The Master [MxMxM+]

19

     Mason was seated in the garden sketching tiny birds in a book when the message arrived on his phone. He didn't check it immediately, the sound had already frightened one of the birds away so he reckoned moving would chase the rest of them away.

     When he was done, he held his sketch out to look at it. Not so bad, he thought to himself. He wasn't the best artist out there, but it was pretty good if he did say so himself. Mason placed the sketchbook down and checked his phone, eyes furrowing to read the message. 

     He looked up and around immediately after reading the message. What were the timely odds that he was already in the garden. He sat still for a while longer, wondering where to start looking, wondering whether the garden was indeed one of the two locations the game said the treasures were possibly in.

     He began by looking by the fountain. The eagle's beak spewed out water as it looked down menacingly at him, regal and mighty even, in its own right. But that was all there was to it. There was nothing else around the fountain, not even when he checked by the eagle's wings made from whatever statues were made from. Anything might have been tucked under those wings, or under those talons even.

     He walked around the garden after that, making sure to check and notice everything he passed by. He even checked his own sketchbook, which he agreed might have been a dumb move, but the hint did say paper, so he was not taking any chances with how he knew how sneaky the Master's management could be.

Mason then looked by a strawberry patch but even then he had no luck. There was a little citrusy grove of tangerines next to that, but yet again, he found nothing. He then checked closer to where the flowers were growing. Peonies, Lilies, hydrangeas and so many tulips. The tulips alone were at least twice as much as all the other flowers put together. There was nothing still.

     Mason then decided wherever the treasures were, it wasn't here. He chose to leave the garden and go to the rooftop bar first, anyone was rarely up there so he might beat anyone to the chase, and maybe even make himself a mimosa while he was at it.

On his return to pick up his sketchbook, he noticed something sticking out of a few strawberry leaves. Mason stopped in his tracks and turned his full attention to the same strawberry patch he had already checked. He got closer and it became clearer. Just between two leafy branches was a folded piece of paper sticking out to him. It shook with a small wind like it was laughing at him. Laughing at him for being dumb enough for almost not seeing it at all.

Mason crouched to pick it up, then got back up. In his hand he held open a piece of paper that told him that he should be proud, because he was now the owner of 10,000$.

"Well, I'll be damned."

•••

__________

More than 10 years earlier...

Delivery men filed in, looking and behaving as professionally as they could. They did not speak, just did what they had to; leaving several boxes on the table of a large boardroom, then getting back out as swiftly as they came in, not even saying one thing to anyone inside. Very timid and professional.

     The boardroom was now empty once more. Except for the one man inside, with enough privacy to do whatever he wanted. He sat on top of one end of the huge mahogany table just as another man walked in, throwing him an angry look before pacing along the gigantic glass window.