THE TORMENTOR 2
THE MASKED
The Masked - Episode 1&2
( Where•are•you, Ixora? )
Book 2 in the Mindf+ck Trilogy
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[California, Stonia's Mansion]
Rafael is in the kitchen, surrounded by maids as he made tea and honey cookies by himself.
The pitiful looks on the eyes of the maids was obvious as they stole glances at him.
It's been a year since Ixora went missing from her prison room, but Rafael looks so different already.
He looks much older than he looked last year, and that's because he left his beards unsaved, and his hair unkept.
He obviously hasn't been feeding well cos he lost pounds of flesh and a lot of weight.
The sadness in his eyes was rotating with the tea as he stirred it, and after he was satisfied that it's enough, he took it upstairs to Stonia's room.
Stonia is worse than him. She fell in coma for two months straight, and when she woke up, she fell sick, and she hasn't been able to get up from her bed since then.
Every prison guard on duty that day were jailed by the government, but that didn't bring Ixora back.
Their hope kept thinning everyday, and Stonia is obviously dying.
Rafael set down the teacup and biscuits beside the bed of the crazy-looking woman, and she looked up, her eyes hot and yellow.
"You should eat and take your drugs. If you don't want honey cookies, then I can make you cream puffs" Rafael said, and she stretched up her hand to hold his arm.
"Where is... she? Where is my daughter? Another school year is resuming in ILC today, she should resume with her mates" she said shakily.
Rafael sat beside her and held her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, sorry I couldn't save our daughter" he muttered, and she began crying as he began feeding her the tea in a spoon.
"Serena has refused to come back from Serbia, I've called her repeatedly, but she wouldn't" he said as he fed her the cookies.
"I don't care about her, I only want my daughter" Stonia sniffled, and Rafael wiped her tears before pushing her hair away from her face, then he continued feeding her.
Stonia received the snack with tears and sorrows, and though Rafael's face looks dry, but he's crying inside.
--
[Cali Core Prison]
Chicago was literally pushed out of the prison gate, and her black bag fell off her shoulder in the process.
"Don't push me, d+ck!" She shot at that particular guard, raising her fist at him.
"Punch me and get held back for another year. You were supposed to get released last year remember? But you had to go fight the Ixora girl." The guard sneered, and she lowered her fist before patting the guard on his shoulder.
"Take care of my father, I don't think Hawke is getting out of this place even in twenty years, man has committed too many crimes, and I'll miss torturing him. But I might come back sooner than expected, who knows? Cos if I get my hands on the runaway Ixora, then she's dead" she slanted her palm on her neck and clicked her tongue before grabbing her back from the floor.
She was bouncing on her black sneakers as she walked to the main road, using a face cap on her scissored hair.
She flagged down a cab and got in roughly. "Rehabilitation center" she told the driver, slapping the seat.
--
[Peace Rehab Center]
The environment is serene as expected of a rehabilitation center, and only the sound of the flowing fountain at the back of the center could be heard.
It's soothing and therapeutic, and it's meant to to add calmness to the nerves of the patients which it's perfectly doing.
The sound of the running water filled the closest ward to the fountain, majorly because of the several open windows.
The patient inside the room is standing beside the window, staring out at nature with his hands in pocket.
Warren Creed.
He didn't change except for his hair that's now dyed blonde.
Eyes still cold and half-blind.
Posture still straight and tall.
Chest still desolate and empty.
He has been here since a year ago after the shit went down at the core prison, and since then, he has been reliving that day over and over again.
—A Yr Ago, Core Prison—
Warren had rushed down to the prison after Elder Creed confirmed that Matron's pendulum is a hypnotist's, and as an anomaly that he is, he broke his way into the prison grounds.
The guards went hit on his heels with guns, threatening to shoot him, but he didn't stop running.
Rafael who has been waiting for the guard to bring Ixora used the opportunity to enter the prison grounds too, going after Warren.
They both got chased by the cops, but they kept running like thieves, and as if the other inmates already know who they're here for, they pointed at Ixora's prison room door, and they got there to meet the guard standing in front of it, staring at the body dangling from the ceiling.
