It might be a split of second but Vincencio shivered, reminding him about his dream. It was starting to get fishy to him, however, his phone began ringing. It snapped him from his curiousness but the call also made his wife pout, glaring at him in a foul mood.
"Seriously, hubby, tonight?" Skylar groaned, obviously didn't like being interrupted, making Vincencio skeptically chuckle and picking up the call.
'I know this is a bad timing but, Boss, we have important cargos and they were targeting it.'
"Moon Rose Familia's cargos." Vincencio sternly thought before responding to his wife with an apology and a promise. "Sorry, wifey, duty calls me. I'll make it up to you, promise."
"You better be." Annoyed, she sighed but letting him do his job, making Vincencio kissed her temple before heading to his night duty.
***
As Vincencio turned into a ruthless boss of Midnight Guardians, Night Hound arrived to his workplace, annoyed and furious. Every step he made sent shivers over his men as they gave their respectful bow to him. He might not greeted them like the usual but he made sure that everyone could feel his predatory presence as he waltzed to the shipping warehouse like storm.
"I JUST TOOK A FEW DAYS OF REST AND NOW I'M GOING TO RECEIVED THIS EMERGENCY?!" Night Hound shouted madly at his men as soon as he arrived on the port's warehouse where he saw a few broken cargo containers. Luckily, they were empty containers. "REPORT NOW OR I'LL MAKE SURE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WILL BE PUNISH!"
"We're sorry boss, we won't be calling you if nobody is crossing the MG tonight and targeting our exclusive cargos." Lesley quickly apologized, calming their boss a little.
"How long it has been?" He asked, growing deeply, making his men flinch before Prince commanded them to return to their post.
"Last night and tonight. They were targeting the same cargos from Moon Rose Familia." Lesley answered as they walked around the port, checking the shipping flow.
"Like I thought." He thought sternly before asking. "What's the interval time of their attempts?"
Night Hound suddenly crouched down, touching a slight moist ground, smelling a familiar scent before looking around. His eyes narrowed on a certain unsecured area when he heard Lesley reply.
"Last night, it was around eleven to eleven-thirty and tonight, it's around nine." Lesley answered, not being bothered on how their boss hunted for his prey.
"I'm pretty sure they'll come back because they didn't know you're here." Prince added, making Night Hound sighed before standing up.
"What's in the cargos they were after?" he asked and turned toward his office, but he already had an idea where the next attack might happen later.
"One from the RED cargo and three from the green cargos." Prince answered, making their boss frown.
"That's medical and deadly weaponry." He said almost stopping him from his tracks. He sensed something before adding, "Notify the familia about their cargos. Tell them we might hold it if the shipping won't be sabotage tonight."
"Boss, can't we deliver it tonight?" Lesley suddenly suggested, clicking something in their boss as they entered his office.
"Presley Siblings, come with me." He commanded them and led them into his soundproof office.
"What is it, boss?" Prince asked first before adding, "It's rare for you to use this part of your office."
"I know but this one is classified. And since your suggestion might work, we'll be delivering their cargos tonight. They were all secured and thoroughly scanned, am I right?" Night Hound answered, making them nod before sharing his plan which did not surprised the siblings on how quick their boss made a plan. "Good, I'll be guessing they will attack around eleven tonight based on the intervals of their attempts, and both cargos must be deliver tonight before it happened. Lesley, assigned your trusted men to ship the RED cargo to our local port for a decoy then at the black cargo, you must send both cargos for the Moon Rose Familia. Inform Sir L about the plan. Prince, stay on securing both the RED cargo and the Green ones, so they will think it was still here, are we clear?"
"Yes Boss." they agreed.
"I like diversion." Prince grinned like maniac, making Night Hound shake his head.
"Move out." Night Hound dismissed them and readied himself for his late night visitor. Then, amusingly whisper. "Let's see if you still can touch my property."
***
Night Hound has been surveilling the entire port with his hawk eyes but watching the CCTV footage was not enough. He went out, fully gear up and ready for any action might occur. As he waltzed calmly in the shadow, the cargos moved in such smooth pace, no disturbance but not to him. He felt eerie vibe swirling in the cold night around the MG's perimeter and one inhale of the air made him looked at his watch.
"Few more minutes, huh..." Night Hound whispered sinisterly before he continued his walk. He knew his enemy was getting ready to strike while he began placing men in secret. "Don't be obvious."
"Yes boss." they softly responded and he went on his stroll again.
Feeling the strange vibe getting thicker every tick on the clock, something began crawling on his throat and on his skin, there were goosebumps spreading across his body. He shivered but not in fear instead in excitement which reminded him about his wife.
"Oh, I miss her already." Amused, he chuckled when his watch vibrated, making him smirk dangerously. "Let the game begins."
Like predicted, around eleven in the evening, cross fire erupted in their shipping warehouse. Battle of firing guns echoed but to Night Hound it was a perfect disguise to mask his sneaky attacks. In the shadow where he blended, he killed invaders one by one while looking for the sole core culprit of the attack.
"Hm, he's good at hiding." Night Hound noticed a missing presence in the attack. "It seems like my prey wanted to see where I'm going to appear."
Carefully in the shadow, Night Hound perfectly waltzed as if he owns the darkness, letting the gunfire played in the background. Each exchange shots were dodged until one invader stumbled in front of him and from behind, without hesitation, he grabbed the man's shoulder before silently killed him. Then went to the next target, and with bare hands, he easily snapped its head before waltzing again in the shadow like nothing happened.
