A new face after the race
Chapter 49
Lucky snuck in, allowing one last glance at Emily. She was hugging herself, not from the cold wind, but from fear. He hated to leave her out like this, but he couldn't risk her if what she heard carried a weapon and knew how to use it. He couldn't risk her life, she'd be better in the open, in sight, if anything happened to her, it would be seen this time around; Plenty of evidence so they could be convicted and shipped to jail.
He stepped in quietly and closed the door and listened for the sound again. It came again, and he listened closely to try to identify it. He couldn't here; it was too far from the sound. He'd have to explore more and move, but he had to first identify the sound's origin.
It sounded like it was coming from above, through the pathetic wood ceiling above him. For all he knew he could climb up there and fall right through it, it look corroded enough.
He first searched the first level, checking every corner, every nick and cranny. It didn't help that it was dark, and the little windows there were, were covered with wood pieces or so dirty, dusty, so grimy that it was too hard to see through.
He found an empty office with an oak which still surprisingly held papers. No sign of life here, but he checked it out anyway. It had a file cabinet, full of cobwebs. He pulled it out to find a few more files, and a few things he'd rather not mention.
He moved on to the chairs, studying them. They looked comfortable, if they weren't dirty and probably bug infested. This office and warehouse must have been something before it shut down and was abandoned.
He could imagine big wood cargoes waiting outside, big burly men checking them out to make sure all was there. He could imagine it prosperous, this office being fit for a king. Maybe there was a picture of a wife or son on the desk, pens and paperclips anonymously. A fat, middle aged man sitting in the chair, hunched over his work, a calculator on his side. He had to get the numbers right.
The bookcase behind him filled with multi-colored hard covered novels, some business, some legal, some history, maybe a fun book or two there for when the son came here to read.
Certainly the man wasn't organized, but still no secretary or maid to clean up after him, no he didn't want anyone in her unless they were with him. He had no idea how to use a computer, so that was absent. Maybe there was a coat rack on one of the side walls. A brown coat, keys in pocket, on it.
He smiled, yeah; this could be a very prosperous place. Plenty of space and luxurious, a healthy business it was. Instead of this haunted warehouse.
He sighed and left to find some way to get upstairs. Maybe there was a stairwell, mostly likely secret. Who knew what was up there, if that was the case. The main focus of the once prosperous business was the first level, their riches. No one even cared to go up there; curious they were, but there was nothing there they knew.
It was probably worse than the first level in that case though. Oh well, he needed to find a way up either way. He found himself in a dark corner, searching the walls for a trap door of some kind. He found nothing and turned only to hit a banister.
Lucky cursed, not able to hide them or keep them from being said. Now he was glad Emily wasn't with him, she'd probably lecture him on bad language and laugh at his stupidity.
He smiled and concentrated on the object, yeah, just what he was looking for. A stair case, the stairs themselves looking broken and deadly, but what other choice did he have? He couldn't chicken out. Maybe Melissa ventured out here and got lost accidentally. He doubted it though, for a six year old, she was sharp like an eight year old. Besides she wasn't much for horror movies and still had a slight fear of the dark. She wouldn't go in here, but he still had to check the upper level, just in case.
He creaked up them, afraid that he'd fall through. Another supposed job for Emily. Her weight would be nothing even for the broken, corroded stairs. He, however, was a different story.
He got up safe though and watched his step closely. He'd be no help injured and he imagined falling through onto the ground level would hurt. As much as he wanted to feel some pain, so he could relate to Emily, he wasn't that desperate to relate.
He found a hall, maybe a dozen doors on both ends. He'd have to check out everyone, each one of the doors probably locked. This would take forever. Still he had to do it, reluctantly so. He'd rather be at Emily's side though, it made him feel better.
He would be soon though, and he took Emily as motivation, he searched everyone, not finding a thing. He found out the answer to the sounds though. A bunch of rats, that's what it was.
He grumbled beneath and walked down the hallway and down the corroded stairs without fault. He however hit the banister of the stairways again. This time he swore loudly, hitting his head in the same area again.
His cell rang though and that brought his pain and the likely bruise that would form thanks to his insolence into another world. He opened it and greeted the person, whoever was calling him, with a "hello?"
