The Deathstalker [8]

Two bodies were laying on the carpeted floor. Facing each other, they hugged so close until there was almost no gap between them.

"How is she ?" Mila whispered. Placing her head on Deathstalker's upper arm, her warm breath was brushing his neck.

Deathstalker kissed her head before answering, " Some broken bones, few first degree burned, and a brain concussion. That was perhaps.. she thought you are the one behind it."

Mila smiled sadly. "I guess.. she hates me to the bone."

"She is not..." Deathstalker argued to defend his mother.

"I hope you are right," Mila said and kissed his lips before enclosed her body to the man. She loved how his warm toned body fit perfectly with hers.

"Tell me.. how can't you read my mind ?" Deathstalker asked, rubbing his calluses fingers on her back.

Mila shrugged, "I don't know," she answered. "There are people that can not be read. Not many, but they exist."

"What would you do if you could bend me ?" Deathstalker asked again. His hand that was under her head played with her black hair.

Mila distanced her face from him a little. "I would drop your will to be soldier," she answered before giving him a sad smile. "To be honest.. knowing you couldn't be bent didn't stop me from trying," she confessed.

"You were trying to deflect me to be a soldier ?" Deathstalker asked in surprise.

Mila nodded. "But I failed. She was too strong."

"Who ? Mom ?"

Mila nodded again.

"Is she a mind bender, too ?"

This time Mila shook her head. she placed her head on his arm again before answering, "Worse. She is a persuader."

Deathstalker distanced her by putting his arm on her shoulder and pushed her a slight. "What is a persuader ?"

Mila sighed. She turned her body so her back was laid on the carpet now. "Mind bender works with the minds unconsciously. We can manipulate and modify the mind of a person but only under unconscious state. The person won't know or remember any bending we've done." Mila turned her face to face Deathstalker. "Persuader, however, works with people's conscious mind. They work with their words to persuade people to do what they want, but under the impression that it is their own will."

"You think Mom persuaded me to be a soldier ?"

"I knew she did. The moment you said that you wanted to be a soldier so you could protect her and me.. I knew you were under her arm," Mila said with, again, a sad smile. she sighed when she saw Deathstalker's furrowed eyebrows.

"Don't blame yourself. She is a strong persuader. If not, she won't be one of the leaders of the organization. Even father is under her arm. Luckily, I still can control father though. I managed to bend his mind back several times. That's why she hates me so much." Mila chuckled and sighed in the same time.

"Can't you bend her mind ?" Deathstalker asked.

Mila shook her head. "I could only read her mind when she persuaded people. It is her most vulnerable state."

A loud bang on the door was heard.

"Miss Rauss.. are you okay ?" A man's voice shouted from outside. He was sounded owrry and angry at the same time.

Mila sighed then woke up. "I'm okay," she shouted back while started picking and wearing her clothes. "I will open the door in a minute," she added before turning her head to the still-laying-naked Deathstalker,

"You better wore your clothes. I don't want my P.A drooling over your body."

Deathstalker chuckled and obeyed her.

Once Mila opened the door, a bunch of men urged in with weapons on their hands in hurry. Deathstalker raised his hands on the air.

"Stop !!" Mila shouted. "Put your guns down !"

"But, Miss. he killed dozens of out men !!"

"Put your guns !! It's a direct order !!: Mila repeated herself in a low cold tone. All the men put their guns aside at once.

"Are you okay, Mila ?" A lady, maybe only few years older than Mila stepped close to her.

"I'm fine. It was only a misunderstanding," Mila said in calm tone. She walked toward Deathstalker and pulled his hands down. "People, he is my little brother, Quint Rauss."

The young lady covered her mouth in surprised while the men whispered and murmured. Deathstalker nodded to them.

"Kamal," Mila called one of the man that had most muscular body.

:Yes, Miss.."

"Bring your man to clean up the mess," She ordered. The man nodded to obey her.

"Ken," she clalled another man. A small Eastern guy urged with glasses urged forward from the behind and answered her, "Yes, Miss."

"Please investigated the accident that happened to my mother. It was .."

"Two days ago," Deathstalker continued her words.

