The dim-lit restaurant was tightly packed with customers. Soft Italian music played in the background while Daiyu and Itzal ate grilled chicken seeped in apricot sauce. Fresh steamed vegetables decorated each of the chicken breasts enhancing their appearances. Behind their two chair table were Cassidy and Indigo whom were eating multilayer lasagnas drizzled with tomato-reddened cheese. The mentors had agreed to eat in separate tables for subtlety. Being the only Asians there, Daiyu and Itzal had received several glances from people across the room. The girl was conscious of the stares and grew annoyed, but Itzal didn't seem to mind at all. The curious customers eventually looked away to mind their own businesses.
Finishing the last chicken on her plate, Daiyu felt her stomach bulge from the meal. It was her first time eating Italian food at an Italian restaurant, so such experience was special to her despite the stares. Itzal was still eating his meal, and the girl had joked about him for being a slow eater. However, Itzal told her it was better to chew all the food thoroughly, so it could get digested easily.
Daiyu drank what was left in her glass of raspberry lemonade. Several minutes later, she regretted for drinking all of it.
"I'm going to use the bathroom," Daiyu told Itzal as she excused herself from her seat. Itzal waved his hand off for the girl to go.
Before heading to the bathroom, the girl glanced at Indigo whom was still eating his lasagna. He shoved the food into his mouth hoping that he would finish it all despite he was already full. Daiyu snickered to herself wondering if the boy would barf later.
There was a single line in the women's bathroom. Cursing under her breath, Daiyu waited impatiently in the back of the line. There were around six women waiting, but each of them took so long in each stall. The girl positioned herself awkwardly as her bladder itched every minute that passed. Unable to take the torment anymore, Daiyu deserted the line and headed to the men's bathroom.
The men's bathroom was empty—thank goodness—yet alienated the girl. Unlike the women's bathroom, there were only two private stalls and the rest were urinals glued to the white tiled walls. The last stall was occupied resolving her to use the other one.
As she pulled her black pants down, it felt so relieving to empty her bladder. After she was done, she flushed the toilet. At the same time, the man in the other stall entered out at the same time as her. Feeling embarrassed, Daiyu stared at the man with a weak smile.
His blue eyes dilated with shock to see the little girl in the men's bathroom. They relaxed in a few seconds and he laughed it off. "Must been a long line, eh?" he asked with a wink. He spoke with a mild accent that Daiyu had to cock her ears slightly to understand him. His hair was cropped short, and it seemed his natural hair color was bleached which reminded the girl much of Itzal's goatee. He wasn't as tall as an average man, but he was considered tall to the girl. Although he appeared friendly, there was something unsettling about his aura.
After the man washed his hands and left, Daiyu pondered silently. There was something odd about the man as if she had seen him before. A brick slam against her head. That man was just Slane! Why didn't I pick that up earlier? she thought frantically. It was probably his new 'disguise', but that was Slane all right from the photo. All that changed about him was his haircut and clean-shaven face.
Rinsing her hands, Daiyu quickly headed out of the bathroom. She resisted the urge to run back to the table; it would attract a lot of attention. She kept her eyes on Slane whom was tables away from theirs. By the time the girl approached her table, Slane was already paying the bills.
Itzal followed Daiyu's gaze and immediately got up from his seat. He pulled out money from his wallet and placed it on the table. He cast his eyes toward Cassidy whom understood the signal; Slane was found. After Itzal and Daiyu quietly left the table, Cassidy and Indigo followed shortly.
Slane led them toward the parking lot. His velvet blue car gleamed under the streetlight. Without a word, Itzal held Daiyu's hand as if she was his own daughter and proceeded to his car which was parked in the next row. It was the first time Itzal had ever held the girl's hand which felt a bit strange. But to avoid any suspicion, Daiyu played along as his innocent daughter.
Daiyu could feel the adrenaline rush as she went inside the car. Here they were chasing Slane, the man she or Indigo would kill. She didn't expect to see him in the bathroom which had taken her by surprise. It was merely a lucky coincidence that saved them all the trouble from doing the further search. Reaching toward her pocket, Daiyu silently thanked the miniature cat for the good luck.
Slane's blue car started and moved out of the parking lot. By the time his car reached the exit, Cassidy and Indigo made haste to Itzal's car. They followed Slane behind in a good distance to mask the pursuit between other vehicles.
"Good job," Itzal told Daiyu while he focused on the drive.
Realizing the compliment was directed toward her, Daiyu slightly flushed. She nodded humbly although her mentor was not facing her. She told the three how she bumped into Slane in the men's bathroom. Itzal and Cassidy responded to the girl's account with chuckles which made Daiyu smile to herself. For once she was useful. Her dark eyes shifted slowly to Indigo expecting some sort of response from him. However, the boy remained staring bitterly out the window.
The storefronts and medium-sized houses Daiyu got used to seeing were now replaced by the woods. The pursuit extended into almost thirty-five minutes. Itzal stopped the car for a moment when Slane turned right into a separate road. He waited for a few seconds for Slane's car to disappear before following him again.
"I bet he owns his own private home," Cassidy mused. "I can imagine a two or three-story house or some sort of mansion."
"Very probable," Itzal replied. "The woods is one of the ideal places to hide."
It turned out that Cassidy's first idea was right. Slane did live in a two-story house as the car stopped a distance which was far enough to examine the house. The pale light of the moon illuminated the house's surface casting an eerie sensation. The house was constructed in the middle of the woods surrounded by a ring of trees. Three minutes later, the light turned on in the base of the house's window. Slane had entered inside.
This was it. Although there was a chance that the house didn't belong to him, there was no doubt that this was where Slane had been residing in Pike County. Daiyu's palms sweated from the thrill. She rested them anxiously inside her messenger bag to feel her Glock 26 for comfort. This would be her first test that would determine her skills and mortality.
A sheen of eagerness enveloped Indigo's brown eyes that they almost flickered in the darkness. "Are we going to kill him now?"
Cassidy and Itzal turned around to face the boy. "No," Cassidy replied. "We don't know who else is residing with Slane. It's best to observe him for a day, so we can get to know his schedule. Then we'll formulate the plan."
Indigo frowned in disappointment, but Daiyu was relieved. She felt she needed a bit more time before she and the boy would begin the assignment.
"Tomorrow we will get up early in the morning and watch him silently," Itzal said. "I'm going to stay in the car while you three spy Slane. If he is going to leave the house in his car, Cassidy," he said looking at the man, "call me as the signal. I will drive out of the road and park by the nearest neighborhood. Once Slane passes by, I'll follow him for a while and call you about the progress. Then we can make our plans. Any objections?"
Cassidy shook his head. "It's a bright idea."
Itzal glanced at Indigo and Daiyu, and they both shook their heads.
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