The Rebel in Distress

Prologue

11 years ago...

The smoke of the cigarettes was diffused in the meager space of the small, abandoned storehouse at a shipping port which was closed for the night. It was another one of those nights in the midsummer where the evening air was warm and it was the perfect hour to have a stroll outside; but not for Raymond Stanford. Tonight was the night he will finally get what Ian Powell owed him, and he was eager to wait for as long as he could for it. He took another drag from his cigarette then blew it out as he shifted uneasily in his seat. He's starting to grow impatient. 

As a father of an already-motherless child, Raymond is doing his best to sustain his struggling six-year-old daughter from her recent trauma about her mother's death. He never wanted any of this happening to his family, but he still had taken all the blame to himself. He hadn't been a vigilant father and husband to his family since he'd spent his free time gambling with the men he didn't fully knew. He only realized his immaturity when his wife was killed in a car accident then everything has gone out of hand. He never wished to see his daughter motherless and undergoing an emotional struggle. He just wished he could turn back time so none of all these tragedies would've happened.

He worked in his automotive shop where he spent most of his time. He didn't get much from it, but it helps pay some of the bills at home. He never dreamed bigger since he only wanted to keep himself busy and simultaneously earn something from being so.

He flinched once he felt his cell phone vibrating in his jeans' pocket. He took it out and read an unfamiliar number trying to reach his phone. He cocked a brow in confusion and answered the incoming call.

"Who's this?" He said without a proper acknowledgement. 

"Still waiting eh, Ray?" The all-too-familiar voice from the other line replied.

He stiffened and he clenched his jaw. Ian.

"Where's my money?" He replied.

"Patience, my boy--"

"I've been waiting for this even before Karen died. Now is the perfect hour for you to surrender it or else--"

"Or else what, Ray? 'You goin' to hunt and kill me like how you did to Poor Hadwyn's wife?" Ian mocked. "Don't try me, Ray, or your daughter's next."

This caught him off-guard. His grip tightened to the device. "What are you implying?" He whispered furiously. "Don't you dare lay your hands on my daughter or your life's going to be at risk."

"Whoah, whoah, whoah! Calm down, Stanford. How did you become so protective over this kid when last time I checked she was--"

"Just shut up! Meet me here in the storehouse right now and give me my money!" He raged.

Ian laughed in reply to his outrage. "Calm down, Stanford. Forget the deal tonight, I've got something better in store for you."

This made him angrier, but waited for Ian to continue.

"A meeting from an old friend of mine." Ian finished, and right that second the main door slammed open and a tall man's silhouette was facing him with a gun aimed at his direction. Ray's adrenaline didn't allow him to waste anymore time and immediately scooted as soon as he found the right time when the man pulled the trigger. There was no sound, for the anonymous man had linked a silencer to the weapon. Ray remembered the revolver he had put in his left jeans pocket and quickly released a bullet to the silhouette's direction. Unexpectedly, the man was caught by the shoulder, but quickly attempted another shot at Ray while one hand held the wounded shoulder. Ray missed the shot again as he rolled on his back on the floor. With a better aim now, Ray aimed for the man's forehead. He turned in for another bullet then pulled at the trigger. The man fell dead on his back, taking his own gun with him to the ground. Ray panted, stood up then walked over to the man's corpse. He lifted his cell phone, which he didn't notice he's still holding, back to his ear and said,"Still there?"

"Of course I am." Ian's voice came back on the other line.

"You picked the wrong man to do the job." He replied then ended the call. He took one last look at the unfamiliar face of the dead man then stepped over the body and left.