The cake fell from Rafael, and he held the door so he won't fall.
"Ixora?" He grunted like his voice is hooked.
Warren fell to his weak knees, ready to shriek, but then he noticed something — her neck.
The dark mark he left there isn't there, so he stood and entered the smelly room very well, then he saw it's a different person.
It's another female inmate, not Ixora.
—Present Time—
Warren pushed a sigh out of his dry throat and adjusted his stance by the window side.
She has been missing since then, no one knows where she is or who the fûck took her.
Whoever did it planned well, cos despite all his efforts to search for her, he always comes back to the starting point.
It's like she disappeared into thin air with no hope of being found.
And he relapsed so bad, very bad that he had passed out in his room when he went OD again.
It was Capri and Lydia who brought him here that day, and since last year, he has been here... trying to recover which is totally impossible.
His sanity is gone, the thread is already broken.
He opened his right palm, revealing the pendulum pocket watch which he has been carrying around.
He's wearing the flame pendant necklace she had bought too, and even her meteorite is on his wrist.
Capri entered the ward, and he didn't bother to turn.
"Ash will be returning tomorrow, but Konstant? I'm not sure" he said.
His hair is still blonde with few black strands, and his facial rings are still very much there.
Warren finally turned around and picked his leather jacket from the bed, then he left the ward with Capri since he has been discharged this morning.
His healing drugs has been sent to the car, so they just went straight to the car and drove off.
Immediately they drove off, Chicago's cab stopped in front of the center, and she threw few dollars at the driver before rushing into the building.
"War...show me to the ward of that creep" she told the woman at the entrance.
"He left just now, I mean..now" the woman replied, and Chicago punched the desk, scaring the woman.
"Darn it" she cussed.
--
[Creed's Family House]
The changes in the compound is clear.
Apart from the new hidden cameras and halogen lights which are always on even during the day, there are new blue flowers at the lawns, and Elder Creed is on his wheelchair in the middle of the flowers, admiring a stem.
Every single dark hair in his head is gone, it's all grey now, and he's still obsessed with Tang suits as he's wearing one right now.
"Your chocolate cream, sire" Beatrice appeared with a tray containing the cup of chocolate.
She's the new maid who started work since last year, a chubby but beautiful woman.
Elder Creed took the cup of chocolate, and she left, then Lydia appeared.
"Young Lord got bailed at the rehab center just now, and I already sent him the schedule of your offices. I believe if the meetings keep him busy, he won't go back to being a druggie" she reported.
"Good, and are you sure he stayed clean throughout his rehab days?" Elder Creed asked.
"Of course, the rehab workers made sure he never touched or swallowed the pills" Lydia replied.
"And why is he still carrying the pendulum around? Does this mean Stonia's daughter was hypnotized?" Elder Creed looked up.
"Looks like it" Lydia replied, and the old man clicked his tongue.
Lydia was about to say another word when a loud whistle blew around the compound.
INTRUDER ALERT!!
The cameras probably caught someone unusual, so Lydia quickly wheeled Elder Creed's wheelchair around, ready to take him away from that angle, but the gunshot came faster than expected, from behind one of the surrounding trees.
Lydia turned the wheelchair around once again, and though she was able to save the elder, the bullet met her own arm instead.
"Lydia!" Elder Creed gasped, and Beatrice rushed out.
"Take elder inside!" Lydia ordered, and Beatrice wheeled his chair up that lane, taking him to safety.
Lydia unstrapped her gun from her hostler, running down that lane and chasing the shadow she's seeing through the sun.
The shadow belongs to a woman, and she just knows it's none other than Maureen, Warren's mother twin sis.
The bitch has been sending arrow and paper messages, but now that Warren is out of rehab, she actually sent a bullet message.
Blood soaked Lydia's arm, but despite the pain, she continued her run till the dead end of the backyard forest where she caught a subtle glimpse of the shadow before shooting, but she missed.
