บท 11: It was not what it seemed
It was already morning, in a room of the Valdelomar residence, a young woman was kneeling on her bed, praying for the well-being of her companion.
Getting up, she went to meet her friend for breakfast.
- Was there ... something they found? - Alicia asked.
- Yes, but ... first let's eat and then let's talk about it ... I'm already very tired with yesterday. - replied Lois looking exhausted.
- About ... Aren ...
- Yes, as I promised you, we'll get it out today. - affirmed Miss Valdelomar. - But remember that you must leave town when we drop the charges ... Luesia already knows your faces even if you are not the real criminals.
The two young women continued to eat. On the other side, rays of light were coming through the small window into the cell where a man was resting.
On the other side, a group of officers accompanied by a couple of lawyers could be glimpsed from the exit of one of the prison offices.
- Hah! ... Now they are just coming into action... Well, they were lucky that he is still alive. - spoke haughtily one of the officers.
None of the lawyers responded.
- Where was the evidence before, eh? ... Now they are innocent? - kept the officer jabbering.
- It seems that the jury will have to review their reports well ... didn't they notice such a relevant fact? ... To accuse two people, condemning them with fallacies and by the pressure of the people, is not something worthy of doing for someone with his title. - indifferently replied one of the lawyers.
The officer made an angry sign.
- Don't talk too much ... you'll just be put under house arrest, until we can find enough evidence to send you back to the guillotine. - he spoke again haughtily.
The journey to where they were going seemed to take about ten minutes of walking, meanwhile that imprisoned man waited patiently.
The young man sighed and said - I guess ... it's time to act.
After a few seconds, he spoke again.
- Or maybe ... should I let them act first? - Aren said as he watched the window in his door.
No one noticed him in the other cells, nor did the security cameras record anything; however, the presence of a strange woman was in front of the door where Aren was standing.
The woman with wavy dark brown hair wore a confident smile on her face; this woman stared, through the window, at Aren without saying anything.
Aren did the same.
- So, it's you, huh? ... It's a pity that you will soon die. - was the first thing that mysterious woman said.
The young man still did not speak.
- For his amusement, he thought you would be the ideal scapegoat ... but because of what happened, now he wants to see your head flying off as soon as possible.
- Him? - Aren asked indifferently.
- It doesn't matter if a little group like the Valdelomars support you ... in the end it will all end the same.
"Valdelomar? ... Where have I heard that name?" thought the young man.
Suddenly, the doors of the pantheon where he was confined opened and the woman suddenly vanished.
Hey, are you awake?! - an officer's voice was heard shouting.
That group of officers and lawyers approached Aren's cell and opened the doors.
- You don't know how lucky you are ... although I still have faith to see you again around here. - said an officer who grabbed the young man and aggressively pulled him out of that room.
Aren did not understand what was going on, until the lawyers who belonged to the Valdelomar group showed up and told him about the intervention of that group against the accusations against Alicia and him.
- Ms. Lois Valdelomar has appealed and shown evidence about your stay before arriving in Luesia ... although they find similar aspects, the absence of you and Ms. Alicia for more than five years in the city is convincing proof that you cannot have taken part in the crimes you are accused of ... you as well as Ms. Alicia will be placed under house arrest for the time being. - explained the other lawyer as they left the prison.
The few prisoners there were shouting against letting the man out, while he still did not understand anything.
As they left the prison, a car was waiting for him and took him to the Valdelomar residence.
- The situation now is that the prosecutor and the counterpart will be investigated for improper use of the records ... having concealed the fact of not having been in the city for years, will be a card in our favor and will show the fact that the trial was bought. - spoke the two lawyers as they arrived at their destination.
"Looks like I won't have to act...for now..." thought Aren.
In one of the rooms of the Valdelomar residence, Mayor Victoria, Lois Valdelomar and their respective people were once again gathered, among them that group of young people who had found the hooded man.
- Are you saying it is the same man? - Victoria asked distrustfully.
- Exactly, I saw the recording from the morgue and it was the same guy who appeared yesterday. - replied Eric firmly.
- But, then ... is that guy ...? - asked the puzzled mayoress.
- Yes, it's most likely ... he escaped from the morgue, he was seen by Eric right in the place drawn on the map, on top of that he has similarity with the description of the guy who tried to attack your team, doesn't he? - Lois reaffirmed.
The clues and evidence indicated that the man sighted would be the real culprit.
Although Lois had said she would assist Victoria in finding the real culprit, she did not rely on this agreement alone. She had called in advance a group of lawyers from the main house to defend and clear Alicia and her partner of any charges. At least enough to get them out of town soon.
In a room away from the meeting, on a phone call, the voice of an elderly man could be heard encouraging the young woman who was on the other end of the call.
