eight ◌ tofurkey

✗

It smelled like meat. Everywhere I turned, bam, I caught whiff of a sizzling carcass marinated in soy sauce. I couldn't complain though, Korean barbecue was one of my favorite things to eat. With the windows wide open in Liam's Koreatown apartment, the aroma of grilled Bulgogi was a total tease and my stomach was churning from hunger.

"You got anything to eat?" Niall asked the question I was already thinking.

Besides, distracting myself with food, meant distracting myself from the fact that Hex was no longer a part of this world. I've known the body-building Samoan since I was six years old. He helped raised me; helped shape me into the person I am today. He was like a second father to me, and within a snap of a finger, Hex was gone.

"Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge," Liam kindly offered from the small dining table. His focus was affixed on the high-grade laptop in front of him.

Liam's apartment was small, yet cozy. Despite his thug-like demeanor and his perpetual scowl, the home I currently sought salvation in, looked like a page from the Williams Sonoma website. I expected Liam's private quarters to be decorated with throwing knives, while free weights littered the floor. But alas, the hardcore street fighter had a home lovely enough to make perfectionist housewives drop to their knees and present Liam with a quick blowie.

"Is this your little sister?" I pointed to a cluster of photos in a large shadow box.

I was at an awe, observing the photographs on the wall by the open window. A little girl with a bright, dimpled smile and dark chestnut hair was the star of these pictures.

"Yea. Cute isn't she?" Liam's eyes were still glued to the laptop screen.

"She's darling," I commented with a small smile.

"Liam, what is this shit in your refrigerator? What the fuck is Tofurkey?" Niall stood in front of the ice box with his face contorted with absolute disgust. With two fingers, he held onto an air-tight package from its corner as if it were laced with poison.

"I let you go through a man's pantry and you criticize what's in it?" Liam barked. His dark eyes finally lifted from the computer screen to shoot Niall an irritated glare.

"Where are the crisps? The ice cream? Even bologna and cheese would suffice," Niall marveled with displeasure.

"First of all," Liam slid his chair back with a screech. "Bologna is filled with sodium and made with all the reject trimmings of a pig. Second of all, cheese is the product of a cow who has been raped to produce milk after her newborn is taken away from her."

"Shit. It was just a simple question. Why are you so triggered?" Niall taunted, throwing his hands up in defeat.

"I'm vegan," Liam disclosed with a growl. "That's why."

"You're vegan, and you live in Koreatown?" I couldn't help the hysterical giggles that escaped my mouth. "Dude, you live within a zero-point-zero-one radius of Korean barbecue restaurants. You can literally smell the marinated pork belly that's seeping through the walls."

"You can starve, I don't care," Liam was clearly annoyed as he plopped back down on the chair, mumbling profanities beneath his breath. "Either make do with what I've got, or shut the fuck up."

As much as I wanted to spit out another snarky remark, I decided against it. I actually feared Liam would open a twenty slide PowerPoint presentation about veganism that ends in those depressing ASPCA commercials. Sarah McLachlan's 'In the Arms of an Angel' would never sound the same to me.

"Tasha, want a Tofurkey sandwich with kale?" Niall shouted from the kitchen, holding a bushel of the dark green leaves.

I shrugged, "yea, that sounds fi—"

The front door opened wide to reveal Harry standing before us. A fancy pair of aviator sunglasses was perched on the bridge of his nose, an all black outfit adorned his body, and his curly hair was held back with a black bandana. From where I stood, I could smell the manly, sandalwood scent emitting from whatever bougie soap he used. As I raked my eyes across him, I pursed my lips in curiosity. It wasn't Harry's freshly cleaned body I found interesting, it was the object in his large hands.

"I brought back sustenance," Harry announced, walking into Liam's apartment and closing the door behind him with his foot.

"I let you invade my home and you bring back fucking meat?" Liam scoffed. "You're unbelievable."

"Don't get your tits in a twist, I got you a vegan breakfast burrito too," Harry plunked a cardboard box with grease stains onto the table where Liam sat at. He took off his sunglasses, revealing his mesmerizing green eyes, and tossed the accessory onto the tabletop.

