And he stopped moving.
I sucked in a few gasp of air as I screamed at the top of my lungs on the roof top. I held onto his lifeless body and cried while feeling and looking for the scar my fingers felt.
Brushing aside his hair, I saw it.
It’s not a scar.
It’s an old tattoo. A similar one that Rachel had. The letter R.
I felt as if my life just rewind itself as images and memories from my childhood flashed back into my head.
The sudden change in the family’s finances. The sudden increased in pay and responsibility at the factory.
He was working for the Rajahs long before he became one of them.
His attitude of never backing down, his fucking stubbornness of refusing treatment.
I could hear Elmo shouting orders to his men after they brought Russell down.
Elmo : let’s clean up here and go….!!
Guo is no longer moving and I could feel a burn inside my throat as I looked at the men in front of me.
A part of me is gone.
A part of Jackson is dead along with my grandfather.
I laid my grandfather down gently and picked up the knife that he stabbed Guo with.
I sucked in a deep breath as I looked at Elmo and his band of Malu Malu in front of me.
I looked at them not with the eyes of a man but of that of an animal.
I could feel something primal emerge from inside me.
If there was a perfect soundtrack that could describe my state of mind right then, it would be Requiem for a dream.
Elmo looked at one of the Malus and his men started walking aggressively towards me.
Jackson : ARGHHHH!!!!
I went low, slid half a metre blocked his metal rod with my left arm as I stabbed him on the side of his calf, withdrew the knife, plunged it into his thigh, withdrew it and thrust the blade into his armpit before twisting it, flesh, muscles and all.
Holding onto the Malu that started to go into spasms I looked at Elmo and pushed the man down onto the ground and withdrew the knife.
Elmo looking at another guy, issuing a visual order and he ran towards me with a machete raised.
I dropped the dagger and picked up a 10 kg weight plate to block his downward slash before throwing the whole weight at him. He staggered backwards and I grabbed onto his arm, swing the machete outwards before twisting it from his grip.
He managed to hit it out of my grip before I could do any damage but being lighter and smaller size than me, I easily lifted him off the ground and threw him against a bench.
Before he could get back up, I grabbed a 5kg weight plate and smashed it into his face and he stopped moving immediately.
Walking back to pick up the knife, Elmo nodded his head at another of the Malus who circled the perimeter of the roof, running straight towards Rachel.
I doubled back and before he can get to Rachel, knocked him off balance with my entire body.
He would have struck me in the face with his metal rod if not for a injured Rajah on the ground holding onto him.
I stabbed the knife at his throat but he turned and struggled at the last moment, causing my blade to plunge into the side of his cheek instead.
The injured Rajah crawled and put the Malu in a chokehold , shouting and screaming until all movement ceased.
I got back on me feet and Elmo was gesturing to all his men to attack at once.
Elmo : finish them all….
Pointed the bloodied knife at Elmo, I gestured to the rest of the Malus.
Jackson : come…
There was some hesitation from the Malus before 2 moved towards me at the same time.
Both of them pulled a dagger each out from their pocket as they approached me cautiously.
I walked towards them and I parried one strikes each from the 2 of them before getting cut at the same time on my arm and chest.
The sting of the pain burned as I adopted a defensive stance I remembered from my lesson.
The Malu on the right struck first and his dagger found it’s target easily.
Jackson : arGNHHH!! ..
I left my left arm go numb as blood started to spill from my left shoulder and I swung my knife in a wide arc, keeping them back.
The Malus continued advancing and I slowly backed away, getting closer and closer to Rachel.
Elmo, seeing that the game is almost up, asked his men to make sure no one lives to tell the tale. Every Rajah on the roof must die. Put a knife into everyone just to be sure.
The Malu that stabbed me, assumed I was ripe for the kill and he came at me.
I ducked and grabbed his stabbing arm, putting it over my shoulder as I backed my body against his before slamming it down on my right shoulder and disarming him.
I would have gotten him if not for his friend who pulled him back and kicked me down at the same time.
I sprung back up with whatever energy I had left and swung wildly at them with the knife.
One of them tried to go for Rachel and I shielded her with my body. The stab went straight to where my heart was and I was reminded of the true function of my ribcage.
The blade cut into my chest alright but there’s no way such a force can penetrate the hard bones.
I grabbed onto his wrist and plunged my knife into his forearm.
Rachel finally recovered enough to swing a club against the head of the man I stabbed.
Clutching onto my wound, I could feel my vision starting to blur.
I must be going into shock from the lost of blood.
The other Malu, finally wise up and realised that coming too close is a bad idea.
He backed off and found a long metal bar. The one I was wielding earlier.
My phone started to buzz in my pants.
Someone is calling me.
The Malu was about to swing the bar at me when he suddenly fell face down and stopped moving.
I felt my body slumping to the side and Rachel was holding onto me.
Rachel : Jackson….Jackson !!
My vision became a little blur but I saw someone at the roof.
Someone has arrived.
And his arrival caused what appears to be panic and chaos among the Malus.
Perched on the parapet of Rajah holdings was a man.
Dressed entirely in black and wearing a mask.
He was squatting in a relaxed manner, resting his arms on his knees.
While his left hand is empty, his right was holding a Samurai sword.
Elmo and his men bunched together, giving this mysterious man a wide berth as they tried to organise themselves on the other side of the roof.
Before they could get things in order, someone shouted something and the entire bunch shifted, bodies pushing against each other as they pointed to the parapet on the opposite end.
Another man, clad entirely in black walking along the narrow wall before flipping forward and landing on roof of Rajah holding.
He too, was holding a Samurai sword.
The 2 mysterious man are of the same built and same height.
Where one held the sword on the right, the other held it on his left.
The phone in my pocket stopped buzzing and I could feel I was on the verge of passing out.
I saw the mysterious man closer to us sit on the parapet with his legs dangling over a dead CFs body as he answered a phone call.
He didn’t speak initially and when he did, he spoke with his friend on the opposite end of the roof.
Nikka : Tametsu !……
His friend turned and looked at him.
Nikka : Bella says she owes us big time for this….. she’ll introduce Hibiki……..hahhaa…haha
Tametsu : haha Fuck yeah …. Say yes Nikka…. What are you waiting for…? Hahah
The 2 of them chatted in a casual manner, it didn’t seem like they were affected by the scene of carnage and destruction on the roof at all. From the tone in which they speak, they are locals even though they call each other Japanese sounding names.
