“So, can I escort these fools out, babe?” Martin asked.For the very first since they became a pathetic couple, he called her a romantic name. If it was before, Liya would have felt like she was on cloud nine. But she knew better now. He was not being sincere. She figured Martin was feeling threatened by Jordan that was why he was trying to act nice just to lure her and piss Jordan off.“They are staying!” Liya said, and Martin’s ire almost tore his skin. He turned crimson with rubor as he chewed his teeth to curb the anger.For the first, Martin saw a side of Liya that he had never seen before - the dauntless side that had given her the hard balls to defy him. He cursed Jordan a million times, and now he couldn’t wait to slit his throat.“They disrespected me in our house…”“My house, Martin!” Liya corrected, and Martin’s shock widened. She was now even talking back at him and humiliating him in front of the cursed guests. “There is absolutely nothing for you here and you know it,” L
A moment of pure lull passed with Jordan and the stranger man both fathoming where to begin explaining their lies. Liya on the other hand was darting her anticipative eyes and face between the strangers awaiting their explanations. She wondered whether she had made a wrong decision inviting them in. The fact that they had lied to her riled her so much.As she gawked at them, her mind was doing a mental scan on them - could they be con men? Kidnappers? Her inner self told her that they didn’t seem to be any of the aforementioned kind, but her insecurities and curiosity could not let her nerves settle.“I asked a question here. Can someone explain how it turns out that you both are strangers to each other? You introduced yourself as his son, and I heard him call you son a while ago when he was asking me not to kick you out. What is happening here?” Liya asked in curiosity as she gawked at the two strangers in front of her.Jordan and the other man stared at each other. They both felt b
“What can never happen?” Jordan asked.Liya had been battling with conflicting emotions and disbelief for a long moment, leaving the two men puzzled.“Miss, can you tell us what is worrying you like this? If it is about us, we assure you that we are not bad people. We will cause you no single harm.” Jonathan explained.They would not cause her any harm directly, but the people they had messed up with would surely kill them all if they found out what they had done. She understood their oblivion though. They didn’t know what kind of hell they had evoked. Fear stung her tenfold. Martin would spare no soul if he found out. Their lives were in greater danger. Even hers, for hosting them.She gathered her trembling self from the couch and stood up, trying to amass as much amount of air in her system to calm her nerves. A fruitless attempt it was. She knew there was nothing that could calm her down in the situation.“And you?” She stared at Jordan, speaking with a voice that was too weak. Sh
The man who was listening behind the door took out his phone after gathering the information he needed. He dialed his boss’s number.“Speak, Tony. What have you found out?” Martin spoke, a puff of smoke emitting from his nose and mouth.“Boss, your hunch was correct. I heard them talking. The old man was Gabriel’s target last night. The other guy is the one that rescued him and also killed our men.” Tony explained as he walked out of the compound.Martin roared in emotional arousal. He knew those men were not to be trusted from the moment he saw them. But now his anger and thirst for vengeance grew even more. An eye for an eye.“Those bastards!” He cursed. “Did you get any info about those two fools? Especially that cursed guy that killed my men. Who is he? How was he able to kill our three men that easily?” Martin asked. He wondered how a single man was able to kill his skilled killers that easily.“The guy is a nobody as far as I heard. He has no family nor does he have work.” Tony
“You both better hurry if you want to escape them. They will not spare you if they catch you.” Jordan was still engrossed in thoughts when the voice of Liya startled her.Jonathan nodded his head. He appreciated the girl’s honesty to save their lives. He still remembered his promise to reward her for her help and generosity. He inserted the combination into the briefcase and it opened. It was fully ladened with bulks of dollars that Liya’s naked eyes could not count nor could her mind surmise their exact figure. She had never even dreamed of such kind of money in her entire life. She even forgot how to breathe while her eyes tried to corroborate whether all those notes were fake or real. She swallowed hard.‘There are really some rich people in this world.’ She thought, snapping her eyes out the briefcase as the man pulled out a bunch of denumerable notes. He shut the briefcase and turned to Liya who was sweating from the kind of wealth she had seen with her naked eyes. She wondered
“I am sorry I didn’t think of that at first.” Mr Jonathan explained.Lia felt a bit relieved with the idea of the two men not leaving. She was so apprehensive of her safety. She just didn’t want to stop them or vex them.“So, what do we do? Those men will kill us the minute they find us.” Jonathan directed the question to Jordan.Jordan paused to think, while the two individuals waited patiently for his decision. They trusted him with their lives.Jordan thought and thought. He knew his martial arts skills would be of great use, but he knew it would be difficult to fight a whole gang all at the same time. He needed a good plan.“It is me that they want, so we will lure them into a trap but outside of this neighborhood.” Jordan stated, puzzling Jonathan and Liya even more.Lure them? Did he want to trick them?“What you are thinking is dangerous. How will you trap them? And what will you do? You can’t fight them.” Liya said. She was getting so worried by Jordan’s hazardous plan.“You w
