Chapter 28: Deal with the Devil

"You're in no position to ask me to do anything. Don't forget I'm your boss now. In case you didn't know because you ignorantly failed to read the contract before signing, you begin work two days after you are fully discharged by the doctor..."

"You bast..."

"Complete that and it'll be the death of you Andrea Cabrera," he threatened with a stone cold gaze. "I'll take my leave now. Enjoy your grace period and try not to worry too much. It won't help you get better soon so you can finally start your dream job." He majestically walked out of the room with a satisfied grin, leaving behind a raging and panicking Andrea. She was left to her wild imagination to drive her mad, wondering what's next.

***

Hours later...

"Mr. Perkins," the Vice Chancellor called out as he walked in, interrupting the ongoing lecture. He whispered something to the lecturer whose clearly displeased and confused expression suddenly turned to a stunned one. Jake, who was watching from the end of the hall was sure it had everything to do with the hack.

"Jake?" Chloe, a mate and good friend, sitting next to him whispered worriedly when she saw the horror on his face. "Jake, what on Earth did you do??!" she whisper-yelled.

"Uhm Jake Perkins, please follow the Vice Chancellor immediately. You're dismissed for the day," the lecturer announced, pointing him out as he had sunk in his seat.

Slowly and unwillingly, he got up. "Nice knowing you all. Just in case you never hear from me again, just know to defeat the matrix," he said with a chuckle to try and ease the growing tension in the hall and in himself. Some chuckled, others were confused but his closest friends, Chloe and Stan weren't buying the act.

"What's really going on?" Stan held his wrist and asked before he could leave.

"I can't explain now. Later," he whispered and turn to leave, adding,"...if there is a later for me."

***

"Here he is Mr. Antonio Robles. I'll excuse you two now, the VC said after ushering Jake in. The mysterious man, who had ordered Jake for lunch at the prestigious Yale 'restaurant', stood staring outside the glass window, not bothering to grace his trembling meal with his gaze.

After almost a minute of silence, Jake gathered up the courage to speak. "I had a lecture 'Mr Robles'. I doubt you need my company to stare at green grass. If you don't mind, I'd rather bore myself to death listening to a lecture on things I'm already familiar with than stand by and be forced to keep an old man company. No offense. If you would..."

"She practically sacrificed herself for you. That made me think you must be an innocent geek hence I waited, hoping you'd be calm soon and quit taking heavy deep breaths behind me. I'm impressed though, with your courage to make your first words a possible entry to your grave," Anthonio chuckled, "You could have done a little better hiding your fear though. I would have heard your breathing even from a mile away. Still, impressive how you almost managed to use a single breath to say that. Lastly," finally turning to meet the pretentious young man, he wiped the smile off his face and glared with his piercing pitch black pupils at the instinctively petrified Jake, "Did you call me old?"

Jake's heart immediately sunk into his stomach. He gulped heavily, sensing it deadly aura Antonio emitted. In an attempt to save himself from certain doom, he stuttered, "I-I didn't mean to o-offend you. I-I..."

"I'll get to the point now. You can atone for your sins...and save yourself and your family, especially Andrea, from the misery yet to befall you all due to your actions, if...."

***

Later that night...

In Jake's hostel room...

Chloe and Jake's roommate, Stan, paced around anxiously, waiting for Jake to return. The sudden twist of the door knob not preceded by a knock brought a some relief to the worried pair.

"Oh Jake!" Chloe exclaimed with a sigh of relief even before setting her eyes on him. She instantly, rushed over and hugged him, her arms firm around his neck.

"Y-You're gonna k-k-kill me," he could barely speak. She abruptly pulled away and hit him on the chest a couple of times.

"What the hell is going on?! What happened?" she asked.

"Yeah Jake. Even VC seemed uneasy. What's going on?" Stan asked.

Jake sighed as he dejectedly walked over to his bed and let his weight down on it completely.

"Jake say something!" Chloe boomed restlessly.

"Let's just say, I just sold my self to a devil."