I don’t know what the men are talking about but I know their presence has gotten Elmo and the Malus worked up into a frenzy.
Elmo : stay the fuck away… or we’ll kill you too… !
The 2 men remained motionless as if Elmo just said a joke that was not funny
They just looked at Elmo and his men who were all hesitating to strike.
Elmo : you hear me !!! we only want the girl !!! I don’t care who the fuck you are….
Elmo, seeing that he is not getting a reply gestured to his men.
Elmo : GO!! GO!!!….Kill them all… and get Russell his Rachel so he can fuck her brains out before getting rid of her !!!… and get those 2 clowns as well……I don’t care who the fuck they are, or what fucking fancy names they call themselves………Hibiki wearing a Bikini or whatever fuck !!!….just get this over and done with !!!!
My eyelids got heavier and they were on the verge of closing.
Right before my eyes shut, I saw Nikka and Tametsu stand up, rising to their full height.
As Elmo’s men charged towards the 2 mysterious men clad in black, they drew their swords, their shiny steel looking majestic and spotless in the evening sky.
And the last thing I heard before I blacked out was.
Tametsu : don’t fucking insult my idol…..
And everything went dark.
……………………………………………………….
Thank you all for the comments and words of support.
Part 3 is where the climax of the story will be.
I’m still in the midst of editing it.
If all goes well, i’m looking to end this by end of April if possible.
Hope you would all enjoy the read.
Stay safe everyone, and wash your hands.
James
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sigg4
So Jeff is going to appear in this story also. Hmm looking at the time line, this seems to be about the time where Jeff is betraying Owen in little India story. Hibiki… And Jane….
Currently the story for The house in Bukit Timah is coming to the end of 2016.
Little india riot is in 2013.
Ron took over proper from Owen in 2014
Hibiki & Jane is hiding in Malaysia since 2014.
The attack in the beast within happened on March 2017
That should refresh the picture a little for all.
I won’t say more so as not to ruin the reading experience.
James
With the Circuit Breaker and Work from Home going on, it’s harder than ever to sit down and write.
Working with kids at home is a constant challenge, not to mention trying to edit key scenes.
I’m trying to meet the schedule i set for myself, but if i can’t, i’ll have to push it back slightly because i don’t want to fuck up the climax.
Thank you all for reading and supporting my work.
I put a lot of effort into part 3, hope you would all like it.
James
I don’t know how long I was out for but the next thing I saw when I opened my eyes was lights moving and people talking to me.
There were a lot of commotion and shouting but I was not a critical case.
I heard a someone ask someone else to dress my wound and put me on a drip.
Then I passed out again.
The next time I woke up, I could see someone taking my blood pressure. I tried to see where I am and I realised I was parked along a corridor on a gurney. I was no longer in my own clothes, someone had changed me into a hospital gown.
I have never felt exhaustion like this before.
It’s like I just finished a 72km road march and instead of having only the pain of abrasion all over my balls, I have it all over my body. I don’t even know which part of my body is aching.
The pain this time round hurts more than the 1st round of injury I suffered at the nursing home. The pain this time rounds cuts deeper into my heart.
My eyes were closed as I felt the warmth of a tear roll down the sides, once it started, it didn’t stop.
Once the waterworks start, I could no longer turn it off.
I wished everything was just a bad dream but it isn’t.
I wanted to call out for my grandfather, I want to know where he is.
Yes he may have passed on but where is his body?
There is still so much to do.
My mind is going into overdrive but my body is not reacting. It’s like you know you are having a nightmare yet you can’t wake your body up to get out of that terrible dream.
I blacked out again and when I woke, I was finally in a room.
Not exactly a hospital ward, it’s an office.
I could see computers and tables hastily shifted to a side.
On the wall I saw photos and awards given to Rajah Healthcare for their outstanding contribution to the medical industry.
I pulled myself up with much difficulty and removed the needle from my hand.
Walking barefoot out of the office, I realised I was in a small private hospital owned by Rajah Holdings that caters mainly to medical tourist from neighbouring countries.
My grandfather.
I need to find my grandfather.
I asked the first nurse I saw where is my grandfather and she says she don’t know.
Nurse : I’m sorry…. I can’t help you now….
She walked briskly down the corridor, struggling with the medical supplies she was holding.
I grabbed another hospital staff and asked him where is my grandfather but he took a look at me and asked sit down and rest.
Staff : You need to sit down and rest Sir….
Someone’s head popped out from a door and shouted for the guy to go back and help.
He ran back after throwing the coffee in his hand into the bin.
I heard an anguish shout from the other end of the corridor before the crashing sound of things being thrown around reached my ears.
Holding onto the walls for support, I shuffled towards the commotion at the end of the corridor.
Someone was shouting and throwing stuff around in frustration.
As I got closer, I realised the voice belonged to Henry.
Looking into the room, I saw Henry smashing a fire extinguisher onto a cabinet before kicking the door in. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked like a man out for blood.
Henry : aRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!AHHHH!!!!!!
He kept pacing around the room, screaming and kicking stuff over before collapsing into a heap on the floor.
Henry : aRGHHHH!!!..!!! aRHHH!!!!
He hammered the floor tile as if it was his greatest enemy until his knuckles bleed.
Rachel was slumped over a desk and she didn’t move despite the din Henry was making.
I shuffled into the room and went over to Rachel.
Touching her gently on her shoulder, I dragged a chair to sit beside her.
Rachel’s eyes were bloodshot too and exhaustion was written all over her face.
Jackson : What happened…. I’m…I’m sorry… I must have blacked out….
Rachel : what do you remember… ?
I took a while to recollect my memory before saying I remember seeing 2 mysterious man dressed in black before passing out.
Jackson : where…. Where is my grandfather….. what happened after I passed out…. Who are the 2 men ??
Rachel wiped tears from her swollen eyes.
Rachel : one thing at a time….. your grandfather….. we…. We brought him back….
Jackson : Where…. ? where… I want to see him…
Rachel : I’ll bring you…
Rachel stood up and almost collapsed but I held onto her.
