Your kind reviews flatter me to chapter 2. Warning for a bit graphic in this chapter. (Edited) Thank you Egnoder for pointing out the error, I am just clueless.
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What the contract meant as supplementary lesson was actually all kinds of driving lessons.
"Have you driven a car before?" Olaf asked casually. They were right now outside of the office building. Elsa had given permission to use her personal parking lot to practice. Anna rolled her eyes when she saw the 'personal' parking lot was actually a very spacious area, as big as 8 times futbol fields.
"I don't have a car, so no." Anna was eyeing on several cars which were parked nearby. All of them looked very fast and expensive.
"Your job will not always require you to use your bike. Most of the time you will various kinds of vehicles, we have arranged for your driving license, but we need to train you for your driving skill." Olaf pulled something from his suit pocket and threw it to Anna.
The red-haired girl immediately caught it and got a key on her palm.
"Let's do a first try."
"Are you sure? I never drive any car before."
"Who said that I will teach you how to drive first?" Olaf gave her an amused look.
"Isn't this a car key?"
"Yes, but that's for later. Jon will teach you how to drive. I have different assignment to teach you." Olaf walked to a yellow car. Anna eyed a horse logo on the front of the car.
"What do I do?"
"How to hotwire a car of course." Olaf winked with his usual cheerful smile.
The supplementary lessons with Olaf basically was teaching her about how to be a criminal. He reasoned that Anna needed the skill so she could use any means to escape any dangerous situation.
Anna got a look on various cables underneath the steering wheels. For an expensive car, this car was too easy to break into. "Whose cars is this anyway?" Anna's fingers grabbed 2 dangling little cable.
Olaf was watching the girl curiously, "It's Belle's car, yellow is not my color."
Anna's head snapped up and in result, she banged a steering wheel. "What!"
"Relax, we will clean up after this. Anyway, I am really impressed Anna. You only watch the youtube video 1 time." His hand went to his chin, while he was watching studiously of what Anna was doing.
"Well, I have many hobbies back in the orphanage. Kids were trying to show off and well, I had experience to befriend the bad ones. Not that I stole a car or anything, we were just fooling around." Anna replied while her head was back to duck under the wheel."
The car engine was started followed by soft hum.
"Well, now we need to drive it away." Olaf smiled, opening the passenger door and sat shotgun beside her.
"Are you sure? You told me that Jon will teach me driving?"
"Oh yes. I will teach you normal driving before Jon will show you how to… freestyle?"
Anna gulped. That sounded dangerous.
"Okay then."
"Safety first. Wear your seatbelt, Anna."
During the lesson, Anna managed to drive around the parking lot with relative ease. Olaf was a pretty good teacher after all. He suggested that they go to the real road with other cars. Anna wasn't really sure since she had no license yet with that but she did it anyway, knowing that at least Olaf would accompany her.
"You pick it really fast, Anna." Olaf commented. The man had been typing something with his smartphone during the lesson. However it seemed that he had a third eye and always reminded her whenever to keep her eyes on the road or to take it slowly during the intersection.
"Driving is nice, but I can't help to miss the rush of the wind though." Anna shrugged, missing her bicycle already.
"At least the car would more durable from bullets." Olaf said offhandedly.
Anna couldn't comment on that. He had a point.
"I actually have a question." Anna said after awhile they were driving the same blocks three times. She already got the hang of it.
"Ask away,"
"What is it that you guys actually do? I mean, I know the Castle team is handling some business from Arendelle company but, I have no further idea except the obvious rocket in 23rd floor."
From the corner of her eyes, Anna could actually see Olaf smiling.
"Our project is not that, the objective though is a bit different. The Castle team is a team which was formed by Her Highness to do the 'clean-up'. After this, we will go back to the parking lot." Olaf modified the GPS destination before continuing. "You are aware that for a big company, our deals are not exactly in white area."
Anna was listening.
"The current head of Anderson family is known as his charity and his social networking. However, the previous head was not really a saint. The two brothers…" Olaf stopped his sentence, weighing whether he should tell the girl or not.
"You mean, two Anderson brothers? Elsa's older brothers?"
Olaf nodded. "Her highness is doing clean up after them. And it has been overwhelmingly a lot. Their mayhem has spread even globally. The current chairman has given this assignment to her since 2 years ago. We have been supporting her ever since. And now there is you…" Olaf smiled again, abandoning his buzzing phone.
Anna frowned, "Is 'me' a good thing or bad?"
"We are still assessing your performance."
And here she was thinking that Olaf is a cute butler.
