Angelic Light- Chapter Five

            - Too Late -

         Remo sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked over at the clock. The red lights told him that is was currently 5:32. Uh-oh... more than half an hour late.. Suri's not going to like that.. he thought sitting up and running his hand through his hair.
         He hopped off the couch and quickly walked to his bedroom. Forgetting about Elise, he strolled in and went into the bathroom that was currently unoccupied.
         Remo stepped out of the shower two minutes and twenty seven seconds later. He quickly grabbed his towel and dried his hair, throwing his Sretnuh uniform on right after. Unlike the other three Sretnuh's Remo never never ironed his uniform and never wore the tie that was supposed to be worn with the uniform. He grabbed his toothbrush and hairbrush, brushing his hair and brushing his teeth at the same time. And putting his hair into a messly low-pony tail he stumbled out of the bathroom exactly three and a half minutes after he entered it. Only then did he notice that his bed was also unoccupied. The sheet were thrown to one side as though- the woman?!  Remo suddenly remembered last night. The few sips from the alcohol and the lack of sleep must have made him completely forget about her but, where is she? Looking around quickly he quickly made note that she wasn't in his room. She wasn't in the bathroom.. he grabbed the knife inside his bedside table stand, and sprinted out the door to the living room. Living room, kitchen, closets.. no luck.. but there was no sign of a struggle.. and no sign of anyone coming in.. and no sign of the woman he was given strict orders to protect.
         "Dammit!" Remo growled as he went to the front door. If someone took her, there might be signs... touching the handle it wasn't warm. Didn't mean anything, could mean a lot of things. His mind was frantic. The man had come a awhile ago, he didn't linder long, he was alone.. Remo looked at the floor. The carpet was a little rolled at one end, but it had probably been like that before, he was just too tired to notice.
         He sighed. He had to tell Suri, but what was he going to say? "Hey boss, sorry i'm late, but i've got a problem. Yeah.. that girl? She isn't here. I had a little to drink last night, and she either walked out or was taken. I don't know though, because I slept through it all." Remo had yet to see Suri angry, sad or anything but the cool and collected person he always was, but something like this might just be enough to really make him mad. Remo could just see his face..
         Well, he would have to tell Suri today when he went to work anyway.. I should probably call first but.. Remo attached the knife to his belt and grabbed his weapon, keys and cellphone and walked out the door. Finding his house key beneath the mat, he yawned as he pushed the key into the door. Not noting that something else already occupied the space, he pushed harder, "Come on.. this is going to be a very bad day, isn't it..?" he pulled his key out and look at it, and then at they key hole.
         "No way..." he gasped shocked. Two lockpicks were in the keyhole. Apparently her kidnapper had forgotten about them after he had his prize. Remo pulled them out and eyed them closely. Not any of his... he preferred metal lockpicks, and these were well-carved wooden ones.. that proved it then..
         He had been way too careless, forgetting about checking the keyhole to the front door.. that could cost him his life in a real mission, and could cost the woman hers right now.. someone had probably followed him home, broken in and stole her during the few hours while he slept. Taking his cell phone from his jacket, Remo called Rey. His best-friend was almost always available, and always willing to help Remo out.
         "It's Rey, leave a message." Remo hung up. Fuck! He needed someone now! He dialed Alaina's cellphone. Although she wasn't the brightest, she still tried hard. "Alaina here! Well- not exactly. If I were here you would actually be talking to me and not to a recording.. but yeah, leave a message and i'll call you back." He hung up again. I really don't want to talk to Suri now but... he punched in the number for Suri's office phone.
         "You've reached the Sretnuh's office. We're not in now, but we'll try to get back to you when we feel the need." Remo growled as he hung up and tried Suri's cellphone.
         "You've reached Suri. Thankfully i'm not here, but i'll get back to you if it requires." Remo shook his head in dispair. Who else would help- wait.. he punched in another set of numbers.
         "Hello, Chasaline speaking."