Maureen escaped.
Lydia stopped running, catching her breaths as she stared at the barbed wired fence
How is Maureen able to come in?
--
[Imperial Levels College]
It's the first day of the college resumption, so the academics aren't starting today.
Today is for settling in and showing off, then seeing new faces of the freshmen.
ILC changed within a year—not the buildings, but the system here.
Satan's Heirs has been laying low, too too low, so several new gangs has risen who're also top tier.
There are Devil's Sons, The Threats, The Damned, The Four Horsemen, and so on...
Even the girls now have a sorority club and secret society.
But of all the gangs, The Four Horsemen are the real deal, they rake the hottest and the most dangerous members in this campus.
They aren't just a gang, they're a band of erotica who sings the darkest, dirtiest p0rnography music.
Sons of more important people in this city whose pride are higher than the heavens.
Right now to get into ILC is even harder than last year, and only two hundred freshmen got admitted this year.
According to the chancellor, too much crowd is a no.
The expensively luxurious campus environment is milling with both freshers and returning students this morning, and there are already several posters on the walls for parties and shows and concerts that'd go down this week.
The pink ribbons in Tina's hair were dangling as she pasted her visual posters, announcing her "welcome back to school" party tonight.
And as she pasted, Monty is behind her on her skateboard, posting and reposting about it on her blogs too.
--
A pair of silver coloured boots walked down a staircase, carrying a girl with short bangs hair and stoic mean face.
Evelyn.
She's also carrying a fashionable backpack, and she's sneering as she looked around.
"This school changed like hell,, who told me to even resume today? Nothing is going on yet" She muttered in frustration, entering the amphitheater.
She expected to meet Bronx in there, bullying, but there's a madly handsome guy in there instead.
He looks new and too rich, sitting poignantly with a shinny black guitar which he's playing.
Evelyn's mouth widened, but she quickly snapped it shut as she walked closer to him.
His skin is overly clean as if he hasn't stepped into sunlight all his life.
"Hey, you are?" She said, but he continued playing his guitar without looking up, his slim fingers so attractive.
No. Everything about this dude is actually attractive.
"I'm talking to you" Evelyn spoke again, but he still continued playing.
In anger of getting ignored, Evelyn kicked the table in front of him twice, and he finally looked up, his eyes smoldering.
"You do not ignore me, ok? I'm Evel...I mean Winter Crown! You do not ignore me no matter how handsome you are!" She snarled at him, and his pink lips pressed.
"What do you think you're doing!" A rigid voice boomed behind, and she turned to see Monty and Tina approaching.
"Bimbos" she scoffed.
"Excuse you? Who the hell are you to use that word?" Tina nearly slapped her, but Monty stopped her, then she faced Evelyn.
"Look, I'm not a lover of peace, but I'll give you a warning. Never again in your fucked up life, disrespect Mykel" she said, and Evelyn froze, then she looked at the guy again.
So he's the legendary Mykel? The second member of The Four Horsemen?
The mute!
He's got selective mutism, no wonder he didn't reply her earlier.
She took her eyes off him, then she rolled eyes at Tina and Monty before stomping out of the amphitheater.
"Her attitude looks like someone I know, I swear! I can just feel that proudness" Tina said.
"You ok, Mykel?" Monty asked, and the guy nodded, sitting back and returning to his guitar.
"Is it just me? I can't wait for the new handsome guys to resume!! There are too many of them this year!" Tina gushed.
"Just say you can't wait for Romeo" Monty replied, and Tina laughed as they exited the amphitheater.
Mykel looked up, then he brought a scrabble piece out of his pocket.
I is written in front of that piece, and Xora is written at the back of it.
As he stared at it, he smiled handsomely.
He might be selectively mute, but he's an important member of The Four Horsemen.
He joined this college late last year.
He's the gang guitarist.
--
[Tennessee, Smith's Mansion]
Both Bronx and Ashton came here for the summer break, but right now they're preparing to go back to Cali since ILC has resumed.
