If you haven't read The Start of Train yet, this story would be rather difficult to understand because The Start of Train and yes, The Start of Pain are heading towards a path we call Alternate Reality. Both stories are what COULD BE (or could have been, if I was one of the authors, haha XD) as long as Cahills remain Cahills.
DISClAIMER: I do not own The 39 Clues and anything at all which is related to it. I do not own iPhone 4S and everything which you think doesn't belong to me.
On with the reading.
oooooOooooo
PROLOGUE.
Alistair Oh cannot believe all of their hard work would lead only to their demise.
It started from an accident, really. After hearing what happened to the children, he had a little... mishap of his own. His heart decided it would be a perfect time to have a nervous breakdown. He was rushed to the nearest hospital and after a few days of staying in the 'world-class, internationally known medical institution in the world', his personal Ekat doctor became 'acquainted' with an undercover Lucian 'doctor' who has been working in the hospital for a couple of years.
The said Lucian doctor told them that this institution was originally built by a Vesper who wanted nothing more than to hide their organization's sinister ways. "It is the perfect plan," he says, "because nobody would think that charity could be used to conceal something evil." Alistair paused to ponder at his statement, remembering how his Uncle Bae Oh manipulated people in the same way. "But, an old trick nevertheless," Lucian doctor continues, chuckling.
Being the lone, three individuals who carry the Cahill lineage in the place, they set about making a plan of obtaining as much data as they could. But after unerringly five days of this stealth operation, the Vespers are starting to doubt their rather long stay in the hospital.
So, they needed to work fast.
It was already too late. Apparently, the Vespers have doubted 'Lucian doctor' for a very long time and were only keeping him close because they were sure he would babble as soon as he gets out of their grasp.
And they couldn't afford that.
And now, presently, irrevocably, as Alistair stares right into the muzzle of life and death, all he could say was, "Where are they?"
Casper Wyoming (thought to be far from alive after the kidnapping) chuckled before adjusting the lapel of his lab coat. "You mean my supposed colleagues? I am inclined to think that they are now travelling a pathway I like to call, death." He smiled, his face curling up into a menacing, stomach-turning sneer. "Oh don't worry, old man. You'll be joining them soon enough." He flicked the hammer of his single-action revolver, his finger itching to press the trigger.
Alistair laughed for all that it was worth. "If you must know, Mr. Wyoming, you are terribly late. All there is that you are protecting, as you say, is safely in the hands of my people. I am positive that they are now... answering my calls and their answer lies underneath." He smiled warmly, a naughty gleam in his wise eyes.
Casper raised an eyebrow. Old people nowadays, can't help but think that they are all a bunch of lunatics. Clearly made to be... disposed. Let the old man play his games for a little longer. He let out a hard chuckle, full of avarice and wrath. "And what is that supposed to mean, may I ask?"
Alistair looked out of the window and into the night sky. "Formed long ago, yet made today, employed while others sleep. What few would like to give away nor any wish to keep." He breathed out a reposed aura, oddly fitted to a relaxing vacation rather than a murder scene. "As the children say nowadays, your secrets are... busted."
Casper growled. He has no way of knowing if this old geezer is still in his right mind, but he couldn't risk it. This old burrito man is getting in his nerves. He sighed. The decision is made then. And with a final mocking laugh, Casper Wyoming pulled the trigger.
Two continents, hundreds of thousands of miles away from the hospital, the Ekats were left with nothing but static.
oooooOooooo
Hamilton Holt scratched the back of his head awkwardly. She told him to specifically wait for her in this specific spot outside the girls' dormitory in the Cahill manor. And so, like an idiot, he patiently waits. As minutes turned to hours, he couldn't help but hear those loud sobs which managed to escape from the locked door, the agitated raising of voice and the desperate pleas. It's amazing how a particular, interrupting phone call could make her dissolve to tears, but our four-hour-non-stop, lung-bursting arguing does not. Hamilton sighed dejectedly.
The wails inside the room grew louder. He bit his lip. Maybe I should... He shook his head, some of his blonde hair breaking free from its gelled shark-like formation. No, I shouldn't. Because she specifically told me... You get the point. He's been debating with himself whether or not he should just go in. It always ends up with a negative. He has zilch clue of what was going on.
"What did you say his last words were?" Her voice came a little bit more frantic than usual. There was a hurried sound of pen scratching on paper. "Yeah? Yeah? No, I think you're right. There must be something hidden in this."
Last words? Hamilton furrowed his eyebrows in utter confusion. Who were they talking about exactly? Did something –
"No. Uncle Alistair is too smart for that. He expects us to know the answer," Sinead continued, her tone changing into something akin to defiance.
That made the young Tomas stop. His eyes widened as the realization dawned on him. Alistair? They were talking about Alistair Oh? Without really noticing, his feet dragged him closer to the door.
"What if he's not –" Hamilton could hear how her voice broke painfully. His hand hovered on the doorknob. "No. What if...?" What if he's not dead?
"I understand. I'll call you as soon as we get something. Yes, we. The three of us... and the other Cahills. Yes. Thank you."
The door opened unexpectedly, making Hamilton topple forward none-too-gently, but thankfully he caught his balance before he could brutally crash into Sinead.
The aforementioned girl, amidst the implausibly red face, the hoarse voice and puffy eyes, found the spirit to raise a demanding eyebrow at the said curious Holt. "Were you eavesdropping?"
