Crown in The Mist (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

We all sat in a room I wasn't familiar with. The windows were covered with old newspapers making the room darker. I sat on the chair at the back listening to what they were saying. They were planning to steal some gems hidden underground. Somebody has tipped them off with its location. And I couldn't help but feel something's shady about it. Clarence assured us her source could be trusted. And until now, I couldn't get my mind off the note I found. 

"There were only two guards stationed at the entrance. I can manage them. The owner of the mansion brought the other guards with him so this is our chance," Clarence said and eyed me. "You and the others, wait for my signal." 

I just nodded and Madox just gave me a look to which I just shrugged off. I don't know what's his problem but he should know I am not liking this set-up as much as he does. 

"What's with the book?" I asked and all of them looked at me. 

"There's no need for you to know--" 

"I deserve to know. I stole it." And my conscience still can't fathom the fact that I just stole from an innocent woman. I broke my own roles for the sake of that book. And what the old woman said before I got out of the house.  

"You were the one who needed our help. That was your test." The girl named Meg said. I raised my brow at her. 

"Oh, I think it's the other way around. I don't need your help. I have questions for Clarence but should I choose, I can always decide not to know the answers. So tell me," I said, "what the hell is that book?"

"You traveled all the way here to ask Clarence a question. I think it is quite important," Piero noted.

They all went silent but Clarence was the one who decided to speak. I stared at all of them. But Clarence sighed.

"It's a book auctioned at an underground arena a few months ago. Nobody knew who got it. Recently. we found out it was the old woman. It was priced for four hundred and fifty thousand Quird. How she got that much money, we don't know. But this book," she said, touching the book, "contains maps and information about some hidden treasures all over Carnes." 

I crossed my arm. "Ah. You want to go treasure hunting? Is that it?"

Madox slammed his fist on the table. "Someone like you who does not know a thing about stealing should shut her mouth." 

I scoffed. "The person you claimed to have no knowledge about stealing just stole the most crucial part of your treasure hunting." 

Madox looked like he was about to stand up and nail me on the wall but Jona got in between. 

"Guys, enough," she said. "We'll be working together starting now and the last thing we'd want is to have knives on each other's throats." 

"That girl gets on my nerves," Madox said while pointing his finger at me. 

"Old news. Tell me something I don't know," I answered and checked my nails. I think he's one opinion away from snapping my neck. 

But it's bold of him to assume I know nothing about stealing. I looked at Clarence who was just silent.

"When do we execute the plan?" I asked her.

She set the book down and looked at me. "After sundown, we move."

* * *

It was a huge mansion with stone walls. It looked old, probably decades old. And Clarence's source was right. There were only two guards guarding the gate and Clarence knocked both of them out. We stayed inside a car park several meters away and when we saw lights blinking from the entrance, we immediately ran towards it.

"A mansion that huge with only two guards?" I muttered.

"The owner of the mansion is at the town center bringing half the guards," Piero said.

I raised my brow. "So they only have four?"

Piero merely chuckled and I could have sworn I heard Madox mumble something which I was sure another insult for me.

"The others are around the area. Should they see any anomalies, they report it immediately to their boss."

I let out a soft scoff. "Yet here are six thieves about to enter their boss' mansion."

"Don't get too cocky, b***h. You are no thief," Madox said and if not for the fact that he is Clarence's teammate, I would have shot his lanky leg.

"Bold of you to assume that," I said and c****d the gun when we arrived at the entrance.

"Just because you stole that book doesn't make you one of us. You're lucky that woman was blind." 

"I got you the book. I was expecting something along the lines of 'Thank you so much, Rain.' Such overwhelming gratitude you have, Madox." 

"You think you've done something worthy to be a member of this team? Stop being so cocky and stay in the car. It's not natural for women like you to hold a gun," he said and stared me down. Like hell I would back down. 

"It's not natural for a man to be as stupid as he is tall and yet," I said and eyed him from  head to toe, "here you stand."

If not for Piero, he would have come for my neck. "If you're going to get pissed at my remarks, don't start a fight you can't win. Makes you look even more stupid."

"What did you just say?"

"Madox, enough," Clarence warned. "She is our teammate now and I want you to treat her like one. She got us the book. We should be grateful."

"That was a test--"

"Oh for f**k's sake, Madox," Jona said, clearly annoyed. "Just drop it, okay? Jesus!"

Surprisingly, he shut his mouth, much to my delight. 

Clarence opened the metal door using the keys she probably got from the guards earlier. The stone stairs were wet. Maybe because of the little rain earlier. It swept all the way down as far as our eyes can see.

Piero handed me and the others a flashlight and with Clarence at the front, we trudged down the stairs.

"We only have an hour before the owner comes back. We have to hurry," Clarence said as we followed her down the stairs with our flashlights the only source of light.

Our footsteps were quiet as we walk step by step. Mercifully, Madox hasn't said a word since Jona shut him up. Good for him.

After a few minutes, we reached a wooden door. Interesting. A room full of jewels but with only a wooden door?

Clarence inserted one of the keys and opened it. There was another dark hallway and we walked further. Clarence was in front of me and behind me was Jona. The only sounds we could hear were the friction of fabric, our light footsteps, and our breathing. 

We halted when we reached the end of the hallway. It was another door. Unlike the wooden door in the front, this one was made of metal. Steel, specifically. I looked at the password operated door. I jerked my head towards it. 

