When It All Began (Part 2)

The coffee shop was not just a coffee shop but also a bookshop that has been there for decades now. Probably Nic wasn't even born yet when the coffee shop was established. It was obviously flourishing because it was located amidst towering corporate buildings and universities and good management.

It was cozy from the outside and the inside. But Nic's favorite spot was the table in the part of the bookshop because it was secluded. He likes his privacy.

He sat in his usual spot and gaze outside the glass window where he could see cars and people passing by. That's his usual morning. Or if it was impossible for him to come in the morning because his dear mother would insist that he join them for breakfast, he would go to the coffee shop any other time.

But he would definitely not miss a day.

A few minutes later, the owner slash server of the coffee shop came to his side with a tray in her hands. She placed first the plate with pancakes and fruits in front of him followed by a cup of coffee.

Nic mumbled a simple thank you to which the woman replied with a practiced smile and then she turned around and walked away.

After spending an hour, which was an unusually long time eating breakfast, Nic left the coffee shop with a destination in mind. He planned on meeting someone later that day but since he doesn't have anything to do and his father was not calling him for an errand, he decided to meet that person, unannounced earlier than he planned.

Nic doesn't have to worry that the person he is going to see is not in his apartment because the said person never leaves his apartment day and night unless necessary. He lives and works in his apartment.

After thirty minutes, Nic drove to an apartment complex where the man he was going to meet owned an apartment. He parked his car in front of one of the apartment buildings.

Soon, Nic was punching the passcode of one of the apartment units on the top level of the building. Since he was one of the friends and trusted by the owner of the apartment unit, he knew that passcode.

Once the door opened, he entered the apartment unit. It was an open plan where he could see the small kitchen, the small dining table, a bed, and a sofa. He wondered why the man opted for a small unit when he could buy himself a penthouse or a whole house with the amount of money he has in his bank accounts.

"Why bother throwing the man in the sea when you can just burn him and bury him deep into the forest?" Nic asked as he stood behind a man who was in front of a lot of computer screens.

"What are you talking about?" The man didn't even look away from his computers when he asked indifferently. He was not even surprised at the sudden arrival of a visitor because he had already seen him coming. Blame it on the multiple computer screens in front of him. He sat lazily on his swivel chair but his eyes were alert and active as they moved from one screen to another.

Nic, who was dressed in stylish and high-quality clothes, stood in the middle of the man's apartment. If it wasn't for the bed and small kitchen, one would mistake it for a security agency's control room with the number of computers taking up most of the space.

"You know what I am talking about, Tim. Jacobi Roone," Nic said. He stood with an air of power and authority as expected from a man who was born into the country's most powerful couple. Nic was the heir of the country's most prestigious private army company and he was expected to take over in the future.

But nobody knows who he really is or who his parents are. To others, he was just an insignificant person who was just passing by the streets of the city dressed in fine clothing. While others would have mistaken him for a celebrity or a supermodel because of his good looks and outstanding presence.

No one knew that in just a couple of years, Nic Parker will be the chairman of the country's most prestigious private army company.

While the man in front of him might have been working as a low-profile assistant to Nic's twin sister, he could be one of the most wealthy, smart yet dangerous and lethal men in the country.

"So that people would stop searching," Timothy replied with an air of indifference. It was either he doesn't care or he had expected Nic to find out the crimes that he has been committing uncaringly.

Nic stared at the back of his friend's head before he shook his head. Then he turned around and walked to the sofa to sit. "Aren't you afraid that evidence will be traced back to you? Especially that it was Megan who was leading the investigation?" He asked though he knew that if it was Timothy who tortured and killed Jacobi Roone, there is no way Timothy would leave any evidence. Nic was sure of that.

And if there is anyone who will be able to solve the death of a serial rapist that was Jacobi Roone despite the missing pieces of the puzzle, that would be the investigator who was handling his case.

Megan Li.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Megan Li is their friend. Nic wondered how Megan would react once she found out who the suspect is and what she will do. That is definitely something to look forward to.

"No, because it won't," Was Timothy's instant reply as if he didn't have to think about it. Because he was certain that he would not be caught.

Nic believed him. Because he had never met anyone who was as meticulous as Timothy Hayes.

Timothy could see every minuscule detail and was so perfectionist that he wouldn't be able to sleep until he thought everything was perfectly planned and implemented as per his standard of perfection.

Nic draped his arms on the backrest of the sofa. He crossed his leg over the other and said, "I wouldn't be surprised if Megan would one day come here skipping happily to arrest you," He was looking at the screens in front of him until his eyes landed on the screen that shows the very woman he just mentioned.

Megan Li was walking around the harbor no doubt finding clues that would lead her to the suspect for killing Jacobi Roone.

Jacobi Roone might not be a saint. Heck, he was a serial rapist who had raped countless women in the past and very much deserved what happened to him. But still, he was killed unlawfully no matter how unlawful he was.

But the way Timothy did the unlawful act against Jacobi Roone was almost impossible for any good investigator to be traced back to him.

Unless the said investigator was Megan Li.

Megan Li is like the female version of Timothy Hayes. She was smart, a keen observer, and very meticulous. She always pays attention to every minute detail no matter how insignificant it is.

That is why Nic was not doubting that Megan Li would somehow sooner or later find out that the suspect for Jacobi Roone's murder among others is Timothy Hayes.

Nic was right though. Megan would be happy to arrest Timothy, friend or not. Because even though they were in the same circle of friends and grew up together, Timothy and Megan were archnemeses to each other.

They were like a cat and dogs that would clash the moment their eyes met. They were like oil and water that cannot be in the same breathing space. They cannot talk civilly because the moment they open their mouths to say something to each other, insults and curses were the only words they could utter.

If given a perfect opportunity, they would definitely kill each other.

Megan would definitely take every opportunity to put Timothy Hayes in his place. And if she finds out what Timothy did to Jacobi Roone and the others, she would definitely light fireworks to celebrate.

But the question is, will Megan Li inform her chief about it and arrest Timothy Hayes?

Timothy was confident that she wouldn't as he said, "She would definitely be happy to arrest me but she won't," Before Nic could ask why he was so confident, Timothy turned around to face him without standing up and asked, "What do you want?" He knew that Nic did not just come to his apartment to reprimand him. And he was right.

Nic didn't even hesitate and straightforwardly said, "We want in,"

Timothy's eyes darken. "We?" He asked.

"Me and Mason," Nic replied.

"No," Timothy instantly answered and then turned his back on Nic to continue doing whatever it is that he was doing.

As the eldest among their circle of friends, Timothy felt that it was his obligation to look after them and make sure that they were always safe. And he would do anything to ensure that. So there is no way he would allow them to commit a heinous crime just because they thought that it was fun.

Unless…

Nic quickly stood up from the sofa and walked toward Timothy. He pulled a vacant chair beside Timothy and sat there with his body facing him. "Oh, come on, Tim. You know that we could do what you are doing. This time, it will be better because you will not be working alone. We will be a team," He said.

Timothy doesn't doubt that Nic and their other friends could do what he was doing. After all, they were trained like a soldier, or more like a mercenary as they grew up. Their fighting skills and gunmanship were incomparable. They could fight to protect themselves and the people around them.

They were well versed with any kind of computer system like the back of their hands. They could break and manipulate any kind of computer system to steal, change or destroy information with just a flick of their fingers.

But they were trained to do that to be able to protect themselves, their family, their friends, and the people who needed protection and help. Not to hurt people even if it was in the name of fairness and justice.

But when Timothy turned his head to look at Nic, he saw the determination in his eyes. Timothy narrowed his eyes at him and asked, "Why do you want to do this?"