《Stolen Face》


 EPISODE 1: THE BLOODY MURDER

    The icy cold water pinched my rosy cheeks as I washed my face in the sink. The rumbling sound of the water calmed my nerves before I do this one little job again. I wiped the mirror in front of me, seeing my strange reflection. It seemed like I have never seen this person before. I was bewitched by my light brown almond eyes and small, pointed nose. The longer I stared at my angularly stark jawlines, the more I realized it was not really me. Was I overreacting? Perhaps imagining things? Oh yes, maybe. It''s been like forever since I have observed my face. My wet, black hair fell messily on my shoulder.


    Just don''t mind the water Jyno, focus!


    As I turned the faucet off, I wiped my face with a face towel, hanging on a steel bar where I put my monochromatic dried clothes. I didn''t wear anything colorful, just either plain white or black.


    "This is it. Time for work!"


    As I got dressed in my blue denim jacket and tattered pants, I prepared my weapons using my leather gloves on a brown table, beside my bed inside my small room. My phone rang. I picked it up and answered it. "Yes hello, this is Jyno Custodio."


    "Jyno, are you ready? The target''s going to leave his house at around 9 pm," said by a man with a hoarse voice. He was Mr. Kim, my longtime mentor. Actually, I have never seen his face before. Every time I went to his hideouts, I just talk to him through a screen, with an avatar of him. I didn''t even know his real name. I just called him Mr. Kim and that''s fine with me. I didn''t care as long as he pays me.


    "Yeah, actually I am getting heated with my guns and ammo here, just what you had told me in your specifications."


    "I want him dead! D-E-A-D! you hear me, kid?"


    "Of course, don''t worry, I will cap his ass and finish him off." I chortled. My Caliber 50 Desert Eagle pistols were loaded, and I also have a knife with me, hidden under my jacket just in case an unexpected incident happens. Ready to go!


    The cold breeze that blew in a misty January night, made me shiver as I drove my black sedan on this countryside road here in San Bartolome, a town here in the Philippines. I ignited my cigarette in order to keep me warm. The pleasure I felt was like a smoldering ash touching my tongue and my lips.


    Forty-five minutes have passed, and I have arrived at the target''s place. It was a small house, bungalow type, located beside a river. There were no gates and no lookouts, just a plain house. It was quite far from the residential. Despite this, there were streetlights and some security camera at a non-cemented, muddy road between rice fields about 50 meters away.


    I got off my car, threw my cigarette and crashed it with my left foot. Entering the house, I noticed that it was strangely open. It was poorly-lit inside. Well, I could say the only source of light was the rented disco ball lights on the ceiling. I saw drunk people laying on the floor, couples making out on sofa sets, graffitis on the wall, drugs and empty bottles of liquors scattered anywhere. My phone on my pants vibrated. I picked and answered it. Again, it was Mr. Kim ordering me to give me a signal. Hearing those punk music irritated my ears, distracting my concentration.


    I could say that I got used to smelling cigarette smoke, but this house had a diverse kind of awful smell. Well, awful could be an understatement. I couldn''t distinguish the smell. Maybe that was a combination of cigarettes, drugs, cheap perfumes, human musk, and other putrid smell.


    Damn! What were even those?


    Going back, I updated him with my current location. "I am already here at the party," I said, covering my mouth with my hands.


    "Okay, talk to him in a private room and give him the weed," Mr. Kim replied.


    "Alright, I''ll do it now just like what you''ve said."


    "After you have given the weed, kill him and take the money!"


    "Whatever you say." I hung up.


    Pacing down the messy house, I looked for the boss of the house. I was so shocked to see the drunk and wasted people looking at me. I thought they were just under the influence of alcohol and drugs, but their bloodshot stares were eerie and disturbing. The red, dilated eyes, the moans, the groans, and sharp stares sent chills to my spine, enough to tell me that I should join them. I was weirdly enticed. I wanted to join them actually due to my extreme curiosity. It was like they were in another dimension of pure bliss, with no problems in life.


    As I was reciprocating their hypnotic stares, I was disrupted when I heared a moan¡ªa disgusting moan. It was like the person was gagged, choked, or something.


    Turning around, I saw my target, sitting on the sink, making out with a buff, quarterback college boy standing before him. The target was a fat, scruffy man with dreadlocks on his hair. He wore a pink lose shirt like a 90s rapper, paired with tight leggings and pink rubber shoes. Weird, isn''t it? His tall bodyguards in black suit were standing like mannequins near them.


    I coughed, giving him a signal. He gently pushed the boy and went down from the sink. "Are you the one who was sent by Mr. Kim to give me those weeds?" he asked, his voice was kind of high-pitched, contrary to his figure.


    "Yes Boss de Leon, I''m Cuagoh, his apprentice."


    I know it was cliche, a hired killer like me had an alias like that. Gross. Mr. Kim chose "Cuagoh" for me because like an owl, I worked at night, and I always wore black clothes. We needed to do this to hide our identities.


    "Ooh, youthful. I like that!" he winked, scanning me from head to crotch.