Taking a moment to compose herself, Rachel nodded her head and told me she is ok and can manage on her own.
We walked silently towards the lift because taking it to the basement.
That’s where the morgue is.
Rachel : The…. The morgue is full…. A lot of Rajahs died….
Jackson : I’m…. I’m sorry….
There are several Rajahs outside the morgue, many of them just looking dazed and tired.
We entered the morgue and I could see the small space is filled with gurneys with white cloths covering them.
There was a staff in white coat inside.
He came over to tell Rachel that the truck is on it’s way back and they will be transferring the next batch of bodies shortly.
Rachel nodded before turning to face me.
Tears streaked down her cheeks and I could see the fire seething in her eyes.
Rachel : We…. We have no space….for our dead….. that we needed to use….. a meat distribution freezer…….for the time being…..
I gently reached for Rachel and she hugged onto me before screaming into my chest.
She screamed her muffled cries of anguish and frustration and I could feel her fingers rip and crumple the hospital gown I was wearing….
I gave Rachel a while to calm down and when she did, she wiped tears and snot from her face with the back of her hand before saying that the news is reporting that there was an industrial accident.
Jabbing her finger angrily in mid air with her index finger.
Rachel : The news !!!! is calling it an industrial ACCIDENT !!!!
Jackson : That’s not true…..
Rachel : They are calling Rajah Holdings out for unsafe manufacturing practices ….. illegal storage of highly flammable chemicals….and non compliance work place safety for our workers…. !!!
Rachel sucked in a deep breath before screaming that the building is a part warehouse for shoes and handbags and part administrative building.
Rachel : there are no chemicals there….just leather goods…..
Jackson : How could they do that…. This is impossible….
Rachel : Just turn on the TV Jackson …. It’s all over the news…. Rajah Holdings’s unsafe practices….. caused industrial accident…. More than 30 dead with plenty more injured….
Rachel told me that the internet is abuzz with discussion about the incident.
Rachel : People are calling for a boycott of Rajah holding’s business….
Jackson : The authorities did nothing… ? what about the foreigners …? All those crazy men that are high on drugs…. Those people are proof that we were attacked…..
Rachel : When the ambulances finally came…. They prioritised removing the bodies and the injured of those people….Rajahs are not a priority….
Jackson : This is fucked up….
Rachel : we pulled contacts and connections…. Bringing our own people out….
Jackson : They cannot do this…. We should go report this !!! The public need to know !!
Rachel : Report to who ? The public believes what the news tells them…. You control the media… you control the population….
Wiping her tears again, Rachel took a deep breath and turned away. She pointed to a trolley in the corner.
Rachel : I’ll… I’ll give you come time alone….
I recognised my grandfather’s hand even before I removed the white sheet covering him.
I touched his face and I broke when I felt the cold and lifeless body in front of me. The man that raised me single handed when I was dump with him is gone. His skin felt hard, the tenderness is long gone.
Jackson : Ah gong….. can you hear me….? sobzzz…
I blinked a few times in attempt to hold back my tears and I looked at the lonely light tube in the ceiling illuminating the whole morgue.
Jackson : Ah Gong….. please…. We still have a lot of places to go together….there is still so many countries we have yet to see together….
I knew he was gone, logic tells me he cannot hear anything I say but I still said it.
Everyone has difference way of dealing with grief.
I cried silently for a while before sinking down to my knees.
I rest my head against the trolley as the image of Guo killing my grandfather flashed back in my head.
And the grief started to get displaced slowly by anger.
The door to the morgue opened abruptly and I could hear the click of high heels pause at the entrance.
I could hear Hong calling out to me.
Hong : Jack…. Jackson….
I didn’t turn around. I had no energy to turn around.
I heard running footsteps approaching and I heard Kamal’s voice too.
Kamal : Where is he… ?
Then silence.
The click of the heels came closer and I felt a hand on my shoulder.
Yiling : Jackson ….
I pushed her hand away.
Looking at Yiling, I snapped at her when I know I shouldn’t.
Jackson : it’s your fault…. IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT !!!!
Yiling reared back and stood back up.
Jackson : None of this would have happened if you didn’t offer me a job !!!!
Turning back to Hong and Kamal, I shouted at them in between screams of agony that none of this would have happened if they didn’t ask me to work for them
Jackson : IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT !!! ALL OF YOU !!!arGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
I collapsed onto the floor of the morgue as I sobbed and held onto the let of the trolley.
Yiling didn’t say anything, neither did my Kamal nor Hong.
Quietly, they removed themselves from the room and they left me alone.
The door opened again and several staff helped me on my feet, saying that they need to move the bodies and make way for more.
There are still some coming in, people are still dying.
I was left on a bench in some corridor, I don’t even know which floor.
I saw Seven appear in front of me, his eyes red and swollen from crying.
He tapped his heart several times.
Seven : erghhh!!… erghhhhh!!!! Errghhhhhhh!!!!! Arghhh!!! Arghhhhh!!!
I don’t know what he meant but I could warrant a guess.
Many of his old buddies died in that attack.
Seven sank onto the seat beside me and took out his phone. With trembling hands, he showed me a group photo.
There’s 8 of them in that photo. All Rajahs in their prime, topless and well built.
Seven gripped onto the phone and sobbed as he shook his hand, signally that they were gone. All of them.
The men, or rather the brothers, he joined Rajah with.
Cindy’s arrival blotted out the dim light of the corridor.
She didn’t say anything but she held 2 coffee in hand.
She took Seven’s hand and put one in his before doing the same for me.
Then she walked away.
I took a sip of the instant coffee, my body needed a hit of caffeine.
When the remaining of the coffee in my hand grew cold, Seven’s phone buzzed. He read the message , tapped me on my shoulder and he walked away.
I watched him walked purposefully down the corridor with his fist clenched.
Without warning, he jumped and deliver a spinning kick to a vending machine, putting a huge dent on it’s side.
I threw away the coffee and I got up on unsteady feet.
Teng.
Guo may be dead, but Teng, Russell, Elmo, the Malus.
They are responsible for my grandfather’s death.
I found my way back to the room I saw Rachel and Henry in earlier.
They were reviewing the camera footage from their building.
Jackson : what… what is this….
