Chapter 48.2

After answering her phone, Emily waited for the caller to speak; it was an unknown number but Emily had an inkling as to who it was. An inkling that was confirmed when she heard the caller speak.

"I heard you helped my boys," a calm and collected voice finally spoke huskily from the other end. "Wanted to thank you for that. Though they mentioned you have a . . . a proposition for me."

Papa John, Emily thought. She half expected him to call, knowing that he would be interested in her healing powers. Looks like the demonstration I gave to those two gangsters worked.

"I'd like to discuss this in person," Emily said. She looked around once to check if she was alone before continuing. "When can we meet?"

John leaned against a tree as he smoked a cigarette. He inhaled a deep breath, and blew it out, before speaking. "I'm free right now."

"Well, I'm not," Emily replied blandly. "And frankly, I'm not in the mood to visit you in Sumps when it's dark. You're not exactly located in the safest neighbourhood."

"Whoever said we'd meet in the Sumps?" John asked, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Just come down from the orphanage. I'm in the backyard, right where the big tree is."

"Are you stalking me?" Emily asked, her voice an octave higher than usual as she swallowed her nervousness back down. She knew that she couldn't portray a hint of weakness, especially right now during negotiations.

"Listen here, I don't have the time or the luxury to waste messing with a high-school student. I cleared my schedule cause I wanted to see what you had in mind. But if you're not interested . . ."

"Alright, I'll meet with you," Emily answered, quickly relenting.

This is it, she thought while taking a deep breath to steady her thoughts. There's no turning back now, not when I'm so close.

Emily slipped away from the orphanage and headed for the tree, unaware that Melanie was watching her from a window while swirling her wine glass between her fingers.

Isn't this a surprise, Melanie thought with amusement as she decided to spy on Emily. She took a sip of her wine while watching the former with curiosity flashing through her eyes. I wonder what she's up to . . .

She reached into her pocket and brought out a small drone that visibly looked similar to a mosquito. Releasing it into the air, she sent commands from her Holo-lenses into the drone that speedily flew off with a buzz after Emily once it received the command.

Emily walked slowly to the large tree, her movements betraying her cautiousness. Before she even reached the tree, she saw a tiny glow of Amber that glowed brightly for a second before dimming. Leaning on the tree was John, his gaze up at the sky while his hands were gloved in his pockets. He took another deep breath of the cheap cigarette in his mouth before turning to Emily.

"Volunteering for a day in an orphanage? Quite altruistic," John murmured sarcastically through his cigarette.

"I just happen to like kids," Emily replied in a measured voice and John chuckled.

"Right. Nothing to do with Jason, eh?" John turned to look at the orphanage, his eyes glowing under the cigarette with reminiscence. "You know, where we came from - me, Jason, and the others - there was an orphanage there too? But this place? It's like heaven compared to there."

"That bad?" Emily asked. She wanted to get straight to business, but hearing John talk about his and Jason's past had her change her mind.

"Worse," John answered with a puff. "Mercs would pick up kids from Europe and Africa. Said it was to replenish their ranks, but we were nothing but . . . expendables to them. Sometimes, they'd pick up kids who weren't talented with a gun. Those, they'd get sent to the orphanage instead of the battlefield."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Emily said when John paused and sighed.

"Yeah. The Mercs treated them much nicer til they reached puberty," John replied scathingly. "They were 'fattened' up with food and comfort, and then used by the adults as 'relief'."

A sickening knot formed in Emily's stomach as it churned the wine she had earlier.

"And Jason . . . ?" Emily asked.

"Knew how to dismantle and clean a gun by the age of four," John answered, his pondering eyes on Emily. Her reaction told him just how much she loved Jason. "He was too valuable to be in that 'orphanage'. No, no. Jay was . . . different."

A mosquito shaped drone landed on the tree branch above them and focused its mechanical cameras on the two.

Interesting, Melanie thought as she observed then from her drone. Very interesting. Isn't that one of Jason's . . . frenemy? Mmm . . . oh, how I'd like to skin him alive for betraying Jason.

Melanie, during her younger age, did everything she could to uncover the secrets of Jason, the one she loved, like a stalker. Hence, she discovered what had occurred to him in Budapest and knew he had a fallout with John. Her eyes glinted with killing intent as she considered interrupting Emily's meeting with John but she quickly shook her head, changing her mind.

No. Jason could've killed him anytime but refused to do so. Whether it's sentimental mercy or a simple lack of regard, he hasn't killed John yet. So neither will I. Besides . . .

Melanie focused on Emily and smiled deviously.

It's much more interesting to see how this all goes. Jason might even break up with Emily, and that would mean one less tramp to share him with. Yes, that would be much, much, more interesting.