    Licking the roof of his black lips, he continued, "What are you waiting for? Give me the weeds!" he ordered like he was my boss.


    "Chill! Money first. Then maybe we could talk somewhere else... private." I grinned.


    "Jayson, the briefcase?" he demanded. One of his bodyguards handed him a black briefcase, where I assumed had the money I asked for.


    We entered a room located near the kitchen. Somehow, the room looked normal, brightly lit. Pink wallpapers covered the walls. The floor was made up of shiny tiles. Surprisingly, it was clean, with a big bed in the right corner, wrapped with a pink floral bedsheet. Beside the bed, there was a small table with a flower vase and boxes of condoms on top. There was also a separate comfort room on the left corner. Unlike the living room and the kitchen, the room smelled so fragrant. I am not good with identifying flower scents, but I guess it was rose. I didn''t know; totally not sure.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Why is this room so clean?" I asked, scanning the room.


    He laughed. "This room is really intended for prostitution services. I just designed this room in order to make it more calming," he said, caressing my shoulders.


    "Here lies sins and deception, in spite of its good and fine appearance," he added, gluing his eyes on me as if I was a mouth-watering delicacy. He even groped my biceps.


    "You have the looks, why don''t you just work for me, and ditch Mr. Kim? I will triple the money."


    I raised a brow and replied sarcastically, "Let''s see, but you should make me feel comfortable here."


    He ordered some men to get a drink, and he asked me to sit on the bed. I put my hand in my pocket and got the drugs¡ªa green, mashed leaf in a sachet.


    "This is the weed. Give me the money now." I sneered.


    "Whoa! Chill. Maybe we could talk a little bit longer. I ordered my men to get some vodka." He tried to touch my chest, but I slapped his hand.


    He scoffed. "Down boy. I have men inside this house. It could get really ugly if you continue that attitude of yours."


    "I am sorry, but I have to go," I uttered standing up. He pushed me back, and I stumbled on the bed.


    "Wait, you look so anxious. Just chill for a while, and think about my offer. Trust me; you will like my company more." He placed his fingers on my knee and drew circles repeatedly.


    "Trust?" I scoffed.


    Squinting my eyes in a glare, I continued, "That''s the thing that I don''t possess. You are mistaken!"


    "Oh, please. Don''t be so scary now. I know you would like me better," he said as he gently placed his hands on my legs.


    I stood, pulling my desert eagle together with the silencer and pointed it to him


    "Wait, what was that? Put it down! I am warning you. Put it down!" he stood, panicking. He walked backwards towards the door. His face was in full terror upon seeing the gun went near him. I walked a few inches further until the gun''s lips kissed his forehead.


    "Now, you are doomed! You shouldn''t have trusted me, you sex maniac! Do you think that I will leave Mr. Kim just for you?"


    "H-he-hey! Do you think that if you killed me you''ll get away with this? No! I have my men outside, and they will hunt you!"


    "Do whatever you want. It doesn''t matter. I am just doing this just what Mr. Kim had told me... Any death wish?"


    Without any hesitation, I pulled the trigger of my gun, and the bullet struck to his skull in a matter of seconds. His skull cracked and exploded. With blood flowing like a dam from his head, his fat body followed and lay down on the floor like a paper pushed by the gentle breeze. The moment was so surreal, riveting I guess. I was enthralled by the effects of blood stains like a stream of a river flowing on the nearby carpet. I saw his yellowish brain splatter to pieces into the wall with blood stains on it.


    Wiping the blood on my face, I paused. I smiled quietly and looked at his lifeless body. My eyes rolled in delight. I didn''t need drugs. This was way more addicting than any form of those devil''s powder. If you think that butterflies in the stomach were just for those corny, disgusting romance stuff, you were definitely wrong. I felt like my spirit was wondering in an unfathomable endless road of absolute euphoric feeling. No amount of money or any human pleasure holes could match this feeling I felt right at this moment. I didn''t care what people would say or if someday cops would catch me. I just truly enjoyed this moment.


    As I was trying to get the briefcase, I was interrupted by a deep voice.


    "Sir, here is your..."


    Shit! A young man walked in. I was not able to recognize his features, but I was sure he was young like me, around 20-24 years of age, wearing a school uniform. My eyes rolled, and I looked at him shocked, with a little bit of anger and disappointment. He also stared at me the same way I did.


    Who the fuck was he? Why did I feel very weird? There was something in him that I didn''t understand. He captivated my realm of interest in the most disturbing way. I was thunderstruck. He was more than a devil for tormenting me with just a matter of seconds. Was he the human form of conscience? No! Definitely not.


    "You! You killed him!" he exclaimed as he pointed his finger at me.


    He dropped the tray and ran. I was still stuck at the moment, frozen. The hands of time stopped ticking. I couldn''t move a single joint. After a few seconds, I finally managed to snap back to my senses. He was planning to call the cops I guess.


