A Forgiving Heart - 9. Chapter 9

“Watching you is getting painful.”

Raphael opened one eye to look at his twin.

Gabriel sat, perched on the porch rail, his hair flowing around him. The sun was high, the weather warm. This little hideaway off the Malaysian Coast was akin to paradise. He could stay here forever and forget his obligations. He and Gabriel had loved bringing Talin here to escape winter.

“What could be painful about enjoying the sun?” Raphael mused, closing his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face.

“Torturing yourself with a past you can’t change,” Gabriel said. “You have become pitiful.”

“Don’t spoil a perfect morning.”

“I’m not the one talking to the dead,” Gabriel said. “He found your strange museum in my library, then called you a villain. You want to shut him out, but don’t know how anymore.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Hyun, of course,” Gabriel chuckled. “I love the sound of his name, Raphael. Hyun, Lee Hyun, if our grandmother were alive, she would call him, Hyun-ah. Try it, Hyun-ah—

“Cut it out, Gabe.”

“Hyun and Rafa,” Gabriel continued. “Rafa and Hyun. The kids would call you, RaHyun? Or maybe Ryun? I like RaHyun better.”

“You’re noisy, Gabe,” Raphael grumbled.

“RaHyun, sitting on a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G,” Gabriel sang with a happy laugh.

Raphael sat up to smack Gabriel, to shut him up and woke up on a lounge chair outside the villa they were renting in Belize. They had arrived in the night. Himura had shown a tired Hyun to his bedroom upstairs. Raphael, unable to sleep came out to the back hoping to enjoy the cool, night air. He must have fallen asleep and promptly gone back to his strange habits. Seeing Gabriel was becoming a part of him.

God, even the sound of Gabriel’s laugh sounded real.

“Thirsty?”

A glass of orange juice appeared in front of him. Raphael looked up to find Hyun standing beside his lounge chair. Hyun was smiling, clearly in a good mood.

“Take it,” Hyun urged. “Himura made the juice. You have it good. Himura is a real miracle worker. Is there anything he can’t do?”

Raphael took the glass and sipped. The taste of fresh oranges burst in his mouth, he swallowed the juice with a small smile.

Raphael watched Hyun settle in the lounge chair on his left. Hyun was handsome in a light pale yellow t-shirt and khaki shorts. He looked ready for a vacation.

“Wow, I could move here.”

“There are other more beautiful places in the world,” Raphael said, thinking of the beach in his dream. That place even Talin couldn’t visit now because it held too many memories.

“I’m sure there are,” Hyun said. “Why are you grouchy in the morning? You just woke up.”

“To your noise,” Raphael pointed out.

“I brought you juice.”

“Didn’t ask for it.”

“Fuck you too.”

Hyun got up and stalked back into the house. He reached the door and stalked back to Raphael.

Raphael gaped when Hyun took the glass of orange juice and went back into the house with it. Raphael wiped a hand down his face.

Shit, he hated bright mornings.

“Sir,” Himura’s calm voice said behind him.

“Get Hyun working on the Black Orchid’s security system. The faster we leave Belize, the better.”

Himura sighed and came to place a tray with a glass of orange juice on the stool on Raphael’s right.

“Hyun was giving you his juice,” Himura commented. “Least you could have done was be nice about it.”

“I’m not a nice person.”

“Whatever you say, Boss.”

Himura went back into the house and Raphael sat up. Why he needed to be ambushed this early in the morning he had no idea. Couldn’t a man wake up in peace?

***

Raphael stared at the orange juice Himura had brought him. Taking the glass, he drank the contents in fast gulps. Placing the glass on the tray, he stood up intent on leaving Belize in less than the week has father had given him.

Hyun scoffed, popping a potato chip into his mouth. He chewed out his frustration, his fingers flying over his laptop’s keyboard. The Black Orchid had an airtight security architecture blueprint. He couldn’t find a weak point to exploit from the outside. They would have to enter the building and find a weakness in the inside.

Of course, Raphael was right when he said security was heavier than a depository.

“Grouchy bastard,” Hyun grumbled under his breath. “If he doesn’t want to talk to people, he should lock himself up. It’s obvious. His looks are wasted on him. Why win the genetics lottery then mistreat it with a bad temper?”

Hyun frowned, studying the management of information in the hotel. There were two layers to security. The top layer was easy to understand, and it handled the day-to-day running of the hotel. The second layer, however, was more complex. Tied into the very structure of the hotel staff.

Hyun glanced up from his laptop to find Himura watching him.

“What?”

