CHAPTER 48The closer I walked to the house, the more angry I became. It was a stucco-styled house, complete with shingles and the likes. Yes, it was grand and staggering, but it did not have the beauty and poise Alex's house did. There were no beautifully-laid trees nor fountains, neither were there statues. It was brown, big and ugly."Whoever owns this place must be ugly."I scanned the exterior looking for any hidden cameras or sensors. Uncle had given me a crash course a week ago, on gadgets and devices, so it wasn't difficult when I spotted a hidden camera on the edge of the roof facing the back. By now, he would have disabled all the cameras in the house so I knew I was home free.I decided to follow my instincts and head to the back. Something was definitely afoot there that they wanted to protect. I walked there, mimicking the lightness of a cat. It wouldn't do for me to be caught so early on, and without first releasing Chito either. I got to the back but saw nothing out of
Chaoter 49I had a little dilemma on my hands. Chito had refused to budge. He stayed slumped on the ground, staring at the two men I had just killed. I understood it wasn't easy seeing me killing them in cold blood, but I needed him to snap out of his shock ASAP.What he didn't know was, It had been either them or us. I would choose us any day, anytime.I debated on what to do as I squinted at Chito's face. We certainly didn't have all day standing around. The fact that almost a minute had passed and no one had come did not fool me for one second. More men would come, that, I was sure of.Ever since Chito started walking, he began working out, and so he had added some muscle weight. That meant he had more body weight than I did. Nevertheless, I didn't know where the strength came from, I hoisted him up to his feet.I tightened my hold on his arm and shook him. "Look here, buddy, you need to get your feet moving now, we don't have the luxury of hanging around." I tipped his chin and not
Chapter 50My head reeled. Alex knew. He knew who I was. Someone began to clap, breaking me off from he shock that had begun to grip me. I looked towards the doorway where a woman stood. She walked in, piercing, first Alex, then me, with her dark eyes. As she approached, I noticed she had on a leather catsuit which looked like a second skin, showing off all her curves. "What a sweet reunion, a boss and his employee, or should I say a love gone sour." She looked meaningfully at Alex. "Oh, wait, this next one is interesting. A target and her assassin. Boom!" She laughed heartily and I wondered why she looked so familiar. This meant only one thing.. . I snuck a peek at Alex but he didn't seem surprised. As a matter of fact, he didn't even flinch. And then all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place and I turned to him. "The call you got, that's how you knew who I was. You got a detective to spy on me?" Why did that thought make me angry? He doesn't rust you. A little voice whispered
Chapter 51The plane taxied across the runway and deftly lifted in the sky. It was a beauty to behold, what with white and red colours glistening all over its body. The interior was even better. The cockpit sported state of the art dials and buttons, while the sitting areas had plush leather chairs and gadgets as well as many other attractions. A woman sat in one of the chairs peering down the lens of a camera. Her lips curled in a joyful smile. Every so often, she gasped as she sported a cloud. She turned to the man sitting beside her. "The clouds are so beautiful, they look just like cotton candy."Her smile was wide and beautiful, making it difficult for anyone to resist smiling back at her. The man only managed a slight tweak of his lips as he turned to spare the clouds a glance. Within a few seconds, he turned his face back to gazing at the television, where the map-charting of their journey was visible. His face, an unfathomable mask as he continued staring at it.The woman si
Chapter 52"Mia, wait!" Those two words stopped her in her tracks. By the time he got to her, she was shivering. He turned her round and stared into her green depths which had darkened with swirling emotions. He traced the lines and planes of her face, remembering each one of them like it was just yesterday. "Why?" He whispered. "Why did you do it?" He shook his head as tears slid down his cheeks. "Why did you disappear from my life without a trace?"A gasp slipped from Mia's lips. She didn't realize it but she was also crying. "I'm sorry!""Sorry?" Alex's eyes flashed with anger. "Where is he?"Mia's eyes widened and her bottom lip trembled. "W. . .w. . . who?""Chito, of course, who else?" Alex was shaking with barely repressed anger until Ciara laid a hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, released a sigh and opened them again. "Where is Chito?""He. . . " Mia swallowed a lump which had suddenly risen in her throat. "He's in school.""There's a school here?" Alex looked around wo
CHAPTER ONEAs I opened the swing doors, the smell of liquor hit me like a force. I stood for a bit taking in the scenery before me. Men and women from different works of life crowded the chairs and the dance floor. Some chatted amongst themselves, while others rocked to the beats from the live band playing on the stage.The bar, however, seemed to be in a different world of its own. All around it sitting on stools were men jostling for beer or whisky, while others threw back the contents from their bottles down their throats.It looked like a war-zone, except the prize was alcohol and there would be no prisoners.I smiled to myself. It was stampede night. All the stools around the bar had been occupied, but I needed to be close to the beer, so I headed there. I sashayed forward, my hips taking up a rhythm of their own."Hi!" I flapped my eyelashes at this guy with a port belly that could rival King Kong's. "Can I have a sea
