"WHERE DID YOU GET MY NUMBER?" Alyx, who had just woken up because of the ringtone sound, that morning groaned inwardly. She had only gone to sleep at four this morning. And at over six o'clock, someone was already calling her.
"I am jogging around your apartment and instantly remembered you." The heavy voice from the other side of the phone made her increasingly furious.
Alyx pressed her temple which felt throbbing, a sign that her head was so painful. "And then?" Alyx approached the window and pulled the curtain, looking outside. Precisely downward, at the garden section of her flat. Her eyes clearly caught the figure of Benjamin there.
Alyx narrowed her eyes. The sun had already begun to show its light.
"What is your decision?"
"Sorry. I haven't decided anything yet," Alyx tried to act calm and firm. She saw Tom who appeared to walk closer toward Benjamin. "So, you better stop contacting me for a while, until I make a decision. See you." Alyx hung up first and smirked seeing that middle-aged man looking at his phone, while Tom who seemingly already spoke with Benjamin, perhaps was chasing him away.
Several times Benjamin had already contacted Alyx, making her like a person who was always followed by that man. Just how important indeed was that SOS, so as to make that man want to find out regarding that matter.
Alyx had just showered when Katie came to her apartment.
"Nick hasn't come to the office either. I'm worried all of this will be neglected," said Katie who brought documents that had to be signed immediately.
"In that case I will help you," Alyx felt as if she had no other choice. "So where should we start from?"
Katie tried to show the work that had to be done to Alyx who always tried to contact Nick, but no one answered. Who knows what happened to him.
"Oh yeah, Kat, since when did Benjamin join AM magazine?" Alyx was seemingly quite curious.
"Mr. Benjamin?" Katie searched for details regarding Benjamin on her tablet. "About two months after AM Magazine was released. The following year he stopped, it seems when his company went bankrupt, but he returned a few months ago—ehm three months ago, if I don't remember incorrectly. What's the matter anyway?"
"Nothing. Then did he get a lot of profit from our magazine? Also did he always request strange things?" Alyx's brow met.
"The profit was equal to what he advertised. But what strange thing do you mean? All this time, he has never requested anything from AM magazine," Katie scratched her forehead, becoming confused herself.
"Then… then…" Alyx stood up and paced back and forth in her workspace. Katie became dizzy made by her. "Benjamin only appeared these last few months, previously it wasn't him who met us, but asked his subordinates to handle everything."
"That makes sense enough," Katie interrupted Alyx's train-like action.
"Why?" Alyx's eyes enlarged.
"Why are you asking that to me. Why don't you ask him yourself? And we better finish everything, before you think of a strange thing again. I have to go home soon after all," murmured Katie, feeling Alyx could never be invited to speak if she was already thinking.
Alyx smirked.
A few days later, Alyx tried to contact one of her friends who lived in California. He worked at one of the famous detective offices there. But, right now he was still an assistant detective who accompanied wherever the detective went.
"What happened?" the thin face of the assistant detective was seen on Alyx's computer monitor screen.
"Hi, Jaden, you should greet me first before asking like that," Alyx wrinkled her nose.
"So…" Jaden without looking to the screen again asked without making small talk. He knew very well that if Alyx contacted him she definitely needed something.
"Can you find out regarding SOS?" asked Alyx the moment she got permission to speak.
Jaden's attention was diverted from the document in front of him. "Why are you asking that matter?" his nose wrinkled, his face was too close to the screen.
Alyx had to comment on how wide Jaden's forehead was, and asked that man to move his head back. "It seems you know regarding SOS," she guessed then. "So, I hope you can help me to find out…"
"Seemingly, that is not possible," interrupted Jaden. "It's not that I don't want to, but the problem is I don't know much regarding SOS."
"Really? In that case just what you know," said Alyx casually and made Jaden's smirk visible.
"Just what are you going to use it for, anyway?" asked Jaden in a protesting tone. "You better don't need to take care of other people's problems, being connected with SOS will only trigger problems."
He appeared to look right and left, before continuing, "several wealthy families once came complaining about problems that could never be resolved by law. And you know, everything was connected with SOS," he said dramatically.
Alyx blinked her eyes slowly. She did not quite understand, because of that even if Jaden refused, she still wanted her friend to send the things he knew.
The conversation ended, after Alyx got Jaden's nod.
