End of a Friendship

After finished stripping and packing the riffle in a secret part of my suitcase then cleaning up the room, I dress my self up with a formal suit and cover it with a long coat. With the suitcase in my hand, I walk out of the seven stars hotel room, calmly going to the elevator on the end of the corridor.

When the elevator arrives at the ground floor and the door is opened, I walk to the lobby. There, all attention is on the big screen televisions that are placed on some corners of lobby's wall.

"What's happened ?" I ask the receptionist behind the desk with a thick Eastern accent while giving him the hotel room key I just used.

"Our president was shot!" the receptionist answers me with a little stammered. It is obvious that he is still in shock hearing the news by how pale his face is.

I deliberately open my mouth and bulge my eyes to show my shock. I then immediately turn my head to the television that is still report the news.

"... he was just carried by a chopper to the hospital," a voice of a reporter is heard. "We still don't know how is his condition now. There is no official words from the presidential people."

Then the screen shows a slow motion moment when the president was shot while the reporter is still talking, "It is clear to see that he was hit on his left chest... Gosh!! And he just fell like a dead man..."

"Mr. Nakamura," the receptionist calls from my behind.

"Hai," I reply after turning my body to him.

"Your checkout process is clear," He informs me.

"Thank you.. thank you," I say with bowing my upper body to him before I walk, dragging my big suitcase toward the lobby's door.

----------

A month ago.

"You're out of your mind.." I hissed while my eyes were still staring at the name written on the paper. When Sara didn't respond a thing, I turned my head to her, to accept her deep stare at me.

"You must know that I am friend with his daughter, right ?" I asked her just to confirm. And she confirmed it with a single nod.

"I know. And she knows," Sara said solemnly.

I sighed. "Do you really expect me to ..."

"I expect nothing," Sara halted me. "This is her order."

"What... Why..." I exhaled heavily again. "Why is he be the target ? Is it only because his daughter is my friend ? Is it only because of me ? We're not suppose to target innocent people, right ?"

"Royal Knights are," Sara said. "Are you? a Royal Knight ?" She asked me with a vivid pity in her tone.

I could only give her a deep stare to answer her question.

"Or are you changing your mind ?" Sara asked me again after I only being quiet for few minutes. "You don't have to do this if you decided to join Royal Knights again," Sara offered me the same thing as Mrs. Rauss did.

"No," I answered decisively. "I won't change my mind."

-------

I stand among hundreds of people crowding the front of Central Hospital. They gather there to pray together for the President who just got hit and still in critical. A big screen is placed in front of hospital. It is reporting the minute by minute condition inside of the hospital non stop.

"The surgery to take the bullet from our beloved President just finished. The team who performed the surgery said that it is a successful procedure. The bullet is successfully taken out from President's left chest, merely an inch from his heart."

I frown to hear the reporter's saying. With the sniper riffle that the organization was provided for me, I am more than confident to be able to precisely hit the target in two and half miles, moreover only for couple of miles like what I jus did. Something's not right.

Movements from both my right and left distract my thought. Four muscular men in fast but systematically approach me. I quickly move, sneaking out in between the crowd trying to get away from them.

I finally am able to escape from the crowd and I quickly go to a blind alley where I hid my motorcycle. But when I enter the alley, I can feel a gun muzzle is placed onto the back of my head.

"Just follow me and no one gets hurt," The person hisses.

I of course don't obey him. Instead, I tilt my head to avoid the bullet incase he fired it. Within the same time, I hit his epigastrium with my elbow. Right after that the four men that chased me from behind arrive and overrun me.

Only after with so much struggle, combining defense and attack movements, I finally can beat all five men. Still panting for breath, slowly I stand up from the ground, when I hear steps from the mouth of the alley.

"You really are a great assassin, Score." Thief's voice makes my head tilts up toward her. Thief walks closer toward me.

"Thief... I'm sorry," I only can say that to this teenager. I lower my head, unable to see anger and sadness in her eyes.

"Are you really ?" Thief challenges me. "If you are, at least you can let these useless guys beat you up," she continues then kick one of her bodyguard that lying on the ground. "Get up !! All of you !!"

Hearing their boss' order, one by one those muscular men stand up staggeredly.

"Beat him !" Once again, Thief orders them. The muscular men stare at one to another, hesitate to start what they are ordered. "You hear me ! Beat him up!!" Thief repeats her order. "He won't fight yo back," She adds before glares at me, " Won't you, Score ?"

I reluctantly nod. Only after seeing my nod, one of the muscular men approaches me and hit my stomach. The hit is so strong that makes me jolt and fall onto the ground. After that first hit, two bodyguards pull me to stand up and hold me tight while the other three beat me in turn.

Almost all of my body are blacks and blues while blood is also starting comes out of my mouth and nose after receiving I don't know how many fists and kicks from those three men. I barely lost my conscious when vaguely I hear Thief's voice, "Stop !" and the torture I receive is immediately stop.

"I thought we were friends, Score," Thief says with a thick disappointment in her voice.

"I was forced to," I put all my energy to voice out that sentence.

"I knew you were. If not, you won't send me a warning about it, right ?" Thief says in so much satire. I reply her with nothing.

"What... ? Do I have to thank you because of your warning ?" Thief asks me back with a smirk on her face.

"Jen an my baby are in critical.."

"So is my father... at least that what the public is known now."

"They... the organization promises to safe them when I agree to take one mission..."

"Which is killing my father..."

I nod. "I'm sorry... I have no choice. They're my family..."

"And my father is mine !!" Thief says with so much anger. "And... and that man... that poor man was his stunt double. And you said you wouldn't kill innocence.."

Once again, I reply her with nothing.

"Oh, what should I expect... you also said that you won't harm your friend's family !!"

I close my eyes with a deep frown. It hurts me more to hear that from Thief. But I know that it is totally my fault this time. I have no excuse to defense my self.

"I'm sorry.." I murmur once again to Thief when she once again signaling her men to beat me up.

Thief has every right to be mad at me. I guess, I still consider my self lucky that she doesn't report me.

Half of my soul has left my body when the beating is finally stop and I can feel my body being thrown away to the corner of the alley. With an eye that can only half open, I see Thief approaches me and squats next to my face.

"The only reason I didn't report you is because you saved my sister from that predator," She hisses. "But we are no longer friends now, Score. It ends."

She then stands up and about to leave me when I call her with merely a whisper, "Thief.."

Thief stops her walk but not turning her body nor her head to me.

"I didn't send you the warning message," I struggle to make my self heard by her. Thief turns her head to me. "It's not me." Thief frowns but then she turns her head back and leaves me.

"Thief... There is someone from the organization in your father circle," I try hard to scream that out. It is either Thief doesn't believe me or she doesn't hear me. But Thief just keeps on walking leaving me alone.