“Don’t stop,” Himura said. “I was enjoying the tirade. You stopped at a good place.”

Hyun scowled.

“Can you pull up the hotel’s blueprints?” Hyun asked. “I’m sure you have them.”

“First thing I found,” Himura said, typing a few keys on the computer on the desk. Minutes later, the Black Orchid in construction blueprints, filled the screen mounted on the wall.

They were in the living room, a bowl of potato chips on the coffee table. Hyun sat on the carpet, his laptop on the coffee table. He let out a soft sigh and leaned back on the couch behind him.

“The hotel has had several redesigns through the years; the blueprint you see here is six months old.” Himura folded his arms against his chest and pointed to the eighth floor of the building. “There was a major construction job early in the year here. Do you think it had anything to do with what we are looking for?”

“No.”

Hyun got up from the floor almost knocking his knee on the corner of the short coffee table. Taking his laptop, he hooked it up to Himura’s equipment and spent a few minutes overlaying the security blueprint on the building.

“Strange, isn’t it?” Hyun studied the access points using staff IDS. “You would think the higher floors require more security restrictions. What’s with securing the third floor?”

“The manager’s office,” Himura said, coming to stand next to Hyun.

Staring at the blueprints, they both agreed, the third floor of the building was the most secure. Hyun filtered the access codes with the highest security clearance. Each one had exclusive access points to the third floor of the hotel.

“A hotel is a hotel,” Hyun murmured, after a moment.

“Huh?” Himura looked at him, confused.

“A hotel is—

“A hotel,” Raphael said behind Hyun, startling him. “Hyun is right. You need service crew, guests, maintenance crew, security and countless other personnel. Everyone plays their part for the business to make money.”

“Meaning?” Himura asked, his tone tinged with irritation.

“Meaning, we only need enter the hotel as guests,” Hyun suggested. “I thought I could enter the system from the outside. It would make things easier if I could create an access card to open any door, but this is not possible. Their system is heavily fortified. We need an existing card to avoid detection.”

“What’s easiest?” Raphael asked, moving to sit on the couch. His gaze on the bowl of potato chips Hyun had been eating.

“The third floor is heavily secured, but I can’t be sure that is where the vaults are.” Hyun moved closer to the screen and traced a finger on the east corner of the hotel’s blueprint. “There is a staircase leading down into what seems like a second basement.”

“There is only one basement,” Himura countered.

Hyun shrugged.

“Perhaps they left it out of the blueprints on purpose. To deceive devious people like you. Keep them from finding a way to get in and out.”

Himura scowled at Hyun and Raphael took the bowl from the coffee table, taking one chip.

“I will check into the Black Orchid this afternoon. Make the arrangements, Himura,” Raphael said.

“Yes, Sir.” Himura gave Hyun one last scowl then left the living room.

“You offended him,” Raphael said, returning the bowl to the coffee table. He studied the potato chip, then popped it into his mouth. “Himura is no common thief.”

“I did not say he was,” Hyun said.

“Yes you did,” Raphael smiled. “In not so many words.”

“Are you also offended?” Hyun asked.

Raphael chuckled and folded his arms against his chest. Hyun gave him a sidelong glance as he busied himself with the equipment on the large table by the wall.

“Hyun,” Raphael said, remembering his dream and Gabriel’s teasing. “You’ve called me a villain, looked at me with hatred and fear in your eyes. If I were the type to be offended by you thinking me a common thief, you’d be dead by now.”

Hyun looked up to meet his gaze and Raphael smiled.

“I’m sorry I was rude this morning.”

“Didn’t think you knew how to apologize,” Hyun said.

“Despite my bad temper, I do have some manners.”

Hyun stared at Raphael then laughed because it was obvious Raphael had overhead his little tirade.

“Hyun.”

Raphael’s tone made Hyun stop. He met green eyes, and he stopped unhooking Himura’s equipment.

“Yes?”

Raphael held his gaze for a moment, and then stood.

“Don’t leave anything you value,” Raphael said, and turned to leave the living room. “We won’t be coming back here.”

***

Forgiveness is not erasing memories,

It’s a choice to free yourself from a painful past.

Memories stay, to be thought of as valuable lessons…,

Forgive yourself, love yourself…for you cannot change the past…

- Gabriel Yun

***

“Make sure he stays safe,” Raphael said, adjusting his black necktie. “I don’t like this plan, Himura.”

“You don’t like any plan that pulls Lee Hyun from your side.”

Himura held out his suit jacket, and Raphael stepped up to wear it in one fluid motion. Himura helped him straighten the collar and adjust his ponytail. Raphael reached for his cane, not because he needed it, but for the sword hidden inside.

