Hansel sauntered over to the centre table and whisked off his phone with a creased brow and a racing heart. He felt his heart burning with rage as he dialed the very first number on his call logs. With just a ring, the receiver's voice echoed through.
" All ears boss" Foil mumbled and Hansel roared.
"Go and finish off your job and bring back that ungrateful brat to me– I'll teach him not to overstep his boundaries when I'm being nice"
"Copied – expect a feedback soon" He stated and the line went dead.
Hansel stared with unseeing eyes as he felt his hard work to keep his son close to him nearly escalating into flames and fire as the once obedient boy he remote around stood against him with the appearance of her from his past. The thought of this angered him even more– Delia just came out of his past like spectre of vengeance to haunt and destroy his pride which to him, was so unacceptable and he's not willing to risk just the thinnest to her advantage.
"Anyone who steps on my toes gets it hard from me, Delia– Beware" He mumbled in suppressed anger. With the sudden flash of Mya's suspicious character which dawn on him, he picked up his keys and stormed out of the house. It had earlier escaped him after Delia's visit which got him worked out. He frowned with deep concern.
" Oh, Mya– You'll really pushing me to the wall this time around. What have you so far gathered which I don't know " He asked as he made a mental note to look for her so to find out more about what she knew. Not wasting anymore time, he spontaneously drove the car out the house and soon, it was back on the road– He zoomed off in a flash.
*************
Rubin rushed downstairs, all dressed in his uniform with his bag which hanged over his shoulders, almost sweeping the floor. The fast tapping sound from the stairs instinctively caused Laura who was already seated with the family over the table and the rest, deftly glance back.
"Why is he in such a rush?" She asked herself with a furrowed brow on noticing him. "Has he heard something from Alixies?" She mumbled with a thoughtful gaze.
"Hi, Good morning, mum–" He greeted, kissing his mother on the cheek as he leaned over her shoulder.
"Good morning, honey" She smiled. With a fixed gaze, Laura kept stalking his every move in an effort to lay fingers of his hyperactive sense. Turning at Annabel who glanced up at him from his plate, he swiftly asked. " How're you, Ann?"
"Fine, Rubin" She answered, her lips curved in a smile after which she returned to her meal.
"You seem in a hurry– What's the rush?" Laura asked. In an effort not to draw his mother and sister's attention on himself or get wired in front of them, he spontaneously ignored her as he went on to pick a slice of bread off the plate and settled right next to him while he dug into his meal.
"Did you get any news yet from Alixies?" She pressed on which made Annabel glance up at her with a smile. Not noticing her gaze, she added. " Or any news on Mya and her plans?."
With Rubin still ignoring her, Annabel volunteered a hand in an effort to help Laura out.
"Rubin? " She called which made him instantly gaze up at her. "I guess your friend here need answers to her questions – She's not going to stop when you stay quiet like that" She explain with a smile which made their mother stare at her with terror which over took her face. Rubin's face instinctively went blank, the bread in his hand unconsciously fell off into the plate which made her mother glance at him before returning her gaze to Ann again.
"Which friend are you talking about, Ann– I think we're only three people here, your brother, you and I so who are you referring to as his friend?" Audrey asked while she stared quizzically at her and frowned. Her heart raced and several thoughts raced along paralleled lines with her heartbeat.
Rubin just looked at her with revulsion and his looks belied his inner struggle. Anxiety and much brooding combined to shed several kilogrammes of fat from his body – Laura on the other hand, did not bat an eye.
"The beautiful one right there, beside him" She stated, pointing at Laura's direction.
"She can really see me" She mumbled and Rubin glanced at her, horrified.
Audrey's gaze spontaneously followed Ann's hint but found no one, just an empty chair. "No more jokes, Ann– There's no one there" She rebuked.
Rubin bent forward anxiously in his seat, his eyes appeared to be pleading with her as he jerked to his feet. "I'm leaving now, mum" He called her attention.
"Oh, but you haven't finished your breakfast"
"I'm already full– Got to rush now, a test will be held this morning and I had to get in early to prepare adequately for it" He offered an explanation. With a quick kiss on her cheeks, he said his goodbye and rushed of, picking his bag.
"Alright, take care " Audrey said, gazing at his back.
"Come on, let's go.." He inaudibly signaled Laura as he whispered the words which was barely audible for anyone to hear.
She smiled at Ann after regaining her composure and waved a goodbye to which she also waved back at her. Rubin threw a scornful look at her just when she closed up on him.
"Did you really have to wave at her, Gosh, you're unbelievable " He mumbled in low whispers as they exit the door.
Audrey glanced back at her daughter and shook her head in disbelieve. "Hurry, young lady, you can't be lat for school as well." She probed and sauntered off to the kitchen with her plate and Rubin's.
HOSPITAL
Ben slowly pushed the door to his mother's ward open and stepped in, instinctively pausing at the door as he gazed at the woman lying motionless on the bed with tubes running into her nostrils and veins – which served as a source of life for her at her current state with unshed tears which threatened to flow anytime soon. He spontaneously sniffed, swiftly whipping off the tears which finally trekked down his eyes after a failed battle of suppressing it.
Ben paced over to her side and settled on a chair which was seated right across the bed. He gently took her hand in his and a faint smile dazzled on his face while he gently rubbed his hands over the back of hers.
"I know you can do this mum– You know why?" He paused and glanced up at her face. " Because you're a fighter and your spirit continued to wax stronger than the frail body it's housed in." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I love you, mother and I promise to protect you with my last breath. "
He stated as he examined her wounds with his eyes.
Two bullets had been removed from her shoulder and her chest. The second bullet he had fired, missed her heart narrowly and she had bled so much that she had been only minutes from death.
Delia had successfully made it through surgery but barely hung on to life. She drifted in and out of consciousness with every passing minutes.
"I know dad won't just let you off the hook but I'll also make sure to give him a tough battle." He exuded.
Just when he returned to his seat, he felt a flash caught his attention from the glass of the door. He thought he saw a figure duck and then made a dash for the corridors to which he raced to the door. As soon as he pulled the door open, he noticed a man disappear round the corner.