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Prologue

16 Years Before

It's a Sunday night. Becky and Allen Formosus finally finish getting their twins to sleep. They're exhausted. The terrible two's are twice as troublesome when they come in pairs.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Becky asks her husband Allen.

"Honey, we're just going to the neighbors'. We can bring the baby monitor with us." Allen tries to convince his wife that the kids will be just fine while they spend a few minutes with their new neighbors.

"Yeah, okay. I guess we have done a good job at hiding."

"It's been three months without a run-in with those guys. We'll be good."

Becky grabs the baby monitor, convinced that a half an hour won't be too long to leave her babies alone. If anything happens to them, she has no idea what she'd do with her life. They are her everything. She wants to live a regular life surrounded by regular people and she prays nothing will interfere with that, but lately, it seems to be a struggle.

"Are you ready?" Allen snaps Becky out of her thoughts.

"Yup. Let's go." She takes his hand and leaves the house, feeling content with having a little fun, but what she doesn't know is the people who she's running from never stopped chasing her like she thought.

~~

"The coast is clear sir." A burly man, who goes by his nickname Spyder, speaks into the microphone of his cellular device.

"Just wait a few minutes. I want to make sure Becky is as comfortable as can be." Maximilian, the ring leader, answers.

"How do you know it'll work this time?"

"Because I'm not facing them head on this time. I'm merely toying with them. They'll succumb to my antics and when they do, they're back in my custody."

"What did they ever do?"

"Questions, questions. How about we stop asking them? Now be a good delivery boy and bring me my order."

Spyder exits his car and quietly makes his way to the Formosus' front door. The chilly wind nips at the exposed skin on his face, but he pays no attention to it. He's in stealth mode. Because this isn't his first time entering the Formosus abode, he knows the spare key is placed under the third rock from the left side of the front door, behind the bushes.

He enters the house swiftly, being sure not to make any loud noises. He saw the baby monitor in Becky's hand, so if any of the twins makes any noises before he can get to them, the whole plan is ruined. All he has to do is get the kids in the car, one by one, without causing any commotion.

He sees the other baby monitor on the table that sits in the hallway where the kids' rooms are and decides against cutting the cord. He enters Malaki's room first. He made good friends with Malaki, just like he was supposed to. Carly, on the other hand, hasn't grown too accustomed to him, but when she sees Malaki with him, she gets friendlier.

Spyder gets straight to the point, slowly shoving Malaki's covers to the side. As much as he tries to prevent it, Malaki begins to stir.

"Shush. It's just me Malaki." Spyder tries his best at whispering at a minimum level.

His words work and Malaki lays limply in Spyder's arms. Spyder stands to his full height before taking slow steps back to the front door. He closes the door, so the wind doesn't make any sound in the baby monitor. Thankfully, nothing has caused his plan to fail. Although, it's not really his plan. Maximilian promised that he wouldn't hurt the kids, so since Spyder doesn't want to have his head separated from his body, he goes along with whatever Maximilian has planned.

Spyder continues his slow, yet long strides in complete silence and stealth. He reaches the car and slowly opens the door, making barely any noise. Maximilian knew exactly what he was doing when he assigned Spyder to this assignment. He knows that Spyder is the greatest at getting his job done in the most disguised fashion.

Spyder turns around to grab the second child when the door to the adjoining house opens and floods light into the dark atmosphere. Spyder hides on the other side of his car, praying that they can get into the house and he can escape with at least half of his delivery. Spyder knows that Maximilian would rather have one than none. Allen and Becky Formosus step out onto the porch and turn to wave at their neighbors before continuing down the concrete path to the sidewalk, since the grass is too mushy for Becky's heels.

Spyder can hear their conversation carried through the wind, but they're nothing more than mumbles when they reach him. He peeks over the side through both, the passenger and driver side, windows and sees that they have already paced their driveway.

Oh no, I didn't lock it back. Spyder mentally punches himself.

Allen pulls out his keys to unlock the door when the door opens before him. A little girl shows up in the small space. Spyder instantly recognizes her as Carly Formosus, the other child he is supposed to snag and take to Maximilian.

Spyder hears a little more mumbling before he hears the door close. He instantly shoots up and prays that he can drive off before they notice that Malaki is gone. He closes the door and pushes his keys in the ignition without bothering about his seatbelt. He can waste his time on that when he knows for sure he is safe.

If Becky were to find him, there would be no doubt that he would die. Becky's kids were her life and he knew that. That's why he has such a hard time with this assignment, but his loyalty to Maximilian is too strong. He owes Maximilian his life, and that is what he will give him. It's not every day a man pulls you under his wing when you're on the brink of death.

~~

"That was fun, don't you think?" Allen says just as they reach their door.

"Yeah, that was nice." Becky smiles to her husband, glad that she has him to get her through all her emotional breakdowns and over-exaggerating.

Just as Allen is going to put his key in the lock, the door opens. Carly, their beautiful daughter, stands on the other side of the threshold with a stuffed panda bear in her hand.

"Hey honey, what are you doing awake?" He asks her as he ushers her inside with his wife following and then shutting the door.

"Daddy, a man. Where's Maliki?" Carly squeaks out as much as she can comprehend, while the sounds of a car starting plays through the background.

Allen looks confusedly at his daughter."What do you mean? A man? Maliki is in his-"

Suddenly Becky storms into the foyer, where Allen is talking to Carly, with a distraught expression, her body trembling.

"Allen, Malaki is missing!"