Chapter 4

The time is about 6:30pm, we eventually made it to the restaurant that Ivana’s cousin owns that is named “Celeste” the French word for heavenly…or maybe the musical instrument, I’m not really sure.

As soon as Ivana steps in, the waiters in the restaurant quickly knew who she was and lead us to a round table beside a window.

The waiter gave each of us a menu, when l read the food’s names; they were all complicated too read I started to mumble out loud.

“Bla…Blanque? Blanquette…De Veeeaaau?”

What is that? Is it any good? I wish they’d put pictures on the menu.

It would seem like I’m not the only who is having trouble with the menu.

Folia fix her glasses and stared intently at the menu she is holding on to.

Luckily Ivana is here, so we were able to order our food without much trouble. I can’t wait for that “Tartiflette” thing; it has Reblochon Cheese in it and the Soupe a loignon that one is severed with cheese on top, let’s not forget the large ‘cookies and cream’ milk shake…...is it here yet?

“Um…I only noticed this just now when we were ordering, Could it be that James like cheese.”

“Not just cheese actually, I like anything that has milk as an ingredient.”

Ivana must have noticed that all of them are cheese related food.

“Could that be why you have a sturdy looking body?”

Actually Folia, it’s from various kinds of deadly, bone braking and abnormal training methods my mother thought up, but I not dumb enough to say that out loud, so let’s just go with ‘drinking milk made me big and strong’ answer.

More like, let’s forget about my mother. I don’t want to ruin my early dinner.

The girls also ordered food I never heard of before, some of them even has really long names. But their food, can’t we just give them simple easy to say names.

While we wait for our food, we talked about various kinds of thing like, what’s their favorite show, what’s their hobby, what do they do in the student council and what is school like.

From the talk we just had, it seems like they have been classmates ever since the 6th grade of elementary. No wonder they look close to each other.

I wasn’t really surprised when Ivana’s family is wealthy. After all, eating in a place like this takes money.

But what surprised me was that one father is one of the founders of the school.

I asked her if he was caught up with the incident that happened last week when the faculty building explodes, but of course I didn’t mention anything about the golems, since it would seem like she has no idea about the other side of the world.

Fortunately, her father was on a business trip to another country, so he wasn’t even close to the incident.

Now that she mentioned it, Mr. Douf did say that some of the founders weren’t at the gathering before.

But what’s important is now I know why those thugs tried to kidnap her.

Knowing that she is one of the founders’ daughter, it’s pretty much a given that she’s loaded with cash.

As for Folia, she was still in 5th grade when she moved here on this island together with her sister.

At first her parents was against it, but they soon gave up when the older Chilton said that she’ll be lonely living by herself.

Her sister graduated at Weorld Academy and soon registered herself as a special security staff.

And since Folia look up to her older sister so much she decided to do the same and graduate the same way she did.

As our talk continues, my turn eventually came.

I talked about my life when I was younger, but of course I needed to skip a lot of things about me. I’m pretty damn sure that my life isn’t meant to be shared by the public.

As I talk about my high school days, I suddenly felt a stare beside me, though I said that, I already know whose eyes glaring at me.

To my upper right, 3 tables apart is a person that is wearing a rain coat while having a newspaper to cover her face.

Are you seriously Chilton, a rain coat and a newspaper? She does now that it isn’t even raining outside, right? And the newspaper’s date is already passed due.

If she wants to keep herself hidden and tailing us, then she is going to need more practice, she stands out so much; it’s like placing a cow in a field full of horses.

But more importantly, when I felt a glare, it didn’t come from a single person.

Could it be that…

“James the food is here.”

This is Reblochon cheese? I never had this kind of cheese before, so I’m a little excited…what was I thinking about again? Oh well, the food is here, so I guess its fine.

About 10 minutes or so, we completely finished our food and enjoyed our time eating on the table.

That Reblochon cheese was really something and it really mix well with the other ingredients.

I was able to finish ahead though, so I ordered another milk shake, but this time with a different topping.

Folia and Ivana finished their food at the same time and as soon as they did, Ivana stood from her chair.

“Um…I’ll be going to the restroom for a while.”

“Oh, in that case, let me come with you.”

I noticed this before, but is it some sort of ritual for girls to go to the restroom together? I’d feel weird if I asked someone to come with me to the restroom, not that I have friends to ask to begin with.

With slightly blushed faces, they left the table and headed to the restroom.

I’m supposed to be along at the table waiting for them, but someone suddenly sat in front of me.

“Hello Mr. James Moriarty. You don’t have to know who I am, I just—“

I actually know who this person is.

“Hey Chilton.”

“—want you to—how do you know it was me?”

If she wants to get better on her job then she needs to learn new things. So…

“1st is that your wearing a long raincoat when it’s not even raining outside, 2nd is that the newspaper you are using to cover yourself is outdated, 3rd is your wearing a beanie cap in such a weather, you’re wearing dark sunglasses indoors and finally the violin case. In short, you stand out a lot.”

“So…does that mean that I wasn’t hidden?”

“Well, Folia and Ivana didn’t notice you, so I guess that’s fine.”

“…I...I guess so.”

After hearing my explanation, she took off the raincoat, the beanie and the shades then put away the newspaper, while having blushed cheeks.

After sighing, she stared at me while having a suspicious look and asked me about what happened today.

“Huh? Should you already know that? You’ve been watching us from afar, haven’t you?”

“Eh!? You even noticed me tailing you, how!?”

Will she believe me if I said that I could sense her? I guess I should turn the conversation about something else beside my abnormal—ah! I mean my unusual senses.

“So, what is it that you want to talk about?”

“Oh right, ahem! Since when did Lt. Commander have his hands on two young high schoolers? Hmm?”

……………………Maybe I should change the subject again.