Jordan walked in swiftness and traced his way back to where he had rescued Mr Jonathan the previous night. The first shock he got was the missing bodies of those goons he had fought at night. The ground where he left them lying half-dead was crystal dry. No single drop of blood was traceable. The lack of blood rang an alarm for him. It meant that someone had taken them and cleaned up the blood. For someone to do that, it meant they had a motive.“Looking for something?” A deep voice spoke from his behind.He could agnize that arrogant voice. He had heard it a few minutes ago. He turned around slowly, portraying zero signs of nervousness or fear. The belligerent face of Martin greeted Jordan’s arctic one, and behind Martin was a battalion of armed goons with all-ready armor. The acuate blades and guns made Jordan deduce another plan. Fighting a battalion of militarized men would be a straight ticket to the grave for him.He had to think of a plan B fast.Martin walked closer in drawn-o
“Okay. I will grant you your last wish on this world! But it has to be only one request.” Martin stated, still washed-up in the muddiness of the man before him.Jordan took a minute to think. He needed to buy time for his back-up to be alive and he needed to be extremely careful. He needed to outsmart those people.“If you do not speak in a minute, I will forget about your damn last-moment request and rip your stupid brains apart!” Martin said when Jordan took too long to speak.He knew the bullet was an easy way compared to what he had in store for the man, but his impatience had conjured his gun to Jordan’s forehead. His goons behind him also cocked their guns and pointed them at Jordan.Jordan found them pathetically lame. He was all alone, yet they could not even attack him with bare hands. He didn’t know how he could fight all of them if they chose that option, but at least they would portray a flyspeck bit of manliness.“I want to die a heroic death, and I am sure you want to be
Three months later!Anticipation and enthusiasm surrounded the grand opening ceremony as it took place. In addition to officially opening The Rivers Group of Martial Arts' newest location, the ribbon-cutting ceremony signified the end of a journey that had passed through darkness and emerged into the light of mutual empowerment and progress.Jordan stood proudly in front of the assembly and spoke to them. "Our slogan stands true today as it did when we started: The Rivers Group of Martial Arts is not just a school to teach martial arts, but a community for empowerment and growth, both as a community and individually." His statements reverberated with authenticity, capturing the spirit of their group's objective."And so, ladies and gentlemen, here I present to you the last, as of now, branch of The Rivers Group of Martial Arts." Jordan handed the scissors to Ana, symbolizing the transition from the shadows of the past to the bright possibilities of the future. As Ana cut the ribbon, t
The following day, Ana woke up in his old home, the De’luka mansion. Ricotchetting her eyes. Memories lingered—a combo of both good and bad memories. She had slept off there with her entire crew to prepare for the burial.“Are you ready? You can stay back if you want. I will bring the body here.” Jordan said, giving her a morning hug after strolling into her room.Ana sampled everything that Jordan’s body was bleeding on her—the solace, the heat, the comfort. Everything. She appreciated his comfort and his gesture. She then pulled away, and Jordan kept her hands in his. “I appreciate this, Jordan, but I have to do this.”“Are you really sure?” Jordan emphasized."Come on, Jordan! Do I look like I am showing signs of a mental breakdown or something? I am perfect. Besides, you and I know the story behind this man. I'm all good.” She said.Jordan nodded his head. “Alright. I never said that you were about to break down, by the way. I know you are strong. Even more than I am.”‘Yeah, yeah
“I guess so. We can all say that.” The officer affirmed.A few chatters filled the room for a long time. Who would have thought that a once vigilante group could be saluted by the government, huh?Jordan cleared his voice, speaking to the officer, although everyone was keen. “Whether the government recognizes me or not, I don’t care. But I know how much you loved your job. I also know that you like it, and it is my hope that you have no regrets whatsoever for those few days that you and your boys have been members of this family. I want you to know that I cannot hold you back. If they want to give you back your position, please don’t feel obliged to remain with us. You deserve that position.”Officer Adamson looked at Jordan with so much appreciation and gratitude. “Regrets? What is there to regret about being part of this great community, Jordan? I felt honored that I was lucky to have a chance to meet you all and to partake in your just missions. But, like you said, I feel the need
