Could meeting old friends be good?

The sky of the city of Miland lay low and clouded as if it knew what will happen the next minute won't be pleasant. The wind was blowing straight off the sky, rattling trees, and whipping over stone walls. Slapping shutters and roof tiles and making the outer buildings in the town creak. Even the heaving air coming out from the nostril of the residents of the city was heavy.

Alone in the disappearing moonlight, she waited for her eyes to get accustomed to the dark. It was 4:30 am.

Roselle stared at the hyper-realistic mask she had put on. She combed her hair to cover the side of her face where the faint line of the mask might betray her.

Moving out of the mirror she reached the middle of her room and stopped, arrested by the power of thought.

She felt a tinge of guilt for all that has been happening around her. She knew she had not just put herself in danger but also Santiago and Lana.

Her relationship with Santiago was something she had not accepted and she didn't have the right to blame Lana for her actions with Santiago. Blaming anyone or hating anyone will mean she was just too greedy.

It was all her fault Santiago and Lana had to go through so much pain and she knew she had to make up for her actions and right her wrongs and it will begin now this minute her hand was on the doorknob.

She twisted open the doorknob and met Sebastian standing, maybe about to knock.

She nodded at him and said, "Hope all have been fixed?"

"Yes, the cameras in the hotel are in control. I bribed off the guards with a lot of dollars. They seemed tough at first."

"Good, let's move?"

"Sure."

Sebastian rode with Roselle in a black Volkswagen van provided by her boss and her boss's driver dropped her off at the entrance of the hotel.

She stood waiting for the right time to move. She took a half pace towards the building and hearing a sound, she stopped in mid-stride as she turned to see who it was.

The minister of the affairs of the state rode in his car to the entrance too, with his security men and coming behind him was Doctor James Morgan's car.

At the sight of Doctor James, she wanted to seize some heavy object in her hand and with all the strength in her body smash it on him. Her heart was beating fast but in order to achieve her plans and get the information she needs. She felt she struggled to control her emotion and just as she was thinking, she turned slightly and saw the side of a white face which immediately was covered by another man walking beside him, moving like a wave beside him.

The seconds she had seen the man's face slightly, she felt something odd tug in her chest which made her heartbeat pick up. Though she had not seen the man's face completely to know who it was, she had that eerie feeling of sadness and more anger.

She saw all of the men go into the hotel, having their backs faced to her now, she glanced at Sebastian and nodded.

They went towards the second elevator heading the same way as the men.

*****

With a gun in the box, Rashuel went towards the elevator as soon as he arrived at the hotel. He took long strides in his footsteps, impatient to get things done over with. He didn't want to waste his time dealing with that Doctor James Morgan.

Rashuel took a glance at his wristwatch, it was five minutes to begin his plans.

The guards of the minister of affairs were standing chest out and the deadly look on their faces was enough to tell anyone who dares misbehave will get a taste of death.

Rashuel didn't get a bit moved by their huge stature as he passed the men standing in line in the wide corridor.

The hefty men behind Rashuel in red eyes only made the Minister's guard standing in front of room 1001 door to bow lower than they thought as they made way for Rashuel to go into the room.

Inside the room, the minister of affairs and Doctor James were sitting and waiting for him to come in.

The minister of affairs who had his glasses removed immediately saw Rashuel beamed, "Rashuel Macbeth, my old friend."

"Antonio," Rashuel said and shook hands with him, turning over to greet the next person beside him, he said, "We meet again, Doctor James Morgan."

"Nice to see you again after so many years," James said and in Rashuel's mind, he replied. 'Let's see how nice it will be in the end

Antonio gestured for everyone to sit down.

Rashuel took his sit and studied everyone's faces through the sunglasses before he removed them and placed them on top of the table which he made to face straight at Doctor James.

"I took my time and ordered your favourite food Rashuel, I can't help but remember the time we used to have it." Doctor James said and smiled so broadly that it seemed the elasticity of his lips has gone loose.

When James invited Rashuel to this meeting to supposedly talk things over with him since Rashuel had completed his ten years of jail term, he thought it safer to be on good terms with him knowing fully well that it will be tough for him if he doesn't.

To compensate Rashuel to cover his previous mistake, he talked Antonio into sharing the money the government has used to fund the poverty elation which was aimed at wiping poverty out in all corners of the city.

The minister of affairs agreed to it knowing he had something at stake with Rashuel.

"You did well, James," Rashuel returned the smile in the same vigour which suddenly rose a stiff tension to linger in the air which stood for some minutes before Antonio found his words and asked, "How have you been since you returned?" He raised a question when he was caught in the tension and he took a sip of his drink and saw the grin in Rashuel's face when he answered.

"I'm enjoying the fancies of the city. The city has changed a lot and I will make up for what I've missed with old friends like you two. Old friends are the best way to forget old memories," He added and laughed.

James didn't miss the depth and meaning of his words, he rested a bland look on Rashuel and to avoid the bait of another round of war with words, he ignored the sarcasm and joined them in laughter but as soon as the laughter died down, the light in the room went off.

All hands clung to their gun and they pointed the gun at each other. With three criminals meeting for friendship, there must surely be a trust issue.

"You two promised me this would be a peace talk not a tug of war!" Antonio shouted keeping his eyes on both Rashuel and James.

"The last I could remember you raised your gun first." Rashuel snorted.

"What are you trying to insinuate?" Antonio shouted back. Now Rashuel and Doctor James pointed their guns at the minister of affairs.