    As I ran into the living room where the party was going on, I was dumbfounded to see that there were no people anymore. There were only boxes of cigarettes, empty beer and liquor bottles in the messy living room¡ªremnants of a party I never had. I couldn''t describe how messy the place was, maybe because my head was messier at that time. Were the cops outside? Have they gone here in just that matter of time? No fucking way!


    Instead of wondering where they were, I focused my attention on that guy who witnessed the crime. I got out of the house, and I saw him running along the trail, between rice fields.


    Oh no! He was going to the nearest phone booth at the end of the trail, going to the main highway. I ran as fast as I could. He was panting at that moment, and he was slowing down. There was a sudden, intense release of adrenaline on me like a gasoline burning down my veins. I had enough energy to catch him.


    Stumbling him down, I pinned him on the ground and grappled him really hard.


    "What did you see? What the fuck did you see?" I yelled.


    He groaned. "Nothing! I just saw Boss de Leon''s dead body, lying on the floor."


    "Don''t you ever dare to call the cops, or else I will rip your tongue and blow your motherfucking brains off."


    "Do you really think that you can get away with this? Don''t fool yourself, Jyno. They will hunt you! Even if you kill me, they will still hunt you!"


    "How did you know my name? Who are you?" I yelled, grabbing his collar.


    Laughing boisterously, he spat on my face. I held his arms tight as I punched him repeatedly. He groaned. I could feel the intensity of his groans as I punched him more and more. His lips exploded as blood spurt out from his bleeding mouth. Some of his teeth flew in the thin air.


    Feeling tired, I pulled my knife from my jacket, just what I had prepared and pointed it on his throat


    "Go! What are you waiting for? Kill me." his voice was muffled, gurgling in blood.


    I trembled at that time, stuck again. Why couldn''t I do it? Why was he difficult to kill? Who was this person? If I didn''t kill him, I would get caught or get killed as well. War of thoughts fusilladed my head, and I felt like I was going to become crazy. No, I was going to become crazier.


    I couldn''t think straight anymore. All of a sudden, he punched me. I had no idea where the hell he got that strength after being beaten almost to death. I stumbled. With the sudden turn of tables, I was now the one who was pinned down. He held my arms and punched me repeatedly. I got lucky to pick up a knife and unintentionally stabbed him on his thigh. His thigh was not really my target. But what should I do? I had to save myself.


    "Ahh!" he shouted in pain.


    Retracting, he crawled away from me. The knife impaled his skin deeply, rupturing his veins. Blood flowed excessively like a stormy river. I mustered my strength and stood. I picked up my gun and shot him in his ankle to stop him from crawling.


    He screamed in pain¡ªa pain that was very unexplainable. A pain you could not imagine where the hell came from. He cried and wailed loudly. I strode up to his front and saw his tears as the light from the nearby street light lit his white, pale skin.


    "Please! Do not kill me! Please, I am begging you!"


    The fierce guy who was threatening me a while ago became a tame sheep begging for his life. Without any word, I pulled the knife from his thigh abruptly. I know it was very painful for him. He screamed and cried. His voice was bone-chilling like a roar of the lion accompanied by the trembling of the thunder. As I picked the knife, I flipped him over, and I stabbed him in the chest. Blood squirted to my face and my jacket. I was not contented in doing that. Gritting my teeth and grinning, I stabbed it about five to seven times more. Faster. Harder. Deeper.


    When I saw his ripped off chest, with some rib and chest bones coming out from his skin like a wild carcass, I stopped. I couldn''t hear his voice. He was dead. I knew it.


    This was the first time I killed a person as gruesome as this. I didn''t normally use melee weapons to kill persons my clients wanted me to kill. Usually, the process was fast. This time, it was very different. I felt that my entire body was the one who killed him, instead of just my sinful, hired hands. He was only an innocent guy working for that fat fuck. But a sudden thought came to my mind. What was he doing on that house? He must have been a good student. One couldn''t be able to really imagine that he was also a drug dealer. His angelic face contradicted it all.


    I decided to check his pocket thinking that I might see something relevant to his identity. I saw his wallet and his ID. I was so shocked knowing that he was studying at the same school I used to study.


    And his name was Aldrian Franco.

 EPISODE 2: Bitter Agony

    Aldrian Franco.


    Who was this guy? Why did he end up in Boss de Leon''s crack house?


    Looking at his lifeless body, I started to feel guilty, a feeling which I hadn''t experience in years. I couldn''t even remember what type of emotion that was. Was that even on my system? I did not know what exactly happened. I had been smacked in the heart¡ªwith an unknown sword coming from his almond eyes the moment I saw him in standing in that room. I felt like something has been wired in my entire body.


    His dead eyes and blood-bathing body reminded me of how heartless I was¡ªhow monstrous I had become. He was not even a part of the plan. I was just instructed to give the weed to Mr. de Leon and kill him. Nothing more, nothing less.


    But what could I do? I had to escape, to survive. He was the sole eyewitness of the crime I had committed.


