08:01 A.M
Kingston Restaurant.
June 4th, the year 2018. Monday.
* * *
"How about you, babe? Why didn't you get hired?" Marcus queried her girlfriend. Zoey chewed her food before answering.
"I put my nasty attitude on when she talked to me," Zoey replied. The entire group's surprised. She looked at each one of her best friends, and her lips formed a sarcastic smile.
"Why are you all so surprised? I'm exactly born like that," Zoey shrugged it off. She doesn't care about her nasty attitude towards others. She doesn't want Margo.
If Zoey doesn't like a person, she doesn't. End of the conversation. She subdued it and continued cutting her lobsters.
"Why did you do that, babe?" Marcus finally asked her.
"I don't like her, that's it," Zoey reprimanded. For her best friends, Zoey is the person who doesn't enjoy scolding. She wanted to do what she wanted, even if it's bad. Marcus always disciplined her, but Zoey never listened to him.
"Babe, respect every person you meet, even if you don't like them," Marcus reminded.
"I don't want to put a mask on if I know I don't like them." Zoey retorted back and continued her food, not even bothering to listen.
"You can do whatever you want. I'm tired of scolding you, Zoey." Marcus dismissed, then placed his fork hard on the plate so that it made a clunking sound.
He said that he will use the restroom without even glancing at her girlfriend. Marcus went straight to the backside of the restaurant. The comfort room's location.
He pushed open the door while glaring as he went to one cubicle and peed.
After that, he washed his hands in the sink. As Marcus observed his reflection in the mirror, he saw a man standing two sinks away from him. He was also washing his hands.
Marcus saw that the man was wearing a black hoodie. The hood of the jacket concealed the back of his head, covering his face completely.
It was the summer breeze in the Philippines. It mystified Marcus why the man wore that clothes that should have worn on rainy days.
Marcus observed his physique. The man had broad shoulders and was tall. He couldn't see his face because the hood of his black jacket was covering it. Marcus felt that something was odd about the man.
He simply put his hand on the side of his shirt. He felt the gun, and anytime, he would aim it if something bad happened.
The man and Marcus simultaneously finished washing their hands. They both dried them with some tissue paper.
Marcus saw that the man glanced at his place for a second. He granted the man a smile, but the man spun around and left the comfort room.
Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. He waited for about a minute to make sure that the man wearing the black hoodie left, finally. Out of his sight.
Marcus finally went inside the restaurant, but someone called his name. "Marcus, right?"
Marcus turned around and saw the man wearing the black hoodie. He was leaning against the wall of the comfort room, and he was looking down.
'How did he know my name?' Marcus asked himself.
Marcus felt scared at the thought. He was looking intensely at the man while getting his cellphone out of his backside pocket. He's ready to call the other lieutenants who were on patrol on the day.
"Excuse me? Do I know you?" Marcus asked the man. The man chuckled.
"Soon," the man answered.
Marcus got puzzled by it, and asked, "Pardon me?"
"Soon, your friends will die," the man threatened. Marcus stood still, flabbergasted by what he heard from the man. He knuckled his fists, getting angry in no time.
"What did you say?" Marcus wondered.
He chuckled again, and mimicked, "You've heard what I said."
The man ran towards the exit of the restaurant like a bolt of lightning. Marcus got his gun on the insides of his polo shirt and aimed it at the man. But when the man ran towards the corner of the street, Marcus lost sight of him.
Marcus observed the people rushing to get to their jobs. As if the man wearing the black hoodie will pop up right in front of his eyes.
He exhaled, nervous about the thought of his friends. Frightened that they would be dead anytime, as the man had said to him. He peeked towards the entrance of the restaurant and saw Katrina stomping her heels. He ran towards her and called out.
"Katrina!" Marcus called to her, but Katrina didn't even glance at him. She climbed in her car and drove off hurriedly towards Bella's Main Highway.
* * *
Marcus said his goodbyes to his friends. When he was lingering around the surroundings, he saw that man. He was wearing his black hoodie again at the entrance of the grocery store.
