Amaani's POV:
The sound of boots clicking on the marble floor rang in my ears. It was the only noise that filled the silence as we walked towards our destinations. I was feeling a mix of emotions— fear, anger, confusion, and guilt. But mostly I was feeling content and relieved that I was finally able to make the situation somewhat better for Lx16. It was the least I could do.
Every time I would feel my throat tightening the more I thought about what Lx16 was going through. The only way I would comfort myself was by reminding myself that Saira said she didn't harm her. I prayed soundlessly as we turned to an even darker and lifeless hallway. Though the place was in much worse shape than others I had seen, it was surprisingly clean.
"Are we there yet?" I questioned. Saira glanced back at me from the corner of her eye and gave a short nod. "Yes. Look there." Saira pointed towards a corner and I lifted my gaze from the ground to the direction she pointed towards.
I saw a small jail from a short distance. Sure enough, that was Lx16's home for some time. As much as I hated it, I had to accept it as it was. As we came closer, I noticed more details like the small window at the very top of the wall. It strained my neck to look at it as it was so high up. Its cover was lifted and I accidentally looked right into the sun. I blinked on instinct and rubbed my eyes to adjust my sight. Recovering, I leaned in towards the cell to take a peek at Lx16.
Expecting her long and dainty body curled up in a corner, I was a bit confused when my eyes saw nothing but emptiness. My eyes wandered around the cell automatically. A frown appeared on my face and I walked closer, looking in carefully. Instead, I was met by a deserted jail. That was when panic crept in.
"Maybe she went to the washroom or something", the thought rushed to mind.
I instantly twirled on my feet towards her. "Saira, Lx16—" I stopped when I saw Saira frozen. Worry was written all over her face. Judging by her expression, Lx16 probably DIDN'T go to the washroom. I gulped.
Saira stormed towards the cell and looked in carefully. I could see the fear in her eyes. In a hurry, she went past me, bumping into my shoulder along the way. She grabbed the bars and looked around us.
"This doesn't look good," I remarked.
"Good? This is disastrous!" She exclaimed, shaking me a little out of my collected state. Her tone made it clear that Lx16's disappearance wasn't something small. It was a BIG deal.
Saira acted fast. She pulled out a phone from an internal pocket of her cloak and punched in the numbers. Sweat beads trickled down her head as she pushed the phone to her ear. I let go of the shawl that was on my face and went in closer to confirm again. But again, there was no sign of her. It was like she just vanished into thin air.
As I studied the cell from inside, Saira spoke on the phone with Usama. "I don't know, Usama! I just came here and she wasn't there. Just bring Sir Jaber with you. I don't want to be blamed for this." She hung up right after and started pacing here and there with a troubled hand on her head. My gaze followed her.
"I don't believe this. How could she have left this place?" Saira muttered under her breath. Not knowing what to say or how to react, I just kept quiet. "Open up the cell. Maybe she dug up some kind of hole inside. We should check." I suggested when I saw that Saira couldn't calm herself down. I knew I had to do something.
She looked up at me and nodded abruptly. "You're right." She felt into her pocket and took out some keys. She unlocked the door with shaky hands and kicked the door open. Both of us went inside. We went straight to the wall. I checked it carefully from everywhere, looking for anything that could give us a lead on how she escaped.
Even though, I was somewhat relieved that she ran away and that she didn't have to deal with the problems I put for her but despite that, I didn't feel too good about it. Her running away meant that she was not ready to surrender. And if she didn't have anything to hide, then why was she so persistent?
I shook those thoughts out of my head and focused on the matter at hand.
As Saira and I searched for some sort of trace of a hole, the sound of footsteps startled both of us. Saira stood up straight and rushed out, the hinge of the metal door making a piercing sound that could drive anyone nuts. "Sir Jaber!"
I straightened myself too and turned my neck to look at the new arrivals. Between the bars, I saw Usama and broad shoulders standing side by side. It was obvious they were dead worried. "What happened, Saira?" He asked. Saira took a quick breath and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "We just got here and she wasn't inside. I have no idea how she escaped."
