Chapter 03: She's Here

Hopping from one car to another, Raizel quickly reached the car of the killer. 

But the man was no pushover either. He drove the car from side to side trying to shake her off balance. But of course, it will not be enough. The man also know it, he just don't want to have Raizel got a grip on his car. 

However, the man was still underestimating Raizel. Raizel unsheathed her sword and embedded it on the car roof, and so, she got a stable footing. 

The man tilt his body to the side to avoid the sword that came right above him. He was terrified, but his experience made him pull out his gun and shoot at the top of his car to where he thinks Raizel might be.

Raizel evaded it with ease despite the car rocking her. Her mind was in chaos of anger, but her expertise in fights enabled her to fight by just using instincts. She let herself fall off the car, trusting nothing but her sword that was embedded on the cars roof, which she was gripping tightly with her two hands. Now, she's hanging on the side of the car, yet the man did not noticed.

She kicked the wind shield and it shattered. Just as she was planning to enter from it, the man shoot her. Yet she dodged it with ease. 

Unsuccessful, the man sent her rains of bullet, and all of it passed her like a breeze of the wind. Unfortunately tho, all of those bullets riddled the car traveling next to them. 

Maybe the man doesn't care, but she do. So, she have no choice but to somersault and return to the cars' roof. 

In her peripheral vision, that car traveled off the course and finally stopped near the rails of the bridge. It's door opened and a young girl, a middle aged woman, and the driver came out. Thankfully, seems like no one was hurt.

The man shoot the car's roof again. This time, maybe because her attention was on the other car, or maybe because her guard was down for a little, her reaction was slowed and she was hit on the shoulder. However, no gasp or sign that she's in pain showed in her face.

After that, the man had the idea to throw her off. He speed up the car first, then halted it suddenly. 

Raizel never expected this as her mind wasn't on top condition yet, also, it all happened too fast. And so, she was thrown off in front, but of course, she landed beautifully in her two feet. And as luck would have it, she have her sword with her.

The man drove the car backwards. He was trying to gain momentum and run over Raizel.

Raizel, upon guessing the man's intention, wasn't that much disturbed. She have bombs. If worst comes to worst, she'll bomb the man with her. However, she saw the young girl in the distance, staring at her direction. That girl was about the same height as her brother. If she bomb the man along with her, that young girl won't survive either.

Her brother's pissed face flashed before her eyes, which made her smile. 

Suddenly, her mind became clear as she forgot every emotion she have. Her senses heightened to the point that she can hear the little splash of waters under the bridge whenever it go against the wind. She closed her eyes, all her emotions was let up. There is no anger, happiness, or sorrow. It was like she was just a new born baby who have no concept of emotions. Her mind attained the highest attainable level of calmness, the state of stabula rasa. It is a state where her mind became a blank slate. Her brain was devoid of thoughts.

With a sword in hand, she took a stance. The car was nearing but she feel like everything was slowing down. She delivered two slash towards the bridge. Then she jumped in the air, but everything appeared too slow in her eyes. So, she delivered yet another slash towards the incoming car before she land silently in the ground not too far from the car. She slowly sheath her sword as her senses returned to normal.

The car was still speeding. The bridge was in normal state not until,

'Crrrck'

The bridge cracked and the middle part fall down. A big gap appeared in the bridge, however, the cut was clean. Like some cake cut in a very neat manner.

Then as if the timing was calculated perfectly, the car also split in half just when it was about centimeter away from the bridge gap, and fall down. 

She walk towards the edge of the gap and watch as the car explodes and fall down the water. A shame, she won't be able to confirm his death. 

She look back to where the kid was, who also stared at her with an expressionless eyes. She offered her a smirked and turned to leave. No words came out, her thoughts unknown.

...

As what she feared, the man survived. He was able to jump in time before the car exploded. He was gasping for air, his other hand was cut and so, he only have the other hand which he use to hold the bridge post for support. His face was pale and he was losing too much blood.

