Manhunt

Rising suspicions

” Ciroc?”

Theia´s unsure voice came from another side of the bathroom door where Charon had locked himself.

He had been there for almost two hours and Theia was getting worried. Ryiah was sleeping on the bed and Theia wiped her face now and then from the sweat. 

Theia got agitated, nipping her lower lip, gazing at Ryiah’s impassive body, not sure what more she could do because Ryiah´s slumber was restless.

” Ciroc, are you alright?” Theia asked, placing her hand against the door gazing at it.

“Yes, I am fine. The blood is a little hard to get off of the floor, that's all. How's Ryi- Riona?” Charon answered, stumbling on his words revealing Ryiah´s actual name. 

Theia didn´t seem to notice.

“Sleeping, but I am worried for she may develop a fever and the wound might get infected. She needs antibiotics and something for the pain.”

Charon glanced at the door from where he was sitting, next to the bathtub.

Leaning his head back, resting it against the tub's edge, Charon let out a sigh and closed his eyes. He didn’t possess those kinds of meds in the house. He would need to go out and try to get his hands on them. Drug stores didn’t sell them, so Charon might have to break into the hospital's medical supplies storage.

It wasn´t something Charon hadn´t done before, but he hated the idea of leaving Ryiah alone with Theia.

“Ciroc?”

He sighed as Theia called out for him. This woman had a talent of getting on his nerves.

“Yes, I heard you. I'll think of something,” he grunted.

“I-I need to go, I needed to be at work half an hour ago, Valentianus isn´t going to be happy if he finds out I´m not at the office.” Theia swallowed, trying not to think about the possibility of Bernand reporting this morning's incident to her husband. She hoped Bernand hadn´t noticed her involvement in this.

But then she remembered the surveillance cameras in the main hall. Closing her eyes, Theia groaned out loud, turning to lean against the door. Valentianus was going to find out about this. And when he did, she was going to be in so much trouble.

“Damn cameras…” she cursed when she heard shuffling from the bathroom and turning around scrambled backwards as Charon opened the door stepping out.

“You need a lift?” Charon asked walking up to his wardrobe needing to change his clothes. Ryiah´s blood had stained his hoodie and jacket.

Theia stared at him, stunned for a moment in lost of words, but when Charon glanced at her with a questioning lift of his brow while taking off his jacket and hoodie, Theia found her tongue.

“Y-yes please, I would appreciate it.”

Charon didn´t reply. He shifted his attention to figure out what to wear, ignoring Theia´s blushing face as he stood in front of her with the bare upper body.

He seemed rather clueless what kind of impact he had on the woman as Theia had a front seat to marvel his splendid physique even if it was for a minute.

“Oh, Lord….” she murmured, but when Charon turned to face her white t-shirt in hand, Theia cast her gaze on the bed. Well, that was a mistake as her imagination took over and her cheeks turned even redder.

“You alright?” Charon asked, frowning when he noticed how hot she seemed to be.

“Yes…” Theia´s voice sounded a little too high pitched, so she cleared her throat while meeting Charon’s curious gaze.

“Yes, I´m fine.”

“Mm-mm.” Charon hummed, putting the shirt on and taking a black leather jacket from the closet. He looked at Ryiah biting his inner cheek, not willing to leave her alone. But since he offered to give Theia a ride back to the central, he didn´t have a choice. And he would have to get the meds for Ryiah.

“I got the impression when we met the first time that you are sassy and flirtatious one. But now you don´t look like one,” Charon said, grabbing his keys Theia had left on the nightstand and walked out the room.

Theia lifted her brows in question before frown formed on her face and followed Charon downstairs.

“Well, excuse me for not being sassy and flirtatious while Riona lies on the bed in pain and might die.” she scoffed, earning Charon glare at her over his shoulder while opening the front door and stepping out on the deck.

“That's not what I meant and you know it.” he snarled under his breath strolling toward his car ignoring the irritated stare Theia gave him.

“By all means, tell me what did you mean?” Theia shot back while going on the passenger side and opening the door, her gaze never leaving Charon's face.

Charon was already at the end of his wits because of the situation and Theia picking a fight with him wasn´t helping. The sooner he would get the woman out of his hair, the better.

“I´m not falling for that. If you want to fight, save that energy for your husband.” Charon sneered, pressing the last word reminding where Theia´s place was. He wasn´t going to play a dangerous game by hustling with someone's wife.

Theia narrowed her eyes while pressing her lips together, forming a thin line. She was fuming, but she wasn´t getting the fight she wanted with Charon, so she might as well spend the energy on something else.

“Fine! Go back to Riona, I'll walk!” she yelled slamming the car door shut turning on her heels and started walking away.

Charon rolled his eyes, watching Theia stomping forward like going into battle.

Women. This was one reason Charon didn’t want to get involved with them. Too much drama.