The red-haired messenger pulled up the car on the parking lot and parked it on its initial spot.
"Excellent Anna. After today, I believe you are really a fast learner. You will be a good messenger for Her Highness." Olaf extended his gloved hand, palm up. "Car key, please. Belle will be really angry if we use her car for practice."
"You didn't tell her?"
Instead of his usual smile, he showed a huge grin with a wink. "Can you keep a secret?"
Apparently it wasn't only Elsa that had surprised her.
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Jon appraised her with his usual stoic expression. Unlike Olaf who was cheerful in the entire lesson, Jon had been grunting around 10 words during their 2 hours training.
"Drift. Brake and gas, control the wheel, stay in course." He said repeatedly.
Easier said than done.
Right now they were using a black audi for drifting lesson. Anna didn't dare to ask of whose car it is right now.
"Make a circle while turning." Jon said. "It is the best maneuver to dodge incoming bullets."
There they were, talking about bullets and guns again. Anna never wondered anymore of why she got a really high salary.
The lesson was more difficult and with a really bad mentor, in the end of the day Anna finally crashed a dumpster and parking meter in one swoop.
A disaster.
For her defense, Jon was really a bad teacher.
They both climbed out immediately to check for the damage. The dumpster had no hope anymore while the parking meter was still standing albeit the 90 degrees weird bending. Anna gritted her teeth to see that the back lamp of the car had shattered.
She was dead.
"So…" Anna turned nervously toward Jon. "Whose car is this again?"
Jon stared back at her for a whole minute before replying, "The car is Her Highness's."
Yup, she was dead.
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The journey to Elsa's voice was like a journey to the depth of Tartarus. She couldn't really blame Jon since he hadn't been behind the steering wheel. Speaking of his bad mentor, the man was still stiffly standing beside her during the ride down in the elevator.
"So…" Anna tried to get his attention. "Will you help me explain the situation to Elsa?" Anna hoped her tone had sounded like a desperate plea, because it really is.
"I can't step inside the 23rd floor." Jon replied. And whether it was her imagination or not, she felt like the huge man had a smug smirk for a really hot second.
"Lucky you." Anna murmured in defeat.
The elevator door opened too fast for Anna's liking.
"Good luck, Miss Anna." And Jon was indeed smiling before the door totally closed.
The nerve of that man!
The oblivious Olaf greeted her on the entrance of Elsa's office. "Hello Anna. How was your lesson with Jon?"
She really missed Olaf as her teacher. "Can you just teach me how to freestyle too?"
"That bad eh?" Olaf gritted his teeth.
"A dumpster and parking meter." Anna couldn't go into detail.
"And you are here because…?"
"Jon chose to use Elsa's car for my lesson."
Olaf was visibly flinching. "Ouch, good luck."
"Is there any chance that you will help me telling this to her?"
"Nope." He popped the P. "See you Anna. I'm sure you will be fine."
Coward.
When Anna entered Elsa's office, she spotted the older woman was reading some documents behind her desk. She acknowledged Anna's entrance while she looked up from her papers.
Elsa put down his paper and rose from her seat.
"Olaf said that you managed to steal Belle's car today in first attempt?" The platinum blond woman led the way to their usual sofa on the corner of the room.
"Uhm… yes." Anna replied creatively.
"He also already explained to you about the objective of this team?"
Anna nodded.
"I want to hear your opinion about it, Anna." Elsa leaned back, arms crossing in front of her chest, her ice blue eyes seemed glinting with anticipation.
"… I- honestly I don't really care. I chose to work here because of you. Also your goal to clean up after your bad brothers is really noble. But…"
A sculpted eyebrow raised, "But?"
"But I think there is more… I've been in the Castle for 2 days but I see enough that the members here are over-qualified for that kind of objective. Uhm… actually, don't mind that, I'm just rambling and I'm not really-"
"You are right, Anna." Elsa cut her off with a sigh. "you are really observant."
Anna wondered if whether that is a compliment.
"That is not our only objective. I will explain to you later when you are ready."
Anna bit her lip, "like I said Elsa, I won't really care. I believe you, you are not a mafia or drug dealer, or murderer who kills people in their sleep. I join because you are worth it and the pay is good."
Elsa's eyes glinted and Anna noticed how Elsa turned away, avoiding her eyes. "Alright then, Anna. So, what brings you to my office this time?"
Oh crap.
"Actually…" Anna didn't know how to say it. She was too nervous and right now Elsa was staring at her with a burning gaze. "Uhm… well… you know…"
Anna took a deep breath, "IamsorryIcrashedyourcar!"
