60 hours left
The air up here hit differently, it was calm and warm but still came with a little bit of cold. I heard a voice behind me and looked back but there was no one there. As soon as I turned around I saw the vigilante known as the hood facing the view. He had a green hood on with a green bow and arrow as weapons. Scratch that, everything he owned seemed to be green. The grinch could have been his cousin.
"You are late," the voice revealed as he turned away.
"Didn't you just arrive? Also, I didn't know the famous vigilante had a tight schedule,"
"I don't have any time to waste. What do you want?" he asked angrily.
"I need your help to find a person,"
"I'm not a personal investigator. Go ask the police,"
"They won't help me. They can't help me. If you won't help, I will lose someone close to me, please. You may not know the feeling but I need your help, hood." I told him.
"What's the name," he replied.
"Greg Barrows"
"Barrows is dangerous. He kills for fun and is out after power,"
"I need you to help me find him fast,"
"I'll see what I can find about him," he said about to leave but I needed to ask one more thing.
"Wait. One more thing. Furusato," I told him instantly. "Not a name. A word. It means hometown," Instantly it hit me. He was here. If I could track the two men I saw that day then I could find Kenji.
"Look I may not have names but I do have a good memory of the two men. One had burn marks on the right side of his face. The other one was muscular, of normal height, and had a snake tattooed on his left arm," I said to him. "I received a call earlier and I have less than 3 days left. Greg could be one of them,"
"I'll see what I can find. I'll reach out to you. And don't do anything until then," he warned me. "Thanks," I said quietly as the hood left. I stood there watching over the city trying to think clearly. Where could Kenji possibly be right now?
Making my way down the stairs I find mom and Thea talking. "Hey, I'll be going home I feel tired. It has been a long day," I told them and mom gave me a small nod. "Take me with you. I feel like I will go crazy if I stay," Thea said and walked away from us and outside. "Everything good with Thea, mom?" I asked. "She has been distant a bit these days," she said and I sighed. "I have myself to blame I guess. I should never have left you and Thea." I said. "She probably took it hard," I continued. "It's nothing we Queens can't overcome," she assured me with a motherly smile and stayed behind as I made my way outside to go home with Thea.
A few guests started to leave by making their way outside. My eyes were searching for Thea only to catch a silhouette of a muscular man with a snake tattoo. "Greg Barrow," someone shouted and he turned around. It couldn't be. I hurried after him only to bump into Thea.
"Mel, when are we leaving?" She asked me. "Sorry, Thea. You are going to have to get home alone. I need to find Ollie and talk to him about something work-related," she answered with a simple but tiring fine and left with our old driver. As I turned around he was already gone.
The morning after - 48 hours left
It wasn't much time left. I knew that just sitting and waiting for the hood wouldn't satisfy me. I needed to dig into this too. I needed to find these men and fast. During my time in Soratoge, we used to access a database to gain information about possible threats and people. It wasn't impossible. The only thing needed was a high-security workplace and who is better than John Diggle's workplace? I already knew that the execution would be easy I just needed a plan. We had a problem with the Kenshin clan in the past but it couldn't have been them. Even if it was them they would never have attacked our palace like that. It wasn't their assassination style. This didn't make sense. The voice on the other side of the call sounded deep with an English accent.
I prepared for the day and headed downstairs to eat a fast breakfast. Oliver and Diggle greeted me. What a nice start to the day, my brother and his bodyguard friend which workplace I was visiting more like to hack but whoever is counting.
"Good morning Mel," Oliver said with John staring at me. "Good morning Ollie, John," I said and stared right back at him. The man just wouldn't give up that stare. What was his problem?
"So what are you planning to do today," Oliver asked me.
"Well, I'm planning to meet a few old friends. What about you?" I answered knowing that was going to cover today's actual plan.
"Yeah, we will be working at the company. Why don't you come by?" he suggested. "For sure, I'll see if there is time over Ollie. I gotta run now. See you later maybe."
I made my way to the garage and felt like I needed a vehicle. Not a car but something else. Right there and then I saw my old motorcycle. This was the right choice. I took it outside and was getting ready to leave until Tommy pulled up on the driveway.