"Come out. Come out wherever your hiding." He whispered tauntingly, listening to everyone's heartbeat.
Like a hidden skill, Night Hound could hear the sound of erratic heartbeats of every person in the warehouse and despite the gang fight, guns and groans; he heard a certain out of sync beat. However, it was followed by a clattering can then smoke effect spread drastically throughout the warehouse. It sent alarm to his men but adrenaline on his part. Night Hound preferred not to be seen and spreading smoke in his turf was not a good idea. The table was now turned and it was in his favor.
"Nice play but not for long." He whispered like a song, focusing on the out of tune heartbeat.
He was locating where it was coming from and every beat it was making, it resonates throughout the body of a person, making Night Hound find its hiding place and began grinning.
"Oh, there you are." Night Hound amusingly whispered as he stood up with calmness and walked in the middle of the smoke and gunfire. "This is fun."
Calmly, he took advantage of the smoke and let the gunfire cloaked his advances in the shadow. He moved smoothly but holding a dangerous and malicious intention. He was turning into a true predation heading toward his prey. He didn't care of everything that was happening around him and locked on something – someone trying to hide from his lethal intention.
"Locked on." With a sinister smirk, Night Hound whispered as soon as his hawk eyes marked the target, hiding on the same spot he noticed earlier.
His prey might be clever but not enough to get away from his mark. Night Hound dashed in the shadow as fast as he could, when something hit his nostrils. Something odd passed his nostrils. He was familiar with the strange scent, almost making him stop from his tracks but luckily, he didn't.
"What the?!" He mumbled but shook it immediately.
Night Hound ignored what he sensed and hurried to his target. As a silent killer, he raised his silencer gun and released his shot. He was sharpshooter, however, another bullet grazed his, making the bullets landed on different angle, wounding the prey badly. And since the target was still alive, it managed to flee from the scene, leaving dead bodies in the warehouse.
"Who is it?" Pissed, Night Hound wondered softly, quickly checking the area of his prey before his surroundings.
With narrowed eyes, he quickly scanned the darkest spot of the area he was in. His hawk eyes searched in the darkness and only to found a woman staring back at him with glowing blood eyes. It might be a split second of staring but something stirred inside the Night Hound and when he rush to the spot, the figure was gone. Yet, something caught his attention, making him crouched down and grabbed a rose petal.
"A petal?" he softly mumbled, inhaling the petal, making him grin in fascination. "Rose Slayer paid me a visit? That's interesting but why here? And why we have the same target again?"
"Boss, that's…" Prince trialed off as soon as he noticed his boss was holding.
"I know but not a word to anyone about this." Night Hound coldly answered and put the petal on his chest pocket.
"But why here?" he wondered but noticing the fascination on his boss's smirk.
"We'll find out once we meet in person, but tonight, clean these mess and make sure to tightened the security. And afterwards, Prince, come to my office." He commanded sternly before walking away like nothing happened.
"Yes, boss." Prince replied and began doing what he was commanded to do.
***
Night Hound stood still by his office window, looking afar when a knock happen and Prince entered. He politely gave respect before standing at the middle of the office.
"I know you and your sister knew Rose Slayer." Night Hound said coldly as he sat on his seat, making Prince flinch.
"Boss, I…" Prince tried to defend himself but he didn't allow him.
"No need, I just need to know what type of person lies in the well-known killer's name." He said sternly, ushering him to sit. "Sit."
"I'm sorry if I can't be fully honest with you, boss. But I could guarantee she's not going to step on your business." Prince sincerely apologized and Night Hound waved his hand dismissively but amused over something.
"A she…interesting." He grinned, making Prince notice it before adding, "Prince, I know you and your sister were loyal to me because of the reason I gave to you and your family but I know you're limiting your loyal until a certain person appear and that's Rose Slayer, am I correct?"
"Yes, Boss. It's her." He confirmed honestly, making him nod.
"What else I could know about this Rose Slayer that you're allowed to say?" He wondered, obviously fascinated on meeting Rose Slayer one day.
"She's a monster on battlefield." Without hesitation, Prince honestly answered, making him laugh, catching Prince off guard.
"HAHAHA! A monster…I wonder what would she response when she heard you said that." He said amusingly.
"Boss, despite of being a monster on the battlefield, she kind to those who were to her although she buried them because of those people." With venom, Prince punched his thigh in frustration, catching his attention.
"Them? Are they the reason why we recently have the same target?" Night Hound guessed, making Prince nod before giggling. "Then I bet we'll me soon."
"Boss, please don't cross her." Prince hoped because he knew it will be a disaster when they collide.
"I won't, but it will be fun when we do." He chuckled amusingly, making Prince frown.
"BOSS!" He whined before sighing in defeat. "I'm so dead."
"Don't worry, it won't be happening. I'm curious about her." He admitted the fascination he was felt earlier. "In case she calls you or your sister to work for her, tell her what I told you. I want to work with the famous killer."
"Lesley will kill me if two monsters meet in person." Prince sighed in defeat but his boss just laughed on his misery. "It's not funny, boss."
"It is. Anyway, handle the rest but be guarded because that prey escapes." Night Hound patted his shoulder and left. However, in his thoughts, he was intrigue. "I wonder what lies beneath the lace mask."