"I hated deceiving her—yet was happy to do it at the same time."
Number Seven
Even with his eyes trained on the dummy, he could feel their stares boring on his back. Behind the dark specs, he glanced at the sidelines. Each and every soldier in the firing range had taken notice of his absurd performance. Some completely forgot that they were supposed to look where to aim.
Exactly like he planned.
Arashi removed the empty magazine and inserted a new round of bullets. He fired continuously, hitting nothing with perfect accuracy.
"Easy there, Private," his commander, Captain Kim Joo San, shouted after he used up the entire load without landing a single hit. His ear muffler was torn out of his head. "Your posture is wrong. Shoulders too rounded. Arms too stiff. Stop trembling like a pussy. Do you hear me, Private?"
"Yes, sir."
The middle-aged man growled for him to continue. Arashi coolly reloaded his gun, unruffled by the fact that he could hear all the soldiers' rude comments, even the faintest murmurs about him.
He put the muffler back, muting the outside world. What the others didn't know was that under his mufflers, there's another set of earpieces that helped him completely tune out their voices. With his sensitive-hearing, a normal gunshot would be twenty times louder. He had his mufflers customized, but he still mentally winced whenever he pulled the trigger.
If only he could attach a silencer...
After adjusting his position, he made another pointless shot, one round after another. Captain Kim finally gave up and walked out from the training grounds, his scarred face wrinkled with frustration. He had no idea how a young Korean recruit could be that bad. Captain Kim was the assigned trainer for the new recruits for the mandatory military service of South Korea this year. In all his years in the army, he had never seen someone as pathetic as that Private... what's his name again?
He scanned the paper in front of him. He frowned as he encountered the name.
Park Lee Hyun.
Arashi made a mental calculation in his head as he did his 23rd push-up. They just finished running 50 laps in the track oval, and his Korean comrades were sweating like crazy. He wasn't bothered even a bit. When he was a lower Base in Creed a few years ago, 50 laps a day was unheard of. More like a hundred during the rare times their trainer felt compassionate.
As he pushed himself up and down, he kept his eyes glued to the small squat building sitting on the other side of the barbed fence. His real mission was infiltrating this savagely secured camp to duplicate some top secret files from the South Korean army. A number of overly ambitious officers had made plans against their neighboring countries in the North, so in order to keep the world from experiencing another meaningless war, Creed had to step forward. Again.
Agent 04 was sent because he was tall enough to look like a twenty year old man, and being Asian, his appearance helped him enter the place without hitch. Plus, this was his forte. A stealth mission like this was where he worked best.
He studied the defenses around the squat building, then the arrangements of the soldier's barracks. He did a simulation about how he'll get the information tonight. He could easily override the system inside the building, so that's one less problem to handle.
He pretended to have a hard time doing his 51st push. He sucked in air and let out a convincing gasp. If only he would perspire more, it would be a lot more believable.
"Don't stop, Private Park!" the commanding officer hollered at him.
"Yes, sir!" was his immediate answer.
But this was too boring. Tomorrow, he would be out of the country without any trace. Just like a phantom, as if he never existed in the first place. He had gotten used to it. After all, he didn't belong in this kind of carefree world.
When night came, he retreated outside his quarters and climbed on the rooftop, watching the sad-looking sky without any emotion. There was no moon, and the stars were partly covered by the clouds. He still had time before he initiates the operation. He would have to patiently wait until it was time of the guards' shift change.
He pulled out his smart phone and tapped on the screen. He quickly typed the password and let the gadget confirm his fingerprint. The image that welcomed him made him smile faintly.
Beautiful brown locks, soft, green eyes, a cheeky grin on her doll-like face. It was this expression of hers that made his day tad bit tolerable. He longed to see her happy face again. Not the usual cheerful look of hers, but a genuinely smiling one. It was this part of her that attracted him. She possessed this childish innocence that made her as radiant as the sun, with gravity stronger than a black hole. In any instance, she could gather a crowd and infect them.
To the likes of him who had forever been among the shadows, it was like a beacon of hope.
He frowned as he slid his thumb over the screen, changing the picture to the map of the military camp. 04 sighed. It was always like this. Too much that he hated it.
This kind of idle time made him uncomfortable. The brief privacy allowed him to think. And feel. He didn't want that, but again, what could he do?
In darkness as black as Death, he couldn't help but worry about what was happening to his charge. He didn't manage to bid her goodbye because his mission was an urgent one. After seeing her back to her room, he was summoned in the Command and was instructed to fly to Korea at once. He left before she did.
He wondered what kind of trouble she's causing again.
