Prescient

Chapter 30

Maggie and Michael made their way along each side of the house, banging on the walls, and calling out Kaylah's name. They couldn't see anything through any of the windows. Then Maggie quickly came darting around from the other side of the house to Michael.

"Hey, Michael, there's an unlocked window around here," she said, frantically flicking her hands in a come-quick gesture. "I need you to give me a boost so I can get up and get in."

"Look, Maggie, we need to go. I can't let you put yourself in danger like that."

"Screw that. Come help me get in so I can look for Kaylah. You keep watch. If you see a red car with black flames on it pull up, bang on the wall and I'll come straight out. I promise."

Michael didn't even bother arguing with his tenacious daughter. Now was the time to give up protesting against the danger they were putting themselves in.

He realized there was no point in disagreeing.

They were putting themselves in danger to save Kaylah, after all, and that was worth risking their neck over. There was no point arguing over that. So once Michael boosted Maggie up to the window and she had opened it wide enough to squeeze through, he simply stood there keeping watch.

He waited and hoped nothing went wrong.

He didn't think he could live with himself if something happened to Maggie after he let her put herself in danger like this.

He hoped to God he could protect her.

Inside the house was nothing like what she had expected it to be. After seeing what the backyard was like, Maggie thought she'd find a chaotic mess – Gizmo was a single male and a drug dealer after all. However, the place was tidy.

Walls were covered in huge wooden pictures of dragons and skulls. One wall had a huge display of different weapons. Knives, swords, throwing stars, and even a cross-bow. There were ornaments of dragons, skulls, and naked ladies everywhere and the huge four-seater lounge was covered by a massive Celtic patterned bedspread.

The place smelt of a tempting mixture of weed and incense, laced with the faint aroma of cigarette smoke.

It was so quiet.

So unnervingly quiet.

The silence was so total Maggie imagined she could hear her very blood pumping around her body. She could almost hear the walls whispering to her, 'You wanna fix baby? You know this place smells like the memories of letting yourself feel good.'

"Kaylah?" Maggie called out, loud enough for her sister to hear but not loud enough to feel like she was yelling into the silence. That seemed dangerous somehow. She stopped and listened for a thud or some sign her sister had heard her.

Nothing.

The room she entered was the lounge-room, dining area, and kitchen all opening on to each other with only half a wall dividing the living room from the rest. There was nowhere in this space where Kaylah could be, so she ventured into the remaining rooms of the house.

Through two bedrooms, a laundry, bathroom, toilet, and small sunroom, she checked every cupboard and under beds, yet Kaylah was nowhere. She called out to her as she entered each space but there was no muffled scream, no thud of a foot kicking a wall, nothing in reply whatsoever.

Her sister wasn't there.

Maggie was already making her way back to the window she entered through when she heard the faint banging coming from that direction.