Heart Stealer

Chapter seven: Introducing hell.

CASSANDRA

“I found you.” He uttered as soon as I got out from my hiding spot.

His sarcastic smile and his blue eyes that are now giving me a deadly stare simply make me feel uncomfortable. This is also the first time I got to have eye contact with my subject.

“I’m the one you need, right? So let that man go.” I responded. All of them were armored and it isn’t something that I should be surprised about. “Drop your gun, Mr. Wilder.”

I didn’t know how and where I got the courage to talk like that even in this kind of situation, even if I knew so well that he could kill me in just a snap without worrying about it. He’s a well-known mafia boss, well, at least for the rest of the world, but not for me. The weapon I was carrying the other day when I met those people who took my village was still hidden somewhere in my clothes.

“I said let him go.” I uttered it once again because I noticed that he still hadn’t put his gun off of his head. After a few seconds of staring into each other’s eyes, he finally put his gun down and chuckled. 

The moment Sir took a step back away from them, I began to walk towards the enemy’s direction and then I stopped after reaching the place where Sir was standing, “You have to escape while I’m talking to him.” I whispered. I didn’t wait for him to respond or at least nod his head, because after telling him those words, I continuously moved forward to face Lucas Wilder closely.

Damn. This is not how I was expecting it to be. I mean, I was supposed to learn a few things about him first before I decided to show up, but then the hell happened earlier than I expected and I knew that this kind of meeting wasn’t some kind of a good start. I should have at least done something about this or else, I would end up failing my mission.

“I won’t be beating around the bush, give me back my necklace.” He uttered, wearing a blank face.

During that time, Sir was already gone and I do hope that he manages to hide somewhere really safe where none of these people could ever find him.

“I won’t be giving you the luxury of time to think about any f*cking excuses.” He almost shouted at me.

Seeing how aggressive and desperate he is to get that necklace made me think that maybe it means a lot to him and maybe I can use that to lure him or something that could help me fulfill my task.

“Your necklace…” I uttered. “I lost it.”

“Do you wish to die?” He calmly asked as he c****d the gun in his hand.  I knew he was always ready to kill anyone who answered his question in a way that he didn't like.

“You know what? I really don’t care when, where and how my life will end. So that kind of threat was not going to work for me.” I responded. “If you wish to see that necklace, then I would have to ask you to bring me back to our village.”

The thing is, I’m not sure whether I lost the necklace or if it's still there in our village, because that was definitely the place where I'd last seen it. I mean, I’m pretty sure that I grabbed it before leaving, but then as I thought of it, I realized that I never saw it again, even before I got onto the payphone.

Lucas laughed annoyingly and shortly, then he started pointing the gun at my head, “Who knows what kind of trap you put in there?” It was really quick how he changed his expression from this to that.

I moved forward until the end of his gun touched my forehead and, as I remained, staring straight into his eyes, “Why? Are you afraid of that?” I asked him in a serious tone. “I told you, that threat won’t work for me.”

LUCAS

I was unable to tell if this woman was innocent of what sort of things I am capable of or if she was really trying to get into my nerves, which is actually working on me now. If she happened to meet me back then, when I was still not in this field, then she might be so lucky, because my patience back then was longer than anyone thought it could be. That side of me is something that I already buried and wished not to be back again.

I believe that patience will only cause you nothing but trouble.

“I’m going to blow your head off.” I coldly responded.

“Then, what are you waiting for?” She urged without showing any signs of fear.

Actually, I’m not sure why I am keeping this conversation up with this stubborn female snatcher, but then I guess I need to exempt this day, having enough patience and give her what she’s asking for. 

“If it was not for the necklace then you'd be dead now,” I uttered after dropping the gun.

Without tilting my head, I began to talk to my people who were all pointing their guns at her. “Didn’t I make it clear that you don’t have to raise your guns unless I told you so?” I uttered. “Head out and get the cars ready.” They all left as soon as I told them to, which is obviously something they need to do that won’t piss me off.

As I kept on staring at her, who seemed to be fighting my death stare with her glare, I somehow realized that she actually looked familiar, but I’m not quite sure about who I am thinking of that resembles her.

While still holding the gun in my right arm, I started gripping her with my left hand, attempting to take her with me. But then she forcefully tried to get out of my grip. 

“What are you doing?” She almost shouted.

“What do you think?” I asked her annoyingly.