Elsa blinked. Then they were engulfed by long silence before Elsa reacted. "Did you say that you crash my car?"
Anna sank deeper on the couch. She would be fired. "I'm sorry. I accidentally crashed it through a dumpster and a parking meter!"
Elsa did not give any respond, she simply stared at Anna with unreadable expression. Her eyes seemed appraising the red-haired messenger from head to toe.
Taking Elsa's silence as anger, Anna was really terrified.
Until her platinum blond boss finally spoke up, "you are a bit pale, are you hurt?"
"You're not angry at me?"
Elsa frowned, "about?"
"I crashed your car during drifting practice!"
"… And?" Elsa put up a curious expression.
"And you must be furious! I crashed your expensive car! The back lamp shattered to pieces!" Anna's hand moved animatedly.
"You want me to be angry?"
Anna couldn't believe this woman, "of course not. I was freaking out that you would fire me for that!" Anna rose up from her seat, messing her hair from frustration.
Elsa's hand was covering her mouth and Anna could hear a muffle snort coming from Elsa's direction.
Was Elsa Anderson laughing?
The muffle sound turned into a light chuckle. "Your reaction is not disappointing. Olaf is right when he described that your expression will be priceless."
Elsa was indeed laughing. At her.
Anna's mouth hang open, she dropped onto the couch. Elsa's smile was lovely but her laugh was astoundingly beautiful.
Elsa's laugh stopped abruptly and Anna saw flushing red on Elsa's cheeks.
Uh oh. "I said it out loud, didn't I?"
Elsa seemed trying very hard to maintain her cool persona.
Anna felt embarrassed, "I'm sorry. My mouth is running-"
"Don't be." Elsa again turned her eyes elsewhere. "Don't be sorry."
They were engulfed in awkward silence this time.
"So… you knew? That I cannot do a drift and Jon is a really bad teacher?"
Elsa allowed a small smile, "I asked Jon to use the Audi. It has more durability and been modified with bulletproof glass. Not the back lamp though, apparently. It will be safer to practice tricky move with that car… Jon had argued that since it's a bulletproof, it weighs more than normal car, the practice will be difficult and you will certainly crash… and Olaf suggested in last minute that it will be a memorable experience for me to see you freaking out after crashing the car with Jon."
So it was Olaf. Anna owed him a payback.
Elsa gave her cue to end their meeting, "I need to finish the paperwork, so…"
"I understand, see you later?" Since tomorrow was Monday, Anna would spend her day to work for Ming's delivery. She would come over if Elsa called her though.
"Later." Elsa nodded as she sat back to the chair behind her desk. She turned her chair around until Anna was out of sight.
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Monday crawled slowly. Anna woke up, showered, and went to work to pick up delivery. Mulan greeted her with a list of orders.
"Good morning Anna." She handed the orders while Anna was wearing her phone ear-piece. "How was the Friday's last delivery going?"
Anna was frozen for a moment which caught by her boss, "Are you okay, Anna?"
"Yeah, fantastic, and last week was mind-blowing." Anna replied with not far from truth answer.
Mulan chose to not pursue it since Monday morning usually made cranky mood for her employee, "okay, I need you to pick up order on this apartment address and bring it to Gale company."
Anna groaned, "Isn't the company located like 15 blocks away?"
"Then chop chop!"
Anna hated Monday and never mentioned since she had had vigorous training on weekend and near-death experience on Saturday, her body was sore all over. She would take it easy for today.
Monday morning rush meant frustrated late workers, angry cab drivers, inconsiderate pedestrians, and side street hotdog stalls. Anna's routine was eating a hotdog for breakfast from the kiosk across the street. Since today she would take her time, she even queue together with the other people.
She was pedaling and chewing when her phone buzzed. Anna picked it up using her earphone, expecting Mulan on across the line.
"Hello."
"Are you on the way to an apartment on 12th street?" Elsa's voice boomed on her ear, which Anna took it as delightful surprise.
"I'm fine thank you, Elsa." Anna continued to swallow her hotdog, she used both hand to hold her food and riding without gripping the handle. She had been doing it for the last 3 years when she reached a less-crowded area. "I don't want to know how you figure it out but yes, I am on the way there."
"I need you to pick up something nearby the area." Elsa said.
Behind Anna, a motorcycle was honking at her repeatedly. She swerved to give way to the rider only for him winking toward her direction playfully. "Nice ass, sweetie." The rider commented and then drove away.
Anna was used to it, assholes to hit on her during the ride because even her skinny ass had attracted some people, mostly jerks. She ignored it and responded to her other boss.