But at least, he was able to preserve his life. However, he did not gloat that long when he saw a silhouette in a distance... walking.. walking in the surface of the water!

He was terrified and thought that he was probably hallucinating. But reality's cruel. The silhouette walk towards his direction. The silhouette was holding a halberd painted in black and was wearing a black cloak that blends perfectly in the night.

"Wh-who—"

That silhouette cut off the man's head without saying a word. Then looked up to the sky, to the direction where the cloaked man and his master silently floats into. Those two did not noticed that a mysterious silhouette under the bridge was staring at them. Their eyes were fixed on Raizel. What the master witnessed was enough for him to be overcome with greed. He was determined to take this seedling at any cost.

The mysterious silhouette take all this scene in his eyes and watch the back of the girl, who still had her pajamas on. The silhouette's thought was unknown, however, he moved and silently followed the desolate figure.

....

She walk for quite a while before she find a telephone booth. She then dialed a number. It rings for a while before a man's sleepy voice answered, 

"Yes? Who is this?"

"I need my big bike. Bring it here, now. As for where I am, you can track this phone boot's location. Take more than 15 minutes and you know what's next," she said. Her tone was dripping with threat.

"B-boss!" After she heard this acknowledgement, she hanged up the phone. She sit on one of the bench and look up at the sky. As it was almost eleven in the evening, the street was empty of any human and any of their activities.

The silence surrounded her. It caused her to fall deep in her thoughts. Now that she is alone, she can finally feel the helplessness of a grieving human. She would like to cry. But she was never taught how to. The feeling was very unpleasant. It is very new to her. Bitterness is the closest description she have for this. She would like to relieve herself of this feeling, and so, she will never stop until she had her revenge... against the actual killer... against the one behind this... and against him, Chaster.. her partner.

'Brrrrm! Brrrm!'

She look at where the sound came from. There, her favorite black big bike roared proudly. She smiles whenever she see this. But today, she can't find it in herself to smile or show any sign of delight.

"I round up all the members, boss. They are only awaiting your order," Louis said. He was the man she called in the phone boot.

Sometime ago, it had always been her hobby to join gang fights and beat them up. One of the gangs she beat up has a strange tradition of making the person who beat them as their boss. Of course, she refused. But they were insistent so she had no other choice but to be their boss at name. She don't really manage the gang but she often use them whenever she needs manpower for a mission like spying, gathering raw information and such. They are quite used to her sudden and unusual orders. 

"No. No one should follow me. No one should also contact me. Today, I am giving you your final mission," she said as she head towards the motorcycle. Indeed, she use them, she also beat them, but she have no intention of putting them in a situation that will endanger their lives.

"Boss, what do you mean of a final mission?" Louis asked with confusion written on his face.

"Final mission because after this, you should never acknowledge that you know me. Forget that I ever exist. Tell that to your gang mates too."

"Why? You are our boss. Please, just tell us, what can we do for you?"

She sighed.

"Look, my name, my appearance, and my existence.. will bring you danger. Not only you, your family too. I mean, no. Not danger, it will actually bring you your death. Do you understand me? Your death." She warned him solemnly.

"B-boss, wh-what do you mean?" He stuttered. Probably taken aback by her expression. Well, she never show them this type of expression. Most of the time, she only give them a grinning face no matter what the situation was. However, today, she was keeping every strength and reasoning she have to keep her sanity. She have no time to bother about hiding her expression.

"Don't ask anymore. I'm the boss, right? Just follow my order. Here," she said and untied her necklace. She put it in his palm and give him her final instructions of what to do and who to give it to. She also told him to not open it because it will be too much for his little life. She keeps on reminding him to protect it with his life and to never tell a single soul about it. And then finally, the most painful instruction she'll ever make in her life.

"..lastly, take care of the burial of my family. They were currently under the bridge of Vincent Thomas Bridge." Her voice shook a little. But she cleared her throat and her tone returned to normal.

