The Lightning Mage

25 | The Hiatus, Part II

ϟ☁ϟ☁ϟ

The rain was as heavy as it was forecasted; the torrent splattered mercilessly on the scurrying passersby and its wind forced the surrounding palm trees to bow in reverence. Lyn stood behind the blurred cafe window, gazing at the scenery with a small scowl on her face.

"Double espresso shot for Lyn!"

The barista's high-pitched voice jerked Lyn from her trance. As if possessed by a sudden sense of urgency, she strode to the counter, grabbed her order, and chugged down her coffee—all within a few seconds. Then, she stared at the tall, burly man next to her.

"Let's go," she said solemnly.

The man was leaning against the wall next to her. His copper skin was a shade of rose gold under the warm bistro lights, while his broad shoulders looked imposing against the cozy, brick walls. As Lyn turned to him, he raised his eyebrows.

"Finally ready?"

"Yeah." Lyn wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Just needed something to calm my mind."

Neil nodded. Together, they put up the hood of their raincoat and marched out of the cafe. The water struck Lyn's body like a flood of tiny pebbles, obscuring her vision as she tried her best to follow Neil. She did not like the weather in Miami; this godforsaken place was humid enough as it is, and the rain did not help with that.

After walking by endless rows of bars and drunk people dancing in the rain, Neil finally led her to a much less touristy location: an old, off-white office building.

"He should be in there," —He glanced at his watch.— "and coming out in about five minutes."

"Right here?" Lyn scanned the building as they shuffled to a corner of the alleyway. The two-story structure had an old-fashioned and simple design; it was so modest that it blended into the background. If Neil had not pointed it out to her, Lyn would not have given it a second thought.

"How did you even find him here?"

Neil shrugged. "I have my ways."

"Hm."

By now, Lyn knew better than to probe the cryptic private investigator further. He was as good at his job as he was secretive. She had heard about Neil while she was in jail, and had contacted him the moment she got out.

After a few minutes, Neil gestured towards a middle-aged man walking out of the building. "That's the guy. Recognize him?"

With just a glimpse of the person, Lyn had a flashback to the fateful duel half a year ago. That signature black bowler hat, cheap suit, and slimy face—that was indeed Han's manager. There was no way she would ever forget his, or Han's, face.

"That's him," she growled.

"His name is David Diggerson. He mainly serves clients who can't work with the QA."

"So, shady people?"

"More or less." Neil peered at her with a pair of serene, bronze eyes. "Don't get too crazy on him, Lyn."

Lyn snorted. "I'll be fine. Let's do this." She smashed her hands together and began to follow him.

The middle-aged man trudged along the pavement with an umbrella, oblivious to the fact that two people were trailing right behind him. Lyn kept her head low while eyeing his slouched back warily. After they passed one last group of giggling teenagers, the coast was clear.

"Stay back," she warned Neil, before raising her hands.

With a forceful downwards slam, a bright stream of light struck down from the rain clouds, pummeling into the ground right next to David. The blast from the lightning was so powerful that David fell backward in shock, dropping his umbrella and crashing into a puddle of water.