Chapter 13: Mystery Person, Friend, or Foe?

- Hospital -

Caron's POV:

I visited Emory in the hospital. It was impossible to guess when will someone in a comatose state wake up. But sometimes, I couldn't help but wonder how he was doing. 

"I'm sorry, but nobody is allowed to visit Mr. Emory Livell right now."

"So...When will he be available?"

"Put your phone number here. We will notify you when the time comes."

"Yeah, no, I'm good."

Every time I visited, they never let me in. This staff had met me some times even before I went into hiding. He might not recognize me since I wore disguises... or he couldn't keep track of everyone's faces.

"Sorry, we couldn't help much, but please come back later."

"Can I at least pay for the medical bills? How much it is?"

I said in a whispered tone. It was risky to walk around with a large amount of money. I shouldn't let anyone see it except for the involved party.

"Such a good friend, aren't you?"

The staff answered in whispered tone as well, such a considerate guy.

"Thanks, so how much is it?"

I asked, still in a whispered tone. The staff beside noticed us whispering. He looked at me with suspecting eyes, but I ignored him.

"No need to, it was already paid in full."

"Huh...? Who did?"

"I can't disclose that."

They had no reason to hide it if the payment was from Emory's bank account. Someone else paid for it. 

I knew most of Emory's friends. Nobody seemed to be that close to him, but... I could never be too sure.

"C'mon, I just want to thank this guy..."

"Again, sorry we couldn't help much."

"I see... I changed my mind. May I put my phone number so I can get notified later?"

"Sure."

The staff gave me a book listing various phone numbers and a pen to write.

I didn't write my number. Instead, I slipped some money inside one of the pages. I couldn't pass it directly, but he should know it was a bribe.

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do about it?"

I asked as I gave back the book.

"...I'm really sorry. I...?!

As he received it, he noticed the money. His eyes got widen for a moment, noticing I was trying to bribe him.

"...No, sorry, I really can't."

Huh? that was unexpected... I remembered that Leader bribed this guy sometimes. Why the sudden change of heart?

"...That's too bad... Oh, I think I wrote my number wrong. Let me fix it."

I took back the book and pretended to write, got the slipped money back, and hid it in my sleeve. Long sleeves worked well to hide small stuff.

"Very obedient, aren't you? Must be boss's favorite."

I closed the book and gave it back to him.

"Haha, thanks. And you must be your friend's favorite. I'll make sure he knows about your visit when he's awake."

Not sure if he caught my passive-aggressive tone. But, whatever...

Now, what should I do? I could just wait, but... I felt like something was not right... 

It was not easy to have a change of heart. For that guy to suddenly not accepting a bribe... I bet he had something to hide.

I sneaked a tapping device inside the fake plant pot near the reception desk. From this distance, I should be able to hear the conversation at the reception desk.

As I left, another person talked to the staff.

"May I visit Mr..."

"Sure..."

I heard the conversation from the listening device and noticed that no visitors were banned from visiting anyone. It felt like only Emory was isolated from any visitors, which was... weird.

.

.

.

.

.

- An abandoned building -

Days passed since my last visit. Thus far, I heard nothing important from the tapping device. 

While waiting for useful information to come up, I burned some old documents. Those documents belonged to the organization. Since the organization was no more, I had to erase any evidence connected to them.

"I'm here to visit Emory Livell."

"We've been expecting you."

The sudden mention of Emory's name from my earpieces caught me off guard. It was a male voice, deep but not too much, probably a young adult.

Visiting Emory was not allowed this far, but he was allowed? He might be the one who paid Emory's hospital bills. I should hurry before he had done with his visit.

I doused the fire with a bucket of water. Some documents remained, but I should take care of those later.

.

.

.

.

.

- Hospital -

There were two long seats on each side of the hall. It was crowded, but I managed to find a seat. I could see whoever went in and out of Emory's room from here. 

The person I was searching for should be inside. Now I had to wait until he had done with his visit. My mind wandered as I blankly stared at the newspaper I brought to kill time.

"What are you reading?"

Suddenly, a stranger in front of me talked to me. She was a woman around my age.

"A newspaper, do you need something?"

"I thought you were daydreaming. Did you actually reading it?"

"It's impolite to stare, You know?"

"My bad, I was bored, so I tried to read the backside of your newspaper."

"Do you want it?"

"Maybe after you finish it?"

"I had finished it, just rereading to kill some time."

"Then, don't mind if I do."

She approached me to take the newspaper. I didn't notice it before since she was sitting. But when she stood up, she looked even taller than Emory. As she politely took my newspaper, I noticed that her hands had visible scars and burn marks. She might be working in a similar line of work like me, maybe something even more dangerous.

"What did you do for a living?"

She then looked at me in confusion, probably not expecting the question.

"How about you? You don't look like an average joe."

She said it jokingly. Answering a question with another question meant that she didn't want to tell me.

"Sorry, it was impolite of me asking for that."

"Dude, that's okay."

She then took the newspaper and went back to her seat.

As someone who deals with information, I couldn't help but get curious. But I shouldn't poke into someone else's business. After all, I had no team anymore to save me if anything dangerous happened...

"I'm done. Here you go."

"It's not even three minutes?"

"Nothing interesting. I was expecting worldwide terrorism or such."

"Haha..."

I gave a small chuckle. Not to her jokes, it was for her obvious attempt to avoid the topic.

She had no intention to read the newspaper. If she came from a similar line of work like me, she might be looking for specific news, but she didn't find it. Which was good for her because it might be something that she had to make sure not came out to the public.

Sometime later, the door to Emory's room opened. Unexpectedly, there were... three to four people?

"It's time to go."

It was the voice that I heard from the listening device. He might be the person I was searching for. 

"Okay, boss."

The tall woman that borrowed my newspaper went with them. She was part of the group. When she referred to the person as a boss, it instantly made me more cautious.

When and where did Emory meet those guys? Who were they to him? 

.

.

.

.

.

As the group left the hospital, I went to the reception counter.

"It's you again. As I said, wait after you get notified."

"Then, why are those people allowed?"

"Those people?"

"Those that can visit Emory while for some reason I can't"

His eyes widen hearing it. 

"That's..."

He opened his mouth, trying to say something, but then, he went silent. His eyes looked to the ground, unable to look me in the eyes, and his brows frowned. A typical habit of someone that unable to come up with any excuse.

"Who are they?"

"Those were his friends. They paid for his medical bills after all."

The staff insisted that they were Emory's friends. Even as much as accidentally admitted that they were the ones who paid it.

"Are you expecting me to believe that? I knew him for years, he had none of those kinds of friends."

"Maybe you don't fully know his entire social circle."

"Now you're pretending to know my friend that I knew for years? Nice try, but that ain't working."

"...Look, How about this... I'll let you visit Emory once, but you should stay away from those people afterward. That's what you want, right?"

"...If only you just let me do that from the beginning."

The identity of the group itself was still a mystery. But for now, I could visit Emory, and that was enough. I managed to get back the tapping device hidden inside the potted fake plant before I proceeded.

.

.

.

.

.

What... is this? 

Could it be, the actual reason they hid Emory was... 

Oh god... No...