TST
When darkness conquered the sky, Leo was released from the cell. One of the guards, calling himself Buster gave Leo a piece of paper.
Don’t go anywhere. Come to the parking lot, now. No one must see you. He panted, dropping the paper into his pocket.
He walked circumspectly to the parking lot. Someone inside a black Toyota IST whispered to him. It was SJ. She wore a long pullover. They walked to her office which was within the school campus.
It was a huge office. Leo stared at the gorgeous curtains hanging over the window, reflecting the exquisiteness of the office. On the wall hanged a photo of SJ and dean, in their nuptial dresses. Leo’s eyes were wide open and so was his mouth, after looking at the three people sitting comfortably around the pricey meeting table.
"You look puzzled," SJ said. “This is your team!”
"Didn't ask for a team" Leo walked to the table and sat at the only chair left. On his left-hand side, Isla sat with Daniel and on his right-hand side, Baraka sat. In front of him sat SJ.
"If we need to succeed, we must work together," SJ said
Leo panted, staring at the rotating fan
"We aim to get the document before they do," SJ said, "The document is inside a box buried under the library"
“Who are those people you call they?” Baraka said
“For now, I’m not certain. I’m chary to all board members. This is a fight for power”
Daniel chucked, “Expecting us to win the foe we don’t know?”
“We’ll fathom out soon," Isla said
“How..?” Baraka asked
Isla breathed heavily, “On that day, I received a call. The number was unfamiliar. The caller talked like my father and asked me to meet him at the school parking. He told me to go there discreetly. I was suspicious but I went alone.
“The only thing I remember is that I entered in the car he directed me to and when I woke up, I was inside the burning library. I don’t remember anything in between”
“Chemical toxicological analysis indicated that she had consumed flunitrazepam” SJ said
“What’s that?” Baraka muttered
"Knock-out drug," SJ said
“Who did it?” Daniel snapped
“My tech guy is working on the number. We’ll soon track the caller”
Leo chuckled, “looks like the fight is real”
SJ narrowed her eyes, “whoever it is, the person is dangerous. They kidnapped my daughter, burnt the library and they’re now after the document. These people are threatening the school’s well being”
“Things look knotty, why don’t we tell the police?” Baraka said
SJ held up her hand, “this is a brains’ fight. Just get the document to me and I’ll handle the rest”
“So… where do we start?” Daniel said
"When the reconstruction of the library begins," SJ said, “our mission starts”
The three students bowed their heads. Leo’s eyes were straight to SJ’s eyes. She was the type of woman who can do anything to protect her husband’s power. She had a strong heart. Leo envied her.
Not getting what you want either means you don’t want it enough, or you have been dealing too long with the price you have to pay. Mr. Patrick told him these words on his first day in a gambling house.
“You need to be vigilant. Our enemy is powerful and smart. If something goes erroneous, you are on your own. I won’t be able to help” she turned her eyes to Leo, “you need to be superfluous vigilant. Everyone out there has focused an eye on you”
Leo nodded
“The fate of this school is in your hands”
Baraka gasped, “Ms. SJ, don’t worry. This team is fully stable. We have got a don’t-care but smart person, a beautiful charismatic leader, Billy blanks and me, a consecrated person. Our probability of winning is almost one”
The four smiled, Leo’s head was still thinking about something. No matter how hard he tried to think, something seemed strange to him.
After two long hours, their discrete meeting was over.
“We’ll be meeting in this office often," SJ said, “good luck!”
Leo was the first one to walk out. After two days of being locked in the cell, he was free. Not totally free, there was another battle ahead. That was his life anyway.
I might be sad, hurt, angry, mad, and disappointed. But you know what? I'll put on a happy face and move on. It will hurt but I always survive, he smiled and breathed heavily, staring at the blue sky.
“Leo!” Isla called running towards him
Leo slowed his pace
"Leo, I wanted to say thank you”
“Don’t be so proud of yourself. Just did what I could’ve done to anyone”
“Leo let─”
Leo was already hitting the road, leaving Isla in a disenchanted state. Behind his smile was a hurting heart, behind his laugh he was falling apart.
He found Rachel sitting on the porch outside his room.
“Looking at your face” Leo said, “one can say you were the one locked not me”
Rachel quickly ran and hugged him, “Leo!”
“Don’t tell me you’re crying because missed me”
“It’s your brother”
“What’s with Benjamin?”
“He is …”
Leo pulled Rachel from his body, “What?”
“He has passed away”
The smile on Leo’s face vanished. Benjamin was the only family he had. Benjamin was the only royal person to him. Blood makes people related, royalty makes people family.
“How?” he mumbled
“Gun wound”
“When..?”
“Yesterday”
“His body..?”
"Still in the morgue"
“How long can they keep it there?”
“Don’t know! But not so long”
Leo panted, looking at the sky
“We have to go and take it”
“Rachel, right now there is something I must do─”
"Your brother's body is in the morgue"
“I know” tears flowed over his face, “If I don’t finish this thing, I can’t be free”
“What’s it?”
“I’ll tell you once I’m done”
“Leo─”
Leo rushed his hands on her cheeks, “I’ll do it as fast as I can. So please bear with me a little longer”
Rachel removed the roughly folded envelope, “He told me to give you this”
Leo took the four-bar baronial envelope.
“He also said he’s sorry” Rachel gasped, “And asked you to forgive your mother”
Leo chuckled, “he did?”
“His last words”
Leo grabbed the envelope and hugged Rachel snugly. He could feel Rachel’s heartbeats on his chest “Rachel… for being on my side, thank you very much!”
He slowly started walking to his room
“Leo!”
He stopped and turned around
Rachel’s eyes were full of tears, “I know your heart is somewhere else but I’ll wait. Till the day you find the place for me in your heart, till the day you’ll consider my feelings… I’ll wait”
Leo walked slowly towards Rachel and held her shoulder, “Rachel, don’t waste that precious time of yours waiting for someone who doesn’t know where he’s going because you never know when he’ll get there and when he’ll decide to get back” his eyes were mourning and pathetic. “It’s not an advice, it is a warning”
He disappeared into his room and jumped on his bed. He couldn’t sleep… his head was full of stuff. He opened the envelope. There were an ATM card and a piece of letter. He unfolded it.
Leo, my son,
I’m very sorry for being an irresponsible father.
I’m regretting leaving this earth without being a good teacher to my only son.
I know you hate me and I don’t blame you for that but I’ll rest in peace if you’ll forgive your mother. She is very lonely. Please don’t let her die like me.
I saved a little money for you and your mother. I hope it will help you both.
Darkness can’t remove darkness only light can do so. Therefore hate can’t remove hate, only love can do so.
Live a happy life.
Leo’s hands were on his sobbing eyes, trying to stop the tears from flowing out. He threw the letter on the bed and walked to his favorite window.
He leaned his hands on the window, what kind of a person am I? Why am I filled with anger, hate, and vengeance? Will my hate remove hate?