Chapter 3

"Seora."

"Huh?" She asked in confusion.

"Where did you go?" The whisper was so serene that she couldn't hear it properly.

"What?"

"Why did you left?"

Seora dumbfounded. The voice belongs to someone she knew very well. However, it wasn't the voice that had scare her. It was what the voice had whisper to her ears next.

"I will find you Seora, and I'll kill you." The whispered begun to change into a grunt. "I'll make sure you will feel the most painful death, no one could ever imagine!"

Before she could protest, she felt a sharp cool metal being nudged into her chest. She still couldn't see a thing but the striking pain she had was becoming more excruciating than ever. Seora's eyes were everywhere and she felt it to her enamels.

The darkness were then lifted from her sight and she saw the face of the voice that had called for her. His grins grew wider as he pushed the sharp metal deeper into her chest, her heart to be exact.

"Argh." She exclaimed in frustration. Helpless.

"Argghhh!!" Another wave of pain washed her over.

"Arggghhhhh!!!" Another. Then another.

Then another,

another,

another

...

"Seora..."

"Seora..." A different voice. A new voice came into her sense.

"Seora! Do you hear me?" Again, a man's voice. Deep and husky. Sounds like she had heard them before.

"Seora Song!" It took her many seconds to realise the voice was shouting her name. Her hearings seems to be coated like she was listening to it while being immersed in a pool of water. Naturally, her vision has started to turn more clear and brighter.

"What?" She opened her eyes and immediately looked at her surrounding. In front of her was a face that by heart, she could recognise. However, her mind was late to recall them. The guy in front of her held her face in the palm of his hands. He slowly formed a smile and she could have sworn she noticed his eyes were teary.

'What is going on.'

"Seora. You had me worried." The guy whom she still searching in between the pages of her memories grabbed both her hands together. And as if it was a reflex, she pulled them away.

"Who are you?" She frowns deeper.

"I was so worried, you were mumbling nonsense and you were sweating so hard." The guy in front of her dabbed a cloth on her forehead. She felt the wet cloth on her skin as if what he had just said was true. Wait, what was all that before, was it just a dream?

But, it felt too real. That pain. That scream.

"Seora, are you okay?"

"Who the hell are ..." Seora was about to question this fella again but suddenly his face shows up in her train of thoughts.

"Wait, you're ..." She stumbled with her words. Trying to remember his name. "... you are..."

In her life, before she had gotten screwed over many many times, she had a friend. A boy who was a friend. The friend she would lend her help any time and vice versa. The kind of friend that shares the same feelings, and wanted the same thing. That one friend who would be on each other's back when needed. That friend she could trust her life with.

That one friend from her high school.

"Nicho?" 

Seora doesn't realise her voice had cracked as she said his name. It was so long ago she had said it. The guy in front of her smiled is satisfaction. 

"So you do remember." 

Her hazel eyes. The one he would never forgets. The pair of eyes whom he used to be fascinated by. Nicholas recalled his days when the two of them started the friendship. To him, as someone who had thrown away all those horrible past behind him, to be able to at least meet with someone like her, is overwhelming. A good kind of overwhelming.

"Why are you ..." Seora couldn't finish her words. Her eyes caught sight of the unique design of the room she was in. A blanket on her body, a room filled with suspicious eyes looking at her. It's like she was an uninvited guest who had barged into their private space. 

"Are you okay? You were tossing around while you're sleeping." She knew exactly as to why she was like that. But Nicholas doesn't need to know about that. 

"I'm fine." Nicholas was taken aback by the sharp response. Understandable if she would be mad but a tinge of sadness creeps into his heart when she seems to be less excited upon meeting an old buddy. A long hometown friend.

Seora examines the things around her carefully. The guy who claimed to be her friend, she examined him a little bit more. She wasn't sure but the more she stared at him, the more reason the brain trying to convince her that he was the friend she had before.

"It ... It's been awhile isn't it." Seora tried to revive back the dying conversation. "How have you been ... Ni... Nicho?" 

The air between them is clearly awkward. Seora wasn't the warmest person right now. The last thing she wanted was to bridge back any forms of relationship with anyone. She was on the ship with one goal in mind. Knowing that, Seora begin to plan her escape. Her wary eyes were looking around the room. Whatever or however she choose to leave, depends on how the situation and condition of the room.

But, she was at lost.

"Where are we?" She asked softly. It was only meant for herself to hear that but Nicholas was to good at noticing. "A private lounge. A friend of mine owns this cruise. You can let loose yourself here."

Okay. Now that's new.