"I fucking love you, man," Niall was clearly relieved, hurling the kale back into the refrigerator before seeking salvation within the food Harry thoughtfully brought back.

"Why does your face look like that?" Harry gawked at me.

"Excuse me?" I lifted a brow.

"You were staring at me like you've seen a ghost," Harry noted seriously, before an incredulous smirk breached upon his face. "Or you were day dreaming about watching me shower."

"Ugh, baboy ka!" I cringed, two seconds away from puking.

(translation: you're a pig!)

Harry keeled over in laughter, "okay but seriously, why did you look at me like that?"

"Nothing, I was just surprised by your thoughtfulness. Didn't think an ass hat like you had the ability to think of others," I gestured at the meal in front of us.

Honestly, it wasn't that he returned with food. It was the fact that King Douchebag had some consideration within him to grab something vegan for Liam to eat too.

"I'm a thoughtful person Tasha," Harry took a step forward. "But I can't say the same about you. Not once have I heard you express your gratitude for any of us."

"You want a thank you for you doing your job? For picking me up after I got shot. Wasn't it your duty to watch over my sister and I? But you couldn't even do that!" I snarled, crossing my arms above my chest in annoyance.

"Like I already told you, my post wasn't at your home. It was at school," Harry bickered. "And I don't want your appreciation. Liam offered you a shower, a bed to sleep on, his home. Niall, without hesitation, held his arm out and gave you his blood. He sat there, giving up a fucking pint so he can save your life."

When he took another step forward, and the tips of our shoes met, he easily hovered over me like Buckingham Palace. He smelled of light cologne and dryer sheets. If he weren't such a pretentious cock waffle, I'd almost admit that his face was pleasing to the eye. However, his ugly personality overshadowed his attractiveness.

"Liam," I began, leaning to the side to gaze at the boy who was balls-deep in his burrito, "I appreciate your hospitality. Thank you for allowing me the comforts of your home. Your Bath and Body Works shower gel was lovely."

"Sweet Pea is my favorite scent," Liam nodded his head. Even though that boy liked to yell, and has kicked my ass, his little quirks were very surprising to me.

"And Niall, my dear, thank you," I rounded Harry and approached the sweet boy to throw my arms around his neck. "If you ever need blood, you can have some of mine. No hesitation, it's yours."

"I hope you'll still say that after you see my horrific dance moves at your prom," Niall chuckled, leaning into the hug.

I separated the two of us so I could stare at Niall in a complete awe. Though his tone was playful, I knew him— well enough to know that this boy with the bright eyes was not bluffing. He fully believed that going to my prom was an upcoming event we could look forward to. That saving my sister would be like any other Friday night, and the dance was something to enjoy the evening after. The second Kat was kidnapped, was the second I threw away the idea of prom, and any other mundane high school event for that matter.

Before I could open my mouth to sputter out a few words, a spunky tune emerged from the back pocket of my shorts. Slipping my fingers into the pocket, I pulled out my phone to see an incoming call from Effie. Quickly, I spun around, sauntering out the front door before swiping a finger across the screen.

"Hey."

"Where the hell are you? You totally skipped out on presenting your informative speech in first period," Effie pointed out. She was walking to her next class, I could tell by the loud voices echoing in the background.

"Erm, I, uh..."

"I know public speaking isn't exactly your strongest suit, but you had a lot of awesome points in your speech," Effie added. "You know this speech is twenty percent of your grade. Professor Abrams may not give you another chance to do this."

My best friend did not deserve to be lied to, but for the sake of her safety, I had no choice but to concoct a legitimate explanation. I could come up with a lie for today, for tomorrow and maybe the next, but what happens after that? How do I explain missing the rest of the school year? How do I illustrate an elaborate fabrication of my life, just so my friends, classmates, and teachers don't ask questions? What about the Flip Side bakery? The employees who work there, and the several suppliers who source our ingredients? How do I cover all that up?