    For five years of being a hired killer, I never had any solid memory of having difficulty with my missions. They were all surprisingly easy. I had gone to the target''s place, played along with a little while, lured them using my charm, and boom¡ªkilled the target. The hands of luck were always by my side. Everything had gone so smooth, until this. Just because of this stupid, reckless, little prick, I had another problem that needed to be fixed.


    I also had no memories of my childhood. Having no parents, siblings or any family records, I was left alone with no identity. I didn''t even have a picture of my younger self. However, one thing I could remember was I ended up with my mentor, Mr. Kim. He was more than a teacher I guess. For all I knew, he was the one who taught me everything about being a killer; the one who made the beast inside me, and I couldn''t blame him for what he had done because he was the one who truly cared for me.


    That''s it. Enough with reminiscing about your dirty past, and start working.


    Before the cops came snooping at this place, I should have hidden his body. But how could I? Throw him in the river and let him get bitten by animals? No. I guess not. How about put him in my car and burn him at home? Hmm, no! Definitely, no. I needed to do this here, not anywhere. Making up my mind, which had been a tough decision, I dashed into the party house, rummaged around, and luckily, I found a shovel in the backyard. Gripping it tightly, I ran back to the body.


    I lifted him carefully as if we were newlyweds. I had removed his polo and wiped all the obvious blood patches on the ground. I made sure that his blood would not drip profusely on the ground. Damn, I looked so stupid! Doing that wouldn''t guarantee my safety. Of course, there would be bloodstains left on the ground, and the detectives could confirm that the blood belonged to Aldrian. Goodness! I despise detectives. Nevertheless, the most important thing on my mind was to hid his body and escape. As long as no one saw me or could prove my presence on the crime scene, I would be safe.


    Cleaning a crime scene was definitely not my thing.


    I walked down the rocky, muddy trail going to the woods about a few meters away from the rice fields. I felt the heavy, slimy mud grappling my legs as I tottered continuously. Reaching the dark woods, I heard indistinct noises of animals and insects; the owls hooted, the crickets chirped, and the dogs howled. Thanks to the gibbous moon, I was able to see some portion of the forest grounds.


    When I dropped his body slowly on the ground, I dug a wide pit for I didn''t know how deep, making sure not any of his body parts would be exposed just in case it rained, and the soil eroded or something.


    "Right. Let''s end it here, Aldrian," I mumbled. Then, I held the shovel up to the air, mustering some strength and smacked him right into his face. The crisp sound of his facial bones broken made my nape hairs stood.


    Afterward, I pushed his body to the pit and started covering his immediate grave with the soil I had gathered on the side. As I shove the soil into the pit, I gazed intently into every part of his body. When only his face was yet to be covered, I paused, breathing heavily. A few seconds later, I heard a soft, forced moan. Turning my head sideward, I tried to look for the moan''s location. Is there someone out there? Perhaps another witness? Gritting my teeth and blinking my eyes quickly, I noticed that it was from the pit, down below. I looked down into it, and I saw his face¡ªwith patches of muddy soil, grimacing in pain. My eyes grew large when he spoke, his voice was almost inaudible, but it traveled into my ears. "Save me... Please, save me."


    Shocked with what had happened, I rubbed my eyes hard and shook my head. "How could you... No. You cannot be alive. Aldrian Franco, just die!" I screamed, falling off¡ªmy butt thumped to the forest ground.


    My mind shut down, darkness populating my entire head. I was not able to think straight at that time, for all I cared was to escape. Why was he still alive? He must be related to cats or something. I was furious, shrugging the guilt I had felt a while ago.


    Aldrian Franco must die.


    Without hesitation, I grabbed the shovel again and gathered my strength. With my trembling hands, I shove down the soil more and more, hearing the rumbling sound of the big piles of soil as they covered his entire face, his entire body, and eventually his grave. I screamed for how long I couldn''t remember. When I got finished, I felt my whole energy was drained. I was panting so hard, and sweats came out profusely on every single pore of my body.


    "You did good, Jyno. Certainly, he is dead. No need to worry," I uttered, tapping my chest.


    I took the shovel, ran back into my car, and drove away from that horrendous nightmare.


    ~~?~~


    When I got to my house, I quickly went to the shower to wash my whole body. The cold water nipped my skin, calming my nerves. After that, I went to the sink and washed my clothes. His blood lingered for too long. Just like him, his blood was very stubborn, leeching into every thread of my jacket and pants. An idea popped out to my mind. Cleaning the evidence was not enough. I had to do something. So then, I went outside my small backyard, with a small, empty water drum, a lighter, and a bottle of kerosene.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Burning my clothes and his clothes were necessary to get rid of any evidence. Although I knew this might not be enough, at least the possibility to be listed as one of the suspects would be reduced. As the black smoke from the drum clouded into the mid-air, I realized the severity of my sins. I knew for sure that I would have a throne for condemnation¡ªwhere that would be, I completely didn''t know. Seeing the blazing furnace, predating my denim jacket, tattered pants, and the boy''s school polo, I bid my last farewell to the young, innocent boy who had to die just for me to be saved¡ªI mean not like it was a heroic thing he did, but indirectly, it was.