         "Hey Chas, it's Remo. Is Rufus there?" he asked. Unlike the Sretnuh's, The President and Vice-President both had secretarys to take their calls.
         "No, he left late last night, and I haven't seen him since."
         "Alright.. hey, have you seen Suri, Rey or Alaina by any chance?"
         "No, I haven't seen anyone. Is something the matter, Remo?"
         "Nope! Just giving 'em details about tonight's party." Remo lied. But she wouldn't know that. What she- and almost everyone in Sinerta Inc did know was that the Sretnuh's and usually the Vice-President Rufus had a party every Friday after work.
         "I'll tell them to call you if I see them."
         "Thanks Chas." he said hanging up. At least he wasn't the only one alive on this planet. He thought for a moment before dialing another number. Rufus's house. One ring. Two rings. Three... "It's Rufus. I'm not in now.. what a suprise! Leave a message." Remo sighed, depending on how long ago he took her, she might not have a lot of time left. Guess I have to do this one alone.. quickly shoving his cellphone and the wooden lockpicks back in his jacket before locking the door and pocketing the key as well.
         He set off down the street, alert to everything going around him, and yet deep in thought. As far as he knew, there were only a few people who still used wooden lockpicks. And they all belonged to the same gang.
         In Syla, almost all teens and thieves belonged in gangs. He'd been recruited into the Vipers when he was seven. A young child with no parents, trying to survive on a life of stealing. He was incredibly good at it, and the leader told him so. Remo admired the viper leader, Ikizar was a man of class- as much class as a thief could have. He was a 15 years when Remo first met him. Under his wing, Remo quickly rose in rank until he became the second-in-command at age ten. And for many a year after that, he worked for the Vipers, until one day when he grabbed the pocket of the wrong man. Suri of the Sretnuh.
         Remo had swiftly reached for the man's pocket, and Suri had grabbed his arm before Remo could react.
         "What do you think your going, boy?" he voiced, staring down at Remo in his cold expressionless way.
         "I'm taking your money, Sir. That way I can survive and steal some more." Remo replied obiediently, despite Suri's lingering stoic eyes.
         "I suggest you try and not steal from the Sretnuh's. It's not good for your health."
         "You're from the Sretnuhs?!" young Remo asked awed.
         "Imagine that." Suri replied dryly.
         "Well Sir- if I had known that, I would have cut your throat rather than steal you wallet."
         "Oh I bet you would. Listen, it's been fun, but i've- unlike you, got a job to do. And lucky for you, it's got nothing to do with you." Letting go of Remo's wrist, he walked away leaving Remo alone in the dark alley. The Sretnuhs were well known in Syla, even by the thieves. They were a well-organized assassin team employed by Sinerta Inc., only sent on the most dangerous and stealthly of missions. If you were hunted by the Sretnuhs, you can guarantee that your death certificate will say that you died of natural causes.
         A few days later, Remo was confronted by a well-built man..
         "I've got buisness with you, boy," the man said, striding toward him. Remo drew his daggers, "I won't go easy, you know.."
         The man stopped a short distance away from him. The man wore the navy blue suit, dress shoes, tie.. perfectly ironed.. nobody like that every came to the slums.. this man was a Sretnuh!
         "You've pulled some strings and you've managed to get an assignment. Assigned to you."
         Watching the mans hips, Remo was able to avoid the mans first attempt easily. The man made another move, and Remo jumped to the left and ducked away, avoiding it as well.
         "Alright, if your going to be like this..." the man sounded rather annoyed, and making quick gestures, he feinted to the left and the right until Remo finally made a dash to the left and the man quickly grabbed him.
         "Now listen well, rat.' he whipsered into Remo's ear. "I'll give you two choices: you can either die..," he paused.
         "Or..?" Remo pressed him, somehow door number two already seemed more appetizing.
         "Join the Sretnuhs." he added.
         "W-what?" Remo asked, not believing his ears. "Join you?"
