Taking time on her own, she felt a familiar presence behind her, and she knew exactly who it was. She didn't flip the person; instead, she quickly grabbed the person's neck and pulled him down, making sure the person was lying on her lap.
"You're late, Hubby." Skylar grinned sweetly before capturing his lips, making Vincencio smile and return the kiss with the same affection.
"Well, I bumped into someone after the meeting," Vincencio replied after their kiss and pecked her cheek.
"Who?" she wondered while caressing his face.
"Seriously, I could still see you're in your honeymoon phase." A familiar, amused voice from a woman behind Vincencio spoke while smiling at their sweetness. Skylar pushed Vincencio and didn't care if he fell on the sand, harsh. She just stood up and hugged the woman tight, making them chuckle.
"I see you miss my aunt." Vincencio sighed in disbelief since his wife quickly neglected him for his aunt.
"Of course, I miss Aunt Tiffania since she punched your gut when you zoned out instead of taking my hand on our wedding day." She responded while hugging the woman with familiarity.
"Well, I can't argue with that; you're a catch that I'll always be grateful for marrying and loving." He said sincerely, making Skylar's cheeks flush like a tomato, and Tiffania chuckled.
"Let's catch up," Tiffania invited, and Skylar didn't let go of the woman's arms, forgetting her husband's presence all at once.
"Wait up." Vincencio chuckled because he loved how his wife got along with his funny aunt and followed them.
After their sudden meeting with Tiffania James, Vincencio and Skylar enjoyed the rest of their afternoon around the resort. Each stroll they made, they ensured to take some notes for the resort's updates and considered the employees' and securities' inputs on their lists. However, Skylar's phone began buzzing, and annoyance echoed at the edge of her groan.
"Check it before it ruins more of your mood," Vincencio said teasingly, making Skylar playfully hit his arm and read the text message.
Text Messages:
Beta Din: I know you don't want to be interrupted, but I checked what you heard, and it's code BLOOD for them.
***
As the couple arrived home, Vincencio suddenly had an urgent call and created an excuse to meet her aunt for a family issue. Skylar wanted to come, but like him, she got notified about urgent work. She was upset as their alone time was cut off again, fueling Rose Slayer's early hunt.
"They're going to pay for ruining my night earlier than expected," Rose Slayer mumbled in annoyance while cautiously watching the two targets she saw once.
But these two were wary of their surroundings, carefully checking, and yet, they could not find her in the busy street. Rose Slayer kept her usual camouflage while tracking them carefully, but something eerie about their tracks made her change her route and plan.
"They knew. They're expecting me, but let's see how they could anticipate death on its hunt." Amused, Rose Slayer thought cleverly as she changed her dark clothing to a more attractive one by buying a new set of clothing in a clothing shop.
Rose Slayer wore something more natural and blended among the crowded street, a beautiful nerd. She wore fake but thick eyeglasses, an inch of heels, a pencil skirt, and a blouse that almost showed her cleavage, which later would hook those men's eyes once she walked before them. She pretended to be a corporate woman in a rush, making her hair a messy bun.
Running on the sidewalk, she bumped into her prey, trying to apologize, but when she was about to leave, one of them held her wrist tight as he knew her.
"Have we met?" the man asked curiously, and his name was on her list—Josh Fogg.
"Ahm, no? I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry," Rose Slayer replied, pretending not to know, and when she attempted to run again, she was pulled again, almost making her lose her footing.
"We'll give you a lift," another man suggested, but the smirk on his face was laced with malice, and like his friend, he was also on the list—Jack Malcove, and together they were known as JJ. She looked skeptical, yet it was her plan. "I insist. It's much faster and more convenient if we take you to your destination."
"Are you sure? It's a bit far from the city; that's why I'm in a hurry." She sounded skeptical, which sounded right to Jack.
"Then, let's go. We'll drive you there." Jack grinned like they found a tasty piece of meat.
"Okay, if you say so." She gave in and agreed, but she liked it. "Gotcha."
In one hour and thirty-three minutes of driving, they were already passing the city bridge and closing to the Singarti Kingdom border when Rose Slayer's phone rang. The ringtone played the chorus of the song called "The Transparent" by the Paper Melody and broke the silence in the car.
Give me your eyes
For I see not with my own
Give me your lungs
I breathe his breath, not my own
I'll take your soul
I need something to call my own
Rose Slayer pretended to be searching for her phone in her bag; however, the truth is, she let the chorus play completely before she immediately answered the call.
'Where are you?'
"On the way. I'll be there in a few," she answered calmly but hid her true intention.
'On the radar.'
When she heard the response, Rose Slayer cut the call and pointed them in a direction that had a creepy vibe. As the car stopped, the men looked at each other when they noticed it was filled with tall pine trees and bushes before Jack grinned.
"Thanks for the lift." She thanked them politely and immediately got out of the car. But Jack hurried and captured her wrist, making her stop.
"Are you sure this is it?" Jack asked curiously like he was planning something bad against the lady.
"Yeah, just behind these trees, there's a family cabin where I needed to be, and thanks again. Bye." She answered him innocently and gratefully, but technically, it was a plan. "Come closer."
"Then let us take you there." Jack grinned as his hold tightened around her wrist.
"That's it. Keep going," Rose Slayer thought sinisterly before responding calmly. "It's okay, I'm used to it. Bye."