    ~~?~~


    Ironically, sleeping for the first thirty minutes was surprisingly easy. I thought I would have a hard time dozing off like I used to have every time I had killed somebody. The ironic thing actually was my head felt hypnotized the moment it pecked my fluffy pillows. For a span of minutes, I got drowned into the immeasurable abyss of an unknown realm of pure relaxation and calmness. Apparently, I thought it would last a lifetime, yet I was wrong.


    Suddenly, I found myself riding in the backseat of a black SUV in the middle of the night, a woman who I couldn''t identify beside me. She was caressing my hair, and I was smiling at her. Then, there was music out of the blue. The chauffeur hummed to Mariah Carey''s Fantasy, and we followed. Honestly, I found it weird since I didn''t listen to RnB songs.


    Then there went the lyrics, "Images of rupture creep into me slowly, as you go into my head."


    Before we could continue, we were struck by a flash of an intense beam of light coming on our way. The woman screamed...


    Then, I woke up.


    The beam of light was actually from the sun, reflecting in my window, pinching my eyes. I squinted to adjust my eyesight. I grabbed my phone on top a mini-closet beside my bed. Oh great! I just had 40 missed calls, and 28 text messages, all of those were from Mr. Kim. I didn''t know that my strange dream took about almost 8 hours in the real world. It was 9 a.m. already.


    My phone rang. Of course, it was Mr. Kim again, making his 41st attempt to call me. This time, he succeeded. When I answered the phone, I expected him to scream or reprimand me, but he didn''t. His voice was undeniably calm, even calmer than before, which I found extremely strange.


    "Where are you?" he asked.


    I yawned; my voice was like a water buffalo mooing in the meadows. "At home. Why?"


    "You fool. Come here right now. We have a very important thing to talk about."


    "Okay. I''ll be there." I sighed.


    He didn''t have to tell me all the details. I knew what this would be all about¡ªthe death of Aldrian Franco.


    ~~?~~


    When I arrived at our hideout here in an abandoned warehouse, somewhere in Laguna, I saw guards shaking head, their eyes mocking me. I shrugged my shoulders, ignoring them. When the gate was opened, I entered and walked in the stone courtyard. I saw other sets of guards, bouncer-like physiques holding their rifles while guarding the area. Some even roamed around, checking every portion of the vicinity¡ªsteel gates with barbwire, tall, cemented fences with electric wires on top and a small garden area at the back of the warehouse. I cleared my throat upon reaching the entrance of the warehouse. There was this specific guard sitting at the table, who seemed to be an outlier among those I had seen a while ago. Standing five feet flat, the scrawny brunette with long, black beard scanned me head to foot. He always wore his leather jacket and jeans. Don''t be fooled. He may seem like an ordinary, hermit-looking hag, but his grip was a match to the constriction of pythons. In a matter of seconds, he could break your bones like a twig, no matter how big you were.


    "Hey Halas, how are you?" I grinned, raising my hand in a high-five.


    He scoffed. "Mr. Kim seems unhappy. You better do your job right, Cuagoh."


    "Okay, okay. Now, let me enter."


    Shaking his head, he pressed a red button on the wall beside the wide, steel door. The door levered upward, opened. I walked slowly inside. It was pitch-black dark, and I couldn''t see anything. Then, a hundred-inch television screen pinned by the wall turned on, showing Mr. Kim''s avatar¡ªa cartoonish figure with curly dreadlocks and a beige skin color. Then, the cyan incandescent lamps on the ceiling turned on.


    My jaws gaped when I realized that I was not alone. I saw a group of guards standing in a full circle, surrounding me. The intense cyan light from the lamps flashing on their bodies.


    "Jyno, report to me everything that happened to de Leon''s crack house," Mr. Kim ordered.


    Biting my lips, my hawkish eyes darted sideways. "Err, as you know, I have killed Boss de Leon... and err."


    Damn! I was stuttering. I wasn''t able to get the money because of Aldrian, that stupid prick.


    "Is that all?" he asked.


    "Yeah, that''s all," I replied, looking down.


    "Jyno, you are a terrible liar." he sniggered. All of a sudden, the screen turned black, and I noticed the deriding stares of the set of guards surrounding me.


    A few seconds later, the screen turned on again, I saw a news report, about the crime I committed last night. There was a news anchor in a daily morning news show reporting about the murder incident in San Bartolome. The scene changed into an aerial view of the woods, then to a field reporter talking about the murder of a son of a business tycoon here in the Philippines. There were cops and detectives snooping around the same place where I stabbed Aldrian Franco to death. There was this yellow crime tape surrounding the perimeter, saying, "Do not enter."


    Crime Forensic Officers, all in white laboratory gowns and boots were around the vicinity, rummaging for blood patches and probably swabs in the muddy ground. The scene jumped into an interview in a half-split screen, between the news anchor and the field reporter. I felt a slight static in my head, traveling from my ears up to the back of my head, but I still listened.


    "So Steve, are there any leads about the suspect?"