         "The Sretnuhs, yes. Well? I don't have all day, rat."
         Remo thought about it, die or be promoted to what he though to be the best job in Sinerta Inc. "Whats the catch? Why recruit me? 'm nothing but a theif."
         "A good one, apparently. You steal. You kill. That's all we do.. basically. Except more fashionably. And we get paid for it." the man added.
         "Fine. I'm in," Remo nodded. The man let him go and backed away, leading him toward the other end of the alley.
         "Is the pay good?" Remo asked the man as he was lead through the slums of Syla.
         "Hmph. Your not in yet. We had to pull a lot of strings ourselves, in order to get the president to let you apply for this job."
         "We?" Remo asked. But the man only shrugged his shoulders.
         When they arrived at the headquarters of Sinerta Inc, they found two men- a man and a boy rather, waiting infront of the building waiting for them. Remo recognized both of them, but decided to remain silent.
         "Sir," the man that led Remo nodded respectfully to the young man, and to the older man. The older man Remo had met earlier, Suri. And the younger man was the vice-president, and the president's twelve year old son, Rufus.
         "Well boy, lets try you out. There's a lot that you've got to learn if you're to live among these, civilized people. Including your wardrobe, and your hair." Suri nodded.
         So on went the process of making Remo into a Sretnuh. Remo became best friends with Rey, the man who had initally grabbed him and lead him to headquarters for the first time. Remo even befriended Suri, if you could call it that. With only three members in the Sretnuh, all being of the same gender, they grew very close.
         A few weeks later, Remo was in his apartment looking into a mirror at himself. It was his first day as a real 'Sretnuh', his first time in the uniform. Navy blue jacket, and dress pants. White undershirt, navy blue tie. Black shoes.. the Sretnuh Remo looked totally different than the Viper Remo. And he wasn't sure which side he liked best.. before he had been a little too "underdressed." And now, he felt "overdressed." He sort of missed the Viper part of him..
         Remo grinned as he thought of an idea. He loosened his tie and threw it unto his bed. He also undid the buttons on his jacket, revealing his white undershirt. He began to take handfuls of material in his wrist and squeeze them, trying to give them that "slept-in" look. When Remo finished this process with his jacket and pants, he stepped back to gaze in the mirror and grinned at what he saw. This he did like. He didn't want to just cut out a part of his life, and although Remo wasn't fond of his past, it was nice to have something to fall back on.. and it was at this moment that Remo made a promise to himself. To never let go of his past. To be happy because of it, and not let others push him around because of it. And heck.. he was going to bring some fun into being a Sretnuh!
         Remo stopped walking about half an hour from his apartment and looked to see if anyone was around. He saw no one; he quickly ran to one of the side streets and slid into a broken window at sub-level into an old house. This place hasn't changed much.. thought Remo as he stepped over a piece of furniture and walked into the next room. In the far corner, he kneeled and moved two floorboards, before slowly lowering himself into the hole that was under them. He replaced the floorboards with one hand, holding himself up with the other. That done, he dropped five feet to the floor, and waited until his eyes focused to the extremely dark basement before he continued on.
         He kept his ears open, alert for any sign of movement. The Vipers hated Remo now, regardless of what he was five years ago. But he was not about to die because of it. He griminced at the smell as he walked by an adjacent room; recognizing it as rotting flesh, he sped up his pace.
         He stopped at the open door at the end of the hallway. He listened until he was satisfied and slowly walked in. His gaze fell to the back of the room, where a figure moved and squiggled around on the floor.
         Remo silently thanked the Gods that he had good vision, had it not been, he would have missed the movement that happened in his peripheral vision. But seeing it in enough time to dodge the attack, he sprinted for what he believed Elise.
         He quickly felt her shoulder length silky black hair. It was her, and she was alive for the time being.. with knowing that, he could relax and concentrate on the fight ahead. He turned to meet the eyes of his former Viper leader.
