RESCUE CAME BUT AT A PRICE "I'll come with you," he said doggedly. Fabian nodded. "Jump!" he shouted. They jumped into the icy water and Caleb started to choke. Fabian swam as fast as he could dodging bullets here and there. The police were shooting at them. He dived under the water making sure to keep to the shore in case. When he came back up to the surface, he didn't see Caleb again. His heart sank."You can do this," Caleb thought to himself as he felt the current in the water drawing him under.He choked, coughed, and tried to hold his breath as a bullet missed his ear by a whisker. He wasn't a professional swimmer though he learnt a few swimming skills from his foster mother, Leah.One time they had to the little river near the facility where his mother used to work part-time as an auxiliary nurse. It was during the summer and he wanted to learn how to dive underwater. Leah volunteered to teach him when she was off duty that day only if he would accompany her to work.He agre

THE INFORMANT "That name sounds familiar," the one who stood beside the van when Caleb climbed in was saying. "Really? How would you know when you've never had to work outside this port?" "Because I come from Mexico City, and that name might interest my rich uncle, Don El-Zaki." His colleague shrugged and asked Andrés why? But he refused to say anything further. Andrés Di-Maria was El-Zaki's nephew born by his only sister, Alicia. She unfortunately died giving birth to the boy and he was left in the care of his uncle till he was 18 years of age and went to join the police force - against his uncle's pleas. His father, Reuben Di-Maria, was in support of the dream and El-Zaki had no choice but to let the boy go. He always thought he would teach him the family business and when he came of age, he would partner with his son, Hart, to expand it when he was no more. The reason being his only son, although intelligent, never really had the grit for doing dirty deals. He could successfu

A VISITOR FROM HELL "I like the surprise look on your face," Pedro began to laugh hysterically. He stood up from the chair he was sitting and the officers at the counter created room for him to move closer to Caleb. "How are you here?" Caleb mumbled unable to comport himself. He was so dazed that anyone would think he was seeing a ghost. "The same way you managed to get here. In a police van!" Pedro beamed with an uncanny look on his face. Caleb was terrified. How could the police release Pedro from jail? Or was he not locked up as they led him and Doctor Fernandez to believe? Stuttering he said, "You are meant to be in jail." "That's correct. Meant to be..." Pedro mimicked him. "But as you can see, I'm out and you are taking my place instead." "I didn't commit any crime that I should be locked up for," he said louder hoping the police will hear and become interested. "I was kidnapped by those two in there and kept hostage in their hideout." "Hahaha," Pedro laughed sardonically

YOU'VE BROKEN THE RULE The bowl of blood was passed from one person to another to take a sip from it. By the time it got to his turn, his eyes and the man's own met, and then the bowl fell out of his hands. There were murmurings in the room as the priest glared at Caleb in utter disbelief than disdain."Quiet everyone," he said. The room fell silent. He paced up and down and then said, "Never in the history of this brotherhood have we experienced this kind of thing, surely the culprit must have an explanation for his action."Caleb whose face had turned white in dispair was gazing at the floor, tongue-tied. He was praying Pedro would say something in his defence, but the silence that greeted the question was proof he had to face the music all by himself. "I, I'm deeply sorry," he muttered. Then someone spoke. "I'm sure we can excuse his behaviour on the basis that he was locked up in a cell for nearly a week." It was Pedro who came to his defence as expected, and he couldn't be a

YOU WILL HAVE YOUR DEAL Pedro finished answering the call from Don El-Zaki and threw his phone on the bed. He folded his arms across his chest and stood staring at Caleb. "I seriously hope you know what you're doing?" Caleb smiled. "Yes, I do. This is going to work way faster than you would have expected," he said reassuringly. Pedro heaved and sat down, saying nothing further. "I've been thinking though," Caleb spoke next after a few seconds had passed but Pedro didn't look up, "that if El-Zaki accepts the deal and you recover your inheritance, I will intentionally let you hand me over to him alive..." "What?!" Pedro sprang up from the bed. "Are you out of your damn mind? Do you know what that heartless man would do to you?" he was raising his voice. "Of course I do." Caleb acknowledged calmly. "I don't believe you do!" "Because you didn't let me finish first," he chided him. Pedro threw his two hands in the air in a mock surrender fashion and sat back down. Caleb continued