Both are already packing their bags, and abusive Mr. Smith dropped amex cards on the table for each of them.
Bronx took his own and kissed it, looking so handsome right now cos he changed. His facial wounds are all gone.
Don't be surprised, he's the fourth member of The Four Horsemen, he joined to anger his brother.
Ashton took his own card and threw it at Mr. Smith's face, causing the man to huff.
"Your money? Go dig a grave with it and bury yourself, dîck!" He said angrily, then he faced Bronx.
"And you...this year is for me and you and your damn cult." He pushed him out of the way and took his bag, storming out.
Bronx patted Mr. Smith's shoulder.
"Don't worry, dad. His gang is now irrelevant in campus, The Four Horsemen has taken over, so his anger is justified. Bye!" He winked, walking to the door.
His phone buzzed, and he checked by the door...it's a message from the brotherhood.
Cat Eyes: You requested one year of leniency, and that year is over. It's either you kill the girls this semester, or you and your brother end up dead.
He finished reading and pocketed his phone like he read nothing, then he left.
Mr. Smith sat on the couch, taking off his spectacles.
"So much for having two headstrong sons. If I knew this is how it'd be, I wouldn't have killed their mother" he groaned.
--
[8PM, Rugg Port]
The silence is thick, but the sound of shoes marching the ground ruined it as three people walked to the shore, the moon in the sky so bright.
They're all wearing black coats. Two guys, and one girl between them.
The two guys are Clover and Romeo, and the girl is Bethel who's holding a long gun.
She stayed behind while the guys went forward to meet the suppliers who're just getting off a ferry.
Romeo took over his mother's business as promised, but excluding human trafficking.
He trafficks hard drugs, and needless to say ... He has gathered mad connections and long wealth over the past one year.
Thanks to Clover and Bethel, and his aides in the police higher ups, he has been excelling.
He's the first member of The Four Horsemen, and Clover is the third member.
Their suppliers are two bulky men, and while they opened two bags of hard drugs, Clover opened bags of money, then Romeo started the negotiation.
He opened his phone to show the suppliers a sample, and Ixora's face came to view on his home screen.
He didn't change it.
During negotiation, Bethel heard a sandy sound behind the shore rocks, and her sharp eyes went there.
She sighted someone with a camera, but the person began running instantly.
Bethel didn't run, she just climbed that same rock and jumped down on the other side, double-crossing the person.
It's a random man.
"You were actually filming the negotiation?" Bethel smirked.
The man dropped his camera in fear, then he turned the other side and began running off, but Bethel loaded her gun and shot him in the head.
He fell into the dark water, and she lowered the gun.
"That felt madly good" she muttered.
--
[Moscow In Russia~Khamovniki District___Barinov Guild]
The guild is built in the middle...dense part of the district, and it's the largest building ever.
The towering trees surrounding it are countless, and the guards are scarily huge.
The guild was built to block the sky, so once you're inside any of the buildings, you don't get to experience rain on the roof or sunshine through your window till you come out of the guild completely.
The buildings inside is twenty two, and there are too many quarters and sub-quarters.
The main building houses the Barinov family, and right now their dinner is ready for consumption.
Galina came in gallantly with Kol, the husband beside her.
Then Anfisa followed, and Akem.
Akem has been with this family since like forever. He was Konstantin's childhood friend before Konstantin went to California and met the guys, and Galina likes him like a son.
Father is normally the head of every family, but here? Galina rules over Kol—her husband.
Every order that binds this guild and empire comes from her, and she's utterly wicked.
Last year, she really held Nadine's parents captive cos they swindled this guild, siphoning a lot of money.
She brought Nadine down here, and Konstantin had no choice but to come back to Russia with Anfisa.
Galina then released Nadine's parents, but she held Nadine captive.
She'd be released anytime her parents are able to pay up the builions they siphoned.
"Where the hell is Konstantin?" Galina asked, raising her lids and dripping her silver spoon.
"He's probably trying to make the girl eat again" Kol replied beside her.
"Get him here, now!" Galina glared, and Akem stood.
