a/n. WARNING! This chapter contains depiction of violence, crime, brutality, and murder. Reader discretion is strongly advised. Even so, the author DOES NOT glorify it in any means. Bear in mind that this is just a part of the plot for the characters' development.

Disclaimer: Any part of the story isn't affiliated with anything or anyone. THIS IS PURELY FICTION.

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c h a p t e r 13

RYDER HARRISON.

THE LAST person I'd expect to see until my dying day, is this woman.

My great prodigal son.

If I could puke my liver out after hearing what she had said, I would definitely do it.

Ever since, I never felt that I'm a son to her. All she did was use and exploit me. Mold someone like me to become a somebody that I never wanted to be.

I can't even remember a time or a certain moment of my life, whenever she's around that she have considered me as her son. If I were to be honest, I'd frankly say that she never cared for me at all. . . ever.

It's brutally cruel, that the past had to double-crossed my mind right this moment.

TWENTY NINE YEARS AGO.
WASHINGTON DC.

"Ryder! Son! You need to leave now and hide onto something!" barely breathing, my mother told me.

She was trapped on a big broken cement blocks. Half of her body couldn't able to move and all she can do is to instruct me. To leave her here, and save my seven-year-old self.

I knelt down as I tried to pull her body out. But I'm not that strong enough to lift up the cement blocks. I touched her face with my trembling hand. My mind can't fathom this chaos. We were just walking inside the mall. My mom brought me here to stroll around, and then moments later, an aircraft crashed into the place where we're in.

"Mom, I can't— I won't leave you!" my tears fell down my cheeks. I worn out my jacket and gave it to my shivering mother.

I covered her upper body and said, "I'll go get for a help, please hold on, Mom." I tightened my grip to her hand. "I'll be back."

"Please say to your father that you'll always be here. . ." she placed her right hand to her chest, close to her heart.

I nodded and ran as fast as I could. I never knew that, it will be the last time I will witness my mother smiling at me. After I left her, I tried to seek for help, but no one lend me a hand. No one listened to my cries.

A tower on Washington was destroyed.

Dying people. Ambulance. Media.

An airplane showed up, crashed and destroyed the whole place.

Every corner of the city, all I see was nothing but mess.

I overheard a media reporter few meters away from me, saying that, Washington has been attacked by an unidentified syndicate. I was about to turn my back to get back to my mother, when a woman stumbled on my direction.

I stepped back my left foot. My mother always told me, to never talk and trust a stranger. But this one is trying to tame me with her smile. As soon as my back reached a wall and I had enough steps to escape her, the woman leaned as she levelled her body closer to me.

"I know how to take care lost kids," she plastered a smile on her lips.

Slowly, I reached her hand. Hesitation never came across in my mind. All I want to happen is find someone who could help me, to save my mother.

"I'm not alone," I said and met her eyes. "Please, help me save my Mom," I pleaded as I sniffed.

She rubbed my head. "Yes, we'll save her," the woman replied.

That was the greatest lie I've ever heard in my entire life. She didn't help me that day. The next thing I knew after that incident, I got adopted.

Both of my parents died that day. My father who was working as one of the board members on Vitex Company, didn't had a chance to avoid his death during their meeting.

A plane crashed at their venue too.

I was born on this place, and I never thought that this place will be the last place I'd wish to go back to.

The woman, who later, I learned who was named, Anátha Irnovich. Brought me to her country— Russia.

All I expected was, everything will be fine after the lost my family. Eventually, she fed and dressed me. Anátha enrolled me to a private institution.

But everything, including my expectations, turned into worst disappointment when I reached thirteen, and was brutally trained under her provision. There was no day or night, that she'd forgot to hit me. Every single time when I failed to shot the shooting range target paper.

Anátha trained me to become a sharp shooter. In my knowledge, I've come to realized that she was part of the catastrophic event happened in my home town.

I was mad at her. I wanted to put bullet inside her head. I wanted to get revenge for my parents' death. I've always wanted to kill her, but I failed of doing it. I was blinded by her fucked up syndicate operation. They used me to lure the opponents— the authority. Anyone who tries to destroy the syndicate, I will be up front to cover them.

I turned merciless towards other people around me. I became numb even more, as the day and years past by.

Not until one passed midnight. She barged inside my room to send me on my very first own mission.

"Kill her." Anátha handed me a photo of a young girl.

I squinted my eyes and retorted back, "Who is she?"

"Too much knowledge is very dangerous." she pulled out something from her coat's pocket. "You better not know that brat." she then handed me a passport and a ticket for a flight. "Your flight will be tomorrow. Shot the kid and leave her just like how I trained you to do it," Anátha added as she put back her hands inside her pockets.