“This hotel makes me paranoid.” Raphael tapped the cane on the carpet, his gaze sliding over majestic opulence with boredom. “The dinner party downstairs was an unexpected gift, but it means I can’t be of help to you.”

“I will watch over Hyun,” Himura said, squeezing his shoulder. “Trust me.”

Raphael met dark eyes, and he wondered why the sense of unease dogged him. Hyun was an asset, nothing more. This was the best plan; he knew that, had gone over every minute detail with Himura. Shrugging off his hesitation, Raphael gave Himura a short nod and headed out of his suite.

He’d checked into the Black Orchid, using an alias created years ago. Sebastian Reed was the owner of Reed Group, a company that offered the best offshore oil drilling services. Of course, the legitimate business hid a dark side. Otherwise, Sebastian Reed would not check into the Black Orchid. It was strongly rumored that Reed kept his surplus funds in offshore banking to escape taxes. He was careful and rarely moved the money, but was now looking to change storage locations.

Raphael knew The Black Orchid wanted Reed’s account. Keeping his walk nonchalant, Raphael took the elevator to the first floor. The doors opened and he paused when he found the hotel’s manager waiting for him.

“Mr. Reed,” the manager said in greeting. “My name is Richard Nesbitt, the Manager here at the Black Orchid. May I escort you to the ballroom?”

“I suppose,” Raphael said, keeping his tone uninterested. “My, my, I feel flattered that the Hotel’s Manager would take time off his busy schedule to show me to my table.”

“You are an important guest, Mr. Reed,” Mr. Nesbitt said. “The Black Orchid is honored to have you staying with us. We look forward to having you visit us more often.”

“I’m a private individual,” Raphael said, tapping his cane on the hotel carpet. “Having someone follow my every step annoys me, Mr. Manager.”

“I’m sorry, Sir,” Mr. Nesbitt said. “My staff alerted me that you were headed to tonight’s dinner party. We are celebrating our guests tonight. I only wanted to ease your—

“Hmmm…,”

Raphael paused at the entrance into the ballroom.

“This does look like a promising evening. Bring me a bottle of your best wine, and I might be inclined to forget your overeager missteps.”

“Yes, Sir,” Mr. Nesbitt said, snapping his fingers at a passing waiter.

Hyun had advised him to keep the manager preoccupied.

Raphael grinned, and hoped his little rabbit knew what he was about.

“Mr. Manager?” Raphael called, when the man started to turn away, deliberating not using the man’s name.

“Yes, Sir?” Mr. Nesbitt turned to him.

“Shall we talk about the menu? I have a sensitive stomach. I hope your chef won’t mind…”

Raphael hid a grin as the manager gave a short shudder, and headed into the middle of the busy ballroom, already discussing the menu.

***

“Spoilt brat,” Hyun murmured under his breath as he followed Himura down steep stairs into the first basement. “Did he have to make them return the steak twice? It looked cooked to me.”

“Stop watching the boss and concentrate on your task,” Himura said. “Are you sure there is another floor under the basement—?”

Hyun looked up to find Himura staring at a door at the bottom of the stairs. Himura pushed the lever lock, the door swung into a dimly lit staircase, and Hyun smiled in triumph. He hadn’t been sure, but seeing it had his heart racing in equal parts anxiety and anticipation.

“We’re in business.” Hyun hurried down to Himura’s side. “Taking the Manager’s security card was genius. He wouldn’t think it lost, or that anyone would dare take it.”

“Keep it quiet after this,” Himura said, producing a gun from the small of his back. “Follow what I say, and work fast.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Hyun glanced at his tablet, and the video feed from the ballroom. Raphael sat at a table in the middle of the room talking to the hotel manager. He looked at ease in his impeccable tailored suit. Regal, as he assessed the steak on his plate, the manager standing by with wary concern.

Hyun smiled and put the tablet into his bag. He hoped Mr. Reed would manage to display his temper for fifteen minutes. They needed the manager preoccupied. Following Himura down the steps, Hyun felt excitement race through him for the first time since he started this treasure hunt.

Before, he’d worried constantly for his sister’s safety. Now that she was alright, he was left with the thrill of it. This was all thanks to Raphael, he knew. That strange man with a very vague balance between good and bad.

