Part Four – Connected
“The bonds we forge can wax and wane, created and broken by both pleasure and pain.”
Chapter Forty Six: Unseen watchers
Several months had passed since her last visit.
She decided to enter the flat normally this time, carefully camouflaged against the the ivy beside his living room window as she worked her way past its foreign latches. They stood no chance against her internationally acknowledged yet anonymous skill set and anyone on the road below might have noticed the window open suddenly but the sight wasn't too strange. Late night insomniacs sometimes needed to smoke to relieve themselves of the stress. As far as she knew, the occupant of the flat didn't smoke. She closed the window behind her but didn't relock it.
Slipping into the darkness of his tiny front room, she dropped into a crouch beneath the window and knew something wasn't right even before she emerged from behind the dull yellow curtains. The dog's surprisingly mild scent reached her ahead of its low growl. It stood between her and the young man hidden in his open plan kitchen behind a short wall extension.
“Just so you know,” he called out and his voice wavered less than expected. “I'm broke.”
She placed her fingertips against the floor and a ripple of zai confirmed they were alone in the apartment. The dog, a large white creature with alert eyes and raised hackles, backed up a step and growled louder.
“So if you touch my laptop, I might have to get violent,” continued its owner.
He peeked around the wall as if he thought she had left. She rose to her feet, a hooded silhouette against the street lights beyond his window. He swore softly and ducked out of sight again.
“I haven't come here to steal from you,” she said.
“Yeah?” He leaned out from behind the wall cautiously. “Is that why you're creeping in through my window like you own the place already?”
Her voice had probably lowered his guard without him realising it. A mistake shared by too many men who hadn't lived to long enough to be shamed for it. Unlike many of them, he didn't turn on the light to see her better and subsequently reveal his own state. Little did he know, she knew what he looked like and was well aware of several of his psychological traits.
One of them was moderate paranoia.
“You didn't have a dog before,” she said.
“Before when?” He faltered mid step as he ventured out to place a hand on his pet's neck. “Easy, Tiko.”
The digital clock on the wall revealed they were a couple of minutes away from midnight. She waited. Light from the lamppost outside glinted off the lenses of his round glasses and illuminated both his taut half smile and the mobile phone partially hidden behind his thigh.
“Before you started passing out for no apparent reason,” she replied.
His eyes narrowed and the pitch of his lazy drawl lifted. “Not to be cliché but are you going to tell me who the hell you are?”
“Someone you helped last year.”
“I don't remember helping you and, even if I did, couldn't you have just sent a card or something?” He laughed shakily. “It's not like you don't know where I live.”
“You wouldn't have known my name the way I know yours,” she said. “Troy Jenkins.”
He drew in a soft yet sharp breath and his dog's growl transformed into a snarl as his fingers tightened in its fur. “Okay, I'm going to need you to put your hands up while I call the poli- Whoa!”
His phone flew from his hand to hers on its way to his ear and he stepped back, mouth dropping open for a second.
“You don't need to call them.” She placed his phone on the side of the armchair next to her and moved towards him. “I'm here to thank you.”
“Yeah, I think I can do without your gratitude, thanks.” He backed up further, closer to the living room door. “How the hell did you just –?”
“I can tell you.” She splayed a palm in his direction. “But first you must answer my question.”
“No, thanks.” He grabbed the door handle.
She sent a bolt of zai into the lock and sealed it. He jumped as her Blue Lightening shot beneath his hand and tried to pull the door open.
“What the –?” As if it had sensed his desperation, the dog barked and then lunged at her, jaws wide open.
She knocked the animal aside with a swiping gesture that forced a whimper from its throat.
“Tiko!” Troy armed himself with the pole of his green Henry hoover and he rushed towards her. “Get away from him.”
He swung the metal pipe at her shoulder and it bent in half against her raised forearm. He spun on the spot but didn't panic straight away, lashing out at her head this time. She dodged it and caught its flailing end. With a sharp twist, she snapped it in half and knocked him back with a light palm strike to the middle of his chest. He gasped involuntarily and the dog leapt at her again.
