It is the year 2004. I’m now currently studying at the University of Malaya. I’m in the biological faculty and also taking up some part-time job at one of my uncle’s business firm. I’m also currently staying in an apartment I leased in Kuala Lumpur. It’s called the Putra Villa. Situated in the heart of the City. Cool huh?

It is a beautiful day today, with the sound of birds chirping, the morning sunlight filling my room with the breath of fresh air. Ah! It’s so tantalizing. How I wish everyday would be the same. Another reason for this exciting feeling is that I’m having a 2-month holiday.

There is this one day where it started nearly the some way today that I could never forget. It happened in the first few days in the 2-month holidays. And this was the way it goes…

I got up unusually early today and getting up from my smelling bed is not easy either. In the midst of drowsiness I dragged myself towards the bathroom, where brushing my teeth has been a habit for me. I haven’t got my glasses on yet, so I ended up knocking over piles of books and yesterdays dirty laundry sprawled all over the floor. I opened the tap and left it running while getting some work done on my teeth. The basin was by then already full, subsequently I just dipped my head in. Then, suddenly there was a ringing tone. "What? A phone in here?" I mumbled to myself. I let my hearing guide my probing hand towards the source, the phone. "Helllloooo…" I answered in a slow voice. "Hi sleepy head! What’re you doing?" It came from a cute and lively voice. I recognized that voice straight away. "Christy? What’s the…." And before I could finish my sentence, Christy, my girlfriend, intercepted me and said if it’s okay for her to come over. "You got the keys right? Come over-lah. How long it’s gonna take you?"

Well she’s coming in about an hour’s time, which leaves me some time to refresh myself. I stripped myself off and had a quick shower. By ten minutes I’m already out and dressed. I reached over to a bottle of cologne on my dressing table and give myself a dab here and there. It’s just habit I guess.

I went down the spiral stairs to the hall only to find some leftovers of yesterday’s pizza’s and bottles of cokes all over the place. Damn. I forgot to clean up the mess. I just had a little party going on yesterday. Damn again. I looked at my watch, 8.23am. Man! She’ll be here any minute now, and my place is in a mess! The maid, where’s the maid? I paused for awhile and remembered. Today is Sunday. The maid is on leave. Oh okay. Wait a minute, on leave!!? "Ah!!!" and just then the doorbell buzzed. I ran towards the door to answer it. Kicking aside some of the mess on the way.

The door was already ajar. I looked around. No one came in, no one outside, no one around. Funny, I just thought I heard a doorbell or rather a door buzz. Maybe Christy’s already in. It looks like she’s playing a hide and seek game huh, naughty girl. Well, I just acted cool and closed the door. I walked back to the hall. Thought of not bothering to find her but try to clean up the mess. That would set her up. As I was just about to finish, I heard the buzz from the doorbell again. "Well she want’s to play huh?" I talked to myself.

I opened the door. There she was standing there panting and bushed. She looked as if she had just walked a hundred miles. "You sure did fool me just now." I told her. "Fooled you?" she gave me the ‘all-to-real’ serious stare. I rebounded with an ‘all-to-good’ dumb ball look. Agitated, she pushes me aside and stomp in.

Well, everything’s settled now. I’ve cleaned the up the mess, Christy’s in the kitchen preparing some breakfast. I settled down in front of the T.V set, surfing the channels. That’s the problem when you have 124 channels thanks to the cable and satellite technology. While my world around me is about becoming dull, I heard a thump.

While I was kinda busy munching away, I realized that Christy’s not eating. All she is doing right now is the stares from her electrifying eyes. Naturally I can resist this, but not during when I’m eating! It spoils my concentration. I tried to resist those eyes. All she is was just those silent stares. I stopped my chewing. None of us talked or chewed. There was an uneasy silence…. "What!?" I finally broke out. "What’s what?" She just answered in a smile. Then silence again. After a few nano seconds my neuron circuits has just formulated a cleaver idea…"Yeah, did you told me why you’re here? Yeah, In fact, why you’re here? Who, what, where, when, how, why," I tried to make her laugh, to break the silence again. But she still kept those stares. Crap. My idea busted. As I was just about to try again…. She suddenly spoke! (Duh!) "Well… nothing much." She simply answered. Not satisfied with the answer I rebounded. "You’re bored at home? So you come here just to find something to mess up?" She then gave me the cute but annoyed look, then a smile comes in which give way to her dimples. "Well, let’s just say, something special is coming up." Then I mumbled to myself, "I hope it’s not her mother." while sipping my cup. "What?" She snapped. Crap again. She must’ve heard, quick brain, think of a word!!! "Oh?… Nothing." I quickly answered. Some plan.

