The Silver bangle glinted in the dying sunlight as i held it up to the window, tracing my finger over the five initials engraved into the inside curves: S, Z, M, L, and D. Mine, and the four boys who were once just my best friends, now giants of their own worlds. I will turn twenty three in a months time, but in some of the days I still feel like that Eight years old girl with scraped knees and very big dreams , shadowed by four wild boys who swore they would protect me at all cost.
We referred to ourselves as "The Pact". Five signatures, one buried box, and a promise that time, distance, and destiny would test again and again. That remained to be witnessed.
It all started in the suburbs of the city. Not the very clean, posh parts you see on the postcards, but the tangled places where schoolyards met alleyways, and children grew up faster than they should. That was the venue I had met them: Zayden, Malik, Leo, and Dante.
Zayden Cross was the unspoken leader. Even at seven, he commanded presence. he did not ask; he decided. His own father was a garage owner, and we all thought Zay as we commonly called him would end up fixing cars. Since he loved to help the father a lot and it took a lot of convincing to get him away form the garage. However, rather than repairing cars he ended up building them from scratch. Now at 24 years old he runs the Xavier Corporation, an empire of the sleek machines and smart mobility. He once told me " I control what moves" and he sure does.
Malik Rivers was quieter, thoughtful, the boy who read textbooks while the rest of us threw rocks. I wasn't bad myself but he was on a different level all together. He sketched human hearts on napkins and explained how pressure points worked while eating candy. I used to thinks he operated on dead bodies at home. Coming from a well to do family he had access to many resources and amongst all the rest of the pact he bought me the most presents making the others envy. Currently, he owns multiple medical research institutes and hospitals in and out of the country, decoding genetics and curing diseases. He is sought after around the world. Unfortunately I only get to see him on the media like all the rest of the people these days.
Leo Carter was chaos wrapped in charm. Even before he had learned algebra he would hack into the school computer system. To him everything around him was a joke, cunningly he smiled a sign he knew secrets. Once a week he took the opportunity to train us become well vast with computers and I thank him for that. Leo grew up into a tech giant, with apps on every device, and whispers in every darker corner. The world calls him Tech Guru. We just called him "Leo, the risk one."
Then there is Dante Vale. Back then he was the silent shadow. The one who never spoke unless needed, at the side he watched everything unravel. From a young age people just avoided him. At the age of eight he had his first tattoo of a cobra. Of-course this was creepy and when I had asked him why he would get a cobra tattoo, he just smiled. Dante was the first amongst the pack to train me on how to fight and at the age of twelve I considered myself a pro. Currently he controls the transportation industry through the underground power and strong mafia network. He moves people, goods and secrets alike. A business I believe he inherited from the father.
And Me? I am Sabrina Williams, a human resource administrator at one of the world most reputable building and construction companies. I oversee over 50 companies around the world. I deal directly with all the HR managers in all the branches. Bi-monthly I audit reports of each branch that means I get to travel a lot around the world. This is the career that has hidden from the pact who have been searching for me for the last three years. What can I say they trained me now I can hide in plain sight.