A Detective’s Job

Now, Rihan Daniel felt very uncomfortable after being followed by those three guests for a whole week. Alvi, Gina and Andra always cling to him like a chick following its mother. If only he didn't have any investigative tasks to complete, maybe Rihan wouldn't hesitate to spend a long time arguing with them. Again, like previous day.

"Your nullified power is very much needed. Please help us," Andra said that day.

"If you refuse, we have no choice but to continue following you until you agree." That's more or less what the two Waldermars said.

Rihan miscalculated. At first he though that it was fine since they will gave up sooner or later. But after a whole week being followed, Rihan became irritated and annoyed.

On the other side, Alvi Veenessa Endley doesn't say much. Ever since that incident, she seemed much quieter and obediently followed Rihan along with her two friends. Also, her face looked pale day to day. Is she sick?

"Damn it…." Rihan kicked an empty drink can that was lying in front of a sugar factory gate that had been abandoned for two years. Even though it was still morning, the surrounding emitted by the old factory building seemed haunted.

This is where Rihan's next investigation located.

The recent cases of child abductions have become a hot topic in Yi Lu province. In the past week there have been four cases and in this month the total is up to 15 cases. Judging from the growth, this incident is not just a normal kidnapping case.

From Rihan's previous investigate, the beginning of the kidnapping case or an incident such as a child who mysteriously disappeared, the most suspicious one is the case happened two years ago. Where the only child of the boss of this sugar factory disappeared without a trace.

Rihan is not sure if the two cases are related. But nothing wrong in finding out from the earliest cases.

Stuffy air mixed with thick dust greeted when Rihan tried to break through the window. He jumped inside and followed by Gina and then Alvi and Andra.

Rihan walked slowly inspecting the first floor of the factory. Giant machines that looked outdated. The equipment lay on the long table which is not well-organized. Processed machines and waste are left not in proper place. It seems this factory were closed in hastily. All items were left just like that as if the owner was in a hurry to get out of here.

"Blood…." A voice from behind startled Rihan.

"There also a bloodstain in the mouth of that engine. Tools on the long table and processed products." Alvi spoke in a low voice.

Rihan examined the objects mentioned without touching them directly. Actually not only those three spots. There are also some on the floor and iron stair. The whole scene in here seems very suspicious.

"Accident?" Gina commented after finding no other conclusion other than a work accident.

"It was set up to look like that. But it might not be." Andra replied while secretly throwing a glance at Rihan. He waited for the man's response, but Rihan didn't seem to care about them.

He climbed the iron stair to the top of the giant machine. The air up there is more stuffy. A bad feeling suddenly approached Rihan's mind. But when he looked down and quickly swept around the first floor, there was nothing odd. So, where those feeling came from?

Rihan started taking his phone out of his pocket and texting someone. It didn't take long for a reply to be received.

"Let's go…." Rihan hurried get down the stair and walked quickly to the window where he used as entrance.

"What's going one?" Gina confused.

"This is no longer a case that a detective can handle." Rihan explained without giving a detail. He doesn't think he needs to tell everything.

Unfortunately, just as Rihan stepped his foot in the outer courtyard, a gunshot rang out and a bullet pierced through his right arm. Rihan took a quick action to creep to the other side of the building.

When Alvi, Gina and Andra's hear the sound mixed up with familiar bArkeng dog from afar, they immediately know that it was Samsara.

However, Alvi still insists on helping Rihan. Her foot had already stepped on the edge of the window when Gina and Andra were both holding her from getting out. The two Waldermars dragged Alvi back inside the factory.

"Look who's here? What makes a detective coming to this abandon sugar factory?" Someone's voice was heard from the courtyard.

Rihan stood up with a big smile. His left hand moved away from the bleeding right arm. "Just looking around. But looks like you don't clean this place neatly, Mr. sugar factory owner."

