It was drizzling, a light shower of rain that felt like a multitude of people poking him uncomfortably.
Muttering under his breath, Sean drew his coat tighter around his body, looking furtively across the road. He knew Tyler Ark was actively looking for him now, and so he’d deliberatively parked several blocks away from where he was supposed to meet his informant.
It was almost laughable how Mark had assigned the one man who owed Sean a debt as temporary head of the company. What was more funny was how he’d blocked Sean’s access code, as if that would stop him from accessing the information he needed to. Sean owned Nuroh in more ways than one. Even if he couldn’t be physically present, he still had eyes and ears there.
Shaking off the cold, Sean crossed the road, moving towards a shiny jeep parked on the other side. He knocked on the glass of the passengers’ seat and a second later, the car unlocked with a dull click. Quickly, he opened the door and jumped in, closing it loudly behind him.
“Mr. Bishop,” the man in the drivers’ seat greeted as Sean patted his wet hair down. “Good day.”
Sean looked over at him, barely concealed nonchalance evident in his face as he took in the man’s appearance. Zachariah Abayomi was a mediocre as the first day Sean had met him, and not even the polished clothes he wore, nor the expensive cars he owned had gotten rid of the annoying timidity Zachariah wore like a second skin.
“Did you get what I asked?” Sean’s voice was brusque and to the point, a tone that always commanded results from Zachariah’s inferiority complex.
Nodding hurriedly, Zachariah reached into the backseat, retrieving a briefcase from behind his seat. From the briefcase, he pulled out a single card before handing over to Sean reverentially.
“It took me some time, but I duplicated Mr. Koenig’s key card just as you said.”
Sean nodded, taking the key card and scanning it critically with his eyes. When he was convinced it was legitimate, he pocketed it. “Good job. Has anything been happening in Nuroh since the audio files were released?”
Zachariah hesitated for a second, but his resolve crumbled under Sean’s sharp gaze. “The basement was cleared out yesterday.”
Sean turned to face him, his eyes
searching Zachariah’s face for any lies. “Mark destroyed the equipment for No Blessed?”
“No, no. Everything was transferred, from the transporter to the beast. I couldn’t see the process, because Praise was in charge of everything but when I went down to check last night, the basement was empty.”
“Praise?” Sean asked calmly, visibly surprising Zachariah.
“Y-yes. She has been placed in all matters concerning No Blessed, and her access card has been upgraded as well.”
“I assume you didn’t think this was important enough to tell me when we met last week?”
“I-it didn’t o-occur to me.”
There was silence in the car for the next few minutes, as Sean thought the matter over, and Zachariah cowered in his seat. Abruptly, Sean opened the car door, getting out immediately.
“Mr. Bishop?” Zachariah called after him. “I-I have an umbrella here you could borrow –”
“Keep an eye out in Nuroh for me,” Sean said, slamming the door behind him. As he walked back to his car, he mentally went over his plans carefully.
After Mark had deactivated his access cards, Sean’s next course of action had been to obtain a copy of Mark’s access card and get into Nuroh.
The way he saw it, the only two obstacles stood in his path; Tyler and Praise, obstacles which could be easily removed. For some inane reason, Praise seemed to care greatly for the Volunteer’s children she’d taken under her car, and they would be what he would use to break her. Insisting she take down the audio files was just a ploy to keep her busy while he took care of his other problem, Tyler.
There was no way things would ever go back to how they used to be. He’d lost his place in a company he’d developed to greatness, a company on the verge of a scandal. If he was going down, he would be dragging everyone he could to hell with him.
When Praise came to save her children at the end of the three day interval, he would kill them in front of her, the way she’d killed his prospects in Nuroh.
Tyler was a much easier target to deal with. The only reason he was so dedicated in his fight against Nuroh was because of Mikel, and the access card had been the only thing stopping Sean from getting into Nuroh. By extension, it had been the only thing stopping him from restarting No Blessed and killing off the current Volunteer.
With a short laugh, Sean unlocked his car, sliding in with ease. It was a pity he would probably not be there to witness Tyler break down when he realized all his struggles had been for nought.
*
As stifling as the hospital environment was, Koenig had to admit that the view from his window was amazingly beautiful, most especially when he observed the rising sun.
A small smile crept onto his face as he relived his morning. Aaliyah had come by rather early and he’d gotten the opportunity to speak with his grandkids via FaceTime, however brief it had been.
They didn’t recognize him which was understandable since they had never met him in person but it still warmed Koenig’s heart to see their toothy smiles as they tried to figure out whether to call him mister or grandpa before Aaliyah had coaxed them into shyly addressing him by the latter.