"Hello? Tasha? You still there?"

"Uh, yea, um, sorry," I apologized, snapping out of my thoughts. "I have food poisoning. My entire family actually— my mom grabbed food from this weird food truck and now we're spewing chunks from both ends."

"Ew," Effie grimaced. "That sucks. I'm sorry to hear that. Does that mean your mom won't be at Flip Side later?"

"Nope, she has it the worse," I lied. "Probably won't make it tomorrow either."

"Would you like me to bring over some homemade soup or Pedialyte or something?" Effie offered.

"You're kind, but we're good here. I don't want you to be caught in all this. It smells like a dump in here," I smiled. I leaned towards the railing of the second floor balcony, watching the cars below pass by.

"Okay, well call me if you change your mind and need anything," Effie proposed. "Feel better, Tasha."

"See ya," I hung up.

I almost put the device back into my pocket, but when it started to ring again and I saw the blocked number flashing across the screen, I knew I wasn't going back into Liam's apartment anytime soon. I answered the call, placed the phone against my ear and let out the breath I didn't know I was holding in.

"Hello?"

"Tasha."

"Zayn."

"I like that we're on a first name basis," he mentioned. "It feels like I'm talking to an old friend, don't you think?"

"Friends don't kill their friend's mother and kidnap their sister," I sassed.

"Don't worry, you'll get your sister back," Zayn claimed. "I have your first task."

"What do I need to do?"

"There is a freight ship docked at the Port of L.A. carrying two tons of Psilofetamine," Zayn illustrated. "You have twenty-four hours from now to stop that ship from departing."

"How would I know which ship is carrying—" The conversation abruptly ended and I was left with an idle phone in my hand.

Zayn hung up before I could finish my question, and I was left wondering how the hell I was going to pull this off. Not only did I lack an idea of how to find this specific cargo ship, I wasn't even sure how I was going to stop it from leaving the dock. My best bet however, was to head to the library and research as much as I could about these ships.

I walked back into Liam's apartment with all eyes on me. Three pairs of eyes were glued onto my presence the moment I stepped into the home. I only stared back for a quick moment, before seizing my backpack off of the couch and throwing it on.

"Where are you going?" Harry questioned. His green eyes were glued onto me with suspicion.

"I got some things I need to take care of," I told him vaguely.

"Why didn't you tell us that you knew the name of the ANTI representative who's been contacting you?" Harry's eyebrows were crinkled together, anger circulating all around him.

"Harry," Niall breathed.

"What are you talking about? I don't know his name," I shrugged my shoulders and crossed my arms, desperately attempting to bluff flawlessly.

"Don't fucking lie to us," Harry hollered. "We heard the entire conversation— we know your first task."

"Harry," Niall repeated, this time his voice raised slightly. He shook his head vigorously, attempting to stop Harry from continuing forward.

"And we know you told Effie that you're blowing chunks from both ends," Harry harshly finished. "Don't think you can lie and get away with it."

"Are you joking? Were you spying on me? How the hell did you listen in on my conversations?" I was fuming. Eyes wide with rage, my body shaking with animosity, and I was moments away from punching the wall next to me.

"Don't be upset," Niall instructed suddenly.

"Niall, you can't possibly tell me to not be upset when you were listening in on a private conversation," I snapped. "How the fuck did you pull that off?"

"I hacked your phone," Harry admitted. His statement came out of his mouth nonchalantly, it was as if he were telling me the weather.

"You what?"

"I hacked your fucking phone, Tash," Harry repeated, louder this time. "Last year."

"So you've been listening in on my phone conversations since last year? You shady piece of shit!" I shoved Harry in the chest. "That's illegal— it's an invasion of privacy! Oh my god, you're such a dick, Harry. Puntang in mo!"

(translation: literally means your mom is a whore, but can also be used as 'fuck you' or 'son of a bitch.')

"I was asked to!" Harry defended himself. "Dela Cruz put me up to it. He told me it was essential in your safety."

