Sixty Seconds

Chapter five

Carter

I had a headache. Three hours of sleep wasn’t nice, especially knowing who was in the guest room. I sat up slowly, blinking in the daylight. I pushed the heavy woollen blanket off me, letting the soft folds of material fall to the floor. I stretched, feeling my bones crack as I yawned.

“You snore” A voice from behind me said. I groaned inwardly. I turned round slowly o face Jessica, who was smirking at me.

“I was extremely tired, and still am.” I told her, watching as she searched noisily through my cupboards. She found a bowl and brought it clattering to the table. Next she moved onto the drawers. Her hands lingered over the knives before she grabbed a spoon and pushed the drawer shut with her hip. She was going all the way to make herself at home. I sighed, standing up, and heading to the bathroom. I could still hear her searching for cereal. I pulled on my trousers and t-shirt, both were black, our military uniform at HQ, and where ever else we went. It was hand for almost anything, although the guns helped too. I brushed my teeth quickly. The mintyness was nice, almost sweet. I rinsed and dried my mouth. I looked in the mirror, I had slight shadows under my eyes and had an aura of tiredness hovering around me. I unlocked the bathroom door, walking down the hallway, I noticed something. It was too quiet.

“Jessica?” I asked, voice hard. Quickening my pace I entered my open plan kitchen. The bowl and spoon were on the island where Jessica had left them. I glanced round the room. My eyes landed on the door. I instantly noticed the open lock.

“Dammit.” I said to myself. I ran to the front door. I swore. I wretched open the door, grabbing my guns as I ran out. As I ran down the steps to my apartment I put my ear piece in. I was instantly online with Harper.

“Carter?” She asked, worried at my heavy breathing. I pounded down the street in the most likely direction that Jessica would have gone. The feeling of the wind blowing in my face was refreshing after my little sleep.

“She’s gone.” I told her, turning a corner. The busy high street hit me. Early morning shoppers crowded the streets. I stopped, exasperated. I took a wild guess and went straight down the street.

“When?” Harper asked. I could hear her typing on her laptop, probably organizing a search party to find Jessica.

“A few minutes ago.” I said, pushing through the crowd, searching for her black hair. I didn't have my guns out, it would have looked too conspicuous and would have alerted Jessica to my whereabouts.

“Okay, we can probably still find her, what is your position?”

“Oxford street” I told her, looking into the stores as I passed them. Searching frantically, I thought I caught a glimpse of her, but then the person turned around and I knew it wasn’t her. I twisted round, scanning the crowd behind me.

“Right, there is a team heading down there now, stand by” I turned back to continue down the road when a group of teenagers about Jessica's age stopped in front of me. A blonde smirked at me, eyeing me up.

“Looking for someone? Maybe I know them.” She said smiling. Her hair was overly blonde, probably bleached and she had tan lines down her arms. Her eyelashes were false as were her nails. I took in all the small details about her as I wondered whether to ask about Jessica.

I closed my eyes slightly. “I'm looking for a girl called Jessica, Jessica Black.” I told her, looking over her shoulder.

“Urgh! Why the hall would you want her? She's ugly, I'm much more hot, wouldn't you agree?” She said, pretending to fan herself. One of the boys in the group glanced at her frowning while I looked at her scornfully.

“I asked you a question.” I said simply. Edging away.

“She's round at the corner shop, I really don't know why you want her, she's just a rich bitch.” The girl said, she then giggled. “Opps, didn't mean to say that about my 'best friend'”

I turned away, the corner shop was around the corner. I began to run. “My name's Robyn, by the way” She shouted after me.

I ignored her. “I think I've got her” I told Harper, my black combat boots pounding on the gum splattered uneven pavements.

“Do you still need a team?” She asked, I imagined her finger poised above a button that would abort the search.

“No” I told her, spying a pale, black haired figure holding a bag walking hurriedly down the pavement.

I ran across the road, narrowly missing a car. The driver gave me a disgusted look which I ignored. I looked around the street, it was only us on the road. She hadn't noticed me yet. I came up behind her and grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to a stop. She yelped and dropped her bag, swinging round to hit me. I caught her fists easily.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” I hissed, furious.

“It's not my fault I hate cornflakes!” She shouted to me. I stared at her confused. “I bought coco-pops you idiot!”

I reached down and picked up the fragile plastic bag, sure enough a box of coco-pops were nestling in it, the stupid monkey on the cover grinning at how stupid I was.

“You weren't supposed to leave the flat!” I told her, pissed off.

“Really you never told me that” She hissed back at me.

“I camped outside the front door to stop you escaping!”

“I thought you did that for some twisted idea of fun” She told me, turning on her heel.

I stared after her incredulously. I was going to kill her.