Chapter 7

Phoenix’s POV

The den is eerily quiet like always.

It’s already sundown. I gritted my teeth because of the sting as my hands moved to tighten the new bandage cloth around my wound. This is my second time changing it since I arrived and it’s starting to really annoy me. 

It was my blunder that I let myself be shot even if I didn’t know about the sniper hiding. I should’ve known. Remembering how the last operation became a mess makes me want to shoot someone—especially that traitor who dare ruin my plans.

Whoever that person is, they better start their prayers now. Because if there's one thing I hate most, it’s being made a fool of.

“Boss?” My eyes darted towards the door where the voice and knock came from. “I came to report,” says one of my main crew.

I put the bandages aside and pulled my shirt down before responding, “Enter.”

Siete walked inside and stopped in front of me in his best posture.

“We’ve got men posted on every path in the island. The lagoon is also guarded now. No one will get near without being seen,” he automatically states. “Dos and the others are on their way back too. They just called and said they handled the cops.”

I looked at him and asked for the only thing I care about, “What about the crates?”

“We’ve successfully secured the weapons. We also retrieved new information about all the transactions made by The Talons and who they’re working with. Also, we have begun investigating how they found out about our operation to track down the mole,” he explained.

“Good.” I stood up despite the searing pain of my insides and walked to my bedside table to grab my gun, tucking it against the small of my back before putting my robe on and heading for the door.

Time has been wasted because of our setback last night. That’s time I need to chase so we can get right back where we were.

“I left two of our men to stand outside the holding room where the girl is,” Siete spoke from behind me while I tied the robe around my waist, trudging down the empty hallways.

I clutched my side when I felt the sudden pain shoot from my wound. 

This will really test my patience for a couple of days, huh? Great.

“Do you want to call Seis to check on your injuries?” Siete suddenly asked.

I could feel the way his watchful gaze on my side scrutinized me. It just pissed me off more. I don’t like being cared for like I’m weak.

Ah, everything and everyone just keeps on getting on my nerves. Perhaps it’s the running fever or just the natural short fuse I have but for now, I held back my temper. 

Dwelling on such mundane details that irks me won’t be good for anyone in this situation.

So I replied to dismiss the topic, “I’ll call for him in the morning.”

Siete knew better than to say anything back. He knows when to drop things and avoid pushing my buttons.

It didn’t take a while before we arrived at the den’s basement where the merchandise was. The crates were lined in neat rows, filled with rifles and other new weapons. 

I directly went to check one of the opened goods to see if it lives up to the rumors.

“Tres has verified that it’s authentic Lorvani,” Siete states and grabs one of the guns to demonstrate.

He raised the gun aiming toward a metal panel and with one pull of the trigger, the weapon blasted a flash of blue-white light that pierced a perfect smoking hole in the steel. It didn’t make any prominent loud noise except from the low thrum but the destruction power of the weapon was formidable. 

I took the gun from Siete and weighed it in my hands. I can’t help but smirk in disbelief.

Ever the same powerhouse as they have been. I’m half-impressed and angered about the gap between us.

Some would say that it’s too ambitious to chase after the heads of untouchable names of the underground world like the Lorvanis but I beg to differ.

There is nothing in this world that won’t topple down.

And it’s my goal to crush them and take their place at the top of the chain.

“The shipment’s secure,” Siete adds. “But there’s talk that they received information about what went down during the operation. They’re currently looking for new middlemen. Every group from our area and those who heard about it are scampering to make the cut.”

My expression hardened, thinking about the next right move. At this point, we can’t challenge a mafia clan as established as them. 

We're strong but still not strong enough. I have to be careful if I want to achieve my goal of infiltrating their clan. 

For now, I have to cut loose ends from the previous compromised mission. 

With that, I told Siete to accompany me to see the girl.

He led me to the control room where I took a seat in front of the monitors. I pressed a hand on my side at the movement, feeling the fresh bleeding seep through the bandages again. 

My cold stares landed at the image on the screen.

“What are your plans for her, Boss?” Siete asked from behind me, observing her too.

I didn’t answer but my gaze remained fixated on the woman.

She looks childish and is actually childish—something I realized after her cheeky remarks earlier. I know she was scared to death but that didn’t stop her from running her mouth, something both brave and foolish of her.

The longer our conversations are, the more I believe her words that she’s not involved with any of my enemies… she’s just simply unlucky and naive to a fault.

Still, I’m not one to dismiss doubts just like that. Besides, even if she’s really innocent, she has already witnessed and got entangled with the wrong bunch of people such as myself. 

If I have sympathy to spare, I would. But that really isn’t my style.

“She’s not going anywhere for the meantime,” I answered, fingers tapping slow and deliberate on the control panel as I thought to myself. “At least until I decide what’s gonna happen to her.”

The girl was curled on the floor, not moving. She’s still breathing though, so I assume she simply passed out from crying or exhaustion.

I remembered her smile and sweet voice earlier this morning.

I remember her instinctive monitoring of my condition, the genuine concern that radiated from her when she checked my temperature. It was brief and unfamiliar yet I could still feel the ghost of her warm touch linger… I don’t like it.

Then I remember her claims of treating me, of saving me, just because she didn’t want to leave a stranger to die.

That's the stupidest thing I’ve heard in a very long time.

My eyes shifted to the screen that showed a zoomed in image of her face.

This woman—she’s quite a curious case.

And I’m not sure what it is but something in my gut keeps pulling me towards her.

Something about her is unnerving and unsettling. 

I hate it.

Absently tracing my lower lip as I pondered, I continued to watch her peacefully in slumber. Then I instructed Siete, my eyes never leaving the screen,

“I want you to find everything about her.”