Gunshots continued to ring out throughout the tense night. Luca was busy packing his things into his bag while his wife, Laura, was holding their child. Her hands were shaking and tears were streaming down her cheeks.
"Is there anything else you want to bring, honey? We have to leave in five minutes." Luca's voice sounded panicked, but he tried to be as calm as possible. Laura didn't answer. She could only cry. "Come on."
Laura stood with her child, Luca holding his three-year-old daughter in one arm and his bag in the other. They hurried toward the secret passage. Luca's home was a centuries-old castle with several secret passages within it. Luca walked quickly, without stopping, through the secret passage. Several bodyguards had been killed inside the castle. At the end of the secret passage, a man, Luca's right-hand man, the person he trusted most, and a car awaited. The man, Marcos, opened the car door, and Luca placed his child and Laura in the back passenger seat. Marcos also opened the front passenger door while Marcos drove.
"Is the plane ready?" Luca asked.
"Yes, sir." Marcos started driving. He drove quite fast through the forest behind the castle. It was a shortcut not many people knew about.
"Are you sure this road is safe?" Luca looked left and right. He felt very wary, even though he had his favorite revolver tucked into his pants.
"Yes, I've checked," Marcos replied briefly, still concentrating on driving.
The road became increasingly steep. It was rocky and went deeper into the forest.
"Marcos, are you sure this is the way?"
Marcos didn't answer. He just kept driving without stopping. Until finally, they reached the highway. Luca breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way Marcos would betray him, was there?
The car continued moving. Marcos glanced in the rearview mirror. He saw two cars following him. Marcos glanced at Luca, who was also staring at him.
"Honey? I think you should put on your seatbelt. Don't forget to bow when I tell you to."
Laura complied. She put on her seatbelt with her child in her lap.
The car accelerated through the traffic. Marcos tried to overtake all the cars in front of him. It was still eight o'clock at night. The road was certainly still busy.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, aimed directly at Luca's car. Laura ducked and hugged her son even tighter.
"Shit!"
Traffic was getting heavier up ahead. Marcos made a sharp turn. He went through an alleyway that cars weren't supposed to be in. He hit several stalls selling goods there. A short time later, the car exited the alley and returned to the main road.
The car was still moving, and now only one was following him. It wasn't clear where the other was. What was clear was that Marcos wasn't going to stop.
The car following them slammed into Luca's car, sending a loud jolt through the car. Marcos stepped on the gas, accelerating. But from the opposite direction, the same car that had been following him came. It was driving directly in front of Luca's car. Marcos swerved to the left, but the car behind was ready and rammed into them. Luca's car spun on the main road, and then another collision occurred, a car hitting them from the opposite direction. The car rolled and flipped over. Several people stopped their vehicles to watch the collision, and pedestrians also halted their activities.
Luca was still conscious. His body was weak and trapped in the seat by the seatbelt, which was still fastened, upside down. He looked at the unconscious Marcos, then at his wife and child, who were also unconscious. He tried to call out to Laura, but not a sound came out. His body grew weaker and weaker, and everything went black.
***
A clamor filled the streets. There was a demonstration on the streets of New York today. Alea quickly made her way through the crowds, envelopes and her laptop in her hands.
"Alea! Alea!" the call reached Alea's ears. Alea craned her neck, trying to see through the crowd. After a while, she spotted a rather plump woman waving at her while jumping up and down. Alea immediately waved back and ran toward her.
"I thought you weren't coming."
"And leaving you alone with those wolves? Never." Alea rolled her puppy dog eyes. The woman chuckled. "Are you going to keep complaining? We're busy here."
"Ohh… right. Let's go." They walked back through the crowd. "Why are there always demonstrations? Aren't they tired?"
"Someone has to give their a voice, right?"
"Yeah, that's true. But every day? Are they even going to listen?"
"Well, don't ask me. And don't think about them. Just think about our work."
Alea nodded. "Right."
Alea and Clarise arrived at a fairly tall building. They immediately went inside. After going through several security procedures, they immediately took the elevator to the fifteenth floor, where their office was located. The building was the headquarters of one of the largest and most prominent groups in USA. Its owner was a prominent businessman, now retired, Alexander Reiz. Hence the name of the company, the Reiz Group. The Reiz Group handles various types of work in various fields such as hotels, construction, malls, real estate, fashion, furniture, food, and many more.
Ting!
