Volume 1: The Story Of Their Life

Chapter 8: The Beginning Of It All...

"Man, we're screwed," Alex muttered, his eyes glued to the phone screen, his thumb swiping frantically.

*Whimper* *Sniffle*

"Oh no," Alex whispered under his breath. "Here comes the dam."

"We're gonna go to jaillll" I wailed, tears gushing like a broken faucet down my cheeks. The boys rallied around me, dropping to their knees. Harry shot Alex a look that could curdle milk as Alex silently mouthed sorry.

"D—Don't cry! Laurie, it's gonna be fine... We'll work things out." Alex assured as I paused, sniffled, and cried again. "We have to go back now... You're gonna mess up your makeup..."

"It's waterproof,"

Harry turned to Alex. "It can't be anyone. Hacking into a system controlled by the world's most powerful government... It's something even we... you... can't do." Alex nodded in agreement, reclining on his back and gazing up at the vast expanse of stars sprinkled across the night sky.  "Plus, it's 11: 50... The day is almost over... Why at this hour? It doesn't feel right."

"11:50...?" I exclaimed, lifting my face in alarm.  "11:50! We're gonna be late..." I hastily smoothed down my blonde hair before darting off to flip on the lights.

"Wasn't she crying a second ago?" Alex asked, shooting me a puzzled look.

"I can... If you want me to." I replied, crouching down and gently tousling Nat's hair.

"Let a man sleep, LC," Nat mumbled.

"A man? Where?" I quipped as Nat flipped over to face me, lazily cracking open one eye before shutting it again. I glanced over at the boys engrossed in serious discussion before refocusing on Nat. "Get up Nat, do you even have any idea what's going on?" I nudged the shoe I'd kicked earlier toward his feet before darting back to the others, unloading everything from the tray. "Come on guys, hustle. We have to get back to the event now. Or else we'll be doomed... I just hope Cal is doing okay."

And he wasn't... Bro was trying not to die back there.

— — —

"Yeah, yeah. She'll be here in five minutes. Don't worry." Calvin said, sending my mom away before walking back to his seat, which to his "luck", was right next to Vera's. Vera suppressed a smirk as Calvin settled in beside her.

"You have something to say, don't you?"

"Looks like you won't last 10 minutes, Castelino."

Calvin flashed a grin, turning to her. "Well, if Harry is not here on time, you'll be having your funeral with me."

Her smile faded as she remarked, her tone tinged with concern, "It's starting to get less funny."

Calvin slipped his phone out of his pocket to dial my number just as mine vibrated in my hand.

— — —

"That's our cue, guys. Move it!" I prompted Nat, handing him his jacket. "We'll be there in a minute. Stick with that idiot and make sure he doesn't talk." I told Harry who trailed behind him.

"Are you really not worried?" Alex queried, watching me pack up everything and pass the tray to him before I quickly touched up my makeup.

I paused hesitantly for a split second. "A little... Why else do you think I cried?" " I glanced at him.  "But you'll fix it... You will, right?"

Alex smirked. "No pressure."

"No pressure," I echoed before hurriedly dragging him down the stairs. Alex set the tray on the kitchen counter as I reluctantly answered Calvin's call and urgently tugged him away. We exchanged silent waves with Tyrell, who responded with a polite smile, before departing.

"We're on our way... Almost there! I'm so sorry..." I blurted out the moment the call connected, cutting off any potential "tirade" from Calvin. I braced myself for the inevitable earful, though it hit me full force anyway. We bolted out and sprinted towards the venue, but despite my urgency, Al slowed his pace. "Al, we don't ha—" I turned back, my words trailing off as I came to an abrupt halt. A gasp escaped my lips at the sight of the fallen soldier, who laid in a pool of blood.

"5... 5, come on, stay with me!" Al pleaded, lightly slapping his face in an attempt to rouse him. He was bleeding profusely from a deep wound in his back. Al stared at his blood-stained hands before turning to me, a look of shock mirrored on my face. My phone slipped from my grasp, Calvin's repeated hellos echoing unheard as I rushed over to them. Sentinel struggled to speak, his words were lost in the chaos. "Hang in there, bud... Stay with us," Al urged, draping Sentinel's arm over his shoulder with my help. However, the latter didn't budge and seemed more driven to send us away.

Before we could process anything, I felt a hand clamp over my mouth. I thrashed in the air, desperately attempting to break free from the suffocating hold. My voice was reduced to muffled screams, before gradually fading into silence. In a matter of seconds, my vision began to dim, the world slipping away into darkness.

And that was it. When I finally regained consciousness, I found myself in a sterile, white room, with a glass wall stretching along one side. The room was sparsely furnished, with arrangements made for a temporary stay, and my ankle was seized with a restrainer. My heart raced, anxiety mounting as sweat trickled down my forehead.

I got up from the bed and stepped down, crashing on the floor. Exhaustion weighed heavily on me, as I laid on my back, facing the ceiling. Thoughts swirled in my mind as I struggled to comprehend the situation unfolding before me. But one thing was for sure: whatever was going on... It didn't mean anything good.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed through the room. I turned, my eyes locking on the tall figure who settled outside my cell, leaning against the glass wall. His profile was obscured by a mask, but he appeared relatively young, likely in his mid-twenties. He retrieved the two daggers from the back of his boots and set them down beside him. I inched towards the wall, pounding on it to catch his attention, desperately calling out to him. He pointed to his mouth and ears, shaking his head to indicate he couldn't hear or speak, without even bothering to face me.

Sighing in frustration, I banged on the wall once more. This time, he actually turned, sensing the vibrations as I attempted to communicate through my makeshift sign language. What happened to my friend? Th—the injured man... He's okay, right?

Impressive. He gestured back.

You understand me? Where is my friend? Is he okay? I sim-commed (simultaneously communicated), my voice and expression tinged with anxiety. He began to move his right hand to sign something but then hesitated. I watched him intently, my gaze shifting from his arms to his face.

They are... fine. He signed back. I let out a sigh of relief, briefly burying my face with my hands before meeting his gray eyes once more. Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself? I fell silent. Memories of that night flooded back. My hand trembled as I clenched my fist, the fear still fresh in my mind. Are you scared? I paused, then shook my head, determined not to let my guard down to a stranger... to a kidnapper.

You're scared. He observed.

It's not like anything is gonna change if I fear for my life. He nodded in agreement. I realized there was little point in asking questions to a man who steadfastly refused to reveal his face.  Even if I dared to, the likelihood of receiving satisfactory answers seemed slim at best.

After a while, glancing over at the time, he knelt down, facing me as he picked up his daggers, sliding them back into his boots. You know, I really hope I see you the next time I'm here.

As I looked up at him, his towering figure loomed over me. What do you mean? I asked, my eyebrows knitting together in skepticism.

He strode towards the exit of the unit I was confined in, the same one he had entered through just moments before. As he reached the doorway, he paused briefly, then turned to me, gesturing towards the food on the table nearby. Don't die just yet. You are in for a long ride.