BLOODY LOVE'S
Chapter 28's

Nolan nodded in surprise. He never thought about that at all. “So the doctor found it difficult,” he said understand, not aware that Rolan hid laughter.

Jose was in front of them, ignoring the conversation. He saw the bridge across. His gaze circulated to the end, looking around for if there were any traces of holes. Impatiently waiting for the steps of the people behind him, Jose jumped up first, speeding away across the bridge to find out exactly where he was mired.

He could hear the wind in his ears, felt his feet hit the earth, and his heart beat faster. This was what he loved about running or jumping: his unbearable sensation, the feeling as if he could fly high.

Jose heard the sound of a step behind him, he guessed that it was the sound of the steps of two workers who also doubles as bodyguards. No problem for him, he likes to be accompanied by running.

When he reached the end of the bridge, Jose's breath was still stable. Running in such a close distance did not drain his strength at all. Now he's looking with his eyes, figuring out where he mired last night. Shouldn't be far. He immediately fell down after crossing the bridge should be around where he was standing right now.

But there's no. There is no hole. Not even the former pile.

“What are you looking for, anyway?” nolan asked curiously when he finally reached Jose's place.

“That hole,” replied Jose quickly. He pointed to the ground, then gave a confused frown. “You saw me mired in the hole, right?”

Nolan shook. “No, you'll hit me near the house. From yesterday you had a storm about the hole only, I told you, there is no hole in it.”

Jose opened his mouth to explain, but then closed it again. He did not want to be considered strange even though he was sure that he was mired in a deep excavation hole.

“You don't need to drive me home,” said Nolan firmly. “Enough to here only. Otherwise, I would have been the subject of gossip and laughter. I'm going first. No one comes!”

“See you again,” Jose says automatically.

“No,” exclaims Nolan without turning his head. “I don't want to see you again, Jose. Go back to where you came from!”

The workers stared fiercely at the girl. They don't like anyone talking rudely to the employer they serve. But Jose didn't seem to be bothered, so they kept quiet.

Jose is still busy researching the land, now assisted by Rolan. The two men took a walk while swiping their feet, as if looking in case there was a hidden trap hole.

After half an hour of fruitless pacing, finally Rolan raised his shoulders in surrender. “Come on, breakfast will be prepared in a moment. I'm hungry now.”

Jose breathed out with a sigh. “I'm sure I fell there!”

“Yes, yeah, let's just say you did fall and we found the hole, then why?” reply Rolan relax. “What do you want to prove from that, Jose? Nothing, right?”

“Of course there are! That would make me sure of one thing.” Jose clenched both hands on his sides as he followed in Rolan's footsteps. “I'll be sure that what I heard wasn't wrong. I heard the sound of laughter, and maybe it was the same sound of laughter that father and mother heard.”

“Why, Uncle?” tanyanya.

“No, nothing,” Rolan back smile. “But I think we should not talk about this out loud, let alone in public. You certainly know Marco never liked the rumors that could make Bjork become more restless.”

Jose rolls his eyes to hear it, realizing that Rolan is one of those people who knows the true events, but decides to keep his mouth shut. Who else knows? Rolan looks friendly and fun. If Jose asks, will his uncle answer? Jose suddenly wanted to ask about the dried up corpse.

“Uncle,” he said as he hammered his uncle's arm away from the guards.

The men soon read that Jose wanted to talk about something in secret, so they deliberately distanced themselves, though not completely away. Marco trains them to know themselves while maintaining the safety of the employer. They carried the training with great pride, happy to know that they were not mere dodgy level servants or ordinary workers.

Given the great responsibility and authority regarding the safety of their employers, workers feel more valuable and also more important. Jose could see the results of his uncle's upbringing from the attitude of the three big men who immediately moved away. He was grateful Marco managed the workers well.

“Why, Jose?” Rolan tilted his head closer, smiling secretively though in a witty style. His brown eyeballs glowed warmly as he looked at Jose. “So you want to talk about? Can't wait until we get home?”

“No, if we're at home, Uncle Marco will hear.”

“Oho, so this is something Marco should not hear?” Rolan looks enthusiastic now. “So, what is it? I'm ready to listen. What about your boyfriend? I know Marco and Edgar are always trying to find a wife for you. You want to tell me you already have a partner? Your partner is pregnant, perhaps?”

“There's nothing like it, Uncle!” Jose glared in annoyance, realizing that his uncle was almost unstoppable when he started speculating. “I want to know about ..." He circulated his gaze around before again continuing in a soft voice, “Higgins.”

“She died,” replied Rolan quickly. Too soon. His face was astonished and both of his eyebrows were raised high while staring at Jose. “What else? Don't you know yet? Has he been buried all?”

“I know he's dead!” Jose held back to keep his voice limited to the growl. “I also know he bled to death,” he added in a soft voice. “Same as some others in Bjork.”

“Oh, that? You know a lot of it.”

“I also know that ‘some others in Bjork’ were the ones rumored to be missing,” Jose continued when he saw his uncle did not give a meaningful reaction at all.

“So?” Rolan turned to Jose, giving a meaningful look when asking, “Do you know it yourself, or told by Marco?”

Jose was silent for a while. He heard only the pace and also the rough steps of the workers around them. Then he replied quietly, “From Uncle Marco.”

Rolan laughing. A lazy kind of crisp laugh. “I know you want to ask me something by bringing this up, but I don't want to answer anything, Jose. Ask again if you have got something from your own search results.”

***