Section 51: Deals and Negotiation

"Vladimir!? How do you know that name" Caleb looks perplexed as I mentioned that man's name.

His reactions look promising, he knows something about Vladimir that I don't know.

"What are you doing big sis Aria! Why are you asking about father!" Kallen panicked when I mentioned Vladimir's name.

The moment Kallen uttered the words that he's Vladimir's son, one of the teenagers pushed Kallen to the ground, strangling him with force.

"HOW DARE YOU! YOU'RE THAT BASTARD SON!? I KILL YOU!" a mysterious teenager started to attack Kallen out of nowhere. Realizing what he will do to Kallen, I pushed the angry teenager from Kallen while pointing my knife at him.

"Don't move, or I'll cut you" I scowled at the mysterious teenager.

The mysterious teenager was about to punch him, Caleb holds him back. This is hardly the time to fight amongst ourselves, something about Vladimir triggered that boy's anger. It seems my suspicion was right, Vladimir had hidden plans for us. If we were to return unscathed, without being found out by these people, who knows what he's planning for this camp.

"If I may ask, are you Vladimir's underling?" Elizabeth asked us nervously.

"Yeah, we stayed in his camp," Joel answered nervously.

The air grew intense as they kept their distance from us with hostility, Elizabeth still braced herself to talk to me.

"Did he send you here to investigate us?" Elizabeth stuttered.

"Yes, because some of our men were injured badly after encountering one of you" I snarled as I remembered the horrible injuries on Ender's body. "I wouldn't want any bloodbath, but if you're responsible for their injuries, please explain the reasons why did you do that".

I clenched my fist, trying to contain my visible anger. Elizabeth exchanged glances with Caleb, and soon they nodded in unison.

"If you're talking about the team we injured that day, it was because they fell for our trap" Caleb explained as calmly as possible. ���Since they're entering our territory so our booby trap activated, thus our guards join in the fray to take them down".

I walked toward Caleb and grabbed his collars with a powerful force, I sharpened my eyes of fury on his calm hazel eyes.

"One of them is my important person, I won't forgive you if you-".

"Aria, that's enough" Joel cuts me in-between.

I clicked my tongue when Joel decided to open his mouth, silencing my anger. My head feels hot and my mind muddled up with negative feelings, most likely anger, and fury.

"You don't seem to understand the gravity of this situation" I glared at Joel. "They almost killed Ender!".

"But in the end, he lived!" Joel yelled at me. "That's all that matters Aria! In the end, they let him live!".

What Joel said was true, in the end, they let him live even though he's dying. I still can't forgive them for injuring Ender, my fist is itching to punch their faces. All of the sudden, Joel comes to me with his hand-tied. He leaned on my neck as he pulled me into a deep embrace.

"Aria chill, if you're being all angry and sulky beware of wrinkles" he chuckled lightly. "You might become a granny soon".

"What!? Why you-" I blushed as I heard Joel gently whisper next to my ear.

Kallen whistled playfully when he saw Joel hugged me, he looked like he enjoyed the view of our bickering.

"Alright, that's enough playtime" I sighed as I watched the tensed Caleb and Elizabeth exchange a glance of worries. "I don't want any more trouble, just release my comrades but lock them up somewhere if you don't believe me".

"Lock us up!? What!" Joel complained.

Caleb shushed Joel as he walked to me with an air of certainty as if he just decided something big.

"I will lock your little buddy there, but not him" he pointed to Joel.

"Is this because Kallen is that man's son?" I asked straightforwardly.

They didn't answer my question, but their expressions are quite obvious. It is because Kallen admitted that he is that man's son. There must be a connection between them and Vladimir, and there is also the fact that I cannot trust Kallen because he's loyal to Vladimir.

"Big sis Aria! You can't possibly do this to the one who saved you!" Kallen protested.

However, this time I will try to switch sides to the enemies, we're in their territories after all. It would be unwise to not follow their rules, and I feel like these people are less manipulative and cunning than Vladimir.

"Kallen, we're in an unknown place" I try to persuade him. "If we don't follow their rules, we might get killed".

Kallen doesn't seem to like my reasoning, he gritted his teeth in anger.

"What!? No! Aria, we have one job to do! And that is to-".

Before he could continue, Joel silenced him with his backslap.

"Chill Kallen, it's not like you're going to be alone! I'll come with you" he smiled.

Joel volunteered to accompany the unstable Kallen, he's changed a bit. He's starting to take the initiative as soon as he knows Kallen is starting to throw a hissy fit. I hope that I can trust Joel in this matter, both of us exchanged meaningful glances. Caleb and Elizabeth lead me to somewhere else, while the group of teenagers guarded the two of them inside that cramped room.

"I wonder where Tristan is," I thought sullenly as I gazed at the concrete road below me.

He must have been around the camp, but I still see no sign of him nearby. No one caught him yet, this could be a great sign or a bad sign. If they were to find out that Tristan sneaked in to find more information about this camp we're doomed. There will be no pact, no teamwork, no negotiation between us.

"You seem to be in deep thoughts" Caleb spoke to me out of nowhere. "Something in your mind?".

I shook my head uncomfortably, I'll think about Tristan later I suppose.