Its mouth closed around the middle of the pole and she used it to fling the animal across the room. Before it could move again, she immobilised it with another wave of barely visible Blue Lightning and pointed the jagged end of the pipe at its head. Troy stilled instantly, the other half in his hand raised high above his head. The headlights of a car rolled across the room and revealed his contorted expression.
“I'm not here to hurt you,” she told him. “Nor your pet.”
“It's kind of hard to believe someone who sneaks into your house and starts doing weird things that don't make any sense,” he replied. “FYI.”
“I understand. It will be even harder to help a stranger you don't trust.”
“Help –” His attention flitted to the dog and he toned down his fierce indignation. “– Do I have a choice?”
The intruder lowered her impromptu weapon. “You will always have a choice with me, Troy.”
The dog growled but didn't attack her again, choosing to slink towards its owner instead. He placed his end of the broken pipe on the floor and kept his eyes on her as he moved to meet it halfway. He knelt down and ran a hand through the fur between its shoulders.
“Why should I help you when I don't even know who you are?” he asked. “And after you threw my dog.”
The young woman lowered the hood of her wide, kimono-style coat. “My name is Saytarnia and I'm here to thank you for helping me find the Cunningham family.”
“Who –?” His abrupt silence spoke for itself.
“Your pet was surprised, not hurt,” she told him, tossing the snapped pole onto the armchair beside his phone. “And I believe we can help each other find the people we're looking for.”
<><><><><>
The rest of the day stretched out ahead him like an endless road and time crawled along it with slug-like speed.
I bet this is why Tara hates waking up early. Jason stepped out of a shower that now smelt like sea minerals with a white towel around his waist and another slung over his head. Several showering units covered the wall on one side and a row of changing cubicles lined the next. He stepped into the one directly opposite the shower he had used and examined the black, long-sleeved shirt and trousers they left for him in place of his own clothes. They should've made the changing rooms in school like this. That way I wouldn't have had to worry about anyone seeing my d-
“Des is calling you,” said Ken.
“Holy mother of fudge!” Jason turned on him and clenched the towel around his hips. “Why the heck are you watching me get changed?”
“You haven't started yet.” Ken pointed at the grey curtain. “Besides, why would you change without closing the curtain first? Do you want someone to watch?”
Jason yanked the fabric between them and quickly dried his upper body, pulling the shirt over his head. “What do you want?”
“I told you. Des' calling you.” He paused. “He wants everyone in the surveillance room.”
“Everyone?” Jason pulled up his trousers. They seemed to fit a little closer than Ken's.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
“That's right.”
“Why?” Ken didn't answer straight away and Jason scanned the nearly non existence gaps on either side of the curtain as he zipped himself up. He better not be perving on me out there. He drew the grey material aside, eyes narrowed. “Something happened, didn't it?”
“I don't think I should be the one to answer that.” Thankfully, Ken didn't seem interested in anything besides Jason's face. “But Des can explain as soon as we get there.”
He stepped back and gestured towards the shower room door. At least let me dry my hair in peace, damn it. Jason rubbed his head vigorously with the towel and flung it on the small bench in the changing cubicle. I'm pretty sure I know where that room is now – He had barely pass through the doorway when Ken tapped his shoulder.
“What?”
“You should dry your hair properly.” He held out the used towel and spoke before Jason could tell him to mind his own business. “They control the heating here but Sinastar doesn't need you to get sick right now.”
“Yeah?” Jason snatched the towel and continued walking. “And why do you care what he wants?”
“He was one of us not too long ago.” The other youth kept up with him easily as they turned into another corridor.
“But he's not now.” He increased his speed and his bare feet slapped against the cool tiles.
“That doesn't seem to matter to my superiors.” Ken met his eyes with that fake smile and held up a pair of lightweight black trainers. “I wasn't sure what size you were so just tell me if they're too big.”
