Pools of Blood

chapter 36

Woori’s sudden death confirmed Jasmine’s theory. We were bugged from within. They have placed the bugs into our bloodstream or probably inside our skin. And not only the police but also the hospital have been compromised. Both were siding with FTH. Why? Why anyone would help a gang of criminals against helping the ones fighting for their lives. We can't extract the bug out of our bodies. That would not only make them alert, but also they might change their game plan. The only option we had was to talk in code or write messages.

"Why did Mo Ying talked in codes in his letter? ", Asked Jasmine after I filled her in with our adventure in the garage, on our way to Mo Ang’s location.

"Dunno. Maybe, he feared interception."

"Do you know, in west America, chicks and chickens denote girls and coins?"

"Yeah. He probably picked it up from there."

We reached the place mentioned in the letter. It was on the outskirts of the city. A small house surrounded by a garden. Colorful flowers bloomed and made the scenario pleasant and eye appealing. We parked our car a little distance from the house and waited for Khwajim to report. 

After a few minutes, Khwajim appeared on the roadway. Wearing a red dress of a Buddhist monk and a beaded necklace on his neck, no one would ever doubt his identity. We got down and before he could say anything, we shoved a piece of paper into his hand.

Our way of communication became clear to him instantly. He wrote down everything that he saw the whole night.

“ No one came in. No one went out. A man lives in the house all alone. A drunkard and a brawler by his loud voice and stacks of beer bottles in his garden. Probably loves flowers too, the excessive smell of jasmines and roses everywhere. He is still inside. We can break into the house and confront him. “

We nodded and started walking towards the strong stench of flowers.

I kicked the door and it flew open. A man shouted from inside, "Whoz there?" 

Khwajim ran in and before the man could analyze the situation, he was pinned onto the wall with a gun on his forehead. A small man he was with a patch of bald on his head. He looked like a weasel, small enough to weasel out through anything.

" Who are you? What do you want? ", he stammered in shock.

" Police! ", I came in view and showed him my badge.

" What have I done? Please don’t arrest me ", he begged. Beads of perspirations started to show around his temples.

"You have done nothing. But you are going to do something for us", Khwajim pressed him tighter.

"I will do anything. Please don't arrest me. I have done nothing. I-I am innocent."

"If you are innocent, why are you sweating? Relax", Jasmine smiled sweetly at him.

He was made to sit on the couch and his hands were tied up. Khwajim stayed with his gun on his temple all the time, in case he tried to escape.

I sat down in front of him.

"What's your name?"

-" Mo Ang."

"Do you know this man?" I showed him the paper with Mo Ying written in bold letter. We couldn’t ask directly due to the bug.

"Why? Why do you ask?"

He gulped and looked at us in fear.

" Say as you are told to", Khwajim shouted in anger.

"Y-Yes. I know him."

-" How? "

-"We are brothers. He is my half brother."

"Call him."

-"What? "

-" Yes. You heard right. Call him. Say it's an emergency. Don’t sound panic. If he realizes that, you are dead ".

He nodded.

Jasmine handed him his phone. He dialed the number. It started to ring.

After 6 rings a girl picked up.

-" Hello? "

-" Tina? "

-"Yes doofus. Who are you? ", she sounded angry.

" I am Mo Ang. Is he there with you?"

-" Yes."

-"Send him home immediately. Tell him his cat is vomiting blood. I'm panicked".

-" Oh f**k! Who has heard a cat vomiting blood? Weirdo."

-" Please tell him. If he doesn’t reach here by ten, I will tell him that you took it as a joke. "

-"Fine."

She slammed the phone shut.

Mo Ang looked at me. "He is coming. He loves his cat the most".

"He better be here fast."

Khwajim sat down in front of him and started brandishing his gun as if it’s a sword. Jasmine went and stood beside the window overlooking the flower garden. I eased myself out on the chair. After a tumultuous night the previous day, I couldn’t even close my eyes for a bit. Jasmine had clung to me the whole night in fear of being confronted again. She was even mumbling something in her sleep.

Two times she faced them. Two times she came out alive. God was protecting her soul for some reason. She could have quit the first instance, but revenge kept her alive. And the second one too. Jasmine was one hell of a lady. Second Margaret Thatcher it seemed. She should have joined the army instead of being a doctor. 

She turned around and looked at me. My face must have given away that I was thinking of her.

"What are you staring at?", she asked.

-" I was just thinking, you should have joined the army instead of being a doctor".

She laughed.

" Really? What makes you say so? "

-" The way you survived both the times, you have enough bravery and potential in your veins in there".

-" Maybe you are right. Maybe you are wrong. The situation makes a man brave and bold. Even a catfight with a lion to protect its babies, despite knowing that it would lose, she doesn’t give up. I wasn’t this brave ever. I was always dependent upon Alfred. But after he was gone, I realized, being strong is not an option anymore. It’s a necessity now."

There was the sound of a bike from the gate.

"Guys! ", Khwajim stood up. "It's showtime! "