Chapter 13: The Secret Mission

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"Oh my god, you were right Bella. This definitely will help." I note down pointers and nearby landmarks as I examine the zoomed-in Google Map of the cliff location.

She barely looks excited about it, but I'm still grateful to her. After almost two weeks of tedious brainstorming, overthinking, worrying and a lot of stressed tears, she suggested I look up the maps to have at least a vague idea of where could've he gone if he survived.

Her ′if' made me frown, it felt for a moment that she didn't yet believe in my faith, but I brushed the doubt off.

Why would she be here, if she didn't believe?

Bella walks next to me staring into her phone while I keep doing vague calculations in my mind.

The cliff from where the car fell off, is the southmost end of Kempdon and it's the highest point, which is a roughly 40 minutes drive from Drakedon. Towards the west, the cliff slopes low, and its height decreases gradually and at the west end of the town, lies a furious waterfall. The water from the river Veihn, crossing the heart of Kempdon, leaves the town floor at that very fall.

As per the map, the river continues to flow after it reaches the land below the waterfall. Down the cliff, at the bank of Veihn, a few miles from the Kempdon fall, is the little old town of Veihnsberg. And if Dan fell all the way down to the river, he probably is in Veihnsberg at the moment.

"Easter, if ever someone falls all the way down to the river, it's impossible for them to live," Bella says with considerable looking eyes.

I scoff at her statement. "Bella, him being alive, me receiving his messages, it all seemed impossible to you earlier, but now you believe it, don't you?" I look into her eyes with hopes of finding an obvious yes.

She flashes a smile at me with a hesitant nod.

"So, it is most likely that he's seeking refuge in Veihnsberg," I exclaim shining my eyes at her, "that's where we can find him."

She looks at me silently for a moment and then exhales a deep breath. "Well, with that logic, he can also possibly be taking refuge in Jolmberg or Rocrfall."

"Yes, he can be. You're right!" I start staring back at the notepad in my hand, a rough map is drawn on it. I circle the towns she mentioned with my pencil hastily.

"What exactly are you gonna do with this?" She asks as she tilts and turns stuff in her locker, keeping her voice low.

"I'm gonna go to the Kempshire police department this evening and inform them. So they can go around looking for him." I answer casually shoving the notepad in my locker.

"No, you're not!" She drops her bag on the floor as she shrieks, loud enough to make a few eyes turn our way.

"Keep it low, Bella." I press her arm in my hand as I smile the curious eyes off us.

"You're not going to the police Easter. It's no use." She says as soon as she shuts the washroom door after pushing me in. Her eyes are as unfamiliar to me as they can be and I once again find us standing on square one, where I have to make her understand everything once again.

"What even is your problem, Bella? I need to find him!" I turn my back to her.

"Easter. Oh my God." I hear her slapping both her palms frantically on her face. "You don't understand you're blinded by your faith and love, but the town, the people, the cops. They all believe him dead. They are not going to send a search party for nothing."

"Nothing?" I struggle to believe the words coming out of her mouth. "No Bella, I'm fine. You are the one blinded by what you yourself want to believe. You can't open your mind to reality? You heard the fucking message, for god's sake!"

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