         "You've grown up quite nicely, if I do say so myself," the man mused.
         "Yeah.. you too, Ikizar. I liked your lockpicks, they're well made."
         "I thought I forgot something.." he laughed. "So you found me huh?"
         "Easy enough, I've got a good memory, you know."
         "Too bad it doesn't remind you of what the Vipers do to traitors... or does it?" he asked grinning.

                                              ----------------------------------

         It was already six, and Suri had yet to sip at his absinthe he had gotten five hours ago, and Rufus was on his sixth bottle of vodka. Suri glanced at his watch and sat back into his office chair. He had long since unplugged the office phone, and turned off his cell phone, but now he was questioning wether that had been a good idea or not.. where was Remo?
         "Expecting someone?" Rufus asked as his eyes fluttered slightly. He had yet to sleep, but was sprawled out comfortably on a couch Suri specifically kept in his office for that purpose.
         "Mmm.. Remo's an' hour late.. i'm getting worried.." Rufus heard Suri mumble softly. "'es fine... prolly with his girlfriend.." Rufus half-yawned, obviously drunk. Suri smiled at him as mind began to wander..
         He had been one of the original Sretnuh memberes, a proved loyal man, several times over even before Rufus's birth. A failed mission a few weeks after his birth had killed the other four members of the Sretnuhs, and left Suri as the lone survivor. He took their deaths of his companions, three male, and one female hard, and would have quit, had Rufus not been his charge. Placed under Suri's protection at birth, for the President had little time for family affairs, Suri watched over Rufus with Valarie, his mother. However, several years after his birth, Valarie suffered from health problems and passed away. Rufus was his best-friend, superior, and in a way, his son. "What are you starin' at?" Rufus tilted his head, looking at Suri dumbfounded.
         "Nothing," Suri mused, checking his watch again before looking out the window of his office. 6:21, and still no Remo.. the skies are really green today.. he thought. Our factory must be putting out more pollution than usual..
         Syla was infamous not only for Sinerta Inc, but also for it's skies, made green by pollution out of Sinerta's factories. Sinerta was the countries largest producer of every neccesity you might ever need. Besides food, and live animals, they made it all.
         All of these qualities made the vice-president of Sinerta Inc a very important, busy and stressful individual. And made his bodyguard even more vital, swamped and fatigued. Suri had to not only manage his Sretnuhs, but give advice and help the Rufus on company affairs, and escort him to speeches and other buisiness trips.
         Suri glanced at his watch again. 6:30. He sighed, and finally decided to give in, flicking his cellphone open and turning it on, it informed him that he had one missed call, from Remo around 5:40. Calling in sick Remo? Suri thought, but shrugged it off, he would give him another half an hour. Looking back to Rufus, he saw that the youth had passed out on the couch, his seventh bottle of vodka still in hand.
         Restraining his urge to yawn, he stood up, and walked over to Rufus, plucking the alcoholic beverage from the teen's hand, he placed it on his desk. He kneeled to pull a spare blanket out from underneath the couch, and lay it across the sleeping boy. That done, he returned to his chair to ponder about Rufus.
         The young boy had never gotten along with his father as a boy should, but rather had a more, business relationship with him. President Jordon however, had no problem disiplining Rufus and telling him what he did wrong. Suri could hardly stand the president, and it was everything he could do to leave Rufus alone with him. Last night hadn't been too bad for him though, and the boy managed to come out with only a small bruise on his cheek. Suri didn't know how Lythadane could do this. Say she cared about him, but not take him away from this man that had caused him so much pain. If Lythadane was indeed a godess, didn't she have more than enough power? There was something wrong there..
         Eyeing up the shot on his desk, he decided against it, and instead dialed Remo's cellphone number, it was nearly seven o'clock and he should be-
         "Yeah, boss?" Remo answered, out of breath and a little shook up.
         "I swear Remo, if you don't have a very good reason for being late-"
         "I'm... - i'm on my way," and with that he hung up.