Thursday Morning at the Bruns Academy

Miguel told him that he did not need to be followed because he was just going to buy from a food cart. Tony knew that the food cart was located on a nearby street, less than three minutes away, so he allowed it. It was this dumb mistake that made him lose sight of his ward. Tony called his number but it was unattended. He secretly asked the people who worked at Hauz Architecture and Design if Miguel came it but they said they did not see him. Filled with dread, he searched the whole city until darkness came. The chief called him in the evening to ask about his ward’s whereabouts but he was unable to give a satisfactory answer. He became tense when the chief told him to prepare for a disciplinary action.

While Tony was panicking, Miguel sat in front of a stern elderly man.

 

Around 6 PM in the HC Group’s Head Office…

“Boss, did you see what I sent to your email?” Kasumi entered the CEO’s office. Thirty minutes ago, he noticed something in a video that went viral on the internet. He ran the video in a program that he built which allowed him to able to identify the people in the video. Once his suspicion was confirmed, he immediately shared the link to his boss.

Henry lifted his gaze from the document he was checking. He saw no problem with the proposal but the other party was not having it. “What is it?” He asked in a gruff voice. He was clearly irritated by the disturbance.

“It’s a news from this morning, Sir.” Kasumi replied. He stood straight in front of the desk.

Henry turned to his computer and opened his email. He clicked the link that was sent by his head of security. Soon, a news report played on his screen.

The video was blurred. It was most likely taken from a low-definition CCTV footage. The subtitle stated that a civilian fought with an alleged kidnapper, which resulted in the kidnapper’s arrest.

Journalists looked for the civilian to get an exclusive interview but he vanished after giving his statement to the police. The police did not release the young man’s name. According to them the case was still ongoing. Other media company picked up the story and soon the video became viral.

Andre pushed his spectacles up his nose. He sat straight observing the boss’s reaction. He was curious about the content of the video. Just then Kasumi turned to him and gave him a look which meant they would talk about it later.

A smirk formed on Henry’s lips.

He pushed the file away and leaned back leisurely on his leather chair. Throughout the day, he went on with his usual work of reading reports, approving proposals, and occasionally berating his employees for their not so stellar accomplishments. In the evening, he held a business meeting over dinner. After that, he did a personal inspection of some of his various properties. He was a hands-on boss so to speak. At 11 PM he met with some foreign business partners. Their meeting lasted for two hours before they got into an agreement.

“Where to, boss?” Kasumi asked.

Andre sat on the passenger seat, replying to a couple of emails.

“To the estate,” came the boss’s hoarse reply.

Andre looked up from his tablet and pushed his spectacles up. The boss rarely went to the estate. He had a penthouse in an upscale area of the city where he stayed most of the time. There was no point going to the estate when the penthouse was much closer to their office building. This would be the first time in more than two weeks that he was returning. Could it be…? Andre shook his head. The boss rarely interacted with the foreign boy. He also knew that Henry was not the type of guy to cultivate romantic feelings. But what is this that’s happening? The boss wanted to punish a newbie instead of letting the captain or to the chief do the work. Andre shook his head. Perhaps he was thinking too much.

“Have you informed Tony to wait for us in the dojo?” Henry flicked his lighter and drew smoke into his mouth. He looked at the scenery outside the window. The car became filled with the scent of mint and tobacco.

“Yes, Sir.” Kasumi replied. He could already guess what would happen.

In the wee hours of the morning, they arrived in the estate. They walked to a building that was separate from the main villa. The detached building consisted of four floors and a basement. The basement served as a dungeon of sorts. The first floor was a training area with a separate room for the gym, the dojo, and the shooting range. The second floor held the living room, kitchen and dining area. The third floor contained the sleeping quarters. The last floor was dedicated for the monitoring room, the meeting room, and the simulation room.  

Kasumi sat on the sideline of the dojo observing the one-sided fight.

Andre re-checked the schedule for the next few weeks. He strayed from his tablet to look at the chief of security. The answer was obvious. They had been with Henry for two decades enough to know how the man operated.

“I had much hope for the newbie.” Kasumi folded his arms over his thick solid chest.

“If he cannot keep up, then he has to go.” Andre went back to his tablet.

Kasumi smirked. “You think just like the boss. No wonder you always get the job done.”

The dutiful secretary did not reply. He focused on reading the reports. He remained indifferent to the painful groan of the man who was slammed over and over on the mat.  

Kasumi continued to watch the new guard struggle. Not even five minutes passed when the newbie could no longer get up. Henry stepped out of the fighting area. Kasumi immediately stood up.

Andre also stood up from his perch. 

