

She hit him lightly on the forehead and they entered the elevator, grinning at each other in mutuality.

Jalyn's eyes turned outrageously red, and she bit her lower lip, looking at them. 

"Tasha, you will pay for this." She uttered profanity. 

She swallowed her saliva with irritation and hiked back into the dressing room.

****************

Talon and Tasha entered the office, and Talon locked the door from behind. He wanted to buy enough time for her and didn't want any form of disturbance. He confirmed the door was locked, and he walked to her.

She drew a chair closer and sat down. "Why did you bring me to your office?" She queried.

He walked to the other side of the desk and took out a packaged box. He positioned it on the desk and unwrapped her favorite meal.

She gaped and sluggishly covered her mouth with her left hand and placed her right hand on it.

"Wow!" she enthused. 

She stood up from the chair densely and ambled to the food. She took it out of the box and saw he had bought it in large quantities. 

She glanced at his face for a second with lots of sweet words lining up in her stomach, waiting for her to pull them out, but her mouth betrayed her and she couldn't say any of them.

She shook her head and kissed her palm. She blew a kiss to him and said, "I have a lot to say, but my mouth is betraying me," 

"But whether or not I say it, it's obvious you are the best! You are a blessed friend and you make me the luckiest person to have you beside me."

He beamed and served the meal. "Have your seat and eat."

She picked up the first plate and binged like he limited her time. She gluttonized another plate and opened the third one before she looked up at him. 

"Why are you not eating?" She questioned and continued eating before his response came.

"The meal is for you alone. Eat till you can't stand up." He joked.

Food filled her mouth, but she still struggled to talk. "How will I work if I can't stand up?"

He walked to her side and rubbed her head. "Just eat."

He watched her eating and seeing how joyful she was, he demeanor with admiration. He always wanted to put a smile on her face. 

"Tasha…" he mumbled in a pitiful voice and paused. He wanted to say something, but he retreated.

She stared him down. "What?"

He closed his eyes and joggled his head out of thoughts. "Nevermind."

She stopped eating and outstared him till their eyes met. He felt uncomfortable and cleared his throat. 

"I need to use the restroom." He stood up and went into the restroom. 

He came out five minutes later, cleaning his hand with a tissue. He threw the tissue into the basket.

"Are you enjoying your meal?"

She heard his caring voice, but she couldn't open her mouth to say a word because food occupied every corner of her mouth, so she nodded.

{FORTY MINUTES LATER}

She finished eating. Her body was weak, and she ran to the toilet and released the waste products. She came out weakened, walking slowly like her ankle broken.

He walked up to her and helped her to the chair. "How are you feeling now?"

She shook her head. "Fine."

He gave her water, and she sipped a little.

"Thank you." She handed him the glass cup.

He walked back to his seat on the other side with a desk between them. He picked up a file and took a pen out of his lap clothes' breast pocket and worked.

She breathed deeply serenely and turned her attention to him. "I thought you said you were not busy. What are you working on?"

"This is nothing. The hospital urgently needs a new nurse, so, I am setting up an application to post." He replied.

Hearing him say that, her ear enlarged. She rested her hands on the desk and put her head on it. "Full-time or part-time?"

"Anyone." His helpful reply came.

She looked at him for a second, scheming to propose something she already knew he wouldn't accept. 

"Let me take the place." She tried her luck.

He stopped opening the file for a second and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

She wrinkled at him and tinted her voice with a little touch of seduction. "You will employ me and double my salary."

He put the pen down and stretched his hands beside him in confusion. "How is that possible?"

"I will shift positions and be on morning and night duty." She explained.

"That’s not possible. I cannot allow you to overwork yourself." He objected.

"Please," she pleaded. "You know how much I need money."

"Yes, but…" he wanted to say more. 

She scowled her face like she would cry and rubbed her hands together in a pleasing way. "Please."

"Okay, I will think about it." He deemed because he didn't enjoy seeing her bleak. 

She mirthed and threw him a kiss. "That’s my boy."

