The Reincarnated

Chapter 23: The Photographic Curse

"After a month and a half of tracing one of the most invisible man out of his hiding, we were lucky to have Code gather enough information to relay a sighting of him on his tracker just recently in the northern part of Canada six days ago," Leopold straightened his jacket casually as he spared a meaningful glance at me. "There's a big chance that Lancelot could be moving places. He could be past America at this very moment. There is no way to be sure, but this information is all we've got."

"I thought we were supposed to hunt this guy," Drum voiced out. The excitement in his face was perverse to my emotions. "We're letting our chances slip away. The sooner we capture him, the better."

"Charging so rashly will only lead to your downfall," Gale shook his head in disagreement. He was leaning on the wall opposite me and doing more than a good job in trying to ignore my presence. Gabrielle was already inside the briefing room when Code took me in. Even if dressed in a pair of jeans and a black vest, he still looked formal enough to be a military sergeant. He never mentioned a word to me since then. It was something I couldn't help noticing.

"Lancelot has already proven that he is not someone we can easily take down," he continued with more ferocity. "He's got an army of his own - a strong one. We can't underestimate him. We'll be repeating the same mistakes and we can't afford to repeat historyagain."

I looked at Gale as he said those words and I realized that if I had enough courage to stand up and convey my thoughts, I would have proposed the same idea, rephrasing his words. But I guess his probably sounded more badass compared to my own version.

"Are you saying we'll just let this pass and wait for him to appear in a more vulnerable state which I believe could never happen?" Drum crossed his arms.

Lydia chose that time to speak up. "I understood Drum's point but we cannot go there without a proper plan to execute. It could cost us a lot. That's probably what Gale was meaning to say." Drum let out a snort.

"There is also that possibility of not catching him in Canada on time," Code added innocently.

"Indeed," Leopold stroked his chin, "But I believe it is important to visit the spot in case we are able to locate Lancelot in his hideout, and if we couldn't catch him in the place we could search for something that could lead us to him eventually. It's better than staying around here doing nothing."

I mentally agreed on his proposal but remained silent.

"So basically, our main objective is to investigate?" Drum asked.

"It could lead us to his possible motives and future missions. As you said Drum, we can't let this pass. It's the only chance we have," Leopold explained. "We could plan and prepare everything for a maximum of four days, and we could take off by Wednesday morning."

"What about her?" Kyle suddenly asked, finally deciding to join in on the conversation. He's been quiet since he got here although it was pretty evident on his face that he was listening attentively if not participating much. Everyone knew without second thought about who he was referring to.

"She'll be staying here of course," Gale answered decisively for Leopold without bothering to know if I was totally in agreement. I expected as much.

"I'm coming with you." I tried to say it with as much confidence as I felt. This time, I met Gabrielle's gaze through his annoying mask and I didn't look away.

"You'll make everything more complicated Cheshire," Gale acclaimed with a tone of precaution that made me want to oppose him more. "There's nothing you can contribute except putting your life in danger. You're staying here."

"Well that's not your choice to make, is it?" His response was a definite silence that made me grateful for the mask that covered his expressions.

"This is not some trip to the park. This is serious. If you value your life at all then you'd listen to me and remain safe here in the mansion." Each word equals a step closer. Yep, I was totally intimidated.