The stairs went down three flights, taking them deeper into a second basement under the hotel. Himura made Hyun wait as he secured the door guarded by four security guards. Hyun used the time to check the security camera loops he’d set up. Assured they still had time, Hyun followed Himura down. They used the Manager’s security card to enter the locked door. The door hissed open. Himura used the guard’s chair to lodge the door open, checking the doorjamb for triggers. When he found none, Hyun spent a few minutes reprogramming the lock on the door.

“There, if anyone checks the system, it will look locked,” Hyun said, stepping into the room, the four guards safely hidden under huge service pipes thanks to Himura.

Hyun stopped short at the sight of the heavy vault doors ahead.

“Guess we’re going to need more than my laptop to open those doors. Anyone hand you the keys?”

“Cheeky,” Himura said. He reached into his pocket, pulled out two white cards, and held one out to Hyun. “While you did your research, I did mine too.”

Hyun took the card in shock. The numbers printed on the card looked like a code.

“Did someone die over this?”

“Are you sure you want the answer?” Himura asked, pointing to the keypad on the right side of the door. Himura stopped at the left side of the door. “We put in the numbers at the same time. No mistakes, Hyun.”

Hyun sighed and gave Himura a short nod, refusing to think further on the merits of hanging out with Himura. He followed Himura’s direction and together they entered the numbers into the keypads. Thick metal rods retracted from around the door with each successful insertion. When they put in the last numbers, the door slid open, quiet like a well-oiled machine.

No sound, no alarm, Hyun looked at Himura.

“How did you know there would be a vault door?”

“It’s my job to know,” Himura answered with a dismissive shrug. “Come on, we need to find the locker and retrieve the contents.”

Inside, rows of stainless steel lockers lined the vault. The line was endless, which meant the vault was probably the length of the hotel. Knowing their time was limited, Hyun walked to the interface closest to them. Accessing the system, it took him less than a minute to find Petrov, N.

“Number N502,” Hyun said.

Himura lifted his wrist to his mouth, murmuring to his unseen team.

“Get in position, we are at eleven minutes.”

Hyun frowned when Himura pressed a finger to his ear, and then glanced toward the open vault doors.

“Hyun, check Raphael’s feed,” Himura ordered.

Hyun pulled out the tablet in his bag and frowned when he found Raphael walking out of the ballroom with the manager.

“I thought the plan was to stay in the ballroom,” Hyun asked, showing Himura the screen.

“Raphael leaving means we have company. Lucian is here,” Himura started in the direction of the steel lockers. “Accelerate the timer, and let’s find number N502.”

Lucian!

His lungs seized for a millisecond, fear spreading through him. His right hand coming up to touch his neck, Hyun shuddered at the thought of tangling with Lucian again.

“Move it,” Himura ordered with a hiss.

Hyun forced his fear down, and started down the closest corridor of steel lockers. Finding the set of lockers labeled N was easy, getting to Locker N502, took too long. When they did reach the locker, Hyun cursed under his breath when he saw the combination lock on the door.

All vaults boasted keypads, but not Petrov’s locker. No, the bastard had to go and complicate the situation.

“Old school,” Himura said, his gaze on the combination lock. “Stow your gadgets.”

Hyun stashed his tablet and cables into his bag. Gosh, he found the Analog huggers annoying. Pushing his backpack to his back, he gulped when Himura held out a gun.

“Take it, I need you to watch my back,” Himura prompted, pressing the heavy weapon into Hyun’s hand.

Sweat coated his palms and Hyun swallowed back a small gulp of fear.

“Simple how-to, point and shoot at anyone who seems hostile to you. Now, calm your breathing, I need absolute silence.”

Hyun gripped the gun handle with both hands, looking around the vault, his heartbeat racing. Himura’s ear was pressed to the locker door, eyes closed as he turned the knob on the lock. Jeez, he’d seen this in one of those heist movies Mina liked watching. Hyun wondered where Raphael had met a man like Himura.

Turning away from Himura, Hyun stared down the empty corridors, marveling at how far he had come. He was no longer the man who had sat in a basement office at Arocom Industries drinking bad coffee and hoping for good fortune.

Hyun frowned.

Since his sister’s kidnapping, his life had stepped into the grey where right and wrong blurred. Glancing at Himura, Hyun realized they were robbing Petrov of his belongings, which was wrong. But—

If they didn’t, then there would be no way to bring down Lucian Pajari.

Hyun sighed, gaining a scowl from Himura.

Biting his lip, he stepped away from Himura and focused on keeping a lookout. Glancing at the watch on his wrist, he wondered if Himura knew that they were at four minutes.

Four minutes, Hyun’s frown deepened, and Lucian’s men would reach them. He hoped Raphael had a plan to keep them alive.

***