His Conundrums

Chapter 9

Remember Me

"Mario Jagneer, currently the gang leader of one of the largest gang groups in the country called Xi. He was connected with a drug lord named Morocco, not his real name. He was also involved with the latest drug raid news in Africa. It's far from here, and the news hasn't reach Hallray yet. His name was being mentioned as one of the drug dealers connected with that case..." Joe tried to relay all the information he had in front of Sirius and Mr. Lauve.

He got a text earlier that morning from an unregistered number saying 'Del Torro Hotel, Room 518, 9 am.' He got scared for a moment and was about to throw away his sim card when the unknown number texted again, 'I'm Sirius.' He was planning to go to Sirius' apartment after taking a bath, but it seemed unnecessary. He smiled and took a quick shower, and went straight directly to the meeting place.

"We already knew that. How about his nephew? I didn't know he had one," Mr. Lauve said.

"Merion Jagneer, as Sirius said, he's a Nora. He's a member of Xi, of course, but it's not the only group he has. There is another tattoo around his nape in which, from my own research, it was a symbol of... " He gulped before he mentioned their name.

"Epsilon," he said. The old man uttered no word, and Sirius was drowned in his thoughts.

"Sirius?" Joe called him.

Right after he heard the word Epsilon, a series of fragments flashed in his memory. It was quick, and it was a lot. His head hurt like it was about to explode. His veins were about to pop, and his face went red from suppressing the pain. He stumbled on his feet while holding his head. Joe keeps calling his name, and Mr. Lauve couldn't make a move.

'...epsilon...' He heard a man say it, but the memory was vague and unclear.

"AARRGGHH!!!" he shouted.

"SIRIUS!" Joe called him. He was snapped from what had happened. His eyes were puffed red, and he was out of breath. It was the first time he experienced that kind of episode. He must tell Nate. He had difficulty standing up, but he tried his best to stand.

"Where are you going?" Joe asked him, but he hurriedly left the room, leaving them speechless. The old man got cold sweat both from hearing that word and seeing Sirius in that situation. Joe was a bit puzzled, but tryna make it cool. He looked at the old man saying, "Happy Birthday, Mr. Lauve."

-0-0-0-

'Epsilon'

'Epsilon'

'Epsilon'

That word keeps repeating on his head while he's heading to the hospital. He was in a hurry to find Nate. What does he have to do with the Epsilon? Who was that man? He went straight to Nate's office. He didn't bother to face his doctor's secretary and knocked at his door. He saw Nate sitting on his swivel chair facing his book of some anatomy.

"Sirius? Why are you here? You look unwell. What happened?" Nate asked him as soon as he saw Sirius catching his breath right at his doorstep. He gestured him to sit in front of him.

"I-I was... I was having this," he said, trying to catch his breath. Nate looked at him, waiting for him to tell what he was about to say.

"I remember a man," he said.

"You remember a man? That's good. Who was it? What does he look like? What did he say?" Nate asked him while smiling. He closed his book and faced him. It's good news Sirius's condition was improving.

"Epsilon," he said. Nate blinked twice, and his smile fades away.

"What? Who are they?" Sirius asked him. Nate thought about something for a moment.

"I don't think I'm the right person to tell you something about that," Nate said while looking directly at his eyes.

-0-0-0-

He's in a deep black hole with all the things that happened lately at Hallray City, how he was supposed to bring peace again with the underground groups on the move. The bombing at Greenville Street and now Mrs. Porter's suicide case, it's not suiciding though as what they told in the news.

"Have you contact his daughter?" He asked Audrey, his partner, who is also his daughter.

"No, dad. She's not home. Her landlady told me she was going somewhere about a week ago." Audrey told him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, wondering what that man will do at this moment. He was lost in his thought when his daughter called her.

"Dad! Someone's here to see you," she said.

"Who?" he asked.

"Mr. Sirius Welsch." His secretary smiled while mentioning his name.

"He's back," Audrey said in amazement.

-0-0-0-

A woman regained her consciousness from the pain she felt all over her body. She can still taste the sweet peach lip gloss mixed with a rusty taste of a red hot liquid. She felt dizzy, and her eyes are blurry. The smell of the rotten place makes her throw up. But nothing can surpass the pain she felt in her stomach. She was there for 5 days, in an abandoned warehouse, which roof was about to go down with one heavy wind blow. She scanned the whole area and found no one. She can't move her legs, and her hands were tied up behind her. She has bruises and marks. She felt so helpless.

She was blinded by the light when someone brought the car to life. She heard a man whispered in her ear. The voice she's been listening to the past 3 days.

"Even if we let you live, you'll be your mother's murderer," he said. She felt her tears falling.

"So, I'll ask you one last time. Where did you hide that beautiful mug your mother gave you?" He whispered closely to her ears. She's trembling in fear, but she needs to have courage even on her last breathe.

"It seems very important since you've come this far," she said, smirking.

"But I'll bury it with me in my grave," she added while laughing.

She saw the car's light went brighter as if it was the light from above waiting to fetch her. She closed her eyes. It was her final moment. Her death will not be given justice and remains unknown…

“Remember me, you bastard.”

…just like her mother.