68

Oliv was still silent, with teeth clashing together. The man's body drooped limply second by second, with the cellphone he was still holding in his right hand.

The memories should not appear again.

But Oliv really couldn't control himself, right when Jovanka's sweet lips teased back about the memories that the man so desperately wanted to forget.

Memories that he tried to bury tightly, memories that if only they could be erased then he would choose to erase them to the deepest roots.

Memories that would probably make Oliv prefer to die, rather than having to repeat the story that was once inscribed.

Joaquin.

The hand holding the cellphone still drooped limply on his lap, as Oliv's vision began to fade. With his head bowed, the man seemed to be losing all his strength.

It was so difficult to even take a breath, which just made him feel tight in the chest.

Lost in his own thoughts, Oliv simply sank into a mud pit that was ready to swallow him alive.

"Oliv?"

Even John's voice, which was now back resting between the car windows, had not been able to pull Oliv back from her reverie.

"Oliv?!"

John repeated in a tone that he raised this time, looking straight at Oliv with a perfectly furrowed brow.

'Who exactly is calling?' John thought silently. 'Why does it seem that Oliv lost consciousness after receiving that call?'

John's call was still ignored by Oliv, until finally the man decided to pull the door handle and get into the car.

Occupying the driver's position, John deliberately threw himself over the seat to cause a loud thumping sound.

"Oliver!"

This time John shouted right next to Oliv, and thankfully it drew attention from Oliv now.

Like a child who had just woken up, Oliv turned his head blankly towards John.

"What's going on?" asked John quickly. "Who are you talking to?"

It took another two seconds for Oliv to come to his senses, now a small gasp as he tried to regain his almost-vaporized consciousness.

The man fumbled with his hair, ending up pulling it in exasperation.

John was still waiting, still watching Oliv who looked different at that moment. It was unusual for Oliv to lose control like this, and it caused a sudden sense of worry in John's mind.

"Who just called you?" John asked repeatedly. "He used a hidden information number, did he tell you anything?"

In the next few seconds, Oliv's memories were mixed. About past things that should no longer surface, and about the present that demands his professional side.

"Were you the one who received that call earlier, John?" Oliv asked back. "What did he say to you?"

John nodded his head. The man's eyes narrowed, as if he was thinking right now.

"That's right," he said. "I thought it was a call from headquarters, but it was a little suspicious because the caller used hidden information. I answered it and he just told me to give you the cell phone."

Oliv was silent for a moment.

"Other than ordering you to give me this cell phone, did she say anything else?"

This time John shook his head, but there was something wrong with what he had just heard.

"A woman?" the man asked, not understanding. "What do you mean woman? The one I was talking to earlier was a man."

Now it was Oliv who gasped in shock, his bead perfectly widened. What was going on? Why did John say he was talking to a man?

Oliv's brain was forced to work hard this time, and he knew he had to stay focused.

"Did he say anything to you other than telling you to pass the phone?" Oliv asked digging again.

It was necessary to dig up as much detailed information as possible, before Oliv could finally decide what steps he should take.

Again John gave a shake.

"No, absolutely not," he said confidently. "He just gave the order right after I said hello. That's why I immediately went to give it to you, I thought you were waiting for the call."

Oliv's brow furrowed even more, with his mind already branching out somewhere. The man's hands clenched again, as he tried to draw conclusions from what had just happened.

'So someone else spoke to John, then after the cellphone was given to me then Jovanka took over the conversation,' Oliv's mind tried to hypothesize.

His conversation with Jovanka earlier was still ringing in his ears, when now Oliv again hardened his jaw impatiently.

"Can you check the location?" Oliv asked John. The man reached out, handing the cell phone back to John.

"Immediately report only to me, and don't tell anyone else about this," Oliv ordered again. "Including to the special team on duty to spy on David Senegal, because I don't want any cross line information. So, just make sure you report the results to me later."

John accepted the cell phone that Oliv handed to him, then put the cell phone back into his pants pocket. The phone was one of their organization's phones, which was usually used to communicate among clan members.

"Okay," said John understanding. "I'll track it down for you. But does this have anything to do with David Senegal? I only ask because I'm curious."

John was still curious apparently, because Oliv had not given an answer to his question earlier.

Oliv's eyeballs were watching, with his heart pounding in chest now. Joaquin's name again rang in his ears, with the woman's face now present in Oliv's eyes.

"No, not about him," Oliv stammered.

The man realized that he had given a lie to his men, but like this first it might be better.

From the conversation he had with Jovanka earlier, Oliv knew he couldn't be rash. Jovanka Scholer was indeed around them, and that woman could definitely do things that might not be predicted before.

Making a quick decision, Oliv chose to keep the conversation a secret. After all, Jovanka also hadn't revealed who she really worked for, and Oliv didn't want to rush her decision.

Nodding his head, John signaled that he understood.

"Alright then," the man half nodded.

Oliv patted his subordinate's shoulder with a firm pat, as he exhaled slowly.

"The sooner you get the location, the better, John," Oliv requested.

"I'll do it as soon as I can," John said confidently.

The man moved quickly to get out of the car, rejoining his two friends who were still on guard around the outside.

After John left, Oliv also chose to move from his seat. The man knew he needed fresh air, because he really needed to neutralize the raging and chaotic thoughts.

Slamming the car door with a loud bang, Oliv took a deep breath of the air around him.

Pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pants pocket, Oliv had one between his lips two seconds later.

With his head staring straight ahead, Oliv was already immersed in nicotine inhalation with the poison that began to spread throughout the body.

Trying to get rid of the face that shouldn't appear anymore, Oliver Janson wished he could get rid of everything.

About those bad memories, about the memories of someone named Joaquin.