Colourless

Chapter 53

"Are you all set?" I asked Jerek in a low whisper, we were feet away from the station, hiding behind a car parked on the road in front of a house. We had gathered at Zane's house from where we came to the station on bikes. That was the easy part, what was not easy was sneaking out of the window at 11:30 when Skye was sleeping in the same room on the next bed.

"Ya, in a minute. Do you have your earpiece?" Jerek asked, eyes focused on the tablet as he sat leaning on the wall behind him.

"It is an earphone and yes," I said inserting the earphone in my right ear and connecting it to my phone. I turned my phone to silent, double-checking before slipping it back in the pocket of my black jeans. I shivered as the cool wind passed by, frowning at the black tank top I was wearing.

"It is 12:5, we should go in now" Zane called out in a whisper, standing to round the car.

"Let's do this." I nodded at him, squaring my shoulders. I stood up and walked behind him. Running under the cloak of the shadows we tiptoed across the street, the silent whispers of the wind and the hollow sound of the night increased my heartbeat.

I followed beside Zane, moving my head left and right to keep an eye out. We crossed the street and the imposing structure of the station increased in size, the lights and cameras standing at a stark contrast to me. I clutched Zane's hand and pulled him with me behind the bushes, the same foliage that I hid behind the last time. We squatted down, taking a few moments to study the parameter.

"Did you bring any weapons?" I asked Zane. He nodded pulling out a deck of cards out of his pocket. I gave him a deadpan look, pursing my lips in a thin line.

"Zane seriously? Paper cards?" I said, narrowing my eyes at him. He spent twenty minutes playing Q&A with me, checking that I was ready for anything and now he shows me his paper cards?

"Cards-," he picked up a card between his fingers, bringing it up between us in my line of vision. "Metal cards," it was then that I realised the greyish hue and the thickness of the cards. I plucked it from his hand, the black card with a white flower. It was cool to touch, the thin sheet of metal had edges sharpened to cut anything.

Zane had a smirk on his face, eyebrow raised as I handed the card back to him.

"Ya whatever," I grumbled, turning away from him to face the station.

"You didn't really think I would actually bring paper cards, did you?" he teased with a chuckle, taking three cards and slipping the rest back in his pocket.

I willed my colour forward, clenching my wrist and tightening my arms. Wine red spilt out of my hands, climbing up and wrapping around my arms in swirls till my elbows. The colour was a familiar comfort, blocking the cold breeze. But my other two colours were just under the surface, staying behind the mental barrier that I have built to only let one of my colours show.

I took in a deep breath, I am not empty-handed, I have my colours with me. And Zane beside me.

I turned my head slightly to look at him, cards are floating around Zane, rotating lazily as if they had a mind of their own, or Zane is nervous and it is reflecting in his colour. I tore my eyes from him, focusing back on the door we were watching. There has been no movement for about five minutes whatsoever.

Zane locked eyes with me, nodding at me in a silent question and I nodded back, tipping my head forward. I am ready. I started standing up, but suddenly the door burst open with a loud bang and we ducked down in surprise. I fell down on my butt losing my balance.

Two burly men stepped out of the door, their features partially visible in the light. But they were not just walking out, the shorter man with a bald head stumbled back, barely composing himself before the other man swung a punch at him. I watched, my mouth open and eyes wide as the shorter man's head whipped to the side.

He took an unsteady step back at the impact. He raised his head, blood dripping down his chin and his mouth pulled into a sneer, his teeth coated red. I took in a sharp breath, wanting to tear my eyes away.

The next moment the shorter man was charging at the other one, his hand gripping his collar and his fist launching at the other man's face. They both started punching each other, yelling profanities and painting each other in blood. I ducked my head, removing my eyes from the scene before me but the voices still reached my ear, the grunts of pain and fist colliding with the face.

Footsteps rushed to the scene and I looked up again. Four officers stepped in the fight, tearing them away from each other. The larger man pushed them away, clawing to his opponent like a rabid dog, growling and snapping. Blood dripped down his nose and past his chin, cheek painted in a blue bruise, his uniform torn in the middle. The shorter man was worse, he had a limp in his right leg, his left eye quickly swelling shut as a black bruise covered his face in patches. Blood was on both the men, marking them as something more vicious than an officer or an actor.

They were dragged away and an eerie silence followed that echoed loudly.

"Ariel," Zane called out softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. I took in a deep breath, I didn't even realise that my colour had climbed higher, covering my arms completely.

I took in another breath, trying to steady my colours. It is like a flight or fight instinct, whenever I feel threatened my colours can burst out on their own accord to protect me. I clenched my fists tighter, putting them back.

"There are four cameras focused at that door, I will take them out," I nodded at him, pointing to the cameras with my eyes. I must look composed, I am trying to contain it all in, fake it till you make it right? Zane looked at me for a second longer, observing, before moving his eyes to the cameras.

"No, you never break the cameras and leave any evidence, they will know that someone was here," he said, stressing on his instruction. I swallowed deeply, regret creeping up my spine and the realisation hitting at me.

I broke the cameras the last time I was here.

Things are changing, any guesses where this will go?