I stand completely petrified and frozen as I stare at Alan.
Right now, I wonder what my face looks like from the outside; I have the distinct feeling that my jaw has just touched the floor, and I think I have lost control of my facial muscles, as they are no longer reacting.
What do his words mean?
And most importantly, how am I supposed to justify myself to him, for the fact that I am here and not in Southeast Asia? I'm completely on tilt, as if my brain has suddenly frozen.
I unconsciously pause to analyze the person in front of me.
He is several inches taller than me, I think he is roughly around 6 feet. I admit that his stature, combined with his powerful build, would manage to intimidate me even without knowing who he is. What's more, I can clearly see his tense muscles underneath that shirt that is too tight in the sleeves to be tailored; the uniform in no way fits his trained physique. I remember him telling me we were the same age, but I could swear he is a few years older. I think he's in his mid-30s, I guess. His hair, not too short, and shaved beard also show this; only a few sporadic white hairs stand out against the brunette, in a barely visible grizzled look. However, what strikes me most are his blue eyes, which seem to delve into my mind in search of hidden thoughts.
He also feels under scrutiny, but unlike me, he doesn't waver.
The features of his face are contracted and his eyebrows are furrowed. I can distinctly see the taut jaw lines; he is probably grinding his teeth. Although his lips are not curved into a grimace and an annoyed expression does not appear on his face, I sense a strong feeling of rancor and resentment toward me.
But no, what am I saying, is he just ... angry?
I rub my hands between them nervously. "Alan, I know I lied to you and you don't know how sorry I am. You are furious with me and I understand that, but I can explain everything--" I'm blatantly bluffing, I don't have a ready justification to give, at least for now. I'm simply trying to procrastinate the problem, putting off my exculpation until later, hoping to get my mind around it. "I have valid reasons and I will report them to you soon, but not now." I lower my gaze, trying to break through his empathy. "Both Hannah and the group are quite distressed; they've been through way too much trouble. Now, getting them to safety and offering them medical care takes priority over everything." I look up again, to stare him straight in the eye. "Please..."
I hope I have pitied him with my words, moving at least some of his compassion. At this moment, I do not have sufficient cleverness to come up with a plausible and satisfying excuse.
I see him close his eyes, only to open them again after a few seconds. He huffs noisily as he rests both hands on my shoulders. "I knew from the beginning that you were lying to me, but that's not the point. I'm not going into the matter of the false information you gave me, also because it may not be a crime in your case." He freezes for a moment, shaking his head animatedly. "I'm digressing, we don't have time for this." I feel his fingers squeeze me tightly, capturing my full attention. "I repeat, did you not read my message?"
I squint my eyes, really not understanding what he means. His strange and ambiguous attitude only makes me uncomfortable and increases my anxiety. "Y-you mean the message you sent me, w-where you assured me that you were taking care of the case and that Hanson's d-days were numbered?" I babble.
"Yes." He affirms, then modulates the tone of his voice and emits a faint whisper. " Didn't you notice anything?"
I remain speechless. Now that I think about it, I had noticed that there was something strange in his messages, but I hadn't worried too much about it. Also because, at that moment, Jake got jealous and moved on to the conversation with Phil. My doubts had then died there. "N-no Alan, what should I have noticed?" I don't like this being so enigmatic at all.
Damn, speak clearly!
He sighs, taking his hands off my shoulders to let them fall back along his sides, saddened. "I was sure you would be able to catch the coded message; I'm sorry it didn't work out that way." He looks around, aiming his gaze at a man who is walking in our direction. "I'll explain everything shortly, just give me a second." He speaks through clenched teeth and under his breath, to make his words audible only to me and his mimicry imperceptible to the person now close to us.
I watch the officer address a formal greeting, introducing himself to his superior. "Commander Chief Bloomgate, this is Officer Mark Brown, leader of the present county assault squad." He shifts his gaze to me, to dedicate just a few seconds of his attention. He gives me a quick prostration of the head, barely noticeable, before resting his eyes on Alan again. "I would like to report to you, sir." At Alan's affirmative nod, he continues without delay: "The situation is under control. We have handcuffed the suspected attacker and secured the hostages. Three of them are injured, and the members of medical support recommend their immediate hospitalization. We have already alerted the emergency responders and an ambulance will be here in a moment."