He smiled and continued working on the file. He stopped and lifted his head at her. "Where are you going after work? Should I drop you at home?"

"Nope. I have to do a part-time job at a restaurant in my area. I won't go home till tomorrow." She replied.

He elevated his eyebrows. "What?!" He shouted.

She queer-looked and said nothing. He closed the document and queried her. "I know you do quack jobs, but when did you become a server?"

She sighed and spoiled her face. "Not every day. It's just that I don't have any customers. I have to hustle more. I just can't rely on my salary."

He hit his hand on the desk, feeling so concerned. "Stop it. It's been two weeks since you haven't taken a break from the hospital. You are shifting duty with other nurses because they pay you. I allowed them to do it for your sake."

He hit the back of his right hand on the left-hand palm and looked straight into her eyes with concern. "You need a break or you will collapse." 

She was mute for a second and mimicked his reactions. "I will not collapse and I can't take a break because I need money. I have to pay mum's medical bills this week."

He closed his eyes, frustratedly. She wouldn't listen, no matter how much he talked to her. 

"Okay. How much does the restaurant offer to pay you?" He wanted to thwart her.

"Ten dollars per hour." Her reply came.

"How many hours will you spend with them?" He questioned.

She calculated with her fingers and responded, "twenty-two hours."

He raised his gaze to her face, withering in surprise. "Twenty-two hours? Won't you go home to rest at all?"

"Sleeping isn't part of my schedule this week." She announced.

"This is not healthy, Tasha." He spoke out.

"But I am used to it, Doctor Talon." She said.

"Okay. No problem. Will you stay at home if I pay triple the amount the restaurant offers?" He asked.

Her eyes widened, and she swerved closer. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes. Only if you promise to rest at home throughout the day." He stated.

"Sure, I will. But…" 

"No, but," he affirmed. "Deal or no deal?" 

"Deal!" She nodded.

"Pack your stuff and meet me downstairs." He instructed.

She jerked her head and walked out sluggishly. 

She giggled with excitement written all over her face. "How would I live without this guy? He is the best!" 

She saw Jalyn coming out of the elevator and she stopped smiling. Jalyn walked to her front and scanned her from head to toe for minutes. Tasha bowed her head and walked away.

Jalyn hissed and turned to drag Tasha back.

"Jalyn." Talon's voice came out of the office.

Jalyn turned back to the office. She wiped her face with her bare hands and wore a bright smile before walking in.

She stood in front of Talon with her right hand on the left hand, placing them on her lap and she curtsied her head. "Good day, sir."

He silently scanned her for minutes and didn't respond to her greeting.

"Jalyn…" he called her name in a serious tone.

"Si-r." Her voice trembled in a mixture of fear and shock.

"Jalyn, I called you just to warn you. Be careful so you won't lose your job and a lot more. Tasha is precious to me, and you mustn't hurt her. If anything happens to her, I won't overlook it. Understand?"

"Yes." She answered in a low voice.

"Good. Go away, now."

****************

The car stopped in front of Tasha’s house. Talon grabbed her bag, and they got down. She waited for him to come beside her. He wrapped his hand around her neck. 

They took three steps towards the main entrance gate and a call came to his phone, and he picked it up.

He sighed in frustration and closed his eyes and was silent for minutes before he promised. "Okay, I will be there soon."

She saw the bitterness in his face and she saw concern. "What happened?"

"There is an emergency at the hospital and I have to shift duty to a doctor." He explained.

She smiled at him in a seeking manner. "Let me go with you and you will pay me for the part-time surgery."

He looked at her from head to toe and shouted. "Never!" 

He handed her the bag and turned back to the car. "I will call you later."

"Hey, when will you send the money?" She asked.

He turned to her and shook his head. "Once I get out of the operating theater."

"Bye." She waved at him.

He bowed his head, putting his hand on his chest. "Bye, ma’am."

She smiled, watching him drive away. After she didn’t see his car anymore, she went inside. She flung her bag on the chair and untied her hair, walking into the room. She took off her dress and walked into the bathroom.

