The Coins and The Trouble

'Are you still my sparrow, you asked?' I thought, smiling softly.

"It will never change," I answered with my eyes closed.

Seated at the back of the car, Callista responded in a low voice, a warm smile on her face. "Okay..."

Bert continued driving, while Madame Rosaria smiled gently but remained silent.

When we arrived at the Grand Palacio Hotel, Madame Rosaria and Callista headed straight to their Presidential suite. Bert and Elle stayed behind with the other guards to give instructions.

"Aren't you going to check your penthouse suite, sweetheart?" Madame Rosaria asked.

"No, I want to stay here and hear the report on the painting first," Callista replied, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Alright," Madame Rosaria answered with a loving smile.

We moved to the study room. Once both she and Callista were seated, she gestured for me to begin my detailed report.

Callista looked at me with eager eyes. I smiled back.

"Yes, Madame." I straightened up, standing confidently before recounting what had transpired during the mission.

Rewinding to the day of the mission.

Like Señor Caloy said, the trial began after I left his house with Elle.

Elle looked at me and said, "There are no clues given, and we don't know where to find his people. We don't even know who they are."

"Let's start with possible options—his properties here in Vigan, his businesses, other houses, and people close to him," I suggested, walking toward the car.

"Got it. Good thing the file Madame gave you included some information about him. I checked it earlier, and I've also prepared a backup plan in case something goes wrong with the deal. I think we can use it," Elle said, smiling as she entered the vehicle.

"Good. Let's do that," I replied, starting the engine.

We went to a quiet café to discuss our plan.

"Señor Caloy is a retired military official. He has both legal and illegal businesses, but he's a good person. He's not involved in drugs or human trafficking," Elle remarked, reading the file.

"Then what is his illegal business?" I asked curiously.

"An underground fight ring—an illegal fight club on the outskirts of the city," she said eagerly.

"You want to start there, do you?" I frowned.

"Well, I think he expects us to go there anyway. He's counting on it," she replied with a smile.

I believed that was the case, so I nodded in agreement.

We drove to the outskirts of the city and approached a small marketplace. We showed the passcode from the file to an elderly woman and explained we were visitors of Señor Caloy. She looked surprised but agreed to accompany us. We then headed to an old, rundown house. On the street, bystanders acted as if they didn't see us, but I sensed their vigilance and killing intent.

"Stay put. These are Tata Caloy's people," the elderly woman whispered, opening the door and giving them a sharp look.

"Come in," she said warmly, gesturing for us to enter.

"Thanks, Nay!" Elle responded.

Inside, we found a small room with a secret door leading to an underground tunnel.

"This house is very old. It's the ancestral home of Tata's family, used as a shelter during the Japanese invasion. The basement was used to protect the townsfolk. Now... it's a fight ring," the elderly woman explained.

"Tata is a big fan of fighting. He prefers settling things with his fists when he was younger," she added with a light laugh.

At the end of the tunnel was a door.

"Come in—someone will assist you inside," she said, opening the door and gesturing us forward.

"I'll wait here. Don't worry," she said before closing the door behind us.

Inside, the place was crowded and noisy. The fight was underway in the center—an octagon-shaped cage, just like in the UFC.

"Welcome!" a middle-aged man with missing front teeth greeted us warmly.

"Like Tata said, you're really going here first," he continued.

"We're looking for the coins," I nodded.

"Of course—the old coins! You can get three here," he said, tapping my shoulder.

Elle sighed with relief, smiling at me. We both felt it wouldn't take long to complete the mission now.

"Do you fight, Toto?" the man asked, smiling.

"Yes. And I'm ready to start right away," I replied.

"Good! Good! Hey! Clean the ring!" he ordered.

The crowd paused as both fighters were escorted out and three kids began cleaning the ring.

"We have three coins. Two with our champion, and one with a foreigner. That foreigner was supposed to fight someone else, but I got a call from Tata," the man explained.

"I see," I said, walking toward the ring.

"Good luck," Elle smiled.

"Brave of you," the man said, laughing.