The interior of the lounge surely wasn't existed in the main blueprint of the cruise. The one where all the commoners got the free access. By the looks of it, nothing seems normal about this room. She begin to calculate her moves carefully. Nicholas might look friendly now, but she knows he could be dangerous the next minute. 

Thinking based on experience.

\

Nathan sips his cocktail and savours the taste of it in his mouth while he reads the information displayed on the laptop screen. Hugh has always done his work meticulously well. He knows what Nathan wanted and what he expected. With these hidden background of that woman, he could finally get a grip on his enemy. 

Once they found her useful, then those people who had the guts to rival him could be toppled down.

Nathan remembered Luca's word out of nowhere. "I don't mind. As long as that bastard goes down and rot, I'm okay with anything. I know how you deal with people like them. It's just that ..." 

Their youngest guy had given them a little of his thoughts on the process. Apart from them, Luca and Kaysen were supposed to have more to say on the matter. But Kaysen was unable to join the parade and Luca seems to be doubtful suddenly. Especially after he founded the letter that that woman had left behind. The kid who almost never defies Nathan's orders, suddenly has a piece to speak out from his mind. He couldn't help but to think that the suicide letter did shifted the whole paradigm.

"Elliot send me a text." Hugh appears by the entrance, walking into the secluded area. "He said the troops are discussing something about our little rat. As what we had predicted, they picked up on her absence." Nathan nodded at that.

Taking Seora in and have her in their hands would somehow able to help them off the hook from the attention of those special forces. A person who was considered dead, was spotted in a cruise ship months after her death date. How does that explained her being in the ship? Normal people would immediately think either she was a ghost or she was associating with criminal activities that resulting her to do some extra identity changes.

"At least their attention has changed. Don't worry. I made it just like what you wanted." Nathan looked at Hugh's computer screen. He had shown him another footage of a woman dress up almost like that rat. She was walking along the corridor towards a safety boat near the edge of the cruise. A fake footage prepared special for those government dogs.

They wouldn't be on the cruise too long, especially when their original target had escaped. However, that doesn't mean these guys wouldn't pass a chance to get their hands on any evidences around. His smartphone vibrated from his pocket. Nathan pulled them out as he read the caller's name.

"How was it?" The voice of a man at the end of the line.

"Under control." Nathan heard the man sighed in relief.

"Thank God, I almost peed in my pants here." The man whispered. He sounds a bit rush and nervous the more he talks. "I can't talk long but I saw Hugh's text. We're still discussing here at the headquarter. I'll update as soon as the meeting ends."

The call ended immediately. He could care less about what was those troops were planning to do, but if it disturb any of his plans, he might go berserk.

By the time all those uninvited guests had cleared up the whole ship, Nathan had made sure nothing of them was left behind. That call from that person was enough to tell him that their deal today was leak by someone. It was impossible that any of his members were leaking such valuable information. Everyone was loyal to each other.

"Who do you think?" Hugh cut the silence between them.

"Who?"

"The traitor." Hugh's demeanor changed. 

"No idea." Nathan taking in more liquid into his mouth. He hiss at the zest of it. "But once we get him, he better be praying he's dead."

\

Alden and Luca watched the woman from the bar. The room was well lit and the distance seems close enough for either of them to listen to their soft talks. Alden cringe to all the moments while Luca remain observant. Apart from the rest of his friends, he was the one whom he thinks the letter was genuine. Despite Alden conclusive statement about her, Luca wanted to decide himself. And his heart was weighted more towards this person's innocence. 

"What are you thinking?" Alden asked. "Wait. Don't say it. Your face say it all." 

Alden was annoyed. Nathan and Hugh has not come out of their small room since the moment they had to be here. Luca seems agitated for some reason and Nicholas, his go-to duo partner seems to be lovestruck. 

"Urgh I miss my bed at home." He really hate this feeling.

While Alden can be himself, Luca choose to not care. He knows one thing about someone like her. Her behaviour, her demeanor, her actions. He knows all these are typical for people who wanted nothing but to leave. Luca thinks the only reason she hadn't was she couldn't find the exit door of this particular lounge. Her pair of eyes were to noticeable and hardly to be ignored.

A minute later, someone pushed the wall inwards from the other side. The wall that was seamlessly carved out to become a door, connecting the real ship with this private lounge had been made personally by non other than Elliot. He's a well-plan type of guy.

Nathan walked into the lounge with Hugh followed him closely. Alden and Luca watch them as they both make way towards those other two who were sitting by the couch. Hugh seems casual with one tab by the hand and a smartphone on the other. Nathan looks calm. He has always being good at keeping a poker face. 

