As Ell and Mia ran, they could see the raging storm that seemed to grow with each passing second from where they had left Zabo. Ell ran with Mia’s small hand clasped tightly in hers. They darted through crowded streets, swatting away people who blocked their path. Ell continued to look up over her shoulders to see those dark clouds, where below it all Zabo was fighting a battle she feared he wouldn’t survive.
“Please,” Ell whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible over the sound of their hurried steps. “Please let him be okay.” Guilt gnawed at her. She hadn’t asked for Zabo’s help, and yet he had stepped up, putting his life on the line to protect her and Mia. Now, the thought that he might die because of them filled her with dread. She bit her lip, pushing the thought away. There was no time for despair; she had to focus on getting Mia to safety.
Ell continued to look forward, pulling it at Mia harder. They ran with the aim of getting to the city center. She hoped that if they could reach the heart of the city, so many people would deter any further attacks. The Voltaires might be powerful, but even they wouldn’t risk causing a scene in broad daylight with so many eyes watching. The power of perception and brand image was crucial to running a profitable guild. They wouldn’t be so hasty in destroying that.
But as they ran, she felt a vibration from her pocket. God, I thought I turned it off. At first, she ignored it. There was no way she could afford a distraction right now, not when every second counted. Yet, the phone continued to vibrate persistently, demanding her attention. After a moment of hesitation, she slowed down just enough to pull the device from her pocket.
It was a sleek device, covered in ripples of broken glass from being dropped one too many times. Ell hated Kajima labs for making such brittle technology. With not much money, she kept hold of her phone for years. Yet the message that plastered her entire screen was the most clear thing she had seen on her phone in years.
Confused, she looked at the number, to which she didn’t recognize. The message continued to pop up like cancer. The words sent a chill down her spine: “Take a left turn. Trust me, I’m a friend.”
Ell’s instinct was to discard the message, but something about it gave her pause. The timing was too precise to be a coincidence. Someone was watching her. Gritting her teeth, she made a snap decision. Trusting the unknown message was a gamble, but right now, they had little to lose. I can’t seriously be trusting this? Have I gone crazy!?
As if confirmation of her internal question, she guided Mia to the left as they veered into a narrower street. As they followed the new path, more messages appeared, each one directing them through the city’s labyrinthine streets. Left, right, another left. The instructions were clear, and though Ell’s heart raced with anxiety, she obeyed them without question. Something about these messages was convincing and had an edge of unexplainable allure.
Ell and Mia eventually reached the small nondescript apartment building that had been guiding their frantic escape. Blending into the city’s drab surroundings, the structure’s exterior was unremarkable. The building stood three stories tall, its dull gray concrete walls marred by years of neglect. The paint on the building had long since faded, leaving behind a patchwork of peeling layers that hinted at brighter days long past. Although in much better condition than the buildings found in Rustblock, it was still the place that people walked by without a second glance, a forgotten relic in a bustling city.
As they stood before the building, Ell’s phone buzzed again. The screen lit up with another message from the unknown sender: “The door is open.”
Ell’s breath caught in her throat as she read the words. Her hand trembled slightly as she reached for the door handle, the cool metal sending a shiver up her spine. She could feel Mia’s small hand tightly gripping her own, the child’s fear mirrored in her wide, anxious eyes.
“Ell, where are we going?”
“Somewhere safe.” Ell whispered to Mia, in truth she had no idea what they were heading to, but there was no reason to scare the child. “Stay close.” She squeezed Mia’s hand, trying to convey a sense of safety she didn’t truly feel. With a deep breath, to steady her nerves, she pushed the door open.
The door creaked ominously as it swung inward, revealing a dimly lit hallway that stretched out before them. The air inside was stale, tinged with the faint scent of mold and dust. Flickering overhead lights struggled to stay on, casting erratic shadows that danced along the cracked walls. The effect was disorienting, as if the building itself were alive and watching their every move. Every sound seemed amplified in the oppressive silence, from the faint hum of the flickering lights to the creaking of the floorboards beneath their feet as they stepped inside.
The feeling of being watched ever since she received those messages became amplified. It felt like unseen eyes were tracking their every move. Exposed, vulnerable and naked. The shadows on the walls seemed to stretch and reach out toward them, making the hallway feel longer than it actually was.