Tony pushed himself to stand but he stumbled. He opted to sit in a seiza position. He fought with all he could but he was no match for the boss. He didn’t even know if his hits landed. His body was battered and bruised but not a hair was out of place from the boss’s head.

“Tony, I spared you last time on account that you were initially designated to become the boy’s chauffeur. I’m sure Kasumi informed you of your upgraded task and also gave you a good compensation. Is that right?” Henry looked at the guard on the floor.

“Yes, sir.” Tony looked up

“Today, you left the boy unattended.” Henry narrowed his eyes which caused the newbie to become uncomfortable. “Perhaps you are not cut out for this job. Why not resign now instead of getting someone killed with your recklessness?”

The boss’s last statement was a blow to Tony’s pride. As a former soldier, he had been fighting for his country. He was excellent in his job that’s why he was given a medal of honor and was able to ask for an honorable discharge. But now… now he felt useless. He was unable to guard an ordinary civilian properly. A CPO’s job was to keep a close watch on his ward at all times. Tony hung his head. “I’m sorry Sir. Please give me another chance.”

“I do not want a repeat of this morning’s incident.” Henry’s words were filled with warning.

Tony swallowed hard. He felt an overwhelming pressure above him.

“Next time won’t be a training session but a punishment.” There was a cold glint in Henry’s eyes.

“Thank you, Sir.” Tony bowed.

Henry left the dojo.  

Andre trailed behind his boss.  

Kasumi remained. He wanted to talk to the younger CPO. “This is your last warning Tony. Punishment from the boss is no joking matter. There were people who got punished way before you. Even after a couple of years had passed, they still suffer nightmares from it.”

Goosebumps formed on Tony’s skin. Having guarded Miguel most of the time, it was his first time to experience the boss’s cruelty. While they were on the mat, Tony sensed an oppression from the man’s presence alone. It was very different from the time when he had to spar with the boss for his final evaluation.

“If you were not assigned to become the boy’s CPO, I would have assigned you to be part of the team that guards the boss. During the last round of assessment, you were able to endure five minutes of sparring against the boss. Those five minutes was a new record among the trainees. I see much potential in you Tony. It would be a shame to lose someone as talented as you.” Kasumi sighed. “Before I forget, the boy’s security level was elevated to level two today. You remember the protocol for that, don’t you?”

“Yes sir.” Tony nodded.

 “Remember who your boss is and who you receive instructions from. You are not to leave your ward alone. Keep your eyes peeled.” Kasumi emphasized his words. Tony made a mistake today and he had to learn the consequence for not following instructions. Kasumi walked out of the detached building. If Tony could still stand, then he might as well haul his ass up to the guards’ quarters. Kasumi had more important task to do than play nurse.

Tony slumped on the floor, after a few minutes he managed to crawled up to the sleeping quarters. Another guard kindly helped apply medicine on his back. The guy was on his way to take the next shift but saw Tony along the hallway.

While his injury was being tended, Tony recalled what the senior guards said to him before. If the boss was serious with his punishment, then Tony would have lost a body part, yet he only got some bruises.

The guard mumbled.

“What?” Tony asked.

“I said you were lucky to spar with the boss.”

If only they knew, Tony complained.

“You have yourself a little fan club among the new batch of trainees. Not to mention, you are now part of Mr. Kingsley’s inner circle. Just make sure to follow the boss’s orders. He is a generous employer but he becomes ruthless when things don’t go his way.” The guard left Tony in the room.

Tony understood that well. Working under Mr. Kingsley provided great compensation but it was no easy task. The boss demanded absolute obedience. He frowned upon incompetence. He liked loyal employees and had special punishment for traitors. However, despite being ruthless, the boss was not selfish. He provides the best compensation for his employees which extends to their family as well. Full scholarship and allowance for the kids, health insurance for the whole family including the elderly, and livelihood assistance for the spouse. It was way better than the government’s programs.

Tony took a pill to reduce his pain. It was only 3 AM. There were two hours left before his charge would wake up. He might as well take the time to sleep.

 

When he woke up, he felt painful all over his body. Sitting up was difficult. It felt as though his bones were covered by cement. Miguel looked at the time on the digital clock. It was 8:04 AM on a Friday morning. He was late. Usually he would be awake earlier during weekdays just to avoid the heavy traffic during the rush hour. He stared at the ceiling.

Taking a leave of absence was something that Miguel hated doing. It would mean a cut on his pay check but he could not even breath without feeling a stab of pain on his chest. His cellphone was still in the office along with his satchel. He was unable to retrieve it from the school yesterday since he was sent home late. Miguel heard a knock on his door. When he stood up, he felt the blood drain from his head.

