Found out?

"Mr Ryder," Ryan said, taking a glance at the silver watch on his wrist. It was 6:22 am already and he knew inwardly that he was running out of time. "Believe me when I say I mean no harm. I'm just trying to help you out here. I totally understand your plight and—"

"You know nothing!" the reporter cut him off, "You're just here trying to manipulate me to do your bidding, which of course I refuse to accept,"

Ryan sighed. "Seems like you don't get me, Mr Ryder. I have proof. The SBO has proof. And only God knows who else has proof about your involvement in the different news relating to John Ruben,"

The reporter flinched a little. He looked tired as he had been trying to compose himself from the outset. This is not how it was meant to turn out, he thought. "I don't understand what you're talking about," He managed to say.

"Of course you do. Just accept my proposal and I promise to help you in the best way I can,"

"Please, it's best if you let me be. I don't wish to have any problems with you big shots. As you can see, I'm trying to secure a better life for my daughter."

"And that will definitely happen once you agree with what I'm proposing." Ryan said, persuasion outrightly evident in his voice.

The reporter shook his head, intending to disagree with Ryan's words. "I'm sorry, I can't," he said. "I just can't. I'm in a mess already and I'm not ready to get into another mess. I think it's best you leave now, Mr Stones. I've got work to tend to,"

"Mr Ryder, you need to think it through. You and—"

The reporter raised up his right hand to hush the other party. "I'm begging you to leave now, Mr Stones. Please,"

Ryan shook his head in defeat. He had tried his best but the reporter still remained adamant about being unwilling to accept his proposal. Right now, there was nothing else he could do but throw in the towel. Persuading him the more could likely lead to an unpleasant situation.

"Do you mind having my line then, should in case you come to a compromise?" He asked.

The reporter hesitated at first, but finally agreed to it. "Fine, I'll have it."

He tucked his hand into his pants pocket and brought out a piece of paper which he had supposedly prepared beforehand. "Here's my card," he said, holding out his hand to the reporter. "It's got my personal and office line. Do well to reach me anytime,"

The reporter nodded while accepting the card. After, he turned to exit the place, entering into his apartment immediately.

Soon as he was out of sight, Ryan stared at the door of the man's apartment for a while before turning to leave.

'Didn't actually go well,' he thought. 'I just hope he gets to change his mind. Having a kid at times could make one's bottom line hysterical. I'm sure he's afraid of exposing his child to danger. That is probably his biggest fear at the moment. But wait, I didn't get to ask him how he managed to get the kid...'

He suddenly stopped on his track. He had totally forgotten about that. That particular issue had actually been bothering him since meeting the reporter minutes ago. But trying to convince him took a toll on him. He felt the urge to go back but he resisted it totally. There was no point doing such.

He moved over to where his car was parked and stood in front of it for some minutes, pondering over the situation. At last, the harsh weather became more effective to his skin, especially since he had standing out for a long time, and he quickly proceeded to open the door to the driver's seat. Putting his hand onto the handle, he got into the car and was just about to go through with the motion of turning on the ignition when his eyes caught the sight of someone familiar.

His expression twitched at the sight. His jaw dropped. He was confused, totally lost for words. He sure was seeing the right thing, wasn't he? His eyes weren't playing him, right?

He rubbed on his eyes to get a clearer vision and then realized after that he wasn't being played at all. This was real. It wasn't any sort of hallucination or illusion. Simply life and flesh.

What the hell is John Ruben doing here?

.....

"Rasmus! Rasmus! What's wrong? Why aren't you answering me?" John called out to the being repeatedly. This was the first he was seeing the being lost in thoughts. Although, it was the third day they had both spent together on earth, squashing the days they had been together in the realm of nowhere — The pathway.

[Give me a minute, I am trying to think.]

The being telepathically spoke to him and he couldn't help but sneer.

"You can have just said it," He said.

