Book Two – Ch.# 13
I left Noah in Zac‘s capable hands and got his word that he‘d call my father to say the job was completed per normal. He was risking a lot for my sake, I knew that. A lot of risk for what seemed like absolutely no reason. The level of danger associated with this insane plan wasn‘t lost on me.
After all, the last thing I wanted was for Zac‘s name to end up in my next manilla folder.
I headed home as soon as I could, leaving enough time to arrive well before daylight, and walked towards my front door. But it was as I was entering through the front gate to our property that something caught my eye. It was an old lady, huddled up in a shawl, standing just on the street outside.
She had grey hair and eyes to match, clearly at an age that would suggest a retirement home or carer was required. And yet she stood randomly outside my house at three o‘clock in the morning, staring directly at me.
I paused for a moment and looked around, trying to see if she was with someone. But when the empty street was completely silent and devoid of all other life, I started to wonder if maybe she‘d gotten lost.
…Did I really have the energy to deal with this right now though? I was already so exhausted and just wanted to go inside to sleep in my own bed, something that would be a first after many days. I could already perfectly visualise how soft my pillow would be… just begging to be
laid on and
“I can save her,” the old lady suddenly said. “I can save the girl.”
...What?
I took my hand off the gate handle and turned back around to fully face her, part of me still wondering if she was even talking to me.
“…Pardon?” I called back
Wasn‘t it common for older people to lose their minds at a certain age? What if she was a dementia patient who wandered off? I should probably just look up where the closest hospital or retirement home was and tell them where to find
“The girl. Clarissa,” she said. As if that was of any real help.
I blankly stared back at her.
“I‘m not Clarissa,” I clarified. “I think you‘ve—.”
“I know that,” she snapped sharply, making me flinch a bit in surprise. “Oh… ‘kay. Well, is that … your daughter?” I asked, still trying to be polite. “Or your carer? Do you want me to call someone for you?”
But then she started to walk towards me, her stride more steady than I would have expected given her appearance. There was something oddly strange about her too. A weird atmosphere
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unnerved by
know who I am:” she askui once she stood within a few feet of
I said, starting to gesc mere uncomfortable the longer this drew out. “If you just wait here a moment though, I‘ll head inside and wake up one of the maids.
leave as soon as possible. There was something about this entire encounter that just rubbed me the wrong way. Almost as if I could feel the hair at the back
tried to open the gate, but she quickly moved forward to stop
I had to bite back my
was nothing to be worried about. She was just an old Lady Frail
her eyes. Eves that seemed to
tone so low that
know the true story of the
serious as I shuffled uncomfortably under her gaze. It was as though I could feel her
of course, I
to read to your grandkids or something.” But to
“Ma‘am…”
what she would do if I tried. Clearly, she wasn‘t right in the head. However, at the sound of bind wings loudly flying into the air somewhere, she finally turned away, pulling the hood of her shawi up. “I can save her,” she simply
she started walking back down
had that just
Book TWO–Ch#13
ordeal. So much fear caused by just one crazy old lady. But if I had to say one thing that was far more terrifying than the old crone, I would have to answer that it was the man
saw a light had been left on in the living room. A surprise given most people in the house should have been asleep by now. Naturally, after everything
scent of someone I knew only too well. My
the first step of the staircase as I came to this realisation, so close to finally being able to go to bed, but I knew that the light had been left on
I stepped back… and headed towards the living room instead. “…My Raven,” he greeted me,
001
his arm as he held
replied. “I just received the call from Zac not long ago,” he said, taking a sip from the glass. “You‘re later than expected.” “Oh… Well, there was this old lady outside,” I started. “I think she was lost. Kept trying to talk to me and wouldn‘t let
You‘re several hours late from the job. The agreed upon time should have seen you home a
“Ah….”
“Did everything go… smoothly?”
In fact, I couldn‘t think of many ways in which it could have
my own creation. Firstly, by accidentally killing an employee for a kidnapping job… then by failing to take care of the consequences of that mistake. Now, I was continuing to hide that consequence because I didn‘t
and I knew I shouldn‘t be… but I couldn‘t help but feel a
had that smuggler managed to find out? Was it related
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