FOR MARTHA
[NATHAN's POV]
Red. Rage. Indignation. I felt the colour and these emotions rush at me the moment I set my eyes on the picture. I wanted to do something and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to have the neck of the guy I saw kissing my Martha in my hands and watch how life would leave his eyes and he would go limp and then cold in my hands. It would be satisfactory, it would calm my edged nerves.
I am Nathan Martin and I am not evil. I am just blinded by raving jealousy at the picture that the private bodyguard whom I hired to watch over Martha just sent to me. I left Naylatan to Fijex to protect Martha but no one but my dad and hers know my motive. I told her dad not to let her know of my reason and he understands. She has been through a lot in life for a girl of her age and just when she is feeling like she has a covering against the harsh happenings of life, I did not want her to feel threatened or endangered. Her dad and I want her to experience everything she wants to and though the idea of letting her school is dangerous, we agreed to let her and we have people watching over her at every point in time. This she does not know also. She doesn't know of the looming danger currently on The Heart.
For the past one year, there has been serious threats made against our organization. We have tried to stay very hidden but not hidden enough because some of those whom we have ruined their operations and whose captives we had set free are after us and want to make us pay. The striking part of this feud is that we know not who or what we are fighting against but we know they are real and that their threats aren't empty. Eight months ago, when the new governor of Abroin, the capital of Naylatan was inaugurated, they showed us what they are capable of doing by killing the wife of one of our leading members, Mr William. It was Mr William's birthday that day and his wife had gone to get him a cake when bullets were rained on her as she came out of the store and was about to enter her car. That same day, a package was delivered at Mr William's mansion. It was a birthday cake, a letter and some pictures. The letter read:
Dear William,
Happy birthday and I hope you like my present. It is the same as the one your wife wanted to surprise you with but I am sure you got a far better surprise by her death. We have told you guys to stop aborting our operations and due to the carelessness of you and your group of insane heroes, we had to show you how sincere our threats were. You guys protected the new governor of Abroin, Mr Jonah Clayton from our months of well-planned assassination. Well I must say that you guys are very skilled and courageous but there is a price you know. A price you and your partners must pay for your bravery and courage. It is the price of your loved ones. I assure you and the others that nowhere is too high or low, nowhere too broad or narrow to find you or no security too tight for us to infiltrate. We are coming for everything you love. Every single one of you. Spread the word William and don't be too much of a cry baby. Happy birthday once again.
Yours Watchful,
TB
The pictures sent were of his wife smiling to the lady that sold the cake to her as she pointed at the one she wanted and of her, close to her car as she laid on the floor with her blood pooling beneath her and the cake she had purchased by her side, mushed in the her blood.
It was a very dark day for the leading members of the Heart. Six months after, we received a signal of a planned assassination on a congressman. He is a noble congressman and had been very law abiding. We could not sit back and watch them do whatever they wanted to, so as usual we decided to intervene. We saved him but that same week, Mr Aaron Cobalt lost his three year old daughter who was coming back from kindergarten. Mr Aaron had gone to pick her from school because he was to travel out of the country in the evening and wanted to see his child before he left when she was shot. They knew that he was coming and pumped bullets into the little girl as she made the little run to her dad. They were not even after his life, they just wanted him to feel the pain. The pain of losing a loved one. She died in his arms and has never been himself since that day. A package was also sent to his mansion that same day containing a doll, a letter and pictures. The pictures were of his daughter happy and learning in class and the girl dead in his arms. He pulled out from the organization the next week saying that his therapist said it was what was best for him. I wonder till today if he would ever be back to his usual self. After these incidents, I made up my mind to protect Martha and my dad. My dad rarely leaves his hide out and I did not want whoever it was that was calling the shots to know how much love I had for Martha because I was certain they would come for her before even my dad.
Two months before I left Naylatan, I was about to tell Martha how much love I have for her when Mr Aaron lost his daughter. I knew that whoever these persons were they have a way of keeping tabs on anyone they wanted so I left without telling Martha because I might not have had the heart to leave her and because I wanted to make them believe I have no feelings for her but now I was regretting that decision so bad. I wish I could call her to tell her everything but I might have no idea if they were spying on my calls. The house I bought here in Fijex is not just a house but a place where I have secret meetings, plans and inventions. I want to find out who these persons were for the good of everyone related to Naylatan, the world at large and majorly so I could get back to my girl. This whole thing is stressing me out and I miss her a lot. I remember how right her body felt in my arms as we kissed on the floor of the sparring ring. She tasted like heaven and it took a lot to let her go the way I did for her own safety. I had gone to see her that day or the last time before my departure. She was like a fruit and she was ripening gradually. I definitely won't let someone else get my girl but I was torn in between revealing my feelings, protecting her and the persons that were directly or indirectly involved with The Heart. I took out my laptop and clicked on the icon of The Heart's app. It was a symbol of a heart with the shadows of many persons in the heart. It was not just an ordinary app and I created it to be able to search for anyone in any place of the world provided I got a picture of the person or a name. I had asked the private bodyguard that sent me the picture to get his name and he is Marcus Ranks. I provided the information of his name to the search engine in the app and two seconds later I got two Marcus Ranks. The first Marcus Ranks was a small boy of seven whose parents live in Chusam, definitely not the one. The second person was the one I wanted and he is a final year student of the University of Abroin, studying Geography. He is twenty five years old and grew up in Sugan, the capital city of Ladin. The name of his parents are Mr John Ranks and Mrs Isabella Ranks. He has a brother who is two years younger than him and who studies in the University of Sugan. I read on his hobbies, his boring likes and dislikes, his height and his past girlfriend. I read on his dad whether he was involved in any cult or rebellious organization but my thoughts came back negative. His dad owns the biggest Real Estate Management Agency in Ladin and is ranked as one of the richest men in Ladin. Somewhere in my heart, I wanted him to be part of the enemy so I could send word against him and have him killed. So far so good I searched, he has a good slate and there is nothing to place on him. He was a decent enough guy and that worried me more than it should.
I know that Martha must have seen my post with that model but it was only a façade. It was only to put the focus of these hidden forces on the model so they would not know who really had my heart. I told the model whose name is Hannah that I would never be able to love her and that I am a dangerous man with dangerous people after me but if she should accept me, I could grant her wealth and help her become one of the top models of Fijex in less than two months. She readily agreed and had no issue with it. I also did not leave her with no protection and I have some of my men that guard her. The lass thinks I have begun to fall in love with her though.
"Make sure he never gets that close to her again but do not harm him" I said to the private bodyguard as I finished my search on Marcus Ranks. I also need to know what Martha felt towards him and that is something I need to work on. I can only hope she doesn't like him.