CHAPTER TWOThere was a loud ringing noise that won't let up. It was so shrill and bothersome. Even when I rolled to the other side of the bed, it persisted. I covered my ears with such force, I almost busted my eardrums."Uhhhh! Stop that infernal noise."It stopped miraculously and I was able to breathe easier, but just when I was about to turn, it started up once again."Will you please stop your alarm clock, it's messing with my sleep." I woke with a start to see Chito beside my bed, hair mussed, eyes red and heavy from lack of sleep.Pity coursed through me. I was sure he had not been able to sleep since, and here I was messing it up. I rolled over and hit the off button on my bedside alarm. "Sorry, buddy, I thought I was dreaming. Try and get some sleep."I rolled to the other side, intent on catching some more shut eye, but after a few minutes of tossing and turning, I gave up and opened my eyes. I got out of bed and was sh
CHAPTER THREEI stretched tiredly in the back seat of my Lincoln Navigator, lulled by the movement of the car. I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep. Just ten minutes would do, at least for now. As I closed them, I was plagued with visions of a pain-filled Aretha. She had not been able to sleep at all last night. She had tossed and turned, holding her stomach and groaning in pain. Even the strong pain killers given to her by the doctor had not worked. I felt helpless as I had sat beside her. I couldn't even hold her close anymore as her body temperature was through the roof.Her fever had broken sometime in the early hours of the morning and she had finally stopped clutching her stomach, but the worst was not over. As doe-eyed as I was and as much as I wanted it to be so, I couldn't hide away from the fact anymore.My wife was dying.The truth grabbed me by the hair and slapped me in the face. That was when the hysteri
Chapter 52"Mia, wait!" Those two words stopped her in her tracks. By the time he got to her, she was shivering. He turned her round and stared into her green depths which had darkened with swirling emotions. He traced the lines and planes of her face, remembering each one of them like it was just yesterday. "Why?" He whispered. "Why did you do it?" He shook his head as tears slid down his cheeks. "Why did you disappear from my life without a trace?"A gasp slipped from Mia's lips. She didn't realize it but she was also crying. "I'm sorry!""Sorry?" Alex's eyes flashed with anger. "Where is he?"Mia's eyes widened and her bottom lip trembled. "W. . .w. . . who?""Chito, of course, who else?" Alex was shaking with barely repressed anger until Ciara laid a hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, released a sigh and opened them again. "Where is Chito?""He. . . " Mia swallowed a lump which had suddenly risen in her throat. "He's in school.""There's a school here?" Alex looked around wo
Chapter 51The plane taxied across the runway and deftly lifted in the sky. It was a beauty to behold, what with white and red colours glistening all over its body. The interior was even better. The cockpit sported state of the art dials and buttons, while the sitting areas had plush leather chairs and gadgets as well as many other attractions. A woman sat in one of the chairs peering down the lens of a camera. Her lips curled in a joyful smile. Every so often, she gasped as she sported a cloud. She turned to the man sitting beside her. "The clouds are so beautiful, they look just like cotton candy."Her smile was wide and beautiful, making it difficult for anyone to resist smiling back at her. The man only managed a slight tweak of his lips as he turned to spare the clouds a glance. Within a few seconds, he turned his face back to gazing at the television, where the map-charting of their journey was visible. His face, an unfathomable mask as he continued staring at it.The woman si
Chapter 50My head reeled. Alex knew. He knew who I was. Someone began to clap, breaking me off from he shock that had begun to grip me. I looked towards the doorway where a woman stood. She walked in, piercing, first Alex, then me, with her dark eyes. As she approached, I noticed she had on a leather catsuit which looked like a second skin, showing off all her curves. "What a sweet reunion, a boss and his employee, or should I say a love gone sour." She looked meaningfully at Alex. "Oh, wait, this next one is interesting. A target and her assassin. Boom!" She laughed heartily and I wondered why she looked so familiar. This meant only one thing.. . I snuck a peek at Alex but he didn't seem surprised. As a matter of fact, he didn't even flinch. And then all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place and I turned to him. "The call you got, that's how you knew who I was. You got a detective to spy on me?" Why did that thought make me angry? He doesn't rust you. A little voice whispered