"I can't believe you you bugged my phone, and then have the audacity to not own up to it!" I pushed Harry. "Professor may have asked you, but he didn't hold a gun to your head and force you to!"

I pushed him again.

And again.

And again.

"Tasha stop it," Harry grabbed both my wrists before I could connect the palms of my hands to his chest.

This was his mistake. I jumped in the air, used both my feet to kick Harry in the chest, which then resulted in him falling backwards. As he toppled, his grip on my wrists were perpetual, and I tumbled down with him. However, when his back hit the floor, I flipped forward over his head, thus unlocking the grasp on my wrists.

"I've been taking martial arts for twelve years," I coldly told Harry, as I watched him slowly get up. "Just because you were able to apprehend my movements, doesn't mean I don't know five different ways to get out of them."

"I may have deserved that," Harry unexpectedly accepted, cracking his back.

"Tasha, I'm sorry you had to find out like this, but it was for your own good," Niall chimed in, trying his best to calm me down, but his attempt failed greatly.

"I hate that you are a part of this," I told him honestly, shooting him a nasty glare. "I trusted you, Niall. It's like our entire friendship is a lie, and it hurts."

"You can still trust me," Niall's voice was soft, as he looked at me with guilt. "I'm here to protect you, Tasha. We all are. Everything we've done for you in the past, and everything we're doing for you now, is to keep you safe."

"He's right," Liam stated.

"How can you be willing to risk your life for me? I only met you yesterday," I recalled.

"You met me yesterday," Liam confided. "I've known you for the last two years. My post was the Flip Side bakery."

I eyed Liam with upmost curiosity, studying him for several moments. I mulled over his declaration, and struggled to decipher the words he shot back at me. My brain synapsed like a raging wildfire, and then it hit me.

"You're the homeless man that sits outside of the cafe," I guessed with a realizing gasp.

"The homeless man, yes. Sometimes I'm the bearded fat man who comes to fix the oven. Or I'm some hipster with long blonde hair and blue eyes studying in the corner," Liam listed off. "Every time you had a shift at the cafe, I was always there."

Liam's testimony was true, which made the pit of my stomach churn uncontrollably. Subtle memories of Liam in disguise flashed across my mind like a sped up movie, and it only made this entire ordeal more real.

"I want my dad," I demanded, as whiny as it sounded. "It seems like he's the source of all this, and he'd know what to do. I need to tell him about my mom, my sister. I need to make sure he's safe too."

"That's not possible," Harry immediately shot down my request.

"Let me guess, he can't be contacted," I concluded with a frustrated groan.

The three of them didn't have to verbally respond to my theory in order for me to realize that I was right. It'd be too convenient if I could just call up my dad and tell him everything. I wish I could though— I had no one else to talk to about any of this. I missed him so much, and I just wanted a little support from my father.

"Harry, what are you doing?" I stared at him with confusion as his hands grasped the straps of my backpack.

"You're not going anywhere till we've figured out a plan to successfully execute the first mission," he expressed, tugging at the straps till my backpack was off my body.

Harry chucked my bag off to the side before jumping over the couch to sit back on the cushion. He grabbed the laptop sitting on the coffee table and began to type on it like nothing happened. Liam returned to his own computer, focus intact, and continued on with his work. Niall on the other hand, didn't leave me hanging. Instead, he tugged onto my hands and pulled me into his warm chest. Hugging me tightly, the tension I had against Niall melted away, and I succumbed to his embrace.

"I'm really sorry, Tasha."

◌ ◌ ◌

» author's note «

Back in Chapter 2, when Tasha starts working at the register, she observes the cafe floor. She notices a man in the corner of the shop with long blonde hair and a book. That was Liam in disguise, keeping an eye on Tasha.

As this story progresses, you'll learn more about the backgrounds of Harry, Liam, and Niall. More specifically, how / why they all started to work for Professor Dela Cruz & Tasha's dad.

Please don't forget to vote for this chapter, and leave me comments if you want to share theories, opinions, feedback, etc. Thanks for the wonderful support!