The Wheel Of Fortune
Chapter 29-Hidden

After Forensic team arrives, Ryou and I go separate ways to complete our task.

Once we are almost in the middle of the marked area for inspection, I ask the driver to park the car on the side. “Sir, will you wait or go back? My work will take time.”

“Your Grace asked me to stay back.”

“Okay then....” I exit the car with a map while taking notice of how he used Ryou’s name instead of saying if he will wait or not. As soon as I am out on the road, I feel like I have traveled back in time. Small cafes and shops can be seen on both sides of the roads, otherwise, skyscrapers and malls are the only things I see in most of this city.

After looking around, I decided to randomly take any route at first to get to know this place better. Once I get some idea about what type of place this is, I start asking people about abandoned houses and buildings. There aren’t many residents in this area. But the question of forcefully hiding in other’s houses still remains.

“Excuse me, are there any roads that lead me outside other than the main road?” I ask a women passerby.

“No, you can only take the main road from here. Where do you want to go?”

“I was just asking, Thank you.” I hurriedly move past her in case she asks more questions. Wandering around for three hours, I manage to mark most of the abandoned places and places where someone could hide on the map. While I am crossing the road, all of a sudden, I notice a couple showing a photo to the passersby as they ask them something with a panic-stricken look. The passersby shake his head so they move on to the shopkeeper nearby. I wonder what happened?

By 9 pm, I have marked most of the places with some asking around. Ryou’s emergency meeting should be over by now. I put the map back in my purse and make my way back to the car. I knock on the window of the driver’s seat on replaceing him snoring away in his seat. He wakes up with a start and hurridly wipes his mouth with his palm.

“Ah...ma’am, you are back?”

By the fourth day of the search, almost 60% of abandoned areas were crossed out but with no luck. Both Ryou and I have been getting sleep of only 5 hours for the last 4 days. I look at myself in the side-view mirror of the car and frown. The dark circles under my eyes are giving me a scare. I glance at my companion to replace him in a not better state. Ryou’s tiredness by managing his studies and case can be seen on his face.

But wait...why does his complexion still look better than mine? Did he use a face mask? Without thinking, I lean forward and touch his cheek.

As soon as I touch his cheek, he leans away from the touch startled. He eyes my outstretched hand before moving his gaze towards me, “What...are you doing?”

“Uhm...nothing. Keep driving.” Forget it. It is making me look weird.

Five minutes later, I let out a yawn and rub my eyes. “...Where next?”

“The abandoned factory in sector 4,” I mumble while on the verge of closing my eyes. I let out another yawn and reach for my water bottle.

Since the factory has been derelict, the garden in front is full of junk and rusty metals. In the car’s yellow light, I notice how creepers are covering the iron gate and the factory. It had been years since it was last used.

Once Ryou turns off the engine, the moon is left as the only hope in the darkness. As I step out, my shoes meet the uneven grasses and mud. Besides the sound of insects, the factory is full of silence. I close the door with the minimum sound possible to not disturb the silence present. After taking three steps, I feel insects creeping on my legs as I hold the urge to scratch the itch.

Ryou and I turn on our torchlights and walk inside. Our footsteps echo in the empty factory while the moonlights upon the factory through the destroyed ceiling. Ryou and I stop at the same time when light from my torch lands on the car for which we have been searching all along.

We exchange glances and cautiously step towards the car. Without making a single noise, I draw my gun out and reach out to open the door of the backseat while Ryou does the same with the driver seat.

The car is empty. Though I can see traces of blood on the backseat, even the glass is shattered. I pull myself out of the car and look at Ryou. I point my thumb to the left, Ryou gives me a thumb up and points at right. I nod and leave him to go inside the first hallway I spot.

With my gun in one hand and torchlight in the other, I push open the first door on the left in the hallway. As soon as the door is fully opened, I rapidly look at both sides before entering. After a quick look around, I move to the second door. I make sure there is no one around and turn to go to the first floor. The metal stairs creek due to my weight as I climb the stairs which make me halt for a moment. For precaution, I keep flashing my torch on the first floor.

If someone attacks me at this point from the first floor, I will have no cover.

Moving past the huge machines, I keep my eyes on the front while glancing back occasionally. While making a turn around a machine, I accidentally tackle a wooden table. The loud sound makes me cringe before I pause. After putting the table back in position, I take a look around just to be sure before continuing on my way.

Thud

I stop in my tracks when I notice a hallway in the corner and at the same time a strident sound reaches my ear.

I jump up in fright and look over my shoulder sharply. What was that sound? Where did it come from? It sounded nearby but still far away.

