Rohan stares at his phone. Sara’s number is flickering on the screen. He has just done another round of investigation. However, even if he and Tyrianne spent their past few days in a whirlwind of investigation, they can’t seem to find whatever they were missing. Without a choice, he picks up his phone and dials Sara’s number. She answers at the first ring, “Hi Hansel! You miss me?” “Hi Sara, I need your help with something.” He hears a giggle on the other line before she says, “Anything for you, but on one condition.” “What is it?” “Come here, in my recent most favorite estate.” “I will go tomorrow.” “Come on, Hansel. I am here waiting—” and in a lower tone, she adds, “—naked.” “Okay, I will be there,” he answers. After ending the call, he sighs and mutters, “Better get this over with.” *************** It is already dark when he arrives at the estate. It is as quiet as he remembers it to be. No guards, no residents, except Sara and whoever is her most recent craving. Befor
Rohan jumps up from his position, shocked at what he sees. “What did you do to her?!” he screams, but a guard hits him across his face.Sprawled on the floor, he watches as Alston’s eyes glint with sadistic joy, his voice low but filled with glee. “I can’t believe this. You really did care for your wife.”“You asshole!”“I thought we both already established that.”Feeling his anger and hatred for Alston mounting, Rohan scrambles to his feet and charges at him, only for several guards to tackle him down.“You won’t get away with this!” he screams, struggling against the guards as Alston cackles in delight. “I’ll make sure of it!”“Oh, please do,” Alston smiles mockingly. “It would be so much fun if you try.”Rohan’s eyes narrow as his rage boils over. “You won’t make it out of this alive, Alston. I promise you that.”Alston only laughs. “Given our position, I should be the one handing out threats.”Sara hooks her arms around her older brother and says, “Let your guards handle them, Al
“These two,” another man says. “Four men are dead already. I guess Miss Sara will have the time of her life today.”He shifts his attention to Roy and adds, “Bring down your gun, Roy. Let’s start with the hunt.”Rohan is confused. Roy appearing here is not in their plans. Did he change sides already? Is he afraid of being on the losing end?Rohan looks back at Tyrianne and he knows that if anything happens to her as well, it is all his fault. He has to think of a way out of this.Then, Roy slowly puts his gun down and moves toward the other group. “I’m sorry, Hansel. I am specifically ordered by my mistress to allow you to contact me. She needed a survivor, so they will last longer during the hunting.”“Should I thank you for having Rosalyn killed?” he asks while thinking that what Roy is saying is exactly the reason why they are on the losing end now.“I hav
Rohan walks towards the main door while Tyrianne is hiding in one of the trees, making sure that she has a clear view of the house. Rohan hasn’t even entered the house when one guard already sees him. “What are you doing here?!” the guard shouts at him. In response, Rohan charges at him with a knife. The guard quickly raises his gun and fires. But it only catches Rohan on the shoulders. Grunting, he attacks the guard, slashing at his neck and spraying blood on the floor. The guard falls, and Rohan watches him die. Really, killing another person. He will never get used to it. Maybe he should just wound them? No! His mind screams. He can’t afford to do that! There’s another gunshot, and he realizes that Tyrianne had just saved him from another skulking guard. He purses his lips. These kinds of indecisions will kill him! And besides, did they ever feel guilty when Rosalyn and Roy died?! ‘They didn’t,’ he answers himself. And so, Rohan shuts off his heart. He charges to the next guar
“He’s here,” Tyrianne informs. “Are you ready?”“More than ready,” Rohan answers.The two of them watch as the ex-governor is escorted into the house. Using Alston’s phone, they sent a message to the jail warden and ask for the ex-governor to visit the mansion. They said they have a surprise celebration for him.So when the ex-governor rings the doorbell, Rohan walks to the door and opens it. “Where are my children?” the ex-governor asks.“They are in their room, sir,” he answers.“Alone?!”“Yes.”He groans. “Those idiots! I told them! Multiple times!”“Hm, sir?” Rohan asks, interrupting the ex-governor’s tirade. “How about him, sir?” he asks, referring to the warden who is still standing silently beside him.“Ask him to return by evening. And don’t forget to give him some reward.”“Understood, sir,” he answers.Rohan moves towards the warden and places money in his hands. “For the trouble,” he says.The warden nods appreciatively and walks away from the mansion. However, the instant
“What is it?” Rohan insists.“This young lady here is my hitman when she was very young. So, she was my quiet accomplice while I was raping women.”“I said to shut up!”Tyrianne is about to pull the trigger when Rohan places his hand against hers. She was trembling. Is that why she knew how to use a gun? Is this why she was too involved with their plan? Is that the reason she is staying as a director in an orphanage, given that her talents don’t match at all? Is it her way of repenting?“Tyrianne, it’s okay,” Rohan whispers. Somehow, he feels like he needs to say it. He pushes down Tyrianne’s gun as her trembling continues. “Careful now...”Tyrianne tightens her hold on the gun, but her shivers start to die down.“Did you kill every guard here, my dear hitman?” Terence asks.“You—”“I did,” Rohan says.“Ha! Another man taking credit for a woman’s work. Just like Alston.”And being compared to Alston… It somehow feels calming, as if it places everything into perspective. “We are going
The bustling city pulses like a living organism, its veins congested with honking cars and shoving pedestrians. Rohan and Tyrianne run through the throngs of people. The cacophony of voices blend into the background, punctuated by the shrill cries of street vendors hawking their wares. A pungent miasma of sweat assaults their senses, mingling with the aromas of sizzling meats and spices from nearby food stalls. “This is the second time!” Rohan complains, his eyes scanning every face, searching for any hint. Another note has been sent to them, warning them of their not-good-strategy to defeat the elites, saying it won’t work soon and they will pay with their lives. The note was left by a street child, but the instant he saw them, he ran away. “We need to be careful, Hansel,” Tyrianne says, who is still using his other name for safety. “Someone good is definitely watching our move.” “From the Twelve Elites?” “Most probably.” “Your lover?” “If you are referring to Clint, then he wo
“We need to train,” Rohan blurts out the instant he opens the door and sees Tyrianne in the gardens, stooping over all the flowers she’s taking care of.“Mr. Rugge!” she exclaims, as her eyes go to the orphanage kids, who are also tending the gardens. “Kids, leave me and Mr. Rugge alone for a while,” she adds.“You should tell your kids that we are friends,” he proposes when all the orphanage kids are out of the greenhouse.“You know kids these days. They will think that something is happening between us.”“But it’s the truth, there is—”“The romantic kind, Hansel,” she cuts him off.“Oh,” he mumbles.“So? What are you saying earlier?”Rohan clears his throat. “The last time, we failed to run after a kid who left us a message. Do you remember?”“Is that why you are suggesting for us to train?” she asks, her arms across her chest.“I’ve done combat before, but I think I am getting rusty. And you?”“You know what I was before.”They pause and look at each other. After a while, Rohan say