Chapter 5 (Intruders)

Nikolay witnessed something different that afternoon at school. The perceived love between brother and sister. The definition of family. He decided to believe in their sibling-hood from the moment he saw them messing around in the rain. Not that they gave a damn anyway. That bond he saw, was something he didn't have with his family. Breakfast was an issue, dinner was war, his Father was a criminal in a tuxedo, his Mother the most submissive housewife ever and his sister a straight out pest. He walked into their Mansion, the place Ian and Keres were supposed to hit at night and threw his bag at the door. He could do that since he's Dad wasn't in.

"Oh my God, you're soaking wet! Claudia said picking up the bag. She wasn't going to wait till Diego came in. Did you stay out in the rain?" she asked

"Yeah" he replied

"But you hate wet and dirty things" Stellar said making that awkward face

"Yeah, but it just happened" he said and made for his room

"You also like the rain. Don't question your brother" Claudia said. Nikolay stopped in his tracks and glanced at his little sister. Maybe there was a way he could build their relationship to be like that of Ian and Sally.

"You like playing in the rain?" he asked

"No way, I'd get mud all over my pretty hair. Gross" she said. No, there was no hope for that sweet relationship. While they were still debating on the rain and mud issue, Diego walked in looking so worn out. The news about the school was taking a toll on him. He never imagined that what he and the school Principal were doing would cause him any damage. Exhausted from working like he never did before, he sat on the closest sofa and took off his coat. Nikolay began to look judgingly at him.

"Do you have something to say?" Diego asked

"Are you going to cover it up?" Nikolay asked

"Cover what up?" Diego asked feigning ignorance

"The bribery case involving the school" Nikolay replied

"Oh, that's not true at all" Diego said

"Not true? I literally saw the persons involved come here and personally hand you the money and then you gave the Principal his share of it. All evidence regarding that case is right there in your study and you say it's not true?!" Nikolay shouted

"Nikolay, don't talk to your Father like that!" Claudia cautioned

"How much is it? How much is it that regardless of the huge amount of money you already have you still stoop so low to receive bribes" he asked

"Nikolay.... Diego started, What ever I do is for your future and that of Stellar" he said

"I don't want that future then. I don't want a future that is being built up with the corpse of innocent people. I don't want a future that is being built up with bribes and lies"

"I don't want that kind of future and I certainly don't want the kind of Father who builds up a future like that for his son!" Nikolay said and raced up the stairs like a little boy reprimanded by his Mother. Claudia dragged Stellar away with her to avoid getting Diego upset. And thank goodness she did that because the next second, he sent the Television to the ground.

Sally, now Keres with the help of Ian came up with the perfect plan to steal the evidence Diego said he had. The plan looked brilliant on paper but Ian kept having second thoughts on the whole thing. If they were caught they would end up in juve and spend the rest of their lives having a criminal record. Keres looked like someone who would be proud to tell her child 'your Mom has slept in a holding cell' but he didn't sign up for that.

"Keres, I don't like this plan" he said

"Hold on tight" she zoomed off on the bike

"Keres, please let's turn around and go back home. We'll think of a better plan than this" he said

"Don't worry. Hunter and the rest took care of all the CCTV cameras around the street and in front of the house so my identity wouldn't be revealed" she said

They finally arrived at the Diego's Mansion and stopped few meters away from the house

"Remember what I told you?" She asked

"No, I don't" he said and looked away

"Come on, Ian. Let's get this done and over with, okay?" she requested

"Fine" he said and walked ahead of her. He walked up to the security guards standing outside the gate

"Hello Sirs" he said

"What do you want?" one of them with the voice of God in a children's Sunday School movie asked

"Em, my friend lives here and he asked to come study for our home work tonight" he said smiling

"No one here informed us about anything, please be on your way" they said shoving him aside

"Oh ho! How can you push me away? If he finds out you're going to be in trouble" he said distracting them

Keres simply walked past them without the guards paying attention to her. She moved to the back gate, found a car parked by the side of the wall and mounted it. Flew over the wall in a flash and settled on the grass. She tapped her inter-com and connected with Ian

"I'm in, withdraw"

He fake-dialled a number on his phone and turned around to make sure she was really in

"Oh, Nikolay you aren't in? I see, we'll see tomorrow then and trust me, tell your Dad to change your security" he said pretending to be on a call

"See you boys later" he said and walked away

"Nikolay? Why did you use that annoying jerk's name?" She asked

"I just thought of it" he said

"There are better names than that" she insisted

"Are we really going to dwell on the name? Do you want me to go back to the guards and change the name of the person I was talking to on the phone?" He asked

"Just locate the circuit box" she gave in

"You didn't even let me get on the bike first before ordering me around" he complained

"Just do it!" she half yelled impatiently. He mounted his drones and began controlling them.

