the final mission

08

It was the next day.

The boys were in Mr. Flores' office, a place that Kai knew like the back of his hand. After having to take over his family's company, he had to get the knowledge from somewhere. Luckily, his father documented everything.

They looked around, not finding anything out of the ordinary. Until Brody accidentally tripped on a wire and landed on the ground. Diego snickered at the boy, never being able to take him seriously. When Brody reemerged, he was holding a letter in his hand.

"What's this?" Kai grabbed the letter from him and opened it, confused as to what it might be. He distinctly remembered going through every nook and cranny of this room. He felt stupid for missing this letter.

"Son, if I ever leave you, know that I am watching over you. This letter will hopefully never be found. We've been in turmoil for awhile now and we know your mother and I are going to be killed soon. We fear it's going to be at our party. Keep your siblings safe and keep yourself safe."

Kai felt himself wobble, but continued reading aloud anyway.

"Your mom wanted me to add in here to keep the ballroom clean. You know how much of a neat freak she is when it comes to the ballroom." Kai let out a hearty chuckle. He knew his parents weren't coming back, but this letter provided a little bit of relief.

"Last one to the ballroom has to do the dishes!" Brody yelled as he started sprinting down the hallway.

★★★

Kai had only been in the ballroom twice since the fire.

Once to assess the damage and another time to tell the remodeling company to make it exactly how it was before. Only, it'd never be as it was before.

All of the boys had different cleaning supplies and got to work, fulfilling Mrs. Flores' last wish. They scrubbed, broomed, and mopped until they could see their reflections on the floors and walls.

As Cale finished up his corner, he screamed. The guys rushed over and their hearts stopped.

There was another lipstick container.

It laid near the exit that Kai had been rescued from all those years ago. It was the same brand and the same shade as the empty one.

There was a paper it laid on top of. Kai quickly picked it up and paled. It was purchased not only the same day they were in the shop, but at the same time. Kai scanned the receipt for a card number, but the words "PAID IN CASH" taunted him from the bottom of the small paper.

Mr. Tuymavsky didn't accept cash.

Kai turned the receipt around so he wouldn't have to stare at the scary piece of paper anymore. On the back, an address and time was scribbled. The boys were nervous to find out where it was.

"It's just an Italian restaurant on the other side of town." The boys exhaled, but quickly inhaled again. Eight o'clock sharp was written on the receipt and it was already seven. They would all need to find something to wear as well as speed over to the other side of town.

When Kai got to his bedroom, a suit was on his bed. It was all black and a long baby blue tie laid on top. He froze. He didn't put those clothes on his bed.

And he most definitely didn't own any baby blue ties.

He surveyed his room and was sure all of his windows were locked. Kai rushed out of his room and found the other three boys in the hallway, looking just as disoriented as himself.

"Did you guys find random clothes on your beds, too?" They all nodded. Someone must have come in while they were cleaning. This bothered them because there were guards everywhere as well as cameras, which they didn't have time to check. If their dinner guests were able to break in undetected, the boys didn't even want to imagine what would happen if they were late.

They threw on the clothes and just about sprinted out the side door. They jumped into Kai's car in his garage and sped off to the restaurant, a thirty minute drive. Kai was determined to make it a twenty minute one.

When the boys got there, the valet grabbed the keys and they waltzed inside, calm and collected by this point. The server seemed to be expecting them and immediately ushered them towards the back. The booth was hidden and the light was dimmed, but the boys could faintly make out the silhouettes of three girls.

"Hello, Kai and company." The girl seated farthest away was the first to speak. Her large curls framed her tanned skin and warm hazel eyes in a way that none of the boys had seen before. She gestured for them to sit as she offered a tight smile. "I'm Ziva."

"I like your outfits. " The woman beside Ziva spoke up. Her tamed brunette hair and blush radiated an aura of innocence. However, her green eyes full of mischief and tiny grin she exhibited said otherwise. "I'm Raina."

"Winslet." The blonde beside them had a soft voice that could easily dominate an entire conversation with a single word. Her blonde hair was in a tight ponytail that landed at the base of her back and her eyes were vibrant. She was the most subtle in her actions.

"Tonight, there will be a party down the street at the Ezekiel mansion. You guys will be escorting us." The boys didn't drive all the way out there to go to a party, but it didn't look like they had a choice. The waiter came by and the boys for their orders before they could deny the suspicious demand.

As the women ordered their food, Kai took the chance to observe them. He noticed how Ziva and Winslet were always at the edge of their seats, despite the blank features they tried to display on their faces. Raina, on the other hand, seemed to be laidback. She surveyed her surroundings as well, but to a lesser extent than the other two. When she caught Kai looking, her grin widened.

The food came and that's when the real party started.