    "Yes Michael, there is one. Luckily, the suspect was captured in one of these surveillance cameras hidden above the light posts. As you can you, it was a man, standing around 6 feet tall, wearing a black denim jacket and tattered pants but in this shot, his face was hardly seen because of the side angle."


    "Are there any other footage?"


    "The police are trying their best to look for another footage. We are hoping for a better angle to have a better image of the suspect."


    My eyes grew large, and my mouth was left dropping in extreme shock. Then, the scene changed into Mr. Kim''s avatar again.


    "What have you done, Cuagoh? Didn''t you know who Aldrian Franco is?"


    I was not able to answer him right away. I felt like my lungs were rejecting every particle of air I tried to breathe in. My heart felt like it was going to explode any minute. I had never felt extremely anxious and nervous before because those concepts were not even in my vocabulary.


    "No. I didn''t know him," I answered, my voice barely audible.


    "I am very disappointed to you, Cuagoh. You are not like this. Whatever happened to a competent hitman I know? I just instructed you one simple job¡ªAldrian Franco is not included in your mission."


    He paused for a while, then he continued, "Anyways, I have sent my men to take care of all the footage in the area. For now, you are safe; but know this, Aldrian''s family won''t take this case very lightly."


    "What should I do then?"


    "Are you going to follow all of my orders from now on?"


    I didn''t respond. I was still dumbfounded by the huge waves of what just happened.


    "Aldrian''s family is not an easy opponent... Dr. Lim, please enter," Mr. Kim said out of nowhere.


    I got confused. Why did he call a doctor? The screen turned pitch black, and the guards broke the circle pattern. Suddenly, a woman, around mid-40s walked down towards me. She wore a white laboratory gown, grey pants, and a pair of flat shoes.


    "Hello. I am Dr. Celine Lim. Nice to meet you, Jyno," she greeted. She smiled, offering her hand in a handshake.


    I scanned her from head, down to her nameplate on her right chest. I was shocked when I read her nameplate fully, having a quite sense of trepidation. Then, the nameplate said,


    "Celine Lim, M.D. Department of Plastic Surgery."

 EPISODE 3: New Face

    My initial reaction was actually¡ªwhat?


    I actually had thoughts regarding what could happen but I just shoved those away and asked Mr. Kim about her.


    "What is this? What is a plastic surgeon doing in here?"


    Mr. Kim laughed at a seemingly ridiculous question for him. "I know that you know the answer, Jyno. Why else would I call for a plastic surgeon?"


    I stepped back and shook my head. "No, no! This is ridiculous. I''d rather be high in weed!"


    "Aren''t you already¡ªfor killing the son of a powerful business icon? You said that you will listen to me. Think properly, Jyno! This is the only way out!" Mr. Kim yelled.


    Being semi-glued on my place, I wasn''t really able to think straight. I suddenly got nervous in a way. He was right! Even if I hide in the most isolated corner of this country, with the technology nowadays, I''m sure that Aldrian''s family could find me. Spending millions would be just a walk in the park for them just to track me down.


    "So, tell me straight, what am I supposed to do now?"


    The doctor stepped up and answered, "Simple. We will just recreate your face¡ªchange everything."


    "Simple? Well for you, that is simple," I shaded.


    Dr. Celine raised her thin tattooed brow as she wandered her eyes in my face, which made me conscious. "Hmm, your face is easy to recreate."


    I scoffed and placed my hands on my pocket, "I would take that as a compliment." I looked up at the monitor and asked Mr. Kim again. "Why are you doing this? This is my own problem; I don''t want you to waste your time worrying about my shit."


    "Don''t you realize that this move is like hitting two birds in one stone, if successful? You will be saved, and this whole gig will be out of danger as well. We could continue our operations without you causing any trouble."


    My forehead wrinkled in confusion, "Wait, what? What does that mean?"


    "You heard me right, Jyno. After your surgery, you will no longer be running errands with our group."


    "Mr. Kim, is that the only way? This organization is like a home to me. I can''t leave you and the guys for good!" I protested.


    "Jyno, we don''t have much time! As much as I want to, I really wish to keep you by our side. You have done so much effort in this family. But, I have to do this to save all of us... If you really are concern with us, do as I say."


    I dipped my head and closed my eyes for a few seconds. I started thinking all the possibilities and consequences of this big move. This was not an easy decision to make. My face¡ªwould I just change it in order to escape this mistake I made? What if I met my true parents someday? How are they going to recognize me? But somehow, Mr. Kim was right. This organization treated me as family, and I have to protect it.


    I faced the monitor again and exhaled heavily. "Fine. I agree¡ªfor the family. So, when are we going to do this?"


    "As soon as we leave this warehouse," Dr. Lim answered.


    "That fast?"


    "Yes. Time is ticking, Jyno. Any moment from now, the Franco family might find you," smiled Dr. Lim.


    Mr. Kim added, "It was a pleasure working with you, Jyno."


