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Chapter 1
Wes
After gathering information from my boss, I decided to begin my search with full force. I knew exactly where to go, how to do what I was supposed to do, why I was doing what I was supposed to do and when I was going to carry out the operation.
Mr. William Carter had always been a very crafty and cunning man, too smart to be caught by just any means. One must be very tactical when dealing with him. I worked with Williams for over five years before I decided to take another route in life, different from the one he was trailing. All those years I worked with him, he had proven to be a man with nearly all attributes of "being perfect." He was hardworking, straightforward in all his dealings, disciplined to a fault, very meticulous, and security conscious. I never actually showed him how much I cared about his welfare before I left to be with my new boss, but I did care about him and had always wanted to emulate all attributes he had. He was my mentor. But life always has a different story for us to tell rather than the one we initially thought and imagined.
I now have a new boss, and I am not regretting working with him one bit. My boss, Mr. Stones, is a very smart man with great business ideas. Working with him has broadened my ideas and knowledge about businesses and how to run them – whether in secret or out in the open. Working with him has taught me that "business opportunities are like buses; there is always another one coming." It has also taught me that "in business, success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts." I have learned so much from him in the past few years, but even with everything, due to the kind of business Mr. Stones is operating, we live every day watching over our shoulders. I was a little tired of that kind of life. Having to always be careful about where I go, things I say, places I eat, and so on. It was the same kind of life I lived while I was still in the security agency. Even though we were catching bad guys, we still had to be careful not to get involved in anything related to the police or any armed forces because we were a secret agency, not legally approved by the government, but we deemed it fit to assist the police officers in every possible way we could in doing their job – catching criminals.
I longed for a free life now. The kind of life where I could get married, live peacefully with my wife and kids in a very quiet and serene environment, visit places openly with my family, and not have to hide from anything or anyone. But I doubt that will ever be possible because I have done a lot of things in my past and present life that either keep me on the run or have me chasing someone like I am doing with Will. I hoped silently that all this would come to an end very soon. Even though I had very little faith in what I hoped for, there was still faith as tiny as a mustard seed left in me. But for now, I must catch our target: William Carter.
I had to carry out this plan with every level of organization, making sure everything went according to plan because we did not want this second operation to end up as the first one did. It is just unfortunate that I have to be going against my one-time mentor this way. Mr. Williams is one person I am very sure has kept each of our moves to heart for the past few years, and that is one reason why we must capture and torture him mercilessly for him to keep his mouth shut about anything concerning our business. My boss and I were quite aware of the fact that he loved and cherished Kathleen Cruz, and that was exactly who we were going to use as bait for the second time. I had followed every one of their movements these past few days. I paid a private spy handsomely to do that for me. He came back with a very detailed explanation of their whereabouts. I was happy I gave him the job, and it was worth the pay.
On the second day of their vacation, I visited the Andersons, where Kathleen Cruz lived. I knew full well that Kathleen was not going to be around, but still, I went straight to her apartment and knocked on her door.
"Hello? Is anyone in?" I knocked persistently.
I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve. I wanted to call the attention of the Andersons to myself. I needed them to be aware of the fact that someone came visiting because I needed to drop something quite important for Will and not Kathleen.
"Hello? Is anyone home?" I kept on knocking. Finally, Mr. Anderson came running down toward Kathleen's house.
"Who's there? Who's knocking at Kathleen's door?" Mr. Anderson shouted from afar.
"Good morning, sir," I greeted him so humbly. “I am here to see Kathleen Cruz, sir.”
"And who are you if I may ask?" he asked suspiciously
"I am a distant friend of hers, and I just came into town a few days ago, so I deemed it fit to say hi to her before going back to my abode. But, unfortunately, I lost contact with her so I couldn't reach her. I have been here for quite a while now, but it seems she is not home. I was almost leaving when I heard your voice," I told him
"Yes, she is not home right now, she..." Mr. Anderson paused, and I wondered what he was thinking about. I smiled within me because I felt he was trying to hide something from me, and there was nothing he could hide from me. I knew almost everything about their whereabouts. "Never mind, '' he continued. “You could just drop a message for her, and I will deliver it when she returns," he assured me.
