THE GOOD PROTECTOR

CHAPTER 4

Nothing is more important than the truth she wanted the most, but becoming inhumane to a young man whose life is the same with her, is a cruel and immature behavior. Living is sometimes unbearable, but she can’t let others experienced being in the pit of hell she lived in her 27 years of existence.

He begged her to take him in the Philippines, so she spent two days in Japan to process his papers. During her stay in the hotel with him, she can’t deny the fact that she was seeing his brother on him regardless they were from unique race and not related in blood. Her brother’s favorite food, his belief and principle, his choice of words and even things he dislikes, they were alike. She wants it or not; Kai is now her full responsibility instead of her sibling who offered him a shelter, a brotherly love and a protection without asking something in return.

 “Kai, listen. I need you to answer me honestly,” she said as they were eating dinner in that afternoon.

 The fellow stared at her.

 “Those men looking for you, what do they want from you?”

“I don’t know them, but they were searching for the badge.”

“They knew you have it? Are they Japanese, Americans?”

“No. Not Japanese. They speak English, but their accent differs from typical Americans. I was asking the butcher down the market about the blue diamond, when they showed up from nowhere and grabbed me on my neck. I ran and hid from them. They have guns.”

“About the guy you said who came here,” she crossed her arms.

“I’ll tell you if I remember him. When are we going home to the Philippines?” he asked in return.

“You know what, I’m not as kind as my brother. I rarely cook ‘coz’ I mostly ordered delivery food and I don’t clean up. My home is worse and stinky, still you want to come with me?”

“So long as you’re not living with a jerk and abandoned me later because of him.”

She can’t help but cracked a smile.

“Did David teach you naughty jokes like that? Brace yourself ‘coz’ If I grow old and unmarried, take care of me,” she said. “But don’t say you’re paying this hotel on your own? How did you survive for those years?”

“Someone is sending me a monthly allowance. I forgot to inform you, I received one yesterday.” He went to his room when he came back, holding a white envelope in his hand.

“Here,” he handed the paper container loaded with Japanese Yen.

She checked it, but it was just a plain wrapper with nothing on it except Kai’s name typewritten on it.

“Since when did you receive this?”

“A month after your brother’s death. Someone always leaves it on the counter. I searched for him and even confirmed the hotel’s CCTV, but they were different delivery men.”

His statement bewildered her. She was like venturing a foggy road and it’s difficult to tell what is at its end. If everything she learned were all connected, it became too complicated and she can’t say if she’s getting near to her goal or at the same time; she was going far from it.

#

The next day, the mailman delivered Kai’s documents, and they bought a ticket to Philippines. His eyes are twinkling, while on board the plane and he almost forgot his bag when they arrived at the Philippine International Airport. He was so mesmerized by the new atmosphere, not minding the hot weather. He took hundreds of selfies for every place they have to stop.

On their way to Sefford City, she gave him a pocket size notebook.

 “What’s this?” asked Kai.

 “I told you, I’m not as kind as David. Write everything you remember about him or his stay in Japan.”

 “Okay, but how would I address you?”

 “What do you think? We have the same surname, but I won’t take you in if you call me aunt or mom,” she crossed her arms and lean on the train’s seat.

 “I got it, sister,” he grinned and closed his eyes.

#

 It was 2:30 in the afternoon when they arrived at the terminal, but Kai nagged her to eat something before riding their next transportation going to the City. She dropped Kai’s baggage on the delivery office so they could retrieved it on a separate day, lessening burden on their travel. She took him to a restaurant for short orders. While they were eating, he froze in a sudden, and wasn’t able to swallow the food on his mouth. He was frantic with fear, looking behind Michelle’s back.

 “W-why? Is something wrong?” she attempted to turn her head, but the kid pulled her hand.

 “It’s…. I-It’s them! Th-they followed us here!” he murmured.

 “What?” she looked back. Two guys in black suit are sitting about eight meters from them.

 She avoided them, pretending to be looking for the service crew. She put the bill on the table and slipped her license in front Kai.

 “Are you sure?”

He nodded four times.

 “Go to the men’s comfort room, then turned left. There’s an alley behind, it will lead you to a bookstore. Go inside and explain to the keeper you’re a VIP under my protection, show him my license. If these guys caught you, you and I are dead, understood?”

 “Y-yeah, but h-how about you?”

 “Go. Tell the owner, I need his help.” She stood and approached the strangers.

They were tailing Kai with their eyes as he headed for the men’s comfort room, but she distracted their attention when she bustled to their table.