"Well done Officer Brown, thanks for your help in this operation. I requested the presence of your SWAT team on site as I feared for the safety of the civilians present. Fortunately, there was no need for recourse to arms and the situation was resolved in the best way possible." Alan takes a short break, to congratulate the subordinate and give his next orders. "Take the attacker and the uninjured witnesses to the station. The man will be escorted to one of the temporary holding cells. As for the witnesses, they will be seated in the interrogation room and await my return for an interview."
I can see him becoming even more serious, taking on an austere tone. "When you arrive, ask for my assistant Chief William Forbs, who will give you all the necessary details. Carry out exclusively his commands and no one else's, mind you. He is the only one, besides me, who has authority on this case." Before dismissing him, he concludes: "Precede me, go as soon as you are ready. I will stay here for a while longer.... I have to talk to the witness here." He raises his palm in my direction. "She is in possession of crucial information that she must communicate to me immediately."
A lump immediately forms in my throat on hearing this last sentence, along with the uneasiness that only increases minute by minute. I haven't the slightest idea of what his intentions are and having to remain alone with him unsettles me. But one thing is certain, if he hopes to get from me any information about Jake, he is sorely mistaken.
My mouth is sealed.
At the end of his words, the officer nods decisively. "Acknowledged, Chief Commander, at your service." He takes his leave with the classic military salute, then quickly walks away and returns to the rest of the officers.
I swallow in anxiety.
Perfect, I'm alone with Alan again.
He wastes no time and lays a hand on my shoulder, staring at me insistently. "Come, let's go outside. We'd better talk in a more private place so we don't risk that our conversation will be eavesdropped on." He finishes his speech by adding: "We need to hurry."
Alan, I don't understand...
Who on earth would spy on our interview, given that there are only about 20 officers besides us, your subordinates?
The irrational fear that he wants to seclude himself for other reasons, with the intent to harm me, takes over my mind. I don't know if it's because of this whole absurd situation, but I immediately get into a complete panic.
But all I can do is let his arms lead me, guiding me toward the exit of the farmhouse.
I turn my gaze back for a moment, toward the group. They are still talking to the officers, probably explaining to them the dynamics of the attack. As far as the testimony issue is concerned, I'm pretty calm; the others know exactly what to say and what to not say.
While I'm walking, I realize that I'm close to Hanson only when we're just a few steps away. Two cops are dragging him by weight to the outside, holding him by the arms. He is awake again, and seems to have fully recovered from the hit he received. I see his eyes widen as soon as our gazes meet. Bloodshot eyes that are piercing my soul. A terrible smile appears on his mouth, frightening as the warning that comes from his lips. "I assure you, this is only the beginning. You think you've won, but you haven't. You should hurry up..." A violent tug, delivered by one of the two guards, does not let him finish speaking.
Goodbye Michael.
I hope prison will give you a chance to think about your mistakes and search for redemption.
I feel Alan hold me close to him, then quicken his steps. Although his grip on my arm is firm, it is not an overbearing grip at all. Perhaps it may be my impression, but it seems like he is trying to reassure me with this gesture, as if to let me know that I am not alone.
But suddenly, a thought creeps into my head: both Alan and Michael have just told me the same thing, which is that I'd better hurry up.
What the hell does that mean?
I don't think it's a coincidence...
We reach the front door. Alan stops a step away from the doorway and, laying a hand on my back, leads me outside. I look at the clearing in front of me and I'm really impressed by what I see: there must be at least 30 officers or so, stationed outside of the house, with a dozen squad cars parked all around the dwelling.
Alan, there is no right compromise for you, is there? Either you just don't move a finger, as you have been doing up to now, or you end up mobilizing the entire Duskwood police force.
You really don't know half measures.
We flank the front of the building to the left, stopping after a few meters. Unexpectedly, I find myself with my back against the wall and Alan facing me. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, only to open our chat screen. He positions the display in front of my face, so that his message is visible to me. Although I know exactly what he wrote, I quickly reread it:
"They will take care of the case, They"
"Know what to do."
"Everything will be solved soon."
"Stay assured."
"Away from any worries."
"From now on, it will get better."
"Hanson's days are numbered."
