Isabella held her chest. The pain had gotten worse and she felt breathless. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed slowly.‘’What’s the matter?’’ Carlos asked, reaching out his hands to her. ‘’Are you alright?’’‘’Take your filthy hands off me,’’ Isabella growled.Carlos raised both his hands in surrender.‘’You’re lying. I know you are.’’ Isabella eyed him, as he bit her lips.‘’Science doesn’t lie, my dear Isabella,’’ Carlos replied, producing a paper from the inner pocket of his coat.‘’Here,’’ he handed it over to her. ‘’I made a copy for you.’’Isabella hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the paper from his hand. She studied it for a minute,‘’You used my work hospital?’’ Carlos nodded, smiling.‘’I’ll have to confirm this. And then run the test in another hospital.’’‘’Be my guest,’’ Carlos smiled, reaching for his pocket. ‘’You’ll need this too.’’‘’What’s that?’’ Isabella gazed at the black card in his hands.‘’It’s all the money you need for the test and more. Conside
Sector 9. Eastern Desert, Bureau of Paranormal Affairs HeadquartersAlex sat in the chair near the door, pondering over the past two days' events.Serena’s parents had been so upset with her condition, that they didn’t allow anyone, including him, close to her room.He wanted so badly to heal Serena in the hospital but he had to respect the wishes of Dr and Mrs Davis, who left strict instructions that nobody was to visit her except them.On the day she was transferred to Sector 9, Agent Q had a long discussion with her father, after which he agreed to the arrangement, signing some documents. She was flown in an air ambulance while Alex and the BPA agents followed in another helicopter.‘’What happens to her now?’’ Alex had asked Agent Q.‘’Well,’’ he replied, ‘’As I told you earlier, she’ll be attended to by our medical crew.’’‘’They’re the best.’’ Agent X added, noticing the tense look on Alex’s face.They soon landed on what seemed to be a helipad almost covered by the desert sand.
“Come in,’’ Agent Q called from the inside.A green indicator light flashed and the door opened. As Alex entered, he marvelled at what he saw.It was a huge hall with all sorts of communication gadgets and equipment. Dozens of screens adorned the walls, with computer operators manning some of the desks. There was also an indoor balcony that oversaw all operations going on across the hall below it.‘’Over here,’’ Agent Q waved from the balcony.Alex made his way upstairs and onto the balcony. From there he had a good view of the entire hall. At the centre of the room was a large table with twelve executive chairs and a large screen.‘’This is the command centre,’’ Agent Q motioned him to sit. ‘’From here, we monitor and control all that happens in the situation room below us.‘’It’s huge,’’ Alex said. ‘’So what goes on here?’’‘’Agent X,’’ Agent Q mentioned, as he sat on his chair.‘’From the situation room,’’ Agent X took over. ‘’We monitor all paranormal activities.’’ ‘’All of them
‘’Where is she?” Alex was now in a panic mode.“In the private ward,” Q replied as he turned to his office. “Stay with her. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”“I’ll come with you,” X offered. Both men moved quickly from the situation room and were soon at the door of Serena’s room. Alex could see traces of blood on the floor.As they opened the door, they saw two doctors and two other nurses who were setting up a drip line for Serena, who lay motionless on the bed.‘’What happened?” X asked as the chief doctor rose to greet him.‘’The nurse came to administer her medication when she grabbed the scissors and stabbed her,” he explained.“Scissors?” Alex asked.“Yes,” the doctor continued. “She picked it from the nurse’s tray.”Alex shook his head in surprise. “But I just spoke to her not too long ago. She appeared calm.”“We’re doing our best to ensure she recovers fully.” the doctor said, forcing a smile. “She’s been sedated and is now in deep sleep.”“Can I stay with her for a moment?”
