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S. Brook Counseling & Therapy Clinic

September 17th X288

Thirty minutes earlier, Miss Garcia Fumblehouse waited for the next notification on her phone. She hummed her relaxing tune as she paced back and forth.

“Hmmm? They should send another text any second now.”

Five minutes passed.

“Any second now.” She sat staring at her phone, humming up a storm.

Five more minutes passed.

“It’s not coming! No! This isn’t good. Florian and Ronaldo told me that they were going to a shady part of town. They said they’ll send me messages of their locations every two minutes! If they don’t, call the police as something might have happened.”

Fumblehouse paced frantically, tucking her head into her plush turtle.

“Something must’ve happened! They could be dead! Or worse? Or worse! No! This’s not good! I need to do something! That’s right! I need to call the police! Hurry!”

She prepared her phone. But right before calling, she paused. “What if they update me right after I call the police? I know! I’ll call them and see if they pick up. It couldn’t hurt.”

She dialed Florian’s phone number and waited.

“We’re sorry, the phone you’re trying to reach is either out of range or no longer in service. Please dial—”

“Something went wrong! They’ve been kidnapped, and they’re now overseas and out of range! Wait . . . Maybe Florian didn’t pay for her phone bill, and that’s why it’s no longer in service. Yes, that must be it. . . Or maybe the kidnappers took the phone and canceled their service plans so they can’t be tracked on the phone’s GPS! Oh no! What should I do?” Miss Fumblehouse panicked.

🙠🙢

“Hello, nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?”

“Help! My friends disappeared, and their phones are no longer in service because they were abducted. Please, you’ve got to help them! Their last message told me they were near the old abandoned apartment complex at South Tori Docks!”

🙠🙢

“Officer Keen, we have missing persons in your area; please check the scene. The address is South Tori Docks, apartments eleven thirty-four through forty-three eleven. One male and one female wearing. . .” Dispatch continued with a description. “Just survey the area and radio back in.”

“On my way,” Keen said.

Those features sound familiar. Must be my imagination.

He arrived at the scene. The only source of light came from his patrol car.

Keen sighed. “I’m supposed to search all of this by myself?”

He radioed his arrival to dispatch. No response. He tried again. Still no response. “Oh well.”

He turned off his car completely, grabbed his flashlight, and started walking. The road was deserted. Rather than turning on the flashlight, he listened. To find anything suspicious, he used all his senses like a fox hunting its prey. He smelt a faint scent of motor oil.

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He noticed a light in one of the buildings near the shore. He took a closer look; it was a garage.

Inside was a shaggy-haired blonde woman, wearing a motorsports suit, working on a motorcycle. She was fiddling under the chassis, lying on her back.

Officer Keen entered the building stealthily, watching his corners. He peeked over her shoulder and said, “You do know this place is off-limits, right?”

It was Irina Halt. She froze in place.

“We got a report of missing persons in the area. Have you seen a middle-aged man and young girl, both wearing glasses?”

“I haven’t seen anyone around here like dat,” Irina said.

“Really? No one else? Your accent tells me you’re not from around here. Explain to me why such a pretty young lady like yourself is working in a place like this?” Officer Keen took off his hat and adjusted his greased hair.

“I like vorking here. It’s quiet. I can also test drive as much as I vant.”

“Is that so? Do you have a permit?”

“I didn’t know I needed one.”

“Everyone needs a permit to drive.”

“So dat’s what you meant. I thought you were going to say something creepy.” Irina yawned.

“You look so exhausted; a breeze could knock you over. I only flirt with women who can fight back when restrained.”

“Dere it is.”

“Let me see your driver’s license.”

“It’s right here.” Irina went over to her tool chest. She reached for her wallet and a tire iron.

Officer Keen heard a shout coming from a nearby building. He looked away for only a second.

Irina used that opportunity and, with all her weight, smashed the back of his head. With one hit, Keen fell to the ground, motionless. The tire iron dripped with blood.

“Damn it. How de hell did dis officer find us? Dis is bad. I’ll have to tell de oders. If an officer is missing, dat’s ven de audorities get serious. Dat shout from earlier can’t be good eider. Someding must have happened vith Juke’s team.”

Officer Keen stood up, face covered with blood. “This’s starting to get fun. I love girls who can smash my head like a watermelon.”

“How de hell did dat not kill you?” Irina said.

Officer Keen’s sadism glared from his eyes. He rushed to Irina, grabbed both of her hands, and gently caressed them. “Tarot Tori City doesn’t let us carry guns, but lucky for you, I bought two wedding rings just for this occasion.” Keen snapped handcuffs around Irina’s hands. “I’m glad they fit perfectly.”

Irina pulled her cuffed hands away and swiped a kick, barely missing Officer Keen’s bloody head.

“That almost hit me. If you apologize now, I’ll give you a lighter sentence.”

“I have noding to say to a police dog.”

“Ouch, well, you’re now under arrest for assaulting an officer’s feelings.” Keen winked.

“Do you use dat one on all the ladies dat reject you?”

“No. Only on criminals that are my type or that are suspicious like you. Don’t worry. I won’t pat you down. Yet.” Officer Keen licked the blood running down his cheek.

Irina dashed forward, spinning a flurry of kicks at the officer. Keen blocked with his nightstick, pushed Irina off balance, and pinned her down.

“How about it? I got a big house; you’ll get your very own room. I’ll provide you three square meals a day. The only downside is the jail bars.”

“Too bad for you. I can’t sit still. You better not leave me alone; I might fly away,” Irina said.

She kicked the officer off her with all her force. Officer Keen took the kick and cuffed her legs in the process.

“You see, like you, I’m not from around here. I transferred in from several towns over. I lived on the streets growing up, and taking a bullet or a blow to the head was a regular thing. Shit, I can’t believe Tarot Tori is in the same country as that cesspool. This city’s low crime rate dulled my senses, but no one can take away the scars on my back.”

Irina couldn’t move. “I didn’t know dis country vas as bad as mine. If I vasn’t sleep deprived, I vould have shown you vat ve do to police dogs vere I come from.”

Officer Keen carried Irina to his patrol car. “You’re under arrest for assaulting an officer, trespassing, interfering with an investigation, and driving without a license.”

Keen tossed Irina in the back seat. He wiped the blood from his head and reported to dispatch but got nothing but static.

“Again? What the hell is going on?”

Irina didn’t say a word.

Officer Keen heard glass shattering in the distance and a splash. Without thinking twice, he rushed to investigate.

He followed the noises to a grassy area near a partially submerged apartment building. The struggle was coming from the third floor.

He ran up the stairs and got his taser gun ready.

“You've jumped the shark for the last time, Keen. We're transferring you to Tarot Tori City, Keen. It'll clear your head, Keen. This is the craziest first week of a job in my life.”

He took a deep breath and opened the door.