“Suit yourself. It's a two-hour walk, but I´m sure Valentianus won’t notice your absence.” Charon called after her turning around and approached the stairs when he heard a whine escaping from Theia. Deciding to ignore it, Charon climbed the stairs and was about to open the front door when he heard Theia saying something. But it was too quiet for him to hear her.

Charon turned sideways pocketing his hands to his leather jacket and looked at Theia who was now facing him miserable look on her face.

“Didn’t quite catch that,” Charon spoke keeping his unwavering gaze on Theia who looked up biting her lower lip.

“I’m sorry. I’m just tense because the incident got caught on camera and Valentianus will find about all of this.” Theia explained.

Charon watched Theia twisting her hands in front of him.

There was a moment of perfect silence between them before Charon turned to face her.

“Are you going to behave if I agree to take you to downtown?”

“Yes. I promise.” Theia nodded and much to her relief Charon descended the stairs walking back to his car and opening the door motioned Theia with a nod of his head.

“Get in.”

Theia got into the car as Charon started the engine and reversed into the driveway.

The drive back was quiet.

Theia didn´t dare spoke anything as she could feel the tension in the car. She wasn´t sure if it was because of her or because Charon was worried sick of his friend; he had to leave behind to fight for her life.

The landscape and houses zipped by while Theia gazed out the window. The sun was rising on the horizon reminding her the office was already busy and she hoped no one had noticed her absence yet.

Charon focused on keeping his gaze on the road ahead, but his mind was as busy as a highway on a populous afternoon. He was trying to come up with the plan on how to get the meds while he was in central. There was no way he would make the drive for a second time.

With a familiar crossing, Charon put on the winker and glancing in the mirror he then shifted the gear and turned the car on the left street. Seeing a bus stop a little further ahead, he glanced at Theia, who stared out of the window deep in thought.

“I’ll drop you off on that bus-stop. It’s only a five-minute walk from here.” Charon's voice startled Theia, and she snapped her attention to Charon before looking ahead.

“Thank you,” she spoke while unlocking the safety belt getting ready to get out the car.

Charon hummed and parked the car on the stop watching Theia opening the door and stepping out.

“Can you tell me when Riona gets better? You have my number.” Theia bent down looking at Charon, who nodded. Theia offered a small smile and with that shut the door watching as Charon drove back on the street disappearing into the sea of cars.

Sighing, she glanced down and much to her horror noticed Ryiah´s blood on her hands. She didn´t remember to wash her hands before leaving Charon's house.

“You i***t!” she moaned to herself and started looking for a place where she could scrub her hands clean. A small coffee shop in the corner had just opened and Theia jogged toward it, yanking the door open and stepping inside an old lady greeted her behind the counter.

“Morning darling. What can I get you?” she smiled at Theia, who tried to search for a bathroom.

“Morning, um, do you have a toilet?” Theia smiled back, crossing her legs a little to show she was in a hurry.

“Oh of course dear, just around that corner.” the lady pointed, chuckling as Theia flew across the room in the pointed direction.

“Thank you!”

As the door closed behind her, Theia made sure she was the only customer in the bathroom before dashing to the sink and started washing her hands desperately. She wanted to be sure there was no blood under her nails. Valentianus had the eyesight of a hawk. Nothing got past him.

The lady hummed behind the counter while making sandwiches when Theia came out squeaky clean and the woman glanced at her with a smile.

“Why don´t you have some coffee with you and a sandwich, you look like you could use some.”

Theia´s stomach crumbled at the word sandwich earning her to hug her belly embarrassed. She hadn´t had anything to eat this morning as she had thought to eat at the office at coffee break.

But then she frowned.

She had left her wallet in the penthouse after leaving in a hurry, wanting to avoid Valentianus in the morning.

“No thank you, I’ll be fine once I get to my workplace.”

The lady furrowed her brows at Theia.

“Nonsense. Old Betty won’t allow such a young woman like yourself to go to work with an empty stomach.”

“No, you don´t have to…” Theia tried but old Betty wasn´t listening.

“I will hear none of that, I didn´t raise six children, survived the war and start my business to hear something as ridiculous as that.”

“But I don´t have my wallet with me. I can´t pay…” Theia tried to reason, but Betty waved her hand, dismissing Theia’s argument.

“You come back to pay later, leave something here as a bond. I recognize an honest person when I see one.”

Theia sighed with a shake of her head, deciding to give up on trying to talk some sense to Betty.

“Alright. I’ll leave my watch and this bracelet.” Theia offered. 

Betty grinned turning around disappearing into the kitchen humming an unfamiliar tune.

Theia listened to the tune while sitting on the nearest chair taking off her watch and bracelet placing them at the table. She settled to wait for her order she didn´t order.