"We insist. It's not safe for a woman to be alone in this area this late." Jack insisted again, doing Rose Slayer a favor.
"Like what you're doing right now?" She guessed skeptically as she stepped backward, growing wary of Jack's intention.
"Oh, you'll love it," Jack whispered in her ear and dragged the lady further into a rural place.
Rose Slayer kept her facade and pretended to be weak as she squirmed from their grasp. She even screamed her pleas, but no one could hear her until she stumbled on her feet, weakening her.
"Be ready, bunny." Jack laughed while licking his lips. She limped backward, but there was no place to run or hide. "We're going to have some fun with you."
"Oh yeah? Like how you made fun of the general? " she grinned tauntingly, making them freeze.
"How did you…" Josh mumbled and could not finish anymore because his face already met a hard punch, knocking him out.
"Welcome to your deathbeds." She grinned sinisterly, making Jack quiver in fear.
"R-Rose S-Slayer…" Jack stuttered and whispered, then stumbled backward, peeing on his pants before meeting a blade pierced in both of his eyes. He screamed in pain, but a burst of mad laughter covered it up.
"Your debts have been collected." She devilishly whispered and deeply slit his throat, cutting his balls before tossing them somewhere. "What a whore, and you, Joshie, if you didn't become friends with this fuckboy, you might still be alive, but right now, you won't."
"P-please, Rose…don't…" Josh stuttered in fear as soon as he woke up, witnessing how his friend died.
"Sorry to say this, but the general no longer has the heart to forgive those people who were insincere." She grinned while shaking her head and kneeled in front of him, pointing the bloody knife to his cheek. "Josh, remember what the general once told you before she welcomed you to her team."
"Loyalty and trust…that's all she needs…" Devastated, Josh responded while crying.
"Exactly. It was something hard to pay. You sold her life to the wrong people." Rose Slayer pointed out, but she was trying to get something real out of the cornered man.
"That's why I'm trying to be good and get back what I've done. I'm planning to make Monica confess. I'm gathering evidence, but I found out she was connected to high officials who were involved with her death and now, the SR Federation. I want to get inside to be protected and to find the truth, but I'm on your radar..." Josh shouted, crying, but chuckled bitterly like he had given up. But he was determined to make peace with his wrong deeds against his general. "…I knew it was only a matter of time before you came after me. I saw the message when you killed two high officials who were involved with her…I'll do everything to make amends for my general's death."
Josh closed his eyes tight, waiting for his death to come, but instead, nothing. He didn't feel anything, making him check himself and get confused.
"Your reaction is funny. Glad you're still you." Amused, Rose Slayer laughed softly before patting his shoulder, making him dumbfounded. Then, while stretching, she reminded him, "Be sure to make amends, Joshie. Or you won't be able to meet your general ever again."
"Is she alive? Take me to her, please." Josh asked and quickly got up, forgetting his fake friend's death and facing a famous killer.
"The general is either in between life and death. That's why you make amends. Earn it again." She patted his shoulder again before walking away.
"I will. For the general." He responded with conviction and was about to follow her when he heard a rustling sound behind him.
"Dammit, I'm late." A familiar man, in their old dark signature military combat suit, appeared and commented as soon as he saw Jack's dead body.
"Omega J?" Josh whispered confusedly, followed by a firm and familiar voice from a woman.
"Clean it up." Wearing the same combat suit, a woman appeared annoyed and walked past the Omega.
"Beta Din…" he muttered, making his eyes water. He misses his team.
"Let's go, Delta Fog." Beta Din pulled him with her and went to the cabin.
***
Josh was taken back through time to when their cabin still felt like home but was missing one, the general. He cried, making Beta Din rub his back and understand the overwhelming reunion of their elite team.
"I'm not dead or dreaming, right? This is the cabin we built from scratch, right?" Josh, the Delta Fog, reacted in disbelief because he saw a glimpse of his old team, his second family.
"Yeah, it's still the same." Beta Din chuckled.
"But the general…" Josh sadly mumbled.
"You're still our clever but sensitive crybaby Delta." One of the two gammas, a man, Gamma P, grinned teasingly at their delta's sensitive side.
"Do you think we'll be able to meet again if not for the general?" Another gamma, a woman, Gamma L grinned teasingly, giving him a tissue until Rose Slayer's presence came back with paperwork.
"Enough, Tri-S Star Elite Team. The general has gathered all of us here, so let's talk business because the clock is ticking. Please, ensure no one will know anything about this side quest of ours." Rose Slayer opened the topic seriously, and they all listened attentively. "The general wish is to get them all, but they were digging too close to the mafia, and some started making connections with the SR Federation and Moon Rose Familia."
"We can deal with those in the MRF, but in the SRF, that will be tricky," Beta Din commented as she checked the file and spreading the copy to them.
"Then let's make things count and cut them one by one. I'll create a feud over their agreements, and with that opening, we'll feed," Rose Slayer decided firmly.
"Rose, are you sure this is what the general wants?" Josh asked carefully, making them look worried on his behalf, but Rose Slayer met him calmly.
"The General never wants to kill, but she has reasons to claim what they deserved." She coldly responded and handed over a few captured images of their targets.
"I know, but can the general's heart be back? I want to go home where the generals always were." Josh vocalized his truth, touching everyone's heart since they felt the same.