"YOU'RE CRAZY !!" I put away my phone from my ear.
"It is the only way"
"NO! I don't agree!!" Thief is pratically still shouting at me. "I bet Fake doesn't agree neither!"
"Well. you both are not my parents.."
"Your parents won't agree neither !"
"Come on, Thief.."
"You can not do that!!"
"Thief, it's the only way. I HAVE TO"
"NO! NO!!"
"Thief.. Listen to me.. Listen!" I force her to be quiet. "The whole company knows my face. Tim Chang has to be dead. It's the only way they won't pursue me."
"But your plan is too crazy.. What if it won't work ?!"
"That's why I need you to do your part perfectly."
"What if you don't make it ?"
"..." I'm speecless. Not because of Thief's question, but because of seeing Jennifer comes out of the bathroom with wet hair and a towel wrapping around her body.
"I'll talk to you later," I whisper to the phone and end the call before Thief can react.
"Who's on the phone ?" Jennifer asks.
"My team," I answer. I approach her within three steps. "Wow.." That's the only thing I can say to her while thirstily traveling my sight all over her body.
"What wow ? You're acting like a boy who see half naked woman for the first time," Jennifer rebukes me. I don't deny. I actually feel like she said.
I put my arms around her waist and kiss her passionately. She responds to my kiss, but when I'm about to take her towel down, she stops.
"You're gonna be late," she whispers. Ugh.. if only being late won't cause me my life, I would say I don't care.
I peck her lips. "Okay then. Prepare yourself. You have to be beautiful on your first day coming back to work," I say to her.
"So you're saying that I usually am not beautiful ?" she says pouting in act. I kiss her again.
"If you continue being this cute, we both will be late," I say to her, nibbling her lips. She laughs.
"Just wait for me in the living room. I'll be ready in ten," she says, giving me the last kiss. I reluctantly obey her.
It's Jennifer first day back to work after taking leave for a week. Her routine actually starts at 8 AM, but we agree for me to ride her to her office before I go to 617 building. Thus, we need to leave at 6 AM since I have to be in the basement at 6:30 AM. Ugh.. I wish I can just complete this mission ASAP, but it is too complicated and risky if it is not taken care perfectly.
----------
"I'm going to be out of town these few days," I say to her when she is handing me her helmet, five days later.
"What ?! When will you leave ?' Jennifer asks in unpleasingly surprised.
"This noon," I tell her, as casual as possible. She bulges her eyes.
"Why are you just telling it to me now ?!" she asks in protest.
"Because I don't want to worry you too much," I answer her, trying to touch her cheek but she swipe my hand away.
"You think I will worry less when you say it in last minute ?" she says, both her voice and eyes are telling me how upset she is now.
"No. But at least you will worry less longer," I tell her. It really is what I have in mind. The more last minutely she knows, the shorter time she has to be worry about it. Initially, I even had plan not to tell her, but Andy said she would be crazy not knowing anything. "I'm sorry, okay ?" I coax her.
Jennifer heavily exhales. "For how long ?" She asks.
"Around three to six days," I say to her. Now her eyes are full with fear. "Don't worry. Andy agrees to accompany you all the time," I add.
"Don't blame me if I am eventually sleeping with him," she says. I chuckle. I reach her waist and pull her closer then kiss her long and deep.
"Try to behave yourself, okay. Don't ruin his innocence," I whisper to her. She chuckles.
"Be careful," she whispers then kisses me.
"I will," I whisper to her back.
----------------
"Chang !"
I open Mr. Chekhovsky's office door. "Yes, Sir ?"
"Refill my water, please," Mr. Chekhovsky says.
I nod, quickly grab the bottle from his table. Two minutes later, I'm back in his office. In front of Mr. Chekhovsky I pour water from the bottle into a paper cup then drink it before I put the bottle onto his desk.
"Thank you," Mr. Chekhovsky tells me before pouring himself a glass of water. The phone on his desk is vibrating. I glance to it before he grabs it and pushes the decline button. Few seconds later it is vibrating again. He grabs it and puts it in one of his drawer. It's from Mikhail, his son.
"Do you need anything else, Sir ?" I ask.
"No. You can leave," He says. I walk out of his office, closing the door behind me and stand by in front of it.
Around ten minutes later, someone is calling me in my radio transceiver, "Mr. Chang, there are a couple of polices looking for Mr. Chekhovsky."
"What ?!?! Ask them on what reason!"
"They say it's about Mr. Sternov."
"What ?! No, they can not come in or meet him. Tell them Mr. Che.."
"They have warrants, Sir"
"Shit !! Lead them to the 70th floor!"
