Chapter 58: Fishing (1)
The swings creaked. It was a lonely, metallic sound that cut through the quiet of the morning park.
Hana walked over, two cups of coffee in her hands. She looked too sharp for a park bench, her dark eyes scanning the perimeter while I kicked my feet back and forth. The burner phone in my lap buzzed.
[Hi.][I have been very busy with work, sorry.][What medicine?]
I smiled. They were biting. My fingers flew over the screen, the blue light of the display fighting the morning sun.
[Elara: That powdery thing. The one you said your company was developing?]
The reply was almost instant.
[Unknown: Do you still have it?][Elara: Of course.][Unknown: Okay, I am very busy with work. I'll send someone to pick it up?]
I raised a brow. They were trying to keep the distance. I decided to push. I wanted to see if they’d risk a face-to-face.
[Elara: I want to see you.]
It took a few seconds this time. The hesitation was palpable even through a digital screen. I chucked, a dry, cynical sound.
"Two dead people are texting each other right now," I said.
Hana leaned against the frame of the swing set, giving me a wry smile. "Modern romance is a nightmare."
The phone buzzed again.
[Unknown: Okay, why don't you come here?]
I stared at the screen. The trap was so obvious it was almost insulting.
"Do they know her?" I asked, looking up at Hana.
"It seems difficult," Hana said, her voice a low rasp. "There was barely any information outside the money order. He used official traces for that. If he was hiding her from the world, he was definitely hiding her from his group."
I agreed. The chance of them having seen Taylor or knowing the specifics of her relationship with Francis was almost zero. The formal tone of the messages proved it. They were guessing.
[Unknown: Can you type the address down and text, I'll forward it directly.]
"Haha... do they think they are sly?" I muttered.
Hana peered over my shoulder, reading the screen. She let out a short, sharp laugh. "They’re trying so hard. It’s almost cute."
The black sedan arrived ten minutes early.
It was a sleek, window-tinted beast that looked out of place in front of the random, run-down house I’d picked for the meet. I’d spent twenty minutes making sure I looked the part. Messy hair. Tired eyes. A girl waiting for her boyfriend to come home.
The car stopped. I stepped out of the front door, waving a small bag of white powder in my hand.
The driver didn't get out. He just lowered the window. He was wearing a suit that fit him like a second skin and dark sunglasses that hid his eyes. The door unlocked with a heavy —CLICK.
"Get in," he said.
I slid into the backseat. The interior smelled of stale cigarettes and expensive leather.
"Can I see the medicine?" he asked. His voice was stiff. "It's sensitive material. I need to verify it's the correct batch."
I handed over the bag. He inspected the powder for a second, then tucked it into the glove box.
"Are we heading to the office?" I asked, trying to sound hopeful.
"Yes," the driver said. He didn't look back at me. "Francis has a lot to talk to you about. I was instructed to drive you straight to the office."
The car set off, pulling away from the curb with a smooth, predatory hum.
I kept my eyes on the window. I wasn't looking at the scenery. I was looking at the driver. He was stiff. Angry. His hand never left the gear shift, his knuckles white. The smell of cigarettes was getting stronger, a dry, bitter scent that made my throat itch.
We turned off the main road. The bright city lights began to dim, replaced by the skeletal shadows of an abandoned construction site. The pavement turned to gravel, the car bouncing over the uneven ground.
"This office is in a pretty strange place," I said.
No response.
The man kept his eyes fixed ahead, his jaw set in a hard line. We neared a massive, half-finished building that loomed over the yard like a tombstone.
The car eventually pulled into the darkened hollow of the abandoned structure. I took a deep breath, the cold mana of the bond flareing in my chest.
I breathed out. It was time to meet the boss.