I give him a questioning look, frowning. I'm losing my patience, I feel like he's just making fun of me. I grit my teeth, blurting aloud. "Explain to me where this coded message you're talking about is, because I just don't see it!"
He widens his eyes and quickly places his free hand over my mouth. He presses it firmly against my lips, silencing me. "Hey, are you crazy? Keep your voice down!!!" He looks around, restless, before huffing softly. "Just read the first words of each sentence, come on."
I do what he tells me, focusing only on the initial words that make up each sentence.
"They... know... everything... stay... away ... from... Hanson."
Damn, and luckily I'm good at riddles! how did I not notice this before?!
I bring my fingers over his hand, to lower it from in front of my mouth. For a few seconds I don't say anything, I have too many thoughts crowding my mind.
So was Michael aware of the break-in? And how did Alan know about it? Is he in conspiracy with him? I knew he was!! But so... why did he try to warn me by text and take risks just to inform me?
There is no point in wracking my brain with all these questions when there are so many unknowns and missing information at stake. I need to know more, then I can draw conclusions when everything is clearer.
And I need to talk to Alan but, when I am about to start with my questions, he precedes me. "I know perfectly that you have a thousand questions on your mind now and I guarantee that you will soon have all the answers you are looking for, that is your right." He puts his cell phone back in his pocket and bends his torso forward, so that his face is at the same height as mine. Our faces are only a few inches apart. He stares straight into my eyes. "And I also know I'm asking a lot of you now, but you have to trust me. I am on your side!!" His gaze is pained and sincere. He doesn't give me time to open my mouth, adding: "I need to know where Jake Walker is right now." What he says next sounds like a horrible sentence. "Jake is in grave danger; they are setting a trap for him!"
His words leave me breathless in my lungs and a mad fear instantly freezes the blood in my veins.
"You have to tell me where he is. I promise I won't arrest him, I just want to protect him! You have no idea how dangerous the people hunting him are." He exclaims, placing his hands on my forearms and starting to shake them vigorously.
My whole body is paralyzed and my brain is on total tilt.
No, no, no, no.
Tell me this is not really happening!
Jake is safe now, hiding in the woods, and Alan is just trying to manipulate me to get information about him.
That's the way it is, of course!
I start shivering from head to toe, violently, as I take the phone out of my pocket. "I'm sure he's safe right now!" I exclaim, my voice is shaky. "Let's do this, I will now call him and he will confirm it by himself. After that, you'll have to leave me alone. We'll deal with this talk another day." I blurt out, furious with rage. My mind is so blinded by anger and terror that I no longer care what Alan knows and what his involvement is in this whole affair.
I feel Alan's fingers gripping my wrists tightly. "If he's really safe and secure, I assure you I would only be happy." A pleading expression appears on his face. "I am not your enemy, please, you must believe me."
I grit my teeth and press on the green button next to Jake's contact, to send the call.
One ring, two rings, three rings...
Five rings.
It goes to voicemail, and I feel the world come crashing down on me.
No, I have to keep calm!
Probably, he just didn't hear the phone.
Yet, Jake has alerts vibrating on his smartwatch and usually always pays close attention to them...
The anxiety completely clouds my mind as I try to stay as clear-headed as possible. By the way, Jake is not alone: he should have already reached Dan and Poke, who are waiting for us near the cars.
Right, I can hear from them!
But as I'm scrolling through the address book, I see something out of the corner of my eye that makes my heart race up to my throat, quickening my beats.
Dan and Poke are less than a dozen yards away from me, intent on talking to two of the rescuers outside the property, next to the ambulance that has just arrived on the scene.
I feel my legs give way under the weight of my body, which has now become as heavy as a boulder. "A-alan..." I mumble his name and point to my friends, only to burst into an uncontrollable cry. I definitely lost all the courage and rationality I had left. "They were supposed to be with him... That means Jake is alone right now." The words choked in my throat.
I am probably wrong to tell him, but the fear that something might have happened to Jake has taken full possession of me. However, the doubt that I made a mistake is immediately replaced by the conviction that I did the right thing as soon as I notice Alan's reaction.
I watch his face whiten and his pupils widen, at the same time as his lips begin to quiver. He kneels in front of me, quickly passing an arm around my shoulders. He helps me to stand up, pulling me up by my weight. "Trust me. I am with you, not against you." I feel his hands grip me in a hug. "There's not a minute to lose."