"Good morning Melissa," he said with a soft smile. "Good morning Thomas," I replied.
"Thomas. Really?" he asked with his surprised face. I giggled back. "Well you started it, Merlyn," I said with an amused smile.
"Yeah I kind of did," he answered with a thin smile which I returned. "I gotta go but see you around Thomas," I told him and he nodded back as I drove away.
I began to approach, Helix Security. The building was modern with several floors. Outside of it, there were two guards standing. As I parked the motorcycle, I saw there was a door entering from the side of the building with personnel gathering infront of it. I made my way up and stood beside a corner. As personnel with security badges made their way past me I saw one person at the end and decided to borrow her passcard with the help of the coffee that I brought along with me from home.
I bumped into her and apologized right away after the spilled coffee that was all over her clothes.
"I am so so sorry. I guess that I tripped over there. Here let me help you," I said and reached for some napkins in my bag.
"It is fine. Really," she said as I grabbed the passcard from her pocket. I apologized to her again and backed up from her. I turned around and headed for the entrance, before I got inside I tried to fix myself to somehow look-alike the woman I borrowed the card from. Well, stole the card from, to be more precise. Inside there were access control systems to get through. I put the card on the machine and access was granted. I took the elevator to the IT room and slowly walked over there. The room was located at the back of the corridor in the empty hallway. I used the card again and got inside. No one was here. I had to do this fast. I typed in Greg Barrows.
Greg Barrows
Age: 48
Status: Alive
Last seen: 2 days ago near an abandoned warehouse, Harbridge Ave.
Crime: Wanted for murder and for illegal weapons possession.
Finally. That is where he must be. Now I just had to leave. I opened the door and looked around. No one was to be seen. I made my way towards the elevator and walked in. I pressed the button to go down but the elevator door was held open by someone. I pretended to fix my hair and looked down.
"Hi," the person said and I returned it briefly. The voice sounded so familiar.
"Melissa. What are you doing here?" I looked up and saw John Diggle with a frown on his face.
"Oh hi there John. I was just on an interview. What about you?"
"I work here," he stated. He probably was onto me. "You didn't mention anything about an interview when Oliver asked you,"
"I don't really like to jinx things. But you could tell him about it. It didn't even work out. They didn't like my resume. Apparently, my experience wasn't relevant. Whatever that means," I said.
"No, I mean that I also work here and know that we aren't hiring. So, what are you actually doing here?" he asked again and I looked away. He looked at my trying to understand what I was doing breaking into a high-security building.
"I need to find an important person or two."
"Continue."
"Someone I care about is taken. Soon about to be dead- I need to find them to find him, John," I said now looking at him. "It's Dig for you, Melissa. Let me help you," he said looking down at me with a soft smile. "And it's Mel for you" I smiled back. I wanted to keep him from telling Oliver but I couldn't let him keep anything like that away from his friend. It was shown how much they were acting like brothers. I just needed a few hours to get to Kenji before Oliver knew about anything. "But, I'm sorry. I can't." he got to hear before I used a tranquilizer on him.
I left the building in a rush and got on the motorcycle. To Harbridge Ave.
It took some time to get through due to the rush hour. Now I was finally here. I had the necklace. I had the place. I just needed to find Kenji. I parked the motorcycle a few minutes away to get inside without anyone noticing me. I saw three men outside. At that time they stood outside together which meant that I was going to have access to the back entrance to the warehouse.
I snuck towards the door trying not no make one sound. Inside, I hid behind a trailer. Kenji was sitting on a chair with blood all over him. He was unconscious. I just wanted to get to him. Two men went towards him with a bucket. It was the same men that I saw before. I recognized one. Greg Barrows and the other one. Kenji was struck with water and instantly woke up. He breathed heavily. I tried to get eye contact with him. He was looking at them with anger and disgust.
"See what that cold water could do to ya," Barrows said and laughed as he walked away.
"Now tell us. Will that girlfriend of yours show up or will she let you die? What do you think Greg," the other one said.
"I think she will do anything for you. Even get to you in advance. Isn't that right Bennett, or should I say Queen" the voice said loud coming from behind me. I turned around and saw him with a gun aimed at my head.