Rachel answered without turning.
Rachel : the roof….where we were at…. They wiped the disk at the security office but we have a copy of it backed up in the cloud.
The 40 inch tv was split into 4 squares, offering multiple angles of the roof top.
Henry : who are they….
Rachel : Nobody knows….
Jackson : what happened after I passed out… ?
Rachel : the 2 men…..They took care of the Malus…
Jackson : How… ?
Rachel : watch….
Jackson : what the fuck….
I could hardly believe what I’m seeing on the screen.
The 2 men held their ground against all the Malus.
I almost felt my heart skip a beat when I saw how close the 2 men were to getting their head smashed in or their face slit by the Malus only to see them disembowelling their attackers.
The Malus may have all charged at once but all it took was for the swords to sever a few arms and fingers for the rest to quickly take a step back. Those brave enough to test their resolve again tested it with muscles and flesh against the hardened steel.
In less than a minute, the 2 man put 6 Malus out of the game with the rest too afraid to venture forward.
At least 2 are dead from what I could see on the screen and the 2 men barely broke a sweat.
They didn’t attack the Malus either, remaining on a invisible line on the ground, putting themselves in between the Malus and us.
From out of nowhere I saw on the screen a crazed CF appearing. Bloodied and still high, he charged at the gathering of men. The Malus jostled and pushed the CF away from them, one of them even throwing a punch in his face to direct him towards the 2 sword wielding men.
The CF charged head first, he fell but got up and picked a metal rod before going straight at the 2 man looking at him.
When the CF’s arm was detached from his body with a well practised swing, the fingers were still clutching onto the weapon he took from the ground.
He tried to stand up again but the other man separated his head from his torso with such speed and precision that I could still see the face twitching after its cut off.
There were still quite a few Malus left but none of them dared to challenge the mysterious man again. Even Elmo was reduced to pointing and throwing threats from a distance away. Several of the Malus ran away despite Elmo pointing and shouting at them.
All it took was for one of the masked man to make a mock charge with his sword held up and it sent the rest of the Malus scurrying away.
Even Elmo stumbled and fell face first onto a dead CF before he picked himself up and ran into the staircase.
Jackson : who… who are they…
Rachel : I don’t know…. they mentioned something about Bella….
Jackson : I remember hearing that too….
Rachel : Might be related to your boss….
Yes, I remembered clearly they said something about Bella. Something about Bella’s promise to introduce them to someone.
Jackson : What happened after that….. how did I get here… ?
Rachel : The roads are still blocked by the accident…. We had to resort to evacuating our injured by bikes for those that can still move….
Those that can’t, they were carried via stretcher 2 streets away into waiting vehicles.
Rachel : It appears Teng is more powerful that he lets on…. My sources tell me he is going to head the defence ministry in the line up of the new minister’s cabinet….
Jackson : My grandfather…..he was a Rajah…
My abrupt comment silenced the room.
Rachel didn’t say anything so Henry did.
Henry : Is…..he will always be a Rajah….
Jackson : Why didn’t you tell me… ?
Henry let on that they didn’t know initially. They have many members, and a lot have decided to move on.
They found out about my grandfather after they started digging up about me.
Henry : He quit his job…. Didn’t even get the rest of the pay due to him….but he still takes the colleague’s calls these years when they need to ask him something….
Jackson : He… he was in Malaysia….. I asked him to come back for his treatment…
Henry : How do you think he made his way back all the way from Kedah… ?
Jackson : He said a friend….
I paused. Of course.
It should have hit me earlier.
What friend ?
My grandfather has a small social circle, and I can’t think of anyone who can make the drive all the way back.
Jackson : You…. You all brought him back….
Henry : it was meant to be a surprise…. we already lined up a specialist to…
Rachel : Enough…..
Rachel shook her head at her brother, and Henry nodded, acknowledging that there is no point going into this right now.
My grandfather is no longer around.
Rachel got up and told me I should go.
Rachel : There’s a lot of things to do….. you should go get some rest……and… make arrangements with a undertaker…. For the wake….
I went back to the room I woke up in and I saw my belongings in a ziplock bag waiting for me. There’s also a fresh set of clothes.
My wallet and phone still have dried streaks of blood on them. I changed with much difficulty before making my way home.
Opening my grandfather’s wardrobe, I could feel my heart shattering into so many pieces. It broke so badly that I doubt it would ever be the same again.
The large wardrobe only contained less than 15 pieces of his clothing. He always re wear the same few pieces of tops and bottoms anyway. One for formal occasions like weddings, a couple of polo t for casual days. 2 shirts that he used to wear for work.
Then a couple of old t-shirts that are badly stretched, some with permanent stains. A couple of singlets and sleep pants. He didn’t have much possessions. The winter clothing when we travelled were all vacuum packed and stow away.
I sucked in a deep breath as I picked out the last set of clothes that he will be wearing on his final journey. I tried not to look, I forced myself not too look but I can’t
I knew if I looked I would cry even harder but I could not resist. It’s like my brain wanted my heart to bleed further, to feel the ache and pain, to experience the burn on my raw wound.
I broke down again as my fingers touched the set of clothes I last wore then I was 6. My kindergarden uniform, neatly pressed and hung beside my grandfather’s own clothes.
Right next to it, my primary school uniform with my name tag badly frayed on the sides. My fingers touched the pen stains on the sleeve which I remember my grandfather spending hours trying to get rid off while scolding me and I literally wet the floor I was standing on.
Then came my secondary school uniforms.
And right next to it, my camouflage uniforms with the badges and the chevrons on my arm.
One set of clothes for every milestone in my life.
There was no empty hanger in my grandfather’s wardrobe except one.
The very last one beside my military uniform.
It was labelled in his handwriting ;
“ Jackson’s wedding suit “
I knelt down in front of the big wardrobe and I died in a literal sense.
I may be breathing, my heat may still be beating but I knew Jackson has died.
The old Jackson that everyone knew is gone, along with my grandfather.
What remained is just a shell, a soulless carcass.
The next few weeks came and past in a blur.
A simple wake was held for my grandfather.
Everyone came but didn’t lingered for long.
Some old neighbours dropped by for a chat before commenting that my grandfather is lucky to have me as his grandson.
