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
1/5
I was just slightly unnerved
am:” she askui once she
the longer this drew out. “If
about this entire encounter that just rubbed me the wrong way. Almost as if I could
the gate, but she quickly moved
to bite back my instincts telling me
just an old Lady Frail enough looking to be pushed over by the
repeated. „And I reluctantly turned back around to meet her eyes. Eves that seemed
spoke in a tone so low that I almost didn‘t
know the true story of the Winter Mist?” she
gaze. It was as though I could feel her scrutinising me, analysing my face for any sort of recognition that I knew what she was
of course, I
fairy tale?” I asked, “Was it a book you used to read to your grandkids or something.” But to my immense discomfort, she only continued
“Ma‘am…”
foot away from being back on the property. Just a step forward and I could close the gate between us. But she was so close to me that I wasn‘t sure what she would do if I tried. Clearly, she wasn‘t right in the head. However, at the sound of
back down the street towards
hell had
Book TWO–Ch#13
pounding slightly from the whole ordeal. So much fear caused by just one crazy old lady. But if I had to say
had been left on in the living room. A surprise given most people in the house should have been asleep by now. Naturally, after
catch the familiar scent of someone I
as I came to this realisation, so close to
expecting me. With a small sigh, I stepped back… and headed towards the living
001
could only see his arm as he held a drink in his hand, the
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
job. The agreed upon time
“Ah….”
“Did everything go… smoothly?”
it had not. In fact, I couldn‘t think of many ways in which
a door to a liability of 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
knew I shouldn‘t be… but I couldn‘t
what had that smuggler managed to find out? Was it related
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