    As Mr. Kim said his words of farewell, Dr. Lim signaled me to go at the back of the warehouse. When we went out, I saw a cobalt-blue sedan with a sticker in front saying, "The doctor is on call."


    "Shall we?" Dr. Lim asked.


    I just nodded and entered the car. As we were cruising down the length of the infamous traffic-congested avenue in Manila, I asked her something out of my curiosity which I held for hours. "Why did you agree with this? You are helping a criminal like me. Is it because of money?"


    "Why do you care? Jyno, I am not here to do some chit-chats about my personal life."


    I frowned and crossed my arms, looking away from the shady bitch-ass lady. Hours had passed by before we finally arrived at our destination. The orange color resurfaced on the blue sky, as dusk took over the noon time. The car stopped in front of a salon, which was about to close.


    "Get down," commanded Dr. Lim with her icy tone.


    I opened the car door and descended.


    "Get in the salon," she added.


    What the hell are we doing here anyway? I thought it is my face that will be recreated, not my hair or something.


    Without saying anything, I just followed her inside the salon. The attendants inside greeted her as they swept the floors full of fallen hairs. Some even stole lustful glances to me as if it was their first time seeing a tall, fit guy.


    Dr. Lim opened the door at the far end of the salon with a key card and some pass codes, and I followed her inside. When she opened the lights, I was surprised to see a big room with a small, white surgical bed at the center with a surgical light head on top of it. Posters of the human systems stood at easels, which were strange. Various medical apparatus, laboratory equipment which I was not familiar, were also around the room. It looked like one of those laboratories in movies owned by mad scientists, where the main character infiltrates and takes the antidote or something. This salon was entirely a front!


    "Sit down at that bed while I brief you," Dr. Lim instructed.


    She resumed, "Welcome to my current base of operation. This is where I take special clients like you." She paced around the room as she oriented me about the upcoming operation.


    "Alright, usually, before we perform surgical procedures to patients, we conduct a psychological assessment first to determine their mental status in terms of handling the result of the surgery. Knowing your job, I know that your psychology is indeed not in the same level with the normal, law-abiding citizens. But since we don''t have much time and Mr. Kim wants you to do this procedure ASAP, we will skip that."The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Okay. I have to do this for my family and for myself. I know this is wrong but¡ª" I sighed. "¡ªnever mind."


    "I have studied your facial features already while we were at the warehouse. Also, your front photos that Mr. Kim sent me through e-mail were also helpful."


    She continued, "Before I forget, this one would somehow be a risky procedure since I was not able to monitor your food and water intake for the last twenty-four hours. All I could do is to examine your basic vital signs."


    That made me think for a while. They wanted to do this to me ASAP but then again, it was risky. I felt like walking on tightrope, balancing between life and death.


    "Can''t we just do this tomorrow or two days from now?"


    "I don''t think so. We''re running out of time. I will explain to you in a more detailed way later. Yes, it is risky but trust me, I did not had my specialization in Europe just to kill a patient."


    Her words of assurance and encouragement settled my beating heart for awhile. I guess death would have a higher chance to get me if we did not do this today.


    "Do you currently take any medicines?" she asked.


    "Uh, yes. I do take some anti-depressants and sleeping pills. I am always bugged with the same nightmare almost every night."


    "Hmm, okay. I will just examine you later." she lifted a brow and walked closer to me, locking her slitty eyes to mine. "Are you ready to say goodbye to your face?"


    With wrinkled forehead and narrowed yes, I nodded. "Yes."


    "Good. Now, let''s start." she walked to a closet, put her lab gown on and surgical mask. She washed her hands on the sink and wore a pair of gloves in her hand. Technically, she prepared the whole room by turning on some medical apparatus and prepared all equipment needed to examine my vital signs such as my weight, height, blood pressure, etc. She even took some blood for me and did some tests on it. The pre-surgical procedure felt like half a day for me. I was starting to feel sleepy because of my idle, limited movements.


    "All your vital signs are normal. We will formally start. I will apply anesthesia to you." she injected a colorless chemical via a long syringe in my forearm. After a few minutes, I felt groggy; the entire room was shaking slowly in my vision, which was slowly fading away.


    After a few minutes, boom! It was pure-black darkness.


    Actually, I felt like I was not really asleep for the first few minutes. I could feel the weight of my body on the bed; I could hear the beeping sound of my heart monitor, and lastly, before my final senses vanish into the deep, black dimension, I felt Dr. Lim drawing circles around my eyes, nose, lips, and chin.


    ~~?~~


    After some time I didn''t know how long, I managed to wake up from my deep sleep. The moment I opened my eyes, all I could see were faint colors of the room, from the thin threads of the bandage in the windows of my sight, covering not just my eyes, my entire face as well. The energy that was mine when I was awake seemed to be almost non-existent in my current condition. I was fighting the powerful prowess of the anesthetic side-effect. I felt like a vegetable, being cooked for I could hardly move any part of my body. Every part of my body felt heavy. All I could do was to grunt, hoping that someone was around.


    "Jyno¡ªare you awake?" it was Dr. Lim''s voice.


