Whispers of the Damned

The rather burly man with a hoodie sweater and ripped jeans in front of me was Mr. J.

His real name is Januar Lopez. Twenty-seven years old, a college classmate of mine, and a multiple-time winner of an illegal hacker contest at one of Bogota's famous gambling joints. I once accidentally met him in a competition held in one of Abraham's friend's dirty basements. I came there to look around while accompanying Abraham, who wanted to meet his friend.

Back then, we weren't close at all, and we only knew each other's names. I didn't have any friends because I entered college at the age of sixteen. Yes, I was accelerated twice when I entered elementary school and then middle school because my teachers said I was too bright. I doubted that.

I never wanted to socialize at all because I was so young compared to them, and I was too awkward to make the first move. So, all I did in college in Bogota was go home to my grandparents' house, since my parents' house was in Madelin, and then study.

We became close friends after I saw him there. Long story short, he was surprised to see me there. Where the basement was always a place of crime and illegal boxing. Januar almost pulled me out because he thought that a man framed me or just randomly walked in here by me out of curiosity. But Abraham then blocked him and almost punched him if I didn't stop him. Januar knew Abraham. My brother often went there to relieve his fatigue or join in on the boxing game.. which he ended up having to stop because my grandmother nagged him.

From there, Januar and I became friends. He often played the game, and I frequently saw him. On campus, we became close because we usually studied together and sometimes spent our free time hanging out at the cafe near the campus. I once thought that I liked him, but I didn't.

Despite his extraordinary intelligence, he was a mischievous, motorcycle gang, risk-taking kind of boy. Take that underground base, for example. No one would risk going even when they were offered a million dollars. But Januar would take it even if it was only worth two cent. And I had always been a home girl with a tight guard, and I was always afraid that if one of my guards saw me and Januar dating, Papa would be furious and send me to Madelin. Plus, Januar wasn't my type. He was too wild and unpredictable. Sometimes, my head is spinning when I get news of his location. One hour, he might be in Bogota, and two hours later, he's already on his way to Juneau, Alaska, and then five hours later, he'll be in Ontario, Canada. He was always like that. Moving around and unable to settle in one place.

"You're just going to shut up? I don't have much time to talk to you. I'm swamped, you know." Januar snorted in annoyance.

He was now a member of the United States Cyber Team on duty in California. Even so, he was still a deep-cover who now worked under the orders of Abraham, whose identity was disguised as Mr. J.

"I'm still thinking about how to tell you this."

He frowned. "Just tell me."

"I need your help to investigate someone," I said finally, my voice shaking slightly.

Januar, or Mr. J, tilted his head, his facial expression turning serious. "Who should I investigate? And what do you need from me?"

I took a deep breath. "Zane Bernardi. I need to know everything about him. All his connections, all his movements, and if possible, find evidence that he leaked my whereabouts to Garcia."

Januar raised his eyebrows, then leaned back. "Bernardi? He's not just anyone. You know how dangerous it is to deal with someone like him, right?"

"Yes, I know," I replied firmly. "But I have no other choice. He could be the reason all this is happening. I need reassurance."

He sighed and looked at me sharply. "You know, this could end badly. But I'm going to do it. Not just because you asked, but because I know you wouldn't have come to me if it wasn't something important." He frowned, studying me closely. "What happened between you two?"

I bit my lip. "He's Danzel."

His eyes widened. "The guy you met on the mission in Mexico five years ago?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Januar also knew about it, not because I told him but because he had a close connection with Abraham. Januar was one of the people who made my and Joanna's existence disappear. "How come?"

"That's a long story." I sighed loudly, drinking my orange juice. "Just bad luck."

"And you want to know if he was the mastermind behind yesterday's shooting?"

"Yes," even though Zane Bernardi said that he and Garcia had nothing to do with each other, I still didn't believe him. "So that I can be more vigilant."

"He's here?"

"Scavi Titanio is one of his subsidiaries, and he's here." And I wondered why the man hadn't returned to New York, where he came from. "And... by accident, Royal Ridge hitched a ride in their office. That led me to meet him." Januar's face was filled with shock. "You.. God, why is this so coincidental?"

"I don't know." I shook my head softly.

"All you had to do was quit that job, Danny. That was the easy part."

"He threatened me, J." I shook my head, not wanting to talk about Zane Bernardi's absurd threats. "I'm trapped now."

"Zane Bernardi threatened you?" Januar looked genuinely shocked. "That's serious, Danny. Threats from a man like him are no joke."

I nodded slowly, feeling the tension in my shoulders growing heavier. "Yes, he threatened to make my life miserable if I tried to quit this job."

Januar let out a long sigh and refocused on his laptop screen. "Okay, I understand. I'll see what I can find out about him. But it won't be easy, and it might take some time."

I looked at him expectantly. "Thanks, J. I really need your help."

He looked at me with worried eyes. "I will. But you have to be careful too, Danny. You can't be careless with someone like Bernardi."

I smiled weakly. "I will be careful." I looked at him expectantly. "Please don't tell this to Abraham. Please."

He sighed heavily because it was indeed hard work. "I'll try to keep this from him."

"If he starts to get suspicious, let me know."

"I will."