 “Hey man! Do you like me? You keep staring at me,” she said, and she showed them the inside of her maong jacket where she pinned the badge. They looked at each other and gave her a faint smile.

 “Sorry Miss, but we’re not looking at you. Excuse us,” the taller one rose from his seat followed by his companion and they exited at the rear door.

 She dialed a number from her contacts and went out to the front exit.

 “You met the Japanese kid? Take him to my apartment and wait for me,” she said on the phone and called a taxi.

#

 She alighted from the vehicle at the intersection and waited for the traffic light to change color. When the signal turned green, she crossed the lane. Upon reaching the other side, she walked through the branching narrow alley on the right. People crowded the marketplace, racing with the closing time, and she jostled among them. It took her over twenty minutes before she reached the border of the City of Sefford.

There, she lay and wait at the seven eleven near the bus terminal waiting for the tails to show up, because if they will, then she’s a hundred percent sure they are after the badge, but if not, it must be Kai they are chasing. She leaned on the wall of the convenience store, stomping her feet on the concrete ground while fumbling the coins in her pocket. It did not surprise her when the wanted faces appeared before her.

 “Hello my friend, you did not disappoint me,” she winked at the tall man.

 “Give us that and we will let you go,” he stepped closer to her.

 “Not too fast, darling! You see those police stations surrounding us? I don’t know in your country, but here, stalking is a crime. I guessed you got what I mean,” she shrugged her shoulders.

 “Hey lady! We don’t want trouble. Hand me that and let’s go our way.”

They look around, then back to Michelle holding the badge on her hand.

“Neither do I so tell me, why you’re looking for this.”

 She received no answer from them but they move with quick steps, and they were coming towards her. She had no option but to run and sought help from a police. These strangers are working under a certain organization, and she believed it, so she has to dig deeper to find out their intentions. However, if she reveals her skills, it would caution them not to disclose any bits of information she desired.

 The foreigners retreated upon seeing her talking with one police lurking in the area. They boarded a taxi and moved out of the place.

She smiled after asking the direction from the officer.

#

 It was dawn when she arrived at her apartment and as she walked in, laughter met her in the kitchen. Both voices are men, and familiar to her. The one slower and with tremors is from an older person, and the husky one belonged to Kai. She preceded on the living room and disturbed the two on their conversations.

She was not happy to see the old guy sitting on the couch across Kai, but she needed to thank him anyway for his help. His name is Nelson, and in his early 50s, about five feet and six inches tall, a sturdy snappy man from his manner of sitting and gestures, but an ordinary person could not immediately point it unless they worked under the military or related jobs. He has mixed gray and black hair, wrinkles covered his face, but his eyes, facial expressions, and his complexion resembled Michelle in some aspect.

 “You’re here” she said in a bitter tone.

 “Are you okay? What happened?” asked Nelson and rose from the couch.

 “I’m good. I can’t tell you the details, but thanks for taking this kid here,” she plopped on the mat. She put down the foods she bought and opened it one by one.

 “You’re still living like this. You don’t want to move with us?”

 “Dad! I told you, I have my own life and I’m proud how I can feed myself with my blood and sweat,” she glowered at him.

 “But this is not living, you’re dying, did you know that? You’re not normal like other women.”

 “What? Tell me, what’s wrong with me, huh?” she looked up at him.

 “Do you call this home? It’s worse than any pigpen! Are you proud of those scars on your body, from risking your limbs sheltering others from a bullet. So how much does your life cost, is it worth your death like your brother!” he said in a raised yet controlled tone.

 Michelle slammed her arm on the side table, alarming Kai. He was staring at them with his small brown eyes while listening to their argument.

 “Don’t act as if you know everything about me! You did not raise us, so you have no right to criticize me! You don’t appreciate how I feel when I lost my brother. All you care about are your illegitimate children. The world knows you give up on us before I could even start on my 5th grade!”

 Her father sighed. His face reddened and walked through the door, saying nothing.

 “T-thank you-sir,” the teenager got up and followed him outside. It took him minutes before he came back and witnessed her bawling while covering her eyes with her palm. The young lad was silent but patted her head and hand her the tissue box.

 After calming herself for an hour, she reached for the food and shared it with him.

 “L-let’s eat. Sorry for letting you see that in your first day in your new home.”

 “I don’t know what to say ‘cause I don’t have a father or a mother, but you’re lucky you have a man worrying about your well-being,” he munched his food.

 “You talked like an adult. How old are you?” she asked.

 “I’m turning eighteen four months from now.”

 “O, I got a man to live with me, not bad. Tell me your dream.”

 “I like to be a protector like you and your brother,” he smiled at her.