Jaber nodded once and looked towards me. For a second, we made eye contact but I instantly looked away. Brushing it off, he entered the cell, Saira and Usama following behind. "When did you leave her alone?" He asked Saira who just looked at the wall, fearfully.
"I went to collect Amaani 40 minutes ago. We just came here. It's been hardly 10 minutes." She replied immediately still looking at the wall. Broad shoulders nodded again.
The three of them scanned the place while I just stood there like a fourth wheel, having no clue what to do about the situation. I kept on looking at Broad Shoulders who was tracing the wall with his fingers in an attempt to find some kind of hidden void. Sighing, he stood up.
"There's no point in worrying about what has already been done." He said "Usama, I want you to search nearby areas carefully. She couldn't have gone far. Take 3 of our most trusted men. I want you to report to me by 3:15. Make sure you take female officers as well." After earning an obedient nod from Usama, he shifted to Saira.
"And I want you to accompany Ms. Sohail and her brother home." He gestured toward me. My head snapped up to face him. "I'm going home?" The words slipped right out of my mouth. "Of course. A deal is a deal." His eyes were directed at me as he talked. Usama left us alone after receiving a hand signal from him. Then he turned to me again. I felt an odd feeling as his gaze stuck to me. For a second, I fell silent trying to figure out why I was feeling that way.
I blinked when he looked away. "Saira," he ordered. Saira, who understood his every command telepathically, neared me. "Come on, Amaani. I'll take you back and you can pack your stuff." She said. I glanced at him again. "But, why so suddenly?" I couldn't help but ask.
"It's not sudden. This is what we decided. We would let you go home once you brought the girl here." He replied. The odd feeling returned. I nodded slowly. "Yes…" maybe it had something to do with the changed tone of his voice. But it was just a guess.
"What about Lx16?" I quickly asked. He cocked an eyebrow at me as if questioning my eagerness to stay. "We will handle it." He simply replied. Not knowing what to say, I accepted it.
I didn't know why I was trying to involve myself even more in the whole situation. Maybe it was just my curiosity and enthusiasm about helping them. I also had many unanswered questions about Lx16 but the way Broad shoulders looked at me, waiting for me to leave, made me realize that it was finally time to go.
"Follow me," Saira called shaking me out of my thoughts. She started walking back to where we had come from and Broad shoulders just went back into the cell probably to find the hidden hole. I looked after Saira but looked back at him again. "Well, I guess this is Goodbye."
He seemed a little taken aback by my sudden statement. But he straightened himself quickly. "Yes. Salam u Alaikum." He said. I nodded once. "Waalaykum Salam." I gave him a little smile. Even though he couldn't see it on my face, my tone made it clear. I was just about to leave when he opened his mouth to say something. But he closed it again. I made a face.
What a sour Susan.
I felt like he was about to say thank you or something but I had forgotten who I was standing in front of. I scowled at him and before I knew it, my mouth started talking on its own.
"You know, you could've said a thank you at least." I folded my arms over my chest. Expecting him to roll his eyes, I was kind of surprised when confusion filled his expression. For a moment it was like he didn't know what to say but again, this was Jaber Suleman whom I was talking about.
"Thank you, Ms. Sohail. Although you got your part of the deal out of it." He replied. I blinked twice to see whether I was dreaming or not. I didn't know it was possible. And I was sure my eyes were playing tricks on me because meanie Broad Shoulders was actually s-smiling!
Even if it was just a little one that vanished almost immediately, it sure was a sight.
Before I could reply, he pulled his arm out and directed it to where Saira went. "She's waiting for you, Ms. Sohail."
I nodded slowly and turned around. For a second I thought about his changed attitude but it didn't stay on my mind for long. I could only think about what awaited us back at home. As I walked, I thought about all the things that were to come.
Was life going to return to normal? What we knew, would it affect us? Just then, my hand touched the metallic surface of the forgotten band around my wrist that hugged my skin tightly. I had completely ignored it.
I freaking had Lx16's bracelet.
And the worst thing was, it couldn't come off.