Family Secrets

E I G H T H

It's the weekend and Vaughn was hoping to spend it alone in a target shooting range and eventually sleep for the rest of the day again. Little did she know that her precious plan for the day will get interfered by the ringing of his phone by the bedside table.

She groans in her lazy morning voice.

Damn it! It's too early for that stupid phone call!

She drags herself to retrieve her phone sitting on her bedside table, looking at the caller.

"What?" Vaughn's hoarse morning voice echoes on the other line. "Dude, it's too early for your call. Can't you just let me sleep?" She scratches her bed hair in irritation.

"Well hello to you too, my dear best friend. And just so you know, It's already 12 noon," Sarcasm was seeping out of his tone of voice.

And yet another lazy groan erupted from her throat, "What brings you to call anyway?"

"I found leads that might lead us to the current holder of the Gem," A rustling sound was heard from Rade's side of the line.

"Really?" That information made Vaughn stood up from his lying position on her bed.

"Yeah, I'm on my way to your house now," The sound of the road echoes on the call line.

"Okay," With that Vaughn leaves the comfort of her bed.

Deciding to make her breakfast while she waits for her best friend to come over.

Maybe I should drop by the warehouse after target shooting? Or maybe join Rade and the crew?

The sound of the ticking timer of the oven was the only thing that can be heard as Vaughn waits for it to cook. Tapping her fingers in an act of being impatient.

Where the hell is my precious father anyway?

Her head looks around in attempt to find any sign of her father. Ending up, none.

A mere memory was awaken as Vaughn fixes her attention on the cupboard under their staircase.

"Ahh! help me! I need saving!" The playful voice of the woman echoes from inside the cupboard.

A five year old Vaughn came down from the stairs with a plastic Uzi toy at hand. Her pink cape came flows as she makes her way downstairs to follow where her mother's voice is coming from.

"Help!" The woman speaks again.

Not long until the door to the cupboard opened, revealing the five year old Vaughn with a wide smile plastered on her face. "Bang, bang!" the child mimics the sound of a firing g*n. "You're safe now," She reaches her petite hands on her mother's hair to give her a pat on the head.

"Thank you, you're my hero!" The woman reaches for her child to playfully tackle her, resulting a fit of laughter from the child.

"Mom," Vaughn whispers. A tear escapes her eye as she reminisce a precious memory.

The sound of the finished oven and the doorbell pulls Vaughn back to reality. The maids rushed their way to open the front door to welcome the visitor.

"Hey," Rade greets as he spots his best friend at the kitchen.

"Hey," She greets back. Sniffing in the process.

"You okay? You look like you just came out from crying," With a worried look, Rade looks at his best friend.

"Yeah I'm good," Lie. Denying the fact that she's longing for the presence of a mother.

In reality, It always pains Rade when her best friend sheds tears. Knowing all to well that those tears are because of missing her mother she never got to be with after a long period of time.

"Anyway, here's what I got," The boy with a pair of glasses opens his laptop. "This guy may be working under the one who currently holds the Gem,"

Vaughn almost spitted out her milk as she saw the man in the picture. "I know that man," She points as the screen.

"Really? Who?" With eyes as wide as saucers, Rade is eager to know. Too eager.

"That was the tied-up man, dad held captive at the warehouse," She speaks what she knows.

"You already held him captive?" As if like a kid that was in a conversation of his favorite thing to do, Rade shows to much interest.

"Dad did," Vaughn takes a bite on her morning toast.

Right, they don't know the man that Dad keeps at the warehouse.

"There's another one," He opens another folder in his laptop. "Any idea who this guy might be?" The picture shows the backside view of the guy but his head is facing at the side. He was wearing a black cap and a hoodie over it.

Interesting. Why do I feel like I've seen this one before.

"No, he doesn't look any familiar" The two of them had their brows furrowed as they stare at the picture. "Look, his jacket has this logo on his right sleeve," Vaughn points at the jacket design.

"I haven't researched anything about that kind of logo," With his head shaking in disappointment.

Both resting their head on the palm of their hands to at least come up with a conclusion.

In the middle of their brainstorming, their attention was diverted to the Basement's door that's being opened. The both of them are in the state of shock when Luvox came out of the basement door.

"Dad? I thought you weren't home?" Vaughn's surprised voice caught the attention of the man that fiddles with his phone.

"Hey, boss" Rade playfully made a salute gesture, as a sign of greeting him.

"Sorry, I was at the basement as early as 5 am," Luvox states.

"Ohh, I see-" Vaughn was cut off by his dad's phone ringing, indicating a phone call.

"Excuse me as I take this," Then again, her father was out of sight.

A disappointed look was plastered on Vaughn's face as she plays with the glassware she used to drink her milk.

"You okay? I can stay so you can have company," Her best friend offers.

Vaughn slightly smiles. "Thanks, I appreciate your offer but I think I'm okay," She gives off a reassuring smile to at least convince his best friend.

"You sure?" Her worried best friend asks.

Vaughn just nods in response to her best friend. "I'll be going then," With that, Rade heads straight for the door.

A deep sigh was heard from Vaughn as she finished her breakfast.

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Meanwhile. . .

"Are you sure?" The man speaks through a voice changing device. "Oh, they have...?" An odd strange laugh was heard. "I've always known he can be a greedy bastard. Are you sure about all this?" The man asks.

"Of course I'm sure. Did you forget that I work with them?" A smirk was heard from the other line.

"Very well. You're dismissed," The man speaks through the device again.

"No one can get a hold of that precious Gem but me. Not even you, Luvox Xanthos" He grips on the gem hard, as he laughs an evil one.

Who could this man be? What's his role in this odd line of work? What's his deal with Luvox?