The Man Named Black Wolf
"Oh my gosh!" I gasped, my body shivering and my lips quivering in fear. I couldn't get out of my car, because I knew I hit a man.
Is he dead or wounded? Different thoughts ran across my mind as I thought about the worst, wondering if my loving sisters and overprotective parents would forgive me if I'd kill an innocent man.
I took a deep breath, wore a sun shade that covered my face, and came down from my car, my hands shivering in anticipation.
I closed my eyes momentarily and opened it, but I couldn't find the man I had hit, instead, there was a spill of blood on the floor.
"Blood spill? Oh my gosh! Is he dead?" I choked out in fear, and looked around, wondering if he was still in the environment.
As my eyes were scanning the quiet environment, my eyes fell on a set of blue eyes. Another man had been watching me quietly from the shadows, he was also dressed in a black overall outfit, and his brown hair was neatly trimmed.
The man's gaze lingered on me, his deep frown intensifying as he scrutinized me from head to toe. I met his stare, trying to place him, wondering if our paths had crossed before.
As the stranger's eyes locked onto mine, I felt a shiver run down my spine. His piercing gaze seemed to bore into my soul, making me feel like an open book, vulnerable and exposed. My heart skipped a beat as I struggled to maintain eye contact, his intense stare making me feel both uneasy and drawn to him at the same time. I felt like I was drowning in the depths of his eyes, unsure of what he was thinking or what he wanted from me.
When I realized that I'd never seen him before, I sighed, adjusted my green sun shade, and looked around for the man I'd hit, but my eyes landed on the strange man who was still looking at me.
The man looked really handsome, his hair was deep brown, his nose was straight and pointed, his beard was well-trimmed, and he looked mature. The man didn't look pleased to see me checking him out, and when he sneered at me, I quickly went back into my car, thinking I was imagining things.
I drove at high speed and didn't stop until I reached the secret service office, but the strange man's piercing blue eyes lingered in my mind. I hastily exited my car and sprinted towards the entrance. After a thorough search by the duty officers, I was finally granted entry.
"You're here,” I heard Caleb's cheerful voice, and suddenly the strange man's face clicked into place - I remembered where I'd seen his picture before.
He was the notorious Black Wolf, the feared Mafia Lord who had been under the intense scrutiny of the secret service spy department and the FBI.
"Wow, he didn't look as menacing as I expected," I thought, his rugged good looks and piercing gaze still etched in my mind.
"Maverick,” Caleb's soothing voice broke into my thoughts, and I snapped back to attention.
“Officer!” I saluted him, and he greeted me with a warm smile.
“You look all grown up,” he said, his voice low and husky and I chuckled, unsure of how to reply to him. “What brings you outside? You should be inside,” he added, his tone gentle but firm.
I raised an eyebrow, asking a rhetorical question, “Is that so?” He nodded, and I smiled, “Then let's head in.”
Caleb led me to the front of the service discussion office, and we both entered. As I approached his office, I bumped into Frank, my closet male friend, and we both exchanged a quick greeting.
When I got inside his glass office, I observed the room and the unique designs. The office was decorated with scented flowers and his table was filled with different files, his office wardrobes were also stocked with different files and Caleb looked exhausted.
"I have a mission for you and trust me if you can complete it successfully, I will personally see to it that you are promoted to chief detective," Caleb assured me, and my eyes lightened up immediately.
I had just graduated from the detective department and I already had my first mission. I just couldn't believe it, and my eyes lightened up as I looked at him happily.
"I am interested, what is this mission about?" I asked, my eyes glowing in delight, I didn't even know when I squealed.
"You can access that file on your end,” he said, pointing to a file on his tablet, “I trust you, Maverick, so please don't fail me. I'm relying on you to complete this job." He said this with a deep frown on his face, his expression serious.
"I won't let you down, officer Caleb," I assured him and opened the file, the picture of the man on the file caught my attention and I blinked my eyes several times to see if I was still daydreaming.