The operator got to work, pulling out the electronic files of Tyler and Ryan, containing all their records.“I’ve transferred to your official cloud sir. You can access it using your password.”“Password?” Alex stared at her.“Check your access card, sir, it’s a barcode.”“Oh okay,” Alex replied sounding relieved.Oh there you are,” Q stepped out of the elevator, walking towards him.“Agent Q, where can I get hold of a computer?” Alex asked.“You can use the control centre up on the balcony,” Q replied. “Or my office.”“Alright,” said Alex. “I’ll be back.”Thirty minutes later, Alex reclined his chair backwards and marvelled at the information he had just obtained.‘’So that’s why they’ve been quiet,” he thought. “They’ve been planning this all along.”He saw what looked like a satellite photo, and zoomed into it. He could make out two figures whose heads were covered by their hooded shirts. He tried to access the security camera footage from Serena's house, but there was none.“I gue
“Knock, knock, knock!”Silence.Serena and Alex stared at each other.“Well, don’t just stand there,” Serena said pointing to the door. “Open it, while I clean up this mess.”Alex walked to the bathroom exit and paused suddenly.‘’But how do we explain what happened?” he replied. “I think you should get back to bed.”Serena hesitated for a moment. “You think that’s a good idea?”“We don’t know who’s at the door.”“Okay if you say so.”There was another knock and Alex proceeded to open it, while Serena quickly jumped into her bed and sat upright.As he opened, a nurse showed up at the entrance, looking puzzled. “What happened?”“Oh uhm,” Alex scratched his head. “I was in the bathroom.”The nurse froze on seeing Serena sitting up on the bed. ‘’Miss Davis?”Alex looked at her and then back to Serena who was now smiling. “Uhm,” Alex stammered. “She complained of wanting to vomit. So I took her to the bathroom and she did - ”“I felt better after that,” Serena cut in.The nurse still sto
“And what exactly do you have in mind? Tyler eyed Diego in disbelief.“Simple,” Diego said, relaxing in his chair. “Grand Theft Auto.”“What about that?” Tyler asked, looking puzzled.“Well dummy,” Diego sneered. ‘We’ll file a complaint that your car was stolen.”Silence.Ryan and Tyler nodded continuously while exchanging glances.‘Why didn’t you think of that earlier?” Ryan joked, giving Tyler a friendly jab in the arm. Tyler smiled, a relieved look on his face. But the smile quickly melted into a frown.“What now?” Ryan poked him.“What if the cops question the timing of the report?” Tyler replied.“Hmm.” Diego nodded. “I’ll get a friend of my father’s to handle it. He’s a cop on our payroll.”“I’d drink to celebrate that,” Ryan declared. “What do you have, Diego?”Diego smiled, picking up the receiver of his intercom. “Send champagne on ice. Three glasses,” he ordered.After half an hour of drinking and chatting, Diego looked at his watch. “It’s already one p.m. Let’s go bail you
A small, amused smile played at the corners of Alex’s lips, growing into a full, booming laugh.The leader of the gunmen, a hefty man with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward, his voice a low growl."Ready!" he spat, venom dripping from his words“Aim!” he barked, raising his right hand.The blaring of a car horn broke the solemn silence. All eyes turned to the gate as it opened to allow the vehicle in.“What are y’all waiting for?” Diego screamed. “Shoot him!”Silence.“Do it!” “Sorry young boss,” the leader shook his head. “El Capo is here. He will give instructions now.””Cowards,” Diego muttered, shaking his head reproachfully.All the gunmen slung their weapons back over their shoulders, their eyes fixed on the black limousine slowly parking at the main entrance of the complex.“Move,” the leader pointed a handgun at Alex’s head. “And I want your hands where I can see them.”Alex put his hands behind his head and was marched towards the limousine. “My father will dea
