Maxwell Lee's rented limousine convoyed the white SUV of the Alvarados. Traffic was light given the late hour and the vehicles travelled fast and easy. Rayah firmly held on to the boot lid to keep it from opening and made sure the latch didn't snap and shut her in.
The vehicles entered the gates of the Orient Pearl Pharmaceuticals compound and stopped at a gray, old style four story building on its east side. Rayah tried her best to keep still and silent as she listened keenly to what was going on outside. She heard footsteps and voices gradually fading out into the distance. As the noise died down, she carefully lifted the trunk lid around half an inch and took a peek. She couldn't figure out where she was until she saw a street sign: P. Zamora Avenue.
She climbed out of the trunk, slowly closed the lid and crept behind rows of wooden boxes.
She surveyed the area. The coast was clear.
She stood up and dusted herself off, slung the straps of her backpack and went around the structure to look for a point of entry.
"Good God," Maxwell Lee said. "This is magnificent."
Tonio looked smug. "Like I told you, you really have to see it to believe it."
Lee was spellbound by the hi-tech machinery churning and whirring right before his eyes. He stared in wonder at the titanium alloy equipment automatically mixing the raw components of BZB on one end and churning out ready-to-sell Busy Bee pills on the other. Cool blue lights and robotic arms accentuated the automated production line that snaked around the vast laboratory. Lee spoke to his bodyguards in Chinese, pointing to different parts of the machine. His men nodded in earnest.
Francisco cleared his throat. "Now you believe us when we say we have the most advanced BZB manufacturing plant in the world?"
"Oh, yes," Lee said. "I haven't seen anything like this."
Even the three Alvarado minions behind Tonio and Francisco looked amused and satisfied at the admiration of their guests.
In an air vent in a far corner of the ceiling, Rayah was on all fours listening to the conversation.
She put a finger on her ear and turned on her comm device.
"Gramps," she whispered. "Time to call the cops and give your anonymous tip."
"Copy that, what's the location?"
"Orient Pearl Pharmaceuticals main compound, P. Zamora street, Pasay City, rightmost building."
"What? Did you say Orient Pearl? As in the largest pharmaceutical in the country?"
"Yup, that's the one." She opened her backpack and rummaged through her weapons.
"Roger that, I'll call it in and meet you there."
She loaded her pistols. "Great, now if you'll excuse me, I have a score to settle."
"Agent Reyes, don't. Stand down, just stay put and wait for backup. Don't take the risk of facing all of them on your own, don't be stupid."
"Catch you later, gramps."
"Kid, no, wait just a few--"
She turned off her device and held her pistols. Her hands shook. She took a deep breath and exhaled.
She kicked the vent cover and jumped to the floor, landing gracefully on her feet, pistols pointed at Tonio and Francisco.
The sharp clank of the metal cover jolted the men. They drew their weapons. The Alvarados and their crew aimed at Rayah, who stood behind Lee and his men. The guests leveled their guns on the Alvarados, thinking their hosts were aiming at them.
YOU ARE READING
Wrath Of The Butterfly: Rayah Reyes Chronicles Book 1
ActionLourdes was just a typical teenager who'd recently graduated high school, until a heinous crime left her family dead and put her in a coma. Her medical condition attracted the attention of a mysterious international security agency, which took her i...
