Secret Denis
Twenty-nine

Mariana had just gotten dressed after finishing her bath when the knock on the door sounded repeated. He put his hand in the hole of his sleeve.

He peeked over the glass curtain before opening the door leaf. Two strong men stood facing the door. One of them realized the movement of the curtain that was slightly exposed. Her eyes were against Mariana's.

The girl gasped. Immediately close the curtain tight. His heart was beating a little faster. Bad thoughts just flashed by for the sake of seeing those two people. His clothes were polite and seemed very delicate. But their flat faces shrunk the guts of anyone who saw it.

Mariana was also astonished by the presence of those people. He felt he had no debt so he had to be visited by a debt collector.

The knock on the door sounded again. Mariana was silent in the corner of the room. What should he do. He's alone in the house. Janet's housemate hasn't come home from work. The next room is also quiet. The owner has not yet returned.

"Excuse me. Marianas! Please open the door!" The man at the door called his name. Mariana's eyes were wide open. Whahuh? Does that guy know his name? Who're they?

"We know you're inside! Open door!"

"Who are you?" Mariana shouted from inside.

"Open the door!"

Mariana flicked back the curtain hesitantly. The two people immediately set their eyes on Mariana's face that was raised from behind the curtain. Their cold faces made Mariana afraid to reveal herself.

"Excuse me. Who are you?"

Mariana's eyes widened to hear Janet's voice outside. Unknowingly his hand slapped the eel hard enough.

And the two men finally managed to force Mariana out after Janet opened the door. Inevitably Mariana had to face them. Without guilt Janet went into her room. Let Mariana face two people who claim to have an interest in Mariana.

"Who are you two? How do you know my name?" Mariana ventured to ask the two people. They talk outside. Mariana did not want to take the risk by inviting the two strangers into the house. He really doesn't know that guy. He also did not know the intention of that person. Whether it is good or vice versa.

"We know you just came from the village with two other people. Where are they now?" The two people asked unceremoniously in a firm tone. The intimidating sharp gaze made Mariana somewhat daunted. But he remembers Denis and Alex's message to keep their whereabouts secret. Mariana strengthened her heart. Adjusting his heartbeat to be a little calmer.

"I don't understand what you mean. I'm not with anyone. I came alone." As much as she could, she held back her voice from trembling.

"Say or..." The man hung his sentence. His eyes were staring at Mariana. "We'll do something with you." The man lowered his voice.

"You can't force me. I'm gonna scream and say you're criminals.." Unfinished the sentence that came out of Mariana's mouth, one of the men pulled Mariana's hand violently until Mariana's body jerked and hit the man's burly body. The man's chest was very hard. The man smothered Mariana's mouth and tightly hugged the girl's body. Mariana. But his strength was not comparable to that of the man.

"Try if you dare." The man's eyes flashed looking at Mariana. Mariana's body shook. Finally collapsed also his courage that he had compiled since earlier. Now he really did not have the power anymore to fight against that man.

The man tightly blocked Mariana's wrist. Makes the girl grimace in pain. It seems like the two people are not playing around.

Mariana kept trying to free herself from the clutches of the man's hand. But the man's heavy hands did not budge in the least.

"Don't force me to be more rude to you. Tell me where they are?"

Mariana shook her head while trying to scream. But the man's palm was so wide that it tightly closed Mariana's entire mouth.

"I count to three. If you still don't want to tell me where your friend is, I will...Aww!!" The man scowled as his feet were trampled violently by Mariana. His broad hands were released from Mariana's mouth.

The girl adjusted her breath that was about to break due to the man's freeze. His eyes snickered with his chest descending rapidly.

"Where.I can say.if you shut up.mouthed.me.." Mariana gasps. The man grimaced to realize his stupidity. His friend opened his eyes wide to look at his friend.

He immediately pulled Mariana towards the car that had been parked on the side of the road. She forcefully put Mariana in the car. One of them came in and sat next to Mariana. The other man came in from the driver's door.

"Where are you taking me? Unhand me! Tolo's....Mmph!!" Back the man smothered Mariana's mouth.

"If you don't shut up, I'll kiss you. Wanna??" The man brought his face closer to Mariana's. The girl shuddered in horror. He immediately pulled back his face. Stay away from that man. The driver's man just glanced from the rearview mirror without any meaningful expression.

The car moved slowly leaving the Mariana residence. They don't seem to be messing with his words. Mariana was getting scared.

"Where are you taking me? Release me!!"

"Tell me where your friend is!!"

Mariana felt she had no other choice. Thinking of his safety, he finally agrees to show Denis where he lives.