"If I don't return, do not search. Don't even wonder and just keep your mouth shut. If people ask you the why's, tell them you found the bodies by coincidence. Then you recognize the child who became your acquaintance for a year. And that you are just feeling like showing some sort of humanity for a friend you haven't seen for so long," she said as she starts her big bike.

"Make it unclear and casual. If it is too detailed, it's a lie." After that warning, she rode the bike on top speed without giving Louis a chance to reply or ask questions.

.....

Meanwhile, in the C.I.A. headquarters.

A man slowly woke up. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was he was on his office. He tried to move but he was actually tied with metal chains on a chair.

This man, was of course, no other than Raizel's boss. He tried to recall his memories and remembered how Chaster knocked, entered his office and offered him a drink, which he never find suspicious. It was because, this is Chaster's usual action every Christmas vacation. Chaster never go home because he said that he has no home to go to. 

While him, as the boss of C.I.A, his personal information was of utmost secrecy. No one knows when he return home, or where his home is.

Anyway, he drinked the offered wine without any reserve because he consider Chaster as his son. It's not until he felt drowsy from just a few shots that he discovered that the wine was drugged.

"I'm sorry boss, only doing my job here." 

Chaster's voice was his last memory before he fall in deep sleep. 

He looked around him as he think of a way to get out. He have a general idea what the culprits would ask for. Thanks to Zephyr who investigated every bits and pieces of the matter. 

He knew long ago that Chaster was a spy, this information came from Zephyr and it was backed up by evidence. 

The door opened and a blonde woman was thrown in the floor then they shut the door once again. This woman was no stranger either. 

"Corrine," he called out.

Corrine looked up to him with a shocked eyes. Then it changed to despair when she realized something.

"So you've been captured too, boss." It's a statement filled with disappointment.

But he ignored it and calmly asked, "Did your instructors not told you to trust your comrades?"

Corrine became confused as she thought, was this really the time to talk about what her instructors taught her?

Seeing the confusion on her subordinate's face, he smiled and said, "Since you're here, it means you already called Zephyr. She sent you a file and she told you to run and never open it until you are safe. 

But then, you did not listen nor trust her and opened it anyway. Chaster caught you and you think that he was watching you all this time. He took the information and he knew now what Zephyr knew about them and thought that he had the upper hand here. 

Since he saw no value in you anymore, he tied you up and sent you here. That's the case you are in, right?"

Corrine's eyes grew large and opened her mouth to ask but close it after she had her second thought.

"You want to ask how I knew it all as if I witnessed it with my own eyes? Or you can't talk because you think you are bugged?" 

"Boss, what else do you know?" Corrine thought that since her boss pointed out the bug installed on her, it means the boss have a way to deal with it.

The boss sighed. This predictions was all made by Zephyr. And it was actually all on point. Some crazy thought passed his mind, is it possible that Zephyr can see the future? But he dismissed it as soon as it emerged. There is no way. Zephyr was just devilishly intelligent and curious.

He looked at Corrine with calmness and replied,

"I know a lot. I know your mother and husband was taken hostage. I also know you break through the system and took the profiles of every member of this agency, along with the identity of their family and the blueprint of their house"

"But failed to take Zephyr's information because it is not on the system. I know that your bug has already been disabled by Zephyr. I also know that the hostage they took was our brothers who disguised as your mother and husband. You see, I know a lot. So be specific if you have question"

Corrine was surprised by what she heard and asked,

"Was that true? They are safe?" Her tears start to well up.

The boss did not answer and only stared at her calmly.

Corrine take this silence as yes and smiled in relief. Her tears fall down as she shed tears of joy.

The boss expression still did not changed and asked again,

"Now, Corrine. Answer my question. Did your instructors never told you to trust your comrade?"

Just as Corrine was about to answer, men carrying snipers, rudely entered the room. 

"Seems like she's here." The boss said with certainty as they listen to the sounds of gunshot outside.