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For Sarah
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Chun stared at the retreating back of his partner, feeling equally annoyed and irritated by her inconsiderate action. He was the one who invited her and she didn't even give him a kind grace for his invitation. He would've treated her for lunch if she did. Well, she agreed, nonetheless and it's the most important. He stole a glance at the camera pointed to both of them and tried not to show his face, grimaced bitterly, at the thought of being defeated by a woman. Never, in his entire life, had he asked any woman to eat with him in any kind of serving - aside from Jasmine, of course. Yet, this woman didn't even take pleasure on his action. She should know how much painstaking his efforts had been in shoving off his pride for ten seconds only to ask her for lunch.

He caught up with her quick pace and was already walking side by side with her in no time.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation Captain," he said, despising how irksome she just behaved a while ago. Just as he finished saying that statement, he began to question himself subconsciously why he's being so courteous to this indomitable, headstrong woman.

"It's not literally my intention to join you for lunch. I was really about to go for lunch even before I've seen your face on the monitor," she said, not looking at him. She placed her hands on her jacket's pocket and tilted her head up so that her hair would bounce slightly at every step.

"Then why did you agree to that idea then?" he inquired further. He mentally decided not to say anything back but she just clearly induced an obvious clash of reasons and he couldn't help but talk back. A simple 'you are welcome' might end the conversation already but she still defended herself when it's not even needed.

Ella remained calm and replied curtly, "Because you invited me".

Chun looked at her in disbelief as she's just twisting the thought around. Why can't she just let her guard down for once and accept that she's grateful with the invitation? He never argued with anyone such kind of petty topics before and he felt incredibly rustic. "Then why didn't you just turn me down if it's not really your intention to join me for lunch?" He gave her a short retort to match her ridiculous answer.

Ella shook her head mockingly. "Don't you understand logic at all? And besides, I know you wouldn't like it if I turned you down. Even if it's just an invitation, still it came from you. So metaphorically, I would hurt your ego - considering how egoistic of a man you are."

Chun sighed heavily, gaining the attention of the other agents. It's lunch break so the used-to-be-empty hallway became a little more humane. He ignored their malicious stares for he knows than they don't have the guts to question him. Their high level of respect on him can be seen on the way they give a wide berth around him. It made him feel influential and powerful but nevertheless, a little gloomy as this personality they knew he has drained him from the privilege of gaining many friends. He has some friends too but they are only enough to fit the spaces between his fingers.

He drew his concentration back to the enigmatic person walking confidently beside him. He doesn't know if the remark she just said matched his personality but whether it does or it doesn't, he let the topic slip off. He dropped the wrangle they're having for he knows that she has but a scanty knowledge about him to come up with such a retort. "I can say you're a conflict starter, then," he concluded aloud.

She shot him a look, her eyes still as dark as ever. Sensing her change of tune, he looked back at her. He wondered if she's using contact lenses but he knows that she's not going to pass the screening if she does. It is absolutely remarkable to see such clear sclera matched with intensely black irises. With a terse glance at her partner, she retaliated, "You could say that."

--ooOoo--

Jasmine paced the length of her room with a stultified smile. Everything is going on as planned. She dried her hair with a towel while sitting at the edge of her bed. Chun is on mission and will more likely be gone for a month or so. If she's lucky enough, he'll be off for three months or more. But that would be a little too impossible to happen for an ordinary mission. Chun is the best delta idiot alive and he would surely finish a mission with the maximum of two months. To hell with his beyond human aptitude. Fortunately, this one wouldn't be an ordinary one.

She reached for her phone resting snugly on the wooden bedside table and scrolled for a known number. She waited patiently for the other line to pick up. Her lips curved into a knowing smile when the familiar tone ended and a voice spoke up.

"Hi. How's it going?" she asked conversantly. The person on the other line gave her a short chuckle before responding, "It's been three days since I heard from you and all you think about is business? Come on Jas."

She smiled wider at his tone, "Joe, things are getting more interesting in here, don't you think? You know how long I've endured and waited for this day to come."

His voice softened, "Yes, of course. I believe Chun has another assignment in his hands."

She reached for the comb using her unoccupied hand and started combing her hair, "It's about the syndicate. They're expecting him to finish it in two-months time."

