Helena woke up to the sound of her alarm, her eyes still heavy with sleep and her mouth tasted sour. She sighed and yawned as she got out of the thirty inch high bed.

As she sat up from the bed and realized that she was having a migraine. She opened the cupboard that was beside her bed and took out a pack of medicine.

"Too early to take a drug, huh" she muttered to herself as she swallowed two tablets from the plastic container.

she had gotten a call the previous day from an anonymous person and from the way the person spoke, it sounded like he needed her help.

Helena is a Sophomore at a university in San Francisco and she was having a hard time trying to cope with school and also take care of her sick mother.

She has been putting up for a long time and has been taking many jobs even as a student but there is a soft side of her that would always want to help people despite the difficulties she is going through.

Her phone suddenly beeped and she checked on the notification to see that it was a text from the same contact that had called her the previous day.

The unknown caller had dropped a location via text which was a popular resort center in the heart of the city.

"One good deed deserves another," she said to herself in a low voice as she prepared to leave her apartment that morning.

Two weeks earlier, Helena got an emergency call while working at the coffee shop where she took a part-time job.

The call came from the hospital where her mother was rushed to after she fainted at a grocery shop.

Helena left everything she was doing and took a permit to go and see her mother in the hospital. When she got there, the doctor said that her mother's condition was very critical and that she would have to make a huge deposit with them to begin treatments on her.

The amount of money the doctor requested to begin treatment on her mother was so much that she would have to take up multiple jobs to be able to make that kind of money so that the doctors could commence treatment on her mother.

She was grateful when the doctor said that they were going to give her mother some mild treatments that were going to sustain her until the deposit was made.

Helena was not feeling well as she left the hospital because that was not the first time her mother had experienced such an attack but this time around, it scared her.

The doctor who treated her mother the first time had said something about the attack being more severe if it came again. He advised them that time to book a surgery with the hospital and have her mother treated once and for all but the bill for the surgery was too much for Helena to carry alone. She was hoping that she would come up with the money for the surgery before her mother got another attack but it didn't work out.

Two weeks later, her mother was still lying on the hospital bed again and her condition, just like the former doctor had said, was getting worse.

She walked into the shower but was worried that her phone would not stop ringing.

"What does He want?" She asked herself when she came out of the bathroom and noticed it was the same anonymous number calling.

She picked up the call and said to him in a low voice "Hello, who are you?" She asked.

"I told you before, I need your help. I have to meet with you today unless something very bad is going to happen" The male voice said.

"What do you mean something very bad will happen, are you threatening me?" She asked.

"No, I am not threatening anyone. I mean something very bad is going to happen to me if you do not come out to see me today. The voice said.

At this point, Helena could not find her voice. She intentionally pressed the end call button and ended the call before the man could say any other thing.

She was already getting late to work and without thinking much of his words, she made herself toasted bread and dashed out in a hurry.

There was a blow when she got to work at seven fifteen. Her boss yelled at her for coming late to work and was about to punish her when Nicole stepped in.

"Oh my God boss, I'm sorry I did not tell you," Nicole said to the Boss.

The angry woman shot a glare at Nicole before saying in an angry tone " You did not tell me what?" She asked.

" At six forty-five, Helena called and told me to inform you that she was stuck in traffic. The traffic began at six thirty when I was on my way but I'm sure it must have gone worse by the time she was coming"

"Thank you so much Nicole for this one, I will not forget it," Helena said to Nicole as they both served coffee together.

After the morning rush with customers, They both had time to rest when there were fewer customers and Nicole noticed that Helena was unusually cold.

" Helena, are you okay?" Nicole asked.

Helena, who was lost in thought, did not respond to Nicole's question. She did not hear it as she sat still there staring at nothing in particular.

Nicole moved closer to her and asked again "Helena are you thinking about something? Is there somewhere you want to be right now? I can cover up for you" She asked.

Just immediately after she said the last word, Helena's phone beeped, and a notification appeared, she glanced at Nicole whose gaze was completely on her.

She was startled when she saw Nicole standing beside her.

" Oh my goodness, Nicole! "Helena exclaimed in shock.

" Is your boyfriend texting you? "Nicole asked with curiosity.

