MasukHe meant it. And it seemed no one was going to question him for killing a nobody.Ralph's eyes widened at the sight of the gun.Is this how I finally get to die? he thought. His insides shuddered at the thought of dying."No, no," Nurlan quickly stepped in. "Belduu, it hasn't come to that. Besides, you haven't been able to find anyone to open it all this time." Nurlan spoke in a warm tone, trying to calm the grouchy man down.But Belduu seemed adamant, still pointing the gun at Ralph.Hasn't he been able to find someone to decrypt that? Ralph thought. He had done it within forty-five minutes – less, even – because he had taken more time going through the contents before encrypting it again. What surprised him was that Nurlan already knew what the tablet was about, and that they had been looking for someone to decrypt it but couldn't find anyone to successfully do it.At this point, Ralph told himself he was finally going to give them access to the information the tablet contained. He
Ralph watched as they left the shop, cursing them in his mind. He hoped they never came back. Their visit had unsettled him – the information he had found in that tablet, the thought of the Black Triad. He didn't see them as any different. *** Ralph felt it was time to see the world again, after almost a year of hiding away in his cabin. He needed a job to keep busy and didn't know where to look, but he had Yakov – who was going to do the looking for him. Yakov talked to his friend Nurlan, who owned a repair shop in Bokonbayevo and could use Ralph's help.Ralph wasn't in it for the money – though he was being paid a decent amount, but it was a chance for him to leave his space each day, meet people, and get familiar with the place.Yakov was glad Nurlan didn't object to it. It had been three months since then. Ralph loved the new routine. He would leave his cabin and only return on weekends, working the entire day until late, and crashing at bedtime in an empty storeroom at the wo
“You don't look like you are from here,” he said, scrutinising Ralph with his eyes.“Yes.” Ralph agreed. “But do you just sneak up on people and assume they're not from around here?”The man scoffed. A small smile formed around his lips. Ralph looked him over, observing his frail frame, and he was confident he could give him a good beating if it came to that.“Not always,” he said, extending a hand to Ralph.“I am Yakov. I no bite.”Ralph hesitated for a second before taking his hand. He was glad he had a glove on.“Cross.” He went with the last part of his new name. Michael Cross sounded too formal for a man he had just met.“Cross,” Yakov repeated, as if confirming it was actually correct. Ralph gave a slight nod.“Cross my friend,” he said, arching his brow as if he needed permission to call him that. “We are friends now, right?” He didn't wait for an answer.“I will warn you. This place is not very safe, so it's good you not wander very far. They're wild animals, and they won't p
The bell hanging above the door announced the entrance of a customer. Ralph didn't look up. He was far too used to the sound after working here for more than three months. He had lived in isolation for almost a year, surviving on bread and canned food. Sometimes he would hunt; the deep forest had plenty of meat. Ralph felt the need to go out again – to mingle with people, to do something other than hide away in his cabin in the middle of nowhere. Or so he thought. So far, he had made only one friend – Yakov. He met him sometime when he went hunting, and Yakov noticed he wasn't from there after a closer look. He told Ralph what he needed to know about the place – where he could hunt and which areas had boundaries. Of course, Ralph had done his own research, but Yakov’s warnings were a big bonus. He was grateful to the kind stranger. The tight-lipped team that had transformed his appearance into being unrecognisable to anyone who had known him before had given him two contacts – pe
Back in Ralph's cabin, he was boiling with anger. He didn't expect I'd figure out who it was when he had called without thinking. He just wanted to hear my voice. He felt a pang of pain in his chest. He shouldn't be here, hiding away like a rat. He threw himself on the floor, and began planking, panting heavily as he lost count. This was his way of dispelling the anger he felt inside. Ralph was doing well for himself, but he felt empty. He didn't have that freedom he wanted – doing the things he loved in the city he loved, with the woman he couldn't take out of his mind. He felt trapped. Ralph had been taking fighting lessons for the last four years; it was needed if he wanted to stand up to the Black Triad and Aldwin when he made a return. He was determined to learn everything possible, to become dangerous — and he had.He stood up from the floor, facing the mirror. His rugged reflection told him he was no longer the Ralph anyone remembered. He was a different man. He didn't like
Ralph seemed to have settled pretty well in Kyrgyzstan over the last five years since he ran away. But no day passed without him thinking about me and what my baby looked like. He would wonder if it looked like Aldwin or me. If only he knew it was twins.A strange number called my phone. I was hesitant to take the call, but I had a strong feeling it might be Ralph."Hello," I said calmly as I answered the phone, praying the voice I’d hear would be Ralph's.A few seconds passed, and it was still silent from the other end. The only sound that came was the TV, which was on a low volume."Hello," I said again, somehow convinced he was the one. "Who's this? If you can hear me, then say something."A heavy sigh came this time, nothing more.Then I felt the urge to ask. "Ralph?" I called out cautiously. "Is that you?" It seemed whoever it was was determined to stay quiet.On the other end, Ralph sat on the sofa in his wooden cabin. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. He was conten
I called Ralph hoping he'd tell me what I wanted to hear, but instead he used me to steal confidential documents from Aldwin.Maybe he deserves it. After everything Aldwin had put me through, maybe this was just payback. Or maybe it was another trap. Another disaster waiting to happen.My situation
As usual, Aldwin had left for work that morning. The thought sat with me through breakfast, I had plotted a hundred ways to wreck through Aldwin's chambers and find the precontract— my only ticket out of this cage. I waited until Matthew's call confirmed they had left the premises. Then I moved, no
“Mom, it's not that bad.”“It is that bad. You should be trying to fix the problem you already have, not creating more for yourself and others.”“That's why I was with Ralph,” I said in defense.“Is that right?” She gave me a look, then went inside. I followed her. Locking the door behind me.She w
"What are you doing?" His voice was shaky with hungry desire. "Do you think you can resist this?" I pulled the shirt apart and let it fall to the floor. His breathing quickened. The look on his face said he wasn't going to fight this. I smiled. With both hands, I gripped the sides of my lace p







