ENDS

22- Pedro

Hunter's P. O. V.

"Wait. What do you mean by Pedro is the man after my life and how in the world is he Meredith's father, it doesn't make any sense! " I exclaimed, trying to keep my cool was failing woefully because with my heart rate, I should be suffering from a cardiac arrest in T minus five.

" Deep breaths Hunter, I'm gonna explain it all to you but you need to take a deep breath. We can't have you dying before You even get the chance to save Louisa" Mr Reid stated ever so calmly with his eyes focused on me.

But I adhered to his instruction. A deep breath could be the only solution to my state of mind.

  After inhaling and obviously exhaling, Mr Reid took it as a sign to carry on.

"Pedro Ha'adith Gonzalez. A man of Brazilian, Arabian and Spanish origin. I think his roots are enough to trace how deadly he can be. Most young people join the clan today without knowing what they're going into, you all see it as an opportunity for drug peddling and money intake. " Mr Reid reaches to the file before him and pulls out a very old newspaper, before tossing it in my direction.

"Read the headline" he continued.

  With slightly shaking hands, I pick the newspaper and unfolded it.

27th May 1995
Suspected terrorist group, The Clan, bombs Yekshire state building.

I had to re-read the headline at least twice before looking up to Mr Reid again.

"Hunter, the clan is a terrorist group. Like the Isis of the Arabs and Boko Haram of west Africa. The clan is an international terrorist group, they kill, they steal, they plant false evidences. I'm pretty sure you're aware of the last duty as I've heard youve been on a quite successful few"

If that was meant to be appraisal or indictment, I wasn't sure.

" You used to be a part of the clan" I stated, fully remembering why I needed his help in the first place.

"That was before it became a terrorist group. Pedro, Matthias and I began this circle called the Clan. Why? Pedro's father was a renowned political personality back in the Arab emirates. His father was falsely accused and fake evidence was planted against him for the murder of a senator, Duraj Khalifa. Hence he was sentenced to death. " Mr Reid reaches for another newspaper in the file and hands it to me. I didn't need to be told before I opened it to read the headline.

13th November 1982
Senator Duraj Khalifa comes out to prove death rumors wrong.

" He was never murdered " I say, looking at the image of the Duraj Khalifa stepping out of a building with both hands waving to the crowd.
" It was a set up to get rid of Pedro senior, that is Pedro's dad. The senator was going up against Mr Gonzalez in an election seven months after the prosecution. So no competition -"

"Duraj was assured of winning "

"Exactly. Especially after all the controversies, he'd gathered enough popularity to set his winning streak. Any one with a rational thinking would know there's a set up behind this, why couldn't he come out to null all the death rumors before Pedro's father was killed?. Pedro was an only child. Well, asides from his adopted brother. Funny enough he was the product of a one night stand with a gold digger who dumped him to his father for a good sum of money. Ever since, he was raised and nurtured by one man who cared for him effortlessly, only for him to get killed over some peoples selfish quest for himself." he pulls out another paper from the file and reads out the headline to my hearing.

" April twenty fifth, Nineteen eighty three. Senator Duraj Khalifa found and confirmed dead in his apartment" he flips open the paper and continues reading. "Roughly a month after Mr Khalifa's election, he was found dead in his apartment with a drink containing chloroform and two gunshot wounds to the head. The investigation team suspect it to be a suicide due to the evidences gathered and no sign of external presences " Mr Reid raises his eyes from the paper to send me a glance.