The Artist And The Atheist

| 3 | DECEIVE |

بسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In The Name Of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful

⊱ ⋆ ⊰

He looks at the rooftop, mouth agape in solace, yet, a feeling of dread encases it.

"Vanessa!" Alan calls out to her in between all the chaos surrounding him. "They are on top of that second house behind those fabrics." He points in their direction to her.

The sunlight strokes the side of his face, causing his azure lenses to glitter and brighten the golden flecks in them. Since a dozen policemen and policewomen chase the residents of the alley, creating havoc, the atmosphere is thus far from being pure as dust flies off in the air.

The manager squints her eyes to get a better view of the top of the house. Her expression is composed, and her professional business beige attire draws grace that even the sun gets bashed by the lady. As she spots the trio, a wave of relief washes over her. The lady smiles a small smile, and now even the birds have come out of their nests to witness the moment, for this is only rare when Vanessa Elrod smiles genuinely.

"Mark!" She calls out to the head of the security member from her earpiece. "Get your men and go to the second house to the left. They are there on the rooftop hiding behind the clothes." The manager orders, gazing at the beast-looking man, Mark, standing a few meters away from her. When he nods, Vanessa turns her attention to Alan and then to Sofia standing behind him. A long fresh scar stretches down her left cheekbone and terror glints in her tear-stricken eyes.

"Had you not fallen over the boulder, we wouldn't have heard you scream from the other street," says the lady to Sofia.

"This area is like a maze. The band members and I didn't realize we were going round and round in the first place."

Elrod clicks her tongue in distaste.

Then with a gesture of her hand, ogre-like men in black surround her, the vocalist and the assistant. They take a step back as the police are busy with the people in the alley; Mark and his men enter the house in silence, smooth as a shadow.

"Arnold!" Vanessa calls out to the man on her left, "Look out for cameras and paparazzi. This scenario can't get recorded." She voices out in an icy tone.

Though I highly doubt it will. Above all, a commotion with no paparazzi is so unlikely. The lady ponders with gritted teeth.

⁂| |⁂

The room is dark and void of much light except for a few light beams entering the conference room through the small space between the cords of the venetian blinds. Lucky is the light trapped outside as the beams entering the room tremble by the aura surrounding a man in his early forties.

He tilts his head. A magnificent bullseye hangs on the wall in terror, waiting for its master's next move.

Kyoya Hayashi brings the dart closer to his lips, and a devious smile breaks out on his face, one which can frost the veins of those to whom it is directed.

He languidly inclines to the back of the swivel chair as his eyes focus on the center target. "Why did you stop, Jo Lin-kun?" He side-glances him.

And Jo Lin, the Manager Director of Seiga Incorporation, quivers under his sight.

Kyoya throws the dart. It pierces the air and hits about a centimeter aside from the center. He clicks his tongue in irritation, and the man standing next to him swallows hard.