CHAPTER 08

ANDREW

"REVENGE" I honestly replied. I know they don't want me to do it but I will only feel at peace once I avenge my family. Just by thinking about Matthew, how small he is, how helpless he is screaming for help while being slowly killed by fire, It makes my blood boil like molten lava.

Matthew, my innocent, sweet, and loving brother, doesn't deserve that kind of death. He is an angel who doesn't do a single bad thing in the four years of his existence, and they kill him without mercy.

"Andrew, let the authorities do it for you. Don't worry I'm doing my best to find the murderer of your parents. Don't stain your hand with the blood of the criminal." Dad said softly.

"Dad, please, I want to do this." This is the only thing that motivates me to live. I want to find those people and I want their life to end in my hands."

"But Andrew…

"Please." I pleaded. I do it legally." I know they could feel the sorrow and anguish in my voice. Every time the incident about my family is brought out it feels like I'm back to that day again. Dad sighed sadly and looked at Mom who was quietly listening to our conversation.

"Please, Mom. I want this. I want to learn how to use a gun, not only for my plan of revenge later but also for my protection. If those people found out that I'm still alive, I'm sure they'll come for me." They let out a sigh in defeat.

"Okay." Dad replied, but if some accident happens and you end up hurt you'll stop instantly"

"Okay, thank you, Dad, Mom."

***

Since that day I have gone to the shooting range after my class every day and studied martial art every Saturday and Sunday. After I graduated from Secondary school I enrolled at the Military Academy, where I became friends with Daniel.

Daniel is friendly, easy to get along with, and flirty. At first, I didn't like him, because he's so noisy. He keeps blubbering when his beside me. He talks about his girlfriend, and his life, even though I just ignored him.

But it doesn't Daniel. He was persistent and one day I was surprised by myself when Daniel asked me about my life story, I told him everything, about my family, about the sad past, and I feels good after that. It felt like my heart could breathe a bit after. That's the first time I saw him become serious and he hugged me.

I don't know why my tears fell from my eyes again after so many years, but they streamed down my face after I told him everything. Daniel just patted my back and let me cry. And after crying, I felt like the heaviness in my heart lessened.

Daniel smiled at me after I calm down. "Friends." He said and reach out his hand for a handshake. I let out a genuine smile for the first time and shook his hand.

"After we graduate here, I'll help you find that bastard who murdered your family," He promised.

"Thank you," I whispered. "But why do you want to be friends with me? I'm a loner and boring." I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, I just feel that you're going to be my best friend for life." He said smiling.

"I can feel that vibe too," I said smiling.

"Really? you did? Then why have you been ignoring me for such a long time? I'm following you like a pet dog, but the dog was treated better than how you treated me. You treat me like I'm invincible. He nag.

"I thought you were gay because your mouth talks nonstop like a gun."I joke.

"What??? Daniel screamed with wide eyes. "I'm A real man Andrew. I'm sure I like women's body parts and not men's." I burst into laughter for the first time seeing his reaction and he cackled watching me laughing.

"I'm just joking," I said between my laughter.

"I don't know, you know how to joke," He teased, smiling. I just smile and don't comment about it.

***

"That's the start that we become buddies or let's say, like brothers, that are always there with each other when someone needs help.

At the age of twenty-three, Daniel and I graduated from the police academy. I'm in the top rank in our batch, while Daniel is in the 3rd rank.

Mom and Dad were very happy and proud of me, and I wish my parents were there as well as Matthew but I know it was only wishful thinking because we cannot bring back the dead.

As soon as I graduated I was offered a position at the Police Department, together with Daniel Our team was the Ace team, who handled big cases, like drugs, gambling, and prostitution.

I was very happy about that, that means, I'm nearing finding my family's murderers.

***

At the age of 26, we solve some big cases that give us some recognition and awards, but I'm not happy about it because, after three years of doing my job, I don't find any lead about the scorpion tattoo that I had been looking for the past years.

After three years there are two others added to our team. The two fresh graduates act like a kid and I don't like them. They're Jasper and Derek. Derek was so annoying. He loves to tease his comrade, while Jasper always acts cute, like a kid.

I don't like them to join our team but the higher-up was the one who back them up. Daniel is no different from me, he was annoyed at them every time they were in the same room with us.

One day we went for our operation and we brought them with us for the first time. We raided a drug den in an Isolated area near the dock.

I asked them to just stay in the car as a lookout because I still don't trust them, and I don't want something to happen to them while they are under my command. But I was surprised when we were inside the den, I heard Jasper's voice in my earpiece.

"Sir, there are 20 men inside, they're scattered everywhere, but there are five on your right side hiding at the wall."

"Okay, thank you," I whispered.

"They're approaching you, sir," His voice sounded again in my earpiece. I ready myself, holding my gun.

"Sir, five feet away," He said. I could hear his finger tapping on his keyboard fast.

I smiled. He isn't useless like I thought.

"Derek is at the top of the building watching around, sir."

"Good. Be careful both of you."

"Don't worry sir, we can manage."

***

The fight broke up, and the sounds of the gun inside the building. Derek starts firing at every man that he sees and he hits it all bull's eye.

While Jasper was working fast on his computer giving instructions to all his comrades inside on where to hide where the enemies were.

And after 30 minutes the mission was successful. Andrew smiled as well as Daniel when they came back to the car.

"Great job," Andrew said to Jasper and patted his shoulder. He grinned proudly because for the first time his superior complimented him. A few minutes later Derek came back carrying his sniper gun grinning.

"You see that sir, we're not weaklings here." He said proudly. Andrew chuckled and patted his shoulder. He couldn't deny that they've done a great job in this mission

"Okay, okay, I saw it, no need to brag about it." He said smiling. Derek grinned.

"So, we're now welcome to the team." Jasper and Derek asked in unison with hopeful eyes.

"Tsk! Who can decline the computer genius and a sharpshooter to be in their team?" Andrew said smiling.

"Yes!!! The two squeaked and hugged each other like a kid.

"That's what I really don't like about the both of you, act your age," Andrew told them.

"Me too." Daniel butt in.

Derek and Jasper pouted and broke the hug. "We're not like this when we're on the battlefield, we're like this because we just want to remove our mind to our job, we want to forget that we killed people. This way at least we can act like normal people having fun and act as we wanted." Jasper explained.

"Tsk! Whatever, just don't squeal when we are on the battlefield." Andrew teased.

Daniel laughed at his joke, picturing Derek and Jasper squeaking while the bullet chased their asses. He shook his head to remove that funny thought in his head, chuckling.

"What so funny, Danie?" Andrew asked his chuckling friend.

"I just imagined these two kids squealing while the bullets are chasing their asses." He said laughing.

Andrew also chuckled when he thought about it.

"Yah! On the battlefield, we are a man, a man." The two said, crossing their arms over their chest.

"Okay, just don't squeal, because if you two did that, we're going to lose because all of us going to laugh." He teased more.

"Brother!! Derek and Jasper whined calling him brother just to tease him but Andrew smiled instantly and vanished. Jasper and Derek look at Daniel confused, because of Andrew's sudden change of mood, but Daniel just smiled at them.

"Let's leave," Daniel told them. They both settled inside the car and went back to the headquarters quietly with their men following behind them.