THE BLOOD
[NATHAN's POV]
I finally found a clue. It is a freaking miracle. After trying severally to trail the hidden forces behind the recent attacks on members of my organization and failing every single time, I discovered that I was doing something wrong.
I was trying to tackle a huge situation as this one from the event itself. What I was supposed to do, was to tackle it from the source – from the very beginning. This was one of the first things I learnt when I made the decision in working for The Heart – when you have been working around a case for long and you have not been able to make an headway, try finding the source. I just got caught with trying to do it the way I have always done things coupled with my frustration on not being able to explain myself to Martha.
As good as this principle may sound, I wanted to apply it but the issue was, there was really no source. The only lead I had, was of the packages sent to the houses of those they have killed. I have checked over and over again, read the letters so many times but I have not been able to find anything. The major striking recurrence I have been able to pick are the letters 'TB' from the letters they sent to Mr William Sandal and Mr Aaron Cobalt. I have tried checking out what those initials stood for – from Google search engine and The Heart's search engine but the results came back negative and very disappointing.
Then one cool noon, I was just waking up from a repeated bad dream - a dream about Martha in a red dress with a bullet hole in her forehead; she was in my arms and my hands were covered in her blood. I was screaming her name and was rocking her in my arms but she just had her lifeless eyes opened, staring endlessly and distantly at me. As I jerked back to reality, I took out my phone and began to scroll through her pictures on my phone. The television in my living room was on and 'News' was going on. There was a case of the biggest car dealer in Naylatan being shot severally in an hotel in Cradon, Naylatan. This particular piece of news trapped my attention because according to the newscaster, there was something that was noticed in the hotel room where he was killed – it was a signature sign with the blood of the victim, either on the wall or beside the dead body. His face was made blood because of how grotesque the picture was but they did nothing to blur the dried and bloody signature. Immediately I saw the signature, something clicked in my brain that I had seen that particular kind of signature somewhere – but where? I fetched my laptop from my room and got to work. I called a member of The Heart that works with the police force and asked him to provide me with the information of mysterious cases that had that bloody signature. Fifteen minutes later, he got them for me and I noticed something very impressing; most of the persons that were killed and that signature was found where they were killed, they were the same persons that The Heart recorded failure, in not being able to protect them. Then I remembered the picture of Mr William's wife and how that same signature was found close to her body and I connected the dots.
This was like some kind of game. The persons that are unto us, are the persons that had the signature. At least I understood one thing. When The Heart started recording success and started protecting some persons, we did not actually discover who we were protecting these persons from and eliminate them – the source. Now there was a rival group and what I needed to know is who they were, their sponsors and where they worked from. As I wheeled through and zoomed in on some gruesome pictures that were snapped from the murder scenes, I noticed that the signature was saying something. Due to the complication of the signature, it was hard to detect what it read. I zoomed in on many other pictures that had the signatures but it was like it was the same person that signed because I could get no clue. After a lot of brain driving, I could not still detect what it meant but I had an idea on what to do - I had to phone a friend. A friend whom I have been avoiding for a long time. Her name is Elena, Elena Monroe. We met in a special kids' training programme, for kids assumed to be geniuses. Elena was indeed a genius as she could decipher anything, no matter how embroiled it was. In our training days, she was popularly known as 'Cipher'. She is currently a consigliere to a top mafia organization in Vuren. I see her as a friend but she sees me as a man and has always wanted me. We got drunk a certain time and had a one night stand I regretted but she was actually cool with it because when I tried to apologize to her and take the blame the next morning, she said she was cool with it and proposed a relationship between us. I actually agreed because I did not want to hurt her cause she had a big smile plastered on her face. Two weeks into it, I politely called it off the best way I could but whatever opportunity she gets, she makes sure that she reminds me that she never said it was over. As much as I did not want to get intertwined with her, I currently need her help and I know I need to do whatever it would take to stop this feud.
I closed my laptop and did other things till it was noon when I knew she did be also free. "Hello, who is this?'' I heard her ask softly as she picked my call.
"Hi Ell'', I greeted, using the nickname I guess I alone call her.
"A massive surprise Nathan! To what do I owe this surprise?'' she asked with a chortle in her voice - knowing me well.
"Are you trying to imply that I cannot call you without an ulterior motive?'' I asked with a smile on my lips.
''The both of us know that you want something Nath!'' she exclaimed lightly with humour in her voice.
"Well that is true Cipher, I really do need your help'' I truthfully told her.
"This sounds quite important. Well, I am currently in Naylatan for a vacation. Send over what you want me to do and I would but know there is a payment and it is not money. You know I have all the money I need'' she said and I knew what she was hinting at. I had already thought about it before I called her and I knew it was going to get to this. I was silent for a while but she knew I understood her.
"Do you agree to spend just one passionate night with me Nathan?'' she asked in plain words. I swallowed my spit hard and thought of my dad, members of the Heart, those that have died, people to protect and Martha. I could not lose these persons.
"Alright Elena, let's meet in Naylatan' I replied. 'Send me the 'fish' and I would get back to you soon' she said with mirth in her voice.
I could have asked for us to see somewhere else but I was dying to physically see Martha. I wanted to see her with my own eyes and know she was within my reach. This was stupid but I was willing to do anything to see her. I began to prepare my fake ID and when I was done, I packed my bag to the airport for a journey to Naylatan.