"Where should I place the bet, old man?" Elle asked eagerly.

"Old?" the man echoed, then burst out laughing.

As I stepped into the ring, I scanned the area: not just locals, but foreigners as well. The venue was fully air-conditioned, with imported liquors and an octagon cage—like the UFC.

It seems Señor Caloy is making a lot of money here, I thought, astonished. I had assumed it was just a small illegal fighting arena.

Suddenly, a loud clang echoed—the cage door swung open, signaling the start of the fight.

"Can you really fight me?" my opponent said as he entered the cage.

He was tall—nearly 2 meters—with scars telling stories of many fights. Despite his rough appearance, he carried a quiet strength.

I didn't reply. I simply looked him in the eyes.

"He's the foreigner! Worth a coin—do your best!" the announcer shouted, laughing.

The bell rang.

Clang.

He threw a quick, hard punch. I blocked it and jumped back lightly.

He threw another punch. I countered with a front kick. Our fists and kicks collided, knocking us both back slightly.

"Good!" my opponent said.

The crowd roared, chanting and cheering.

"Fight! Fight!" they shouted, some yelling, "You got this!" others, "Come on!"

Fans clapped and stomped, the noise rising.

I will give you a good—" my opponent barely managed to say before I acted.

I attacked swiftly, moving with a quick, precise motion. In a blur, I slipped past him and delivered a direct hand chop to his neck. The impact was clean and accurate.

Suddenly, my opponent crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

The crowd's cheers abruptly faded into silence. A hush fell over the arena as spectators looked around, some confused, unsure of what had just transpired.

I looked at the man beside Elle and, smiling, said, "My win."

"Yay!" Elle cheered, excited, clearly having bet big on me.

"Wow," the man said, nodding with respect and surprise.

The crowd erupted again as I stepped out of the octagon, the roar of applause echoing behind me.

"Tsk. Here!" the man said, handing me three coins.

"Why three?" I frowned, glancing at the coins. Elle had already left to collect her winnings.

"Tsk! You think I'd let you fight our champion? You're boring. It seems you're in a hurry," he sighed with a slight smile.

"Go. Take care," he added softly, gesturing for me to leave.

"Thank you."

Outside, the elderly woman was waiting.

"That was faster than I expected," she said, smiling.

She accompanied us outside—the night had fallen.

She told us there were no more coins to be had here.

"Before we part ways, I'll tell you who has the next coin," the elderly woman said calmly.

"It's with Tonyo. Tata's right-hand man," she added, her tone suddenly shifting.

I paused, a flicker of suspicion crossing my mind. Are we heading back to Señor Caloy's house?

"Really?! Thanks, Nay!" Elle said, her face lighting up with excitement.

"Don't thank me, Neneng," the elderly woman said quietly, her voice calm but with an unsettling, icy edge that made the air around us seem to grow colder.

Elle's eyes widened as she sensed the change in her tone. She glanced at the woman, confusion and caution flickering across her face. The warmth was gone, replaced by a sharp seriousness that made her hesitate.

Suddenly, I sensed someone approaching swiftly.

The sharp, sudden sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed—squelch—and I felt a stabbing betrayal at my back.

"Roy!" Elle gasped, shocked.

I was stabbed but reacted immediately. I tried to grab the attacker, but he evaded with a quick movement, attempting to stab again. I dodged and kicked him while drawing my gun.

I fired, but he sidestepped and grabbed my hands. I used the opportunity to kick him again, while pulling his balaclava off.

My eyes widened when I saw who was behind the mask.

"Tata Tonyo!" Elle shouted, drawing her gun and shooting—but the old man evaded and quickly disappeared into the night.

I was stunned. A mercenary who had survived countless battles—yet here I was, caught off guard and stabbed in such a brutal, unexpected way. Elle's eyes widened in shock too, her own combat skills unable to prevent this betrayal.

"I told you not to thank me," the old woman said calmly, watching us.

The bystanders just watched us silently—no one helped.

"Go seek Tonyo and get your coin," the elderly woman commanded.