"Nathan, I'm sorry I ..." Nicholas said as his eyes keep changing from Seora to his leader. 

"There's no need." He pat him by the shoulder as he's closing his distance between them. "I want a few minutes to talk to her." He searches Nicholas eyes and stared at them deeply. 

"In private." The leader was dead serious.

"Okay." 

However, before anyone could process what was going on, Seora made a spree towards the entrance which she had finally discovered. She was fast that everyone was stunned but not Luca. The minute those determined hazels noticed the only way out, she was predictable. Luca followed her closely behind.

"What the fuck is happening?" Alden yelled.

"That crazy woman! Is she dumb?" Hugh asked unbelievable of what he had just witnessed. 

Nathan and Nicholas could only sighed before meeting each other's gaze. Nicholas knew that Nathan wanted to talk something with him about her. He followed the leader as he saunter towards the secluded section of the lounge. A desk on display and Hugh's computer gears were all over the place. 

"So, what you need to know from me?"

\

This place is a maze. Seora had been running non stop since she got out of that place. She doesn't know how she managed to do that and leave midway of a conversation but she knows it was a reflex for her. She wanted nothing to do with her hometown friend or anyone from the room. Everything about that room and the people inside it seems too familiar to her. She hates that familiarity. 

"Huh...huh...huh.." She panted all the time but she keeps her feet moving. Each seconds count. 

Luca who was not far behind keeping his mind of the maze-like corridor. The woman couldn't know the way out of this place so easily. She might as well get lucky. He walked into the next corridor he noticed she took a turn into. There was no female body on sight and Luca had thought she had walked out of the door by the end of the corridor. 

"No way." 

But before he could sprint, a sudden leg had managed to trip him over and before his mind could process, he landed a safe land despite unable to see the sudden attack. He turned as he watch her came out of those piles of big and long gaseous passage. Luca doesn't know if she too smart or just too dumb. But the last person she wanted to go one on one with is him. 

Luca had been known for his close combat. Among the members, he was second to Nicholas, who by all means the best. 

"That's the exit right?" She asked him but Luca shows no reaction. He was not sure how much he could hit her because he's not some trash who hit women. Therefore, he's calculating the best option he could go for. He might have to strangle her or hitting her by the back of the skull. 

Seora on the other hand, had seen this coming. She was trying to make sure that the door is her final haven. Although it was a risk of having to duel with this guy, but she had no choice. She must outwit him. He followed her closely after she escape meaning he had been watching her moves closely before and his reflexes are good. Looking by the way he stands, Seora immediately knew he had something behind his sleeves. Therefore she comes up with only one solution.

Luca waited for her to move and he would but the minute she started to sprint towards him, he was at lost. He wasn't used to deal with women so it was hard for him to predict their movements. He was told that women are creatures who is unpredictable and he can see why Alden always warned him about one. The second she had close the gap, Luca was embrace by her whole body as she clung herself towards his torso. The inertia was strong which had cause Luca to staggering a few steps back but this woman in front of him is quite a genius. 

"I'm sorry." She mumbled softly, before hitting her head with his with a loud thud. Luca finally lose his feet and was pulled to the floor while the woman dismissed his body in one go and head to the entrance. 

Seora wasn't sure what she was doing but she put her heart into it. The minute she twisted the door open, she saw the light streak from the outdoor travels between the slit. She pushed the door open and walked out. But before she could think about anything, a silent gunshot was heard.

She stopped before she could process what was going on. Her head turn towards her side and she was met with a person whose eyes are clear as crystals. He shot her without a single thought. Like it was a routine for him. 

Her torso started to feel a little heavy and her clothes begin to drench with liquid she wouldn't dare to think. For all her life, despite her dangerous works, she had never been shot. Bruises and swollen are normal but a shot? Something so small and delicate like a bullet had never made it to her body. Let alone her internal organs. 

Before she looses her consciousness, she glared at the person again while the man looked down on her. Seora doesn't know but for once, those eyes scared her. The emotionless eyes that stared at her like she was a trash nonetheless. She hates this feeling. Then it clicked in her head that he held a paper by his hand. A paper where she had pour out every bits of her feelings into it. The same paper she had left them in the room. The same paper Luca claimed he had read them.

Was he trying to help her? She asked herself. 

She wanted to ask him more but her consciousness had started to deteriorate. She held his trousers tightly and he seems to be unbothered by having it stained with pure scarlets. Yes, she does feel like a mere trash now. How bittersweet that is. 

Before she could say a word, the last thing she saw was Nicholas sprinting from a distance. She smirked at the thought.

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yuuki