CHAPTER 23: PREPARE FOR WAR 2

After spending some hours at hunter's shop, Aisha decided to check her apartment. It must have been an off limit place since there was a crime scene before. However, to her surprise the apartment was clean. No off limit notice from the police. Since it was daytime, she sat on the benches where elderly people were playing chess against each other. She looked at the window of her apartment. It was already closed, but she could see 3 holes on it.

She decided to enter the apartment complex. She opened the door to her room then went inside. She couldn't see any trace of blood. Did someone come to clean her apartment? But there were no yellow tag around so she was very sure that no one reported the incident to the authorities. What happened?

It seems like the underworld cleaners came to clean the mess. That's the closest explanation she could think of for now. Of course she knew those kind of transactions. Her father Demetrius educated her about it since she was young, though she didn't see and experience it for real. She knew the facts but not the world itself. But she knew that it was very dangerous. Bounty hunters were rumored to have classes. The higher your class was, the higher you were paid. The classes depended on someone's ability on the field. So these bounty hunters were said to be wicked, heartless and equipped. Most of the powerful people in the country relied on them for classified projects.

Aisha released a heavy sigh as she roamed around her apartment. They were not easy to deal with for sure.

Aisha went near the window where she jumped. She examined it. She saw a hole on the window. She was sure that a bullet came through--- from the outside! She recalled that someone shot one of the bounty hunters when he was about to kill her. Then she remembered that she heard few gunshots while she fled for her life.

"Who could that person be? And why did he help me?" She was in deep thought when she heard someone stirring the doorknob. She ran behind the door as she hid herself.

The person outside kept on stirring the doorknob. Suddenly the door opened. She held her breath. She saw someone entered. It's a man! He was wearing black leather shoe. The man was about to close the door when Aisha quickly kicked the man's side. He growled in pain. Before the man regained his stand, Aisha pointed her pistol behind his head.

"Who are you?" She asked. The man was quick to snap her hand so she accidently dropped her gun. She quickly kneeled to pick it up but the man kicked her arms. She was swift to hold the man's foot then she pulled him down. The man was now lying on his back on the floor. Aisha hastily held his throat as hard as she could, the man was having a hard time to breathe. She was about to hit him but she halted. She was surprised.

"Caleb?" She was puzzled to see his friend. She released his throat, then Caleb cough a few times. Caleb sat on the ground.

"Caleb? What are you doing here?!" Aisha yelled. She stood up.

"Coming to see you." He playfully smirked.

"Damn you Caleb. What if I accidentally killed you?!" She was angry.

"Haha, don't worry. I did that on purpose. I saw you enter the apartment earlier. I was about to surprise you but you suddenly attacked me without giving me time to speak ". He joked.

Aisha pulled him up the floor. She glared at him.

"Since when were you here?" She asked.

"I've been here for a week now. I am staying in that apartment building." He pointed out the apartment opposite her building. It was one block away.

"I've been watching your apartment for a week now, but I haven't seen any suspicious person who entered since the last incident." He explained.

"You knew?" She was stunned. Caleb laughed.

"Of course. I have my eyes and ears in this city."

"Hunter..!" She was mad.

"Don't blame him. He only confirmed my suspicions. I knew something was not right even at your father's organization. There were secret groups who opposed uncle Demetrius' decision when he appointed you as the next heir for our Mafia organization. I still don't have their names, but I know they are targeting you." He became serious all of a sudden. Aisha sighed.

"I know… That's why I am trying to get them myself." She sat on the couch. "Does my father know about it?" Of course she knew that if Caleb knew what happened to her, it would never be hidden to his father, she just wanted to be sure.

"Yes. And he is looking into it in the underworld."

Caleb saw Aisha's frustrated eyes.

"Aisha, don't take the blame alone coz you are not alone in this fight. This is OUR fight also. As well as your father's."

Aisha sobbed. The truth was, she didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to protect Ethan and Eli against her foes. Caleb understood her worries so he embraced her.

"Aisha, don't worry. I'm here. We are all here, ready to back you up." He caressed her hair.

"Thank you…" She whispered. Unknown to them, someone was looking at them through a telescope from afar, reporting everything to someone over the phone.