Jackson : No… it is me, who is lucky to have him as my grandfather ….
Neighbour : He told me before…. Long time ago…. You’re like the son he never had….
Jackson : And he…. The father I wish I had…
After the cremation, I scattered his ashes into the sea.
That’s what he wanted.
I remember his exact words to me when we had this conversation even though I chided him for bringing it up.
We were taking a ferry ride in Hong Kong when he suddenly said he wanted his ashes to be scattered into the sea
Ah Gong : sea… sea… just scatter into the sea….. don’t waste money on a space in the temple…. Every year must pay money…. Pay and pay…..
Jackson : I don’t care about the money….don’t talk about shit like this… you’re going to live for a long long time….
After a brief pause, he revealed the true reason behind his wishes. I could tell from his tone he’s not saying it just to patronise me or to help me save money.
He meant it. Every word of it.
Ah Gong : The world is so big…. I don’t want to stay in an urn after I die…. I want to travel….. with you….. you go Australia…. I can follow… you go America, Europe…. Iceland…. Anywhere…. Anywhere….. I can follow…
I was on the verge of tears on the ferry but then and I put my arm around his shoulder and I just kept quiet.
As if knowing he struck a raw nerve, my grandfather recovered nicely just as the ferry was about to dock.
Ah Gong : No need ticket somemore… free one… ahhaha…
I laughed as I recalled the fond memories of us together.
I went back to the castle and the farmhouse after settling my grandfather’s affair.
Yiling came to the farmhouse and asked me to go back.
Yiling : Take a break Jackson… you need it…
I apologised to her about my outburst back at the Rajah’s hospital.
Jackson : I’m sorry….i… I didn’t…
Yiling gave me a playful slap on my cheek.
Yiling : Don’t be silly…. Go back…. I don’t want to see you back here until October…. This is an order….
Jackson : the… the men… the help you sent….. who are they… ?
Yiling smiled and shook her head.
Yiling : I can’t answer that question.
Jackson : why not….
She just shook her head.
Jackson : what kind of deal did you make…. ? … that you can have people like them….. helping you… ?
She smiled and shook her head again, refusing to say another word.
Jackson : Why… Yiling… why are you doing these…? Why are you doing what you do…..? is it for the money…. ? why ?
She exhaled and shook her head for the 3rd time.
She looked down at her heels, hesitated for a moment before replying me with a smile.
Yiling : because….
She looked around and gestured to the estate before walking away.
Yiling : …. this is my home…
I walked around the garden and went to the smoking point. Hong was there puffing away.
I apologised to him too, I didn’t have a chance to properly talk to the guys after all these happened.
Jackson : I’m sorry Hong…. About those things I said…
Hong puffed away with the cigarette hanging from the side of his lips.
Hong : Aiyah…. CB la… ( curse ) don’t day things like that la…. KNN ( curse ) …. Bo tai ji… bo tai ji ( it’s ok…we’re cool ) ….
He snubbed out his cigarette and popped in another one.
Hong offered one to me.
Jackson : I don’t smoke… you should stop…. Every stick takes away 5 minutes of your life….
Hong lit up and exhaled before replying.
Hong : Of course… I take 5 minutes to smoke…. Of course it takes away 5 minutes of my life… you think I fail maths ah…. Hahahah…
I laughed and he shoved the cigarette closer to my mouth.
I accepted it and he lit it for me.
The moment I sucked in a puff, I started coughing and I almost gagged.
Jackson : cough… coughhh.. blerghhh.. cough!! What the fuck is this shit…
Hong : aiyah… you will slowly appreciate…
I spat out that awful taste in my mouth and Kamal appeared right about then.
Kamal : CCB Hong ( curse ) why are you teaching Jackson how to smoke… ??!
Hong : I never teach hor !!.. don’t anyhow say…. I give and he take ok !!
Kamal lit one up and spoke at me while pointing with the same 2 fingers holding the cigarette.
Kamal : Doctor’s advice…. Don’t…. serious… don’t…..
Hong : you very CB ( curse ) you know or not Kamal… hahaha…
I threw the horrible cigarette away and Declan came to the smoking area.
Declan : How are you doing Jackson…. ?
Jackson : I’m ok….
He must have heard our conversation and he pulled out a cigar from his vest, cut off the end before proceeding to light it with a windproof lighter.
Declan : You all don’t know Jackson la…. hahha…. He’s not a cigarette person….
Checking to make sure the cigar is lit properly, Declan offered it to me.
Declan : Davidoff……… Winston Churchill…..
Hong rolled his eye before waving his box of cigarettes at me.
Hong : Mar bo lo ….. Menthol Light…. Hahahah…
I took the Cigar and my senses took note of the fragrance and aroma of it for the first time. I’ve seen Declan smoke it before but I’ve never paid much notice to it.
Declan : don’t inhale it…. Feel the smoke in your mouth…. Relish the aroma…
Jackson : cough… cough… cough… ok fuck….this taste better cough..
Yiling burst into the smoking area and everyone tensed up immediately.
She saw what was happening and immediately started screaming at Declan and Hong and everyone scattered in all directions.
Yiling : ARGHHHH!!! Why the fuck are you all teaching him how to smoke !!!! ARGHHH !!!
Yiling chased everyone with her hands raised in search of a target but everyone was gone.
Before Yiling came at me, I ran off too, holding onto the cigar Declan gave me.
I bumped into Aaron and Seven as I walked to my car.
They just returned from somewhere.
Aaron : The Malus are gone… cleared out their usual haunts and street…
Jackson : What do you mean gone… ?
Aaron : disappeared… gone underground…. We couldn’t find any of them….
He tapped me a couple of times on my shoulder before walking away.
I went back home and I spent a couple of weeks doing nothing.
I worked out, went for a run , I slept.
September 2016
I followed the news closely and watched the TV as Welly Chin swore himself in on live tv.
Our Prime Minster.
Shortly after taking up the new position, Welly revealed his cabinet and true enough Teng was given the portfolio of the defence minister.
I tightened the grip on my hand rest as I looked at Teng smiling and issuing a press conference on TV.
October 2016
I alternated my days at the castle, tending to the garden and training with Candy and Xiaoyu.