***

"That little brat!" she squealed frustratedly. 'Why isn't he reachable when I need him most?! I bet he's purposely avoiding my calls so I can't scold him. I need to warn him to not make any deal with that de...' she was thinking, pacing around restlessly as she rubbed her temples over and over again, when suddenly, she spotted Antonio at the door of the room, smirking devilishly at her. Many thoughts crossed her mind, led by 'When did he get here?' and followed with 'What has he done this time?'

"My, oh, my. Aren't you supposed be dedicating yourself to completely recovering as soon as possible?" he said placing his phone on the table as he sat in the sofa, taking off his shoes. The satisfaction and pleasure in his demeanor only made her feel more troubled.

"Antonio?"

"Yes, Andrea?" he said with a little innocent smile.

'He's smiling. He has definitely done something wrong. Oh goodness!' she thought, turning pale. "Antonio, what have you done?" she asked, barely a whisper as he approached her.

Only standing an inch away from a petite form, he grinned saying, "Your little brother decided to make a deal with the devil." To say the expression on her face was as though she was seeing ghosts was an understatement. "You're welcome for the heads-up."

***

Robles Ranch....

"Mr. Leonardo, please have your meds already. It's been over twenty minutes since you were supposed to take your drugs," the young nurse taking care of Antonio's grandfather begged.

"Leave me alone woman. Go away and get a life already," he grumbled, lying in bed, fixing his heavy grey sheets covering him.

"Mr. Leo..." the poor frustrated lady close to tears was about continuing her plead when a his phone began to ring. She walked over to get the phone on the lamp stand beside the huge bed.

She stretched forth her hand with the phone to hand it over to him but only got a death glare. He still had his entire body wrapped up like a shivering little child which clearly meant, 'You better withdraw that tiny arm of yours and pick the bloody call,' she thought, instinctively pulling back her now goosebumps covered arm.

"H-Hello?"

"Jenny?" the caller said.

"Sorry, Ma'am, this is Nurse Sophie."

"Oh okay. How're the old man?" Wanda asked but didn't get an immediate response. As a matter of fact, it was either Sophie's fear was being emitted through the call or Wanda just knew the old man really well. "Calm down Sophie. Let me have a word with him. Is he..."

"Right away Ma'am," she said and hastily handed the phone over.

The grumpy old man reluctantly took the phone while staring dagger at the already trembling lady.

"What do you want Wanda?"

"That's not a very nice thing to say to..." she was saying when the peeping of the phone from the abrupt end of the call cut her off.

'He just hung up on her? This man is really something else. The grandfather like grandson. Was his son also like this?' Sophie thought when the phone began ringing again.

"What on Earth do you want Wanda? Did your boss ask you to check if I'm dead yet? Tell him it'll be soon so he need not worry. As a matter of fact, he shouldn't even bother with a burial. He should just send someone to get rid of the body and..."

"Oh Mr. Leonardo, please calm down. Antonio..."

"Don't even bother lying for him because I won't buy it. Our situation isn't worth going to hell for so don't lie to me," he said rather calmly and sighed. "What do you want?" He was back to his grumpy self.

"I just wanted to know how you're doing and judging from your nurse's response...or more like her refusal to respond, you're definitely being stubborn, aren't you?"

"I'm fine Wanda," he said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose gently.

"Where's Jenny by the way?"

"Somewhere," he replied, nonchalantly. "By the way, tell your boy to get himself together and do the needful. Time is going and we must honour our word."

"Mr Leon, don't you think.."

"I don't want to hear any excuses. You live with him for crying out loud. You practically raised him so you better start demanding that respect. He's basically your son. Let him know that. Do you understand?"

"Mr..."

"Do you underst..." He was unable to complete his statement when a violent cough took over his sore throat.

"Mr. Le...." Her words were cut short once again by the abrupt end of the call. "Oh dear Lord," she said, her heavy British accent loaded with panic. 'God, I pray Mr Leonardo's okay. Please! Because if he's not,' she thought, drawing the cross of Christ over and over again, the horror on her face intense.