The sugar factory owner's expression darkened. "Kill him!" He ordered and two mysterious shadows instantly jumped out from his back.

Rihan rushed to run before he died silly in a duel. But, somehow those attackers chose to break into the factory rather than chasing Rihan. Seems their target was not Rihan Daniel, but Alvi Veenessa Endley who was still inside the building.

An explosion sound followed inside the factory just as Alvi stepped into the side yard. She managed to get out through another window. "Gina! Andra!" She shouted as her two friends were still inside.

"This is not the time to worry about them." Someone jumped from above while swinging a knife covered in poison.

The black flames suddenly blazed fiercely and became a deterrent to the sudden attack. Finding his attack failed, the enemy chose to jump back and released the knife that started to be devoured by Alvi's black flames.

"We meet again, subject of Samsara number 4-42-1." The enemy with gas mask greet Alvi.

"Who are you?" Alvi muttered, staring fiercely at the figure of the enemy in front of her.

"I'm Justin." The enemy introduced himself while taking out another knife. But he got no chance to make attack because an arrow attack him first.

Justin took a step back to dodge the arrow. His eyes was widely fixate to the figure behind thick puff of smoke from behind the factory window. Regina Waldermar jumped out with an anger. At first, her hand was gripped a bow. But the weapon suddenly changed it shape into a claymore as Gina drew it to Justin.

Knife and claymore clashed in the middle before the two of them pushed each other away. Gina retreated close to Alvi, while Justin retreated a little further from his original position.

"Alvi, your condition doesn't allow you to fight. Run. Andra and I will handle this," said Gina. Once again her weapon turned into a pure white arrow with elegant carvings that further added to the beauty shape.

Gina made a pull and an arrow began to form among the white glowing energy.

"But what about Ryan?" At a time like this, Alvi was still worried about the man who had disappeared somewhere.

Gina glanced briefly with a displeased face. "He ran away without a single care of us, of you! Why are you still insist thinking of him?" She growled angrily. Unconsciously her hand had released an arrow.

The arrow suddenly disappeared midway and reappeared as it stabbed into Justin's chest. One opponent was defeated easily. The Explosive Master is the only one left that Andra is fighting for.

However, there is one more person that has gone unnoticed. The boss and also the owner of those sugar factory. The middle-age man doesn't want to let Rihan go after learning the secret which he has been keeping for entire two years.

The boss chased the detective until two building blocks from the original factory site. Unluckily, after chasing so far, he had instead lost track. Even these hound dogs fail to trace Rihan Daniel.

"Could be he was hiding down there?" The boss looked at the round-shape metal cover that blocked the access to the underground sewer. He was getting ready to lift the metal cover when a voice interrupted his action.

"Didn't Samsara ever teach you to always be clean in your actions?" Someone spoke. The meaning of the word 'clean' in the question could be referred as without a trace. But it can also be interpreted as 'self-hygiene' considering the boss is about to enter the dirty sewer.

The boss looked up and his eyes widened in disbelief. "Y—You..." His finger pointed in trepidation at the mysterious man who appeared in front.

"Tell me who orders you." The mysterious man interrogated from behind a plain white mask with only has one hole in the left eye.

"I—I got the information from a chain message, M—Mr. Lucie," replied the boss in terrified.

"Tell them, this one belongs to me, the number 6. You can hunt the other targets," said the mysterious man again.

"B-But sir, so far the competition has been conducted fairly. No one has the right to monopolize over one target or a specific area. It's really unfair to us who want to make name." The boss defended in hopes of understanding.

"Ah… you're right. I almost forgot the rule. Sure, you want fairness, right?" A chain suddenly extended from Lucie's back. That unique weapon moved agiled and intimidatingly. With a sharp tip on the edge, the chain stabbed merciless to the boss forehead.

Meanwhile, those hound dogs suddenly howled in fear and fled to any directions in horrified.

"Looks like the party has started." Lucie didn't want to miss out on the feast.