Later after breakfast, I started to wash the dishes. Well, I’m having a little trouble actually, cause the dish washer is broken. Anyway, while I was washing away, I let my mind wonder through the teenage years. Those funny, exciting and foolish days. Time passed by so fast. It puts a smile on my face…a smile so wide for Christy to notice. Yup, she caught me after cleaning the table. "What’s the smile for?" she asked with a smile too. "I was just thinking about the days in our teens. It’s kinda funny to remember those foolish mistakes funny moments and embarrassment I made before. Especially the time when we just met." I answered while still working on the dishes. She just stood there standing and then slowly a smiled formed as she recalled her memories too. "Yeah, those are the days." She commented. "Who would guess we would eventually meet. We were so different then." She continued. " Y’see, that’s what makes our relationship so special. I myself was amazed how you and I get to get along pretty well…it’s fate I tell you, just fate." I conclude.

We retired to the couch in the living room. Side by side we sat. Our eyes in an electrical-static lock. Christy reached over to one of the remotes and switch on the CD player and putting on a soft number. Ah, it’s those few romantic moments; none of us spoke a word. The silence only accompanied with the music. Total tranquility I might say. But… somehow I just don’t feel right, right now. It’s like the feelings of we’re not alone. Then I remembered the strange noise I heard earlier. What was that noise? "Christy, have you heard any strange noise earlier?" I asked her. "When?" she inquired. "Err… before breakfast I think." I am not quite sure. Suddenly…my phone rang. Lazily I bend over towards the phone.

"Yeah!" I greeted. "Yeah…what’re you doing?" A slow and low voice answered. The voice is Yulius, my close friend since we’re 12. In fact we’re like brothers now. Usually he only calls me up only when he’s bored or usually when he got a problem. "Talking to you-lah, so what’s up?" I answered. "Oh! Nothing, boring-lah around here. Nothing to do. Hey, come on over-lah. We can play a game of tennis or some golf or something." Yulius invited. I turned my attention to Christy who is now reading a magazine. "No-lah cannot. Christy is here." I told Yulius. "Okay-lah, sucker! Got a girl there tak layan me anymore. I call Chin Yu-lah. Can get to work on my car." Yulius then hung up. Well it’s usual of him. He respects other people’s privacy…but most of the time he doesn’t.

Well, It’s me and her again…alone just the two of us…I think. I still got these eerie feelings. It must be those strange noises I heard earlier. Ah! Bother. I then focused my attention on Christy again. (Wow! Did I mention focus? Talk about words.) "Want to go for a swim?" Christy asked. "Again? Well okay-lah." I eventually agreed.

"Where’s my towel!" Christy shouted while ransacking my closets. "In my other closet!" I shouted back while just over the phone with my mum. I then checked the damage she made in my room. Man! When you mention swimming, she starts to lose her logical sense (What am I saying? Whatever.) Quite soon enough, we were in the lift going down to the pool on mezzanine floor.

Down at the pool there was no one else besides the cleaners. Only Christy and me are at the pool site. We spent some time warming up in the pool; (By bobbing up and down) soon afterwards we got down to some laps competing with each other. Christy has improved a lot lately, but still need some work done on her breathing and her legs. I remembered the day when I first taught her how to swim…she SUNK! Ha! Ha! But look at her now. She’s got the talent. I got tired at last, but Christy is still going on. Then… I got a nasty idea.

I waited until Christy returned from the other end of the pool and when she turned to make another lap. I followed her from behind and then slowly like a predator… …slowly…ready… STRIKE to the kill! Surging forwards with my powerful legs and grabbed her by the waist. Pulling her down with me. Hell was she surprised. In a reflex "fight-or-flight" she struggled frantically and acciden-tally gave me a hell of a kick right in my face. Ouch!….. That hurts. I made a mental note not to come out with such a gatal idea and also NEVER EVER attack from behind. Ouch! My nose.

Once we already had enough, enough of hearing Christy’s laughing for me. We toweled dry each other and set back to my apartment upstairs. In the lift she is still laughing about the incident just before. Man, did I ever regret this. Finally, we reached my floor. After getting in the apartment which is nice and cool. (I forgot to switch off the air conditioner.) I headed straight into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate and together with some biscuits. Christy followed me in.

" What are you making? Hot chocolates?" she asked. I just nodded. "Make mine with less sugar if you don’t mine and not to hot either." she added. I just nodded again, this time with a smile. After some water spilling and sugar wastage, I placed the ready mugs of hot chocolates on a tray and brought it out to the balcony facing the twin tower building of Petronas Bhd and I also noticed there’s some fog shrouding the image of the towers. Oh God! The fog is returning again. Christy joined me at the balcony taking her mug of hot chocolate that I made, from the tray. She then rests in one of the suspended rattan settee. "Why haven’t you change from your swimsuit? It’s wet." I said noticing some water dripping from the settee. She looks up and down at me, "Take a look at yourself, wise guy. You too got your trunks on." I looked down…haiyah!

