Her eyes darted, paused then shifted before she checked for any incoming cars then scurried across the street and quickly headed into a parked red car.

*Ring*

*Ring*

She jumped. Though expected, the call had clearly frightened her. She frantically jiggled her way through her pocket lined with fur. She stiffened her posture in the seat in order to get a better shot at bringing the phone out smoothly. Her slant bearing made the effort somewhat trifling.

“Yes,” She quickly answered. “I’m here, alone, just as you asked.”

“Lose the wires.” The voice commanded.

“What wires?” Alaya questioned.

The voice muted for a sharp moment, then spoke with a scathing threat.

“Lose… the wire… now!” He ordered.

Alaya, realizing that she had clearly been found out, bit her lip in discontent, then opened her coat and slipped her hands underneath to remove the recorder and tracker pinned to her underwear.

“Fine, it’s done.” She crossly acquiesced. “What now?”

“Get out the car and walk two blocks down then make a sharp turn to your left between the alleys. You will come to a phone booth after 3 minutes. Get inside and wait for my call.”

The call ended so she replaced the phone in her left pocket. Her brows collided and arched into a frown as she began to infuriatingly breathe heavily and slowly. Her freedom of choice had been taken away and there was no turning back now. She had become a prisoner of information. She reflected on the saying, ‘ignorance is bliss’, and then thought to herself that she would rather languish at this moment and what is to come due to her esurient desire for knowledge than to live a life of obliviousness.

And so, she got out of the car, leaving the wires behind, plodded down the road and begun her blind treasure hunt. Doing exactly as she was told, she came upon the alleys after turning left then began walking for about 3-4 minutes before coming upon the phone booth.

After looking around her to check her surroundings, she got in the phone booth and waited. After about a minute, the phone rang.

She hesitantly picked it up.

“Hel… ah,” She screamed.

The floor beneath her feet opened up and she began to fall some great numbers of stories down.

“Ah…!” She wailed in fright. The possible fatal consequence of her potential dreadful mistake weight down on her heavy as she slips down the metal cone that was bringing her to meet her unknown fate.

She, unwittingly, retrospect upon what had gotten her into this mess in the first place.

LAST NIGHT

January 5th

“If I wanted to hurt you, you’d be dead already.” A voice called out.“Put the gun down.”

“Not until you show yourself!” She commands.

The light flickered on and Alaya chocked on her words from surprise.

“Mis..t…er…”

Sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, fully composed and holding a piece of paper in his hand Mr. Bishop leaned forward and opened his mouth to speak.

“Now, I’m only going to say this once, so I expect you to both listen carefully and answer honestly…

Where is my son?”

“Mr. Bi..shop!”She convolutedly staggered in confusion.“What are you doing he...?” practically falling back she lifted the gun in a reflex as he stood up strong and bold from the chair.

Mr. Bishops smiled then ambled over to her computers all the while having her gun pointed at him. “You left your gun in the car when you stopped at the Tech store.” He started.

Alaya snapped internally, gritted her teeth then crinkled her eyes before gripping the gun even tighter. It was evident that he had been following her.

“Dear child, do you know the difference between a rookie and a vet?” he deployed her fears with narrowed eyes.

“I’ll tell you,” he continued, while slowly reaching towards his back pocket.

“Stop right there!” She hurriedly warmed. The gun shakes between her grasp and her knees began to slip, jerking madly in its socket.

“Stop, I said!” She fretfully reiterated. “I don’t want to hurt you, Mr. Bishop, stop!” She ordered.

But, he didn’t. And so, she pulled the trigger.

*Click*

But nothing happened.

Instead, he pulled out his own handgun on her.

“Rookies can’t seem to tell the difference between a loaded gun and an empty one.” then dropped her shells from his pocket and onto the floor for her to see.

Slightly infuriated at the time lost, he walked slowly and terrifyingly towards her, “Last chance,” He stipulated, “Where is my son?”