Shadow's Within

18 : I'm still not home free

The morning comes just as the sun risen up freshening its light on the crack and crevice of the window. I didn't realize I had doze off on the chair behind the counter. The sound of Joe's plumping shoes stirs me to wake.

"Morning" he said.

Joe pace himself to the counter and place several items in a brown goody bag. He retrieves everything inside and I discover breakfast. He apparently had woken up early and went to buy us a morning grub.

I took a sip of coffee and a mouthful bite of bearclaw. After all the running, fighting, shouting and shooting I endure last night. My body understood when it is hungry. Chase is still snoozing on the next chair.

Joe took a chair and sit opposite of me. "What happen last night?"

I guzzle a huge drop of coffee. "Reapers"

He didn't respond, still awaiting the rest of my explanation.

"They found us last night, two of them. One man and one woman. I knock the guy then heard the other one when my mom started screaming. She shot her and I repay her back by shooting straight into her brain."

"Wait.. wait" Joe snap. "Two reapers? I never heard of the organization deploying two reapers into the same mission"

I sigh. "I know. One of them told me my case was something special. Apparently headquarters had approved of sending two reapers to dispose of me."

"This is bad" he said, sounding nervous. "HQ never sends out two reapers before. This is a first. Killing you must be a special occasion for them. This is way worse than the '01 incident."

"01 incident?" I ask

He leans closer to me. "You were just a young recruit at that time. But during 2001, an internal dispute had undergone in the organization. Several conflict lead to one another and before you knew it, there were a civil war going in HQ itself. People choosing sides, killing one another, massacre between agents."

"Why I never heard of this before?"

"It's a dark secret the organization like to keep out on you youngsters. They didn't want you to know that even a powerful organization could crumble to internal affairs."

I keep quiet, sipping my coffee.

"Because of that whole fiasco, the organization had decided to create a new division within the ranks."

"New division?" I'm intrigue.

"Reapers"

"Reapers?!" I yelp.

"The reapers were created just after the whole debacle happened." His voice sounding softer. "The higher ups wanted to secure the organization from within and hoping to avoid any more variance and opposition that could threaten the organization.

"And because of that, a new law had been revealed. Any agents who couldn't accomplish their mission is a jeopardy to the concord of the organization."

"Why do they decide that?" I said.

"Because the whole conflict started when some of the agents started going rogue and didn't want to complete their mission."

I set my eyes through the transparent window, overlooking the shadow of the people walking by, looking ahead to their day unaware of the side of shadow exists in this world. They are so lucky. Living their lives so naturally, without ever thinking for consequences their action would do to the people around them.

I drew back to the chair. "Those rogue agents. What happen to them?"

"Dead. Every single one of them. Drove out into the corner like a stray cat, only to be gun down and shot like a piece of meat on hunting season."

Chase starts groaning beside me. Joe and I act on as natural, dropping the conversation as it had never even existed.

"Morning" Chase said.

"Morning sleepy head" Joe answers him. "Here, eat some breakfast" He hands a piece of muffin to Chase.

Chase took the muffin and starts chewing them bit by bits. "Thanks.."

Chase turn sideways to me. "How's your mom?"

I remembered. I dart myself across the room into the next and see mom resting peacefully on the bed. She just waking up. Her eyes flutters open and I sat down next to her.

"Hey mom" I said softly.

"Annie" she coughs.

Joe came in next, bringing a cup and set them on the wheel cart. He took out a statoscope, checking for any signs of abnormalities on mom.

"Breathing's fine" he utters.

Afterwards, the checks the incision he had cut before.

"Seems fine also"

He slips a thermometer and a surprise look to his face.

"Amazing, no infection. Her temperature's dropping. A few more days resting and you are going to be just fine"

I'm relieve of the good news. Mom rests her hand on my cheek, billowing it with her soft touch. I lay my head next to her.

"And you need something to eat" Joe said, handing my mom a cup revealing it to be chicken porridge.

I took the cup and treat her every spoonful. She didn't object and eat it with a mouthful smile cracking on her lips.

Chase burst in a moment later, saying I need to follow him. I follow him suit and he reveal what he was watching on television.

I watch as the screen flicker to a man in a suit talking with a microphone to his arm synching his word in front of a familiar building. Then it hits me, the reporter is talking in front of my house!

The news states that one unknown corpses had been uncovered when a police was following a 911 call about a gunshot being heard. The unknown victim was shot to death in a grisly state. The police are searching for the owner of the house, a woman in about 50 of age, missing with no trace.

However, the news reporter didn't mention anything about a second person. The male reaper.

This can only mean one thing. He's still alive and searching for me. The nightmare is still ongoing.