Serena's voice quivered with anxiety. "What's going on, Alex? Who is he?"Alex held her gently, a soft smile touching his lips. "I'll explain everything when I return from this mission.""Mission? I don't understand." Serena clung to him, her grip tightening. "It sounds dangerous.""This is what I do now, love.""Why do you sound like this? You've really changed.""Cosmopolis is in danger. I have to go," Alex said apologetically, gently prying her hands off him.He stood up, facing Agent Q. "Let's go.""Miss Davis," the agent announced, "my staff will take you home. Your parents are expecting you.""But I don't want to go without Alex," she protested."It's for your safety, ma'am," Q insisted, giving Alex a meaningful look."Oh, uh," Alex stammered instinctively. "I'll see you at home later, okay?""Promise?" Serena's voice was fragile, laden with helplessness.Alex nodded, kissed her hand, and quickly left with Q. Serena followed them to the door, watching as they stepped into the ele
"Are you sure it was thoroughly checked?" Agent Q asked, a worried look on his face.The computer operator nodded, swinging his chair towards him. "We're certain, sir. It's not from this world.""Just got a report from the police," Agent X added. "And it's not looking good.""Ah, there you are," Agent Q smiled as he turned to the entrance."What's up, Q?" Alex spoke, out of breath. "I came as soon as I could.""There has been an attack in Cosmopolis," Q replied."Uh-huh?" Alex nodded attentively. "When?""Today. The creature broke into an antique shop, killing the owner and his wife.""How?""Their heads were severed from their bodies.""Ugh." Alex recoiled in disgust. "Did anybody get a description?""We're processing the CCTV footage," Q said."It was damaged in the attack," X cut in. "But our techies are working on it.""So, nobody knows what it looks like?" Alex turned to the operator."Eyewitnesses confirmed it possessed the body of a human and the head of a reptile, sir," the op
“Alejandro, wait!” Isabella cried out, her voice breaking as she sprinted after him. But he had already slammed the door and disappeared into the elevator."Stay away from me, Mama," he said coldly as the lift doors slid shut.“No!” Isabella screamed. “Come back!”"Let him go," Carlos said softly from behind her.Isabella wailed, collapsing to the floor with her hands covering her face."Give him time," Carlos murmured, gently helping her to her feet. "He'll come around."Both returned to his office, with Carlos offering her a seat."Father," Diego said, his voice trembling. "You mean Alex is my brother?"Carlos nodded, offering Isabella another handkerchief.Diego sank into the sofa, his head in his hands. He still couldn't believe all he had heard. Until now, he had been the sole heir to the El Diablo empire. Now, he had a potential contender—someone he hated with every fibre of his being.“I’ll leave you two to catch up,” Diego said flatly as he stood up.Isabella was now in Carlo
“Mama?” Alex muttered, narrowing his eyes in thought.Diego shook his head in disbelief, restraining himself from speaking to avoid further incurring his father’s wrath. All three men maintained a graveyard silence as they waited for Isabella. Within minutes, there was a soft tap on the door.“Come in,” Carlos said, puffing out more smoke. He replaced the cigar in the ashtray, his gaze fixed on the door.Isabella opened the door quietly, almost tiptoeing into the room. She was dressed in a denim jean skirt paired with a pink shirt. Her dark hair was neatly arranged and tied with a matching pink ribbon.She failed to notice Diego and Alex seated to her left, as her gaze was focused on Carlos. “You going to stand there, or do u want to sit?” Carlos spoke politely.Isabella stood transfixed, clutching her bag. “We need to talk, Carlos.”“Mama,” Alex interrupted, rising from the chair.Isabella turned towards the direction of the voice. "What?" she gasped, startled by the surprise.“W
A small, amused smile played at the corners of Alex’s lips, growing into a full, booming laugh.The leader of the gunmen, a hefty man with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward, his voice a low growl."Ready!" he spat, venom dripping from his words“Aim!” he barked, raising his right hand.The blaring of a car horn broke the solemn silence. All eyes turned to the gate as it opened to allow the vehicle in.“What are y’all waiting for?” Diego screamed. “Shoot him!”Silence.“Do it!” “Sorry young boss,” the leader shook his head. “El Capo is here. He will give instructions now.””Cowards,” Diego muttered, shaking his head reproachfully.All the gunmen slung their weapons back over their shoulders, their eyes fixed on the black limousine slowly parking at the main entrance of the complex.“Move,” the leader pointed a handgun at Alex’s head. “And I want your hands where I can see them.”Alex put his hands behind his head and was marched towards the limousine. “My father will dea
