Archer and Tangie buried their heads in the many scribble writings Professor Gary had presented to them. Despite the throbbing pain in her back, neck, and shoulders, Tangie pressed on, dissecting the theories.Flipping through the hundreds of pages of Professor Gary's scribbles, Archer became increasingly frustrated mostly because he did not seem to understand the methodology of the theories. But the one thing he had made out from the heap of books was; the Professor speculated that the human mind could be accessed. The concept of hypnotherapy was as popular as Hollywood these days, but Professor Gary's theories speculated a deeper access to the mind than just mere memories. The capability of heightening the mind's emotions and digging up the mind's darkest secrets didn't seem like a practice anyone would be interested in but surprisingly, someone was willing to pay a great deal of money just to have the unproven theory.It felt like a slow-burn revenge ploy, the strategies were w
It seemed like the next plausible thing to do. Master Woods clearly expressed his disappointment in Archer's deviation from his mission, even though it was for a good cause, uncovering Big Dot's identity was not part of the mission given to him.As he strode rather briskly towards the car, Mercy's words reechoed in his mind. "With great power comes great responsibility," he muttered under his breath, the words slipping out with visible effort. Archer was just about to step into the car held open, when Tangie unexpectedly hugged him from behind. Her eyes welled up with tears as she felt his pound heavily. Tangie thought it was the frustration of having missing pieces of the puzzle scattered all around, she thought her unsolicited hug would reassure him and at least soften his hard gaze. For a moment, Archer held still, his heavily pounding heart reduced its race, gradually coming to a slow rise and fall.But her consolation lasted only for a moment, soon Archer's fury was replaced
The room was filled with stunned silence as the broadcast came to an end, leaving a lingering echo of Archer’s words hanging in the air. Tangie sat there, her mind spinning with subtle emotions, even though she was hurting that he had told her to leave, she couldn’t help the sense of pride twitching the corners of her lips into a smile.“Wow,” Mariah’s soft gasp broke the silence, stirring Celestine’s reaction.“He’s lost it,” “It was unexpected, I agree, but… he handled it like he said he would,” Tangie said, her smirk widening into a smile.Mr Mathew leaned back in his chair, a sense of relief washing over him, yet Archer’s poise surprised him. “That man…” he muttered, turning to his daughter, “He amazes me,” he confessed.“Me too,” Tangie managed a soft sigh, smiling softly, but despite the smile, her eyes hinted the fear brewing inside. “I can’t help but think something is incredibly wrong,” Celestine mumbled, glancing at his wristwatch, the day was fast approaching sunset. As
Celestine gazed at the message from Lebanon, his thoughts racing in all directions. “What does it say?” Tangie asked, her voice quivering with urgency. Mr Mathew unable to contain his curiosity, strode briskly towards him and peered at the message across the screen.His expression softened as the words sank in.Tangie’s heart raced as she approached them, scanning their faces for reassurance that her husband was at least safe like they said.Finally, Celestine raised his gaze, his eyes reconnecting with Tangie as he read aloud. “The Poseidon night has been cancelled until further notice, please inform President Archer.”The words hung in the air, its meaning unclear to Tangie. “That’s a good thing, right?” She asked, “That could be a sign that he’s safe, right?” The anxiety within her weighing on her tone. “I mean, no one knows he has the Poseidon Statue, that could be a good reason to cancel…” “Tangie, that is not all…” Mr Mathew muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.Tangie’
As the evening gradually went from sunset to dusk, Tangie’s panic became more and more of fear. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as she flipped through channels, searching for any news about her husband on every TV station.Mr Mathew was running out of words of consolation, he couldn’t even bring himself to assure her that Archer would be back home. The night was deepening and not one person they had contacted had any information on his whereabouts.Celestine sat away in a corner, scrolling through pages of the black market, following a link sent to him by Lebanon. His attempts to trace the anonymous message that announced the auction cancellation were all futile, driving him to a near brink of insanity.Suddenly, the door bust open, and Tangie and everyone’s desperate gazes turned towards it with hope glinting on their features, only to be met with disappointment. Mariah walked in, her face etched with concern. “It feels like a funeral in here…” she said. “Keep quiet!” Cel
Tangie's eyes sparkled as the lights of the mansion reflected on the steely body of thee revolver. "I... I dont understand. What's going on? Why would he send me a gun?" Mr Adejobi’s expression remained solemn as he replied, "I don't know for certain but, the one reason I can think of is, he wants you to be safe.""Well, I can't shoot anyone, it is illegal.""Not if someone breaks into your home, and threatens you. It is called self defense.""Mr Adejobi, I don't understand, is anyone coming after me? I need to know, please.""I suppose he assumes that whoever is in desperate need of the items will come after him,..." Mr Adejobi explained, his eyes bearing his concern for her. As if a shot of adrenaline had just been injected in her, Tangie's squared her slouched shoulders, gazing at the gun with resolve. "A revolver allows you to shoot many times without reloading." She said, "I'm ready." Mr Adejobi released a deep breath he didn't know he was holding, he scanned the open field
Mr. Mathew fumed in the garden, his reason was Mr. Adejobi’s insistence on speaking privately with Tangie.He felt left out, but most importantly, betrayed by his daughter.Pacing restlessly in the walkway, the sound of faint laughter echoed in the air driving Mr Mathew’s hurt to anger.He pulled out his phone and dialed Archer’s number for the last time. He was going to scold him for his sneaky behavior.Archer’s contact went straight to voicemail for the third time and Mr. Mathew decided to find Big Dot himself. He wanted to know the dire thing about this man that would make his daughter ignore him. Equipped with that thought and a newfound confidence, Mr. Mathew stormed into the house to change into a better fit for the resolve. As he headed inside the house, echoing footsteps on the stairs stopped him abruptly. Tangie’s luster hair reflected in the light. “Tangie!” He called out, “Let’s talk for a minute.” “Now she’s ignoring me too,” he sighed, pivoting his steps towards the
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