One For Three

Chapter 91 : the beginning of the end

One week later

Gun

The secret residence of Vegas and Pete, far from everything I know, is both a prison and a sanctuary. The armed guards who patrol relentlessly give this place an oppressive atmosphere. However, this is where I have to live while waiting for everything to calm down outside.

Every day is a test of mental endurance. I wake up early, often after a night restless by nightmares and paranoid thoughts. The anguish of seeing my true identity revealed, of being discovered like the Tiger's Eye, haunts me.

Despite the constant tension, I do my best to keep appearances. I participate in meals, exchange banalities, try to blend into the routine of this house.

Today is my sixth day here. Korn thinks I'm going to see Vegas and Macau, that they are together in a secret place to rest but that's not true at all.

They are both separated, Macau being in Canada and Vegas, here in Laos. Vegas is angry with me because I had the bad idea to have Kinn and Porsche removed. I tried to reassure him, saying that they were alive, now back with Korn but he no longer listens to me. I think I've lost his confidence but he refuses to let me down he also falls.

I know that it is furious against me for not having given a sign of life but I had no choice, at the risk of being discovered.

Vegas also refuses to let me down because my situation as a Tiger's Eye is very compromised. The kidnappers of Porsche and Kinn have turned against me and are now on Korn's side. Fortunately, they didn't know what I look like physically but a problem arises. Nope has been denounced and is actively sought by Korn.

Nope is now afraid for his life, just like me. It's a bit like we were...at the beginning of the end.

We are all in palpable tension and this materializes at every moment of the day. Vegas, very angry with me, abuses Pete again to channel his emotions. Well, despite this, they seem attached to each other. Their relationship is complex, and I try not to interfere.

I spend a lot of time in my room, an impersonal but safe space. I read books, leaf through newspapers, and try to stay informed about what is happening outside, with my allies. They are doing everything they can to try to erase my traces and that of Nope, so that we can both resume normal lives before it is too late.

Loneliness is heavy. I often think of Korn, our disputes, and the current situation. The idea that Korn is getting closer and closer to the truth terrifies me. I must remain vigilant, calculate every word, every gesture. The only comfort I have is knowing that Macau is safe, even if I can't talk to him as much as I would like... but what I don't know is that Korn took the lead with him too.

Macau

I go down the steps of the plane's removable staircase, each step resonating like an echo of my memories. Thai soil is getting closer, and with it, a whirlwind of emotions overwhelms me. I had never imagined coming back here so early, let alone in such circumstances. Uncle Korn ordered my return and I am beginning to understand the reasons.

Dad acted strangely behind my back. He made Uncle Korn believe that I was going on vacation with Vegas when it's not true. I revealed to Uncle Korn that Dad had ordered my confinement and that of Vegas because of the Tiger's Eye. We are both surprised by this way of acting and the fact that Uncle Korn was not informed.

I understand better why Dad asked me to no longer use my personal phone, that he gave me a satellite phone and that I could only contact him and Vegas. He didn't want me to be aware of all these shenanigans. But why?

What is he trying to hide? And also...where is Vegas if he's not with me?

The warm and humid air of Thailand hits me as soon as I set foot on the tarmac. I breathe deeply, trying to calm the frenetic beat of my heart. The last time I was here, everything seemed simpler, more predictable. Now, every detail of the familiar landscape seems tinged with uncertainty and danger.