Digging up the axes I found on my first day in the farmhouse, I grinded and sharpened the edges. I sanded the wooden handle down a little before applying a fresh layer of lacquer.
I went to a sports shop and bought textured tapes athlete use for better grips on handles of rackets.
I asked for recommendation from the uncle what is good for wet hands.
Uncle : all these are good….
Jackson : I mean really wet hands….
Uncle : no one perspires that much…. You doing Tennis….? Or squash… ?
Jackson : neither…
I put an axe on the glass countertop and he backed away immediately.
Jackson : competitive axe throwing…. Overseas….
Uncle : Ah…. I see….
He picked something up from the shelf and pushed it across to me.
Uncle : Mob grip tape…. Commonly used in skateboards…. Provides a good grip…water proof…. Tear proof…. High strength and easy to clean…..silicon carbide grit binding manufacturing process, it won’t peel off even in extreme heat or cold…..
I looked at the uncle and repeated my question.
Jackson : what about wet hands…
He rang me up at the cash register and waited for his payment.
Uncle : Assuming you accidentally cut yourself…. You are bleeding…and you accidentally get a lot of blood on it…….you…… you will still have a very good grip ….
I nodded and handed over the cash.
Jackson : Thank you….
Uncle : Good luck on the competition.
I started throwing the axes everyday. I could do 3 times a minute. That’s 180 times an hour.
I did it for 2 hours every day, that’s 360.
And with every throw, it cut deeper and deeper into a large trunk of wood I pulled from the wooded areas en route to the cookhouse.
One day, I know one day, I will be throwing it at the people responsible for my grandfather’s death.
The Malus are gone. No one knows where the rest of them are hiding. It’s like they just vanished. They’ve gone into hiding.
The Rajahs are faced with several lawsuits, the media is on a smear campaign, many of their men are arrested.
Yiling revealed to us that Rajah holding’s business empire will survive. Businesses staff by regular employees that is, not their triad arm. As for the men who could still fight and pose a threat , their numbers has dwindled to less than 20.
Almost 2 dozen were thrown into jail.
Many had to flee overseas to avoid persecution.
The Rajahs are done and one thing is clear, La Bella vita is next in line.
Yiling did not sit idle this couple of months. She buffed up security around the castle, we have more cameras than ever covering all angles. She went on a buying spree, snapping up more houses near the estate whenever one came on sale.
I was also given the task of being the main liaison with the Rajahs. We exchanged information about the Malus. Everyone is looking for them.
They cannot hide forever.
We will eventually find them.
And our break finally came when Henry caught one.
The Rajahs caught a lone Malu trying to engage a whore in Geylang.
I was in the gym with Cindy and she had just thrown me onto the floor. I landed flat on my back and before Candy could straddle and put me into a lock, I escape the submission and pinned her down in the missionary position.
She could have escaped but after 2 hours of play, Candy let me pressed her wrist against the mat and she bit her lips and she relaxed her legs, trying to pull a rape victim act.
Xiaoyu : Oh come on you slut….Candy….
Cindy : Jackson …. Phone…
I got off Candy and caught my phone that was flying across the gym, courtesy of Cindy’s throw.
Jackson : yes… ?
It was Rachel.
Rachel : We found one…. We have him…. One of the Malus at the rooftop that day….
There is this burn you feel when you work out. When you push your body to it’s limits, and I’m feeling it as I breathed and sucked in gasps of cool air in the gym.
That Malu the Rajahs’ caught will be the small tinder that will start a great fire.
A fire that will burn bright and long.
Knowing how impulsive Rajahs can be, I immediately told Rachel not to kill him. He is going to be a valuable source of information.
Jackson : don’t kill him….. please…
Rachel was about to speak when her reply is interrupted by a long agonising scream of raw pain and suffering in the background.
“arGHHHHH…!! aRGHHHH!!!!…ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! “
Rachel waited for the scream to die down a little into a sob pleading for his life before replying.
Rachel : Don’t be silly Jackson……We are Rajahs………. not savages….
Another loud scream of pain and gagging rang out in the background.
Rachel : And….. There is absolutely no reason why……… we cannot be civil about this….
………………………………….
I notified Yiling about the latest development and she told me to head over to the Rajahs.
The Malu that they caught is a valuable source of information.
Yiling : Do not let them kill him !! We need him…I’m sure he knows something that will be useful to us….
Jackson : ok…….
Yiling : Make sure !
Jackson : Right… I’m sure the Rajahs would be nice enough to do what I say….
Yiling : Tsk !…. don’t be irritating…. Call me once you have something !
I drove to Changi and went to the ferry terminal where a boatman was waiting for me.
I could see the Rajah tattoo on his sun beaten skin and he gestured me onboard his small boat.
15 minutes later, the engine of the boat was cut and we drifted the last 10 metres to the side of a floating Kelong.
RH Kelong & fish farm.
Several wild dogs ran over barking loudly as the boatman tied the boat to the side of the floating farm.
He shushed the dogs, waving them back but they were excited by the visitors.
I climbed onto the Kelong and let the dogs sniffed me for a bit. After a couple of pats on their heads, they led the way to the sheltered lodging located in the centre of the farm.
The Kelong is about the size of 4 Tennis court connected together in a 2 x 2 configuration.
In the centre, a sizable hut with zinc roof and walls made of old weathered pieces of wood formed the office, bedroom and living area of the men tending to the farm.
It’s not big, about the size of a 2room flat I would say.
I looked around the vicinity, the next closest farm also belonged to Rajah Holdings, and the other further away is already well past the country’s border.
A Malaysia flag could be seen flying at the edge of the farm.
We’re pretty close to the maritime borders between the 2 country.
Rachel was sipping on a glass of wine while sitting in front of a fan. 2 Rajahs were standing guard in front of a door that looked like it was salvage from a junk yard. There’s even a print advertisement for cigarettes when they were still sold in packs of 10s instead of 20s.
Posters of singers from the fifties dotted the walls of the living area and I could see furniture and appliances from another era scattered throughout.
There was a loud splash and I saw a naked Rajah with full body tattoo shampooing himself while standing behind 3 large blue barrels of water.
He looked at my direction while soaping himself down, not giving a fuck that anyone on a boat passing by can see him in his birthday suit. Men that live on the sea is a different breed it seems.