"Well aren’t you gonna change?" I said, while turning my head towards the view outside. "No, I want to go to the sauna. Haven’t tried one before, are you going to join me? Like helping me out with the heating machine." She said sipping her cup. I just nodded. When finally we have finished our drinks, Christy offered to wash the mugs since I have already made the beverages. She took the mugs and headed towards the kitchen. I kept my eyes onto the view of the city skylights. Ah! It’s so beautiful…in a way, but suddenly there was a loud crash of shattered glass followed by a loud shriek! It was Christy. I turn and ran inside, to find a shocking surprise!

"Help me!" Christy cried for help. Around her neck is a muscular and hairy arm that’s holding her and another hand was pointing her head with a gun! I panicked. I look towards the hairy guy’s face. He’s got a body of a bull, a body builder perhaps. He’s wearing a scarf over his mouth and a baseball cap that’s seemed to cover most of his eyes. Christy started to struggle, "Stop moving bitch! Or I’ll blow your bloody brains off!" the man screamed right at her ears with a strong British accent. She only shut her eyes and started to cry. "Hey! Let her go!" I shouted back. The man only stared to laugh. "What do you want!?" I requested. Trying to keep myself cool. "Where’s the hacking card!" The man said. "What card?" Trying to sound innocent. "Don’t fuck with me fool! Your girls life is at stake here." Annoyed, he started to cock the gun. I froze for a second then. Christy started to cry. "Okay, okay! Don’t hurt her. I’ll get you the card." I finally gave in. "Now you’re being wise. Now go get it and remember, make any smart move and I’ll blow her off! Go!" I backed off, looking at Christy’s face as I slowly walked up the spiral stairs. "Be haste! Or she goes!" the man threatened again. I went straight towards my bedroom. At the mean time, I got myself a few moments to think of a plan. Right. I reached towards my drawer and pressed a hidden button under it. It’s a silent alarm. Now that the security’s being alerted downstairs, I’ll get my gun. Now where did I put it? I reached up my cupboard and took out a shoebox. I opened it up. There it is the NOVAKS .9mm stun gun. It’s a state-of-the-art nonlethal electrical projector gun. Created by NASA group. I kinda stole their blueprint and schematics. And secretly rebuilt it. I tucked it behind my trunks. I opened the other box and took out a replica of the hacking card. I got up and headed downstairs to the waiting man that’s holding my girlfriend hostage.

"Show it to me!" the man said. I showed the card to him and threw it at him. The panicked fool/man pushed Christy away and chased after the card. At the same time I drew out the gun from my trunks and gave a single shot towards the man. It struck him right in his chest sending him flying towards wall. The card shattered to pieces upon impact with the floor. Christy ran towards me crying on my shoulder. I tried to calm her down. "It’s alright, it’s alright." I kept assuring her.

Moments later the security guards stormed in. Boy did they miss the show. They handcuffed the man and took his mask off. I then looked at his face. I did not recognize him at all. Who is he, and where did he come from? I thought to myself. I then ordered the guards to take the man down and contact the local police. I then joined Christy who is still sobbing, sitting at the sofa. "You alright Christy?" She just clutched onto the pillow while starring straight ahead. I cupped her chin and gently turned her face towards me. She looked pale and shocked. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and went to the kitchen to make some drinks. After awhile, she recovered and had already changed into her dry clothes. So did I. "Who was that" Christy finally spoke her voice still a little shaky. "I don’t know" I answered. "What is he looking for? Some hack card?" she asked again. "Yeah, it’s a hacking card. The card which enables you to hack into governments secret files via the Internet. If it falls in to the wrong hands, the government’s most secret files will be exposed. Thus costing National security. I used it only to hack test banks interfaces as a security service." I answered fully. "How did you get it." She looked at me with the hopefulness. " Sorry, can’t let you involved in this."

Much later in the evening, the supposed ‘something special’ was actually a surprise birthday cake and a brand-new tie for me. It’s supposed to be my birthday today. Talk about surprises, we sure had a hell-of-a-surprise after all. We dined together (My cooking) then we settled down together on the couch watching a Chinese movie. Suddenly out of the sheer peacefulness, an annoying telephone bell was ringing. I got up away from Christy, and answered the phone.

On the other end of the line I heard a heavy breathing sound. Then a voice I thought I recognized replied, "Hey smart ass, remember me? Just watch your six ‘cause I’ll be back." I quickly hung up the phone. "Who was that?" asked Christy.

"Wrong number" I replied.