Chapter 6: The Big One
Lila could tell there was something up with Felix.
She couldn't put her finger on just what it was, but she could feel the change in him, if subtly, over the past week. He wasn't exactly a talkative person, but lately he barely spoke, and his responses were short and dispassionate. Sometimes, Lila would catch him muttering to himself, but when she asked about it, he vehemently denied it. He seemed on-edge, even when they were alone-fidgeting, eyes darting from place to place as if he'd lost track of something. And though it was an unspoken rule to always tell each other when they went out for jobs, Felix would come and go without any warning, brushing her questions off with vague excuses.
Her first theory was that he'd gotten himself in trouble, that he didn't want to get her involved. He was returning with less stolen goods than usual, could he be repaying a debt? Why would he keep something that serious from her? The thought made her angry, anxious, but she waited for him to come clean. He never did.
Finally, on Sunday night, when she heard him moving after he thought she was asleep, she had decided to tail him. The instant the door had closed, Lila had rushed to follow-swiftly, silently.
But he was nowhere to be found. The streets were desolate and silent, dusted white with untouched snow. Even though he couldn't have gotten far in the two minutes it had taken Lila to get outside, there were no footprints, no audible steps. No trace of him at all. Waves of fear and bitterness crashed in Lila's stomach. Maybe it was just her thin jacket, just the night air stinging her eyes, but she felt her whole body shudder. Tears made shimmering tracks down her cheeks.
To cry over something like this, how childish. She hugged herself tightly and stared at the moon.
Lila had spent years hardening her heart to prevent these shows of weakness, but she couldn't deny that it hurt to be pushed aside by the person she loved most. They were far from mushy people, but she and Felix had always been straightforward with one another, and they had always confronted their problems side by side. Now, she felt utterly alone.
24 Hours until the Big One. Don't disappoint me.
The text from Ollie flashed in Lila's inbox, followed by the address. When she looked the place up, her heart sank like a stone. Felix would never agree to this. He was still too soft.
But if keeping secrets was his game, she would make it a game for two.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Felix whispered to his companion as he picked the lock on what he assumed was the back door. This wasn't exactly the Bourgeois mansion. To call it a 'mansion' at all was a gross overstatement. The building was shabby, run-down, a crumbling facade of faded brick. The door's lock was as old as everything else.
"Of course it is." Lila snapped. "Looks can be deceiving. Apparently, this pace just came into a lot of money. Are you doubting my sources?"
Felix sighed as he heard the lock make a satisfying click. Lila had been in a bad mood ever since this morning. "I just don't want a repeat of last time." I don't even want to be here, he added silently.
Ever since his transformation and confrontation with Moosu, Felix had been restless. Was it really okay to steal, even for survival? He didn't regret keeping himself and Lila safe, but they were older now. Old enough to make honest money. Felix had always felt hopeless, resentful, slighted by his circumstances. But seeing the world from rooftops and skyscrapers, seeing people bustling through their lives, going to and from their jobs to support their loved ones… something about looking down at that big, intricate Citysearch moved him. He was beginning to feel tired of always being on the outside. Was it wishful thinking to want a piece of that everyday happiness?
There had been many times he had wanted to bring up his feelings to Lila this past week, but with all her talk of the Big Job, he was scared of how she would react. He wasn't even sure what his yearning would translate to, in a concrete sense. School? Work? Moosu had encouraged him to at least talk to her honestly, but now they were back where they always were. Felix tried not to think about the disappointment in his kwami's eyes when he had explained where they were going, when Moosu had silently hidden himself in the lockpicking bag.
"Quiet now." Lila murmured, snapping him out of his train of thought. She was already crossing the threshold, which meant it was too late to go back.
They stole soundlessly through the well-kept kitchen and into two branching hallways, lined with rows and rows of doors, all closed. Lila led the way, consulting the floor plan on the screen of her phone, and the further they went, the tighter Felix's stomach clenched. The house was old and worn out, but fairly big and well taken-care-of. He suspected that children lived here, judging by the brightly-colored decor and the neatly arranged toys. The thought filled him with dread.
Unconsciously, he found himself putting a hand on her shoulder. "Lila, are you sure-?"
Lila shushed him, tapping a finger to her wrist to signal that there wasn't much time. She pointed to the desired room on the map, gestured for him to follow. He reluctantly did so, up a set of wooden steps, careful not to let them creak. They were nearly there when they rounded a corner and heard a small 'thump'.
Before they could hide, they were face to face with a small, red-nosed boy in his pyjamas, clutching a ratty stuffed bear to his chest. Judging by the box of tissues at his feet, the sound had been him dropping them in surprise. The boy stared, frozen, at the two black-clad intruders. Felix recognized him instantly.
The boy from the alley.
But that boy was... An orphan. And he was here, in this house, at the site of the Big Job. The only explanation was that their target… had to be…
"An orphanage," Felix murmured, eyes wide, hands trembling, barely registering the sound of the boy's footsteps as he fled.
Lila cursed, grabbing his arm. "'Empty' my ass. Let's go."
Felix didn't budge. "We broke into an orphanage," he repeated in horrified disbelief.
"And we're still empty-handed, Felix," Lila reminded him, barely keeping her tone nonchalant as she tugged at his arm. "Come on."
"No!"
"This is 112, what's your emergency?"
Jean-Luc clutched the receiver, his palms sweaty and his heart beating out of his chest. He tried to keep his breathing even and his voice from wobbling without much success. "Th-There are people in our h-house," he whimpered.
"Where do you live, sweetheart?" came the soothing voice on the other end.
"S-Saint Elan Orphanage."
"Okay. I'm sending the police to help you, alright? Stay on the line with me and keep the door locked. The police will be there soon."