Bab 19: 1st Lifetime: Syndicate (2)
After their little chat, Heith had gone to torture the members that were still alive, including Kaleb and Fredrich.
When Mai had placed her probing eyes on him, Heith chuckled, "There's more than one way to torture someone, dear. You don't have to injure them." A malicious twinkle entered his eye. "I'll get the information that we'll need before the end of the day. You go ahead and see if the rest of the kids are all right. They should be at the pub. Oh, and I'll find out where that scumbag put Elizabeth, alright?"
Nodding, Mai made her way to the town's only pub. When she creaked the door open, she could hear panicked shuffles within. "It's okay," Mai called out, her tone light, "It's Maria."
"Maria?" A head with platinum blonde hair popped out from behind a table.
"Yes?"
Mai heard a loud sigh before Ivan, Victoria, Nicholas, and Gabriel rolled their way out of the table. "Thank goodness!" Gabriel continued, "I was thinking we'd never be able to get out!" He glanced behind Mai. "Where's Elizabeth?"
Nicholas piped up from behind him. "And Fredrich?"
Rubbing her temples, Mai sighed. "It's a long story."
Nicholas and Gabriel shared a glance. Gabriel spread his hands, a serious look on his face. "We've got time."
Mai sighed. She gestured for them to sit before she began.
.........
"How do you know that Heith isn't a spy himself?" Nicholas spread his hands on the table. "He seems awfully suspicious to me."
Mai shook her head. "I don't know that, but he doesn't seem to be a spy."
"But he's an ex-assassin! What ex-assassin would so casually say that he's an ex-assassin?!?" Victoria distressingly said, her eyebrows scrunched together.
"If my parents hired him even with his past, then he should be trustworthy," Mai said, but inwardly she thought, 'I hope'.
"Well, we'll deal with this as it comes," Gabriel quelled the restless atmosphere, "Are we going to continue with your plan?"
"That depends on what the group or whatever's plan is. If my conjectures are correct, then it would be best if we act like a wolf in sheep's clothing to lure them from their hiding spot."
"Where would we go?" Ivan asked, his eyes serious.
"I was thinking that we stay at the village for a while. They would never guess that," she paused, "we would voluntarily stay there."
"And then what do we do?"
"We wait until out parents tell us that it's safe to come home."
Victoria looked at Ivan and swatted his arm. "Can you think of a better plan?" She didn't wait for Ivan to answer as she hmphed loudly, "No, you can't."
"I'm just saying that it needs to be better thought-out," Ivan hmphed as well, crossing his arms.
"I think we just need to wait for the news from Fredrich," Nicholas said. Everybody nodded, and Ivan quietened.
They stayed in pensive silence until Heith burst through the door, a streak of blood on his face. "Well, you were right, Maria," he said, "They were planning on ransoming you all before killing you."
Victoria gasped in horror.
Heith looked at her comically before he continued. "I'm not even to the bad part yet," he chuckled, "It turns out that neither Kaleb nor Fredrich know whether or not there are spies planted in each household. Furthermore, they also don't know if there are any nobles working with them."
Mai sighed. She noticed that Heith had a hesitant look on his face. "What's wrong?"
"Well," he paused, "I think it would be best if you were to see it." Heith left the pub and returned shortly- Elizabeth's long brown hair could be seen from behind him. However, when she came into view, everybody gasped. "She's a little roughed-up, but I think she'll be okay."
Elizabeth had a long, diagonal cut staring from the tip of her left eye and reaching her right chin. Her eyes were puffy from tears.
"Elizabeth!" Victoria gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth. On the other hand, Gabriel stood, shocked.
Elizabeth gave a shaky smile. "It's okay," she said.
Mai shook her head. She was lying.
"Don't lie!" Gabriel burst, his fists white with the pressure he was exerting. He whipped his head up and glared at Heith. "Who did this to her?"
Heith awkwardly avoided Gabriel's eye contact and whistled casually. "I don't know."
"You do know!" His glare intensified.
"No, I don't"
"It was Kaleb," Mai said.
"Maria!" Heith's voice was indignant.
"Kaleb!" Gabriel's voice was filled with malice.
"Nicholas!" Ivan said. Victoria turned to him and hit his head. "Ow," he whined, "What'd you do that for?"
"Because you're an idiot!" Victoria hissed. "Now pay attention!"
Ivan drooped.
"Where is he?" Gabriel ignored Ivan and Victoria, his attention fully focused on Heith.
"I've dealt with him."
Gabriel's face became stone-cold. "But you didn't kill him, right?"
"I know how you feel," Heith began, "But-"
"You don't know how I feel!" Gabriel burst out. He turned to Elizabeth with unshed tears in his eyes. Walking up to her, he grasped her hand. "It's going to be okay, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth did not say anything as she grasped his hand tightly, their hands trembling with the force of her grip.
Gabriel's eyes turned sadder as he glanced at their intertwined fingers. He looked at Heith. "they need to pay, Heith."
It was at this time that Mai felt the need to step out. "Let's change the plan, then." Everyone's eyes swiveled to look at her. "It's simple. Let's have Kaleb let them know that we've been successfully kidnapped. But-" Mai took her time to make eye contact with everyone, "we'll have doubles pretend to be us. I'm sure as nobles that we all have our own body doubles. Let's use that to our advantage so we could," she had a devious smile, "pretend to join the syndicate."
"What!?!" Surprised eyes stared back at her.
Mai's sly grin extended further. "We'll pretend to be up for their cause and learn all of their secrets before we stab them in the back."
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Leialeial
Leialeial UGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I owe you guys six chapters today ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚
It's my fault for not setting the timer up right.
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