III

A mirror breaks upon a drastic bullet hits it before a man in his thirties fell dead to the floor with a hole on his forehead. Anyone from the room never dared to speak. They are swallowing their lumps as they fear they would be next to have that hole on their heads. They just failed their boss and there is no way they could escape his anger aside from death itself. They could see his eyes in rage and desire for blood.

"YOU'RE ALL IDIOTS!" His voice echoed around the corners of the spacious room. "How did a single leech slip you? You've got all the weapons to use!" He forms his fists into a ball and throws each of his men a deadly look.

He can't just accept the bad news they brought to him.

"I'm sure that we hit her with one of our poisonous arrows. She won't make it live."

"Where's the body?" He gets near to one of his men who dare to still reason out. He feels like grinding him into tiny pieces when he can't answer him. Words could be mixed up into a lie. He wanted a live proof. Without a word, he shoots him right on his heart then, leaves him lying dead on the floor. The blood starts to spill on the floor. "Who's gonna be next?"

All of them step backward. Of course, no one would dare to end his life.

"I can make your blood cover this whole room if you only stand here and not finish the mission I gave."

With that, all of them lower their head and leave the room in a sudden rush.

He stares at the dead bodies lying on the floor. His men did not even mind cleaning these scums, but this neither concerns him. His mind is in trouble now. A single poison could not kill a smart leech.

"A! BULLSHIT!" He shouted in so much anger. She will never let him free, but he will never give her a chance to make her live longer. He gets his phone from his suit's pocket and dialed a non-registered number in it. "Scorpion," he calls to someone who answers the phone in one ring. "I want you to finish this job for me. I'll give you double rewards if you could bring her to me, dead or alive." He hangs up. "Let's just see how good are you in escaping death, Number Thirteen," he said while trailing the scar on his face that was long ago marked by his mortal enemy. He was about to imagine his mortal enemy's body lying dead when his phone vibrated on his hands. He looks a bit surprised upon reading the caller's name, but gains, immediately his intimidating posture and answers the phone. "Father." His voice sounds submissive. "Just hunting some wild animals as you told me, but I'm on my way there, now," he manages to say before the other line hangs up.

Alex squeezes her eyes shut each time Simon would touch her wound. It hurts like hell. The pain is all over her left leg. She does not know the medicines he is using to treat her, but she trusts him. That could not be another poison. She prevents herself from making a sound out of that pain else, Simon would toss her in the air. He looks so, damn serious and when he speaks, his voice is really cold. She wonders if he is the same person the first time she woke up in this room. Even Natalie is quiet while watching them. Not her usual noisy state, but she smiles when she would look at her. Perhaps, Simon got mad the other day that Natalie almost cried out when she has no painful wound to cry for. She should be the one crying.

"How do you feel?" Simon asks, coldly.

"Your medicine is a double-edged sword," she comments, but there is a bit of complaint in it.

Her wound is already painful then, the medicine stings more like to death. She wonders how is she enduring this kind of pain.

"That can help your wound for fast healing. Better if you just handle the pain," he says like she is not doing it yet, but she says nothing and just nods. "Your wound is still bleeding from the inside. I suggest you refrain from moving too much." He faces Natalie. "I'll be out in the woods. Don't let anyone gets in. Got it?"

Natalie confirms with several nods. When Simon is already out, Natalie breathes in relief that makes her laugh a bit.

"How do you feel?" She comes closer and sits on the bed looking at her face, intently. It becomes Natalie's habit every time she gets closer.

Can she give her the same answer?

"Not that severe compared to the first day I woke up. You look unusual a while ago."

"Unusual?" Her forehead creases.

"Too quiet." She smiles at Natalie.

"Oh, you know? I'm loving that smile of yours. It's charming."

She shakes her head in disbelief with this girl. She seems to have a crush on her.

"Well, I hate it being quiet in almost an hour. It's like the world has collapsed, but Simon is always Simon," she starts complaining in fast talk.

She wonders where this girl's tongue is made of. She admits it, Natalie makes her day lighter, making her forget the condition she is bearing. She is too comfortable to get along and has this light aura anyone would love.

"What's his field of study?" She asks this because she noticed Simon's expertise in the way he treats her wound. He is doing it properly without making any complications. It is just his character which is a bit complicated.

"Umm... He took medicine, but didn't finish it after our parents died." Natalie's joyful voice submerges in her last words.

"Sorry about that."

She does not know, her question would bring out their past, but it also awakes her thought of having parents. She did not speak it out.

It was already past midnight when Alex feels someone moving inside the room. She opens her eyes, slowly. She sees a silhouette standing in a corner facing her. The figure is familiar.

"Simon," she calls him.

"Mm? Go back to sleep. Don't mind me," he answers in a usual tone a normal person would use.

"But aren't you going to sleep?" Just how long was he standing there? He is acting like a guard.

"Later," he sounds, tired.

Silence fills the space between them. She tries to close her eyes and does as he told her, but she feels not used to sleeping when she knew someone is watching her. She sighs. She does not know why is he doing these things to a stranger like her? He seems protective, but she knows the way he looks at her. He is trying to protect Natalie from her even she is not doing anything. She could not blame him for that. She even does not know what kind of person she is.

She opens her eyes.

"Sorry that I added to your responsibilities and thank you," she manages to say. She feels like talking with Simon now. She just wanted him to hear her thoughts. "Don't worry, when I'm good enough to move, I'm gonna make it up to you and Natalie. I can help with the chores here. I just hope my memories would be back soon so, that it will be not too hard."

"When your wound heals, will bring you to a doctor. Your head must be checked," he says, seriously.

She is just confused why had he not brought her to a doctor if there is any to treat her wound?

"The hospital is too far from here. You might be dead if I brought you there," he explains like he has read what is in her mind. This amazes her. "Woman."

"Ha?"

He is the one who gave her name, but he is not using it to address her. That makes him odd.

"I don't wanna say this, but be careful. We both don't know what is outside there which is after you."

Her forehead creases. She does not get what is he talking about. Sounds like someone is after her life.

"What do you mean? Is someone after me?"

"What do you think of that poisonous arrow? It didn't pierce your skin just for design. It was from a crossbow."

She did not speak. He has a point. Someone is after her life that is why she ended in this house, but why she has not thought about this the very first time? And who could be after her? This means, her life is in danger more than this wound has harmed her.

"A crossbow?" She knows that weapon. It is for long-range targets. "Isn't that a high kind of weapon?"

"I don't know, but most felons use it."