Chapter 1
School
Player stood outside the school looking at the smoke just ten kilometres away. He was worried if it would spread far, as he hadn't done a fire safety course with his parents. He checked his phone for messages from Carmen. There was one. 'I heard there was a fire in Ontario, is it near you?' Player smiled at her protectiveness, and sent a message back. 'No about ten kilometres south from me, it's near my house though, that's what I'm worried about now.' Player felt tears rolling down his face. The students were called back in, and Player started back towards the large building. The next class was health and safety, ironically. Player had a desk by the window and saw the smoke billowing up. A loud crackle from the loudspeaker made him jump, and he was called up to the front office. As he stood, all eyes on him, Player walked to door and started to the office. He had been there once, for detention after Carmen called him during a class. He pushed open office door quietly. The principal invited him in. "Young mister, hand in your phone please, you seem to like to text during class and we had forgotten about it today. We will let you off as it's the
second last day of school for the year, but we don't want you texting during class. Player quietly handed his phone over his mind elsewhere. The principal raised his eyebrow but nodded and sent Player back. The class was doing a pop quiz on safety and CPR when he walked in. The pieces of paper on his desk seemed too many to be just a quiz. He ignored it and got to work, stuffing the rest into his bag. The bell rang just as he got to the last question. The class ran out while the teacher told him he could stay and finish. By the time he did, the bus was long gone and he had to walk. As he approached the road he saw someone in her late teens sitting on a bench on the other side wearing a red hoodie and a fedora. Carmen. He smiled and walked over. The road was always quiet this time of day. He had thought Carmen was in Argentina, looking for her family, or what was left of it. "Carmen!" Player raced the rest of the way and hugged her, surprising both of them. She hesitated but then wrapped her arms around him too, laughing. Player looked up still shocked and troubled about the fire, but glad to have such great friends. Carmen invited him to their usual burger joint, Burger ban Houv. He accepted and sent his parents a message, not knowing that they would never get it. As they walked there Carmen talked, noting how quiet her friend was. They ordered their usual, smiling at the overeager server. Once they sat down Carmen got straight to the point. "There has been a bunch of robberies in museums in the last twelve hours, some right near the most famous, The Louvre museum in Paris, France, have you heard anything? Player?" Player blinked and frowned. "No I haven't, I'll look into it when I get home
I promise." Carmen smiled and ruffled his hair making him laugh. "We should probably get you home soon, your parents will worry." Player nodded. "I can walk, when I get home I'll be looking into the caper. Then see where you need to go." Carmen nodded and drove off. Player walking in the opposite direction. Player stopped to swap his bag to the other shoulder and continued on. It was only two kilometres away and he got there in minutes, only to find his house burnt to cinders, charred wood and melted down metal. Tears rolling down his face Player threw down his bag and ran into the remains of the house. "MUM! DAD!" He kept going for hours until he finally wore out and curled up just beyond the entrance. He caught his breath and as calmly as he could walked back in to see if there was anything he could salvage. Suddenly he stumbled over something and fell. He looked back and saw what he feared, his parents body's entwined together in fear. Fresh tears rolling down his face. He ran out picked up his bag and turned on his phone. Or tried to. It was dead flat, and one of the only ways to contact Carmen. He checked his pocket for his lunch money, and walked down to the train station. As he checked the time table and routes, he found the closest station to Carmen's home. The train left in five minutes, so he quickly sorted it out. It was one thing to hack the system for someone else another for your self, so he had to use all his money for the train. His only hope of getting help. Luckily the train was equipped with phone charging stations and he had a charger with him. It was a relief, otherwise Carmen would worry, not that she wouldn't anyway. His phone finally turned on and he texted straight
away. 'Sorry I couldn't start looking straight away, there was some news I can't quite get over. I have to see you soon. Im on a train to San Diego now.' Player sighed. He couldn't say too much yet, not online. He had to do it face to face. There was a buzz and he looked at the message. 'Which station? I can meet you there.' Player sighed again. He looked around. He was getting many stares. He realised his face was filthy with soot. He turned red with embarrassment and tried to wipe it off the best he could. He looked at his ticket again and typed in the reply. Carmen was so going to worry soon. He suddenly realised he had started to cry again. He knew he was in shock after what he saw, but thought that it was a bit much. At least it helped wash of the soot. The stares got less and less and the train car air was thick with discomfort. He saw another message from Carmen. 'I'm wondering now are you okay? You seemed quiet at Burger ban Houv.' Player smiled as he realised she always knew when something was up. 'I will tell you everything soon, I promise. It's too important to share online.' There was a beeping noise as the stop came up. "We are approaching the next station, thank you for your wait." Player stood and walked to the door, holding on to the bar as the train screeched to a stop. He located Carmen almost strait away. Her tendency to wear red where ever she goes helped. He stepped off into the crowd with caution of the larger-then-normal gap. He pushed his way through the crowd and stood next to Carmen, her familiar face calming him slightly. She was still looking around but Player was to relived to noice he hadn't been seen by her. He was suddenly pushed into her and she turned around in
surprise. "There you are! Come on let's get out of the cro-
" Carmen was interrupted suddenly by some guy pushing his way through the crowd "Le Femme Rouge!" Carmen rolled her eyes exasperated. "Chase Devinaux inspector. What a surprise." The Inspector smiled victoriously. "Aha and what crime are you pulling off this time? Taking money from banks? Stealing paintings from museums? How about-." Carmen took Player's hand dragged him away. "He does that a lot. He never catches me, at least not for long." She laughed and they walked to the car. "Thanks for coming and picking me up, Carmen. It really means a lot." Player's voice caught in his throat and he broke off, upset and anxious to tell Carmen everything. She seemed to know that something big was up but didn't ask anything yet. She just unlocked the car and they got in and drove off. "Now what was important enough for you to come all this way for a face to face? You're very quiet too. Player?" Now they were alone again he started to cry, as quietly as he could. Carmen stopped the car outside her home and turned to him, softening as she saw his face. "Okay this is worse than I thought, what happened." Player nodded. "While I was at school, during break, I was watching the smoke from the fire. After our little meeting, when I got home, there wasn't one, it was burnt down everything gone. After awhile I looked for anything salvageable, there wasn't anything and on the way back through the entrance, I tripped over something, my parents bodies. Their gone. Everything's gone-" He broke off again reliving seeing his parents bodies. Carmen looked surprised and upset. "Player, you can stay with us, unless you have anyone else
you want to stay with." She was calmer then he thought she would be, though a bit teary as well. "Thank you I-I don't have any other family, at all. My grandparents died when I was two, my parents were only children." He couldn't say anything else, so he just buried his head into his hands. Carmen touched his shoulder. "Let's get inside, it's cold out here. Everyone else is away for a few days still, as you know." Player nodded and they started inside. It was bigger than he thought, but he didn't notice much. He still felt shocked and upset and all round overwhelmed. Carmen saw that and let him be, content on sitting next to him, holding his hand. She suddenly got up and went away for a few minutes. She came back with two cups of hot chocolate, the natural remedy for sadness. She gave one to him and he smiled gratefully, not ready to talk yet, but happy to have his hands occupied. The warmth seeped in and did calm him slightly. He suddenly felt tired and tried to stifle a yawn. He put down the cup and next thing he was fast asleep.