She could here the man on the other line scoff softly and she waited for a reply, "Would you care to join me for dinner? It's been three days since I saw your lovely face." It sounded like a plea and she couldn't help but picture the endearing pout on his lips.

"I would love to,"

His voice lighted in pure happiness, "I'll be there sharp at six, gorgeous."

She felt herself blush at his endearment and talked back, "You can now stop flattering me."

He laughed shortly and said, "I'll see you then." He ended it at that. Jasmine's smile is still clearly imprinted on her face. Three days without seeing him seemed like a year. After letting out a satisfied sigh she's been holding out for five minutes, she laid on her bed comfortably to take a pleasing rest before she can ever start the real day.

--ooOoo--

They arrived at the company's private café in the top of the building. Chun reached for a chair and held it open for his partner to seat but instead of being grateful; she went to the opposite side of the table and grabbed a chair herself. Chun was left staring at her and to compensate to the sudden turn of events, he settled onto the chair himself. Ella removed her black jacket and sighed in comfort of her black sleeveless shirt. She laid her jacket on the other vacant chair near her and breathed in the scent of the blowing breeze. It clearly registered to Chun's mind that this is her first time to ever come in this area of the building. Crooking a smile, he asked her what she wanted to do first.

"I would want to eat first. My mind won't work good if my stomach is empty," she replied saucily.

They grabbed their foods and settled onto the seats once again. Chun stared in amazement on how she devoured her food. He could tell that she's quite too hungry then. Ella's head snapped up at him when she realized that a pair of eyes are staring at her, "What are you looking at?"

Chun smiled slyly and muttered a short 'nothing' before eating his food. The breeze in the rooftop of the building is soothing. The idea of placing a cafeteria in this area isn't anything bad. Just how can the president, with his predatory eyes, come up with such a humane idea?

Ella finished her food in no time and settled comfortably on her chair. She scanned the surroundings and noticed how everyone's outfits are so alike. She's like in a funeral where everyone is wearing black. It's as if everyone are mourning because of injustice. Black is like the most suitable colour to her. It has been her motif since her parents died and her life had been a corrupted one. She withdrawn herself from the society and the things that normal people used to do. She decided that there's no space for mercy or love in her heart since she's been deprived of both. There's no way she could ever be normal again. Normal people are weak and she can't let herself be that vulnerable to emotions and fate yet again. There's no such a thing as fate. People are the ones who write their own fate in the course of human history. And her fate had not been good because she was not strong enough. She wouldn't let life be that cruel to her anymore much more than she would let herself be cruel to others.

She let her frown slip away and enjoyed how the wind mess her hair fashionably under the heat of the cloudless noon. It has been a long time since she enjoyed and took grace from the beauty offered by nature. And after this one-hour talk in this top of the building, she has to return to her inconsiderate self once again. And that self aimed for perfection, accuracy and, more than anything else, justice.

She took the envelope and started scanning the pages. The informations were clearly printed but the pictures at the end of the pages caught her attention. She memorized the spots where there are red marks. "This syndicate loves to play with fires, huh," she remarked loudly.

"They're known by being brutal aside from robbing all of the victim's wealth," Chun supplied. He flipped through the documents and pointed at the red marks on the picture. "All of the victims get the same manner of torture. They will be found , with hands and feet tied on the bed posts, body covered with cigarette burns and one deep cut on the throat," he narrated without feeling any hint of thrill.

"There is no sign of for the female victims. This means that it's not for pleasure. Yet they strip the victim ," she shook her head, feeling dismantled with the picture. Somehow, she's still a woman and she knows how precious her body is for her. "I wonder what their reason is for creating this emblem," Ella muttered without looking at Chun, her eyes still on the pictures.

Chun looked at her briefly and then at the pictures. "I have to admit that this is the most brutal case I've ever handled. But from my own experience, I could say that these persons are probably taking revenge..." he paused slightly to take a breath and continued, "in a painful way."