His words give me the strength to get back on my feet. I start running toward the two, followed immediately by Alan behind me. "Excuse me..." I interpose myself between the two and the paramedics so as to get their full attention immediately.
I see a stunned expression appear on my friends' faces, before giving way to the sheer happiness of seeing me. "MC, thank goodness you're okay! You're not hurt, are you?" They both worry about my health, beginning to look at me from head to toe. "We were so worried about you!!!" Dan's voice is dysphonic, sounding on the verge of bursting into tears at any moment.
"We are all fine." I reassure him, without going into details that would only waste my time. I get right to the point. "Jake was on his way to you. Have you seen him, by any chance? Do you know if he is waiting for us near the cars?"
I cannot tell exactly if the cause of their subsequent muteness is because of the sudden storm of questions, or is it because of the closeness with Alan, who at this very moment is listening to our entire conversation; the fact is that they stand in silence, looking at us with a worried expression.
"Guys, I will explain everything later, but you have to talk right now!!! So... Do you know where Jake is, yes or no?" I raise my voice, losing my patience, even though they had nothing to do with it. I immediately feel guilty for taking it out on them, so I immediately soften my facial features, pleading with them with my gaze. Meanwhile, Alan steps away just to give us some privacy to let them talk.
"MC, I have no idea what's going on, and I don't like seeing you so upset." Dan has a wrinkled grimace etched on his face, as does Poke. He sighs briefly, clasping his arms to his chest, distressed. "No, we didn't see Jake. As soon as we called the police we ran here, I'm sorry. We were so worried about you that we didn't think twice about running here..."
I hear Poke ask the question: "Why are you asking us? Did something happen to him?!?" But by now I am already far away from them. In a few moments I'm standing next to Alan again, white as a sheet and eyes wide with anguish. I grab the sleeve of his shirt. "I have to reach Jake right now. Please let me go. I will ask my friends to come with me..." I babble in a kind of trance, staring into space.
"There is no way I am going to let you go alone, only to throw you into the arms of those criminals." He blurts out, gritting his teeth and making me turn toward him. He still seeks our eye contact, and although I am looking into his eyes, I don't really see him. Fear has turned everything black. "Okay, we'll be going just the two of us; I'll come with you." He grabs my wrist, squeezing it tightly, then drags me toward the parking lot.
I resist, planting my feet in the ground.
I believe Alan is not lying to me, yet the terror that this is all part of his plan to be able to handcuff Jake is still too vivid inside me.
I don't know what to do.
Alan immediately notices my hesitation and suddenly stops. He takes a deep breath and then directs me a look so deep and powerful that it leaves me breathless. "You see, I know Jake's story, and you can rest assured about one thing: I never labeled him as a bad guy who deserves prison." He takes a step toward me, resting a hand on my shoulder. "I know a police chief shouldn't say what I just said, but to me, some morals are one of the most important things in the world." He sighs, sketching a barely pronounced smile. "I would like more people like Jake, who fight for high ideals such as justice and righteousness."
I lower my gaze, clenching both hands into fists. "All right, we'll go just the two of us." I let my arms fall back along my sides, exhausted. "Let's move, before I end up regretting my choice."
Alan doesn't hint at removing the smirk on his lips. I think he is happy to have finally gained my trust. "Come on, my car is this way."
We both move with rapid paces until we arrive near a Q5, dark gray metallic. I watch him press on the remote control open button, then get into the driver's side.
I open the passenger-side door, sitting on the beige leather seat. I see him fiddling with the large display in the center of the dashboard to open the full-screen satellite map. I show him with my index finger the area where we left the cars and wait for him to start the car. I remain silent as I watch him drive down the farmhouse driveway.
"Perhaps I should briefly explain what's going on..." His voice is hesitant, as if afraid of my reaction.
"Yes, you should." I merely agree with his words, bringing my arms crossed to my chest.