She left the room without waiting me to acknowledge her command.

Shivers crawled into my body as the wind from my window crossed my room.

I stared at the photo. It's just a kid. I thought. I immediately shook the conscience out of my head that's trying to change my mind.

I kept the photo inside my jacket's pocket, and the next eight hours of that day, I found myself on top of an abandoned building.

I set up my rifle on the rooftop, and as soon as I saw my target walking down the street. I closed my left eye and peek the other one into the sniper scope.

I tightened my grip on it as I decocked the firearm. A few seconds later, I lose the gap between my weapon. From my spot, I followed the kid with my eyes. I saw a glimpse of her clothes. She's wearing her school uniform. I turned my gaze back to the rifle.

A hesitation swallowed my chest. Contemplating, I took a deep breath, but my hand grabbed the rifle and did the opposite thing.

"I will bring out the unbeatable assassin in you, Ryder."

Her voice echoed inside my head.

That's right. I had to do this otherwise, every blood, sweat, and tears that I shred to be one, will be put into waste.

As soon as I got my focus back, I peek my eye into the sniper scope and in split of seconds, I pulled the trigger.

The young girl fell down her body on the ground. No one witnessed what I did.

A great timing to escape a crime.

After I disassembled my weapon, I flew back to Russia. But in my great surprise, I learned from the news that the girl I just killed was the daughter of the Vitex Company's President.

The kid was supposed to be the heiress of the company.

I ruined someone else's future. Anátha is going overboard and I can't tolerate her anymore. I won't let her use and exploit me ever again!

That night, I left Russia. I ran away from the dysfunctional place I lived. I withdrawn every amount I had from my bank account she have had given me.

Anátha and I never met again after I left her country. I decided to reside in the Philippines and since then, I didn't kill people without having a background check.

I made sure that every target that I will execute is worthy of my bullets.

My life in the Philippines is way better, as Anátha's not around to control me.

I met different kind of personalities. All of them has one lame motive for hiring me to kill— greed and money.

Corruption.

Liars.

Murderers.

Hypocrites.

My job continued for few more years. I was frequently hired as the clients were impressed with my skills and they tend to recommend me to their connections. But after I received a call for a mission, everything has changed.

A prominent Russian official was assigned to me to be assassinated.

I don't know why I did not hesitate to accept the offer. I flew back to Russia and my decision is final. I will assassinate the target.

I thought my plan will run smoothly as what I expected, but  at the departure area. I met Verity Locke.

She told me that we will be partners for killing the target, and the moment I saw her, I knew right there and then, she'll embark something in my soul— something that I could bring in my grave.

Meeting her in my life was the best thing ever happened to me, but I can't always have nice things. After we accomplished the assassination project, Anátha tracked down my location in the country.

The best thing I could do is left Verity to protect her. That's why I decided to get back to the Philippines. I had to end what we've started, because I can never afford to lose someone in my life, ever again.

Anátha threatened me for leaving her after she raised me.

She never raised me at all. As I looked back my life in her hands, all she did was create a killer. She just made me, for what she wanted me to become.

She was fuming mad and I bet to death. She's the person behind who tipped Atalia about me.

As soon as I got at the departure area of the airport in the Philippines, I was arrested for the various cases of murder happened in the country.

⚜⚜⚜

"DON'T GIVE me that awful look, my son," she said, dismay was evidently seen in her eyes.

"I'm not your son!" I furiously trailed off, I glared at her. "You were never been a mother to me!" I added as I tried to hold my temper.

I am tempted to grab out the knife from my combat shoes, but I am more concerned about them.

I looked at their direction. Everyone was unable to say any words. They stared at me quietly, giving me dumb puzzled look.

I knew very well, based on their reactions, they couldn't grasp what's happening right now.

I can't risk them and kill Anátha. One wrong move, and all of us might die. We were surrounded and guarded by five armed men.

"Ryde. . ." I heard Vance called for my attention. But instead of turning my head to his direction, I moved forward and asked the woman.

"What the hell do you want?"

From the elevated area, she walked down and snapped out her finger at me. "That is a trillion dollar question, Ryder!" she grinned. "Good thing you asked." her face turned dead serious. "Serve me and my syndicate."

I don't understand, but tears built up from the corners of my tear ducts. Madness or agony, I can't tell which of them is the reason.

I sighed hard.

This will be my last straw. I won't hesitate to break the principles I uphold  just to follow everything she wanted me to do. . . to save the Illicit Task Force.

As I looked at their gaze from my back, their eyes were telling me not to do it. No one dared to speak among them, but their eyes were begging, screaming, and hoping that I'll do the other way around.

I couldn't say a word and I just stared back at them.