    I grunted again, giving a positive response.


    "You are experiencing the post-effects of the anesthetics. It''s normal. Regarding the bandage, I will remove that after about two to three days in order for your wounds to heal."


    I did not respond for I should just save my energy. Apart from muscle aches and grogginess, the piercing pain of my face was the one which kept me from talking. Every portion of my face hurt. I felt like my eyes were going to bulge out and fall off my skull, the same with my nose, cheeks and jaws.


    "Let''s watch TV so that you''ll not be bored while lying there," suggested Dr. Lim.


    When she opened the TV, the news regarding the updates of Aldrian''s murder welcomed my ears. I heard Dr. Lim tittered, "What a coincidence!"


    "¡ªa shocking update from this case, John. Aldrian Franco is not dead!"


    What? He''s not? How could that be after all what I have done to him? My mind was actually experiencing too much turmoil because of what I just heard.


    Dr. Lim teased, "Good for you! At least he is alive. Your charges will be lowered, just in case you were caught. But that won''t happen!"


    Honestly, I didn''t know what to feel. I couldn''t fathom if I should be rejoicing right now or I should be more fearful and careful now that the boy that I tried to kill was still alive. The moment he recovers, I am sure that he won''t stop; he will turn the whole country upside down just to get me.


    Changing my face would not save me absolutely from his deep-hell wrath, knowing his connections and all. What if suddenly this woman, Dr. Lim sell me out? What if she reveals everything to them in exchange for some money? Damn! What is this thing that I am into now? Why did I haven''t think of that before?


    "Are you worried that Aldrian might find you?" asked Dr. Lim.


    She continued, "Don''t worry, Jyno. It won''t happen. The reason why I agreed with this surgery is not money-related."


    I listened again to the news.


    "Police officials have confirmed that the son of the business tycoon, Eduardo Franco, is still alive," said the reporter.


    "Everyone thought that he was dead already, but when he was brought to the hospital for autopsy, the pathologist was shocked to discover that his pulse was beating, but very very weak." a police official said.


    "John, the real reason of this was still unknown, but the scientific and the religious community are still in an ongoing debate about this. But whatever the result was, one thing is for sure: Aldrian Franco is alive. Whether by science or divine intervention, it is still a huge mystery. This is Devin Jacinto reporting."


    Then the TV was turned off.


    "That''s it for today, I guess. Take your rest. You need to save your remaining energy," said Dr. Lim.


    ~~?~~


    Days had passed by terribly slow. Every minute, every hour was a low-key condemnation for me. Sleeping was supposed to be a luxurious thing for others, but in my case, it was a torture device which prolonged the pain that I was feeling.


    Finally, after enduring all of these tormenting pain, Dr. Lim decided to remove the bandage. I was excited and nervous at the same time. What would I look like?


    She started from the back of my head and continued peeling down to my chin. After all the bandages were removed, I opened my eyes slowly, squinting and adjusting to the new element perceived by my eyes¡ªlight.


    When everything started to become clear, I saw Dr. Lim''s fingers flashing before me. "Can you recognize me?" I nodded. I looked around and realized that I was in a strange hospital room. It seemed like a hotel for there were elegant tables and sofa on my right, golden curtains by the window and a thick, maroon carpet on the ground, a wide flat screen television and a big fridge. There were also nurses standing on two sides of the door, perhaps waiting for me to ask anything I want.


    "Where am I?" I asked, with a little bit of panic inside me.


    "You are in a hospital, obviously," Dr. Lim rolled her eyes.


    "Yes, I know but what are all of these? What the fuck is going on in here? I am confused!" I started writhing and yelling. The nurses went to me and grabbed my arms.


    "Let go or I will kill you!"


    "Calm down, will you? If you want this to be finished, you better hold your raging lions inside you. I am warning you," Dr. Lim scolded, pointing her fingers to me.


    I tried calming down and avoided her glare. I cocked my head towards the nurse on my left who was wearing glasses. When my eyes had a brief landing on her glasses, I saw a strange reflection. My eyebrows folded in a frown as my eyes narrowed down in uncertainty. Unsure about what I just saw, I asked Dr. Lim to give me a mirror.


    "Mirror. Give me a mirror!" I demanded.


    "Will you please leave us for a moment?" she ordered the nurses, and the two walked out of the room.


    "Here. Look at your new face in the mirror," she smirked, handling the thing that I wanted.


    Holding the mirror with my quivering hands, I slowly raised my arms as I flashed the mirror at my chin. It was shorter now, then to my jawline which was not as prominent as mine before. Before the moment of truth, I dropped the mirror down my lap and talked to Dr. Lim first.


    "What? Something bothering you?" she sneered.


    I closed my eyes and sighed, preparing myself for the new revelations on my look. With full courage, I raised the mirror again and gazed directly to my whole face.


    "So, how do you like your new face?" Dr. Lim asked, grinning.


    The mirror dropped on the floor and crashed. I glowered straight into her eyes, cursing her, lips shaking in rage.


    "You... what have you done, you psychopath?"