THE RETURN Of the LEGENDARY KING of WAR

A Shadow In The Dark

A knock distracts her and she looks up suddenly with a look of concern. For some reason, she isn't pleased with the fact that she is being disturbed.

“The door is open." She grimaces before turning back to her phone.

Puzzled, she stared as Karina walks in with a bottle.

She walked in holding something at her back “You’ve been in here all day. You okay?”

Lizzy didn’t look up. “Just doing some research.”

Katrina wanders closer. Her eyes drift to the laptop screen. “What's that?”

“Yes, what do you need?" She asks instead, while staring at the other woman. She is frustrated and has no room for chit-chats.

“I bought you this, thought to say thank you." Karina displays a bottle she had been hiding behind.

“You shouldn't have, it is not necessary." Lizzy rolls her eyes.

“I know, it is just a little gift."

“Fine, then go get two cups."

As Karina walks away, Lizzy turns her attention back to her phone.

It was the closest she had gotten to unlocking her greatest mystery and she was bent on finding the right answers at that moment-

Karina made her way in and she starred in her direction as she poured out the drinks on the cups and handed one over to her.

For some reason that she couldn't understand, she felt a bit at peace after drinking the wine.

“This is good." She commented after what felt like a while.

The house was quiet for what felt like a while save for the faint ticking of the kitchen clock and the low hum of Lizzy’s laptop as she continued typing.

Katrina didn't say anything. All she did is watch.

It was soon a matter of time before it was getting to evening slowly, and only then did she look up at the sun that is already sinking beneath the sky.

“I can't believe all this still didn't lead to anything." She comments for the first time.

"What is it?” Karina asks.

"I got a message that I thought was important and turned out to be useless.” She frowns.

Lizzy turns to her suddenly...

“You said that you've seen the man didn't you?"

"Um-um.”

"So, you know what he looks like?”

"Faintly, I can only do that as a person.”

Lizzy leaves where she is without saying anything and makes way out of the room, leaving Karina wondering if she has said anything wrong.

It will be only a matter of moment before Katrina joins her outside.

Lizzy sits cross-legged on the floor, with a brewing coffee beside her, and a laptop showing the Verizon International Holdings.

For some reason Katrina was yet to know, she asks that she come over. Soon as Katrina joined her, she sits, criss crossing her legs as well.

Lizzy scrolls through a shareholder report again, narrowing her focus to a single note. She is going to go through everything on their sites till she found a group picture. She was certain one was going to be there.

Then she saw it , it was a signature that looked so familiar enough that it sank to the back of her head. She is quick to rebuff the possibility, but it was right there.

-CEO with a clearance signature-

Just two initials created the confusion and doubt at the back of her head.

Andrew. R

It was the same initial as her ex-husband, only there was no way he could be the one..

“No. It couldn’t be him. Could it?”

How could Andrew, who once couldn't hold a stable job, possibly be sitting behind that fortress?

Unless… she never really knew who he was in the first place.

She takes a breath and leans back, staring at the ceiling. Her mind wouldn’t stop spinning.

Why would a company of this size go to such lengths to keep the CEO’s identity concealed? Every other corporate head had public profiles, LinkedIn accounts, press interviews. Verizon had none. No confirmed photos. No digital footprint. Just a title: CEO.

It was deliberate.

Whoever this man was, he was powerful. Dangerous. And he had reason to stay hidden.

" What is it?” A concerned Katrina asked.

"Nothing important, I just thought there was something for a minute.” Lizzy suggested.

To stop herself from thinking about what was not, she clicks delete.

Lizzy sighs after a while.

“You know I have been thinking, Verizon has grown too big and almost untouchable, impenetrable, protected by this new CEO.”

“Yes…I am quite aware.”

“So you said that you can't get us in, are you certain of that?"

"Yes, I am.”

“I don't know how to say this, or if this would sound criminal to you." Lizzy mutters, switching her gaze.

“You can tell me anything, you've been of help to me so I will do what you want .” Katrina’s voice was casual, but tinged with something unsure

“Well, I am just hoping that you can sneak in as you say… So far you are the only one I know who is really an insider that I could trust.” Lizzy sighs.

“Look at this." Lizzy points at the screen.

“What is that?" Karina

“Boardroom footage,” Lizzy said, scrolling back to a document. “This guy. Whoever’s running Verizon. He doesn’t exist publicly. But I’m starting to think…”

She didn’t finish the sentence.

“Think what?” Katrina asked, voice quiet.

Lizzy exhales slowly. “That he is doing this on purpose, and only you can give the answers, I just need a file from the company carrying his details.”

Katrina’s gaze lingered on the laptop.

The security footage had gone still paused on that shadowed figure. Even without a clear image, something about the way he held himself, the angle of his jaw, the slight tilt of his head…

Katrina’s pulse picks up. She’d seen that posture before.

But where? Yes, he had been the one to ask questions the other night and all that, but something about the shadowy figure feels so familiar.

“Alright, I'd do it." She took in a deep breath knowing the implications of what she was embarking upon.

" Sweet.” Lizzy clasped her fingers excited.

"Yeah, I still have the cards so I can sneak in and use it…I just hope things don't go bad.”

She blinks hard and shakes the thought away.

“That aside, do you want something to eat? I grabbed those meat pies you like.”

“I’m not hungry,” Lizzy mutters.

There was a long silence between them.

“I'd go get ready."

Katrina picked up the coffee cup that was empty and turned to leave, but her eyes flicked back once more. The paused video stared back at her beckoning.And for a brief, terrifying second, a thought crept into her mind that she didn’t dare say aloud:

I think I’ve met him.

*********

LATER THAT NIGHT

The house was dark. Lizzy had retreated into her room without another word, leaving Katrina alone in the living room to reflect on things; they had decided to move by midnight.

Katrina sat on the couch with her phone in one hand and her other hand resting in her lap, fingers twitching. She should forget what she saw. It wasn’t her business. But she couldn’t shake the image.

Where have I seen that man?

Her mind raced through memories of her job at the boutique, random customers, faces in passing, but nothing stuck.

The only memories she had was of the night she was taken, she had not seen him face to face, but it was this same shadowy figure.

Katrina remembers the weight of his presence. How it had chilled the room. How something about him had seemed off.She had forgotten about it until now.

And suddenly, she is almost sure.

The man in the security footage… is the same man in the car that drove away, while she is being taken to the airport

The same man who has looked straight through her like she was invisible.

She reaches for Lizzy’s laptop, hesitates for a bit, then opens it again. The security video is still in cache memory. She hit play. The footage moves for just three seconds, and Katrina’s blood runs cold.

She slams the lid shut, and sits frozen in the dark, heart banging fearfully.

Who the hell is this man?

And more importantly…How is he so important to Ms. Lizzy?

It is a question that leaves her in the dark, one that makes her ask for more.

The door opens, and Lizzy stands out in the dark doorway.

“It is time." Lizzy mutters.