He was currently smoking his cigarette, and from where Marcus observed, he was puffing it.
Marcus can't distinguish the man's face. It's filled with black shadows Marcus can't decipher. And the man was miles away from the restaurant. Bella's Main Highway was so wide.
"Babe," Marcus heard Zoey's call, but he didn't want to remove his look from the man. The man finished his cigarette, walked towards his motorcycle. He drove off towards Bella's Main Highway. Out of their sight.
"Babe... babe," Zoey shook him, and that's when Marcus finally looked at her.
"What are you looking for?" Zoey asked him while looking at the place where Marcus observed the man wearing the black hoodie.
"It's nothing," Marcus assured her girlfriend. He doesn't want to say it right now. Marcus wanted to play the role of being a Lieutenant. He would gather some information about the man wearing the black hoodie.
Marcus's frightened about it. How about his friends? How about Zoey? They might scare out of their wits.
"Let's go?" Zoey bragged. Marcus nodded and guided Zoey through his car. He opened the door for Zoey, but before she could ride, he kissed her forehead. She got baffled by Marcus' sudden sweet gesture, but she shrugged it off.
When they're settled, Marcus drove off towards the wide roads of Bella's Main Highway. While driving, he's dazed out. He was thinking of the man with the black hoodie.
'I don't want to lose you, Zoey. And also our friends,' Marcus thought.
He gripped the steering wheel and glanced at Zoey. She was currently watching the cars outside of the car window. Marcus held Zoey's hand and kissed it while driving.
"Are you okay? Is there something that bothers you?" Zoey asked him. Marcus glanced at her quickly.
"You are deep in thought, I know it," Zoey added.
"It's nothing, babe," Marcus assured her. Zoey can't read his mind. In their group, Carmela had a super ability to read their minds. Marcus doesn't know why Carmela can do that.
"Okay, you know I'm worried about you, right? You can say everything to me," Zoey said to him. Marcus swiveled his car towards Pristine's Village.
"I always say it to you when something odd happens, right? You don't have to worry about it. I'm fine," Marcus announced, then smiled. He stopped the car in front of a 3-story house.
"I have to go. My aunt texted me. I don't leave a note that I will leave this morning," Zoey replied. Marcus got a grip on her arm before she could get out of the car. Marcus had a fight in himself on whether to say what he saw and heard.
"Take care, I love you," Marcus mumbled. He finally decided not to say it. Zoey smiled sweetly, then quickly retorted, "I love you too, babe."
She climbed out of the car and made her way towards her house. Marcus watched as Zoey made her way inside. She twisted around and waved. Marcus rolled down his car window and made a flying kiss. She caught it and placed her palm on her lips. Marcus waved another goodbye and drove off in his car towards the exit of Zoey's village.
Once he was alone, his deep thoughts were back again. Marcus realized that he never had time to ask Zoey what happened between Katrina and Carmela. After a minute, he drove off towards Fort's Village. He wanted to rest for an hour before going to the police station.
He garaged the car and stepped out. He went inside his house and went to his bedroom. Marcus let his body fall onto his king-sized bed and closed his eyes for a moment.
"Who are you? Why are you threatening us?" Marcus asked himself, while opening his eyes. He glimpsed their picture sitting at his study table.
He stood up from his bed and picked up the picture frame. Marcus smiled. The candid shot of him and his best friends. They were celebrating their junior high school graduation.
He saw Mina's goofy smile. Zoey's beautiful laugh, Carmela's cheeky smile while pointing to Katrina's open mouth. He and Matthew put their arms over each other, and Abbey looked at them, glad and laughing.
'I am blessed to meet all of you.' Marcus thought.
"I will let no one touch every one of you, even a single strand of hair," Marcus cautioned. He hugged the picture frame closed to his chest.
'I will protect all of you at all costs. No matter what happened to me. I will play the role of a lieutenant, and your best friend,' Marcus thought in his mind, strong.