“They're probably gonna be too small, if anything.” Jason scowled as he realised. He's messing with me, ain't he? What a rat.
“Either way, I can get you different ones.” He looked like he had been about to bow but stopped himself.
Jason took the trainers but didn't put them on at once. “Hey, are you –?”
“Hey, kids,” said someone with a light voice behind them. “Did you get the dreaded summons too or did Des make mine extra scary on purpose?”
In the absence of his previous disguise, Rob – no, Rich – had sandy hair and an outfit that matched theirs. He didn't look like he'd had enough time to sleep. He bumped his forearm against Ken's and waved but kept his hand low as if his shoulder hurt.
“We're going to Surveillance now,” said his team mate.
“Great. Now all of us can feel like lambs for the slaughter, not just me.” He fell into step between them and grinned at Jason. “I'm Richie, by the way. Not Rob.”
“Yeah, I heard.” They passed the training hall Jason visited earlier but continued in a direction that took them away from Sinastar's room.
“You seem kind of pis- Ah, sorry about your friend.” His amusement flickered and he lifted both hands to waist height this time. “I really tried my best to get her back here but I got, uh, interrupted.”
“By the police, right?” Jason struggled to control his misdirected anger. “Des told me.”
“Yeah?” He gulped. “What else did he tell you?”
“What else should he have told me?” The sixteen year old's eyebrows sank.
“Nothing.” He laughed nervously. “Mind telling me your name though? For future reference.”
What else would he need it for? “It's Jason.”
“Dang it, how did I forget that?” He sounded genuinely disappointed with his brain.
“I guess it's not as easy to remember as Sinja.”
“I made that one up.” Richie rubbed his own shoulder, a proud glint in his brown eyes. “It's cool, isn't it?”
“I thought Natasha did,” said Ken.
“What? Nah, that was me.” Richie shook his head and responded just as quickly. “You really think she could come up with something like that?”
“Yes.” At some point, Ken had stopped smiling.
“You only think that because you're a Tasha simp –” The surveillance room door opened as soon as they reached it. “– Hi, Tasha. You're looking great today.”
“I didn't ask.” she replied.
Jason thought Natasha might have stared at him for a second longer than usual as they filed into the room. Sinastar was seated next to the computer that Des had just turned away from, a pair of crutches propped against the desk beside them. Jason's insides floated uncomfortably as soon as he noticed the discontent in Sinastar's gaze. Oh God.
“Sit down, kid,” said Des.
He obeyed and nearly bumped into Damon as the quiet guy pulled up a chair for him close to Sinastar's.
“Thanks.” He sat down. I'm gonna be sick. “What's up?”
“We just heard from Latoya.” Des waited until Sinastar nodded. “Satara got away from the station before she could get there.”
“She what?” Jason's stomach drifted up to his throat.
“I told you she was slick,” said Richie. He seemed far too pleased about not being the only failure on the team and coughed self consciously as they all looked at him. “Sorry. That stinks big time.”
“So what now?” asked Jason, breathing deeply instead of throwing his chair across the room. “We can still find her, right?”
“Latoya and Co-Jo are still out there looking for her,” said Des while Natasha closed the door and stood behind Sinastar's chair with her arms folded behind her. “And I already told you, they're not the only ones. But that's not why we called you here.”
She's gone again? Why? Jason masked his lower face with both hands and used them like an ineffective paper bag. We were this close to getting her back. How'd she get away from the police?
“We got this recording from the station. Sinja thought you might want to hear it too.” Des pressed a button on the keyboard. “It's a long shot but if it gives you any ideas about where she's headed next, just tell us.”
Jason nodded and his spit chilled his throat. The audio file began to play through the speakers and a strange woman's voice filled the semi-illuminated room.
“For recording, training, and legal purposes, could you please state your full name for me?”
“Satara Lang.”