Ella was staring at him at that time and tried to absorb all the things he's saying. She looked at the documents and traced the picture with her fingers. She could imagine how painful it had been for the victims. She swallowed the blossoming thrill inside her heart and morphed her feelings back to courage. "Most of the victims are from the business industry. This link might have a connection. The top boss of the syndicate isn't recognized yet. All of the minions refused to say a word about who he or she is. They'd rather die than say a word. The next day, after every interrogation, they're found cold dead on their cell," she looked up to see his reaction.

He's looking at her the whole time she's talking and could see the slight creases on her forehead as she speaks. She could feel emotions too, after all, despite her dark exterior. "The ones caught are all working as the victims' housekeepers and drivers. No one would know what company they came from since all the family members are murdered," he said. "They left no one alive."

Ella nodded and secured the files on the envelope. She leaned in, her elbows resting on the table made with brownish fiberglass. "This is exciting," she said, her eyes gleaming. "What's your proposal?" she inquired, her eyes smiling with anticipation.

Chun crooked a smile and muttered a brusque, "Ladies first."

Ella felt her ears turned warm with such a remark. She retaliated, short and sure, "You should answer first, since I asked you first. Gender's off the topic."

Just as he predicted, she wouldn't buy such a reply. He blinked and breathed in. "In my proposal, we're both the decoy," he started. She nodded in contemplation. "The members of the syndicate, probably, are all housekeepers and handyman. They murder their employer. If we use other persons to act as the employer, they might not do the job well and may end up being murdered too. We must find out where they came from and how they do their tasks. We may both act as the employer and hire them. That way, we can monitor their activity."

Ella nodded. "Technically, you're trying to say that we will act as if we are a couple looking for a housekeeper," she said in a way that appeared like a statement rather then a question. The idea isn't that bad but there are still points to be cleared. "We don't know where to hire them and we're not sure if the ones we hired are one of them," she pointed out.

Chun's eyes narrowed, as if thinking the plan all over again, and there was a short pause. After a while, he spoke, "You're right. But there has to be someone who will take the bait - most especially if we offer high salary."

Ella blinked and nodded shortly. "You could be right. That could be an option."

"Yes. Now that you heard my part, I guess you might consider stating yours," he said, his eyes piercing through her. She's quite something, though. She surely knows how to make a plan. He wondered what sort of idea she has in her mind and can't wait to scrutinize whatever it is.

"I thought you'd never ask again," she said, offering a tranquil smile. "Simply put, we could pretend that we desperately needed a job and join the syndicate ourselves," she said concisely. Her eyes glimmer in a dark aura, reflecting her eagerness to solve this case like a wolf haunting a pack of cattle.

Chun stared at her and tried to analyse the pros and cons. Her idea isn't that bad, though, "That could also be one. But how would we know if it really is the syndicate? I think they don't just hire persons. I'm confident enough to say that they also have qualifications," he asked. That left her thinking. "I hope you won't take into heart what I'm going to say officer, but I am the more experienced one here. Significantly speaking, we must not hasten things up. It will not lead to something good," he said, clearly appointed to her.

Ella drew a smile so pure she covered her lips with the back of her left hand, "You're right. I'm just stating my proposal, officer. And I think I need to back myself up. I'm not in haste. I'm only up to a more direct way of personally finding out the identity of the person behind these merciless homicides." She found it a little amusing how conceited he is. He's serious, and so is she. But his personal vanity is way higher than hers. He's afraid of losing his position to neophyte.

"I understand, then," Chun affirmed.

Ella wiped her brow with her thumb and said, "Officer Wu, I understand that you're not used to having a partner. You've had an intense training for five years and two years of working as a single-handed, partnerless delta officer. I know it's hard to be open-minded since for the past two years, your ideas are always the priority. That was before, when you don't have a partner just yet. But now that you already have one, you might reconsider hearing opinions from your partner. Far be it for me to be cliché about this but two heads are better than one."

Hearing her words, he realized that she's right. As much as he hated to admit that he is wrong, things will not work in a good way if he'll still keep his pride raised high. Chun stared at her and replied, "Thank you for understanding Officer. But it's not as easy as you think it is. You're right, though. Please excuse my manners. I'll try to be open for your opinion, then."

Ella smiled genuinely, her dark eyes twinkled in delight, "That's nice to hear." She took a deep breath, "I have another idea. We can divide this operation into two sets. Plan A would be yours and Plan B would be mine. How about that?"

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