"First floor, to your right before the guest bathroom" he said looking into his phone

"Shit!" she swore and hid behind a tree

"What?!" he asked

"Why didn't you tell me that they're guards parading that area?!" she asked

"Well, you asked me to check for the circuit box, and that I did" he said

"Fuck you"

"Hmm, like the sound of that" he said like a pervert

"I'm going to rush at them" she said

"Suit yourself, the least that can happen is you ending up in juve" he said

"Not helping" she said through clenched teeth

"Go Keres! You've got this!" he said

"How's that?" he asked

"Whatever!" she said and slowly retreated from the tree. She walked briskly towards the guards in front of the circuit box and hit them from behind. They fell unconscious instantly and she dragged their bodies into the guest bathroom

"Okay, now that was sheer luck" he said

"Luck doesn't come like that Ian" she said and switched off the circuit box

The whole building went dark

"Go! Now!"

She ran into the house taking the stairs three at once and got into the living room

"Honey, what's wrong?" she heard a woman say. She stopped dead in her tracks from the shock. They were supposed to be asleep.

"Don't stop, keep going!" Ian yelled noticing the GPS on her stop. She began to move again

"Don't worry, it's just the power" she heard a man's voice

"The office is in the master's bedroom" Ian directed

"How am I supposed to get in?" she asked whispering

"You're the one in the house right now. Improvise!" he said

She followed the voices and sneaked into the room

"I'll be back. Let me just go and check the circuit box" Diego said

He nearly bumped into Keres as he made to walk out but she hit the wall

"Use your head!" Ian yelled nervously

"Should I wake the children up?" the woman asked

"If you wish" Diego said and walked out

Keres sneaked into the room just before the woman left

"Okay, I'm in" she said

"The study is in the wall" he said

She began to push the wall for a few nerve racking seconds and finally located it. Surprisingly, the light in the study was still on

"The files are inside the box on the shelf. Diego might be a crook to have switched them so make sure to check" he said

"Got it" she said and began to search in the box. Sure enough it was there

"It's here, Ian. It's all in here" she said and took them out of the box

She placed them inside the bag she had strapped to her back

"Replace them with another file" he said

"Already done that" she said and made to go out. The lights suddenly came on

"Shit!" she said taken aback

"What?!" he asked

"The lights are back on. If Diego was able to locate it then he'd probably see the guards that I knocked out" she said

"How could he possibly see them?" he asked

"Because they're supposed to be guarding that area!" she said and began to run out of the room

"Mom? What's wrong?" she heard a voice. She stopped in her tracks

"That voice?" she said

"What voice? Keres, get the hell out of there!" Ian yelled fearing she would get caught

"Shutting down all exits" a digitized voice announced. Diego knew they had company and was prepared to trap who ever it was inside the house. Keres swore angrily and walked out of the room.

Nikolay heard the noise she made and saw her leaving his parents room. He saw a birth mark on the person's face and the hair. A girl

"Hey!" he called out but she jumped out of the window

"Nikolay?! What's wrong?" Stellar asked as he rushed to the window

"What's wrong son? Did you see anyone?" Diego asked rushing in with a club. No way in hell was he going to talk to his criminal Father.

"No, I didn't" Nikolay said and and walked back into his room. He looked outside his window and saw two people getting away on a bike

Keres had jumped over the fence again and landed on the road

"Ah!!!!" she yelled. She had sprained her ankle.

"What?!" Ian asked thinking she was caught

"Get here. I just sprained my ankle" she said

"Okay" he said and drove the bike to the back of the Mansion and picked her up

"Go, go!"