Chapter 3- Warehouse Fight
1168 Words
Malcolm stood beside me as I watched Brittney sleep, continually glancing at her punctured wrist. It was so baffling. I glanced at him.
Malcolm said, “Talked with our buddies. They theorized a snake bite, but said even then the puncture holes are different in diameter and spacing.”
I nodded.
“Also, we got a call from our forensic scientist. Said there was blood on the dress. Some of it hers, and some of it came back as Sara Caphrey’s.”
I spun around remembering the college roommate’s words. “She was with Brittney the night she was kidn*pped. Sara must have been taken too.”
Malcolm was grim. His lips moved into a firm line. “Appears so.”’
I said, “According to the roommate, they were all together at Albetos, but she left early to finish homework. Brittney called the roommate in an elevator saying there was more there, and she was stuck in an elevator not like an elevator.” I shrugged at my last sentence. “However, Brittney has no memory of what happened. Nothing. She remembers going to Albetos and next thing she knew she was in a hospital.”
I folded my arms, continuing. “So, as far as we know, the perp targets women around the age of twenty at high-end places like Albetos. Or at least that is one of his target places.”
“Did it have to be Albetos?”
Malcolm's face fell and his shoulders sag. His offer of dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in the city didn’t seem so nice anymore.
I nudged him with my shoulder. “How about you and I finally having that nice dinner at Albetos? When can you get us in?”
He huffed. “Work, work, work. Tonight, probably.”
“Great.” We turned and went towards the front door. “I just want to know how they are getting lured, why they have no memory, and why the perp is letting his victims go.”
I exited the front door blinking several times against the midday sun. Movement caught my attention to my left. I squinted and by the shadow of the hospital building a man was setting down an unconscious girl wearing a red dress.
Malcolm followed out. “What are you-“
The man looked up, and dashed around the building. I took off.
“Check her! I got him,” I yelled to Malcolm.
I chased him down the side of the hospital. He was incredibly fast. I pushed myself harder, forcing myself to stay with him. He turned left and I followed.
There was an old, abandoned warehouse ahead. The man jumped through the window, shattering it. I made it to the same window and hesitated before leaping through. I saw his shadow turn right and I kept my pursuit.
However, when I turned to the right, he was gone. I pulled my gun out and searched in the barely visible lit warehouse. My heart pounded as I tried to sense around me for any noise or movement. Every corner was covered in darkness, leaving too many places for him to hide.
I paused, listening.
A soft scrap of dirt. I twisted just as the man dashed towards me from behind a rusted pillar. I fired, but he dodged my bullet with uncanny speed. He blitzed towards me, hitting me hard against the wall.
My head flung back, hitting the concrete wall. He tried to run, but I threw my leg out, hitting him in the side. He stumbled, giving me a chance to scrutinize him. The man stood taller than me. Six two? Six three? With black hair. He twisted towards me, throwing a left hook. I effectively blocked it. In fast and quick movements, he took the offense. I dodged, ducked, and blocked until I found the perfect opportunity to punch him in his midsection.
He doubled over and I kicked him hard. When he looked up, his eyes flashed a gold that penetrated through the darkness.
His attacks came at double speed. It took everything I had to match his intensity. Never before had I fought someone with unearthly speed and strength. He seemed unreal and still I could feel he was holding back.
The man caught my wrist, twisting my arm behind my back. I threw my elbow hard into his rib. He gasped, and I spun around throwing a kick high at his head. With force, he blocked my leg, throwing me off balance. My opponent pushed me hard against the wall. His hands gripped my wrists.
We were both breathing heavily. I couldn’t make out any facial features in the dense shadows of the warehouse. But I could see an off-white tint to his skin and his eyes that appeared to glow slightly in the dark, gold. Not as bright as gold, perhaps not as dark as iron. There was something unnatural about him. His speed, his strength, his eyes.
“Who are you?” I whispered. But what I was really wondering was what he was.
His eyes held mine and I could feel my head getting fuzzy. Something was telling me I was at home dreaming. And all I needed to do was close my eyes. My eyes felt heavy and sleep beckoned me. It had been nearly twenty hours since I last slept and I could feel its lullaby. All I needed to do was close my eyes.
But I couldn’t. I wanted to so badly. Yet, there was still that part of me that knew this was no dream. Knew that I could not fall asleep and become vulnerable.
I growled, got my hand free, and scratched at his face. He quickly took control of my wrist again, pinning it back.
He stared at me, and I could see that he was confused. His nail dug into my left wrist, and I seethed in pain. I tried kicking, but he was too quick, too strong. He burrowed his thumbnail into my skin until he drew blood. I could feel the stickiness run down my arm.
He let go, and I brought my wrist close to my body, pulling my sleeve over it to apply pressure.
I watched as he licked his thumb where remnants of my blood clung. He staggered back, his eyes dimmed where they no longer flashed the illuminating gold color. His eyes held mine wide.
“Adira! Adira!” Malcolm’s voice echoed through the warehouse.
The man turned and jumped out of the window. I ran to the window, but by the time I got there he was gone. Only the shadows of the skyscrapers loomed over me.
“Adira! Did you find him?”
I looked back out along the alleyway searching for him. There was something about him that piqued my curiosity. A mystery, asking to be solved.
“No. He got away.”
But I was a detective. My job was to hunt.
- Writer
