Chapter 9- Reunited (2)
Back Alley, Year 20XX
Quick footsteps alerted Vera from her thoughts. She tried to make herself small and cover herself with her thick blanket. Because of her current appearance, she is confident that these people will ignore her. Hopefully, they are just passing the alley and not there for her.
However, her confidence shattered, when one of the men, probably the leader, gives his command.
"Make sure to check every corner of this place. We need to find a woman in this picture". He distributed an old photo to his men. The image surprises the soldiers. The woman smiling is, and it looks like she just woke up. Her brown hair was messy, but what caught their attentions are her eyes. It's so green like the stone emerald. Her face is so white with scattered freckles around her high nose. If they can describe this woman, only one comparison comes in mind, goddess!
Who is this woman? Why would their boss urgently want to move his specialized agents to secure her? In the underground, their group considered the top and most skilled. Their boss never sends them to any rescue operation. They are dispatched to the most dangerous places, and the level of their task is mostly lethal. They are the special forces trained under the Xu Lon Wei itself!
"ahhm", "ahhm" the leader tried to clear his voice a couple of times to get their attention away from the photo. He had the same reaction when his boss passed the picture to him. It was embarrassing ogling a woman's photo, especially if what he's feeling about the woman's identity is right.
"Make sure to remember her features. Our boss said that she could have a more mature appearance now" After he has given his instructions. The soldiers left in various directions They move fluidly like trained assassins.
Vera became more suspicious after seeing these men's practised movement. She knows they are not simple, and she can't risk confronting them. They were speaking in low voices, but her trained hearing could still pick the leader's command.
She wonders if they are Long Wei's men. But how can he have subordinates? As far as she knows, he was a simple guy. That is the reason why she decided to hook up with him in the first place. Her intuition that they are her enemies grew stronger.
She borrowed herself deeper in her comforter while keeping her surroundings in check. Her location should give her extra time. If they are her enemies, at least she can dash to the back door of the deli. In there, the owner has shown her a secret room to hide temporarily. With his personality, she believes that he will not easily provide her location. For now, she needs to pretend like a beggar and stay in her position.
While Vera is carefully mapping her options, the men started scanning every woman in the area. They attempted on doing it discreetly, but their effort didn't have a satisfying result. So, they swallowed their pride and tried asking the locals, but they have never seen the woman's face before.
In the deli, the leader is watching the owners face intently. He had questioned him for quite some time now, but still, he denies the woman's identity. With his expertise in interrogation, the leader could easily spot that he is lying, but doesn't want to force the information from the man. His instructions were to secure the woman and not to attack, and that is what he is planning to do.
"Look, we are not here to harm this person. So, if you know, her place let me know. Our boss is acquainted with this woman. She even called him today". The leader tried to explain.
"I am sorry, mister, although I want to help your search, however, I truly don't know her." The owner lied again. He felt that the man in front of him is telling the truth, but if the woman wants to show herself, she would have done that already. She is still tucked in her tent and not doing anything! He is convinced that she has her reason, and he has to respect that.
Frustrated, the leader decided to leave the store but promise to come back later. Disheartened, the group decided to regroup again and plan for their next action. Unaware that there is a keen eye following their movements.