Moth to a Flame

Trentuno| Delusional

THIRD PERSON

Arlecchino Kage Salvatore walked inside the ship with nothing but a gun in his pocket and a leather suitcase, his polished black shoes echoing against the rusty dock. He can smell the saltiness of the sea and the smoke coming from his right-hand man leaning against the container.

"Everything in order?" he asked, his tone deep and steady.

"All accounted for," Roan replied, guiding him inside the container where the weapons were stored.

His eyes landed on the crates filled with rifles and guns, explosives and special drone equipment. He carefully inspected the rows of containers while checking the inventory. "How many hours until it arrives in Spain?"

"For about 22 hours, Signor," sagot ni Roan habang nakatingin sa smart watch niya.

The Head of Spain, Ezio Casimiro, informed him that Spinx, a member of the Five Rings, attacked one of his headquarters. That is why he monitors the shipment to ensure everything is top quality and nothing goes amiss.

"Secure the perimeter and ask assistance from Al-Hadid. They need more manpower in Spain," he commanded, his voice carrying authority.

"On it." Roan stepped away and pulled out his phone for a quick call.

Kage folded his arms, his eyes wandering at the calm waves of the sea. The Five Rings still haven't given up on trying to take back the microchip he stole from their old base. How could they give up when that small chip contained their dirt for the past few years?

The five Rings, a coalition of five powerful mafia families, namely Pegasus (De Luca's), Hydra (Del Piero's), Dryad (Lee), Chimera (Canosa), and Sphinx (Bozzelli)Dryad, in particular, has been on his tail ever since he escaped from the hotel. They even went as far as hijacking the plane he was in just to catch him. And when their attempt to unalive him failed, the Pegasus sent their killer drones to threaten him and his wife.

The Hydra did nothing to him because the Don's daughter is infatuated to him, pero hindi niya rin papalagpasin ang pagtangka nitong patayin ang asawa niya sa sarili niyang penthouse.

And now, the Sphinx is trying to bring chaos by casually bombing and attacking his headquarters like a child's play.

"Signore, we're ready to set sail," aniya ng kakabalik lang na si Roan. Tango lang ang sinagot ng binata bago mapatingin sa kalangitan.

"How's my wife? By now, she should be cruising to Somalia," he said, a glint of pride in his voice but a hint of worry in his eyes.

"She's safe, Signore. Two of our best fighter jet pilots are escorting her aircraft," he assured.

That said, Kage entered the cabin—his heart calm and his thoughts clear, unaware that his right-hand man had just lied to him about his wife's safety. In reality, she was in grave danger, a fact that would soon shatter his calm.

Meanwhile, the reporters came flooding in at Leonardo da Vinci- Fiumicino Airport just when the passengers were safely evacuated. His fellow air traffic controllers have been calling him nonstop to return to the tower to accommodate the delayed arriving flights—but he couldn't care less. He could only think of his sister.

His fingers danced over his hair, sweat dripping down his neck as he ran into the parking bay. He pushed through the crowd of uniforms and shrieking sirens. With each step he takes, he is dialling her number, and fear slowly creeps into him with every call she misses.

"Via!" he yelled in desperation. He entered the aircraft and roamed his eyes around the empty cabins. "Via, where are you?!" He could not see her. Wala siya sa mga pasahero na nasa tarmac kanina. Pagdating niya sa cockpit ay naabutan niyang papalabas doon si Greece at Natlan.