The thought itself made him warm... and then the feeling sunk. What on earth was he thinking? He should focus on his mission... but he couldn't.
He slid again his thumb over to the small icon on the screen. For a few seconds, the image went static until a gray room emerged. He synchronized the media to his wireless earpiece so that he could hear the muffled conversation on the video.
Arashi's sharp eyes narrowed as he took in the frenzy of movement.
"Get the pressure low," someone barked. "You! Hold him down firmly. Insert the tube in his mouth. I'm going at it again –"
"The numbers are falling!"
"Keep him down assholes!"
There were five, no, six individuals inside. The image blurred again, until someone's back completely covered the lens of the small camera he secretly installed. 04 straightened apprehensively.
Does Faye know?
But then, a greater concern gripped him.
Do I tell her?
* * *
"What are you gonna do? Bleed on me?"
Faye slipped her phone to the back pocket of her jeans, her eyes staring boredly at the poorly-dressed man in front of her. In the darkness, the silver blade in his fist glinted. His free hand was stretched in front of her as he yelled something she couldn't understand. By the look on his face though, she didn't need to be psychic to know what it was.
"Sorry," she drawled lifelessly. "I don't speak Tagalog. Find someone else who can."
She took one step pass him, intent on ignoring the stranger, but the man grabbed her arm and twisted her around so that the knife pressed against her tummy. Wrong move because one, she was in a very bad mood, two, she was tired and three, she hadn't eaten dinner yet.
She hadn't effing eaten anything yet!
Instinctively, Faye brought her left foot forward as pivot and used her weight to put momentum as she kicked her right leg upward. Her right knee crushed against the jaw of the man. Before he could even shout in pain, her right heel hit the top of his head, pushing his face flat on the ground.
He was limp underneath her black boots.
When she realized what she just did, she let out a frustrated shriek. She stooped down and checked the base of his neck.
At least, he's alive.
"Ugh," she groaned as she pulled out her phone and dialed the area's emergency hot-line. "This night couldn't get worse."
Of course, it did because Fate hated her. It rained. Hard. Hard didn't even cover half of it. Her hair stuck to the side of her skull as the raindrops pelted on her like bullets. It was no mild shower. It was the storm god's vengeance on sinful men. Thunder roared from a distance, forcing her to pick up her pace.
She was shivering like a drowned kitten, and she ran the rest of the way with no actual cover but her black leather coat. Thankfully, her bag was waterproof. The things inside were much more valuable than she could ever imagine...
And it sucked. This day sucked. Everything sucked.
Since she entered the Philippine territory, a lot of things weren't progressing the way she wanted them to be.
TJ, Cam and Jan were a handful bunch. When they arrived earlier that day, the three Bases were all stiff and hostile as if they entered the most perilous war zone in the Middle East. The friendly Filipinos, even with their trademark hospitality, gradually grew awkward as they assisted them out of the airport. The taxi drivers, even the hotel staffs, all but burst inside out from the sinister aura the three guys were radiating off.
Cam was uncomfortable, obviously overwhelmed by the attention he was receiving. Being blonde and blue-eyed, the Filipinos found his appearance unsettling or fascinating, something he never felt in the cocoon of their HQ. Appearance-wise, TJ and Jan didn't stand out as much as he did. For that, he was sulking.
Jan, the oldest among the three and probably the most stubborn, had a scowl imprinted on his face the whole day. He explained that it was to discourage the women who flirtatiously smiled at him. He wasn't interested in being ogled at, he added with a grim expression. All the time, he had his arms crossed over his chest as if in warning.
Try to get close and I'll bash your head on something.
The other two copied him, and thus started a glaring contest between them and the crowd.
As much as she hated it, Faye had to threaten them to relax.
Among the three, TJ was the bearable one. He barely spoke and his actions were robotic, but at least he had the common sense to act civil when confronting others. He was more of a background guy, letting the other two make fool of themselves as he watched.
Despite his poker face, his quirkiness didn't escape Faye's attention. TJ refused to speak when there were civilians nearby. He stole glimpses of the people around them when he thought no one could see. He preferred to sit idly and watch the scenery around him with a wistful smile.
Faye wanted to tell him that everything's fine, but she would be lying if she did.
He was trying hard to hide it, but she could see the longing in his eyes. Even if Creed erased his existence record-wise, it couldn't remove the fact that TJ was born here in Manila. He is a Filipino. After years of being cut-off from his country, he's finally back.
He's finally home.
And their Master, Kreuz Creed, just had to ruin it big-time.
