The ORION Project | ✔

chapter 13

Someone was watching them.

Kendrick tried not to sneak glances at the table several feet away from where he and his mother sat, he partly didn't want to let them know he was on to them and also because he was afraid of receiving another slap to the neck by his mother - the one she had given him minutes ago still hurt. He wasn't sure whether to be alarmed because for all he knew, The ORION Project might have sicked these guys on him but it was hard to think so because these men didn't look like the regular youths that made up most of The ORION Project.

He angled his phone slightly, pretending to glance at it, so he could get a better view of the them at their table, wincing when his mother chucked the napkin at his face, he folded it neatly and met his mother's furious gaze with a gulp.

"Have you paid a single attention to what I have been saying these while, Ken?" She said through gritted teeth. "I did not come all the way here so you could stare at your phone all morning."

Kendrick wanted to point out that he had been staring at a blank screen but that would only earn him another slap.

"I'm sorry, ma. I thought I saw someone." He was quick to apologize, he couldn't help but sneak another glance behind him, and this time, he caught the eye of one of the men who seemed to be watching them and when he did so, he feigned nonchalance, letting his gaze sweeping over the cool interior of the restaurant as if searching for the waiter.

His mother had insisted on them visiting a Chinese restaurant that was in the affluent part of Ikeja - a far drive from his hostel - and was almost sandwiched between the Domino mall on the right and the mall on the left, it was almost hard to miss but they seemed to enjoy a lot of business, obvious by the filled seats even though it was quite early for business, It made Kendrick wonder what it looked like during lunch hours.

He had also noticed that whenever he ate out with his mother, she always insisted on a Chinese restaurant, he wasn't sure if it was for his benefit or because she missed Chinese cuisine.

"Is anything the matter, Ken?" His mother asked, brows furrowed as she set down her cup of tea, she hadn't eaten, only asked for a cup of tea and watched him devour all the foods he had missed eating.

"Everything's fine, and I'm not regretting switching schools." He said firmly, a little too firmly that made hurt flash on her face before she schooled her emotions into that blank look that was so similar to his. His mother was a petite woman and was a good foot shorter than he was but she was even scarier than his father.

She sighed, stirring her tea.

"Of course, we do worry that switching from a perfectly good university to a whole new world was not the best decision but we worry because we care." Her accent made an appearance as it usually did whenever she was irritated or angry. Right now, it was a mixture of both emotions.

Kendrick looked up from his half eaten egg roll to see that the men were standing up, one of them brushed at his suit jacket, lifting it up and briefly flashing something beneath his belt. A gun.

Kendrick felt a cold shiver snake down his spine and this time when he met the gaze of the man with the gun, the man smirked, a slight tug of his lips and walked out with his companions. Kendrick was still watching the door even after they were gone.

He nodded absentmindedly at what his mother was saying, her voice barely audible among the ringing and low chatter in the room. Death had just looked him in the face and was boldly foreshadowing his own death.

He stood up, chair scraping against the tiled floor and turning more than half of the eyes in the room in his direction, he ignored them and the incredulous gaze on his mother's face that was slowly turning red with anger - she probably thought he was being rude and embarrassing her in public.