And this is where the story picks up again!
I follow the map to a local train station, noticing the arrow printed points to a building just before. I glance up and spot two large double doors, metal and rusted, attached to a building just as the map showed me.
I huff in exhaustion, and shiver from a mixture of nerves and the weather adding on, but pull open the door with force. It being late in the evening, practically past midnight, it's difficult to see anything until I step inside. The minute the door shuts behind me, I notice a trail of dim lights heading downwards. Automatically telling me there's a staircase within a few feet and I should be aware.
As predicted, I step forward and down, hitting a step, and afterwards, make my way down until I hit solid ground.
"Okay, this isn't creepy." I sigh, and fold my arms over my chest as I follow the lights down the narrow hallway. Faint voices can be heard a long way down, echoing off the stone walls, and I follow them until I reach another set of doors.
I pull it open, struggling a bit, and slide in quickly, right before it slams behind me. When I finally look up, bright lights shine down on my face, and allow me to see a bit of the room I'm standing in. Stacks of boxes, piled towards the roof over my head, create long isles running across what looks like a storage room.
Or an old factory.
"What was that?" A deep voice echoes across the room, muttering other things under his breath that I can't hear.
"I don't know, nor do I care." Another says, dropping what sounds like a couple of packed boxes against the concrete.
I peak out from behind a stack of boxes, and notice a door cracked open slightly and the room brightly lit. But I can't see who's inside.
"Go find out!" The man barks to the others, and I jump at the tone of his voice. Quickly though, I duck my head and hurry across the isle, strategically hiding between the boxes.
"I don't see anything boss." A man shouts, and the sound of his heavy footsteps fade in the distance.
"Thank God." I sigh in relief that I didn't get caught, and lean against one of the stacks of boxes.
Not without destroying the pile, and knocking each and every box to the ground with a loud crash.
"I thought I heard someone going through our shit." The man approaches me from behind, and I turn to face him slowly. When I tuck the annoying short strand of hair behind my ear, he tilts his head slightly and furrows his eyebrows.
"Who are you?" He asks, folding his arms across his rather built chest.
"Depends who's asking." I retort, and he lets out a slight laugh at my attitude.
"I like you already."
"Her name would be Ellana Rivers." A man steps out from behind a row of boxes, draped in a black trench coat, and makes his way over to me. "Nice to see you again dear."
He holds his hand out to me, but I frown down at it for a minute. Deciding whether or not I could even trust him.
"Don't be rude. Your mum wouldn't have allowed this." He passively suggests, and I warily hold out my hand for it to take.
"I'm here for this." I hold out the stack of papers to him, and he flips through them quickly. His facial expression changes immediately, and a wicked smile forms along with his eyes going wide.
"How did you even come across these?" He asks as he looks up at me.
"I'd rather not relive the past few days to explain, thank you."
"Very well. But since you're here now, and seem to know more than you should, it seems we have a few things to discuss. Follow me." He takes my hand and guides me across the factory, towards another set of double doors.
"Would you like a drink?" He asks casually, pushing the metal door open with force.
"No tha-"
I'm interrupted when I walk into the smoke filled casino, intimately lit with lights just like the hallway entrance. It feels insanely expensive just looking at it, with the red suede cushions in each booth, and tables lined with gold trimming. I notice a stage in the back, with a woman singing softly to the audience in front of her, swaying back and forth as she holds onto the microphone stand.
The bar is just ahead, and I see many women barely dressed at all with their legs crossed as they sit on the high stools. Five to six inch heels hang just above the floor, and their dresses hike up, stopping just believe their crotches. It seems like I'm the only one with enough clothes on in this place.
"Join me Ms.Rivers." He snaps his fingers and waitress leads us to a two seater booth close to the wall, and I slide in across from him.
"So, how can I help you?" He smiles smugly at me, and I feel the sudden urge to punch him in the face.
He knows very well what I'm here for. I handed him the damn papers myself.
"Don't fuck with me, you know why I'm here. It seems like last time we spoke, you couldn't really answer me." I cross my arms over my chest, and cross my legs under the table.
"Oh, she's feisty! Just like her mum." He claps as he laughs and smiles wickedly at me. "Take note Ellana, never threaten the man who owns the place."
Immediately, three men who I never noticed standing close by, lift their jackets up a bit, and I spot a gun stuffed against their hips.
This man is actually insane.
"Tell me David. At least tell me how I can learn more about her." I plea nicely this time, shoving the bile rising up my throat, back down.
"America." He folds his hands on the table, and leans toward the tiny lamp between us.
"What?"
"America. The United States."
"What about it?!" I sigh frustrated and annoyed.
"If you need to know more, America is where you should go. Your mum knew a woman there, named Gelise I believe. She moved to America just after Kiera passed away." He purses his lips into a firm line. "That's where you need to be if all you want is closure babe. Not here. It's not safe here."
Why does every keep telling me that?
"So, if I go to America, where do I start?" I know I'm pushing the boundaries with my questions, but he's the one who wanted me to come here in the first place.
I'm not leaving without answers.
"I'll answer that, right after I give you a back story on your precious mum." His gazes turns away, and he spaces out a bit. "Lovely woman, I must say."
"Focus David." I snap at his face, and he blinks rapidly back at me.
"Sorry, sorry."
A loud crash sounds behind me and I whip my head around to see two muscular men carrying someone inside by the arms.
Rather familiar, tattooed arms actually.
"Someone couldn't do their job I see." David mumbles and watches from our table.
The two men drop him on the floor, and he falls on his hands and knees, panting heavily. His sleek black hair is brushed back, but a strand seems to hang loose, just across his forehead. The sleeves of his button up shirt are rolled to his elbows as he holds himself up, and lets out a loud cough.
"Fuck." He sighs, and keeps his head down.
I know that voice anywhere.
I stand cautiously, earning a confused glance from David and few other stares from around the room. Slowly, I walk closer to the poor man, visibly coughing up blood onto the carpet, creating a dark stain into the floor.
My jaw completely drops to the floor, and I cover my mouth to hide my shock as the man stares up at me, blood dripping from his lip. His hazel brown eyes gaze into mine, somehow shining in the midst of the hideous bruise forming around one of them. A deep cut is slashed across his cheek, connecting from just about his ear to the corner of his swollen, bleeding lips.
I say the one thing I was hoping I wouldn't have to say, one name I never dreamed I'd ever to say in this situation.
"Zayn?"
YAY FINALLY. It can pretty much snowball from here if I write the next few chapters correctly lol by the way I always appreciate feedback on my story! Every vote means the world to me you don't even know. Every comment keeps me motivated like crazy to keep writing so thank you to those of you who continue to do so :)