Tyrone finally zipped one of his large suitcases closed before putting it on its four wheels to push it towards the door to his apartment.
With an unintentional sigh, he looked around his penthouse, as though his eyes were taking pictures for memory.
He had resigned from work which left his colleagues in shock whilst his employer understood the excuse he gave about having to go home due to a family business that needed his attention.
With good wishes, Tyrone had packed up his office promptly and took the last drive away from a building he had grown in.
He stopped by the window, then slid his hands into the pockets of his dark trousers.
Admiring the buildings below, a city he'd become a part of in just two years, Tyrone couldn't help but think of how this could've been his city. Apart from conquering it commercial-wise, he could've finally found a home.
He made the mistake of falling in love, again. Believing it wouldn't end like it usually did, he went for it.
Now he found himself falling into his cycle of being on the run. He had to start over, with a change of identity and profession.
There was a heavy knock on the door which caught his attention immediately as his whole body turned towards it.
With large strides, Tyrone approached the door and peeped through the hole in the top area.
The knocks became vicious, "Tyrone, I know you're in there!"
He stood to the side, pinning himself on the wall.
"Open this door! I know you killed Pearl!" Chelsea shouted, not caring for the noise she made.
Tyrone kept still, waiting for the racket to cease.
After a moment, the banging stopped and he could hear Chelsea curse as she moved further away from the door.
That was a sign for him to leave as soon as possible. He knew Chelsea was smart and she always seemed to see right through him.
Loitering around would get him caught.
He peeled himself off the wall then went to his luggage. After one last look around the place, he grabbed the handles of the two suitcases and pushed them towards the door.
He said a silent goodbye to his life, ready for a new one.
...
Amos removed everything from his safe, throwing it onto the floor that was already messy due to the ransack he did in search of an important USB.
He knew he had placed it in his safe with a disc but searched the whole office in case these tiny yet vital things were elsewhere.
He patted his big hand in the safe, his fingers reaching where his eyes might not see.
Nothing.
He stood up straight with an irritated huff, trying to come up with new places to invade.
His wife walked in with a tray that carried a bowl of nuts and a beer, "Baby, what are you looking for?" Her eyebrows furrowed together as she went to place the tray on the only surface that was clear of anything, which was a one-seater couch.
Amos turned slowly to face Angela, "We're in shit!"
"What do you mean?" Angela was confused and it showed.
"We are fucked!" He said aloud, marching to his desk.
"What's going on?" His wife neared him with her arms crossed under her bust.
Amos leaned forward with his hands on the desk.
"Baby-"
"All info on my dealings and businesses is missing," he said calmly even though his mind was running fast.
"What do you mean all?" Angela asked.
"Everything."
...
"Oh, my word! You'll squeeze me to death," Sage said, still in Zoe's hold.
Zoe pulled back abruptly, "Don't joke like that," she laughed lightly through teary eyes.
Sage smiled at her, "I'm playing," her hand lingered on Zoe's, "I missed you guys so much," she peered at a crying Chelsea who was glued to the floor by the door before outstretching her other hand towards her.
"I can't," Chelsea shook her head, approaching slowly, "I can't believe it's you."
"It is," Sage said just before Chelsea engulfed her in a hug.
All three girls shared tears, of disbelief and joy.
Chelsea removed herself from her friend and stared at her, "How?"
Zoe lowered herself onto a chair near Sage's bed as Chelsea stood still.
"I don't know where to start," Sage said somberly.
"You don't have to tell us if you're not ready," Zoe said, patting the top of Sage's hand that was laid out on her side.
Sage sighed. She had been to hell and back yet all she focused on was the fact that she was alive and getting well.
She didn't harbour any ill feelings towards her captors but something inside her wanted them to suffer.
She had reached her limit on being nice and turning the other cheek hence she had planned to share a plan with Junior. A plan she had formulated two years ago, locked up in a room on her own.
"Zoe is right, we're just happy you're alive," Chelsea added.
"I'm happy too," Sage grinned.
Something in her died whilst in those four walls, to be replaced by a hunger, one she didn't know was good or would serve to be bad.
The innocence she always had was buried, when her world darkened, providing no light for years.
All that kept her alive were the memories of Junior, her family, friends, and the thought of her children. She believed they made it and were safe and Junior had confirmed that which fueled her will to live.
"Sage," Zoe called out, ending Sage's thought pattern.
"Mh," she responded facing her then Chelsea, "Where's Pearl?"
The atmosphere shifted, as Chelsea and Zoe exchanged a look.
Sage looked in between her friends, trying to decipher what was happening, "What's wrong?"
Zoe cleared her throat.
Chelsea shifted on her feet, "Uh, she's on holiday with her fiancé," she said in a tone that lacked assurance.
"She is engaged? That is nice," Sage commented, "Where are they?"
"We don't know," Zoe blurted out, earning a glare from Chelsea.
"She didn't tell you?" Sage questioned, wearing a puzzled look on her face.
The room went quiet.
"No use in lying or hiding -"
"We think she's dead," Zoe cut Chelsea off.
"What?"
Chelsea sighed, "We think Pearl was killed by her fiancé, Tyrone."