"No," Hamilton said, a little too loudly and defensively. Sinead Starling would be stupid to believe this and no, she is nowhere near stupid, thank you very much. The other eyebrow perked up dangerously. Hamilton sighed. He would be stupid to even think about not telling the truth and yes, he values his life, thank you for asking. "I mean, I sort of... overheard," he added with a grin albeit nervously.
"'Overheard'?" Sinead repeated slowly, her eyes daring him to make up another excuse. "I see." Then, she shrugged and started to walk away.
Hamilton saw this as abnormally normal, but decided not to mention it and kept up with her pace. "Where are we going?"
"I'm hungry."
If anything, that shocked Hamilton more than anything that happened five minutes ago. Okaay... That's new.
They walked in silence after that without anyone choosing to break the silence. Hamilton walked at her wake, thinking that she would probably want it that way. But even if he's trailing a little behind her, he knows her enough to know that tears are cascading down her cheeks.
And that there's nothing he could do about it.
"I still think Ian's plan is stupid and pointless," she told him with a voice becoming thick from crying, making Hamilton remember their argument before the phone call.
Ah, so we're back to 'Hamilton-how-could-you-even have-an-inkling-of-a-thought-of-joining-Ian's-reckless-plan-yadda-yadda'. Hamilton Holt offered a resigned-for-now nod, promising that he would argue with her much, much later.
oooooOooooo
His fingers brushed yet another batch of stray blonde hair. His eyes traced the unmoving features of one Angelle Saunders. The pale face, framed with conditioned blonde hair (thanks to the constant brushing by her little sister), distorted only slightly by the tubes from the mechanical ventilator. Her breathing comes in slow ups and downs of her chest, occasionally turning into hurried gasps. These hurried gasps keep him up at night, leaving him wondering if she would wake up soon. Her fingers would sometimes twitch in the slightest way possible, making him grasp into a fragile string of hope.
The eerie silence is disrupted by the constant beeping of the heart monitor.
Every beep signifies another second of life passing by, another moment spent asleep.
That's it. I've made up my mind.
Jonah Wizard fished his iPhone 4S from his coat pocket. Today he makes a decision.
"Hey, yo. Ian? Yeah. No, I know what time it is. Yeah. Anyhoo... It's me Jonah. Yeah. Count me in."
oooooOooooo
The doorbell must have ringed a total of six times before Amy Cahill decided it wasn't a Cahill paying them a lovely visit.
Because if it was, the door would have been in little, pitiful wooden pieces by now.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming already," Amy said a little louder over the merciless knocking on the door. "Hold your horses." She threw open their front door, not having even the least chance to adjust her slightly annoyed expression when she saw who was outside.
Evan Tolliver stood just outside their doorway, struggling with a couple of luggage which looked like it was holding clothes enough for months use. "Hey, Ames."
Amy's breath caught in her throat. What is he doing here? Haven't we – "I-I... What are you...?" she stammered, faltering feebly.
Ian Kabra appeared at her side as stealthy as ever, looking at the visitor as if he was expecting him. His jet-black hair, as pristine as could be, clashed with the shadows under his eyes. His amber eyes blazed and looking closely, one would notice the hollowness of his cheekbones, obscured only by his occasional scowl and/or smirk. "Where is the other one?" he drawled, his British accent as commanding as ever.
Evan rolled his eyes at him which is kind of surprising since during his 'stay' at the mansion, he was terrified of Ian. "The other one is waking another one who happens to be his brother. And both are humans. Remember, humans? Breathing and with dignity?"
Amy's face scrunched into a look of utter confusion. What - or who - are they even talking about? "Would someone please explain what's –" She was cut-off by another addition to their awkward group.
"Hey, guys. Yo, Kabra. Atticus, would you please move those feet faster?" An exasperated sigh.
An annoyed grunt. "I am trying here. Just because you're years older... and taller."
Amy peered behind Evan and nearly crashed faces with Jake Rosenbloom, followed closely by his little brother, Atticus.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Amy," Ian said, as if only realizing her presence. He ran a hand through his hair, a sign that he was thinking of a fast one. "I forgot to tell you that I invited them. It's getting a bit lonely in here, don't you think?" He spoke mechanically, barely glancing at Amy as he spoke. "Hamilton Holt is planning a Secret Santa whatnot this coming Christmas, right? Besides, Daniel is going on about more being merrier."
Amy glared at him. Did he really think I was born yesterday, dropped in a truck of turnips and dumped in the Cahill world? Huh, it takes more than an ostensibly innocent statement to throw me off track. "This has something to do with your 'brilliant' plan, doesn't it?"
Ian Kabra chose not to respond.
oooooOooooo
What is Ian's plan? What happened to Alistair Oh? What are Evan and Jake doing in the Cahill mansion? Will Angelle ever wake up? Where is Natalie Kabra? And why, The Start of Pain?
Tell me what you want to happen, expect to happen and knew would happen by pressing that little button called 'Review'.
I just want to thank those people who wanted me to continue The Start of Train, those who voted on my poll, those who continuously reviewed for an instalment. I cannot thank you enough. I admit that I am nervous and terrified of putting up a sequel because I do not want to disappoint anybody. A lot of people have supported and is supporting (up until now) The Start of Train. So once again, I am here to ask for your help again in weaving this story.
AngelicSpring is now wishing you an amazingly late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Read and Review.