"Yes, Miss," the glasses man said and bowed before leaving the room.

"Tabby.." Mila said to the young lady beside her. "I think I know where is your dear professor hiding and what he did to your thesis' result."

"What are you saying?" The woman who called Tabby asked with a frown.

Mila turned her gaze to Deathstalker. "Would you kindly show her what you are capable to, bro ?" she requested.

"Like what ?" Deathstalker asked back, playing dumb.

"Would you please close the door without moving from where you are ?" Mila detailing her request.

Deathstalker couldn't reject her. He waved his hand and the door was closed.

Tabby widened her eyes. "How .."

"Did you have another brain surgery lately, Brother ? At least.. after I left the house .." Mila asked him directly.

"Yes," Deathstalker hesitantly answered.

"They activated your brain cells, didn't they ?" Mila took a guess.

"How could you know ?" Deathstalker asked back.

"My professor have researched about activating brain cells for years," Tabby was the one who answered.

"I was his assistant while taking my doctoral degree. We worked on how to stabilize the activated cells. And after taking more than four years, one night, I finally did it. I found the method to stabilize the cells.I was so excited. I called my Professor to tell him about it. He congratulated me, told me to go to his place to celebrate it. So, I did."

Tabby sighed as she closed her eyes to cover her still vivid pain. "I went to his house, but he was not there. I waited for hours, but he'd never showed. So, I went back to my lab and.. and.. my research, my specimens, my notes.. all gone."

"Your professor ?" Deathstalker asked.

"Disappeared with no trace," Tabby answered. Her face barely had an expression to show her grim, except tense muscles of her jaw.

"When did you have the surgery ?" Mila asked.

"Three and a half years ago," Deathstalker said. "The Professor said they had had the methods three years before."

Mila turned her head to Tabby to ask her confirmation. Tabby nodded. "My research was stolen seven years ago," she said.

"Who else did they do the activation ?" Mila asked to Deathstalker.

"I won't answer that,"Deathstalker said calmly. He reached Mila's waist and pulled her to face him. "You can ask anything about me, but not about the organization," he added before kissing her lips.

Tabby gasped to see the 'improper' intimacy in front of her before she lowered her head.

Deathstalker released his kisses. "Do you have anymore question ?" he asked.

Mila shook her head. "I have all information about you," she said then smiled. "Congratulation on your engagement with the Andrew girl. I knew you two would be together."

Deathstalker stared at her. "I won't be with her if you stayed," he said, threw back the blame on her. "Anyway, I have to go," he said.

Mila nodded her head. "Keep my updated about, Mom, will you ?" she requested.

"Sure," Deathstalker said. "Let me know if you have anything on who did it. I will take care of it," He requested. Mila nodded to agree. Deathstalker kissed her again on her forehead. "It's nice to meet you again, sis."

----------

Deathstalker walked into the living room of the East wing of the headquarter. He walked as if he didn't notice six pairs of eyes that watching over him with gazes filled with questions.

"Did you do it ?" Finally Black popped up the question.

"Did what ?" Deathstalker asked back with raised eyebrows.

"Kill Mila," King was one who answered.

"No," Deathstalker answered shortly.

"But whyyy ?!" Viper asked with bulged eyes. "She tried to kill .."

"She didn't do it," Deathstalker cut her.

"How could you be sure ?" Viper urged him.

"I know her," Deathstalker said. Viper clicked her tongue in disappointment. Deathstalker sighed. "Fire, do you have the number of missions she has thwarted ?"

Fire looked at his laptop, "A hundred and eleven all over the world," he answered.

"And how many dead victims caused by them ?" Deathstalker asked again.

"Hmm... one," Fire answered with a furrowed, "And she was her people."

Deathstalker shifted his gaze to Viper. "She didn't even kill strangers. Their operations were so complicated and meticulous to avoid any victim. Do you think she has a heart to harm her mother ?" He asked her.

Viper answered him with silence. Actually no one answered him. Deathstalker smiled. "I will take a shower," he excused himself and headed to the bathroom. But before he entered it he turned his head to Fire, "If you have tine, would you help me investigate about Madam's accident ?"

Fire nodded. "Sure."