Right after they checked in their hotel, the HQ contacted them and demanded that the three Bases return ASAP. Important field training or so they say. For all she knew it was some bull their Master invented to annoy her. Faye tried to bail them out with no success, seeing that the guys were eager to leave the Philippines too.
The time and money spent on arranging the trip to Isabela, buying the clothes for a warm weather and paying for the nonrefundable hotel rooms were wasted. Now, she's all by herself hiking a mountain in the middle of nowhere just to get to the secluded barrio where the Rare Kind boy lives.
Ugh. She was royally pissed at their Master, more so to the three men who accompanied her. What kind of person would refuse a beautiful country such as this? What, too peaceful for them? Too conservative? Too friendly? They got to be kidding her. They got to be effin' kiddin her!
All her plans for the day had fallen apart.
Faye found a small waiting shed a few meters away. It had only a single light bulb and it seemed like it's about to fall apart. Despite its condition, Faye was gracious for the wooden shelter. Anything but the rain.
She found herself alone, hungry and cold as she slowly peeled away her soaked clothes. Against her better judgment, she wore them back after trying to wring them dry. Lightning flashed and another thunderous boom followed, illuminating the tangled mess of trees around her. She chewed her lower lip as she sat on the wooden bench in the middle of the shed.
"Anlamig! Anlamig!" a voice whined continuously after a short while. There were hurried footsteps, followed by splashes of water. A tall figure entered the shed, a broken umbrella on his hand. "Of all bad luck!"
The newcomer turned around and almost fell on his back, surprised to find Faye staring curiously at him. It was nearly midnight. Not only that, but this road was not a common path taken because vehicles couldn't climb it. High up in the mountains, this rocky road only led to the small and poor barrio of Atsuwete.
Icy fear shot through his veins at the sight of the flawlessly white, dark-haired girl.
Oh craaap! Don't tell me she's a ghost! he mentally screamed. He quickly moved away, putting as much distance between him and the girl. He studied the rain, contemplating which was worse. In the cold or with a ghost?
"Hey."
He jumped with a start. The pale girl spoke. To him. Oh god, he's going to have a heart attack.
Faye tried again, amused by the odd expression the young man adorned. "Hey. Are you okay?"
He shut his eyes and counted to ten, willing himself to calm down. Apparently, he was exhausted from work. Hallucinations for being under the sun for hours. Yes, that must be it. Ghosts are not real... right?
"Wow. You can sleep while standing?" Her soft, musical voice was nearer now. He didn't want to open his eyes in fear that when he opened them, he'll see a red demon with hollow eyes and fangs like daggers.
Faye sighed when the teenage boy only grew rigid.
"Do I look like a gargoyle?" She fingered through her hair and slumped back to her previous seat. "Uh, hey mister. You alive there?"
He refused to answer. Faye continued on. "Can I ask you how far is this barrio ahead? I'm supposed to lodge in Atsuwete."
He shifted his weight on the balls of his feet as he reluctantly opened his eyes. Now that he looked closely, the beautiful girl is not a ghost. Enchanting... but clearly human. She appeared to be around his age. Her eyes were questionably light, maybe liquid silver or faded jade, her hair dark, and her skin was stunningly pale it was almost white. Especially in contrast against her choice of clothes, she looked ethereal.
Faye bit her bottom lip as she reconsidered something. Her stomach growled in protest. "Do... you speak English?"
Maybe the reason he wasn't responding was that he couldn't understand her? After all, English is not the mother tongue of this country. A lot could speak in the city, but not in an isolated area like this. If only she had enough time to prepare, she could have studied a bit of their language. She did buy a dictionary, but she merely browsed through it.
Minutes dragged. She pouted when he said nothing. She sneezed. "Probably not."
Her stomach growled again. Oh, starvation, couldn't you wait? she thought melodramatically.
Suddenly, the stranger sat beside her. The young dark-haired man beamed sheepishly. "You are hungry."
"Yes," she whispered, startled. He could speak English. He had a weird accent, but that vaguely mattered.
"Then, I'll bring you home."
Faye blinked in rapidly. "W-What?"
The young Filipino gently pulled her up and dragged her outside the shed. The rain's fury had considerably lessened, much to her gratitude.
"My name is Rael," the tall guy introduced, "and I live in the barrio. Let me bring you there."
In the dim light offered by the shed, she scrutinized him. Curly black hair, deep-set pair of dark eyes, skin that was russet in color, height that was too much for his age and hands that were rough from constant labor. It was then and only then did Faye realize why the guy looked familiar. He is the boy in the photos, the one she's supposed to bring to their headquarters.
Rafaello Ruiz.
**
Unedited.