“I have never heard that song before. Can I ask what it is?” Theia called after a while, trying to figure it out herself and failing.

“My mother sang to me. She learned it from her mother. Might say it runs in the family.” Betty replied, pride in her voice, and Theia’s smile grew wider after hearing that.

“Any family songs in your family?” Betty asked, peeking through the ajar door looking at Theia whose smile died out.

“No. The only family tradition we had was how to make tons of debt for future generation to pay back.”

The expression on Betty's face changed into something Theia could only interpret as pity. 

It irritated Theia as she thought someone she didn´t even know showed her pity.

“No need to feel sorry for me. I´m working my way out of that.” Theia said, turning her gaze to look out the window so she could avoid looking at Betty.

Betty didn´t say anything only smiled disappearing back into the kitchen.

Theia sighed, stroking her forehead, and closed her eyes.

“Working my way out….. After today, I´m sure they chain me to the desk when Valentianus hears about this morning.” Theia muttered to herself as a gruesome headache surfaced and Theia rubbed her temples with a groan.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Theia groaned.

7:30 am. 

Brilliant. 

Her workday started at 6 am, so she was already an hour and a half behind schedule.

There was nothing she could do about it anymore, so she as well might try to think of an excuse to tell her co-workers.

She overslept.

Hardly. Valentianus was still in the penthouse when she left, talking to his mother on the phone.

Did she fetch some delicious sandwiches from this coffee?

No. That wouldn´t work. She didn´t have a clue this coffee shop even existed until now.

“Come on, girl! Think!” 

Theia huffed leaning on her knees raking her fingers through her hair.

She woke up with a pounding headache and thought some fresh air would help, and she forgot to check the time as she walked too far. Not having breakfast, she wanted to buy something from and this coffee shop was on her path.

Her face lit up when that thought popped into her mind.

That might work. She had a headache, and she would walk into the office with breakfast.

With a smile, Theia turned her attention just in time toward the kitchen door to see Betty appearing from the kitchen with a bag and big takeaway cup with steaming coffee. 

The scent coming from the bag caressed her nostrils and Theia let out pleased humming, closing her eyes, inhaling deeper.

It was a delicious scent.

“Enjoy dear.” Betty smiled, handing them over to Theia.

“Thank you. I'll stop by later this afternoon to pay these.” Theia thanked her, receiving a simple nod.

She stood up from the chair with a wide smile and exited the shop, inhaling the cool air before turning toward the traffic light.

Now all she needed to do was rehears her words and make everyone believe them. Should be easy enough.

The only thing she didn´t consider that Valentianus was in the office looking for her.

“Where the f**k is she?!” Valentianus´s angry voice boomed in the office scaring everyone as he glared at the workers who glanced at each other hoping someone knew the answer.

Of all the stunts his wife had pulled, this was the worse kind. The contract stated her not to be late from work without an excellent reason. Of all days, Theia decided this was the day she defied his direct order not to be late from work.

The nerve of that woman!

He was about to target his anger for the nearest woman sitting behind her laptop shaking like a leaf when elevator let out a bing and Valentianus turned around to look who would walk out from it.

His flaming glare landed on Theia, who stepped out the elevator with a bag and a coffee cup in hand, surprised when she saw him standing a few meters away from the elevator.

“Where the hell were you?! Your shift started an hour and a half ago!!” Valentianus yelled at her.

Gathering herself rather Theia put a radiating smile on her face and walked head held illustrious past Valentianus onto her desk, putting down her breakfast.

“Yes, I know. But I woke up with a gruesome headache and I thought going out for a walk if some fresh air would help since we don´t have any painkillers in the penthouse. I strolled farther than I expected and wanted to get some breakfast along the way when I noticed this lovely little coffee shop.”

Valentianus glared at Theia but looking at the bag and the coffee cup he pondered if what she told him was true. Her cheeks were red so she must have been walking some time.

“Alright. Just get to work. Next time text me if something like this happens again.” Valentianus stated, brows knitted together. He lacked time to lecture his wife any further as he glanced at his watch.

“Of course.” Theia nodded.

“I´m late for my meeting.” 

He approached the elevator hoping this day wouldn´t get any worse while Theia kept the smile on her face until the doors closed.

“Ugh. I sure hope this day won’t get any worse,” she muttered while opening her laptop.

Valentianus stared at the steel doors as if trying to drill a hole through them. A nagging feeling at the back of his head refused to let him be.

“She was too docile…” 

Valentianus had learned very when his wife was being too docile something was going on and she didn´t want him to know about it.

“Well, I’ll find out about it later.”

With a determined look on his face, Valentianus exited the elevator and walked toward the meeting room where his brother, his mother and Bernand was waiting.

Why their mother insisted two hours ago on the phone to have this meeting wasn´t clear to him, but whatever it was Valentianus knew hell was about to break loose.