The elevator door opened. Alea stepped forward confidently. Today she was wearing a light gray suit and trousers, with a white shirt underneath. Her long black hair was left loose. Alea had a beautiful Asian face. Her father was from South Korean, and her mother was from Indonesia. They had been divorced for many years. Her mother chose to live in Indonesia, her country of birth. Meanwhile, Alea's custody fell to her father, as he was deemed capable of caring for and supporting her. Just two years after her parents' divorce, her father remarried to a scheming woman who made her life miserable. While her neighbors pitied her and her friends cared for her, her stepmother and father--incited by her stepmother, ignored her. Alea was ten years old at the time. Two years later, her father died, leading Alea to an orphanage. Her biological mother is nowhere to be found. She hasn't sent any news since returning to Indonesia. Alea grew up in an orphanage, moving from one orphanage to another. At school, she was constantly bullied because she was in an orphanage. When everyone turned their backs on her, only the orphanage mother always supported and helped her.
But that's an old story. Now Alea is a fairly skilled auditor.
"Come in."
Alea opened the door and entered. There was already a woman there, still busy with her laptop in front of her.
"Hurry and prepare the room. They'll be here soon." The woman said, only looking at her for a moment before returning to her laptop. Alea nodded and quickly headed to another room.
"She's ordering you around again?" asked a girl who had just approached her. She had a beautiful Asian face and long, wavy black hair.
"Hmm, yeah." Alea replied without stopping what she was doing.
The girl clicked her tongue. "Aren't you tired of being ordered around by that witch? You have the same position, and you do a better job than her."
"I agree with Enid. You're too kind." Clarise chimed in.
"Should I curse her? Make her stop?" Enid offered.
Alea took a deep breath and turned to Clarise and Enid. "No, you guys should stop. There's no time to curse anyone else. The board of directors will be here soon. This is our team's job, Team Two. Of course, I have to be the one to be active. Are you going to keep complaining or help me?"
Alea turned and resumed her activities. Clarise and Enid exchanged glances for a moment before following Alea.
***
"Cheers!"
Alea toasted with her two friends, Enid and Zoey. After a tough day, beer was the best thing. The three of them had been close friends for quite some time. Alea and Zoey had known each other since high school, while they had met Enid in college. They had different personalities, but strangely, they never had a big fight.
"If I were you, I would pull that woman's hair and slap her in the face." Zoey moved her hands as if hitting, pulling, and scratching something. Enid and Alea laughed.
"Are you a thug? Why do you like violence so much?" Enid shook her head. Zoey raised one hand to her face.
"Sorry, but I don't like small talk."
"Yes, yes, miss, I don't like small talk." Enid shook her head. "Ah yes, have you heard that some people are being sent again?"
Alea nodded. "Hmm, yes."
"Hopefully, our team can get to England this time."
"Sent?" Zoey looked at Alea and Enid alternately.
"Mm… So, every year, the company will send central auditors and accountants to various branch offices abroad to directly examine the activities of the branch companies. This is especially true for branches that have a high risk of fraud and embezzlement. Auditors and accountants with sufficient experience and good reputations will go," Enid explained. Zoey doesn't work with Enid and Alea. She works as a designer.
"So… will your team be going?"
"Well, we hope. But we want to go to England or Dubai," Alea said.
"Why? I mean… Why not Singapore or South Korea. Aren't we always watching Korean shows?"
"Because... England is Alea's favorite country, while Dubai is mine," Enid explained.
"Aren't you guys from Korea?"
"It's just a matter of decendent thing. My parents live here, and we've never been to Korea because my grandparents are in America. And Alea? She doesn't know her father's family in Korea, right, Alea?"
Alea nodded in agreement.
"So you're going to leave me?" Zoey pouted
"Of course. Just like you left us when you went to Paris."
"That's different. I'm going there to work!"
"You think we're going there to play?"
Zoey and Enid began their childish argument, while Alea just sighed and shook her head.
***
Alea and Enid stared at their laptops in silence for a long time.
"This is absolutely insane." Enid finally said. Alea remained silent, staring at her laptop.
"Have you guys read the online bulletin board?" a voice asked. Jerome noticed Enid and Alea's silence. "I'm sure you have. But why doesn't anyone seem happy? Isn't being sent abroad a great achievement?"
"Don't ask me." Enid raised one hand, palm facing Jerome. Jerome was also a member of Team Alea.
"Come on, South Korea isn't bad. We'll just have trouble with the language. Wait, we've got you." Jerome pointed at Enid. Enid glared at him. Alea nodded and walked back to her seat.
"Seriously? You're not going to protest and demand changes? The branch in South Korea is terrible. Everyone avoids it." Enid looked at her pleadingly.
"No. First, it would be a waste. Second, let's just use it as a stepping stone. If we do well in Korea, we'll be able to go to England or Dubai. Like Jerome said, Korea isn't bad. Besides, you and I can speak Korean."
Enid sighed. "You're too optimistic and pushy!" Enid sat back in her chair. She folded her arms across her chest. She was visibly upset. Alea could understand that. Even though South Korea was a good country, it was hell for the Reiz Group branch. Especially for editors like them.
***
~ Joixe ~