Chaoter 49I had a little dilemma on my hands. Chito had refused to budge. He stayed slumped on the ground, staring at the two men I had just killed. I understood it wasn't easy seeing me killing them in cold blood, but I needed him to snap out of his shock ASAP.What he didn't know was, It had been either them or us. I would choose us any day, anytime.I debated on what to do as I squinted at Chito's face. We certainly didn't have all day standing around. The fact that almost a minute had passed and no one had come did not fool me for one second. More men would come, that, I was sure of.Ever since Chito started walking, he began working out, and so he had added some muscle weight. That meant he had more body weight than I did. Nevertheless, I didn't know where the strength came from, I hoisted him up to his feet.I tightened my hold on his arm and shook him. "Look here, buddy, you need to get your feet moving now, we don't have the luxury of hanging around." I tipped his chin and not
CHAPTER 48The closer I walked to the house, the more angry I became. It was a stucco-styled house, complete with shingles and the likes. Yes, it was grand and staggering, but it did not have the beauty and poise Alex's house did. There were no beautifully-laid trees nor fountains, neither were there statues. It was brown, big and ugly."Whoever owns this place must be ugly."I scanned the exterior looking for any hidden cameras or sensors. Uncle had given me a crash course a week ago, on gadgets and devices, so it wasn't difficult when I spotted a hidden camera on the edge of the roof facing the back. By now, he would have disabled all the cameras in the house so I knew I was home free.I decided to follow my instincts and head to the back. Something was definitely afoot there that they wanted to protect. I walked there, mimicking the lightness of a cat. It wouldn't do for me to be caught so early on, and without first releasing Chito either. I got to the back but saw nothing out of
As soon as Alex excused himself to take his call, I slipped out and tiptoed to the room I shared with Chito. I immediately removed the pajamas I had on, revealing my black leather catsuit. It clung to me like a second skin, yet it was not uncomfortable. If anything, it was snug and comfy, a perfect wear to carry out what I was going to do tonight.My phone rang just as I reached for it. "Yes, uncle, I'm ready."I tied my hair in a bun on top of my head, slipped into a pair of sneakers and then I retrieved the shot gun from underneath the bed. I attached it to the clip on my side, then put my swords in a scabbard by my side as well. I was ready. I traced my eyes across the room, touching everything with them. Everything reminded me of Alex, and then Chito. I blinked back the tears that gathered in my eyes. No more. I was getting Chito away from those people tonight, come what may.Even if it meant forfeiting my life.Even if.I stepped towards the door but stopped when I noticed the ph
I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as soon as the words left my lips.A story of how you met your wife? Really? That's all you've got?I pushed the thoughts away and shook my head. "I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from, I-""I would like to hear it." I felt rather than saw her shift beside me and knew I had dug a pit for myself. . . or not, depending on what I said next."What do you wanna know?" I asked, a bit defensively."Well. . . I'll take whatever you're willing to tell me." She replied, almost immediately.I closed my eyes and tightened my hold on her. I didn't know where to start, because talking about Aretha was still a sore subject and I wasn't done healing yet. It had been almost two years since her passing and all I wanted to do was lick my wounds when no one was watching. Now, Mia was forcing me out of my comfort zone.There was a slight shift from her and I felt her moving away from me. "I understand."Did she though?She turned away from me and curled in on herse
Chapter 45My heart was literally in my mouth as I got into the car.Chito kidnapped?How?When?Why?Those three short questions kept reverberating in my head as the car began to move away from the parking lot. Chito was just a boy, for crying out loud, what did anyone want with him?I had a sinking feeling it had something to do with Mia. What it was, though, I couldn't say. I hadn't gotten any feedback from Red yet with regards to why my picture had been lying not far from Mia's purse on the day of her accident. I decided I couldn't wait any longer. I dialed his number and waited impatiently for him to pick.Unfortunately, it rang off and his voicemail kicked in. I cut it immediately, irritation rising inside of me. I didn't want to speak to his automated voice, I wanted to speak to him personally.My heart lurched as I remembered how Mia had called a few minutes ago, crying hysterically. I could hardly hear what she said. I had to cut the call and call her back, but she hadn't pic
Chapter 44I was six years of age when my mother took me to camp Anuhi in Japan. At first I thought it was just like every other camp where one goes to for two, maybe three weeks, and goes back home after gaining some endurance trainings Little did I know it was a camp to rear assassins from o young age. I stayed at the camp for one month, and when it was obvious mother wasn't coming back to take me, I cried my heart out and didn't eat for a full day. The next day I resigned myself to my fate and adjusted the best way I knew how to.That was when I met master Haruki, the owner and maker of camp Anuhi. He made a star appearance one morning while the coordinator was briefing us on what we were going to do. He appeared large as life, even though he was slight of frame. He had a long white beard and a bald head. He also looked wizened, and I thought he was old.My first mistake.Our first mission was to run, I thought it was just that, little did I know it was just to warn us up. After r