"Alright, gimme the address. I just want to double confirm that this pick-up will not involve any guns, knives, or… bombs?"
There was a second of silence before Elsa's voice was back on the line, "I assure you, there won't be any of those."
"Okay then."
"… Anna, are you eating?" Elsa's voice asked her, sounded unsure.
"Yup, grabbed breakfast on the way."
"I thought you are on your bike?"
"Well, I'm doing both. I'm great at multitasking." She bit the rest of her hotdog and got back gripping the handlebar.
Elsa didn't comment any further as she cut off the line. Anna had to admit that Elsa was not the friendliest on the phone.
Anna had picked up the package of game console part from her first client. Elsa's order though, was a bit complicated.
Anna had gotten the coordinate, and it brought her to a rustic house with a big lawn. There was no doorbell, it meant that she had to cross the lawn, get into threshold, if she was lucky to find a doorbell, or knock. It sounded easy but…
An unleashed menacing Doberman was in her way between the fences and the doorway. The dog seemed hungry and scary. Anna believed those two adjectives were correlated if it was a carnivore dog.
"Hey buddy." Anna tried a friendly attempt. In the movies, scary dogs were actually cute and sweet to a beautiful looking human princess. It was like a rough on the outside, soft in the inside troop.
Anyway, it would not happen in her case. Anna had witnessed how the dog tore away her hotdog wrapping like a hungry Godzilla. Imagine if the wrap was her leg. Anna shuddered with the thought.
Sure Elsa had assured her that there would be no firearms or pointy weapons, but she hadn't mentioned about a hungry beast gatekeeper.
Speaking of hotdog… Anna suddenly had an idea.
Few minutes later Anna was back to the house with some hotdogs. She threw the meat toward the dog which in one second had been devoured greedily. The dog must've been really hungry.
She used the moment to cross the lawn and ring the doorbell.
She rang several times but Anna didn't see any movement from inside the house. Anna tried to turn the doorknob and surprised that it was unlocked.
"Do I get in or not?" Anna murmured, considering her option whether it would count as breaking and entering even though she didn't break anything.
Her phone buzzed, the Castle's number was on display. Elsa picked it up at once.
"Elsa?"
"Did you get the package?" Elsa asked hurriedly.
"Not yet, uhm… I have to neutralize the hungry scary dog. You forgot to mention a cerberus on the gate." Anna complained with a huff. "I had to distract him with foods so I could cross the lawn."
"The dog… you meant a Doberman kind?" On the background across the phone, Anna could hear rustling of paper and Olaf's muffled voice.
"One and only… anyway, I tried the doorbell but no one answered. The front door was unlocked though." Anna decided to step in. If Elsa needed the package, it should've been located somewhere in the house. She was in hurry since she also needed to deliver her other package.
"The dog's name is Peanut." Elsa said which cut by Anna's snort and 'are you kidding me' comment. "Peanut was supposed to be nice, Anna. Unless he is hungry."
"He is starving." Anna corrected, "Dog seems not eaten for days. Anyway, this house smelt awful." This time the red-haired messenger entered the study room.
And was frozen in step when she saw the scene before her. Her phone was hanging loosely since she almost dropped it on the spot.
Inside the study, on the chair behind a mahogany desk, a dead man was sitting with his head dangling on the side. A shotgun rested on his palm since the upper part of his head was blown to the ceiling. Flies were everywhere which had explained the smell.
"Elsa… the man is… dead." She whispered the words since suddenly she felt her strength was seeped out of her body.
Anna was going to throw up.
"Get out of the house, Anna! NOW!" Olaf's voice boomed on the phone which had snapped her back to reality.
Anna moved her feet. They felt like jelly. She scrambled out of the house, passing through the hungry dog which still chewing the meat. No wonder the dog had been starving, the owner had died and no one fed him for days.
She almost forgot where she had parked her bike, after few disorienting minutes, she remembered that she had placed it in front of previous apartment.
After a mile away, Anna noticed how Elsa's voice was talking with her through the earpiece.
"Anna! Anna?! Talk to me, please? We are on the way there… can you please…" For the first time over the phone, Anna heard how concerned and desperate Elsa's voice was. "Talk to me Anna, are you there?"
"… Elsa… I-"
A sigh from Elsa's line, this time her boss continued with more clear and stabile voice, "Don't drop our line, Anna. I need to know you are alright. Take a deep breath."
Anna took a deep breathe, she had been walking and now she was back to main street, in front of the previous apartment. "Oh God… I- I feel like I'm going to be sick."