 “Haven’t you heard my father? You will have lots of money, but you’ll be paranoid on your job and you can’t ask someone for a date next week. You could be dead by then.”

 “Then why you’re doing it despite knowing its danger?”

 “It’s the only way I can find the truth behind David’s death because I believe there has to be a person to take responsibility.”

 It was hard and terrifying for her to live in the darkness, with no one she can turn in those times. Her divorced parents were both happy with their own families, but such decision affected her and David, like pushing them at the end of the cliff. She hadn’t striven to see life in a different angle without her courageous yet responsible brother who served as her anchor during those struggles. Now that he’s gone, she hated the world for being unfair to her. No matter what; she had to know why such things had to happen or else she could not endure it anymore.

#

 Morning came, but she was not in the mood to get up early. However, a strong coffee aroma filled her room, so she rushed to the kitchen. Kai was wearing her apron, blue headphone is on top of his head, he was holding a spoon and rocking his body in full motion. She laughed at his back while watching him dancing.

The new arrangement of her furniture and cleanliness of the tables, floor, the sink, the drawers and almost everything awed her. No strewn clothes, the garbage can is empty, and the window glasses are glistening.

“I got a maid, not a kid,” she sat on the dining table.

“Oh, you’re awake, sis. You want coffee?” he said upon noticing her. He removed the headphone from his head and hung it on his neck.

“Let me taste it, and no sugar please,” she said and massage her swelled eyes.

After a second, her phone rang, and it was Randall calling her.

“Yes, sir?”

“Are you not going to report? We have work to do. We have a client.”

“Copy. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

She wasn’t able to sip the espresso Kai prepared for her as she dashed in her car after telling him to lock the door and don’t entertain anyone.

Her team gave her a tap on her shoulder after knowing she was back to their group and finally joined them on another work.

“I hope you settled your personal matter before coming here,” Randall said.

“I can’t say but I’m good, but what happened to Xien’s request for protection?”

“Rick and Ruze are working as her bodyguards that’s why you're here instead of them. The higher ups issued us an order to escort a dignitary from China in three days. We knew him. Still, study the information about him in case we missed something before.”

“Who was the VIP?” she asked.

“It’s Xien’s father, Mr. Zu.”

Her eyes expanded, “Sir, are you sure?”

“Yeah. The president invited him to attend the international summit.”

After the briefing, she called Xien and questioned her about her father’s visit to the country. The woman lost composure and she could tell from her voice, she was trembling in fear.

The dignitary could have learned about her daughter’s decision to defy him. Whatever is his purpose for visiting, it serves a threat to the young woman who wanted to get away from him.

 While considering the circumstances requiring both her sense of responsibility for different reasons, it caught her in the middle. Rather than a client, Xien is a friend and her father is the VIP she will offer protection. Any decision she chooses will make her look bad on both sides, but she can’t back out from it. There is only one thing she needs to do, and it’s giving up one to gain the other.

 That evening, she went to the hotel where Xien was staying and relieved Rick from his duty.

 “This is serious. She refused eating since this morning and won’t even let us in her room after you called her,” he informed her as they were talking in the lobby.

 “It confusing.”

 “I know, but I understood what she feel. If we were to put our feet in her shoes, it would be dreadful. So what is your plan?”

 She did not answer him. She messed her hair and looked at his junior.

 “Did you tell her I want to talk to her?”

 “Yeah, she’s waiting for you.”

 After informing Kai she can’t go home, she went to the 4th floor and knocked Xien’s room. She entered and the Chinese portray the same expression, the night before her departure to China the previous month.

 “How are you?” she asked.

 “What would I do? M-my father will surely drag me with him. Pl-please help me. I’m scared!”

 “Look here! You have your visa, and you’re not a minor. Legally, he can’t force you to go home with him,” she grabbed both her shoulders.

 “But you don’t know him. He will bring all his bodyguards here if he needs to and nothing can stop them, including you or any close protection agents.”

 She knew it, but men have their weaknesses and limitations in some aspects, which defines them as human being.

 “Your father might be powerful and terrifying in your country, but remember, this is not China. Let’s use that to your advantage.”

 “What do you mean?”

 “Give me a minute. We need a good fight.”

This was the crucial moment for her to test her capability. Never she experienced standing in between a decision as difficult and daunting as this. It’s not that she doesn’t have a plan, but she’s doubting herself and her morality.

After contemplating for hours, she decided her next move.

She knew her decision will shocked the young lady, but if Xien will play it well, she can outsmart his father. Her job is as important as her so she can’t give up any of the two but she could set the game for the daughter and his father.

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