Chapter 4 : The Mastermind

Around 22h that day.

Erik made his way into a forgotten building, parking next to another black bike.

"Where's the others?" A coarse voice spoke behind him. 

"I left them to take care of some business, sir."

A hand, filled with scars suddenly tapped Erik's shoulder as a man stood next to him, bringing him closer. "Don't call me that when it's just us." The man's figure was shadowed with no light.

"A habit," laughed Erik. "You came earlier to this country than planned. What's going on?"

"How's the underground infiltration going?" The man lit up a cigarette, reflecting on his brown eyes and sharp facial features. 

"I am going to infiltrate them myself. We don't have many people dispatched to this country after all." 

"What about the government? How's the deal?"

"They will give us the promised territory and money if we clean up this city."

"You wanted to know the reason I am here? Guess we'll ask the president ourselves," spoke the man as he threw the cigarette.

---

That same night, in a coffee in the middle of town, Lea was invited by her friend to try out this newly opened coffee place.

She sat there quietly while her friend didn't stop complaining.

"Men are all trash. I can't believe he cheated on me like that. And chose AN UGLY HAG! Can you believe it? I mean look at this," her friend Emily, a beautiful blond with deep blue eyes raised her hands and sat straight to show off her face and erotic curves. She kept pointing at her attractive waist and big hips covered with tight clothing. "All this. Compared to this." She showed a picture of the girl on her phone. "Just because I didn't sleep with him even when he begged. Is it my fault I didn't want to lose my virginity before marriage?"

Lea kept giggling.

"IS THIS FUNNY TO YOU?"

"Yeah, it is. It seems like he wanted it that badly," Lea pointed with her eyes mockingly to her friend's lower body.

"Hungry horny beasts. All of them. You will see, even this Aiden guy you talking to will turn out to be the same!" 

"Right," she answered with a sigh. 

Suddenly her friend received a text. She scoffed.

"Wants to stay as friends and for me to come over. quote, we can still be good friends, eggplant, devil emoji." She was reading the text he sent her. She turned to look at Lea. "Was he always like this before or did he change? Was I too blind to see the real him?"

"I..." Lea was put in a tough spot as she saw her friend's watery eyes. "Emily..." she jumped to sit on the chair next to her, patting her back gently. "It's okay... hey..."

Emily didn't seem like she wanted to listen and turned her face away to hide her tears and wipe them. 

Lea took a deep breath.

As they sat there without saying a word to each other for a few moments loud and terrifying engine roars came from the streets. 

Many people turned their heads to look for the source. But the sounds were too loud as if they came from everywhere.

Then it was coupled with the exhaust shots as it grew closer.

Their ears slowly picked it up coming to the main street. A liter bike and a man completely dressed in black made their way to their little coffee. 

Lea's eyebrows flinched. 

She watched him stop in front of the coffee, a few meters away from their outdoor table.

Her eyes fell on the knife and gun wounds on his forearms.

 "Ouf!" Exclaimed Emily. "Look at that snack!"

Lea was too curious to listen.

On his neck was a black necklace with what looked like military identity plates attached to it.

"Ex-military?" She wondered.

The rider got off and took off his helmet, wearing a tight black shirt, he was a pale man with masculine features and long black hair, looking more like a businessman. 

"OH MY!" Screamed quietly, Emily. "Daddy?" she said again as he walked in.

Lea wanted to pluck her ears and cut them while giving her a disgusting look.

Emily didn't back down, "He's that hot, okay?"

"Are you sure you're hurt by your ex?" 

"What ex?" She held her cheeks and rolled her eyes.

Lea sighed deeply, her friend was long gone.

"Don't mind me, tryna find me a new man~," Emily was singing.

"Sure."

Lea turned her head. Something was off, her senses were rarely wrong.

And then, they met eyes.

They were empty, void of any human emotion.

Shivers went down her spine, making her hastily look away.

"Lea?" Asked her friend.

"Would that be your name?" Spoke a coarse voice.

They both turned to find him standing close to Emily. She didn't feel nor hear him get this close. Unease filled her heart.

Lea couldn't escape the eye contact now. 

Noticing he was looking at her friend, Emily giggled. "Ouh, yes. She's Lea, single by the way haha."

"Oh," he turned with a smile to speak with Emily, "really. You're a good friend, saving me the trouble to ask." 

Lea wanted to scream out to leave. That creepy smile of his was filled with a deep lust for blood. It was nauseating. 

"It is nice getting to meet you today." He raised his hand for a handshake.

While her friend chuckled in the background, thinking this was a flirting moment, Lea could feel a drop of sweat sliding down her back. She didn't remember giving her hand an order to move, but it was there, greeting him. His hands looked soft at first sight, but now she could feel his scars and tight skin. 

For the first time in her life, she was paralyzed with fear, merely of the presence of a man, and only able to smile back awkwardly.

He seemed to have noticed this too. His smile gradually disappeared, as if he was tired already of this game. He let go of her hand and wished them a good day as he walked into the shop.

Lea stood there frozen, almost creeping out her friend.

"Hey!"

"H-huh." She came back to her senses and turned around in a hurry to gather her things. "We're leaving." 

"What, why? You didn't get his name or number yet." 

"Didn't you want to go get ice cream? We're doing that now." She started pushing her friend out of the coffee shop. 

"Why did you change your mind suddenly?" 

Lea stole a glimpse back at the shop, and there he was, looking at her. This time he was not smiling, but he looked bored of her. She felt like a rabbit being left alive out of pity. That confirmed her suspicions of him even more. 

She could only leave gritting her teeth, mad she was left in such a state. 

The man watched them leave with a bored stare.

He walked out with his coffee and sat outside, drinking it slowly, lost deep in thought.

If this was any time else, he would have kept flirting with them, they were beautiful women after all. It was also fun that one of them could notice his smell. It just happened she was sensitive to blood, it was interesting. 

A luxurious black car suddenly stopped in front of the coffee place. Erik got out, wearing a full suit, and opened the door waiting for the man.

"Sir Kayn, please," he invited him.