"We are on the way there, I have contacted Belle since she is the nearest to your location. Can you tell me about the body? It's okay if you can't…" Anna could hear a humming engine of a car and then busy street of Corona City.
"I will, just give me a moment."
Her accelerated heart rate seemed return to normal, Anna leaned onto the nearest wall and slumped her body to the ground. "That man… his brain splatters on the ceiling. There is a shotgun on his hand." Anna closed her eyes so the horrible image would come clearer. Elsa needed the information after all.
"Left or right? The shotgun?" Elsa inquired.
"Right." Anna answered without doubt.
"I see… did you touch anything in the house?" It took more time for Anna to answer since she had been holding the bile in her throat that threatening to come out.
"The doorknob… The fence, I forget the rest."
"It's okay, you did good…"
A sound of car stopped at the curb in front of her. A familiar yellow car she had used for practice yesterday.
"It's okay Anna, I'm sorry you had to see that." Elsa said sincerely over the phone.
Anna looked up and spotted the brunette Chief of Liaison standing before her with worried eyes.
"Belle is here." Anna informed, she stood up from her position and released her earpiece to Belle. "Hold this for me, please? Excuse me, I'm going to throw up." Then she ran to the nearest drain to pour out her morning hotdog.
Belle accepted Anna's phone and took over the conversation with Elsa.
"Yes Your Highness, I'm with her." Belle followed Anna and found the girl throwing up on the corner of the alley. "Understood, I won't leave her side." The brunette chief assisted Anna by holding her hair while the girl was pouring her stomach content. "No, she isn't hurt anywhere, shocked, yes." Belle appraised Anna's ashen face.
Anna received back her phone. She noticed that Elsa had hung up and tried to hide her disappointment.
After Anna finished, Belle guided her toward her car. "Here," She handed a tissue box to Anna. The red-haired messenger squirmed when Belle made sure she was comfortable and helped her with the seatbelt.
"I can do it myself." Anna took over the belt from Belle's hand. Although with her trembling hands, it needed several times to strap on properly.
"I will take you home." Belle said, starting the engine.
"My bike…"
"Will be delivered to your house in a moment." Belle pulled out her own phone talking with some people about 'cleaning-up' and 'interview news'.
"I got a package job to do though." Anna remembered the game console part she needed to bring to Gale Company.
"Okay we will make short stop then, tell me the address."
After typing the address on the car GPS, Anna's memory was a blur. She wanted to sleep and forget the dreadful dead body from her mind but she couldn't. The image was only clearer when she closed her eyes.
"Who is the dead man?" Anna asked. It was her first time interaction alone with the brunette woman, however Belle had certain warmth in her which made Anna somehow trust her in this situation.
"A professor from Arendelle University… Professor Edward Greenfield, very well-known for his research on robotic and artificial intelligence development."
"He was very smart then." Anna said softly. "Too bad his brain is gone…" Anna flinched.
Belle caught the meaning and preferred silence.
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To say that Elsa is angry was an understatement. She was furious. She hadn't seen the professor's body himself since Olaf and Jon had been hell-bent to prevent her coming inside the house. However, from Anna's description, she already knew it.
The professor was left-handed and someone had killed him. If the police investigation shown otherwise, she would play and manipulate media to make everybody believes that it was a murder.
The question was… who?
Sitting on the backseat of her car, she was fuming. Her mind wandered to her messenger who had witnessed such gruesome sight. Belle had promised her that she would take care of Anna and she trusted her brunette friend with her heart.
But.
Something was gnawing her chest.
Olaf tapped the car's window. Inside his hand, there was a blue envelope. It didn't escape unnoticed by Elsa how Olaf and Jon's expression after they went inside the house. Olaf was more palpable in showing sadness and anger at the same time.
"Your Highness, we found this inside the vault."
Elsa tore the envelope apart and pulled out the content.
Inside was a contract of a project research between the professor and Arendelle Corporation.
The contract shouldn't have been existed since he was supposed to sign it a week from today. However, the contract in her hand showed otherwise. Without her acknowledgement, the dear professor had made agreement with someone else inside the company.
Her blue eyes spotted the signature she had known very well.
Kristoff Anderson.
From her two brothers, Elsa hadn't expected that Kristoff had a hand in this kind of deal.
Elsa recalled the shocked voice of Anna across the phone and how the girl sounded so hurt, scared, and sick at the same time. It made her heart ached and Elsa had no idea why. Perhaps because of sadness never suit the younger girl.
Her brother needed a very good explanation for this, or there would be a hell to pay.
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I like action genre, but what is action without mystery, eh? Tell me what you think and yes, mistakes are all mine