My system started to numb and even if our situation have drove me insane, I couldn't show them now, that an excruciating chest pain have crept inside me.  

I was about to come closer up front, but someone grabbed the lower part of the cloth of my vest. When I turned over my head to see the person who stopped me, Verity met my eyes.

Stop making it even harder for me, Verity.

I wanted to say it to her, but the only thing my body got to respond was drastically removed her hands off me.

"Is that. . ." I gulped, "Is that all you want me to do?" I queried Anátha as I moved forward.

She nodded. "Yes, that's all that I want, my dear son."

I swiftly grabbed the pairing knife from my combat shoes, and I grunted as I stabbed my left arm with my weapon.

"Ryde!" Vance' voice echoed inside the room.

I saw a glimpse of Anátha plastering a mischievous smirk, as if she witnessed the great action film of all time.

I tried to bear the stingy ache building up from my wound. Blood starts running down my arm.

Heavily breathing, I created a bigger wound on my left arm. And as soon as I cut it deeper, I got the micro chip Atalia's team had injected inside me.

I threw the chip on the carpet and in split of seconds, it sparked and smoked from its own destruction.

My team started to protest behind me. They called my name, but they couldn't come at my direction. The five men began strangling them to prevent them to stop me.

I hardly pressed my arm to put pressure on it. But blood didn't stop from drenching my left arm. As I moved a single step, my body reclined to left and I can't walk straight.

"At last. . ." Anátha approached and tapped my right shoulder, "You've came back to your senses." she slowly touched my chin and walked around me. "After all, you are my masterpiece. . . I flawlessly crafted you, as what you've become today."

She never changed at all. She still see me as something. Not as someone who could do better more than just being assassin.

"Ryder! Don't let her poison your mind! Listen to us!" Olivia tried to convince me.

"Harrison, ano ba? Putragis ka talaga! Lumayo ka sa baliw na babaeng 'yan!" Jake's voice followed.

I can't help but looked down and hid the smile I never permitted to form on my lips. I never found potential friends until I met them.

"Ryde, please listen to us. . ." Jade second the motion, and as I turned my head upwards, I finally faced them.

"How many times do I have to see you walked away in this lifetime, Ryder?" Verity gave me the most painful look I've had ever seen. Her weary eyes tried to hold back her tears.

"Give them your best farewell speech, Ryder Harrison." Irnovich permitted me to talk with my team.

But a few moments after, I saw my digital wrist watch blinking in red. I immediately worn it out and drastically stepped on it to destroy and lose the contract with Commander Atalia.

I heard my team gasped after they witnessed what I did. They looked at me with a parted lips. Their eyes asked, what have you done?

Anátha chuckled from my nearside. "That's my son."

Vance struggled from the grip of a hulky man. He then, preached, "Criminals like us, could never change the things we've done in the past!"

A moment of earsplitting silence ruled us.

"But we can still do one right thing, Ryde. . . We can stop making the same mistakes now." He makes sense a lot.

All I can do is I gave them blank stares.

I wanted to be the biggest disappointment they've ever known. To make it easier for them to hold grudge for me. So I would never came across their minds. As much as I wanted to speak to explain, I couldn't. Because I knew that once I do. . . I might ruin everything. I might drag their lives into hell, real quick.

Vance spoke once again, "You don't have to do this to prove yourself to her or to anyone else."

I closed my eyes hard as I bit my lower lip. "Nine-two-five, enough!" I raised my voice and pierced him with my death glares. "Follow my command, Illicit Task Force. After this day, forget that we had this conversation. Forget that you've known me as your Illicit Commander—"

Jake butt in, "No, Harrison!" he protested. "If you really want us to follow you as our Illicit Commander, fucking act like one!"

I am acting on it, Jake.

"I—I'm terribly sorry." I gave him an apologetic glance.

I saw Vance broke down from his spot. I heard him sniffed then he asked me, "Did you even valued us? Did you even valued the Illicit Task Force?"

Slowly, I looked down my head and took a deep breath. As I lifted above my head, I met their regretful eyes.

"With every moments we had. . ." I said with a straight face—with a crumpled heart in my chest.

And I couldn't fathom which is more torturous—if it's the wound from my left arm or the next words I heard.

"Why does it seems like you're abandoning us?" Olivia asked between her sobs, her face was drenched with her own tears.

I panned around my eyes to give them the last glance. . . before I burn the bridges down, and turn into their worst lifetime regret.

I gulped the forming lump inside my throat.

Without an ounce of doubt and hesitation, I replied, "Yes, I am."

⚜⚜⚜

Name Pronunciation:

Anátha Irnovich
/ a-nuh-tha  eer-no-vitch /