She sounds fine. Vexed but fine. Jason smiled tightly behind his palms. Thank God.
“Thank you. And could you tell us your age and your most recent home address?”
Saytarnia didn't get her. No one else hurt her. He couldn't block out the fact that her answers were probably already hours old.
“Great. Let's get right to it then,” said the woman questioning her. “First of all, how are you feeling right now, Satara?”
I bet she's a police officer or something. Sinastar caught his eye and offered him a calming smile which faltered as his cousin replied.
“I don't know.”
Why didn't she say she's fine like she normally does? Jason fidgeted in his chair. Everyone else seemed to focus on the recording a little more. Damon shuffled closer as did Ken, who placed his hands on the back of his and Sinastar's chairs. Richie glanced at Natasha who held his gaze then folded her arms across her chest. Judy wasn't in the room with them.
“You were found on Whiterall Road and brought here tonight by two officers. Can I ask what you were doing there?”
He frowned. Why're they acting like she did something wrong? She could've been kidnapped for all they know.
“It's complicated.”
“Okay. Let's take it from the beginning, shall we?” Papers rustled. “You've been missing for approximately two weeks now. You were last seen at Starbright Recreational Centre where you were having an MMA exam. Is that right?”
“That's right.”
Satara's tone was slow and flat as if she didn't care about what she was saying. Over time, Jason had learned to pay the most attention when she spoke like that.
“It seems there were a few people on the premises but the only thing they seem to remember is that you were carried out of the building by a man with dark hair and a long coat while you were unconscious. Do you remember how you lost consciousness?”
“Wait, what?”
Her undiluted shock matched Jason's. What're they talking about? The whole class was there – Oh.
“Our witnesses said they remember you being taken away by a man they'd never seen before and that you didn't appear to be awake at the time. But none of them could tell us how you ended up that way. They only remember sitting down before the exam started.”
Jason remembered the trance-like state Carl and the other guys had fallen into almost as soon as Saytarnia entered the hall. Did she make them forget? Can she hypnotise people too? He looked at Sinastar but the latter was in the middle of a staring match with Des, who's eyebrows raised as if someone had uncovered a Bat-mobile in front of him.
“You seem surprised,” said the police officer. “To be honest, we were too. With so many witnesses, it's strange that not one of them could tell us clearly what happened. Not even your instructor, Carl.”
She definitely did something to them but how? When? Jason shook his brain by the shoulders in the hope that it would give him more clues than the recording had so far. How come she didn't do it to me too?
“Satara, do you remember being taken away by someone that day? Someone with dark hair and a long coat?” More paper rustling. “Perhaps this might help you?”
The tension in the room switched from a low electrical hum to a tinnitus-like scream. Des handed Sinastar a sheet of paper wordlessly and the others shifted subtly to get a better look at it. Looks like they got him close to the hall. The time and date along the upper edge of the scanned photo confirmed his suspicion that the image had come from a CCTV camera. That must've been right before he found us. Thank God they didn't get his face properly or we'd be totally fuc-
“Did he take you away and do something to you?” The officer's voice softened. “Something you don't want to talk about?”
The heck he did! Jason barely stifled an outraged snort and everyone else seemed to share his feelings. Even Ken's fingers tightened around the back of their seats and his tremulous breathing matched Satara's in the recording. She sounds like she wants to punch someone.
“Okay, we can come back to that,” continued the policewoman. “We understand Jason Vulpaio went missing on the same day. Some of the witnesses said they saw him running after the man who took you. Jason's a friend of yours, is that right?”
“That's right.”
Satara's quick answer seemed steadier and Jason tried to let that small detail comfort him. However the fact that the police had shaken her up at all prodded his lungs like several evil midgets with spears. He blinked in response when Sinastar's eyes finally shifted from Des to him and Satara's cousin dipped his head reassuringly to acknowledge his feelings.