The group, which had now become a family, pushed itself into the audacious project of opening martial arts schools in the following weeks, their unwavering dedication transforming dreams into concrete accomplishments. With incredible vigor, resolve, and a sense of purpose that permeated each movement they took, Jordan's vision came to life in that brightly illuminated room.Securing a central location for their flagship martial arts school was the crew's initial action. They converted a large warehouse, which had previously served as a symbol of corruption, into a center for empowerment, training, and discipline after extensive reconnaissance and planning sessions. When they held their first courses, the sound of kicks and swishing-trained moves filled the air inside those walls.With her excellent organizational abilities, Sarah oversaw the administrative side, making sure that all licenses, registrations, and marketing campaigns were completed. She proved to be the mainstay of the o
As the soft hues of morning began to seep through the windows, the room, once ablaze with celebration, now held a serene stillness. Jordan and his crew, draped in the comforting shadows of a night well spent, found themselves resting on makeshift seats, their weariness a testament to the battles fought and won.The sunlight painted a gentle tableau, revealing the subtle lines of fatigue etched on each face. Yet, amidst the quietude, a sense of unity prevailed. Jordan, observing the camaraderie that had evolved in the past hours, felt a renewed purpose bubbling within him. This wasn't just a crew; they were a band of individuals who had weathered storms together and emerged stronger.Looking at Major, he knew that he had a question to tackle. They looked somehow confused about what to do next, and he knew he owed them an explanation, at least for the sake of their sanity. He remembered how he and Major’s group became participants. Initially, they were just his hired bodyguards, but ove
‘‘Huuu!” Noises crackled in the house of Jordan as the members heaved out their tiredness, sampled in the aura of victory, and rested their weapons on the tables as they took their seats. It was almost 4 in the morning, but the night echoed with sounds for the next few hours. Their faces were smeared with soot and sweat from the tough battle they had fought and, by God’s grace, won.“This calls for a big celebration!” Jordan spoke, pulling Ana beside him as he rested on his signature seat of authority. “Mariela? Could you make us something delicious for us?”Mariela nodded in agreement. “After emerging triumphant, you all deserve a special treat. I had made arrangements before we left. I will be back in a sec.”They all made sweet sounds of appreciation that sent Mariela off to the kitchen with a smile on her face.Soon enough, she was making hasty back-and-forth tours to and from the kitchen with trays of mouthwatering shawarmas. Then the drinks followed, and everyone wanted nothing
As Jordan and his group crouched in the shadows, staring at the far-off warehouse where the covert conflict had taken place, the night sky hung thick with an oppressive still. An overwhelming feeling of unease permeated the air as they anticipated reaching the pinnacle of their unwavering quest for justice.Abruptly, a menacing gleam illuminated the horizon, illuminating Jordan's team members' features with elongated shadows. From the warehouse, flames shot up, licking the darkness with an abysmal embrace. The blast echoed through the still air like a mighty cry of vengeance.Jordan clinched his hands and tensed his jaw, watching the conflagration with a bleak determination mixed with joy. The warehouse collapsed under the weight of its own secrets; it had previously been a center of corruption and dishonesty. His transgressors were being burned into charred souls. He could imagine them weeping in pain as the wildfire mercilessly devoured them.Jordan whispered, "That's it," his voice
“Names? What names, Jordan?” Mr. Elias asked in confusion.Jordan, with a steely gaze, had no time to waste. He needed to get to the heart of the issue as fast as he could. His voice was firm as he spoke. "The names of your supporters. The high-ranking officials who are protecting."The alliance members exchanged uneasy glances, a palpable scent of impending doom slapping at their nostrils. How could they comply with Jordan's request? Revealing the identities of those wielding formidable power felt like signing their own death warrants. And death was what they were trying to escape by all means. How could they negotiate for survival and sell themselves to the devil in the same way?“Jordan, please understand that we cannot do that. It is too dangerous for us. Besides, why do you want the names?” Mr. Elias replied, attempting to mask the tension in his voice.Jordan's eyes narrowed, his frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "I need those names to expose the corruption that is eatin
Jordan looked at Elias and his meanness. He could read through their minds. He knew exactly what they wanted. And he loved their stupidity.Elias gazed at Jordan and spoke with a stern voice without a single tinge of wavering in it. “You are wiser than this, Jordan. I know you know what I mean.”Jordan shook his head and read a memo that said, ‘I know, but I want to hear that crap from your stinking mouth itself’! “No! Please enlighten me, Elias! I might be getting carried away.” Jodan spoke.Elias even managed to smirk, even though he could not tell whether Jordan was toying with his mind or not. He spoke. "Jordan, all I am suggesting is that we can settle this amicably. You don’t have to betray your noble parents by becoming a bloody murderer. Well, if it is revenge that you want, your parents are gone, and you can’t bring them back. Don’t even kill us. I have got something that will surely interest you."Jordan, unmoved, eyed Elias with a steely gaze, his expression portraying no