"But, Sir. Mr. Chekhovsky.."
"They are not allowed to know where his office is. Mr. Chekhovsky will meet them there," I order.
"Okay, Sir."
I open the door in front of me. "I'm sorry to disrupt you, Sir. But the police is here. A squad of them. They are looking for you."
Mr. Chekhovsky's face is immediately losing its color. "What ? Why ?"
"They found Sternov's body."
"That can't be. My cleaner is the best.."
"Sir, they are waiting for you on the 70th floor now."
"No.. They know it is me!!" Mr. Chekhovsky screams and pulls his hair.
"We don't know about it yet."
"Yes, they know. That's why they are here to arrest me! No. we have to get out of here !"
"Sir, if you run they will immediately make you suspect.."
"I did it, okay !! They know it!! That's why the come here!!" Mr. Chekhovsky becomes more panic. "You have to get me out of here, Chang!!"
"Okay.. Calm down, Sir.. I will get you out with helicopter," I say to him
"Why not with car ?"
"With all do respect, Sir.. Your car is one and only in the country. They can track it easily."
"You're right. Call the pilot!"
I nod and do it right away. After that I lead Mr. Chekhovsky to escape to the rooftop through secret path while telling my men to do their best to obstruct the polices to go to the rooftop.
At the rooftop, the helicopter is already waiting. I lead Mr. Chekhovsky to approach the helicopter, running low to avoid its wind. After Mr. Chekhovsky sits on the passenger seat, I talk to the pilot and ask him to go and let me fly the helicopter. I sit on the pilot seat and start wearing the headset.
"Can you fly this thing, son ?" Mr. Chekhovsky asks in panic.
"Yes, Sir. As a matter a fact I have the license," I answer him. I tell him the truth. In my spare time, I like to upgrade my skills, flying helicopter is one of them. Of course I can't show him my license, it is under Scott Bennet not Timothy Chang.
"Good," he says in relieved. I start to take off the helicopter. He sits straight, not leaning to the back of chair. "We go to my safe house. It is at O city. Do we have enough fuel ?" he asks.
"I believe so, Sir," I answer then receive Mr. Chekhovsky's phone that has the safe house's coordinate. I glance at him, he is very tense. He keeps looking at our back although there is no one chasing us.
An hour later we approach the mountains area. "Sir, please wear the helmet near you and put the oxygen mask on. We're going to fly above ten thousands feet to avoid the mountains," I ask him before putting my own oxygen mask. Mr. Chekhovsky obeys me. I accelerate the helicopter's height. It is the latest military helicopter. It can fly up until 17,000 feet high. I maintain it at 15,000 feet.
"Sir, why do you take off the oxygen ?" I ask Mr. Chekhovsky when I saw him took off his oxygen mask.
"I feel so dizzy," he says in upset.
"But the air is really thin, Sir.."
I don't need to continue my words because he already experienced what I'm about to say to him. The air at this height is unbreathable. Unlike airplane, helicopter doesn't have airflow systems inside.
Mr. Chekhovsky becomes more and more fidgety, but he has no choice other than keep breathing the 'oxygen'.
"I feel so sick," he complaints. But then he sees my smile and he understands its meaning. "You.."
I quickly grab his neck with both hands and twist it. Just like that, and he is dead. It took me more than a month to deliver this event, though.
After making sure that he has no sign of life, I turn on the auto pilot mode then move to the backseat to take a huge and heavy bag that has been hidden under the backseat.
I open the bag's zip and struggle to carefully take out its content. It is a corpse. A totally burned corpse that will represents me, well, I mean Tim Chang. I sit it on the pilot seat.
In the bag there are two more things, a backpack for parachute equipment and a box contains a remote. I put on the parachute backpack then take the remote. I push a button on the remote. A loud explosion comes from the rear of the helicopter. It makes huge shakes to the helicopter.
"Mayday mayday .." I shout to the air traffic control officer.
"There was an explosion on our tail rotor. It is now disfunctioning." I push another button, another explosion arise.
"Mayday.. now the main rotor is also not functioning. This is a private helicopter.." I mention the series number, "I'm the pilot, Tim Chang, both rotors are disfunctioning. I repeat..both rotors are disfunctioning.. I can't take the auto pilot off!!"
The helicopter is flying erratically, rapidly comes down from the height and soon there is a mountain up ahead the helicopter. I quickly take off my helmet and put it to the corpse. Then right before the helicopter crashes the mountain, I jump out of it. The explosion vibration hits me hard. I'm lucky I'm still able to open the parachute before I lose my consciousness.