Astraea

The next day, the Villan sisters came one by one in Lorcan's pad.

Lorcan turned a vacant room on the ground floor into a small conference room.

The sisters entered the room and eventually noticed the changes. It used to be an empty room with various clutter that their uncle put in there not knowing where to place them.

Now the room has a long table with six chairs at the center. There is a whiteboard in one corner and a wall-mounted monitor screen.

There is a huge glass window in one wall but Lorcan covered it with vertical blinds.

Lorcan is already seated on the far end of the oval table. Lorcan is reading something on his portable personal computer. When he raised his head, his eyes eventually landed on Brylee and Briony.

The moment he glared at them, the two sisters already know.

"I warned you not to let him catch you." Brina who is walking in between Brylee and Briony whispered.

Once they were all seated, Lorcan stood up from his seat and walked around the table to stand beside the whiteboard.

"Iris got a job for us." Lorcan started then he looked at Bell. "I believe you already worked for her."

Bell nodded her head. Her last hunt came from Iris, a bondsman.

"But before anything else," Lorcan paused and his eyes landed back at Brylee and Briony. "Leave her alone," Lorcan said. His tone is threatening.

Brylee smiled awkwardly while Briony bit her trembling lips.

"Hehe. Uncle Lorcan, what are you talking about?" Brylee said, containing her nerves.

Lorcan narrowed his eyes at Brylee. "I am sure you know what I am talking about Brylee, you even recruited your sister in this petty hunt of yours."

"Uncle you are overthinking things! She is a designer of dresses and you know how I love dresses." Brylee blurted out to defend herself. She knows what her uncle is talking about. It would be a surprise if their Uncle Lorcan didn't find out about them getting near Lydia. He was their mentor after all.

Everything they know about hunting and investigating, they learned it from him.

"Just stay the hell away from her!" Lorcan snapped at her.

Brylee's face turned grim. She pursed her lips and said, "You don't tell me what to do. It is my business and doesn't concern you."

Well, that was a lie. Briony thought internally. The very reason why they meet Lydia is because of their Uncle Lorcan. Her dresses come after that.

"Brylee!" Lorcan is really pissed at her and Briony. They could tell it by the way he clenched his jaw.

"Uncle Lorcan," Bell called his attention. "Whoever Brylee chooses to make whatever she wants to wear, I think it doesn't concern you. Unless that person concerns you."Bell gave him a pointed look.

Brylee looked at Bell like she was a knight saving her from the abyss of death.

Lorcan looked at Bell challenging her stare. He pressed his lips then looked back at Brylee.

Until he finally sighed in defeat. He seems to be in an internal war. Does that girl concern me? He asked himself.

The girls look at each other.

"Alright," Lorcan said after calming himself. Then he straightened his back and picked up a remote control.

The next second, they are looking at a photo of a man. His eyes were downturned and haunting. He has a long scar running from the left side of his forehead down to his cheekbones. His long hair is in a man bun.

"That man is Torin Wald." Lorcan started.

"Public enemy number one," Bell said nonchalantly while looking at the photo with a cocked head.

"That, he is." Lorcan continued after being interrupted by Bell. "He is accused of robbery and is subjected to a series of court hearings after he was arrested three months ago. Iris bailed him and now he is on the run."

"Doesn't he have a lot of money?" Brina asked. "He operates a gang. They robbed 38 banks, 2 arms dealers, and 3 car dealers in just a span of five years. Why did Iris bail him?" Brina is a smart girl, having a photographic memory contributes to that. She had read the news about Torin Wald when he was arrested and she already knew that one of these days, his chosen bondsmen will hunt him down.

"We don't have to concern ourselves with that. It is their business, not ours. Our only job is to hunt the man and deliver him to Iris." Lorcan said.

"Wald only. The whole gang is another story." Lorcan replied.

"Okay. But, for sure he is with his gang. If we are to hunt him, there is a great chance that we will encounter his gang as well. Shouldn't we arrest them as well? So, it's like hitting two birds in one stone. Or multiple birds rather." Brylee said.

"No, focus on Wald for now. His whole gang is not on our list yet." Lorcan said.

"Such a waste of time," Bell commented.