The phone buzzed again, and Ell nearly jumped out of her skin. She glanced down at the screen, where another message awaited her: “Go to the second floor, first door on the right.”
She took a deep breath, steadying her heart beat and fear, as she led Mia toward the staircase at the end of the hall. With every step, the wooden stairs groaned under their weight. The narrow staircase was dimly lit, with no surrounding windows. The flickering light from above barely reached the lower steps, making the climb feel even more foreboding. Every creak and groan of the steps seemed louder in the confined space, as if the building were protesting their intrusion.
Ell’s anxiety felt like an exploding sun, her breath becoming shallower as they neared the second floor. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong, that they were walking into a trap. Yet there was no turning back now. They had no choice but to trust the instructions from the mysterious sender. Yet doubt crept back into her mind. The thought of all of this being an elaborate plan to catch them in a confined space.
When they reached the second floor, Ell paused at the top of the stairs. The hallway contained the same dimness as the one below, the flickering lights casting familiar shadows. She could feel Mia trembling beside her, and she gave the girl’s hand another reassuring squeeze.
They approached the first door on the right, as directed. The door, much like the rest of the building, was old, its paint chipped and peeling, revealing the worn wood underneath. Ell hesitated, her hand hovering over the doorknob. She could feel her pulse in her fingertips, her breath hitching in her throat as she tried to steel herself for whatever was on the other side. Slowly, with a hand that trembled ever so slightly, she turned the knob and pushed the door open.
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She opened to see a cramped square room, its layout evincing its past use as storage rather than living space. Stacks of old newspapers and cardboard boxes lined the walls, with some shoved haphazardly into corners. Paper and folders cluttered the floor with random items, and more boxes that made the room seem more like an obstacle course. The air was thick with dust, and a small, barred window stifled the sun’s rays.
Right against the back of the wall lay a small desk, its surface covered in a jumble of papers, notebooks, and a few scattered pens. Above the desk hung a whiteboard covered in notes and indecipherable diagrams. Who the hell uses a storage room as an office? Ell couldn’t help but wonder.
There, at the center of the desk, sat a beautiful gray pigeon perched inside a cage. The bird’s beady eyes watched them intently as they entered, its head cocked to one side as if it were studying them. Mia instinctively hid herself behind Ell.
“Don’t worry, the bird won’t hurt you. It’s in a cage.”
The bird wasn’t what scared Ell, but the person she had just noticed sitting by the desk, amid all the clutter, a short young man, whose presence was completely camouflaged. His skin was a deep shade of brown that didn’t look appealing under the dim lights. His overgrown afro framed his face, making him look slightly disheveled. Despite the cramped quarters, he seemed perfectly at ease, as if this chaotic space was a sanctuary rather than a prison.
The man held a phone to his ear, speaking in a low, hurried voice that was barely audible over the crackling of the old phone line. His dark eyes flicked toward Ell and Mia as they entered, acknowledging their presence with a brief, almost indifferent glance before returning to his conversation. His tone was urgent, filled with an undercurrent of tension that suggested whatever was happening on the other end of the line was far from routine.
“Yeah, they’re here, Yuen,” the man said, his eyes flicking over to Ell and Mia as they entered. “Alright, alright, I’ll figure it out.” He sounded exasperated, almost panicked, as he hung up the phone and stood up. Without warning, he rushed over to Mia, who shrank back in fear, clinging to Ell.
Ell made eye contact with the young man, but he didn’t give her any signal of recognition, despite how scared and lost the pair looked. Instead, he focused on the phone that he held close to his ear, his dark eyes flicked towards Ell and Mia for only a second, before speaking to whoever he was on the phone with, his tone urgent.
“They’re here Yuen.” The man quickly got out of his foldable chair and pushed them into the room before closing the door. “You know when you gave me that pigeon, I thought it was a gift, for y’know joining you guys and all. I got really attached to that bird.” Ell couldn’t help but be confused, Is this guy friend or foe?