Rachel did not seem bothered at all by a man showering behind her.
Rachel : Wine… ?
Jackson : No… where is he,… ?
Rachel : Henry is talking to him….
Jackson : What have you found out so far…. ?
Rachel told me that the Malus have gone into hiding after what they did. Teng wanted them to go underground literally.
Rachel : There are still a handful of foreigners left…. All of them are hold up with the Malus….
Jackson : where… where are they hiding…. !
Rachel : Relax Jackson…. Chill….
Rachel told me that the Malus split into 2 groups. Russell and his godsons are hiding in a industrial warehouse somewhere in the west of the country. The exact location is still unknown.
Rachel : The 2nd group…..consists of 10 Malus, and 40 foreigners….
Jackson : The one inside…. He’s from the 2nd… ?
Rachel nodded.
The Malu that was caught is part of the group tasked with keeping an eye on the rest of the foreigners.
Rachel : Their numbers dwindled sharply…. And from what I gathered so far, they are not very smart…. And their motivation is a combination of drugs and money….
Jackson : What are they giving them… they appears as if they are not afraid to die or something….
Rachel took out a small sachet from her purse.
Rachel : A synthetic drug…. A powerful variation of crystal meth… it reduces fatigue… stimulates the senses … makes you feel invincible….
Jackson : How did the foreigners get into the country…. ?
Rachel : Someone brought them in slowly over the course of about a year before the Malus got involved….
Looking at the door, I told Rachel I wanted to talk to the captured Malu.
Rachel : I think it’s better if you don’t….. I don’t want to ruin your appetite….
Jackson : I’m not afraid of a little blood…
Rachel : I never said it was little…
Rachel gestured to the seat in front of her and a long-sustained scream of agony and pain rang out from inside the room.
“ ARGHHHH!!!!! aRGHH!!!!! aEGHH!H!!!!!!!!! NOOOO!! NO!!!!aRGHHHHHHH FUCKKKKKKKK!!! aGHHHHHH…!! “
The screams were followed by rapid stomping of feet before it became a sob. A wet, snot snorting sob by a crying adult.
Rachel : The Malus are just a tool…… whatever Teng is planning…. Is far bigger than attacking us Rajahs…
Jackson : And what is that…
Rachel : can’t you tell we’re in the midst of finding out… ? haha
Rachel went on to update me what else they have pieced together.
Having considerably weakening the Rajahs, most of the foreigners are either dead or missing.
They no longer have the manpower or the element of surprise to pull something like this again.
Definitely not against La Bella Vita.
Rachel : from what we can piece together so far, the mastermind is bringing more people into the country…. But not these crazy druggies….. these men are easily disposable….meant to be used as a brute force….. the next group of men coming in…. they are going to do some damage…
Jackson : What kind of damage…
Rachel : I don’t know… but I know they are a mix of men from Malaysia and Thailand…. They received basic training in arms and explosives…
Jackson : Fucking terrorists…. Why are they doing this ??
Rachel : Power… to strike fear…. To destabilise a country….to crash the market…. So many reasons….
Another loud scream filled the area and I could hear stomping sound and what sounded like someone hacking and splitting a chicken at a chicken rice stall only in this instance, the hacking was complimented with a corresponding level of shouting and crying.
Rachel : The Malus were to take care of what’s left of the foreigners until December…..that’s what they were told…..
Jackson : And after that… ?
Rachel : no one knows….
Jackson : I’m interested in the most important question…. Where are the rest of the Malus…. ?
Gesturing back to the room with her head, Rachel says he hasn’t given them up yet but he should be talking soon.
Rachel : Henry….. is very good at persuading people to open up about themselves….
The door to the room opened and the 2 Rajahs stepped aside as Henry stepped out.
What hit me first was the smell. The pungent smell of blood and shit and whatever fuck that is in that room.
I could see within the room itself, there is a layer of thick plastic sheets laid over the wooden construct of the room.
Like a sterile interrogation room all sealed off from the outside.
Dressed like a industrial butcher, Henry was wearing a long plastic apron and a eye mask complete with a face shield. He was covered in blood splatter and what looked like bits of flesh and hair.
It was a disturbing sight. God knows what he did to the man inside there, but you can’t blame him.
Not after what happened.
Henry was holding something in his hand.
It’s a foot.
A fucking foot.
Walking casually over to a breeding pool, he tied a rope around the severed foot and threw it into the water.
The splashes and commotions made by the fishes feeding on the foot send water spilling and splattering onto the surrounding decks.
It’s as if they were starving for a long time.
Henry pulled up another rope which I assumed has been in there for a while, revealing the skeletons of a severed arm. Only 2 digits of the fingers were left while loose pieces of flesh, skin and tissues hung from the bones.
Jackson : Is this….. necessary….
Henry untied the remains from the rope and walked quietly back into the room. I heard the rustling of the plastic sheets and the door closed.
Rachel : When Henry went over …. To the school that day….they arrived in time…. barely a few minutes later…. A truck with half a dozen men arrived….
Rachel drained her wine and pushed the glass aside.
She lit up a cigarette and I watched her inhale the smoke deeply before letting it come back out from her nose.
Rachel : Now… those men, they were easily taken care off….. bunch of pussies…. Everyone inside the school…. Is safe…now…
Rachel sat up and I could see a glint of darkness in her eyes as she continued.
Rachel : The driver of the truck…. He saw… one of my man….he didn’t know what was happening…. I’m talking about a father…. Finishing work a little late…. Coming over to the school… and picking up his kids…..
Jackson : oh my god… don’t tell me….
Rachel : The truck driver was on his way back after dropping off the men at the school and he saw this… father….
I stopped breathing when Rachel told me the driver knocked this man down with the truck.
Rachel : Now… when he knocked my man down….
She struggled a little with her emotions before revealing that her man was carrying his 5 month old daughter in a body harness, and holding his 4 year old son’s hand.
Rachel : And he rammed… them all down…
Jackson : What the fuck….
Rachel : The father and the daughter died on the spot….but the son survived….at first…
I could feel my fist clenching up as Rachel revealed that it was captured on camera that this driver, then backed his truck up and ran over the boy.
Rachel : and that driver is a Malu…. The same one sitting in the room right now….. so don’t tell me what is necessary or not…
Jackson : That man inside there is a treasure trove of information ….
