Monster

I breathed heavily with Rene's question. I diverted my sight at Deither who is giving me his usual acid eyes.

"They are after you." I announced.

Rene roamed his eyes on the area while mine traveled on his bledding shoulder.

He got shot. On the other hand, Deither is shotless and untouchable.

"Who?"

Not impressed on the attack, his belittling voice aired up.

There was this much number of men and he still finds time to ridicule it?

I caught more dead bodies scattered around the area. None, aside from the two persons I saw them kill, reached a near distance on their position. The two of them against all those bodies on the ground, I can't help but agree with him. I forgot they are not an easy target too. And that they are not just holding a title for nothing.

They scream versatility and power.

Since Deither and I are not the talkative type of comrades, a moment of silence happened after his statement.

"I got her by the back." Rene menacingly said after a moment of cautiously watching the area, waiting for a possible attack. "Critically."

"How do you know that she is the traitor?" I asked back because he has encountered a lot of enemies right now, he can be wrong about that. I needed to see the reason behind that confident conclusion.

"She has the mafia's tattoo on the back." he seriously stated.

I silently noted that.

I left first while they stayed at the range. I am on the way back to the center when I caught someone driving away from the center. The light on the street gave me a favor when it lighted the open window of the woman riding the car.

I caught a glimpse of her hair before her window closed.

That is a familiar color.

I stopped at the gate and immediately dialed a number.

"Rene where did you encounter the traitor?"

"On the office, fourth floor. Why?"

"Nothing"

And I immediately ended the call.

I parked my motorcycle abruptly, not minding the dead bodies on the floor, but still conscious of my surroundings. I used the elevator to reach it fast and entered the widely opened office, which turned chaotic right now. I picked up some of the scattered paper on the ground and the desk, but didn't read it because I am not interested in the possible information it may bring me. The window is also widely opened so I walked there and skimmed outside for a possible encounter.

I am about to leave the room but paused as I took a glimpse of something on the floor. There is something that made the papers strangely bulky under a cabinet.

I walked back to check it. I bent to remove and reach the papers covering it.

Someone left a handkerchief here.

I immediately grabbed and examined it thoroughly. I am about to throw it away but didn't because I noticed something when I unfolded it. On the lower right of it is a little stitch.

C.B

I automatically hid the handkerchief behind me when someone suddenly entered.

Vien and Rex rushed to the office. I ignored and passed by them snobbishly, making Vien irritated at me again.

"Thank you Rex! Thank you Vien!" she sarcastically remarked.

They still can't know about this. This is just a wild guess.

-

The evidences are presented to me but there is something bothering me.

The next day, I am in the cafeteria, pretending to be eating, but my real goal is to wait for a certain group to enter so that I can extract more information that would cancel my doubts. I've been here for about 40 minutes and I couldn't even see a single sighting of any of her friends. And I am growing impatient of them not appearing here. I am near to exploding.

Finally, after an hour, the group entered the cafeteria. I didn't make any move to get near them, of course. We are not friends so I can't obviously just block their way and talk with them. And the last time we interacted face to face was in the arena where I hitted the two women. That wasn't a good background.

And I hate that they just keep on sitting together, with their unending animated talks. Aren't they bored hearing each other voices and looking at the same faces every freaking hour? Aren't they tired of gossiping?

Deither entered the cafeteria at the same time the familiar girl who is sporting a short skirt and shirt from the group stood from her seat. And based on what I can follow on her mouth, she excused herself from the group to go to the cr.

I silently stood up from my seat as soon as she completely exited the cafeteria. I met Deither's hooded eyes before I took the exit.

She took a turn and is on the way to the comfort room. She is looking for something on her sling bag when I abruptly pulled her and push her on the wall just near the door.

I raised a brow at her exaggerated grunt. Also, a pad fell off her hold. Her eyes widened before she irritatedly grimaced at who it is that's bothering her.

Seriously, why is this center full of wincing girls? And why do I need to always face such?

"Where is your friend?" I demandingly asked and her forehead creased of my sudden appearance.

"Why would I tell you?" she said, playing brave. "And friend? I have a lot in my circle! Get off me!"

I slapped her hands hard when it was about to touch me.

"The blonde one," I described.

"I have a lot of blonde friends DUH!" she sarcastically answers back.

I let a little shiny knife pass her eyes as I aim it at her. If she will not give me proper information, I'd better just stab it in her neck. I promise to keep digging till she met scraps of throwbacks.

"You know very well who I am pertaining,"

Now she looked alarmed at the knife on my hold and how it is getting nearer her neck.

"I don't know!" she nervously denied still so I pressed the knife on her, cutting her a little to make her know I am not satisfied with her answers. I can probably draw a line in her delicate neck if she would deny it longer.

"Damn! Okay... fuck!" she said, but I continued doing it still.

"Fine!" she yelled.

My ears throbbed on that.

"Beatriz is not here! She is not here! She left days ago. She plans to quit the mafia! She is now working normally in a café! She told me not to tell this to anyone but-"

"Where?"

"At a café in San Francisco!" she shakingly shouted. Eyes still darting at the knife which is not already pressed on her, yet still near her neck.

How trash. Just a little cut and she is ready to betray her friend? Is the mafia fond of accepting dumb and ineffective barbie dolls?

This one is a dumb pick, Luther. Tell me about it.

And what made that woman trust this snake? This one looks so clumsy and worthless. Just a little blood out of her body and she is ready to sing?

I can bleed a lot of blood for the people I treasure. No matter if it leads to my death.

"Any idea where she is yesterday?"

"She is out of here, okay?! And what do you think I am? A walking tracker?"

I removed my hands from her and hid the knife in my pocket, but then returned it back because I wanted to observe more of her expressions clearly.

How sure am I that what she is saying is true?

She is, after all, a liar.

I eyed her more, remembering her face when that woman is fighting with me.

"Stop acting now, I know what you are and what you are doing," my eyes shaded dark watching her confused expression.

"So try bluffing with me now— unlike them, I am not oblivious of your deceitful pretensions."

Her hand gripped loosely on the strap of her bag. And her once incompetent aura turned into a crooked and sly one that surpassed my expectations. How cunning.

"I don't know what are you talking about." she denied in a low voice.

"You are a fake. A user. A snake waiting to spread venom."

"So, stop pretending as if you care about her safety here. We both know you don't. "

Minutes of silent denial passed before she suddenly laughed at my revelation. Now denying is a useless case for her.

Well, excuse me but she doesn't deserve a laugh.

I skillfully threw my knife and it passed just a cm away from her cheek. The knife got stuck on the wall. A few cutted strands of her hair landed on the floor and some are on her clothes. Her laughing did stop just like how I wanted.

"You sounded so happy that it irritated my ears. People like you should be stripped of such privilidge." I stated. Neverminding to pull out the knife behind her.

I walked out of there because I have no use of her anymore. But then I didn't expect to meet a more dangerous animal, preying on me as I turn in my room's hallway direction. He forcefully pulled me and harshly made me enter the first emptied room in the hallway that someone surely owns.