"I'll go get him" he said.
"Sit down, I'll do it" Anfisa stood, and Akem sat back.
Anfisa left the dinning room.
--
[Nadine's Room]
It's a small room at the back of the main mansion, and the worse part? The room has no door.
Galina had ordered guards to remove the door, so she has no privacy of her own, and it'd be like this till her parents decide to pay the money they stole.
The lustful guards tried to rape her severally, but thanks to Anfisa, she was protected cos she has never allowed Konstantin near herself.
Right now, Konstantin is by the door with her dinner tray, staring at her on the bed she's sitting on, her back is on him.
He walked in and dropped the tray on the bed, but she turned around and pushed it away, wasting the food as she stood from the bed, her face coming to view.
Her dark hair grew so much already since she's hairy, even her bodily hair and brows are the same, but there are no tears in her eyes
At least, she's no more a crybaby like she was.
"Get out" she ordered, pointing at the door with so much hate in those eyes.
There's a 'Barinov' tattoo on her right wrist, drawn by Galina herself to mark her as the family property.
"Even if I stay out, I'll still see you, not like you have privacy" Konstantin bluntly replied.
His hands are in his pockets, and his long blonde hair tied with a band.
"Get out!!!" She yelled, picking the glass cup which she threw at him.
He didn't dodge, so the cup shattered on his face, giving him a cut.
"Are you done?" He nonchalantly said as blood trickled down his white shirt.
"No I'm not, you cûnt!" She raged, picking the glass plate.
She was about to fling that one too when Anfisa came in.
"Leave her alone" she said.
"And you think I'd listen?" Konstantin glared.
"Get to the dinning right now before mother comes here to do something bad to her" Anfisa glared.
Konstantin gave Nadine another look, then he stormed out of the room in fury.
Anfisa walked to Nadine and pulled her into a hug which she didn't resist.
"I'm sorry, cutie. I'm sorry"
"I miss Xoxo, very much" Nadine sobbed, hugging her back.
"Me too" Anfisa replied, rubbing her neck gently.
--
[California, Stonia's Mansion]
It's 9pm, and the house is habitually quiet, but the quietness got disrupted when a car honk sounded by the gate.
Astounded, the doorman opened the gate, and a Uber drove in, stopping at the park.
A minute after the parking, the backdoor opened, and she stepped out, looking at the massive mansion with a big smile.
The doorman couldn't hide his shock as his eyes widened so much, and he ran to her.
"Young Miss?" He said, and she smiled.
"Miss Ixora!!!!!" He screamed sonorously, and that was enough to bring the maids out.
Their eyes began widening one by one, their shocks heightening the more they realize it's not a dream.
It's real!
Stonia was barefoot as she ran out of the mansion too, wearing only her bra and long skirt.
"My...my love?" She stuttered shockingly.
Rafael was the last, and immediately he beheld her, his phone fell from him.
"Baby" he swallowed.
"Mum, dad" She replied, tears pouring out of her eyes.
"My daughter!!!" Stonia cried, running down and almost falling as she scooped her daughter into her arms.
"Ixora...Xora is that really you?" Rafael began crying emotionally as he joined the hug.
"I missed you both so much, so fuçking much...I was kidnapped from prison and trapped somewhere I had no idea of, I suffered so much! I suffered!!" She cried.
"My...my daughter" Stonia broke the hug and began pouring find loving kisses on her face.
Rafael peppered her hair with kisses at the same time, and she cried harder.
"I missed you both so much..."
They hugged her again, their tears pouring so much.
During the hug, another girl came out of the Uber.
Her dark eyes are cold, clothes oversized, and half of her face is masked with a black veil.
She took a strange look at the house, and then she looked at the parents hugging their long lost daughter.
One of the mansion maids approached her slowly.
"Who are...you?" She asked.
"I'm Elsa, her maid. I followed her from France" the girl replied, her tone overly cold.
"You're miss Ixora's maid?" The mansion maid blinked.
"Yeah" Elsa muttered, icily.
TBC.
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