The car again stopped and they walked to get to Denis' boarding place. But when they got there, Denis wasn't there. The door was locked and when Mariana asked the owner of the boarding house, she said that the two new residents had left the boarding house.

The two men who held Mariana looked very upset.

"You're not lying to me, are you?" The man still faithfully held Mariana's hand.

"Who are you looking for?" Mariana asked annoyed.

"We're looking for Miss Icha."

"What's? Who's Miss Icha? I don't know that guy."

The two men stared at each other. Then both turned their gazes to Mariana.

"I really don't know what you mean. Please let me go." Mariana's voice was clear.

*******

"Thanks. I don't care what place it is. The important thing is to get some sleep." Denis put down a backpack containing several pieces of his clothes. His eyes were scanning the place.

"If you've had a break, you can find the cave in the basecamp."

"okay."

Nerrow passed from that place. Denis is back with Alex.

"How do you know those people? Are they harmless?" Alex asked after Nerrow's departure.

"They're my friends. You don't have to be afraid of them. Just calm. They're good guys. I believe in them."

Alex fell silent. This was her first experience interacting with such people. He never distinguished anyone's status. But Alex's environment and association had never met him with people from the bottom.

Everything he had experienced these past few days, left his eyes wide open and could see the other side of the world. Like he just knew all that. It was very surprising and really never thought all this was in the same world as he had been incising all this time.

What he experienced also opened his eyes that not everyone he considered good turned out to be in accordance with his estimates. People who look bad are not necessarily bad.

Take Denis for example. His clothes and attitude were very contrary to his true nature. Although Alex doesn't really know Denis. But at least, he can judge from Denis' attitude all along.

At eight in the evening, Denis invites Alex to go to the headquarters where Nerrow and his friends are. The place behind the wall of the alley. It's not too far from where Denis lives now. Just a few dozen meters.

The room that Denis lived in was behind the wall of the alley. A narrow room that is crammed into another building. If from the main road of the city there will be no residential buildings there because it is blocked by high walls with a railway. Not far from there is a train station.

Denis and Alex entered from the same door they had entered this afternoon. A man stood guard inside the door. He immediately recognized Denis and opened the door wide to make Denis enter.

A noise is heard from the engine of the motor being tested. There was also the sound of music pounding from another part of the room.

Alex watched everyone there. There were about ten men in almost similar clothing styles. Belle jeans and leather jacket with various accessories used. The average of them is tattooed and the hair is shaggy in colour. Their skin is dark sunburned.

They welcomed Denis. Everyone shows an attitude as if they miss Denis for a long time did not meet. They also greet Alex after being introduced by Denis.

"Over you don't race, Den. You should come with us tonight." Jack patted Denis on the shoulder.

"Gue doesn't have a motor bang."

"Quiet down. You just choose noh. Where you going?"

Jack pointed in the direction where several racing motors lined up ready for use.

Denis' eyes sparkled in amazement. He saw a bike he hadn't touched in a long time. Enthusiastically he approached the bikes. I rubbed one of them with admiration.

"Crazy. It's so pretty, bang."

"Lu can use it wherever you want."

"Really?" Denis doesn't believe it. His eyes that implied excitement circulated gazing at everything that was there.

"Want to try?"

Denis nodded. Jack gestured to his other friends to get ready. They disperse themselves disappearing from that place. Jack turned on a motorbike near the bike Denis was playing. Give Denis one helmet, and one to Alex. I doubt Alex would accept that helmet. His eyes looked at Denis questioningly.

Denis told Alex to ride behind him. Dropped his motor slowly following Jack who had already left the place.

They came out from the side of the building. Alex looked at everything in amazement. It turned out that the front of the warehouse he entered from the back was facing the highway. A workshop that was closed because it was late at night was outside the warehouse.

Denis motorbike drove following the motorcycle Jack and his other friends who had gone first. Squeezing through other vehicles at a speed that is adjusted to the condition of the streets are quite crowded.

Behind his back, Alex clasped his body around Denis's. Both knees were on Denis's waist. Denis doesn't care about that. At first, he felt a little stiff.

The motor stops at a red light. Simultaneously, a car stopped right next to Denis's motorbike. Alex looked at the car.

His eyes were fixed on the person behind the slightly open window of the car. A man was driving the car and a beautiful girl was sitting next to him.

"Reno.." Alexis's fizzling slow.

As if hearing the voice of the call, the man behind the wheel turned his head towards Alex. Alex immediately turned his face away. Although covered in dark helmet glass, but still he was afraid Reno would realize his presence there.

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******