Thud

This time I am sure, the sound came from the Ryou’s side. What is going on, on that side? Should I go over and check?...No, he could easily handle things alone, I may be the one who will need help. I will just focus on my own side for now.

Slowly, I start creeping towards the dark hallway, all while keeping my gun trained. The lights fill the hallway as soon as I am right in front of it. After throwing lights on all sides, I reach to open the first door.

Unexpectedly, I replace something interesting. The room has a desk with some wooden chairs is on one side, some food on the table with a small bed on one side, and even a cupboard. Clearly, someone has been living here. I try the switch but the switches are not working so I use the light to inspect the food on the table.

It looks almost two-three days old and it is half-eaten. The bed is unkept, I stop in front of the bed and feel the bedsheet. There is no warmth. Whoever was here may have already left.

I throw the light all around the room before stopping at a familiar and only photo in the room.

My god, that scared me.

Why is such a photo here? This photo looks out of place. While everything is shabby and old, the photo looks almost new. The person who lived here took care of the photo pretty well, I might think, even better than himself if possible.

But...why does it look familiar? Where have I seen it before? My heartbeat speeds up as soon as I remember where I saw this. I freeze and take a few steps back. Isn’t that.... isn’t that the photo I saw at Safan’s house? The photo with...eyes?

A shudder runs down my spine as I recall the previous incident and I grit my teeth to stop my fear from leaking out, my grip on my gun tightens. Why is this here? Why is this photo here? Who brought this here?

I flinch and let out a loud gasp when I see familiar dark and creepy eyes. It’s moving...it’s moving again! It was not my imagination. Looking at his eyes, I almost feel like he is seeing through my soul and he will devour me right at this moment. I come out of my shock and raise my trembling hand as a reflex. Without thinking another second, I pull the trigger.

When I come to the realization, I replace one bullet buried right in the middle of the picture, and the eyes are gone. I wait for a few minutes just to be sure but there is no movement of the eyes and the eyes have turned back to looking lifeless. I let out a breath and put my gun down. Just what was that? What were those eyes? Was that some kind of magic?

I look back at the photo with many thoughts in mind. After some thought, I start taking cautious steps towards the photo. But I don’t dare to get too close or touch the photo, I don’t have such courage. When nothing happens, I turn around and walk out of the room but not without giving a backward glance.

While I am in the middle of recovering from the previous incident, I hear footsteps from the end of the hallway. I hurriedly press myself against the wall and ready my gun. But I am caught off guard when I hear two pairs of footsteps instead of one. Within a few seconds, I can make out one is a man and another is a woman.

Luckily, I turned off the torchlight before exiting the room, I will be able to catch them off-guard, of course only if they aren’t already aware of my presence. Soon I see a flash of torchlight on the wall at the end of the hallway, they are going to make a turn soon. As soon as I hear them making a turn, I come out of hiding and raise my gun at them.

“Stop,” The light of the torch opposite me blinds me for a second but I try to keep my eye open. Once the light moves away, my vision clears and I replace a middle-aged couple standing in front of me instead of a tuhu. I blink in confusion. What is this?

“Who are you?” The man questions in a firm and cold voice while shielding half of the woman’s body from my gunpoint. I look back and forth between them without dropping my gun. Have I seen them before?

“Who are you?” I ask back. I am not answering unless I know what are they doing here?

“I asked you first.”

“Yes, you asked first but I have a gun...so...”

“I am John and this is my wife...we were searching for our daughter who went missing a few days ago. Can you let us go now? I have told who we are.”

Now I remember where I saw them. Weren’t they searching on the street a few days ago? I am sure it was them, no wonder they looked familiar. “I am Nadya, I am an Extander.”

“An Extander?” The woman steps out from behind her husband’s back. “Then can you help us, right? You can replace my daughter, right?”

I put my gun down and look at her hopeful expression, not knowing what to say. I don’t even know what happened with their daughter, how will I be able to help them? John looks at his wife before looking at me. “May I ask why are you here?”

I raise my eyebrows at his slightly respectable tone though I can still detect a hint of suspicion. “I am searching for someone as well. How old is your daughter?”

“10 years old, she went how to play but she never came back...We have reported her missing but they still haven’t found her so we were trying to replace her on our own...And the person you are searching for, is this related to my missing daughter?”

“I am not sure. I only know that the person I am searching for was kidnapped, I don’t know who did it.”

“Then they must have died,” John says with some worry.

“Why?” I furrow my brow. Why is he sure that they are dead? He doesn’t even know them.

“Because there are many dead bodies here.”

“What?” I can’t control my voice, “There are dead bodies here? Where?”

“The room which we just came from. We were searching for our daughter but we found that instead, we were going to EXH to report the incident but then we saw you...”

“Take me there.”