Chapter Twelve
Hanade's voice faded into the background as the thin mobile fell from Faye's grasp. Its muffled crash onto the luscious carpet echoed inside the tensed room. Her eyes couldn't seem to focus, her attention both drawn towards the limp body on the floor and the vile creature standing before her.
"W-What --" she started saying, but her lips trembled so much that she couldn't let a whole word out. The stranger paced towards her, but each step he took forward, Faye responded by threading backwards.
"Oh, don't be so afraid," he said with an all-too-friendly tone. "I won't hurt you."
Actions speak louder than words.
He had no right to reassure her, after what he did to Jared. She could see it in his eyes. He had the same eyes as Hanade. Not in the literal sense, but both cold and hard to discern. Eyes that had seen too many a death. The eyes of a real murderer.
The guy calling himself 04 stopped in the middle of the room and turned around. As if reading her thoughts, he smirked, "Don't worry. He's not dead."
Faye watched the rise and fall of Jared’s chest; the fear that gripped her finally evaporating. She wasn't afraid of the stranger. It was the thought of losing Jared that pained her to the point past terror. Knowing that he was simply unconscious relieved her.
Summoning all the strength she could muster, she returned her thoughts to the white blonde guy. He looked kind of familiar, in a sense. He was clearly not American, and by the aura he emitted, not a common folk either.
"What do you want?" Her voice was calm and steady, her arms folded on her chest.
The other guy frowned, "No need to be stuffy. I'm not here to harm you. I'm a lot better than 06."
"06?"
"Come on! You've met him." He walked towards the couch and sat down."Sorry to be rude, but I gotta help myself. You didn't ask me to sit. You need to be hospitable to visitors, right?"
"That's a helluva thing to say for someone uninvited."
He laughed. "You're not afraid? That's good. 06 was not mistaken when he described you."
"By 06, do you mean -?"
"Harude, Harate, something like that."
A can of beer came flying from somewhere, aimed towards 04. He simply raised his hand, catching the can. Wrong. It gravitated towards his hand. Faye couldn't miss how the can changed the direction of its projectile. It was too unnatural.
"It's Hanade," the black-haired guy corrected. He was leaning on the doorway. His face was crumpled with anger and displeasure, an expression Faye had never seen before. Obviously, those two weren't on good terms with each other.
"Wha! Fast!" 04 chirped merrily, "I didn't think you would actually come here. You got guts, man. You're already stalki-"
"Don’t yap,” Hanade was expressionless. “Leave."
04 didn't seem to be reading the mood, but Faye did, and the last thing she would want was her suite burnt black. Suddenly, the lights flickered. Both men were already standing, glowering at each other.
"Learn your own place, 06. I'm your superior."
Superior? Faye didn't like sound of their voices. Hanade's voice was too bored, nonchalant, like he wouldn't give a damn whatever happens to anyone. On the other hand, 04's voice was too enthusiastic, which makes him even scarier. He gave off the vibes that he could kill even a child without feeling a thing, as if it was a mere joke.
It seemed only matter of seconds before a fight breaks out. Faye immediately went towards Jared, pulling him away from them.
"Both of you, if you don't have any business with me, get out," she said curtly, surprising herself by the acid of her tone. The two of them ceased, but still shot glares at each other.
"Someone troublesome appeared," Hanade frowned, "so make sure to avoid him at all cost." He pointed to the man beside him, and then paced away. 04 followed him silently, closing the door as he left.
"Wh- what the hell was that?" she whimpered hoarsely, the tears she suppressed pouring heavily in torrents.
*****
Fortunately, when Jared woke up the next morning, Faye managed to make it look like he dreamed it all. It would have been difficult to make up a story about 04. He also seemed intent not to pursue anything about the subject they were talking about last night. Lucky for her.
As usual, they left the condo on the motorcycle. On the way to school, Faye caught sight of Hanade at a distance, a second before disappearing behind the buildings. The uncomfortable thoughts from last night that she tried to tune out returned abruptly, making her stiff on her seat. Jared noticed her sudden discomfort, but decided to ignore it for her sake. He knew she was keeping something from him. He wouldn't ask her to spill it out, but wait until she was ready to tell him.
*****
"Hello Selena! Did you miss me?"
Without turning around, she knew who the speaker was. 04. She fixed him a fierce stare as she frowned.
"Why are you here?"
"Sheesh, why are you so cold? Aren't we friends?"
"Says who?"
"Says me."
They were sitting on one of the iron benches in the garden, a few meters away from the main building. The bright sun made his blonde hair glistened, so white it was almost silver. He was still wearing his ridiculous grin, which was already getting on her nerves.
Just a few minutes ago, she was sitting idly in English. She was surprised when she was suddenly excused from class by the principal. Sister Coronel told her that a visitor was looking for her, saying that it was urgent matter. Here she was, face to face with the most loathsome man she had ever met.
"All right, here's the catch. You're the unluckiest girl in the entire planet."
"I don't need you to say that to me," she snapped. Heck. Was he picking a fight?
"You got yourself involved with something you shouldn't have."
"Like yourself."
"Yeah," he smiled half-heartedly, "like myself."
Faye meant to be cynical, but the sad expression lingering on his face was beyond her comprehension. It was as if that fact saddened him.
"Uhm, 04?" she started.
"Call me Alexey," he cut her off, his sly grin back. His cheerful mask was back again. "That's my name for this mission."
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind," he sighed, "that's not the reason I'm here. Actually, 06, I mean Hanade, forbid me to tell you this since you're a mere civilian, but I think you ought to know. And having an accomplice on the inside will finish the mission faster."
"I'm not following you."
"Of course," he mused. "Then let's get over the facts in a hurry. I don't want that cheeky brat to suddenly interrupt us."
*****
Hearing Alexey's explanation shifted Faye's view of the world.
It would have been better if she didn't met Hanade that night at the park. If only she didn't run away. The simple life she's wishing for was now beyond her reach. How could she be normal again, if she was aware that the world was not as simple as it seemed?
Hanade and Alexey were not mere murderers. They were agents of an international underground organization, Creed, who were given the rights to kill. They were called the Equations, given codenames 01 to 13.
Special assassins protected by law.
At first, the idea was repulsive. She believed that life shouldn't be taken for granted. What was the police for? What were jails for? Weren't people supposed to be given second chances? Pay for their sins and live a renewed life? To top it all, it was supported by the government.
How sick was that?
When she asked why they chose that path, Alexey smiled faintly and said, "It's because we have our own wishes." It seemed full of implications. Too vague. What he really meant, she had no idea.
The last thing they talked about was about what brought them here. It was the thing they wanted her help with. Alexey said that she needed to be aware of the forthcoming danger. He couldn't say all the details of their mission, but he said enough.
A dangerous criminal was set loose and was given an order by a powerful man.
To kill someone.
One of her classmates was destined to die.