"Thank you," Deathstalker said and entered the bathroom.

----------

Sitting on the side of his bed, Deathstalker was busy taking a look of pictures of accident that were taken from satellite. The trailer truck that hit her car was driving from north to south. A picture that was a result of tripling the size of the picture showed a logo of a company. The company owned by one of stalwart of Mila's organization. From pictures few minutes before the accident, the truck was parked around 50 meters from the intersection. That was weird. Based on the impact, where it could drag the car few meters forward, the trailer needed to have a quite some speed. Speed that couldn't be produced from idle state with 50 meters distance.

"Did you have sex with her ?" Suddenly Viper's question disrupted Deathstalker's concentration.

Deathstalker shifted his gaze to the girl that laid beside him only to have her back facing at him.

"Why do you need to ask ?" Deathstalker asked her back.

Viper turned her head to see him. "Just tell me ..."

"If I answer you, will you let me go ?" Deathstalker asked her again instead.

"I won't let you go."

"Why ? You know I don't love you. Did you forget what my promise was ? I would take responsible when no guy wanted you.."

"Stop it.." Viper hissed, Turned her head away from him.

"Look.. Bruno loves you.."

"I don't love him. I love you."

Deathstalker sighed. "It is better for a woman to be with one who loves her than one who she loves."

"I decide whom I want to be.. "

"I did," Deathstalker cut her. "I made love with Mila," he answered Viper's first question.

"I knew it.." Viper hissed. A tear dripped from both of her eyes. "Thanks for answering," she added before pulling the blanket up until covering her forehead.

Deathstalker sighed again. He decided to discuss his suspicion with Fire. When he just stood up, his phone on the night stand vibrated once. His heart skipped a beat to read the sender of the message. Mila.

While walking out of the room, he read the message. some pictures he had already seen were staring the message.

"It was impossible for the truck to have the speed to drag her car," she wrote.

"I know. I have the same thought."

"There is a satellite from country R that was supposed to also hover on that location on that time. Ken is working to get pictures from it."

"I will ask my man to work on that, too.."

"No. It will gain alert if too many intruders." Mila forbade his idea and continued with her next message. "There is a red sport car parked near where the truck parked. I bet it has a surveillance camera. Can your man work on that to find out what truck it was ?"

Deathstalker was about to say that he knew whose truck was it. But instead he said, "I'm sure he can do it."

Deathstalker knocked on Fire's room. The door was opened to let him came in to a room that was full with computers and monitors.

----------

"That doesn't make sense," Deathstalker murmured to himself. He had deep frown while his eyes were lingering on the video Fire just sent.

In the video, the trailer truck left the parking spot bat 5:01 AM. It was way before the accident happened.

Deathstalker stood up from his seat. He decided to visit his mother to tell her about his found. He could just call her, but he wanted to see how she was doing.

A long vibrate was felt under his jeans. Deathstalker took his phone out of his pocket.

"Hi,Sis," he greeted Mila with low voice. Still, Viper glared at him, knowing who called him.

"I sent you email. You should look at it now," Mila said. There was a tense or maybe anger she was trying to hide from him.

Deathstalker opened his laptop and went to his inbox. An email from random username. There was no subject nor words inside. Just a video as an attachment. Deathstalker clicked on the video to watch it.

There was an intersection. A familiar intersection as it was the intersection where his mother got accident. Deathstalker glanced at the date timestamp of the video. 5:28 A< the same date of the accident. It was only few minutes before the accident.

5:31 AM. A white SUV was seen. It was his mother's car. The car was about to crossed the intersection. Suddenly a blitz light was seen inside the car. the car was bewildered for few seconds before stopped at the middle of the intersection. A woman then came out from the car. His mother. she stepped out of the road.

"What ... ?!" Deathstalker shouted in surprised.

In the video, his mother took her phone to call someone. A minute later, the dark street suddenly became brighter, as someone turned on the extra street lights. But turned out it was light from a car, a big car.

A truck with high speed suddenly appeared from behind the camera angle. It went straight into the car and crashed it without reducing its speed. His mother, who was supposed to be inside the car, walked in the middle of the street to see her car being dragged by the truck.