"You know the code?" I asked Clarence who didn't so much as looked at my direction and just proceeded to type in the code. The door beeped a few times before it unlocked. 

I don't really have an idea what kind of treasures await but all I care about was to get this job done and just do what I needed to do. And that is to find answers. But before that...

I pulled my pistol from my pocket. With one swift motion, I had my arm around Jona's neck and the pistol on her head. 

"How long are you going to keep this bullshit up?" I said and eyed all of them. 

"Rain, what are you doing?" Meg asked but I saw how Clarence slowly crept her hand to where she strapped her gun. 

"Drop your weapons or I will shoot her." I pressed the gun harder to Jonas's head. 

"Rain—"

"I said drop your weapons," I repeated. They all looked at each other before they put their guns down.

"Since when did you know?" Clarence asked and I looked at her.

"My mother always tells me stories about you telling me you are someone I should not meet."

"Yet here you are, looking for me," she said, smiling.

I scoffed. "I didn't. You found me. I knew you were after that necklace," I said as I looked at them one by one. I have confirmed my suspicion about the necklace. 

The receptionist was scared of Clarence for a reason. Clarence is her boss. And when she gave me that first-aid kit, someone slipped a note inside it telling me that Clarence is waiting for me at Harvin. I don't know who slipped it but it must be the receptionist.

"The necklace, what is it to you?" I asked. 

She shrugged. "A lot of money,"  she said, smirking. "When the King gave her that necklace, it was so beautiful. I tried stealing it but your mother knew about my plan. So she hid the necklace from me. I didn't know where but one day I saw it on the television, missing. Stolen by the notorious thief, Shadow. I don't know why you have it. It could be that you know Shadow and gave it to you. Or..." she tilted her head. "...you are Shadow yourself." 

"I was inclined to believe the former, but when you stole that book, I already knew. That old lady may be blind but she has an insane sense of hearing. You probably noticed. All of us attempted to steal that book, except Madox since he's a new recruit. None of us were successful. And you, Rania Robynn, got the book easily. Which confirms my suspicion." She let out a crooked smile. 

"That you, Rania Robynn, is the notorious thief, Shadow." 

"What?" Madox exclaimed. "That woman is Shadow?" 

I scoffed. "So much for a test." 

"The Queen might be behind your mother's death." Clarence grinned and I couldn't help but wonder about it. But I have no time to think about it. 

I took a step back with Jona still in front of me, acting as my shield should they try to shoot me. 

But Clarence took a step forward that I have to point the gun at her. Jona took that chance to elbow my gut causing me to gasp and take a few steps back. She was about to get something from her pockets when I hit the side of her head with the gun. She slammed into the stone wall and I took that chance to grab her hair and pull her back to me. 

Clarence has picked up her gun but I was quicker and shot her leg. She let out a short scream as she kneeled on the ground.

"I told you to put your guns down," I said and tightened my grip around Jona.

"Rain—"

"Shut up, Piero."

I pointed the gun at them while I stepped back the stairs. Clarence looked at me. And she was grinning.

"Too late, Rania," she said, her face twisting in pain as she tried to shift his position. "I've already notified the Harvin officials of your whereabouts. They're coming for you."

"Then they'll be coming for you too," I said. 

She shook her head, chuckling. "Why do you think that receptionist is so scared of me?"

I muttered a swear. The receptionist must be the one who reported me. 

Then I heard the screech of the tires outside.

"f**k," I muttered as I dragged Jona out of there. 

They're here. They're already here.

I ran as fast as I could until we're far enough from them. Jona tried to protest but I hit the back of her head with the gun causing her to lost consciousness.

I heard men shouting in the distance and when I got out, lots of them were already at the gate.

Several curses went out of my mouth as they rained bullets on me that I had to run to the back of the house. I checked my pistol. I only have three bullets left. And there are about ten officials chasing after me. Damn it. I didn't get much from Clarence. 

The fence was made of stone and it was awfully high for me to climb especially with my wound but I need to try or this is the end of me. So I hauled myself up, muttering a curse as I climbed my way up. When I almost reached the top, I heard shouts from men in the distance and the next thing I knew was the sound of the gun firing in the distance. When I heard them coming closer, I jumped to the other side of the fence ignoring the pain from my poor landing. 

I ran as fast as I could, dragging my feet. Damn, I think I sprained it. Then much to my horror, I saw men climbing to the fence, too. I tried shooting one of them, wasting one bullet, as it hit the wall. 

I continued to run even as my feet hurt. I think my wound might have opened too. I looked back to see some of them getting down the fence with ease and are now chasing towards me. 

I looked around. There was nothing. There's a road ahead but I could see cars, probably the officials' cars, rushing to intercept me at the end. I have nowhere else to go. I have two bullets that could probably take out three or four men if I was a good shooter, but I wasn't. The suitcase where I put the money was in the inn, probably taken by the receptionist if she decided to ransack my room. The lazuli diamond was safely inside my pocket that would probably be taken from me tonight. I jumped over a log and halted when the cars stopped several meters away from me. I looked behind and the men stopped running and pointed their guns towards me. Or to the people in front of me. 

Then I saw a familiar built got out of the car and then another two of them got out and pointed their guns at the officials behind me. 

And it was enough for me to confirm who they are. I jumped and the moment I landed, I ducked behind a log and covered my head. 

I didn't look at what's happening but I already know who's winning. 

* * *