“Maverick, we need you to go undercover. We suspect Black Wolf is involved in hard drugs and kidnapping, but we can't pin anything on him without solid evidence. Can you help us get that evidence within six months?” Caleb explained to me, and my excited eyes dropped at once.
My heart racing like a speeding car, I felt a crushing disappointment wash over me.
“Officer, you want me to go undercover near Black Wolf, the most feared Mafia Lord in the entire country?” I asked, my voice laced with incredulity. My heart nearly dropped, and I stared at him with widened eyes, my mind reeling in confusion. I turned back to the file, and it seemed to mock me, its contents now a daunting reality.
"Maverick, you are the only one I trust with this job. Also, it has always been your dream to become a detective. Can't you see it? This is your one chance at achieving it," Caleb smoothly whispered into my ears like the devil, and at that crucial moment, I couldn't help but feel something special for him.
I scolded myself as I concentrated on the file, "But, I could get killed," I stammered after a few minutes of dead silence.
I had just let out my fears, my mind was ravaging and I just couldn't bring myself to believe anything anymore.
‘I love my life and I wasn't ready to die. I am still a virgin at twenty, I need to enjoy a bit of pleasure before I die. I have been caged all my life, I should at least enjoy life first!’ My thoughts ran wild.
"Maverick, I know this mission is risky, but think about what's at stake. Black Wolf's actions are devastating families, destroying lives... " Caleb said with a smooth voice, trying to convince me to agree with the mission.
“I know, but what if I'm not good enough? What if I fail?" I asked with raised brows, not sure if I would be able to impress Caleb and my family.
"You won't be alone. We'll be with you every step of the way. And think about the lives you'll save, the families you'll protect... It's worth the risk, isn't it?" Caleb asked with arched brows, but I didn't know how to reply to him.
My mouth was trembling, he was right, this has always been my dream, but I just didn't know my first mission would be so risky. My parents and three sisters would definitely stop me from going.
"Please, you have to give me some time to think about it, please," I managed to mutter, and Caleb nodded his head in agreement.
"Okay, two days, I give you two days to think it through, then you report back to me, " he looked a bit disappointed, but he couldn't force me to do what I didn't want to.
"Thanks Officer," I bowed, my face turning pale as I left.
A whirlwind was starting to form inside of me. "Will I be able to make it? Is it worth my life?"
Just then Caleb's gentle voice snapped me out of my thoughts, "Hey, carry the file. And don't forget that I will always trust you. By the way, do not inform anyone about this, not even your own shadow," he warned me with a gentle voice, and I nodded my head at him, before slamming the door behind me.
'Who am I even supposed to confide in? Is it the friends I've never had?' I thought to myself as I walked out of his office, the weight of my isolation settling in.
Officer Caleb is a young man in his early thirties, a family friend, and like an elder brother to me. Although, sometimes I wish he was more than just a brother, after hearing that he once had a girlfriend, I have stopped crushing on him.
Laughter escaped my lips as I remembered the times Caleb had been there for me, offering advice and support like an older brother would. But deep down, a part of me still wondered what it would be like if he saw me in a different light, if he felt the same flutter in his chest when I was near. I shook my head, chuckling at my own foolishness. That was a path I couldn't afford to explore, not now, not ever.
On Getting Back Home:
I stormed out of the disastrous family dinner, just as I had expected. My parents had set me up with a young doctor who thought detectives were jobless and assumed I'd abandon my dream career to become a full-time househusband after marriage.
My conversation with the doctor and his sarcasm filled words rang in my head one more time:
“So, you're still pursuing this detective dream of yours?” Dr. Lee smiled condescendingly at me as he asked, his tone dripping with skepticism. I had to force a smile, because I felt my parents' expectations weigh heavily on me.
Are you kidding me?! My whole life, my parents had tried to control me, and now my supposed future husband wanted to do the same. I ignored my mother's calls and got into my car, headed to meet Caleb at the secret service department, to start my secret mission, with or without their approval.
'I can't spend another day trapped with my family right now. I'd rather fight for the youth's lives than be caged in this house!' I fumed to myself, glancing at the criminal file one last time before starting the engine.