At present: (continuation after ch 5)
"How do you know me?" I asked slowly breaking out of my previous character.
"We met on the Import Office rooftop, remembered me?"
Of course, I do.
How could I forget him, not even three days have passed since the man threw me in the gutter.
But how could he look different? The man on that rooftop had a different pitch of voice and his jaw cut was different.
"How do you have the audacity to be so proud in front of me?" I asked in an offended tone as he declared himself to me.
"Why should I be ashamed either?"
"Does killing Lauren count?" I asked pointing towards him. "Don't you feel ashamed for that?"
"I never killed her," he paused for a moment before continuing. "Her step-father did."
"What do you mean?"
"Ash Unhole married Mrs Unhole back in 2005 when Lauren was eleven years old. Mrs Unhole's former husband left them without any prior notice, the lady was lonely until Unhole rescued them.
But what she failed to realise is that Unhole was not a kind man, he was a monster disguised as a rescuer. What monstrous thing do you he did, Ms Detective?"
"Lauren was sexually assaulted according to her autopsy report. Did he...?"
I couldn't read his expression in the dark but he continued, "Unhole was a paedophile, he manipulated Lauren into thinking that he was a good father and hence initially, he started molesting her and slowly the assaultation started.
Sadly, everyone in the household knew what was happening to Lauren, but no one filed any report to the police station." He glanced giving me a meaningful look.
It seems he knew everything. So I asked, "Why?"
"The wife was dependent on the man's income to care less for her daughter. And the poor daughter was surpassed, but not long before Lauren got engaged to Gilbert.
It was a great deal for both the parties; millions of koins for Unhole and unlimited international trade for Gilbert."
I got too much invested in the story before Eagle took a short break and asked in between, " Do you believe any of my words?"
"Depends, now resume the story."
"As the verse goes; one day I received a message from White Phantom which interpreted about exploiting the swindling Import Officer.
Our plan was to manipulate him into signing the document allowing rice packet with the gun with the threat of exposing his sexual assault towards his engaged daughter.
We invited both him and his stepdaughter to Roseground to make a deal.
But being a step ahead of us, he killed his daughter right in front of our hunters to avoid being exploited." He explained as we were out of the black hole.
In the dark, I could not read his expressions but now, as the light reflected, his face with mask showed no regret.
"So instead of saving her, you used her as bait to sign your contract? I questioned the matter in disgust and disbelief.
"We are not saviours, detective. We are destroyers, dealers and dominators." He declared proudly.
"And I am the destroyer of your kind," I said before lunging my legs to kick his face.
He successfully dodged my attack but unfortunately got distracted.
I took advantage of the situation, leapt on the back and constrained his neck with my elbow. I could feel his Adam's apple jabbing my skin and the tendency to break it was inciting.
Eagle hands flailed to remove my elbow from his neck but I tightened my grip and he failed.
"You are choking a person who is driving a fucking car, fool!" He said with struggle and I immediately looked at the front...
Shit!
"Turn right! There's a pillar!" I said screaming.
"Not when I am struggling to breathe..." His voice came out with a bare strain before I immediately let him go.
The car was just a few scratches away from the pillar when Eagle instantly got into action with the steering wheel and the break.
With a superhuman effort, the car stopped at a 45-degree turn, while the tyre screamed to screech and the commotion led my head to hit the window with a loud thump.
I saw stars twinkling between my eyes and oxygen caught between my windpipe. For a few seconds, my brain went into shut-down mode and I slumped on the back seat to regain my composure.
"If White hadn't ordered me to kill you, I would have been first to kill you." He stated as both of us remained for a long moment.
"White ordered you to save me?" I questioned in bewilderment. "Why?"
"How could I possibly know?" Eagle presumed. "Phantoms are mysterious creatures, they have intentions hidden under their sleeves. They are sly foxes."
"So, you mean all the four Phantom knows who I am?"
"No; if White had ordered me to save you, I can assure you that your identity is currently safe from the other Phantoms." He turned his body towards the back seat and continued, "But your life is at greater risk till you become the official hunter of White."
"I swear to have heard the word 'hunter' at least a hundred times and have no idea about it," I questioned my doubt in my statement.
"Hunters are the hierarchical entry-level status in Ghost City who work under societies run by the four Phantoms. They are the 'working capital' of the organisation.
If White has chosen to save you from Orange, he must have done his homework and is planning something bigger."
"What if I choose not to be his hunter?"
"Well, the decision is yours. If you choose not to be the hunter, you can walk out of my Asdon H-108 and get a slave contracted by those orange-masked waiting behind the garage gate or sign the marriage certificate."
"What do you mean orange-masked waiting behind the gate?"
"The Orange Phantom knows White is having a deal with you and ordered Tiger to restrict me. Therefore, Tiger is desperate to make you his slave. But I will respect your decision with all due disrespect."
At that moment, I had to make the toughest decision of my life.
Become a slave for one year or more.
Become a bride forever.
But I had solemnly made my decision.
I got out of the Asdon H-108 and walked towards the garage gate which was merely a few metres away.
I clicked on the switch next to the wall and the automatic garage gate lifted itself from the gravity.
Indeed, some orange-masked men and women were sitting on their bikes in the dimly lit garage waiting for my arrival. Their hands held baseball bats, guns, canes and many equipment as a requirement.
I gave a final look towards my Asdon; it was waiting.
I gave them a toothy smile before showing my signature middle finger and shouting, "Tens of golden fingers to loser orange mask hunter from this future white mask hunter as a blessing! Hail to White!"
I sprinted to my Asdon H-108 before the bullets could pass through my body and closed the door as fast as I could as the baseball bat threatened to hit me.
"So, you chose to be the bride?" Eagle commented between the chaos while a smile lingered on his face.
The noise in the background became dull once the door was closed and his voice came out like the crisp of flowing water to my ears.
"Do I have any other choice?" Between the worse and the worst, of course I was going to choose the worse.
Eagle chuckled while his hand gripped the gear lever, "Fastened your seatbelt, my future wife. The ride is going to set your adrenaline on a 5 star rush."