"Lucky?" Jason's voice came at the other end. "Did you find her yet?" He asked, hoping that he did. He was really worried. He had no luck on his end that only left him and Emily.
Lucky didn't lie, as much as he liked to. "We're still working on it." He answered, he continued. "I take it you didn't find her?" He asked back.
Jason shook his head on the other end. "No, I'm worried Lucky. This is so unlike Melissa. She's usually a very good kid." Jason told Lucky, though he already knew. He hung out with Melissa, she was quiet and was very good behavior wise. She rarely broke the rules that Jason set.
"I know, Jason. She's usually so reserved and considerate, sometimes too often for her own good." Lucky couldn't help adding.
"I know, without her mom, it seems like she's only half the person she use to be." Jason also noticed the difference when Brenda left to get help with her depression and before it was noticed. There was nothing he could do though but be the best single parent he could be.
"We'll find her Jason." He reassured Jason comfortably.
Jason sighed on the other end. "I know," He said. "But I'm so worried Lucky. So much could happen to her. She's still too young to know all the dangers of the world." Jason explained with another hopeless sigh following.
"You have to have some faith Jason. You don't need to go get all worked up. It won't help." He suggested. He wasn't one big on faith, but he got his Emily back. That meant something to him. He was no religious figure now, thanks to that miracle, but he wasn't a non-believer either.
"I know, but I can't help it Lucky." Jason confessed and Lucky nodded. He probably couldn't. When you're a parent, you never stop worrying, take his mom for example. She still freaks at the idea of him moving out, even though he's twenty.
"So much could happen to you alone." She insisted. "You could get robbed, killed and you'd have no one to be witnesses."
Lucky loved his mom, but any of those things can happen even without living alone. She still babied him, though most the time it was embarrassing and annoying, but he didn't let that on for his Mom's sake. She was just trying to be a good mom, who just had real trouble letting go of him.
"I know Jason, but you have to try." Lucky suggested.
"I'll try." Jason promised. "Where are you looking at the moment?" Maybe he could take elsewhere, though he knew there was little of Port Charles he knew to search.
"I'm at the docks." Lucky told him vaguely. He wasn't going to bring up his direct location for Jason's sake.
"That's Emily's area." Jason reminded him.
"I know, but I'm not leaving Emily alone Jason. (A/n: even though he did anyway) It's going to take more time, I know to search, but Emily's a priority too. She just got out of the hospital." Lucky explained.
Jason knew Emily was Lucky's first priority and he respected that even though he wished to ring Lucky's neck. It wasn't that Melissa didn't count, she did, and she just wasn't at the top of the list. He'd been there himself.
"Okay, have you done your part yet?" He asked Lucky. Maybe he could take that, not feel useless, keep busy.
"No, why don't you? We'll keep searching here." Lucky suggested to Jason.
"Okay, sounds good. Call me if you find her." Jason advised him and hung up.
Lucky put his phone away and started walking towards the door he came in, to return outside, to Emily, when a thought hit him. What if this was a set-up?
It was all making sense; he didn't want to tell Jason, but what if Melissa was the pawn? To a game perhaps, organized by a psycho, to get Emily? It all added up.
Emily's hit and run, the break in, Emily's defense of throwing the vase, him running away. He was probably going to regroup his plan. Find new ways to get to her; Perhaps using Melissa as a pawn to get to Emily. But what about him? Was he part of the master plan?
But that wasn't the burning question in his mind. Who would do such a thing? He knew Emily was desirable; Dead-drop gorgeous, brilliant a real genius, nice to the eye. Those were one of the best things in her not that looks were what mattered. He liked, loved her even, for the inside. Her stubborn stance, her ability to drive him mad, her quick wit that sometimes bordered on annoying.
No doubt, he loved the outside, it was just an added bonus, but it wasn't what mattered to him. So it is easy to see why people would go to great lengths to get Emily, but to go through her sister? That was sinister, crazy.
But it was only a theory; he had no proof, no witnesses, and no suspect. He knew how investigations went. You needed solid proof and he had none, but it couldn't hurt to run this by Emily. He stuffed his cell phone in one of his coat pockets and raced to the door, opening it, closing it and running outside to Emily, or where Emily was supposed to be anyway.
Lucky looked around and cursed sinisterly. Emily was gone.
Author's note: A little short I realize, but hey it got to the point! Please review.