“Okay, okay my bad, I got distracted.” It appeared the man was getting admonished over the phone before he hung up the phone, stricken with a look of panic. Without warning, he rushed over to Mia, who shrank back in fear, clinging to Ell. “Hey!” Ell protested, trying to push him away, but the man was already moving, his hands patting Mia down as if searching for something hidden. Mia whimpered, her eyes wide with fear. Ell tried to intervene, but the man dodged her attempts, pushing her hands away.
“Got it,” the man muttered to himself, a hint of relief in his voice as he pulled back. He held up a tiny chip between his fingers, showing it to Ell and Mia with a grim smile. “You were being tracked.”
Ell’s heart sank as she took the chip off the man’s hands to scrutinize it. “Noah Voltaire, that bastard. I should’ve realised when he let us go so easily.”
The man nodded in agreement. “Yeah, the sly bastard did something similar before.” He let out a dry laugh, though there was little humor in it. “Listen, I’m sorry for the rough welcome. We needed to be sure you weren’t being followed.”
Ell’s mind raced, trying to process everything. “Who are you?” she demanded, her protective instincts flaring up again. She didn’t trust this man, despite his apparent help.
“Oh, sorry about that. I’m a private investigator.” He said, as he moved towards the pigeon’s cage. “Just started this gig, so I’m kind of new to all this.” He began fumbling with the cage’s lock, trying to open it.
Ell fought the urge to scream and shout that this investigator didn’t answer her question. Before she could even say anything, she felt Mia’s hand trembling as she clutched at her pants. Ell knelt beside her, pulling her into a comforting hug. “It’s okay, Mia. We’re safe here.”
“I just miss my mommy, Ell. I miss her so much,” Mia whispered in response.
“I miss her too.”
The comforting silence got cut short with the chirps of the pigeon that the investigator now held in his hands. He trudged over to the pair, trying hard not to hurt the bird. “I’m sorry Sabir, I didn’t know they’d make me do this.”
“What are you doing?” Ell asked, watching him with suspicion.
“You see that chip you’re holding? Do me a favor and put it on Sabir.”
Ell’s eyes widened in recognition. “Wait, you’re not actually stupid.” She quickly scrambled towards the pigeon and placed the chip on its stomach.
“I think you’ll find I’m quite clever. If we’re lucky, Noah’s tracking system will follow Sabir instead of you.” He moved the chip to the bird’s leg and walked over to the small window, which was barely big enough for the bird to fit through.
“Can you open this for me?” The man asked, his hands full with the bird. Ell hesitated for a moment before stepping over the clutter to unlatch the window. With a nod of thanks, the investigator set the bird free, watching as it flew out into the open sky, carrying the tracker with it.
He cried profusely. His crying made Ell feel uncomfortable, and she didn’t know what to say to console him. It’s just a bird, goddammit
“Sabir! I’m going to miss you.” As he cried, Mia waddled towards him before tugging at his shirt.
“It’s okay Mister, you can always get a new bird.”
With the child’s consolation, the investigator wiped his tears and smiled. “You’re right, I could replace him. But maybe what’s most important is that I treasure every memory I had with him” He placed a reassuring hand on the top of Mia’s head. “You’re safe now.”
Mia giggled slightly. “Thank you, mister.”
“Don’t mention it.”
An awkward silence overcame the three of them, before the investigator scrambled to find two foldable chairs laying randomly on the floor. He folded them, allowing them to sit. “Sorry for my lack of manners. Please sit. People will arrive to take you somewhere safe soon.”
Ell reluctantly sat down, pulling Mia into her lap. As Mia sat down, her curiosity peaked. “Is this actually your office?”
The man paused, glancing over his shoulder with a sheepish grin. “Well yeah. I just moved in. The last tenant, or should I say janitor, left little behind.” He chuckled.
Ell sighed. She finally put her defenses down and relaxed. “My name is Ell, Ell Marie.”
Mia looked up at the private investigator with wide, curious eyes. “I’m Mia Quinn.”
The man smiled warmly at her, his demeanor suddenly much softer. “Well, hello there, Mia,” he said, crouching down to her level. “I’ve been wanting to meet you for quite some time.” He reached out, gently ruffling her hair in a gesture of comfort. “My name is Max, Max Crawford. I’m going to protect you from now on.”