Helena glanced at Nicole when Nicole asked that question and immediately her phone beeped. She checked her phone to see that it was a text message from the anonymous contact who had been texting and calling her since the previous day.

"I think I have somewhere to be," Helena said to Nicole in a calm voice.

" I thought as much as Lena, I can see how unsettled you are" Nicole announced.

" Unsettled?" Helena asked with a look of surprise on her face. She had no idea she was looking unsettled. Parts of her wanted to go and help this fellow but she was scared because she did not know who he was and what he wanted her to do for him.

The world's crime had increased and she did not want to be a victim to some bad predator.

" Yes you look very unsettled Helena, I have always told you not to worry about your mother she will be fine. She is a strong woman and I am sure that she will come out of this stronger" Nicole said with a tone of concern.

Helena smiled broadly when Nicole said that to her. Her words felt strangely like therapy and it seemed to be all she needed at that time.

She had been thinking very much about her mother's health and she was scared because she did not want to lose the only person she had left in the world.

Five years ago she had lost her younger sister and that situation seemed to be what started the illness for her mother. Her mother was very healthy and she was working as a nurse in the general hospital but she stopped working when the illness became too serious and she could no longer go to work.

" Nicole, have I ever told you how much I love you?" Helena acts with a broad smile on her face.

She felt happy because Nicole always had a way of making her smile whenever she was having a gloomy day. They were not so close as friends, they only met at the coffee shop every day she came to work but Nicole had managed to gain a spot in a heart that made her very special.

" Oh dear, must I tell you I love you too. Now you need to hurry and go see your mother, I will cover up for you. You shouldn't be wearing that gloomy look on a beautiful day like this" Nicole said to Helena and Helena nodded her head in appreciation.

" I will always remember this," Helena said as she took off the apron and the tag that was pinned to her dress.

Immediately she stepped out of the coffee shop, her phone suddenly began to ring again.

It took Helena about 5 seconds before she picked up the call. She placed the phone slowly to her ear as she waited for the caller to say something first.

"Helena Kent" The unfamiliar voice called out her name from the other end of the phone.

" Look stranger, I wish I could help you but I do not know you, and wait. How did you know my name?" She asked when she suddenly remembered that he had just called her full name.

" Do not worry about it Helena, some things are not difficult to get" The male voice said.

" Why are you calling me?" Helena asked with a tone of curiosity.

" I explained the reason I have been trying to reach you for a very long time yesterday and you said you were going to think about it, I was expecting that you were going to at least respond to my so many text messages," The male voice said.

" That is the problem, Mister, I do not know who you are, how do you expect me to treat you like someone I know?" She asked him.

She was standing outside the coffee shop, right beside the signpost that read "Best Cafe In Town". Unbeknownst to her, Nicole was watching her from the shop as she answered that call.

Nicole had noticed the strangeness in Helena as she spoke to the person on the phone. She was acting weird as if she was scared, occasionally glancing behind her to see if someone was watching.

" What if I tell you Helena that this is not just about you helping me?" The male voice said.

" Then be specific with your explanations, what else is in here?" Helena asked.

" We are going to be signing an agreement in both our favor and I guarantee you that you can leave if you want to, " The voice said.

" An agreement about what?" Helena asked.

" Stop being too curious Helena. Just show up at the address I sent to you a few minutes ago and you'll find me there" The voice said.

" You mean now?" Helena asked.

" It came to my knowledge that you are free now and you might not be so free after now," He said again.

Helena was silent For some seconds. She knew that whoever this person was he had more knowledge about her than she thought.

" Fine, I'll meet you at the address but," She said and took a pause.

" But what?" The voice asked.

" We will be speaking outside the bar, I will not come in," She said with an authoritative tone.

"Anything you want," The voice replied.

The call ended and Helena let out a sigh. She glanced at the coffee shop again and noticed Nicole coming out of the door.

" Hey Helena, is everything okay? Was that the doctor you were speaking to?" Nicole asked as she stared at her warmly.

"Yes, I was speaking to the doctor. He had a few things to report about my mother's condition but it's fine, I'll go and see him now" Helena said and flagged down a taxi.

Helena was pacing outside the bar, glancing around to see if she would find anyone who looked like the person who had been calling her but she didn't.