It filled him with nostalgia, the simple matter of being called grandpa and as the door opened, he rushed to clean his cheek, only realizing then that a tear had slipped through.
“How are things Praise?” Koenig beckoned her to a seat which she took obediently. “Has the basement been cleared?”
Praise nodded, going over the details minutely with Koenig. “All equipment for No Blessed has been moved to another site, as well as the monster which was brought here. However, we have run into a complication.”
Koenig’s head snapped in her direction and when he spoke, his voice was drained of all life. “What complication now Praise?”
She hesitated at his tone. For the first time in a long while, she saw Koenig for what he was; just a man. A man who had done stupid things to save himself but a man nonetheless, worn down and burdened. However, she squashed the pity that threatened to well up in her. His actions had put all of them in this predicament, and by extension, his actions had put Zoe and Aaron in danger.
“I’m afraid staying in the hospital has done nothing to delay Mr. Ark, he is certain the investigation warrant will be approved soon, and it may as well extend to the new site we have moved No Blessed equipment to.”
Koenig’s voice was decidedly measured when he spoke, pacing across the floor slowly. “And why is that?”
Praise took a steadying breath, and when she spoke, she spoke with the tone of an outsider, watching a battle from just beyond the sidelines.
“Yesterday, Mr. Bishop abducted the children of the Volunteer I took under my care. He has come forward with his demands, which is for Mr. Ark to retract his petition for an investigation warrant.”
She tucked in a loose braid behind her ear, watching nonchalantly as Koenig stumbled towards his bed in shock. “As you might have already guessed, this has only heightened Mr. Ark’s suspicion that something is indeed going on at Nuroh, as well as the fact that the children in question happen to be related to a name on the missing persons list he compiled. Your lawyer wishes to fix a meeting with you concerning Mr. Ark’s potential case but she warns that Mr. Bishop’s recent actions have only affirmed the possibility of the audio files being true.”
Koenig grabbed the pillows from his bed, stomping on them savagely like a mad man. He ripped the bedsheets from the bed as well, throwing them to the floor and kicking them away. Next, was the empty tray sitting innocently on the bedside table which Koenig threw across the room, breathing hard from the small effort. Praise watched him quietly, only stopping him when she felt he had calmed down a little.
“However, I may have a solution, but it has a slim chance of working out,” she warned, shifting in her seat.
Koenig collapsed on the bed, looking at her as a droplet of sweat ran down his temple in a singular line. “What is it Praise? Anything’s better than not having a counter plan.”
“I believe Mr. Ark is going this far because he has formed an attachment to the children and suspects Mr. Bishop is keeping them in Nuroh itself. I might be able to pass off Mr. Bishop’s action as a personal grudge, unrelated to the company but for that to work, the children need to be rescued soon, unharmed. The longer they are away, the higher the possibilities of Mr. Bishop harming them and if Mr. Ark assumes Mr. Bishop eliminated them to protect the company, I’m afraid you will have more to worry about than just an investigation warrant.”
Praise could feel Koenig’s eyes on her, as if he could see through the fragile lie she was spinning. Bile rose in her throat but she continued to speak, only hoping her voice was as steady as it sounded to her ears. “Mr. Bishop has hidden himself well, and Mr. Ark and I have failed in finding his location. I was hoping you would have an idea of where he could be, sir.”
Koenig did not reply immediately, his breathing slowing until it was normal once again. “There’s no way he would have taken them out of the city in such a short time frame. You’ve checked his homes?”
Praise nodded, highly relieved Koenig had believed her so easily. “Yes, both of them. None show signs of being lived in for quite some time.”
“Hotels are out of the question.” Koenig muttered to himself, reaching for a water bottle from the nearby table before realizing he had thrown it away in his fit of rage. Noticing this, Praise got up, fetching him a new bottle from the mini fridge in a corner of the room.
Koenig accepted the bottle gratefully, opening it and taking a sip. “There’s only one place he could be.”
Praise’s excitement did not show on her face as she leaned forward. “Oh?”
Koenig nodded minutely, setting the bottle on the table. “Have you heard of the Kerran Crematorium, off Girran Avenue? It’s a private crematorium owned by Sean.”
Praise shook her head, quickly jotting down the name and address, before looking up at Koenig, obviously confused. “It didn’t show up on his list of assets when I checked.”
“It wouldn’t,” Koenig agreed, lacing his fingers together, “it’s where he keeps the ashes of his wife. If there’s anywhere where those children might be, it’s there.”
*
I almost forgot to publish this 😅