“When was the last time you saw him? You seemed to be quite close to him. We think he might've tried to stop this man from abducting you so we just want to confirm his safety now that we have you here. Your parents are already on the way but it'd be nice if we could reassure his too, don't you think?”
“The La- My parents are coming here?”
Ah, so that's why she ran off again. Jason stifled a groan. Damon and Ken twitched behind him. We left those letters but I guess mum and dad are still worried, huh? Do they know about Sin? I don't even know what he wrote to them. Why didn't I ever think to ask him?
“Yes. Once we've finished here, they're going to take you to the nearest hospital and then you'll be going home with them. We just want Jason to come home safe too so anything you tell us about that man, anything you remember, could help us find him. We don't have that much to go on at the moment.”
Stop using me to get to her, damn it! The carefully controlled expressions of his companions didn't confirm whether she was telling the truth or not, and he suddenly realised he was the only person in the room who hadn't undergone the same professional training as the rest of them.
Another papery sound. “I understand all of this must be very difficult for you, Satara. You've already got quite a history and now this has happened as well. Do you want us to wait until your parents get here? Then we can all talk about it together. How does that sound?”
“Should've done that in the first place,” growled Des under his breath but he didn't elaborate.
A loud noise, like something heavy dropping onto a tabletop, made Jason jump. The heck was that?
“Wait,” said Satara.
Sinastar's eyes leapt to screen as if he could see her through it and Jason grimaced. That was the other tone he had grown extra aware of over time. It had eventually pushed Derek over the edge and made him flinch whenever she spoke. She had used it when Nigel confronted her about Brian's heart attack. And when she lashed out at him straight after her transformation in the clearing. The memory dried out Jason's mouth. It was never a good thing when she started talking like that.
“Satar-”
“I don't know where the man in that picture is right now but he didn't hurt me at all. He saved me.”
The weight of her gratitude seemed to reach its unintended recipient. Sinastar's hands tightened over the end of his arm rests and he closed his eyes as if he had a headache. Listening to her reminded Jason of sitting by the window at home and counting the seconds in between each distant roll of thunder.
“It's been a while since I saw Jayce but I hope he's safe wherever he is too.”
It's almost like she knows we're listening. Jason swallowed the idea but it blossomed in his chest as if it had been watered by his saliva on its way down. But she can't have known that. Even I didn't know these guys had links to the police.
“So you were with this man –” A chair creaked.
“– I don't meant to be rude or cause any more problems. But I can't say what you want me to say or do what you want me to do.”
She interrupted her. The flower petals clogged his airways. Oh crap.
“What do you mean by tha-?”
“I'm sorry.”
Jason jumped again as the unmistakable sound of a chair hitting the floor burst from the speakers followed by a sound that reminded him of home time. The policewoman gasped as if Satara really had punched her in the gut and something slammed against a wall. A door opened.
“Satara!”
The door slammed shut again and the woman's shocked breathing mixed with the muted screech of table legs across the floor. Her fingers pattered against the microphone and the recording ended abruptly.
“What the –?” Sinastar looked up him and everyone else followed his gaze. He didn't remember getting out of his chair and alarm knocked his embarrassment aside like a bully walking through a school corridor. “What was that? Did she just throw the table at her and run off?”
“We've actually got a video too, if you want to see it,” said Des grimly. “You're not that far off.”
“But how did she get out of there?” demanded Jason. “Ain't that place full of officers? And cameras? Can't we see where she went?”
“We should see the video anyway,” said Sinastar. “But I think we can be sure of one thing.”
“What's that?” asked Des as he opened another file.
Sinastar looked drained all over again as he watched Satara enter the interrogation room. A small figure swathed in massive possibilities. “Someone helped her get out.”
“Someone?” The captain paused the video before glancing at him. “Who?”
But Sinastar turned to Jason and for once his expression openly radiated his thoughts.
“No way.” Jason shook his head and someone steadied him with a hand between his shoulder blades as if he were about to topple over. “You don't think it's–?”