“And what exactly do you have in mind? Tyler eyed Diego in disbelief.“Simple,” Diego said, relaxing in his chair. “Grand Theft Auto.”“What about that?” Tyler asked, looking puzzled.“Well dummy,” Diego sneered. ‘We’ll file a complaint that your car was stolen.”Silence.Ryan and Tyler nodded continuously while exchanging glances.‘Why didn’t you think of that earlier?” Ryan joked, giving Tyler a friendly jab in the arm. Tyler smiled, a relieved look on his face. But the smile quickly melted into a frown.“What now?” Ryan poked him.“What if the cops question the timing of the report?” Tyler replied.“Hmm.” Diego nodded. “I’ll get a friend of my father’s to handle it. He’s a cop on our payroll.”“I’d drink to celebrate that,” Ryan declared. “What do you have, Diego?”Diego smiled, picking up the receiver of his intercom. “Send champagne on ice. Three glasses,” he ordered.After half an hour of drinking and chatting, Diego looked at his watch. “It’s already one p.m. Let’s go bail you
“Knock, knock, knock!”Silence.Serena and Alex stared at each other.“Well, don’t just stand there,” Serena said pointing to the door. “Open it, while I clean up this mess.”Alex walked to the bathroom exit and paused suddenly.‘’But how do we explain what happened?” he replied. “I think you should get back to bed.”Serena hesitated for a moment. “You think that’s a good idea?”“We don’t know who’s at the door.”“Okay if you say so.”There was another knock and Alex proceeded to open it, while Serena quickly jumped into her bed and sat upright.As he opened, a nurse showed up at the entrance, looking puzzled. “What happened?”“Oh uhm,” Alex scratched his head. “I was in the bathroom.”The nurse froze on seeing Serena sitting up on the bed. ‘’Miss Davis?”Alex looked at her and then back to Serena who was now smiling. “Uhm,” Alex stammered. “She complained of wanting to vomit. So I took her to the bathroom and she did - ”“I felt better after that,” Serena cut in.The nurse still sto
The operator got to work, pulling out the electronic files of Tyler and Ryan, containing all their records.“I’ve transferred to your official cloud sir. You can access it using your password.”“Password?” Alex stared at her.“Check your access card, sir, it’s a barcode.”“Oh okay,” Alex replied sounding relieved.Oh there you are,” Q stepped out of the elevator, walking towards him.“Agent Q, where can I get hold of a computer?” Alex asked.“You can use the control centre up on the balcony,” Q replied. “Or my office.”“Alright,” said Alex. “I’ll be back.”Thirty minutes later, Alex reclined his chair backwards and marvelled at the information he had just obtained.‘’So that’s why they’ve been quiet,” he thought. “They’ve been planning this all along.”He saw what looked like a satellite photo, and zoomed into it. He could make out two figures whose heads were covered by their hooded shirts. He tried to access the security camera footage from Serena's house, but there was none.“I gue
‘’Where is she?” Alex was now in a panic mode.“In the private ward,” Q replied as he turned to his office. “Stay with her. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”“I’ll come with you,” X offered. Both men moved quickly from the situation room and were soon at the door of Serena’s room. Alex could see traces of blood on the floor.As they opened the door, they saw two doctors and two other nurses who were setting up a drip line for Serena, who lay motionless on the bed.‘’What happened?” X asked as the chief doctor rose to greet him.‘’The nurse came to administer her medication when she grabbed the scissors and stabbed her,” he explained.“Scissors?” Alex asked.“Yes,” the doctor continued. “She picked it from the nurse’s tray.”Alex shook his head in surprise. “But I just spoke to her not too long ago. She appeared calm.”“We’re doing our best to ensure she recovers fully.” the doctor said, forcing a smile. “She’s been sedated and is now in deep sleep.”“Can I stay with her for a moment?”