Beginning

"Why are we going back?" cried Maddy.

"Coz we need answers." I said.

"That place is haunted. What else is there to know?" Alex demanded.

"That is the last thing on my mind. Look, someone was trying really hard to make us leave. That means there is something they wanna hide. We need to know what?"

"But if that's the case, then those people must be dangerous." Brad sounded concerned.

"Yes, they might be. But we are more dangerous." Mike said with a smirk.

"I agree." Edward said from behind the wheel.

After the tree incident today, I drove Rach and Phoebe back home. Then I called Brad, Mike and Ed to come with us. We are a team. And our new members will gain some experience too.

We all got out of the car. We were armed and prepared to face anything.I showed them the way to the mansion. We went in the mansion, which looked spookier at night.

"Where was Rachel when she started bleeding?" I asked Maddy.

"She was in that room over there." she said pointing at a room right behind me. I went in and saw some furniture covered in sheets. But there was a table in the middle of the room which wasn't. A feet long bronze statue of a woman stood right above it. Alex started heading towards the statue, "don't" I stopped her.

I looked around and picked up a rag from there. I aimed at the statue and threw the rag at it. It was cut in two pieces about three inches away from it. One piece fell on the floor right there the other one hit the statue. It wobbled but it was still standing.

Alex and Maddy were taken aback by this.

"It's a nano wire." I explained.

I went out of the room and they followed me out. I saw an old newspaper lying on the table. I picked it up and read it. It was dated Wednesday, August 13, 1884. There was a picture of the portrait on the front page. The heading said, "Rich heiress murdered by husband"

It read as follows,

'On Monday, corpse of the heiress of the Brednin estate, Alexia W. Thomas was found in Thomas mansion. She was living there with her husband, Gregorio H. Thomas. After the sudden death of her father, Philip R. Brednin, on May 23 this year, being the only child Alexia Thomas inherited the fortune. Three weeks after his death, his will was read in public on June 14 by his advocate friend, William Bradshaw. She was found in her study room. She scribbled 'help' all over the walls of the room. Autopsy report shows signs of physical torture. She was held captive and starved since the will announcement. Her husband, Gregorio Thomas confessed his crime to the police. The motive behind the crime was to get hold of Brednin estate.'

And after that was all crap about what will happen to the estate after the daughter's death which I had no interest in.

"That's a tragedy." I said tossing away the newspaper. "Boys will check the ground floor and we girls will go to the first floor. And if in trouble make sure to make a lot of noise. It's one hell big of a mansion." I said that and motioned Maddy and Alex to follow me.

"Keep your guard up." They nodded and started following me. We went upstairs and checked all the rooms one by one. We were just leaving when I felt something was wrong. I checked two rooms but didn't find a study.

"Alex...Maddy did you find a study room?"

"I checked one room and it wasn't a study." said Alex.

"I also checked only one room and it was a bedroom." explained Maddy.

"Wait, what? I checked two rooms."

"So, what's there to boast about?" Alex felt offended.

"No. There's something wrong."

I rushed to the room at the end of the corridor. I went to the balcony and looked outside. The wall was still extending on the other side. I ran outside to see the end of the corridor right after the room.

"I knew it."

I knocked on the wall to see if it was fake and it was. I called Maddy and Alex to help me break the wall. It sounded crazy to them at first but they understood once they tried. We broke the wall and saw another door at the other end. This part was abode of all kind of pests; spiders, roaches, rats, you name it.

The door was jammed so Alex kicked it open. She was feeling very proud of this little achievement. A big smile was covering her face.

"It was an old door." Her smile disappeared as soon as I said that.

"You're such a pooper, Jess." She sounded like a five year old babbling. I ignored her and went in. There was a desk in the middle, a few huge book racks like in a library stood right in front.

There was also a cupboard at one side.

Maddy went and opened it. A body fell out of it right on Maddy.

She screamed so loudly, Alex screamed too. I couldn't help but join them. I ran and pulled her out from beneath that thing. It fell on the ground with a loud thud. "Back off" I commanded.

I took out my gun and aimed at the dead body. I went closer to take a better look. I was trying to calm myself down. I looked at it and still couldn't get myself to move it. Jessica, calm down.

I gathered myself reminding that I am a spy. I gotta be tougher than this. I was about to turn it over when it grabbed my feet and made me fall, and my gun fell off my hand. A shriek escaped my throat as a chill ran up my spine. My heart was faster than a bullet train. It was still holding my feet. Her hair fell on her face and made it difficult to see her face. I kept on kicking in her blonde haired face. But in vain, it was like that thing didn't feel pain at all. I stretched out my hand but I couldn't reach my gun. I was running out of calmness now. Maddy and Alex emptied their guns on it, with a background scream of course. I sat up and reached for the head and twisted it as hard as I could. And it came right off in my hands. I screamed again and threw it away. When I looked back I saw a bunch of wires coming out of the neck. I yanked them all out and it stopped moving. It was some robot. I tossed it away; it was one dreadfully heavy thing to move. Edward and Mike came and helped me move it.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"You made a lot of noise so we thought you were in trouble."

"Nothing I can't handle." I said dusting my clothes. I looked at the dead robot and it made me really angry, "Someone has really pissed me off."

I ran downstairs and looked at the painting of Alexia Thomas. And as I suspected, there were no eyes. Instead there were two holes. "I always felt this thing was staring at me." I said pointing at the hole. I took down the painting and there was an opening. I stepped in and others followed behind. It was a small alley like way. At the other end, I saw a light. We started heading towards it.

