Dépaysement (h.s)

62

I pull my phone out and use the flashlight for us to see better. This feels way too familiar.

The light is getting closer to us and we try to walk as quietly as possible since this very well could be someone's property, and we finally approach it.

"Told you." I sigh once I see a tall streetlight across the sidewalk.

"I feel like we're in the twilight zone." Jade shutters nervously, looking at the area we're in.

There's buildings meshed together, all abandoned. There's not one sign of life out here.

There's a restaurant with the sign falling halfway off, a two story bar with boarded windows, a hair salon and a clothing store.

"I'm officially creeped out, let's go." She rubs her arms from the crisp coldness in the air and turns around.

"Wait," I hold my hand out in front of her to stop her movements, "Let me just check these real quick." I nod to the buildings in front of us and she groans, "Fine but I'm staying behind you."

"Pussy." I mutter under my breath and she whacks my arm, clearly hearing me.

We walk across the street, standing in front of the hair salon first. The only light around us is the streetlight which makes it easier to see through the buildings.

There's nothing but cobwebs, broken chairs and glass inside the old building so I move on to the next.

Once I check the clothing store, I find empty racks and a cash register, nothing else.

I reach for the handle of the old bar, but an alarm sounds a block away. I jump away from the door and Jade grips onto my arm. I look down at her with arched eyebrows and she rolls her eyes, "Sue me for being scared, asshole."

"Just stay close," I pull out my gun from my waistband and follow where the sound came from.

There's an alley to the right of us so I turn down it with my gun held high and see a car with the door opened at the far end of it.

We silently run up to the car and approach the door, I see a figure through the opened window and approach them, grabbing them by the collar and aiming the gun at their temple, "Jesus Christ!"

He elbows me in the stomach and I fall back a little, "The fuck are you doing man?." Zayn fixes the collar of his shirt.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jade questions with crossed arms.

"I guess the same as you guys, you good?" He points to me.

"I'm still recovering from your elbow jabbing me but other than that I'm peachy." I groan with a thumbs up.

"Why did you break into this car?" Jade steps over a piece of glass and sticks her head in the car.

"Very suspicious for a car to be parked here, figured I'd check it out. What were you guys doing over here?"

"There's buildings across the street, Nancy Drew over here wanted to check them out." Jade nods to me and I flip her off.

"Find anything?" He arches his eyebrows. I shake my head, "Nope. You?"

"Well I almost had the chance to if you wouldn't have snuck up on me with a gun." He taps Jade's arm to step in front of her and climbs into the back seat.

I open the passenger door and check the center console, there's stacks of receipts and a wallet. I pull the wallet out and find wads of cash, credit cards and a drivers license inside.

I pull the drivers license out of the tab and check the name, "Any of you know a Michael Castillo?"

They lift their heads up from their search, "Never heard that name in my life." They both shake their heads and I throw it back in the center console.

I open the compartment below the dashboard and pull out the first thing I see, "Jade, since you're a normal person you could probably answer this for me."

She furrows her eyebrows behind me, "Okay?"

"Do normal people usually keep a gun along with gasoline in their cars?"

"Absolutely not. Why?"

She lifts herself up from her seat and looks over my shoulder at what I'm holding, "What the hell?"

I feel buzzing on my seat and a light flashes in front of me, there's a phone in the compartment as well. I pull it out and see a name flash up.

"Why is Niall calling this phone?" Jade's curious voice asks right beside my ear.

I press answer and put it on speaker, "Niall?"

"The fuck? Harry? Did you find them?!" His voice grows excited.

"Not yet, who's phone did you just call?"

"Delilah's.."

My eyes widen, "Niall I need you to meet us on Maple and Edge-Way. Now." I hang up at that and look at the Lock Screen of the phone. It's a picture Delilah took of me while reading one of her books. It's her phone.

I clench my jaw, "If his car is here, then he's close by. Let's go."

We jump out of the car and Zayn pulls out his gun, "Stay behind us." He orders Jade and she nods while scanning the area.

"Why were you over here anyway?" I ask him as we jog back down the alley, "I was driving around like you and saw this car." I hum and he stops in his tracks, "You were right, fuck a plan. I'm tired of always having to be strategic over everything. Their lives are on the line and I plan on getting them back, whatever it takes." I nod at him as a thank you and we continue on to turn the corner.

I point out the buildings I had already checked so we skip those and run up to the bar, "One, two, three." I mouth and with that, I forcefully open the door.