'Why would the man called Ryan Stones actually be the chosen one?' Rasmus thought. 'I refuse to believe that. From his previous life with my host, they never had a fallout of any sort, not even a bit of encounter with each other.

Whereas, the man had no cheeky nature. Neither was he all calculative, asides having a witty attitude.

There should only be one person qualified to be chosen, which I decided not to reveal to my host. Could it be that my speculation and that of my lord's has been wrong from the outset?'

"I've come up with an idea," John said, interrupting Rasmus' thought. "I'm going to go see Stephen Ryder in his home this instance."

From behind its gear-filled face, Rasmus' eyes seemed to have narrowed on hearing that. "And how do you plan to accomplish that?" It asked the man who kept his gaze on the 3D substance it had created.

John turned to look at the being. "Actually, so as to prevent Ryan Stones from recognizing me, I'm planning a disguise,"

"A disguise?"

"Yes,"

"Which of the appearance of the colleagues of Stephen Ryder would you like to take on?"

John was caught off guard. What in the hell? Had he given the being access to his mind? How did it manage to see through his plan?

[Your sinister smile, which of course are unaware of, proved what you had in mind.]

Rasmus' voice resounded in his head, making him realize how it actually came to be. His expression had actually told it all and of course, he didn't realize. Inwardly, he had to face palm himself for his lack of self-control.

"Before that," He said, regaining his composure, "give me the depictions of the ones he's close to. From there, I could decide on which to choose,"

Rasmus motioned its hand to swipe on the 3D substance, making the effects on the display change to an entirely different thing. On the display now were the portraits of three different personalities, certainly Stephen's closest colleagues. They had their names displayed underneath their portraits with other relevant details.

"The first," Rasmus began to say as it pointed to a portrait of a man with a spiky cream hair and beardless face, "is Stephen Ryder's best friend. Works in the same department as him and is ahead of him by a year.

"The second," It said as it motioned to the next portrait of a man with dark hair and a moustache, "is the brother to his supposed girlfriend. A superior in the company and has a hand in Stephen Ryder getting the job.

"The third," It moved over to the third portrait, "is his direct partner in live reporting. Stephen Ryder is not so much as close to him as to the relationship with the first two, but he has a secured relationship with him."

John ruminated on the details just dished out him. He switched to look at the profiles clearly to decide on which to choose. "Who stays nearest to him? In terms of residence?"

"The third. Lives less than twenty minutes away,"

"Then I'll go with the third," He said, looking at the portrait of the third man whose name was clearly stated: Ken Shaw. The man was a blonde and had a feminine touch to his appearance. In as much as John detested the girly-looking man, and would much preferably choose the first man over him, he had no other choice but to go with him in order to effect his plan.

"And yes, remember to make my voice compatible with his," He quickly reminded the being before it made a swipe of its hand.

"It is done," Rasmus said after. "To the outside world, you now look and speak like Ken Shaw. Whenever you need to change back to your own appearance, do a mind communication with me,"

"But I haven't mastered it yet,"

"I have taught you how to use it already. All you need now is to work on making it effective while using it. Try it now and see,"

John closed his eyes. He blocked any intrusion in his inner sense as he focused on the way of mind communication which he had been taught before. He needed to gain access to Rasmus' mind so as to communicate with it via telepathy.

[O– Okay.]

After some time, he managed to achieve his first progress in telepathy communication which had a bit of crack. Nevertheless, it was a success after numerous trials.

[For now, this is okay. More effort into it and you will become much better.]

John walked out of his car and made way to the bend which leads to his target's residence. As he got closer to the building he had seen on the displayed substance, he saw a car parked close to it.

Instinctively, he turned to look at the car when he noticed the driver staring at him confusingly. It was that Ryan Stones he had seen earlier on the display. And with the way he was being stared at by him got him worried. Has he been found out?

"Why is he staring at me that way?" He whispered to Rasmus who was invisibly accompanying him, maybe it could find out the reason.

But the being had a worry of its own.