“I can go on my own. You don’t need to lay your fingers on me.” Those words sounded really offensive, but then I had no time to waste on this argument. 

“That trick is not going to work out on me.” I responded. “Who knows? You might escape while on your way to whatever that filthy village is.”

“Don’t you dare call our village that way!” She exclaimed. “Why? Are you afraid that you guys might lose track on me? Are you that unconfident?” She paused and smirked right after saying those words and then she continued, “I never thought that a person like you could be this coward.” 

What she just said unexpectedly froze me, then there was a sudden flashback to this certain person who had told me the same thing a few years ago. When reality snapped me out of it, my mood turned out to be more complicated. I wanted to punish her for calling me a coward, but then I knew so well that I shouldn’t involve my personal issues in this kind of situation because it might ruin my plan.

“Just for today, Lucas.” I uttered in my mind as I tried to calm myself.

I left that bar in such a bad mood and then I got inside my car. Not longer than a minute, I saw her walking out of the bar, still wearing that kind of blank face which is definitely not fun to look at. She wasn’t doing anything weird as we followed her, but I still informed the rest of my people not to lose their focus on her as she walked towards her what-so-called village. 

“Are you sure you can trust her?” I heard Search ask me. At that moment, we'd already reached the said village and the female snatcher headed towards a huge tent. This place doesn’t look like the picture I had in mind. It was completely messy and I could clearly tell that something horrible had happened to this place. 

“You know me, I have never trusted anyone ever since that day,” I responded. The day I was talking about was when my family was slaughtered by our enemies and when they killed my wife as well.

“I’m not sure. But you seemed different today.” She responded. “Maybe not just today, but from the moment you met that woman.”

I didn’t have any idea of what she was talking about. That's why I chose to stay silent, locking my gaze into that woman’s direction instead of responding to Search.

CASSANDRA

“Damn!” I exclaimed. Because after a few minutes of searching I noticed that the necklace wasn’t there in my tent. I was also looking at the path that I was walking earlier before I reached this tent but then there were no signs of it. 

Maybe I didn’t leave it here. Maybe I didn’t drop it here as well.

After squeezing my brain, thinking about where I could possibly leave it, I tried looking outside to check what was currently going on and if they were all watching me. I ended up seeing all of them scattered around waiting for me to come out.

Could I possibly get away from them? 

My tent was actually placed at the edge of the village. It has only one opening where you can go in and out, which is obviously placed in front of it. What’s waiting for me on the back side of it is a wide forest and a cliff at the end. I know I might sound crazy, but reaching the cliff was the only possible way that I could escape from them. 

Just like what I have said, I really wouldn’t mind dying at the hands of any person, but the thing is, I should save my people first before accepting that kind of fate.

I made a small hole at the right side to check if I was really free to go there or if he also assigned someone to guard the back part of my tent and then I saw two men standing there. They were facing my way at first, so I quickly hid. I waited for a second to check on them again and at that moment they were both turning their backs on me, talking to each other. There was no person standing on the left side of it, so that’s where I began to cut a small straight line downwards where I could possibly fit it and go out from. I hid in the nearest huge tree right after escaping, but then the sound of the dry leaves cracking under my feet as I moved towards it drew their attention.

“Did you hear that?” The man asked the other one. They were both about to walk towards me. I could sense it even though I was not looking at them.

I thought they would catch me but then another man, from what I believe, suddenly approached them from behind, causing them to go back to their place. 

“Maybe it was just a squirrel,” The other man uttered.

I knew they weren’t planning on leaving that place and that made me think about how I could possibly escape in this kind of situation, but then luck kept on bumping into me. They started walking off this side, so I took the chance and started running as fast as I could towards the cliff.

“She’s running away!” I heard someone shout. I tried to give him a quick look but then I saw many of them running after me.

“Oh, sh*t!” I exclaimed as I ran even faster. 

I thought everything would be as easy as counting from one to three after reaching the cliff, but then when I saw how high it was and how strong the waves were, it suddenly caused me to have some hesitation. I was stuck between two options; whether I would wait for them here, raise my hand and let them catch me once again try my luck and survive this dangerous cliff.

I knew I didn't have much time to think about it. I said I wouldn’t mind dying, but it’s still not the right time for me to die and I am pretty sure that Lucas Wilder won’t let me live the moment he figures out that I lost the necklace.

His people were getting closer to where I was standing. That’s why I began to take a deep breath and jumped off the cliff.