"It’s nice being here, but it won’t earn me money…"

She bathed and walked back to the room, wrapping her body with a towel that covered her from the chest down to her knees. She walked to the mirror and dried her hair and body.

A message shipped into her phone. She walked to the bed and picked up her phone.

"Talon is the best…"

She smiled excitedly at the alert of the triple amount he promised to send. She wanted to call him, and another message entered.

"Sleep well and don’t forget our deal. I gave you a month's vacation."

She shook her head and brushed her face to see if she read wrong.

"One month vacation?! For what?! Where will I find money?!"

She wanted to call him, and another message came in.

"Don’t worry about your salary, it won't disturb it. I will pay you weekly and not monthly."

She smiled, and another message came in. "Rest very well. I will come later in the evening to pick you up."

She dressed up in a short skirt and a top that coated only her chest. She picked up her phone and jumped on the bed. 

She breathed out and scrolled down the app. She opened her bank application and checked her account balance.

"This should solve a little, right?"

She smiled and transferred all the money in her account to her mother.

"Have you seen the money I sent?"

She sent a message to her mother, and a rapid reaction came. 

"Yes. Thank you. But the money isn’t enough. Noelle passed the college exam, so she must pay the institution's fee as soon as possible or they will terminate the admission. They will send Adele back home from school tomorrow because of the school fees she owes. And dear, my weekly drug bills have increased by four folds and the one I am using will finish tomorrow."

A frustrated deep breath escaped her mouth, and she fixed her eyes on the phone screen for minutes. Tears rolled out of her eyes, and she wiped them. 

"Okay mum, don’t worry. I will send the remaining amount tomorrow." She replied.

She blew air with her mouth and laid her back on the bed, looking at the sky through the window. 

She closed her eyes to cool her brain. "What will I do? How can I find such a huge amount before tomorrow?"

{LATER IN THE NIGHT}

Tasha fell off and woke up at 7 pm. She yawned and stretched her hands up. She picked up her phone and saw a missed call from Talon. 

She brushed her hand over her face and checked the time.

"It’s late already…"

She wanted to dial Talon’s number, and a message came onto her phone. 

"Are you available for work?"

It was one of her customers; the best of all, but she pressed the back button because of her deal with Talon. 

She put her phone down and walked to the kitchen to get a cup of water. She sipped a little from the water and her head suddenly set an equation. Her soul inputted it, and her brain analyzed and solved it.

‘These people will pay a high ransom and I need money…’

‘But what will I tell Talon? Should I sneak out? If he finds out later, he will be angry…’

"What should I do?"

She bite her lower lip for a few seconds and slightly tapped her forehead. She walked front and back five times, and an idea ran into her mind.

"Yes, I will lie to him. I went to the seaside village to treat someone."

She picked up her phone and called the customer back.

"Hey, are you ready to pay any amount I request?" 

"Yes. If you do a great job, I will pay triple the amount you charge."

"Fine, what's next?" She asked.

"Send me your address. I will have one of my guys pick you up." 

She sent the address and quickly shipped a message to Talon.

"Go ahead. But be careful." Talon gave her a go-ahead.

"Yes, it’s time for work!"

She ran to pick up a kit beside the wardrobe and confirmed all the equipment was intact. She walked hurriedly to her wardrobe and took out tiny black trousers, a top with a long jacket, and a face cap. 

"I am ready."

She sent a message and received a quick reply. "The car is already outside your house."

She walked for fifteen minutes to the next street, because she gave a fake address. She hid in a corner and scanned the surroundings with her eyes till she saw a car with the plate number sent to her.

"This driver is a fool. How can he park under the streetlight?"

She looked around and confirmed no one was coming. She shifted the face-cap, so it covered her face well, and she went out of the corner. 

She took three steps out into the lighted area and a question came from behind. "Who are you?"

She froze, waiting for the man to move closer to her, and with three steps remaining to reach her, she turned to him and hit the left part of his neck with her middle finger. The man fell on the floor and lost consciousness.