Alyx spun her chair, making her gaze look outside the window. Actually she hadn't decided whether to raise the theme regarding SOS. But if according to Jaden alone this was not possible, it seemed Alyx would also not continue it. Furthermore, there was a matter that made her think hard. The day before yesterday she had just met with her college friend who wanted to make a magazine for children. And there was a big possibility Alyx would switch over.
*
Alyx opened her flat door, this morning she had an appointment with Benjamin at the restaurant where they first met. She stopped before closing her door back. A large envelope leaning against the wall caught her attention. She took it. Opened that brown envelope. And pulled out half. The paper that became the cover with the writing SOS made her interested and pulled out the whole thing. Documents. A few dozen pages.
"Jaden?" Thought Alyx, the moment she saw the title writing there.
It seemed Jaden was the one who sent it. Too fast, only yesterday she asked Jaden to give her documents regarding SOS and it was already at her apartment. Jaden didn't even say he would send it through the mail.
Alyx put that document back inside the envelope and brought it along with her.
"Morning, Miss Alyx." Tom greeted Alyx who had just come out of the lift.
"Tom, long time no see you, where have you been anyway?" Exclaimed Alyx seeing the face that should always be at his workplace. Last seeing him when Tom met Benjamin in the garden.
"I…" Tom then went silent, long.
"It seems like a personal matter," Alyx tried not to disturb other people's lives. "I'm leaving first. See ya…"
Alyx stepped out from the flat. Stopped a taxi. She would set off with a taxi because the place she was heading to was quite far from her apartment. She placed the brown envelope beside her. Although interested to read regarding SOS, she decided not to open it again, whether even just to peek.
The taxi stopped in front of a restaurant. Alyx went out after handing over several pounds.
Inside the restaurant, Benjamin was already waiting with several dishes on top of the table. He did not wait for Alyx's arrival to be able to enjoy the food, because it seemed he had already eaten several dishes from earlier.
"Were you with someone else just now?" Alyx's brow raised on one side feeling the chair she sat on was warm, though not intending to accuse, but Benjamin's response clearly sounded strange.
"What? No, I have been here from earlier. Alright what is your decision?"
"Ah, okay," murmured Alyx, hoping this person could be a bit calm. "So, like this," she decided to directly discuss it without making small talk, "I have made a decision to join my friend to manage a children's magazine. So, I cannot continue the cooperation with you regarding SOS," she explained, which hadn't even been discussed with Nick.
"But, because you seemingly really want everything about SOS, this is for you." Alyx handed the brown envelope over to Benjamin.
"What? No," exclaimed her interlocutor.
Alyx was surprised seeing Benjamin with a strange expression and like a person who was terrified.
"That's just for you. Ah, no… I mean have you read this or not?" asked Benjamin, one of his cheeks raised, his eyes drawn downward, looking somber.
"What is wrong with you? Are you alright?" Alyx asked, wanting to make sure.
"I am alright." Benjamin tried to act calm even though his face looked pale. "Sure. And you better take this back, I already don't need it. I mean, if you are not going to publicize it, you don't need to give me this. I can look for someone else. And I will leave now. I… ah, you better be careful." Benjamin left before Alyx let out another word.
Alyx stared at the brown envelope lying on top of the table. What actually happened. Benjamin became very strange.
Not long after a call came into Alyx's smartphone. She saw Katie's name on the screen.
"Hello Katie, what's wrong?" Alyx immediately asked upon hearing Katie's voice from the other side of the phone.
"Benjamin canceled the contract."
"Oh," Alyx exclaimed shortly, as if already able to guess.
"What happened? One of our main sponsors disappeared and you only said oh," Katie seemingly had unconsciously put forward her protest.
"No problem Katie," Alyx pressed her forehead, trying to calm the girl who had worked with her since the beginning.
"But, he disappeared without a trace," said Katie, clearly very annoyed at the person named Benjamin.
"But, I just met with him," replied Alyx, more casual than Katie.
"What? How is that possible, the workers at Benjamin's office said, their boss has disappeared since two weeks ago. And shortly that office will be closed, we shouldn't have let him sign a contract this large."
"Kat, I actually don't understand, but I will go there immediately." Alyx shook her head, "and bring my friend. If Nick doesn't come to the office again that means… everything is finished."
*