"I knew you would come," The voice said and Helena turned around immediately.

Helena was surprised when her gaze met with a man who looked like he was in his early forties. He had a cream colored shirt on and brown trousers. He looked cool and wore a straight look.

" Are you the person that has been calling me?" Helena asked.

"Yes, my name is Walter Smith but you can call me Walt," The man said as he extended his hand for a handshake.

Helena glanced at his stretched-out hands and shook her head. " No need," She muttered. " I am here because you will not stop disturbing my phone," Helena said trying to wear a straight face but his response to her caught her.

" No Helena, I will tell you why you are here," Walt said as his two hands found their way into his brown trousers pocket and he turned his gaze to the tarred road.

" You are here because I mentioned that there is something in this for you to gain. I am certain that if I had not said that you wouldn't come" He said.

" Whatever, just so you know, I do not have all the time to spend here with you" She replied.

" Of course, I know more than you think." He remarked.

Helena triggered her look when he said that and asked him in a low voice " What was that supposed to mean?"

" Helena, I mean that I know much more about you than you think I do," He replied.

" What do you think you know about me? You think because you know my full name, that is everything?" She asked with a tone of anger gradually building up in her throat.

" No, it is not just that. I also know that you are a sophomore and that you have a sick mother in the hospital whose treatment has not yet commenced because you have not been able to make a good deposit for her" The man said.

" Who are you?" Helena asked.

" I think this is the part where I politely invite you into the bar so that we can have a proper conversation like twenty-first century evolved human beings," Walt said and without waiting for a response from Helena turned around and began to walk towards the entrance of the bar.

Helena felt goosebumps on her skin as she watched him walking into a bar, not having any more choice at that moment she followed suit.

Walter led her to a table and pulled out a seat for her. Helena, who was still feeling tense, did not move her gaze from him. She sat still on the chair with her two hands under the desk as she stared blankly at him.

Walter Invited the waiter and asked him to get them a drink. Helena was silent and just when the waiter left she asked Walter " What now?"

Walt opened the briefcase that was right beside his seat and brought out an envelope. He stretched the envelope over to Helena and said to her in a low voice.

" This is a contract we are going to sign. I want you to go through it and make sure you understand it properly before we sign them" He said.

Helena took out the file from the envelope and began to read through it.

" How can a piece of art be worth this amount, nine hundred million dollars? That is about a billion," Helena exclaimed when she saw the price of the artifact on the file.

" That is a rare piece of art and it is the only one of its kind. The material with which it was made can never be found on the surface of this earth and if we can get our hands on that artifact I guarantee you that our lives will change for the better, " Walter said.

" We? I'm sorry I do not understand you" Helena exclaimed.

" Just read up Helena, there is so much that you have not read," Walter said.

Helena moved her gaze slowly away from him as she fixed them back on the fill that was opened before her. It was at that moment that she saw what their agreement was about.

She leaned closer and read it out loud to Walter's hearing " Get close to the billionaire's heir and steal from him the only piece of art that would change our lives forever" She read out loud.

" I am sorry, you mean you want me to steal?" She asked in a loud voice.

" Helena, bring your voice down. It is not as bad as you make it sound, okay? All you have to do is get close to the billionaire's heir and find your way to where the artwork is" Walter said.

" And do what then, steal it?" Helena asked.

" That is the only thing you are required to do and everything would change," Walter said in a convincing tone.

Helena shook her head in disagreement and said to him in a deep voice " You want me to steal from someone for you. I cannot believe this is the reason I came out here to see you. You say you know so much about me and what do you think of me, a thief?" Helena asked

" No Helena, you are not getting this right at all. If you will just calm down and let me explain it to you, I do not think of you as a thief. I think you are very beautiful and you are the only one who we could collectively agree was good enough to go on this mission" Walter said.

" We again." Helena remarked "I see you're not working on this alone. Now I need you to go back to whoever your gang is and tell them that you picked the wrong person because I am never going to do this" Helena said as she stood up from her chair briskly and turned to leave.

"What if we pay off your mother's medical bills, clear up the debt you owe in college and also make sure that you get a good stream of income, will you still walk away?" Walter asked.

Helena stopped and stood at the spot without turning around, she was shocked at what he said.