I could hear three men talking. I motioned Alex, Maddy and Brad to stay while Mike and Ed to come with me. I reloaded my gun and told them not to waste bullets. We rushed in and I yelled "freeze". I know that will not happen but it is just a formality. The whole room was filled with wooden crates everywhere. A wooden table with a few guns on it was in the centre of the room. One ran towards the gun on the table. I aimed and shot his right kneecap. He fell down and the other two put their hands up immediately.

"Anyone else wants to pull a stunt like that?" I said.

The other two were quite afraid and didn't move. I called the others in and told to tie them up.

"See, what's in the boxes?"

Maddy, Brad and Alex went to check the boxes as told. They opened the crates and were dumbstruck. They really need to learn more, you never see and stand like an idiot, you tell and then you can stand like an idiot. Maddy turned back and said, "Guns. Big guns. Lots of them."

I motioned Mike to go check. "They have some high grade weapons. An illegal weaponry I think."

"Brad, Maddy and Alex go wait by the car." They hesitantly followed my orders. I went to the one I shot, "What is all this?"

He kept his mouth shut. I aimed and shot his left Knee cap too. He screamed in pain. "Now you opened your mouth, huh?"

I put the gun in his mouth, "You do realise that there are two more I can ask from after I pull the trigger."

He seemed afraid but didn't open his mouth. I made a reluctant expression, "You'll have to go then I guess." I was about to pull the trigger when he started begging. I pulled away my gun and waited for him to speak up.

"This is an illegal gun shop."

"Sorry but I don't like lies." And I pulled the trigger the bullet hit right at his hand. He groaned in pain again.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. We are a part of a big illegal weapon racket."

"How big?"

"Global"

I turned to Mike, "Take them in custody and have some medical aid for that one."

I came out of the room and so did Edward. Mike stayed behind to wait till the agency got here. I came out of the mansion relieved to see that the horror show ended. This was one hell of a camping trip.

I came into the room and put my bags in. Everyone else followed behind with their bags as well. It was a three bedroom suite, with a hall and bathrooms attached with every bedroom.

"Why do we all have to stay together?" Alex asked.

"So there is no waste of time in finding each other." Mike said sternly.

"Maddy, Alex can stay in one room and Mike and Edward in the other. Brad can have the couch and I will sleep alone in the other room. We all need rest and it's quiet late now." I picked my stuff and placed them in the room. I had a bath and lied down.

After we got out of that haunted mansion, agency interrogated those three. They told us about a man, Charles, they reported to who lived here in Bangkok. We took a flight and booked a hotel here. We have sketch of that man. He was bald, and in his late forties, he looked tough with the look in his eyes and ferocious too.

But the thing I remember right now is Edward that night. As soon as I stepped out of that mansion he came following me.

"Jess, why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Send the others out before interrogation. Why so? That afraid of letting them see you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what. Why do you want to hide? I don't understand, wearing masks over masks, why?" he kept staring at me. He saw right through me, I thought. "I don't know if it'll help but I really like the real you. I don't think you need masks." he said with a warm gaze fixed on me. I lost my masks for a moment there.

He then went back to the car. Well, guess what Mr. Scott it did help. Thanks for saying something like that. I can get used a guy like him.

***********

I woke up in a totally dark room tied to a pillar. But then I was fighting with Edward. Am I dreaming again? But he kept on fighting. But this time I wasn't attacking. I know this guy now. I kept on defending but then I fell over him. "Leave me." I cried.

"I won't and don't even want to leave a woman like you." He whispered coyly in my ear.

Door opened and light fell on my face. I closed my eyes and the door closed. But suddenly Edward was gone.

I started looking for him. It was dark and I couldn't see. But I wasn't giving up again; I'm not leaving him again to rot. I saw a figure standing and I felt relieved. I knew it was him. I went closer, "Edward, is that you?"

"Yes"

It was him. Without even thinking I threw myself at him. We landed at a soft surface. I rested my head on his chest and I could hear his heart beat. It was so soothing. I tightened my grip around his neck and pulled him to me. He wrapped his hands around my waist and held me close. "Where did you go? Why did you leave me?" I cried. He gave a squeeze and started rubbing my back, trying to console me. And it worked like a charm. I was calm now. "Please, don't ever leave me like that again." I said as I buried my face in his chest. He tightened his grip and brought his head closer to mine.

"Never. I promise to stay by your side always." He said calmly.

The door opened and the light was on. I opened my eyes and saw myself actually lying on Edward. We both were on the bed and he was holding me. I got up and looked around, I was in the hotel. Edward got up as well. And everyone else was staring at us with a smirk on their faces.

"You guys could have told us if you wanted privacy." Mike said sarcastically.

"Yeah. We can move to another room if you want." Brad teased.

"Enough." Edward ordered. "We were practising to fight with our senses other than sight. It is a bit too early for you all to reach this level and that includes my elder brother Mike too." He pointed towards Mike looking down at him. I could see very clearly on Mike's face that this was pissing him off. "Okay, enough now. Go back to your rooms." Everyone started to leave reluctantly, "Not you Ed. We still have something left." As soon as they all left I locked the door behind them. Edward was standing right behind me. I pulled out a knife and jumped at him. I landed right above him with my knife on his neck.

"I believe you can keep a little secret. What happened here stays here?" I was infuriated.

He threw the knife away and rolled over. He was right above me holding my hands to the ground. He was smiling at me. That made me even more mad. But this closeness made my heart go berserk. He brought his face closer to my ear and whispered, "I don't intend to share you either. You're all mine." He got up and left the room. Why him my heart? I went back to bed and tried to sleep. Why him?

************