"But, sir, do you have any idea about where she might be right now? I could probably go and meet her there, you know?" I asked pretentiously.
"Even if I did have an idea, I do not think I'll be able to tell you anything because I do not know you. So, the best thing I can do for you right now is collect whatever message you have and deliver it to her whenever she returns. I'm sorry, that is all I can do to help you."
"I appreciate your help, sir," I told him. I had everything planned already. I had written down a well-detailed note to deliver to Mr. Anderson for Kathleen, and I was assured if that could get to Kathleen, then it would get to Will. I handed the note to Mr. Anderson and pleaded with him to deliver it to Kathleen.
"I'll be back, sir. Please give this note to Kathleen. She will understand who I am when she reads it. Thank you very much, sir."
"You are welcome, Mr. Man." I left almost immediately. I watched as Mr. Anderson turned back to his apartment with his hands folded at his back, holding the note I gave to him.
I knew I was going to return to Kathleen's apartment, but the next time will not be for a good reason. I rode away slowly on my horse, galloping gently through the quiet and lonely path of the staff quarters that afternoon. I wondered where everyone had gone to for everywhere to be that quiet. And then I remembered almost immediately that it was a weekday, and everyone would most probably be at the main campus.
As I rode down the road toward the bar, I wondered why we were hunting down Mr. Williams Carter. I thought that if Mr. Williams had wanted to reveal the little secret concerning our business, he would have done it a long time ago. He probably never had any interest in our business, but he might be interested and is just waiting for the perfect time to unleash what he knows. That is one reason why my boss is so concerned about hunting him down before his "perfect time" arrives.
I got to the bar faster than I expected, and that was probably because I was filled with thoughts throughout the ride. I flowed from one thought to another throughout my ride. I climbed down my horse and made my way into the bar. I had not taken any meal that day, but I felt a glass or two of champagne would keep me going until I finally decided on what to eat. Even though I knew I would end up taking more than a glass or two.
I beckoned on the bartender to serve me my usual drink. He was a young man in his late thirties, with an average height, light in complexion, always looking well dressed in his buttoned-up white shirt tucked into his well-ironed black trousers. He was the always smiling type, never to be caught moody. I loved that part of him, and I always found myself smiling back at him unconsciously. I doubt if he was married; at least, there was no ring on his finger. But then I noticed he was a little moody today with a very low countenance. He did not even notice my presence not until I called his attention, and that was quite unusual. I concluded that there was something wrong when he brought a drink that wasn't the usual drink I took each time I came to the bar.
"This is not the drink I usually take each time I come here. I usually take champagne and not whiskey," I angrily told him while spilling whiskey out of my mouth.
"I'm so sorry, sir! This is a huge mistake coming from me, sir. Accept my sincere apologies," he pleaded in a very calm tone. "I'll get you your usual, sir." He picked the cup and was about to leave to get me champagne when I interrupted him.
"I have noticed that you have been so moody since I got here. You have been wearing a sad look, and that is very unlike you. Is anything the matter?" Is there a problem you would love to share with me? There is a saying which goes, "a problem shared is a problem half solved." So feel free and share it with me if you want to, though. It's your choice, you know. The bartender paused for a while without looking at my face, his back facing me. He stood there in that position for over 10 seconds before turning to look my way directly. It seemed like he was thinking about what I had just told him.
"Thank you very much for your concern, sir. I know you are a regular customer here, and you must have studied my mood, but I'm fine, sir. What just happened earlier – getting you the wrong drink – was just a mistake, and it happens like that sometimes, and I apologize once again," he said without looking me directly in the eyes. I knew he was telling a lie, and for the fact I was a little bored that day because most times I hardly ever involve myself in people's private lives, I decided to put more effort into making him say what was wrong with him
"That is a lie, and you know it. It is written all over your face that something is bothering you. But since you insist that you are alright, then it's fine. You just take care of yourself. You can get me my drink now, thank you,” I told him.