- I already gave them everything you asked for ... if you need anything else, call me ... please take care of yourself and don't forget that you are not alone.
- Thank you for everything, Mr. Sakamoto...sorry for the inconvenience. - the young woman hung up the call.
The woman lay down on the bed in the room where she resided and spoke somewhat calmly - It's a relief that he came back early; if all goes well, Aren and I will be leaving in a couple of days.
Alicia's spirits gradually recovered and a single thought was held in her mind.
"I don't want to be here anymore."
Suddenly, the sound of a car horn sounded in the driveway; Alicia a little hurriedly went to look out the window and, as it showed on her face, tears began to fall.
At the entrance, the lawyers entered and then Aren who was greeted by the people of the establishment.
Out of nowhere, Aren received a hug that almost knocked him over; his face and chest were hidden by a woman's brown hair and tears.
It was as if they had not seen each other for a long time; Aren and Alicia met again.
- Ya ... I know how you are ... but how come you can ... keep calm ... all this time? - the trembling young woman asked between sobs.
Aren only smiled slightly.
The young woman sighed and said - You are still the same as always ... but ... how did you endure the prison?
Aren averted his gaze and said - I have my ways.
This brought back memories of the first time the two had met.
The young man who had arrived was introduced to Ms. Valdelomar and Mayor Victoria while they watched on a monitor the video of that body that escaped from the morgue.
Certainly, the male's appearance was captivating to them, but a single comment brought the women back to their senses.
- That boy ... he was actually alive, wasn't he? - Aren commented.
Everyone in the room was stunned at such a confession and asked the young man what he was trying to say and if he even knew about the boy before.
It was then that Aren told what happened the moment he found the bodies and everyone was shocked. The reports did not show an ID in the identification records of that person and Aren's statements increased the odds that this guy was the real criminal.
The question now was how do we find the hooded guy again?
Hayato took out a torn and dirty piece of paper, put it on the table and indicated that it was the only thing he had found other than the bodies in that place.
- March 1 18:45 ... DIS ... What does this mean? - Lois asked quizzically as she read the only thing written on the paper.
- It's the only thing I found ... but what matters more is not the date but the acronym.
No one understood what it referred to except for one.
- Department of Information and Security, isn't it? - Lorenz replied.
- Exactly.
The rest were stunned for a few seconds, they entered into discussions for a while; however, since it was a clue with a specific date, they had no choice but to hope and prepare for that day.
On the other hand, Victoria wanted to contact the head of the DIP; unexpectedly her phone line had been cut; this alarmed both Victoria and Lorenz.
Later that day, Victoria sent a team to look for Vincent Veramente, but no one had seen him since yesterday. They then went to look for his home, but it was empty with no furniture or anything.
Victoria began to get frustrated.
- Lorenz! Search by all means for the last sighting of Vincent!
- Got it! - replied the assistant with determination.
All day they searched, but found no trace or whereabouts of the DIP chief, no one knew about him. It was as if he had disappeared out of nowhere.
Being already the first of March, the two most trusted bodyguards of Lois enlisted with her to go to the Department of Information and Security of Luesia, a moderately high building. They arrived early in the morning in disguise and went around the perimeter every few minutes.
On the other hand, Victoria who was in her office started to investigate the records about Vicent who was still missing and started to realize about his work experience and made some calls asking for references about him. No one knew a Vicent Veramente or his photo or anything about him.
The news disturbed the young mayor even more.
The situation was beginning to raise questions about the identity of Vicent Veramente. Who was he really?
An hour before the time indicated on the paper, in a car that was parked with the others, Victoria and Lorenz were inside along with the youth team who had had an encounter with that hooded guy.
The time came and there was no sign of Vincent or the mysterious guy.
They waited two more hours, but still no answer. Tired of waiting, Lois decided to leave the place and, minutes later, Victoria left with them.
Being all in the same car, they drove through the streets.
- So ... it was in vain ... it's not like it's a reliable clue either ... - commented Victoria saddened.
- Yes ... at least, we were able to find that place ... now we know that the other two traced places may have ... the same thing we found before. - Lois was saying.
While the two women were talking, the group of young people were eating treats and chatting among themselves. The woman in that group stopped chatting and began to look out the window watching the passersby; it was then that, after a few minutes, her eyes opened in surprise when she noticed a silhouette.
- That's him! - exclaimed the young woman.
- What is it, Lisa? - asked Renzo, the other young man in the group.
- Stop the car! It's that hooded guy! - shouted the young woman.
Victoria and Lois were shocked and immediately stopped and got out of the car trying to see where the girl had spotted the man.
A guy in the crowd with clothes covering his face started running out of nowhere; that was how they confirmed their suspicions.
Victoria along with Lorenz, and Lois along with Hayato and Thomas were the only ones who followed that person who was wearing common clothes unlike how they had seen him before, but equally covered with a hood.