The knocking was persistent.

“Come in.” Miguel hollered. His hand gripped the bedside table for support.

The door was opened by Tony. The CPO wore the standard black suit and tie. His dark hair was brushed up neatly.

“I was wondering if you were ready to go, Sir?”  Tony asked. From the state of his wars, it seemed unlikely that he was going anywhere. Miguel was still wearing his pajamas. Aside from his ward’s disheveled appearance, he also noticed a on Miguel’s small face.

“I won’t go to work today.” Miguel held his breath. He sat on the bed as though everything was normal but he felt a stabbing pain in his ribs whenever he breathed.

“Are you alright, Sir?”  Tony frowned.

“Yeah.” Miguel showed a dimpled smile.

Tony frowned. He was informed by the chief and saw a portion of what happened yesterday. “If you need something, you could tell me.”

“No, I’m fine.” Miguel wished he would be left alone. He did not want to be a bother.

“Very well, Sir.” Tony stepped out of the room and pulled the door knob. Before he could close it, he heard his ward speak.

“Wait! Umm, could I… uh… borrow your phone please? Mine was left in the academy.”

Tony unlocked his phone and handed it to his ward. He moved a few feet away and looked outside the window. Even though his direction did not face the person on the bed, his senses were alert.

 Miguel took a small pocket notebook from the drawer of the bed side table. The small notebook contained a list of phone numbers. Even if his memory was good, there were some things that he did not like to memorize. The numbers that he only kept in his mind were his papa’s and Marian’s cellphone numbers.

He first contacted the HR officer of the school and called in sick. He made an excuse of having influenza. The HR officer approved his leave. They could not let him work lest he pass the illness to the children. The HR told him to return with a medical clearance once he recovered.

Next, he called Glinda, his immediate boss at his other part time job. He apologized for his unexpected absence yesterday. He told her the same excuse, the flu.

“Yesterday was bad. It’s only now that I got the strength to even hold my phone.” His voice was soft.

Miguel hated being dishonest because lying once meant making another lie to cover the first lie. And then, the lie would never end. But he could not exactly say he got into a fight, could he? It wasn’t even considered a fight, more like he was turned into a punching bag. He really had to learn some tricks. U country was not exactly a peaceful place despite being considered a powerful nation.

“How are you feeling now? Are you at home or in the hospital? I’ll come visit.” There was concern in Glinda’s voice.

“There is no need Ms. Glinda. I’m staying at home. I only have a few bruises- I mean I feel like my body is filled with bruises due to muscle ache.” Miguel bit his lip. He hoped that she did not catch his lies.

“That’s too bad. I think you need someone to care for you. If you are alone, we could come help you out.”

“No. I-I got a house mate with me. Our landlord is… a bit strict. Yeah and he does not like having guests over.” He held his breath. Even speaking was painful.  

“Let’s not talk anymore so you could rest. Take care of yourself, alright?” Glinda said goodbye. However, the call was still running. Miguel could vaguely hear what was being talked about in the background. He only caught the words show, care, and crush. And then, the call was dropped.  

Miguel wondered who was with Glinda and what they were talking about, probably some office gossip, an employee liking another. Ah, ladies. Miguel shook his head. Girls will be girls.

Although Miguel had been bullied when he was in school, it had never reached to the point of a physical altercation. His papa told him over and over to avoid the bullies and never engage in any physical contact with them. Although Miguel wanted to fight back, he did not want to bring trouble to his papa. His poor papa worked very hard to put him to school. He could not bring himself to add more burden to his aging father. The parents of the bullies were as vicious as their children. They would flap their mouths and go on and on bad mouthing other people. Going into a fight was useless and counterproductive. But yesterday’s event made Miguel think differently. Had he known some fighting moves; he wouldn’t have suffered so much pain.

“Thank you.” Miguel returned the cellphone.

“Do you need something else, Sir?”

“Nothing.” Miguel could barely move. His head felt heavy and his body was full of pain. 

“If you need anything else Sir, I’ll be right at your door.”

“Please don’t call me, Sir.”  It was awkward. In his home country, it was the younger people who often used honorifics to address someone older than them. Mr. Tony was older than him by 7 years.

“It’s part of the protocol Sir.” Tony answered curtly.

“Oh.” Miguel pressed his lips in a thin line.

Tony left the room but remained outside the door. He sent a full report to his chief including the contents of the phone call and his charge who was quietly enduring the pain. He felt really bad for his mistake.

He received an order to keep watching his ward. The doctor would arrive soon.