“Don’t you still feel the same?”
“I love you I am just saying...”
She looked at Nick and sighed.
Nick sensed the tension and worries.
“You can tell me. What is it?”
“I was afraid you no longer feel the same way.”
“Don’t be silly how on earth can you even think like that? I love you and will always do. Are you confusing me with your crazy ex, Jonathan?”
Karolina removed the sunglasses and looked at Nick.
“You know why I loved you at first sight?”
“Go on.”
“You were different. You were romantic and very passionate and considerate.”
“Hang on, stop there. You are using past tense.”
“You changed Nick. You have never called me by my first name before. What happened? What happened to; Darling? Sweetheart? Honey? Babes?”
Nick as a reflex stepped on the gas and the SUV roared moving faster, all they could hear was the sound of the engine eating away the sound of the background song. He panted.
“I haven’t changed darling. That day changed everything. I thought I almost died. I was just worried that has nothing to do with my love for you. You know I love you and will always do.”
Nick reached for Karolina’s hand and touched her passionately.
“I am glad to hear that. I was worried.”
It was not long before the SUV turned into a narrow road that took them through the surrounding trees until they reached a beautiful house on its own surrounded by beautiful botanic gardens.
“It’s beautiful. Great atmosphere. A breath of fresh air and exciting scenery.”
“Great place to wind down. You will love it. Come.”
A limousine parked outside one of the buildings in the city center. The usher walked out swiftly from the building to the limousine and instantly opened the door. A man dressed-to-kill in an expensive suite got out of the limousine. The usher stopped and admired him for a while. The man stopped and straightened his suite jacket and tie and with his saliva moistened his smartly styled hair. He smelled, looked and walked a million dollars. He was the best there can be. Rich and flamboyant. He was no ordinary man. The usher got lost for a while admiring this man. He looked at his suit and then the shoes and thought. Probably the shoes alone were worth more than the usher was wearing and if not including himself. He thought briefly.
“Those must be expensive shoes,” he whispered.
“Sorry this way,” he shouted.
The man walked with style toward one of the buildings. A swift knock and the huge door opened.
“I was expecting you glad you finally came.”
“It must be very important requesting my services at such a short notice,”
“Please come in.”
Brayden a very handsome and masculine man in his early thirties with short and sleek hair walked in and sat comfortably on the sofa in the office. He instantly lifted one of his legs onto the other and straightened his tie. He looked a million-dollars even Tyler knew Brayden was not cheap. Whatever it was it must be big to require Brayden services.
“Have you been addressed regarding this project?”
“You can say that,” replied Brayden confidently.
“Well then without wasting your time let’s get down to business. Shall we?”
Tyler a man in his late forties struggled to open the safe and not because it was difficult. No. Brayden had put pressure on him for he wanted to feel important and special as well. He took his time trying to make his job feel important to Brayden. He finally opened the safe and took out a shoe box and placed it on the table. Inside was a rolled letter like item. A quick pull of the flaps of the ribbon and all were smiles. Tyler removed the item from the cloth slowly and carefully and gave it to Brayden. The item rolled open in Brayden’s hand.
“What is this?” asked Brayden.
“The list Sir.”
Brayden wore a troubled face.
“Why do I need a list for? They told me I am here to pick a file for one person.”
Tyler did not reply but instead shrugged off his shoulders. Brayden looked at the list before his face creased with confusion. He walked out of the office building. He jumped back in the limousine before the limousine disappeared.
CHAPTER THREE
“I can’t believe you even said that?”
There was silence in the room.
Oliver’s face blushed and creased with anger and rage. He appeared to be choking with rage as his eyes turned red.
“How can you say that? Did you see how they slaughtered innocent women and children.”
There was a brief silence.
“I am just saying don’t be too quick to judge.”
“Don’t make me angry. Don’t just say things for the sake of it. I know what I am talking about. They ripped open pregnant women and children. You heard the General, they have fallen below standards.”
“The General has no tangible evidence to support his remarks. I am just saying it will be hard to prove.”
“Hard to prove or not! This is below standards. I have watched them for the past seventeen years. It can never be lower than this. What are you waiting for? They were swift to attack for lesser crimes than this. I say we should reciprocate. Swift and ruthless and match their actions.”
“Oliver! Listen! We need tangible evidence. We need to convince everyone or else tomorrow it will be our turn.”
Oliver punched the table with the side of his hand very hard that papers flew in the air before landing on the office carpet.
“Don’t talk nonsense. They are just going to destroy all the evidence just like before. I say to hell with the evidence. We have seen a lot for the past seventeen years. Just look! All the data erased, just a few days ago. I say we contact the others and invade.”
Bryson looked scared for a while. He had never seen Oliver that upset before. Surely something big was on the cards. It seemed the table had turned. The world before today had turned a blind-eye, but it seemed time was catching up with them. This was the worst for the past seventeen years. They had become so complacent and arrogant that things had fallen way below what was expected. Oliver had seen the attack. It was like yesterday. It was so vivid in his mind that at times he had panic attacks just thinking about this. Even though he was young when it happened. It was a day he will never forget. Even now, more often he would look inside the palm of his hands and can still see the blood. It was horrific, worse for a kid like him to see people being slaughtered that way. Even now it hasn’t sunk in. How all his small-town people ended up the sheep for the slaughter. He had no idea who the General was. He had no clue how his small-town people ended up dead because of the General’s crimes. He remembered all the people talk badly about this General. Honestly even they, they disliked this General. He was even mean to them. Stealing the little they had before killing the men in their town. It was like a double edged-sword piercing them when they got attacked because of this General. A person they despised. It was horrific. For Oliver it was the worst day in his life. He lost all his family. He remembered seeing people begging for mercy only for bullets to be lodged in their temples.
“I say we invade. An eye for an eye. Remember? We should revenge. This is the only way to heal the pain and anguish suffered those days.”
“Oliver.