"Listen carefully and don't interrupt me, we have little time and the road is short." I watch him inhale deeply, then suddenly become serious and thoughtful. I think he is considering the best way to start with the story. At his words, I look out the window, watching as the car speeds along the narrow road surrounded by woods. I prepare myself for the worst. "You should know that Duskwood is in the eye of the storm right now. The FBI and Interpol are also working on this case, and I'm cooperating with them." He admits all in one breath, continuing without pause. "The Duskwood station is full of their undercover agents and detectives. It all started when I realized that, among my subordinates, there were spies from a criminal organization. To put it simply, I managed with great difficulty to gain their trust and that's why I didn't move a finger to save Hannah Donfort. As much as it pains me to admit it, I knew they wouldn't kill her, since their goal was something else." He gives me as many details as he can, as if to unload a huge weight from his stomach. He sounds like a river in flood. "I couldn't blow my cover, you also understand that with an international arrest warrant on the line, the stakes were too high. But today, as soon as I found out that you were all here in their lair, I feared the worst and was forced to dislodge an entire SWAT team."
He finally pauses, only to look in my direction. I think the expression etched on my face is quite eloquent: I am completely in shock, unable to speak.
Alan quickly understands that he must continue with the story; I am unable to ask him any questions in the state I am in. "It was thanks to feigning to be their accomplice, that I learned about the attack at the Aurora and that you weren't really in Bangkok, therefore." He chuckles nervously, trying to play it down. "Anyway, the voicemail in Thai was a brilliant idea. I bet it was Jake's doing."
I smile too, simply nodding my head.
"That boy is a genius." He comments, then clears his throat with a slight cough and becomes serious again. "And thanks to this coverage, I discovered that they found the GPS tracker hidden under Hanson's car. As soon as I learned of their plans, I immediately tried to warn you. In fact, I insisted from the beginning to have an interview with you, solely to secure you two." I can see his fingers closing tightly around the steering wheel, trying to suppress his frustration. "I'm sorry, It was never meant to go this far. I failed miserably."
I place a hand on his, still clenched around the steering wheel, as I shake my head. " You are not to blame Alan." We remain silent for a second as he drives down a narrow dirt road.
We have almost arrived.
"But if they knew we were tracking his movements, why didn't they set a trap for us inside the farmhouse?" I ask him. I mean, since they were aware of everything, why did they let us carry out the break-in, almost, undisturbed?
"Because they didn't expect you to take action so fast, probably. From what I understand, they were supposed to start their plans from tomorrow by ambushing you. The fact is that someone alerted Hanson, who in turn alerted the organization." He begins to decelerate. In the distance, I can see all our cars parked in the lay-by. He concludes in a huff: "Let's just hope there's still time and we were faster than them."
I can feel my stomach twisting in on itself, in growing anxiety as we get closer. As soon as the car stops, we both get out in a rush.
Suddenly, my heart stops beating and I scream at the top of my lungs, throwing out all the air in my lungs.
Jake's car is open, but no sign of him. His backpack is on the ground beside the wide-open driver's side door.
I fall on my knees, starting to cry.
Jake... Jake...
THEY GOT HIM!!!
We were too late.
I feel a despair I have never felt in my whole life.
In an instant, Alan's strong arms wrap around me in an embrace. He drops to his knees too, to be at the same height as me. "I swear to you, on everything I hold most dear in this world, that we will find him and save him." I feel his chest press against my back, to quell the panic attack I'm having. "All is not lost, we'll save him, you have my word."
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Hello dear ones ❤️
First, before you can throw any stones at me, I want to remind you that for me there are ONLY happy endings 😅❤️ so you don't have to be afraid!
Forgive me for the anxious chapter at some points (well here, maybe it's more accurate to say: at several points) and for this unexpected turn of events; but at least Alan's true nature has finally come out and, personally, I place extreme faith in his oath!
Plus, for all we know, Jake always has a thousand tricks up his sleeve 😉 for sure, he will give his persecutors a hard time.
However, now what matters is that Alan and MC hurry to find him and bring him to safety, because the clock is ticking inexorably.
And our anxiety continues to grow!
I'm anxious myself, who has the whole story in my head, let alone you 😅
Anyway, What did you think when you found out about the coded message?
It has always been there in front of our eyes, present since chapter 28 🤭 some of you had noticed it... and I give them kudos for perspicacity, because it was not at all easy to catch it!
Having said that, always remain vigilant, my dear detectives 👀 who knows, maybe more riddles will appear 🤭😏
See you very soon ❤️
Kisses,
Dyana.