She looked around and took her steps hurriedly to the car. She opened the door and entered, saying a code. "The sea monster."

The driver didn’t bother to look at her since she said the secret passcode. He started the engine and drove off at the highest speed.

{Two hours and thirty minutes later}

The car stopped at the darkest part of the seaside. She got down, and the driver drove away. 

She dug her right hand into the jacket pocket and took her phone out. She unlocked her phone with her index finger and scrolled the apps. 

She opened an app ‘dual account lite’ and unlocked it with all her five right fingers. Then her face and ordered. "Open." 

The app layout appearance changed, and she drew three different zig-zag patterns and entered a passcode; from letters G-A, M-F, Y-R, and Z as the last letter, and it directed her to her phone call history that was filled with unknown numbers. She dialed her most recent call number, ‘The sea monster’ and it didn’t ring twice before the person picked it up.

"I am at the seaside. Beside the container."

"Okay. Look around for a red targeting light," a manly thicker voice ordered, and she looked around.

"Have you seen it?"

She looked around, and her eyes caught the red-targeting light. "Yes."

"Good. Trace the light to where it comes from, and you will see T-junction routes. Turn to the right and call me."

"Okay."

She ended the call and returned the phone to her pocket. And started tracing the light. 

A man came out of a corner, setting his big torch light on her. "What are you looking for?"

She could only see the man's trousers and she confirmed he was a sea officer, and his voice made her figure out he was old. 

She heard his footsteps approaching him. She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes.

"Oh lord, forgive me…"

She set her fingers to insert in him, but he suddenly stopped walking and set his touch light on the kit in her hand.

"It’s the nurse. You can go in." He permitted. 

She fixed her eyes on her feet and continued walking until she got to the light. She turned to the left and walked for ten minutes before she got to the three routes.

She took her phone out and called the guy.

"I am there."

"Fantastic. Turn to your right, and take three steps. You will see a covered hole, walk past it. You will see another five holes before you see the one with a dragon on its cover. Open it and enter." The guy instructed.

She ended the call and turned on her phone torch light. She followed instructions and jumped into the hole with a dragon drawn on its cover, and she fell in front of two shirtless guys wearing boxers. 

The guys stood up to her and walked closer to her. "Who are you?"

"What are you doing here?" 

She didn’t move an inch, and the look on her face didn’t hint fear.

"Jaspers…"

A cautioning voice came from the guys behind and they looked back.

"Let her come in…"

The guy ordered the Jaspers, and they bowed to his command. They shifted a little, leaving a space that was enough for her to walk between them.

"Come." The guy waved at her and she walked up to him.

They entered a room filled with smoke. She didn’t cough because she was used to it. She only coughed for her first three times, three years ago; when she first began treating gangsters.

They entered another room, and the guy bowed his head to someone sitting on the desk with his clothes covered in blood.

"Is she the nurse?"

"Yes, I am."

The wounded leader traced her from head to toe with a belittling look. "Are you sure you can treat this wound, causing no trouble?"

She lifted her head to the guy’s face in a slow, lioness motion. "If I am not competent, he won't introduce me to you. Should I treat you or you will go to the hospital?"

"Just come and treat me…"

She walked closer and opened the clothes from the wound. She put her kit on the floor and wore gloves. 

As she opened the wound to begin treatment, a guy ran in.

"Police traced us here! They are coming in!" The guy announced.

Everyone quickly stood up and ran out through the backside. She packed her instrument as fast as she could, but as she wanted to run out, police officers came in through the three entrances and set their guns on her.

"Give up, lady…"

She sluggishly turned around to see guns set at her. The look at the gun triggered her physical body reaction. She shook in fear and sweated profusely. She couldn't open her mouth to say a word.

Obviously, no one would believe her. She gave up and raised her hands.

An officer grabbed her from behind and handcuffed her.

"Where are the rest?"

"I am not part of them…" 

"She is a criminal. Take her to the station and lock her up."