SEVEN: Cursed Souls

CHAPTER 14: SIN OF GREED

Ryder and Assassin easily got in to the subdivision where Arthuro is, the X was able to find blind spots and shortcuts inside. The group members are known tacticians as Assassin, their leader, is also specialized in it.

Ryder then immediately went in through the gate into Arthuro's house and left the letter. He and Assassin then waited outside, where they cannot be seen by other people.

Inside the house.

"He thought that he could just escape from paying me because we are friends? PATHETIC!" Arthuro said.

"That's why I told you to not help him anymore, you know that he has other connections!" Miranda rebuts.

"We were still fortunate that he did not bring a lot of his guards, or else I wasn't able to trick him!"

"Did you trick him or did he trick you?! Your friend just escaped from paying you his debt!"

A maid came close to them. "Excuse me, Sir, Ma'am--"

"WHAT?! Can't you see we are talking?!" Miranda yelled.

The maid was startled, unable to reply immediately. "I am sorry, Ma'am. But someone just left this outside."

"Give me that!" Miranda grabbed the envelope. "Oh, it's for you!" he gazed at Arthuro when he read "ARTHURO SEBASTIAN" written behind the envelope.

Arthuro did not let a second to waste and immediately opened the envelope.

"Another envelope? Covered in gold? What is this?" Arthuro asked confused. He did not look behind the golden envelope, reason why he wasn't able to read what's written there.

He opened the second envelope and finally saw the letter. He read through it.

Arthuro Sebastian

Sin of Greed

7, Jasmine Street, Golden Seeds, Sinagtala, Corazon

Overflowing power. Overflowing wealth. A sly without sympathy. You have lived your life tricking people for you to have money and power.

Greedy hands that tricked others, filthier than the beggar's hand!

Eyes that lust for gold are blinded by its shine.

Heart that beats for wealth rots from the greed of man.

And a mind filled with thoughts of trickery thinks of nothing but harm.

Your house has been filled with wealth but cannot overflow, and the anger of someone tricked is about to explode. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Think fast before it is cast.

Death be upon you!

"Who sent this?! HAHAHHAH!" Arthuro laughed.

"It was just left at the door Sir!"

"Throw it away!"

The maid then followed Arthuro but immediately left out of fear when she learned the contents of the letter, also telling other servants in the house so that they could escape a possible danger.

Few of them believed her but most didn't, just like Arthuro who continued laughing about the contents of the letter as he sat in his room.

An hour passed and while Arhuro was relaxing, a deafening noise and fury of fire filled the whole house. An explosion! It spread fast before anyone can even react and everyone inside the house burned with it. The house was bombed from the inside.

Ryder and Assassin was just waiting outside and saw the explosion, right after it, two masked men were seen getting close the house.

"Are those the culprits? Wait, those maybe James. What should I do? Assassin saw them," Ryder thought.

"Seer, come after me!" Assassin commanded as he ran to get the men behind the house.

Ryder followed but pretended to fall. He knew that those weren't the men behind the explosion since Assassin went after them.

"Get up! Why are you still clumsy?!" Assassin was infuriated.

"I am sorry, Assassin. I think I hurt my foot," Ryder said, still pretending.

Assassin sighed then helped Ryder up. He covered his face then they escaped.

The two men who was seen behind then went to the highway. There they met someone then drove somewhere far.

"What happened? Were you able to save anyone?" he said.

"We were too late, Boss. It was an explosion."

The man then looked at the seats behind him, a woman who is tied is there, struggling.

While the two men distracted Assassin and Ryder earlier, the other men in the car pulled the lady who was walking towards the house.

"Miss, we are sorry. We weren't able to save your parents," the man said.

The woman struggled more so the man uncovered her mouth. "Saved them?! What if you were the one who killed them? What if you were the reason our house exploded!?" She answered then started to cry. "Let me go!"

The two evil, Miranda and Arthuro, died, but their sweet child, Hope, was saved.

"We are here to save you, Hope. From now on, you cannot be seen by anyone but us. We must protect you from the people who killed your parents," the man said.

RYDER

Assassin sure is fast, after I fell to the ground and pretended to not be able to walk. He covered my face and carried me into his group's car.

Were those actually James and his gang?

Someone suddenly went inside my room. Speak of the devil! Hunter went in.

"Did you follow us?" I whispered.

"I did! I was able to save their daughter!" James replied.

The man who was able to get Hope was James.

"S-She's alive? She was the one I thought of when I saw the explosion, and of course the servants who also died."

"Yes, she is. But we have a problem. It's been two days since we saved that man from Gintong-Lawa, he lost a lot of blood and I don't think we could still treat him," James said.

"So what are you planning to do?"

"We can't let him be seen by other people. There is only one solution now, I'll help you get out of here tonight, and then tomorrow we'll abduct the healer. It's gonna be a Witch Hunt!"