Six guards stood between him and Master Woods, their swords pointed at him gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting their determination to stop him. Before he came to the temple, he knew gaining access would not be easy but he didn’t expect to fight with six Kenjutsu martial artists. As he calculated his move, the lead guard made the first move, swinging his sword with fierce intent. But Archer quick on his feet, sidestepped the attack with effortless footwork, his grip on the briefcase tightened simultaneously.A silent war brewed within Archer, even if he had a chance to win against the guards, Master Woods would be unpleased that he chose to fight over reasoning. Before he could say another word, all six guards gained in on him. By instinct, Archer’s skills in martial arts took over. His fists and feet moved faster than his mind, surprising the guards with precise counterstrikes.Protecting his briefcase with one hand, his one free hand was burning from overuse, sweat beaded on his
"It can't be my father!" Tangie exclaimed, "No, he wouldn't do this.""Tangie, you didn't see him last night. He was furious, he left in a fit of anger.""Mariah my father would never do this without my permission, he would not declare my husband missing when he knows the situation, he also knows that he spoke with me last night. I have that card to show for it." Tangie replied, her voice although firm, held no anger towards Mariah.Glancing at the TV, the eyesore headline stood boldly across the screen; "President Archer Williams missing after his public announcement to launch Asthma cure."That was the headline on every news channel she flipped through, it was as if someone was intentionally painting Archer Williams in a bad light.Tangie rose to her feet, seething with anger. "This is unbelievable!" She spat, "I'm going to sue everyone involved in this misleading information.""Isn't it family that's supposed to declare a person missing? First, how can he be declared 'missing' jus
Archer Williams woke up with a throbbing headache, chants resounded distantly in his head accompanied with shimmering cymbals and soft hums.Forcing his eyes open, he was instantly greeted by harsh sun light pouring directly from the window- a stark contrast of what he last remembered.Archer recoiled, instinctively clenching his eyes shut against the harsh sunlight."Open your eyes," a soft voice ordered, and Archer obliged, squinting his eyes open.His headache intensified by the moment, the chants that seemed so distant now echoed around him, but with no visible singers.He turned around, in a desperate search for the owner of the voice who was tending to him- Master Woods. "Why did you come? And how did you find me?" He asked, watching him struggle with himself.His question suddenly reminded Archer of the briefcase he had risked his life to protect. "The briefcase," he muttered, scanning the room with his eyes only, since his body was too weak to move. Finally, at a corner in
The journalists exchanged nervous glances, each person looking for a savior. Tangie glared at them, her anxiety from before gradually building into an intimidating demeanor. “I will assume you all were just desperate so you coined a lie to stain my husband’s reputation.”“That’s not true ma’am,” one of them finally spoke up, “We received an anonymous call from someone claiming to have insider information about President Williams.”Tangie’s brows furrowed with suspicion, she glared at the speaker intently as if to uncover more hidden details, “You didn’t bother to verify the authenticity of such a tip before causing a frenzy in my house?” The journalists dropped their gazes with shame, realizing the gravity of their mistake. Tangie’s disappointed tone was daunting enough to stir their remorse. “We were too excited to break the news ma’am. Since President Archer gave Scott McFarland an exclusive, we’ve been under pressure to beat him.”“Pressure to beat him? There are several other
“Huh!” Archer gasped, his legs failed him as he tried to stand. Yet, he pressed on.“Where are you going?” Master Woods asked, concerned about his state.“Master, I trust this man with my family, my wife, my pregnant wife. Celestine, and the guards, everyone that lives with me, they believe he’s trustworthy, because I trust him. Master, he came to meet me at my father’s house.”“Golden Gates?”“Yes!” Archer replied, losing his cool. The gradual realization that Mr Adejobi was not who he said he was felt like the pain of miscarriage, biting and chewing on his insides. He felt his heart decaying with both anger, pain and anxiety. Master Woods reached out to him, tugging at his arms gently, “Sit down, Archer. Sit, and calm yourself. Never loose your grip, you can’t think when you’re like that.”“I apologize, Master. I am no monk. I’m scared for my family, he has access to them, who else is lying to me? Who else? Who are you? Are you lying to me too? Who can I trust?” “Nobody.” Master
What was supposed to be a safe house in Tangie's seemed like the place she would be fighting for her life. She stood by the threshold, with her hand clutching to the back of her pant trousers where the revolver Mr Adejobi had handed her as a gift from Archer remained stacked.They had caught a faint whiff of tobacco when they walked into the house, but as they stood by the door, the scent grew stronger, diffusing from somewhere in the house. "Could we be in the wrong house?" Mariah asked, her heart racing with fear."Mariah pull yourself together, the password worked. We are in the right place.""Then the 'safe house' has been infiltrated." Mariah panicked, "We need to call him. I'll call Celestine," As she was brought out her phone, footsteps echoed faintly in the air, driving Mariah's anxiety to the brink. Without thinking twice, she dashed to the door, and yanked the doorknob with all her might, only to find that the door was locked. By now the faint footstep was approaching c
Mariah's fierce determination gripped the room as tightly as her hand on the trigger. She stared down at Luke, her eyes blazing with anger."Drop the spray, Luke," She demanded.Luke's expression shifted from amusement to surprise, although he concealed his fear. Slowly, he dropped the bottle spray, realizing he couldn't dare Mariah. Her resolve showed in the firm aim of the gun she pointed at him. He took a step back, raising his hands in surrender. "Tangie, are you alright?" Mariah asked, catching her shocked expression from her side-eye. Tangie's cough had subsided, but the effects of the spray lingered on, burning her chest like a sip of alcohol. "I'm alright," She replied, "We just need to get out of here?" "That's right, what's the password?" Mariah asked urgently."I don't know," Luke replied, the smile on his face slowly returning."BAU!!" Mariah shot the artwork on the wall behind him and Luke jumped, startled by the audacity. "I am NOT Tangie," Mariah bellowed, "Wha
"It is impossible!" Archer interjected, rising to his feet, his face scrunched up in disbelief. "I would never speak a lie, son. I suspect Mr Adejobi is the leader of that group Libra..."Archer paused, trying to process the information, "That group ceased to exist when I exposed Maverick Jr's deceit at the shareholders meeting. It can't be.""Have you ever heard of something called a puppet?" Master Woods asked, standing to meet his gaze. "Maverick Jr was just a puppet, they allowed him appear as the leader to distract you from the main leaders and the real operations of that group." The words sank in slowly, although the evidence wasn't enough, Master Woods had always proven to be accurate in his deductions, yet Archer struggled to accept his theories."What about Doctor Mason of the Pure Brooks Hospital? He was a founding father of the Seven Divine Citadels before he joined the Libra. He and almost everyone else turned their backs on Maverick. Whatever was left of that group ende