Being chased through passages, streets and more until he was caught in a kind of boardwalk where there was almost no one, it was until the farthest part where only cars were passing where he stopped to flee.
To his surprise, considering the age of the bodyguards, the only ones tired were Lois and that mysterious guy. The whole group had left Victoria and Lorenz behind.
Looking closely, the guy's appearance showed the figure of a young man of about 16 years of age with scratch wounds on his right cheek.
Everyone thought, how could a child possibly be the criminal?
But Hayato and Thomas understood when they saw that boy's lifeless expression; they realized that, despite his youthful appearance, that look was of someone who had languished in the underworld.
Therefore, they stood in front of Lois and Hayato who walked a little further did not hesitate and drew from his Japanese costume a sword.
A katana that when he unsheathed its blade it gleamed in the middle of the night and at first glance it looked like new, as if he had never used it until now.
The old man who showed himself skilled in the use of melee weapons was ready to strike at any moment.
- Stop ... I do not wish to fight you. - was the first thing they heard from him.
Soon after Victoria and Lorenz arrived along with a couple of their men who decided to follow them.
They all saw how that guy looked quite similar to the body that had fled from the morgue in the recording.
- I don't know if it was luck or if that paper was telling the truth ... but ... at last we know each other. - expressed Victoria.
The hooded guy just stared at them without saying anything.
"This is not good at all ... the guy with the sword seems to be a ..." thought the young man with scars on his cheek.
At that moment, Hayato took out a small purple-covered book from his suit and showed it to that male in front of him.
- It seems that you dropped this. - he spoke naturally.
The mysterious young man reacted for an instant, but immediately calmed down again. Yes, it was a fatal mistake.
"Bingo." smiled and thought Thomas who stood in front of Lois.
Strangely, Hayato threw the Pbook in the direction of the enemy; and, as he guessed, the young hooded man tried to grab it quickly and that's when a small exchange of blows began.
With an abnormal speed, at the moment when the mysterious young man was about to take the book, he could notice the glow of the leaf to his right approaching rapidly towards him.
The young man did not hesitate and put down the book to dodge the blow. Everyone could tell that the boy was not a novice in fights by the way he moved.
But he continued to act as he had said; he did not counterattack, as he had no desire to fight and only backed off.
It was when Thomas tried to get involved by pulling out a small knife as if it were a razor. However, he was stopped by Hayato.
- Stay out of it, Thomas!
The bodyguard sighed and put away his blade.
Hayato took the book again, but this time he put it away in his traditional suit. Then, the two stood looking at each other.
- I won't say it again, I don't wish to fight...I have no business with you. - declared the enemy.
- Oh, but we do ... do you think we will let the one responsible for the kidnappings roam free? Even after we found what's in that basement of the orphanage. - replied Victoria.
- So ... it was you.
- We also know that you can't be the only one behind this ... it was a good place where you brought us ... there's no one to bother us on this night. - added Lois.
After a moment in silence, the hooded man gave a statement.
- It seems that they are close, but they have made a big mistake in their hypothesis; the ones they are looking for are others.
No one believed what he said; possibly that boy was trying to excuse himself or buy time, was what they thought. Nevertheless, the young man gave a second statement.
- In the reports about the other two women, I'm sure you noticed that, didn't you, Miss Victoria?
No one knew quite what she was talking about except for the mayoress.
- About their identities ... you have already noticed that they were false ... I tell you that they were not my comrades ... I have no relationship with that pair.
Victoria showed a worried face that was noticed by everyone present. Lorenz asked what was going on, but the woman continued the conversation with that boy.
- You three ... your identities were false; how do you excuse that they were not the ones who helped you?
- Simple ... that was because I murdered them. - answered the young man indifferently - look, the wounds I have on my faces were because of them ... on the other hand, wasn't the profile they found that of a woman?
This disturbed Victoria a little.
The rest were slowly beginning to understand the situation. However, an intense light, as if it were the lights of a truck, shone behind the hooded young man.
They were all cut off by the sudden light, which faded after a few seconds and, along with it, the hooded young man.
When they regained their sight, they could notice a truck a little way in front of them.
No one saw how the escape of the mysterious boy went, but they opted to check the area; however, the vehicle suddenly and with great speed headed towards them.
- Behind me! - shouted Hayato making everyone present position themselves as he ordered.
The gray-haired man raised his sword and, giving a shout, performed a cross-cut. All that could be seen afterwards was the impact of the truck which was actually two.
The truck was cut in two parts crashing and partly destroying the tents on the sides leaving the group present free.
All the dust covered the scene and it was then that the sirens of the police began to be heard nearby. There was no time to breathe, but everyone fled the scene.
At the top of one of the tents, the silhouette of the young man who had fled could be seen as the group retreated.
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