“Lt. Commander, I respect you as a soldier but not as a pedophile.”

Huh!? Me, a pedophile!? But we just went out shopping! And could you at least change the pedophile into a Lolicon!? At least that one is a little safe!

“You we’re watching us weren’t you? We we’re only shopping for clothes.”

“Then what about now? Didn’t Lt. Commander lure the girls here so they could get drunk?”

She then pointed at her sister’s half empty glass.

“That’s ordinary grape juice.”

“Hah, I’ll see about that.”

She then took her sister’s glass and drank everything.

“Hmm, that’s good grape juice.”

“I know right?”

“………………………………..”

“………………………………..”

“I’m so sorry Lt. Commander.”

“Don’t worry I’m used to it.”

You have no idea how many times I’ve got blamed for things I didn’t do back then…actually, I’m still being blamed for things even till today.

While Chilton continues to lower her head because of the feeling guilt, I called for a waiter so I could order another grape juice. Folia might notice that her drink is gone so I need to change it.

Hmm? Now that I mentioned them.

“Hey Chilton, do girls really take this long for them to stay in the restroom?”

“Huh? Now that you mentioned it…”

We both turn our heads towards the restroom entrance; I then suddenly hear a screeching sound coming from the outside.

*Screeeeeech*

At the restaurant’s parking area is a black van.

“Hey, isn’t that!?”

Chilton took notice of it to; it was the very same van that tried to kidnap Ivana yesterday!

“The girls!”

I look at the same way where Chilton is staring and found two men carrying unconscious girls on their shoulder. It was Ivana and Folia.

Chilton quickly ran towards the exit.

“Lt. Commander! Come on we need to…Lt. what are you doing?”

“We don’t have time to head for the exit!”

“But what should we do?”

At first the costumers were all confused, but suddenly panic and ran away from me.

“We’ll make our own exit!”

The reason why the costumers draw away from me is because I’m carrying the dining table…

“Hmmp!”

And threw it out of the window.

I quickly leap through the window and ran towards the van, but…

“Shit! It’s that punk again!”

“We won’t make the same mistake this time!”

*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*

“Tch…damn it…”

Instead of going straight at the van, I changed it into a zig-zag-like pattern. But if I run like this, I won’t make it to the van. If only they weren’t using a machine guns.

The two men were able to reach the van and threw the girls inside and then got in themselves.

They closed the door so this is my chance to get to them.

The van’s wheels started to screech and made a U-turn, so with this I’ll be able to get a head start.

I stood in front of the speeding van, but before it hits me, I jump to the side and grab hold to the driver’s window.

The driver must have been surprised since the van’s straight driving slightly swayed. But because of that my grip is starting to slip.

I was about to punched the window, but then the man at the other sit pointed his gun at me and fired.

*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*

I stomped on the driver’s door, flipped my body and landed on my back on top of the van’s roof. But that doesn’t mean I’m safe yet.

*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*

*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*

*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*

*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*

Not am I being shot by the thug at front, now even the thugs at the back is shooting at me and since I’m at the roof I don’t have anything to grab on to.

And even if I did have a place to grab on to, I’ll be shot multiple times if I just lay on the roof.

So of course the only result is that is me fall off, but I quickly crouch my body and roll to lessen or avoid any damages that might happen to me.

“Lt. Commander, are you alright!?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“They haven’t gone far yet so…”

With the sniper rifle, Chilton took aim at the moving van, but I quickly stopped her.

“Don’t, you might hit the girls in the process. That kind of rifle is meant for these kinds of situation, the bullets are too strong and that kind of scope won’t be much help.”

“But their getting away!”

“Don’t worry; I might have an idea on where they are headed.”

“Huh? You do, but how?”

She look really worried, but I guess that’s understandable, I mean her sister and her friend just got kidnapped.

I guess if I tell her on how I found out, she might relax a little.

“When I jumped on the driver’s sit window, I quickly noticed that the gas meter was low, so the distance on where their headed won’t be far off and when I jumped on the roof I was able to smell the scent of salt and finally…”

I patted my clothes and small white fragments started to fall on the ground.

“Glass?”

“No, not glass. But rock salt.”

“Salt? But what’s rock salt doing on your body?”

“It didn’t come from my body, it came from the van’s roof and it was on the windshield the kind you can get in sea water.”

That’s right, if that car has rock salt on its roof and windows then…

“It could only mean that the van they are using is mostly parked close to a place that has big waves flowing.”

“Ah! So that means…”

Looks like Chilton gets what I’m trying to say.

“Their destination is no other that the closest Harbor in the city.”

Since I know were their headed, I should go and take care of it, but before that…

The people are starting to panic and most of them are on the phone, most likely they are calling for the cops.

But if the cops came, the girls might just get in even more danger.

“Then let’s get going Lt. Commander, before they…”

“Sorry Chilton, but you’re going to have to stay here.”

“What? But why!?”

I know that she is really worried but, but I’m going to have her delay the cops.

So then I started to explain why she can’t come with me.

At first she was reluctant, but she eventually agreed and let herself be a diversion.

It was a good thing I parked somewhere close, so I ran towards my car and start the engine.

But before I drive out, Chilton knocked on the window and said…

“Please take care of them Lt. Commander, please.”

Seriously what a worrywart of a Siscon this woman is.

I gave her a confident smile and said to her.

“They won’t even get a scratch”

Hey guys its me ZYLOS101!!! sorry for being late and short, the rain wont let up, it been 2 weeks for crying out loud. so i get scared that my story might get erased when the power suddenly gets cut. Anyway what do you guys think of today's chapter? these will be my last words for this chapter" GO WATCH GATE IT'S REALLY GOOD ESPECIALLY RORI MERCURY!!!" see you guys next chapter!!!