Lorcan looked at Bell and as if reading her thoughts he said, "We cannot arrest them yet, and definitely, we cannot detain them illegally so that we can deliver them the moment that their bondsman sends us for them."

Bell eyes him. "But you must admit, we can save time if we did that."

Lorcan pinched the space between his brows. If he doesn't feel guilty and responsible for introducing his nieces into this kind of job, he would rather work alone than work with this bunch of hot-headed, stubborn, and nosy girls.

"Okay, okay. Just make sure that we get the job next time." Bell said, raising both her arms. She knows that she already got on his nerves. Brylee and Briony already pissed him off. That should be enough.

"Any questions?" Lorcan raised a brow. He knows his nieces very well. They never failed yet. But this is the first time that they will be working together as a team. Plus the addition of Bianca makes him worried.

He wonders how the girls will deal with this job. A hot-headed impatient Bell, nosy and perfectionist Brylee, accident-prone social butterfly Briony, a shy bookworm Brina and a timid rookie Bianca. Lorcan shook his head at the possible aftermath of this team of female hunters.

"None?" Lorcan questions them with doubt. He wanted to know what was going on in that pretty head of his nieces but it seems like they wanted to keep it to themselves for now. He knows that once they got home, they'll have their own conference.

"Should I go with you?" He asked because he cannot rest assured that Bell will not injure anyone or that Briony won't get injured.

But he was startled when all the girls except Bianca frantically said "No!" all at once.

Lorcan sighed. "Okay. The job is clear. Arrest Torin Wald through persuasion and intimidation." Lorcan said then he looked at Bell. "No casualties."

But Bell just rolled her eyes.

"Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear." The girls replied.

Then after a while, they all stood up and prepared to leave the room.

"Brylee," Lorcan called, making the girls halt.

"Yes, uncle?" Brylee looked at Lorcan waiting for his words.

Lorcan didn't know why he called Brylee all of a sudden. Then he realized why. He wanted to ask, 'Have you seen Lydia?' 'Has she been eating?' 'How is she?' 'Does she seem to get enough rest?'

But he shook the thoughts off from his head and instead he said, "Mind your own business."

Brylee pursed her lips. "Hmph!"

Back at home, the girls continued their conference in their private space.

"Brina, what do you know about the man?" Bell asked. Working with the girls will surely save time, she thought.

Normally, she would start investigating the target. Know all about him, his address, relatives, peers, and work, or any information she could use to track the target.

But having Brina around is like having a walking internet around them. She has a photographic memory. Once she has seen or read something, it will be stored at the back of her mind. Saved just in case she would need it in the future.

"Torin Wald, 34 years old, leader of Bedelia Gang. Bedelia means brave by the way. They robbed 38 banks, 2 arms dealers, and 3 car dealers. He got a seaside house, a rest house in a mountain, and a penthouse. Thou I doubt if he is hiding there. He will not use those addresses." Brina started to convey the information that she got from watching the news three months ago.

"Is he married?" Briony asked.

"Yes, once. Married young, separated young." Brina answered.

"Impulsive dick," Bell commented snidely.

"Bell! Language please!" Briony chastised her older sister for her words making Bell seemed taken aback and pressed her lips.

"Any children?" Bell asked instead.

Brina shook her head. "No. But he got an elder sister who lived in a convent."

"Ironic. A criminal with a nun sister." Bell commented with a smirk.

But Brina shook her head. "No, she is not a nun. But she helped in the convent. Thus the nuns gave her shelter."

"Okay, I'll start with his addresses and neighborhood," Bell said then she looked at Brylee and Briony. "Are you two good working together?"

Brylee and Briony looked at each other with a grin. "Yeah, we will go to the convent." Brylee volunteered because they know that Bell would never dare go there and ask questions to the nuns.

Bell nodded her head then looked at Brina. "I'll find some information about the members of his gang. He may be living with one of them. Gather Intel, find out what we are up to." Brina decided to do what she is good at.

"Great! I guess we'll be able to track him within a week." Briony exclaimed.

"Uhm...what about me?" They heard Bianca timidly ask and they all looked at her.

"You are coming with me," Bell said in a strict tone.