Chapter 4 III

MIDNIGHT...12:00AM.....BORDER

"Where is the merchandise?" Don asked the masked man in front of him. "It's in the truck," the masked man said looking at the truck which was not far away. Don's men went over to the truck to check the content. They nodded their heads at Don before offloading the merchandise into their truck. "It was nice doing business with you, Blade" Don said, satisfied with the merchandise. He extended his hands for a handshake but was ignored. The man in front of him simply turned around to go back to his truck. Don, the leader of the second most respected cartel in the underworld was shocked and embarrassed. No one had dared treat him like that. This Blade was simply too arrogant and audacious. BOOM! BOOM! Two gunshots rang out in the air. Blade and Don took cover behind the trucks. Brought out their guns and started firing back at the opponent. "YOU SET ME UP!!" YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET THIS, I PROMISE YOU!" Don shouted at the masked man enraged. He started shooting at the masked man but unfortunately missed because the masked man saw it coming and took cover elsewhere. "IT'S NOT ME DON! STOP SHOOTING AT ME!" he demanded, shouting at the top of his voice. "BLADE!!BLADE!!BLADE!!!"A very familiar voice rang out. "IF IT'S NOT YOU THEN HOW DID FERNANDO FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MEETING?"Don asked, shouting at the masked man. "WE HAVE A RAT. I AM NOT ABOUT TO EXPLAIN ANYTHING TO YOU BECAUSE I HAVE MY LIFE TO PROTECT!" the masked man shouted back at Don. Bullets were flying everywhere. Three cartels against one another. A battle of survival until they heard again, "We are only here for Blade, Don. Although we are rivals and sworn enemies tonight is not for you. You can take the other route out of here, nothing is going to happen I assure you". Fernando shouted. "HOW AM I SURE YOUR MEN AREN'T WAITING FOR US THERE?" Don asked back. "Well, you're just gonna have to risk it," he said. Don and his men fought their way out of the border. Of course, Blade and his men weren't foolish enough to stay and get captured by Fernando and his men. So they fought their way through the border but just when Blade was about to get into their can, he heard a gunshot on his shoulder. BOOM!! It sounded right on his shoulder making him stumble on his steps. He took cover behind that same van but could hear as Fernando's steps were getting closer. "Blade, it's time to give up now. You're cornered Riel" he said with disdain. "You think I wouldn't find out who Blade was huh? Since you're wanted in the underworld you changed your name. Although people know Riel is the owner of the Rd cartel, they don't know Riel and Blade are the same person. It's time to end this hide-and-seek game" Fernando said cocking his gun and finally walking behind the van Riel. But unfortunately, Riel was nowhere to be found. SHIT!! He cursed. Just then, he heard the screeching of a vehicle behind him. It was Riel in the passenger seat and one of his men driving a truck. Although they were escaping, he still managed to pull a successful trigger at Riel's arm, giving him two shots in the same hand. ......

Fernando's POV...

"He escaped....again. He was so close.. so close but that snake managed to escape again" I ranted to my right-hand man, Lionel. "We'll catch him, Fernando. It's only a matter of time" he said and I walked out. I sauntered into my room and sat down. I sat on the bed and reached out for a frame. It was a picture of the Big Boss and me. I reminisced about the good old days. I reminisced about the good old days. Those days it used to be just me and Big Boss. I met the Big Boss when I was 9. I had introduced him to Riel after a year I met him. "Hey lad" he called out to me that faithful night. He was a scary-looking man with a huge scar on his face. I used to sell juice on the streets back then before I met Riel. Big Boss always bought from me. Although I wondered why a man of his age would like juice so much, I still sold to him. He would buy everything at once and give me the money instantly. I was extremely happy and grateful to him until he told me he wanted to adopt me. He introduced me to his shady businesses and although I wanted something better for myself, I couldn't decline. It was either that or hunger plus I liked the Big Boss very much and I trusted him. I told him about my brother, Riel, and that he should also recruit him in the business. He was just as poor as I was and I thought to help him as well. "I'll recruit him, child, just not now" he would say. "So when?" I asked him. "When I'm sure you're truly ready and won't become a waste of time only then will I recruit your so-called brother," he told me. After a year he had agreed and Riel joined the cartel.

The two of us worked together for the Big Boss making it even more successful. I thought I wasn't so hopeless after all with my father and my brother with me. Until I heard the Big Boss was kidnapped. For an egoistic man like myself, I found it rather humiliating that he was kidnapped right under my nose. Myself, Riel, and the entire XRV cartel searched for him. During those times, Riel would always be absent and I didn't think too much about it. I just felt he was extra because he was affected too. I went to his room in search of him but couldn't find him. I was just about to leave when I heard a phone ring. I traced the sound. I found the phone in between clothes upon clothes. Why did he have another phone? And why was he hiding it? I asked myself. It was a low-end phone that didn't require a password to unlock it. I opened the phone and just then, a message popped up. "Boss, we are already at the border" it read. I proceeded to read other messages that revealed the transaction between him and Mr. Black, our cartel's enemy. I was beyond enraged but didn't get up immediately. I searched for other things I could find in his belongings. Until I saw a pill. It was a paralytic pill and immediately I saw it I knew who it was for. Selling my father was only the end of the transaction. Paralyzing him was the process, the torture. But why?!!I asked myself again. I gathered my men to set out for the border but it was too late. Someone had informed him that I had found out.

By the time we reached the border, my father, Mr. Black, and Riel were long gone. I had chased him for 8 years and even up till now, I was still chasing him. When one of my informants told me about a certain Blade, I just knew it was him. He used his initials for his cartel and operated carefully. Whereas this Blade just popped out from nowhere and operated in the shadows. He was just too sneaky. Seeing him again even though he was masked up didn't make me feel nostalgic. It only reminded me of my will to kill him. I wanted to kill him for his betrayal, I wanted to kill him for using me, and, above all, I wanted to kill him for selling my father to his enemies who would eventually kill him. I wasn't going to give him an easy death. I would attack him right where it hurt the most....his sister. The Big Boss had one day told me about Riel's sister. I was hurt he had never mentioned anything about her but kept quiet about it. I didn't ask him about it because I felt it was his decision. He probably didn't want to involve her in our messy world. I did my investigation on his so-called sister after Big Boss's death. I searched and searched and searched for her. I started from Big Boss's study to Riel's room. I sent private investigators after him but none ever returned. During our days as brothers, Riel was one not to fear anything, even death itself. But somehow I couldn't find anything on his sister. I knew nothing about what she looked like and instead of getting frustrated, I liked it. I liked it very much. Because it only proved one thing, he loved his sister very much. I smirked at the thought of making Riel suffer for the sake of his sister.