Chapter-29 British Airways Doha-London

Another hour to go before their boarding time. Cecilia leaned forward to Akiko who was communicating with Cathy.

"How does it feel to kill?"

Akiko raised her face with a surprised look.

"To me it was natural, Cecil. You must kill for a reason as strong as your desire to live. The most appropriate killing principle is in the animal world. Killing only because you need to survive. Not for fun or out of pleasure."

Cecilia was silent. She sensed that the Japanese doctor had life principles which deviate slightly from average people.

"Where did you learn all that? All those skills you did in the plane?"

Akiko sighed. She turned left and right for a moment. Smiling faintly and then without hesitation, she peeled the back of her loose shirt so Cecilia could see her shoulders and back.

Cecilia was wide-eyed. Akiko's shoulders and back were covered with tattoos depicting a samurai sword wrapped around a scorpion. It was both beautiful and dreadful tattoos to have for a woman as lovely as Akiko.

"Yakuza..." there was a low hiss behind Akiko. Andalas glanced at her then looked away.

Akiko cleared her throat. She winked to Cecilia. It was time to dig up information about Andalas.

Cecilia got Akiko's intention. She turned around and looked into Andalas' eyes.

"Andalas, you are a survivor. You are not affected by the BA bacteria even though you were infected. So, what's your secret? This is very important for the survival of humanity."

Andalas avoided Cecilia's gaze. The man kept his head down but his eyes shifted rapidly. He was cautioned.

"I don't know from a doctor's point of view. It's just that as soon as the leopard injured me, I felt uncomfortable heat and cold simultaneously in my body. I was just trying to hold it in like I used to when I nearly died several times from malaria."

Cecilia was excited waiting for Andalas to continue his story. It was an important part that should not be missed.

"When I was very young, I used to live in the edge of the forest with my father. We farmed in a remote area near the Bukit Barisan forest in Sumatra. I was stricken with tropical malaria. My father only gave me a mixture of leaves and roots, according to the teachings passed down in our family. The concoction tested like death. We lived far away from any health facilities.

Andalas paused for a moment. His eyes stared at the two new passengers who had just arrived and sat quite far from them.

"I had several relapses and almost died. One time I was in school and I had an episode which was worse than anything before. I was still in elementary school then."

Andalas stopped again. He stood up and stretched his body and pretended that he was feeling sore and wanted to go for a walk. Cecilia's and Akiko's eyes followed Andalas' slow steps around the crowded waiting lounge.

After walking from corner to corner, Andalas returned to his seat. His face showed no expression at all. Cecilia and Akiko were curious to know what made him do what he did.

"Coincidentally, at that time, there was an awareness session carried out by WHO officers in our school. Malaria was an epidemic in my country, so the WHO felt they had an obligation to educate us about the importance of prevention. After one of the WHO officers, who happened to be a doctor, examined me, I was taken to Jakarta because they thought I was in such dire condition. Long story short, I was not having a common case of malaria."

Andalas re-circulated his gaze to several points. Then continued.

"I was identified as having contracted an unknown virus from a newly opened primary forest. And it was very contagious. At that time, I was just a child so I didn't understand what was said. But after seeing what happened here, it might be similar to that."

Cecilia nodded. His whole story made sense. Andalas had been exposed to pathogens from tropical forests. The possibility for him to develop natural immunity against AB was very high.

"It was when I almost died that I was saved by doctor Aslan who later adopted me. He was the WHO officer on duty in Jakarta at that time."

Akiko was anxious to ask something to Andalas. But suddenly Andalas stood up and left rather hastily. The flight would be boarding in half an hour.

There was commotion when several airport security officers came into the waiting lounge and ambushed a young middle eastern looking man who had just entered carrying a large bag.

The young man tried to run away but the officers managed to secure him. The young man was taken away by several officers. Andalas reappeared.

"That young man was one of the Executor's trusted subordinates. I reported to the officers that he was carrying weapons and drugs."

"Is he really carrying weapons and drugs?" Akiko asked.

"Weapons that are not made of metal, yes. But drugs, I don't know," Andalas answered.

"Then what about your family when you were taken to Jakarta and treated by Doctor Aslan? Didn't they mind?" Akiko tried to untangle her curiosity.

"When I was brought to Jakarta, it turned out that my entire family had all died. Even everyone in our village almost died from the same disease."

Cecilia and Akiko were stunned. His life story turned out to be quite harrowing. They didn't want to ask any more. That was enough for now.

The voice of airport officer announcing the boarding time was heard on the speakers. Passengers started to stand up. Andalas grabbed Akiko's arm.

"We wait. Wear this. Watch the people I shoot with this laser pointer. Remember their postures and faces if possible." Andalas handed Akiko a pair of trendy sunglasses.

Before putting on the glasses, Akiko whispered without looking at Andalas.

"Won't people get suspicious when you shoot them with laser pointer?"

That was the first time Akiko saw a hint of Andalas's thin smile.

"You can't see this laser with your eyes. So, wear those sunglasses." Akiko nodded and put on those pretty cool glasses.

Andalas pointed his laser toward a well-dressed man, a woman in her thirties who was busy with her luggage, a young man in a hat and sunglasses, a woman wearing expensive clothes and jewelry from well-known brands, a middle-aged man with slanted eyes, and a long hair man wearing a large headphone bobbing his head listening to music.

Akiko took those people's traits to heart. They were certainly very dangerous people. She trusted Andalas completely by then. Akiko was about to take her glasses off.

"Wait! There are two more!" Andalas said in a low tone.

Akiko was surprised. Andalas pointed the back of two flight attendants who were dragging their bags in a hurry. They seemed to be running late.