Society Reign [BOOK I - Dark Fight duology]- ON HOLD

PROLOUGE

One. Two. Three. . .Ten. Fifteen.

It had become a routine for her.

Every weekend, Ella would go to the abandoned plot near her house, which stood on the outskirts of the town near the forests and miles away from civilisation, and find people there.

People in brown uniforms carrying huge black bags.

When they emptied them, a ragged mass of something strange would tumble out. The stench was somehow familiar.

The first time she saw it, it made her so curious that she came back again promising herself that she would find out that day.

And now, months later, she was still behind the shed. Hiding. And counting. Counting the number of bags those people had brought this time. Almost twenty.

They dug at the ground and threw the contents of the bags, covering them up again with the soil.

They did their job hurriedly. Must be boring, Ella thought, doing the same thing again and again.

Ella awaited their departure which seemed to take hours in the making. After they were gone, Ella cautiously came out from her hiding position and walked towards the covered pits.

Like graves, she thought.

Something caught her eye. A thing in her periphery. A pit not covered. Not fully.

She had often heard the saying, 'Curiosity killed the cat'. But it was too strong to ignore now.

She walked with slow steps to the grave-like pit and with every step she inched closer, dread filled inside her.

Finally, she stood beside it. Her face over it. Her eyes on it.

At first, she couldn't figure out what it was.

Then she noticed the lines and the angles. And the bones. Beneath all that mess.

She could even recognise the smell now.

Realisation dawned upon her and she knew what it was. And what it had been once.

And she knew what had happened to all those people in the news. The missing ones.

• • •
5 years later

"How much do you want?"
The man across him grinned. He had a sly, slippery look about him that was only enhanced further by his solitary gold tooth and disturbing smile.

"Nothing."

The man grinned further, if that was physically possible.
"Now, stop joking, young man! No one would be willing to do something of that calibre without wanting anything in return. I suggest you mention your price while I'm still feeling generous."

The young man in question stood up from his seat. "Believe me, I don't need the money. Just leave everything to me."

The gold-toothed man stood up too and extended his hand.
"Well then, Mr Cuelzad, nice working with you. I hope you succeed. Then we could discuss. . . something else."

He ignored the hand.
"I'm not willing to become your next hit man if you're planning on that. This is just a one-shot. Send those files down to the place where I'm staying. I'm done here."

With a brief nod, he walked out of the room, a purpose and a mission in his mind.

He had been waiting for years. The time had finally come.

•
Meanwhile, the gold-toothed man made a call.
"Arlen?"

"Yes, Sir. How can I help you?"

"Remember those set of files I told you to store in the security locker a year ago?"

"Yes. . . Sir?"

"I need them immediately."

"Sure, Sir."
Arlen cleared his throat. "But sir, if I may ask. . . have you finally started on that thing?"

Salazar Sandhor smiled to himself.
"Of course, Arlen. About time those dogs learnt their lesson. Don't you think so?"

His loyal assistant's voice came down the line, unwavering and solid.

"Of course, Sir."