Chapter 158 - Back To School
Chapter 158 – Back To School
The classroom was rather more chaotic than usual, most likely because of the sudden return of the Moore siblings from their long holidays. Calling it a holiday would be wrong too, mainly because of their unwarranted missing. Del wasn't surprised by the welcoming party, and he expected that.
However, one person seemed to put a very straight face about what happened earlier, particularly Aveline. She wasn't surprised about their return. Heck, she acted as if nothing had happened. There was a justification for that act, but what was the right one? Was it because she knew? Or she just expected that they would return safely.
"I almost worried that someone kidnapped your or something, Del. You haven't returned for a week or so, what happened?" Adam asked with a worried tone.
"Nothing happened, I just took a sick leave, what is so weird about that?" Del asked him back.
"Nah, the classroom feels different without you," Adam said.
"How?" Del smiled.
"I can't joke around without you, haha." Adam gave a short laugh. "I'm glad you're back, Del."
"The feeling is mutual, friend," Del replied.
Anna and the other girls were back to their usual business, and Del returned to his usual business. He felt a little bit safe knowing that he had a guardian angel watching his back in the form of an intelligence agency agent with a .308 scoped bolt-action sniper rifle. How could he know that? Simple, Anna didn't bring her bolt-action rifle. It was to be expected. She only brought her AK-74M.
Morris was an invaluable ally, wasn't he? He would do anything as long as it would support Del's mission of finding the informant, aka the target. As long as he didn't kill anyone accidentally, he would be one of the most useful allies in this operation besides the intelligence agencies.
The teacher came inside the classroom. The class started as normal until the teacher explained the material to the students. However, the teacher immediately shifted her attention to Del. Maybe leaving the school for no reason would give this much attention.
"Del, I heard you have fever, how are you now?" The teacher asked.
"I'm fine, ma'am. Thanks for asking," Del replied.
"Take care of your health, Del," the teacher said before she continued teaching the subject.
Take care of your health, huh? He didn't get any fever, to be honest, nor any common disease. He only got his skull smashed into tiny bits, nothing too fancy. Most of his disease was physical anyway. The only medicine was to stop working for the intelligence agencies that had given him two hundred billion dollars.
The class finished and continued with other subjects. Rinse and repeat until the school was over and the bell rang. Del didn't pack his bag, of course. He still needed to talk with Mira. Yup, that former mercenary Mira was part of TMV. He still hadn't gotten the clothing for TMV.
Del walked towards her desk. Mira was cleaning her rifle with a rag. The rifle was covered in a thin layer of ice. The classroom was cold but not that cold that ice would freeze. It might be because of other reasons.
"Ey, Mira, sup?" Del greeted.
"Good, I heard you were sick, huh?" Mira asked. She then continued, "I also snooped around the contractor HQ three days ago. You were involved in some sort of dangerous shits, were you?"
Del kept his calm. "What are you trying to tell me?"
"Did you get involved with any security contractor by any mean?" Mira asked back.
Did this girl know this much? Or was she only bluffing? "I don't have any idea what you're talking about, Mira."
"Really? People say you and Anna were staying with Walter, that special force soldier turned into security guard. Walter has a relation with a security group, as far as I know," Mira answered.
Del wouldn't spill the secret to Mira. He would keep her wondering, "Walter? He's my caretaker, but I don't know about his relation with the security group. And no, I'm a contractor, but I'm not involved with a security group."
"Is that so?" Mira put her rifle beside her desk, "I might just make a wrong assumption. Sorry, Del. Anyway, Dr. Bennett might want to see you."
"Why?"
"You are sick, Del. Everyone misses you, especially that girl that you rescued from the slaver. Del, for a transfer student, you have quite a reputation. If I may ask, why?" Mira asked.
"I don't know. Maybe it's because of my reckless act, or it's because I just happened to be in the right time and the right place," Del answered, and he asked Mira, "You know, Mira. What did you do in 1942?"
Silence. It was an awkward and yet, intimidating silence. Mira stopped breathing, but she tried to keep her face flat. Her left hand started trembling as she put her hand on top of her rifle. "What do you mean?" She looked at Del. The glare was intense, but she looked more than surprised.
"I'm just asking. What did you do in 1942?" Del asked.
"I was a student, what do you mean?" Mira asked back with cold sweat on her palm.
"Just a student, huh?"
"Maybe I was also a contractor, but both of us were active contractors, right?" She sounded worried.
"Did you get involved in something… illegal?" Del asked her.
Del smirked as he glared at her. He wanted to put a very loud message by intensely glaring at her, silently. He knew he had the backing of both intelligence agencies, and any rumor to discredit him would be diminished by them. Mira, on the other hand, relied on rumors and mouth-to-mouth information.
In 1942, Mira participated in a rogue militant group. That alone would be enough to cause her to be expelled from school. Heck, expelled was the least worst thing that could happen to her. There might be a bounty on top of her head. Del kept glaring at her.
His glare meant, 'don't mess with me. I know what you don't know and I'm not afraid to use that if you try to discredit me like what you did before.' He then stopped glaring at him and offered Mira a handkerchief. "Your palm looked sweaty." He then smiled.
Mira grabbed the handkerchief from Del's hand and wiped her sweaty palm. "Thanks," she returned the handkerchief, silently. She moved slowly, almost stuttering. Maybe Del had put too much shock on her.
"Mira, are you there?" Del asked Mira as he waved his hand left and right.
"Ah, sorry, I was daydreaming."
"More like shocked, to be honest." Del crossed his hand.
"Fine, you got me. I'll forget what I know, happy now?" Mira said.
"Very happy."
"Dr. Bennett was worried sick about you, you know? You sent your sick letter very late so I begun snooping information of your whereabouts, if you want to know why I was snooping around in contractor HQ," Mira answered.
"I appreciate your concern, but Mira, why would you snoop around like that? You don't like if people also snoop around your information, don't you think?" Del felt nauseous saying that. It was pure hypocrisy.
"I think so. My bad, I won't do that again," Mira said.
"No problem, Mira," Del smirked again, giving her the impression that he was really the evil person she thought he was. It might put Mira under a leash for now.
Del walked back to his desk to pick up his backpack and walked to TMV club building, leaving Mira behind. Joshua might want to talk about something actually important, instead of asking the same question as Mira.
However, Del had his own worry about Joshua too. If Mira told whatever she knew, Joshua would be way bolder in his way of asking. He might need Morris' help to take care of him. Nah, Del wouldn't kill him, but a tranquillizer might be necessary to deal with Joshua.
Del walked with his AK on his left hand and backpack on his back. In the TMV building, Joshua and Daniel had already been there. Del approached them and he greeted them. "Good Afternoon, fellas."
"Afternoon, Del."
"Nice to see you, Del," Daniel replied.
"How are you, Del? I heard you have typhoid fever," Joshua said.
Typhoid fever, huh? Was it the content of the sick letter? Well, Del needed to play along. Any question was better than Mira's question. He just wanted some peace in that school. He didn't need another bullshit to hit him in the face.
"Yeah, I'm fine now."
"Great. We missed you. The girls are a little bit on the edge after the accident. Hopefully, your presence might calm them down during the next volunteer activity," Joshua answered.
"Including Mira?" Del smirked.
"Hahaha, nah, Mira has a reputation. Any random criminal wouldn't want to kidnap a contractor. It would only cause problem for them, especially knowing that they are former merc," Joshua said.
"Hahaha, I see."
"Anyway, welcome back to school, Del."