EMBRACE YOU: Presence & Poison
Episode 317's

Dear loyal readers...

Sorry late post, yesterday there was a file constraint can not be opened.

May you always be happy...

Happy reading..

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BRAKK!

I kicked the table, my frustration could not be contained, I did not want my time with Bayu both in this city to be disturbed by stalking cases.

“I—iya, ta—tahu.”

“LALU??”

“Ak—aku only at s—suruh..” He stuttered, not daring to look at me for long and a few times averted his eyes.

At first glance I already knew that this man might be a few years younger than me, but he had a tall body and a full body, fit to be a soldier.

“Say the obvious! Right now I don't want to be gentle.” My words are full of emphasis.

“Please let me go, hm? A—adikku alone at home. She's sick.” He said pleading, this time looking at me with a sad and worried look.

“Say! Who told you to follow me? If you say it, I'll let you go.”

“T—but, if I say it, I can't get any money.”

“Not if you get caught, you also won't be able to get that money”

“S—at least, if I get caught, that person will send it to my sister.”

“You believe that guy? The man who told you to commit a criminal act?”

“I have no choice.” He whispered softly, looked back down and did not want to look at me.

I sighed in annoyance. Now I'm in a dilemma. Should I let go?

“We'll meet your sister! Together!” I said it was decided.

***

“ Are you sure this is the place?” Lucy asked for the third time when the four of us had already entered the residential alley.

The man brought by Dika just nodded, looking resigned because his hand was tied back by the man.

“By the way, what's your name?” My toot.

“Andika.” Answer's short.

“So, what age is your sister?” I asked again, trying to break the alert attitude of Lucy and Dika who have since put their eyes and ears to look around. They're too uptight.

“D—dia six years old.”

“Six years?? Then where are your mom and dad?”

“They don't exist.” Andika replied in a tone she did not want to continue the conversation about her parents.

When we had passed six turns of the alley, Andika arrived and led us to approach a fenced house, which from far away I heard the sound of many people as if there was a gathering in that place.

I can guess, if Andika takes us to her group of friends. If we are surrounded, I do not want to have to fight, especially our number is not comparable.

Looks like Lucy and Dika are also aware of what we might be up against. Dika's grip on Andika's shoulder tightened, then Lucy also docked to me, ready to protect me at any time.

From the atmosphere in this alley, although the house is clinging to each other, but this is a quiet area.

Dika and Lucy glanced at me confused, but Andika glanced at me fearfully.

“Pak Jeremy has arrived?? Good that way! How about we wait a minute here, madam?” Lucy understood my point.

“Je—jeremy?”

“Why? Not that if you're stalking me, do you know who my husband is?” We stopped going any further, I looked at him calmly.

“No! I don't know! I thought, she gave me a mission to follow you, just the wife of one of the regular soldiers. T—but the Jeremy family?? I didn't know I had to follow one of Jeremy's family members!” He cried out in fear.

I was a bit surprised too, it turns out that Jeremy's surname had such an effect in this city. Even a person like Andika, who had nothing to do with the military, knew Jeremy's name.

“If you answer honestly who told you to, we will let you go.” I said while pointing the camera phone at Andika's face.

“But if you're lying, your face I've photographed, I can track you directly.” Andika looks like she wants to protest, but she undoes it and just goes back down.

The three of us were silent, waiting for him to speak.

“A—I don't know exactly who. But, Alex, the guy who usually gives this kind of job to the unemployed like us. He asked me to follow you and report whatever you were doing, in as much detail as possible. At first I thought, he knows you, but it doesn't seem like he's also at someone else's orders because Alex has to report every day.”

“Wait a minute, so you've been following me? Without getting caught?”

“Because Alex's team sends different people every day to keep an eye on you.”

“Team Alex? You mean what?” Lucy approaches him, looking at Andika full of intimidation.

“Ka—because we're not the only ones following you. There are some people who we also realize, if you are followed by other parties.”

The three of us were shocked of course. Even people follow and watch over me more than one person. So all this time, Dika and Lucy caught up among the stalkers who were just too careless to get caught, whereas there were other stalkers following me without us noticing.

“Alex. What is that guy like?? Tell us whatever information you know.” Urge Dika to wake up my daydream.

“A—I don't know! I just know his name!”

“Is there anything strange about Alex? Something special?” I asked again, very curious.

Andika was speechless, seemed to think hard, she was about to open her mouth but was puffed out.

“I'll give you the same pay Alex gave you.” I let out a small sigh.

Instantly Andika looked at me excitedly, she nodded then cleared her throat, “ya! There's been something a little weird lately on Alex.”

“You didn't lie about this information ‘kan??” Threaten Lucy, glare at this man.

“No no! This is accurate information. I saw it myself, otherwise you can see it for yourself.” Andika's nervousness was gone.

I clucked and said, “other than the influence of Jeremy's family in this city is quite large, in fact money is also a big influence.”

“Money is very influential anywhere.” Lucy nodded in agreement with me.

“This past month, many people came looking for Alex to sell something.”

“What is a drug?” My toot.

Andika shook her head, “not. Some of us, Alex's team, were wondering what he was doing so busy. We followed him and ended up at a forest border. There he and a group of armed men were escorting a group of people. I don't know who they are and what their purpose is.”

“Could it be human trafficking??” I asked in shock.

“Maybe.” Andika shrugged her shoulders not knowing.

Before our conversation continued, the sound of footsteps came from the house that was shown by Andika earlier, out six men of Andika's age from that place.

They all immediately silently looked at us, especially at Andika, who was being held Dika to the wall.

“Andika? What was? What are they doing?” One of the men asked.

“T—no. Just a misunderstanding.” Andika shook her head quickly, answering her friend's question.

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