Ruler of the Mask

Chapter 3 - The Lioness

Sky was stiffened and dumbfounded. His lips were accidentally kissing her thigh. Then a scream of the strange woman gave life to his fainting consciousness.

His hands refused to move at first as they were trembling and so were his knees. But with all the strength he gathered, he finally pushed himself away from her.

Everyone was gawking at them, wondering what was happening. Sky couldn’t lift his head, he was always staring at the floor; embarrassment consumed him and it was visible on his trembling hands. He clenched his fist while praying that it would stop. It was his first time laying his hands on a stranger and getting the attention of the people. It would never be good for an antisocial introverted person. He wanted to escape or run but there was no way he could do that; the area was too crowded and making another scandal would make him an object of ridicule.

The ruckus and the fear of the people were replaced with confusion; their gazes were full of questions. Some of them were taking videos, thankfully the other police officers were there to stop them.

“Please, stop taking pictures or else we’ll arrest you!” said the junior police officer named Jerick. They immediately stop for fear of being arrested.

Maui slowly stood up while massaging her hips. The frown and the death glares she shot at Sky made him feel more nervous. What should she do to make this man repent of his sins? Shen then combed her hair and took a deep breath. The anger she felt could not easily vanish.

Sky Miller had to make an apology for what he did. He walked slowly, toward her without a hint of discomfort but deep in his heart he wanted to run. She rolled her eyes, showing that she wasn’t interested in his explanation. Why would she waste her time on a perverted man like him?

As he was walking midway, she suddenly raised the left side of her dress, revealing her white and soft skin. He stopped and turned around while Maui took her police identification card from her cycling shorts. She smirked at the way he reacted. She knew it wasn’t his first time to ever see a white thigh.

“You don’t have to act gentleman. I know you’re not. And don’t ever say sorry,” before she could even finish her words Sky faced her coldly. She showed her ID; he was stunned to see it. The woman was higher than his rank, he must show respect this instant!

“I’m sorry, Sergeant Maui Harper,” he uttered while saluting. A cold breeze made him stuck on the floor.

The sergeant just laughed at his foolishness. Sky’s colleagues just watched the two. They felt like they were watching a romance drama with a plot twist.

She left him without saying a word, however, she already planned on taking his revenge against the young man.

“I’ll make sure you will never recognize your face once you meet me someday. I’ll make sure of that. You ruined my operation, I should ruin yours,” she mumbled to herself as she left the area.

No one dared to approach her, even the colleagues who were waiting for her in the black van that was parked in the gloomy alleyway. They just stayed silent while waiting for her to come in.

As she opened the van, the silence took over. As she sat on the soft cushion, only her colleagues’ breaths were heard. The cold aura she had could silence every human who knows her, as they don’t want to witness the dragon in her.

There were six people inside. The two in front were Zandro and Peter, next to them were Ashley and Maui, and the last two were Seb and Kyro. They all closed their mouths because Maui didn’t say so.

“Start the van. Let’s go back to the headquarters.”

Even her voice could send shivers to anyone. The driver named Zandro nodded his head in response. He could feel his sweat on the stirring wheel.

“Bro, are you okay? You look like you’re about to s**t?” Peter asked him. The young man didn’t look tensed at all, but the child in him has been shivering in fear.

Zandro wiped the sweat from his forehead. A knock coming from the driver’s window woke him up from the feeling of terror and fear. He looked at it and was able to recognize the strange man, it was Jonathan Mayers. Without hesitation, he opened the door and greeted his cousin with a smile on his face.

“Zandro, how are you doing? We got stuck in the same case again. I think we should just work together so that this will not happen again, right? What do you think about it?” Jonathan asked while roaming his eyes inside the van, his hazel eyes rested at the sight of Maui Harper.

“Isn’t it rude to not greet your seniors, Harper?” He added while staring at the woman who looked pissed off from the failed sting operation.

She bowed her head without a hint of joy in her eyes and lips. The disappointment and frustration were visible from the look on her face.

“Sumimasen. Daijoubou desu ka?” Maui replied in a sarcastic way in which the Detective was pleased, he even laughed.

“It’s fine, I understand how pissed off you are right now. Seems like you won’t get a promotion for now. Anyway, my junior here would like to apologize. You know, he didn’t mean harm to you. He’s just inexperienced yet,” Jonathan added as he grabbed Sky’s wrist.

“Tell him to save his ass. If I see him again, I will never let him go. Get that damn van run, Zandro,” She said aloud and closed her eyes to relax a bit from all the stress she got.

“I have to leave now, sir,” Zandro bid goodbye to his cousin.

“Take care,” Jonathan nodded his head and left.

They left the bar immediately and headed to the headquarters. Everyone was silent, no one dared to make a slight movement. It’s like their life was hanging on a cliff, and all they had to do is to hold on and control their breathing so that their hands won’t slip off from a small root of hope.

“It happens all the time. We’re not collecting achievements after all, we are just doing our job right?” Maui broke the silence and crossed her arms under her chest.

“Yeah, it happens all the time. But I badly wanted the promotion though. Once we get a big-time syndicate, it would’ve been easy for us to get a big promotion. Too bad,” Ahley Vile said. She is one of the members who spoke with frustration, then she rolled her eyes at Maui.

“Hey, if you badly wanted the promotion. Go and find some lead for that serial killer case,” Kyro Olsen intervened as he took a sip from a bottle of beer. There was sadness in his eyes.

“Hey, since when have you started drinking? You know that it’s not good for you, right? Drinking won’t bring back your sister!” Seb Gaulbert uttered in an unpleasant voice which aroused the sleeping beast inside Kyro’s soul. He grabbed Seb’s collar and hit him on his left cheek; it caused his blood to drip out of his mouth. Seb touched the damaged reddish cheek and laughed.

“Are you serious about this, dude? Relax. Did I say something that triggered the c***k in your brain? Why did you have to punch the s**t out of me?” Seb sat straight as Maui was glaring at them; ready to devour them whole.

“We’re here,” Zandro announced and stepped outside, the others followed him.

The silence of six members of the Violence Department was startled by the sound of the crow at the tree beside the building of Special Crime Unit of New York City, their headquarters. Ahley Vile’s sobbing sound defeated the crow’s loud cries and it flew right away. Maui took a deep sigh as she checked her watch, it was past midnight.

With a deflating sigh, Peter mumbled, “Seems like we have to part ways in our jobs, and lives.”

“Goodness, I couldn’t believe I was able to survive working with this dramatic guy. If it was another person, he wouldn’t survive a day with you, bro,” Zandro embraced his buddy named Petter.

The warmth of friendship filled and touched her heart which resulted in warm tears. Tears of joy for the days they spent together, and tears of sadness for the truth that they have to be separated.

“This is the reason why Special Crime Unit Four needs to shut down because you all are so dramatic, emotional, and sensitive. We couldn’t solve the cases being sent to us! Do you think I am delighted that they have to crush us down and steal our evidence? No, and I will never be! I hope this will be a lesson to all of you. Don’t bite more than you can chew! You may now leave,” Maui said. She couldn’t contain the anger as if she was a volcano ready to burn them.

They all bid goodbye and forgiveness for not being able to reach the expectations of Maui for their unit. A lone tear appeared on her cheek, she wiped it off. No, she will never cry for them. Everything was not her fault.