The Cruel Truth
981 Words
Xander was staring at the plan intently. Their team was discussing the siege that will take place on the 12th of June.
"I cannot wait to catch them on the act this time." Rebel was grinning, but Xander thinks otherwise.
A missing file with records of the past and future transactions is enough to put on hold all of their activities. Will already made a mistake by jotting all the information and continuing it is a stupid move.
"We need to change our plan." And he started discussing what he was thinking all this time.
"Ferguson might still think that the file is with his wife. He cannot know or even a hint that it's already in our hands. Sieging them first hand next Friday is just a small pinch of the actual operation knowing the pieces of information we have. We can let them trade successfully for the meantime, but catch them big time on the next."
Rebel just nodded. Xander's input is always valuable and from careful decision seeing how quiet he was earlier.
"Catching them within our territory might be ineffective. They already know how our law works and even friends with the law considering how long they have been operating without being caught. They even infiltrated the most trusted trading company. We will catch them in the land where the law cannot be bend for illegal trading."
"Sage, I just realized that the information we have will be useless in no time if we can't use it wisely. We already know the transaction in our land, but we don't know where it will be going if we plan to catch them outside our land."
"Exactly, so we will change it from here..." and their meeting extended for another forty-five minutes.
A knock from their door ends their meeting.
"Sage, Mr. Mendez is in the next room," Navy announced.
Xander nodded at Navy and wrapped up his meeting with Rebel.
Herman Mendez is Erin's father. The CEO of the MIT, Mendez International Trading who willingly cooperate with them to clear the name of his company.
"Mr. Mendez," he started as he was entering the private room.
"Mr. Grant!" He stood up to greet him. He was clearly a good man who is now worried about losing the company because of his irresponsible son-in-law.
"Please take your seat, Mr. Mendez."
Xander pointed his seat out of courtesy.
"Please just call me, Herman."
"Alright, what can I do with this visit Herman?" He asked as he took his seat in front of him.
"How's my daughter? I couldn't face Willard last Sunday for dinner." His face was sour at that.
"Your daughter is okay." His answer made Herman sighed.
"What can I do to speed up the investigation?" Herman grabbed Xander's hand at that.
"We already have big progress and we are thankful for your cooperation, Herman." He cannot disclose their operation to him and he already helps them enough.
"I'm mad beyond word. My poor daughter is suffering because of that selfish bastard!" Herman then fished a document from his briefcase and slammed it on the table.
His hand was shaking with anger.
"Their marriage is fake! Willard, no, that bastard conned my daughter all this time."
Xander instantly feels the wave of anger hit his system and imagined how many punches he threw at Will. Bastard is not even enough to call him. He decided not to comment on the revelation, he was afraid he can't control himself on the matter.
"If there's anything I can still do, Mr. Grant please just let me know. I cannot wait to save my daughter in the situation she was in." Herman was pleading this time.
Xander just looked at how broken was the man while he was battling his own emotions inside. Herman is not the only one who cares for his daughter, but also him. His intention to help her was intensified at the moment.
"There's one thing you can do for us, Herman." He said.
Herman looked at him, willing to hear what it could be.
"Give us all your past and future trading transactions, from and to routes and stops in between sea voyage."
"When do you need it?" Herman asked with all seriousness.
"ASAP, but with extra caution. We don't want to alarm or even give them the slightest idea that we already know." Herman nodded.
"Please keep my daughter away from all of this and about their fake marriage, it's better if she will not know about it yet. I don't think she can handle knowing this." Herman's last words before he leaves the private room.
Xander cannot wait to go back to the villa after knowing the truth.
"I was up all night thinking of you."
Her words kept ringing in his head, the more it was now. He didn't even know how he went out of her room that night, so he left the villa unplanned.
Xander then contacted Angel who takes his post for the last three days.
"Sage," Angel answered after two rings.
"I'm going back now to the villa." He said and tempted to ask if how is Erin doing.
"Already? You did not tell me how easy to babysit her."
"I wish I could say that," Xander replied. Angel can be tactless at times that her name does not really suit her.
"Rebel..." His words left hanging as Angel already ended the call, she was also rude.
His phone beeped with a message from Angel, "I'm on my way back. The baby is doing some drawings in her private room."
Xander just shook his head, he will rename her to She-devil at the next meeting.
Xander arrived at the villa in no time and he was standing outside the art room. Later, he knocked not to surprise her.
"Come in." She said, and he realized how he missed her for three days of not seeing her.
"Melinda I told you not to knock..." She stopped realizing it was not her housekeeper.
Her face was evidently brightened and Xander was liking it. Her words from the other night rang again in his head, and he smiled.
"Just continue thinking of me."
- Writer
