To Love and Avenge

Chapter 18 Hidding Place

A few more turns and we will arrive at my place, where no one once knew except the old man I once helped but turned out to be my mom's superior in her days.

It is set in the middle of the woods, quite far from the city.

No one will think of the bunk's existence, as this property has already been mine 5 years ago.

I glanced in my superior’s direction only to see his impressed expression grow as we went deeper into the woods.

Hinting my gazes at him, he turned to me and smiled before he turned his eyes back to the muddy road.

“I know you are wondering.” I started. still looking at his face.

“Indeed. Who wouldn’t? I’m very impressed. I mean, it's surprising, you having such a place as this.” he said as his focus was still on the way.

“We will stop right at the end of the road and walk for 30 more minutes before we arrive at my place.”

“That far?” he asks in awe.

“Not that far, but if you want, you can just drop me if you don't want to come. You have done so much favor for me already. but I must warn you that you should not tell anyone about this place. I mean anyone.” I said specified the word I MEAN.

“Of course not. I will come with you and take a look at your place. And I promise to keep this a secret.” he then raised his right hand sealing his promise.

"you really have a lot in your closet huh," he complained.

“I have two of these. One was in the province. I purposely bought this as my hiding quarter. I often come here, only if I have some special missions to do,” I explained to him.

He nodded at me and I pointed to the end of the road where we were supposed to stop and left the car for a walk.

Later on, we arrive at my small house, which was more likely to be a hut near the river bank.

“Welcome to my humble home.” I welcomed him and turned to look at the hut where an old man had been standing outside clearly waiting for us.

“Ale…” the old man greeted me with a hug and averted his eyes in my superior’s direction with a questioning look. He had known my arrival the moment we parked the car back there. he set an alarm around the vicinity for any possible intruders. And it would be easy for him to know if it was me because I've been following a strict pattern so he will know.

“Mang Kanor, how are you here?” I asked, not realizing the way he glanced at Roldan beside me.

“You brought a visitor?” he asked, not answering my question. I know he is wondering, since this has been kept for almost half a decade now.

“He is Roldan, my friend. I asked for his help so I took him over. No need to worry about it Mang Kanor. He has also been helping me.” I explained to the old man, who was very uneasy about my superior’s presence. he knows that I barely trusted a person so when I let one know of my secrets, it sure is a trusted one.

“Roldan”, Roldan interrupted, offering his hand for a shake and was accepted by the old man. they shake hands but stare intently at each other.

“Kanor,” he replied. Still looking at him with a threatening look. still not convinced.

“He is also from the service,” I interrupted, which made the two men abruptly turn to me with a puzzled look. Wondering who I am referring to.

But of course, I wanted to laugh and eventually knock my head off for my dumbness. how would they know?

These two know nothing about who is who. How dumb I can be!

“I mean, Roldan here is also from the service, he is my superior. And Mang Kanor was there once in service too.”

“You are?” they asked in unison. And later on, we nodded at each other. There is something I can sense from the two, my guts at least told me so. But I didn’t pay any attention to it.

Sometime later, Mang Kanor left us as he said he had something to do, so I led Roldan inside to show him what I’d got.

He looked so amused and amazed as I explained to him the very detailed part of the house.

The code for the secret door is seated right behind the television outlet. Just have to flip it open and…

hello…

The sofa will immediately move sideways to reveal the staircase down the underground. It’s triple the area as the one you can see outside. So it is basically bigger and voice proof. You cannot think that a hut outside is this big and has two undergrounds in it. At this ground level, you can find two rooms, one is occupied by Mang Kanor and the other one has a few high-powered guns and weapons that I once brought back after my first mission with the group of illegal weapon importers. Here, you can see the usual house setup, with a kitchen in it. The difference is that it has room for my ‘things’.

“You designed all this?”

“Mang Kanor helped me.” I proudly informed him.

“It’s my safe place, I usually come here before going on a mission. And before I forget, everything here is illegally acquired if you’re wondering.” I continued, informing him that our gov’t will never issue high-powered guns.

“Why?”

“Because– you know, (I shrugged) I prepared this for my very important mission in life. And you know what it was.” he just looked at me shaking his head about it.

Now, going deeper, there was a dark empty room with some big hanging chains, a stingray’s tail, and a few croc skin belts in it and a rack full of different equipment used to cause excruciating pain to whoever is sentenced to it. The putrid smell of rust and dust is all around the place. And the deafening silence is all you can hear. You name everything you knew about torturing, and you can definitely find it here. Every corner of the room is very dark, the only source of light is the lamp that is pointing directly at the chair placed in the middle of the room. Plus, I have acquired it all for free from my previous mission.

“Have you brought someone here?” He asked while roaming his eyes around. As I looked at him, I could see the clear fear in his eyes and full defiance. I smirk at him knowing that he doesn't like this kind of thing despite him being an agent and once on a mission too.

But I have gone far beyond things, and I am starting to love how this works with everyone involved in my mom’s case.

“Yup,” I answered shortly. As a proud woman, I am when I am executing. He looks at me with a questioning look directly in my eyes, but all I can see is the disappointment on his face.

“Uncle, don't get me wrong. I don't know, but it gives me more control and a little satisfaction over things.”

“Did you kill them?”

“Eventually, yes. Later, I don't get answers from them. They rather wanted to die than give me the answers anyway.” the horror on his face was becoming more obvious as I explained to him.

“Ale–” he comes near me and holds both my shoulders with very sad eyes.

“And you made them suffer?”

“Yeah?” I was starting to get curious about his questions. He’s been asking as if he has no idea what these things used to be.

He averted his gaze and tried not to glance in my direction anymore.

He is hiding something or am I becoming paranoid? I asked myself.

“Shall we go back?” he later asked.