Rachel : and I can assure you… that we are emptying that treasure chest…. At a speed no others can….
Jackson : at this rate….i don’t think you can get much out of him….
Rachel : We will empty him….we always do…
The dogs that were lazing nearby suddenly got up on their feet. They pointed their snouts in the air and their ears perked up.
I immediately scanned the surroundings, wary of any impending threats.
The dogs started running towards the spot where I alighted and I could see another speedboat approaching.
Jackson : Are you expecting someone else… ?
Rachel : Nate is coming….we have men scouring the area we caught the Malu…hopefully we can find something….
Another loud scream came from the room before it stopped abruptly.
He must have passed out.
Rachel got up and I saw Nate alight. He was slashed across the chest that day but other than that he looked ok, until I saw his left hand.
The way the bandage went around the hand, it was obvious he was missing 2 fingers.
Rachel : Anything… ?
Nate : yes…an industrial complex….3 storey building in Kallang Pudding industrial area…..
Rachel : Is Russell there…. ?
Nate : We can’t tell…. but a catering van delivers food to that building 3 times day…. we had a chat with the driver….he would unload all the food at the loading and unloading bay….and leave… never saw anyone there waiting for it…
Rachel : how much food… ?
Nate : Food and drinks for 55….
Rachel turned to me.
Rachel : Our lucky day…
Right about then Henry stepped out from the interrogation room again.
He started removing his masks and gloves, throwing them into a disused oil barrel.
Henry : we got it…. A warehouse…. In Tuas…. Russell is there….
The moment I digested that piece of news, I could feel my fingers twitching.
I’m going to squeeze the life out of that man.
Rachel turned to Henry and asked him how many man do they have left.
Henry : Right now….. we can gather about 10 at the most….
Rachel : 10 is not enough….
Turning to me Rachel added.
Rachel : Call your boss….. you guys are up….
………………………………………….
I got back to dry land and spent 20 minutes arguing with Yiling over the phone.
Why ?
I was expecting to gather everyone and fucking charge into the buildings and drag every mother fucker out but Yiling has a different opinion.
She wanted to observe the Malus for a while before planning a hit.
I know she’s right, that’s the logical and smart thing to do but I still lost my temper. I only realised I was shouting into the phone like a spoilt brat in the carpark when I attracted stares from the passerbys.
Yiling : Calm down Jackson…. Come back first….we will get them….
I sped back to the castle and everyone was gathered in the study.
Yiling told me that she has spoken with Rachel.
Yiling : we can’t just charge in right now…. not in the middle of a work day….. not in the middle of the week… we need to find out more….
Declan had printed 2 A1 size of the map around the vicinity for the 2 sites.
The buildings which the Malus and the foreigners are hiding in is highlighted in red.
Yiling : The Rajahs will be taking the Kallang site…. But they don’t have the numbers….
Looking up at me, Yiling wanted me, Seven and Kamal to join the Rajahs.
Yiling : together with 40 of our own guys, I think we can take them by surprise….
Not breaking even to catch her breath, Yiling assigned Hong, Aaron and Declan with 50 others to the site in Tuas.
Looking back up at the group gathered in the room, Yiling wants us to spend 2 weeks gathering detailed information about what goes on.
Yiling : I want to know the people going in and out, what they eat. How often they shit, right to their bedtime and how many times they take out the trash…. Everything…..
Folding her arms, Yiling shared with us some of her concerns.
Yiling : I hope I’m over thinking about this… but when we hit both sites at the same time…. the castle will have minimum men….. if they used this as a diversion to take the castle…. We will lose it….
Yiling will stay at the castle with Cindy, Candy and Xiaoyu with about 20 men spread throughout the estate.
Yiling : us girls will remain within the castle ground…. In the lobby where the vault is
I raised a hand, asking the obvious question.
Jackson : What vault… ?
Yiling : In the basement…. Right beside the antique room you almost trashed…. There is a vault….
Jackson : what’s in it….. money ?
Yiling : yes.
Jackson : you are worried about your money… ? at a time like this… ?
Declan : Jackson …
Declan’s gentle tone is a warning, asking me not to overstep the boundary.
Yiling was quick to fire back.
Yiling : Yes… I am worried about my money…. Money….. can do many things….Money can buy men…. Money can buy weapons…. Money can buy politicians…. Money can bring down entire empires and countries…
Obviously irritated, Yiling spoke while looking away but I knew that rebuttal is directed at me.
Yiling : That vault….must not fall….
Hong gave me a jab in my back while giving me the wide eye and shut the fuck up look.
I backed off and stopped myself from saying anything further.
Yiling : Questions… ?
Yiling looked at everyone around the room and everyone shook their head.
Everyone parted ways and Hong walked over to me as I headed back to the farmhouse.
Hong : eh brother…. Chill leh…. I’m suppose to be the hot headed one…. Not you….
Jackson : I’m sorry… it’s just….there’s a lot going on in my head lately….
Hong : Slow things down a notch…. Want to….happy happy or not… ? once you…. Release…. I guarantee you can think straight…
Jackson : arhghhh…. Go away go away…
Hong : Serious… I won’t ask Xiaoyu so…
Jackson : Haiyah…. Go away la !!
Hong chuckled and took a different path as I walked towards the farmhouse.
I reached under my bed and pulled out one of the axe I have been playing with.
I wrapped it up before putting it inside a sling bag together with a bottle of water. Kamal and Seven is coming over in a bit and we are to work out with the Rajahs how to split the workload for the next 2 weeks.
We met up at the cookhouse and I volunteered to take the first shift that very night.
Kamal : Jackson …. You need to calm down….
Jackson : I know… don’t worry… I won’t do something stupid….
Kamal : we have a shot at this…. Boss knows what she’s doing….
Jackson : ok… I’m…. I’m sorry… about my behaviour lately….
Kamal : It’s ok… just breathe man….just breathe……
28th October 2016
Friday
11pm
The Rajahs have found a good spot right opposite the industrial site in question in Kallang. A multi storey industrial building. The unit the Rajahs managed to procure belonged to a signage maker.
I’m not sure how the manage to get the owner to stop work for a few weeks but I bet a lot of money is involved.