Chapter 6: Jump in the deep
The 40th floor of the Organization's headquarter
Lok
Rick knocked on a white door.
"Come in." A voice said.
He opened the door and pushed me inside.
"Good luck Jari!"
The door closed behind me, and quickly I studied the room I was in. It was an office, with white walls, grey carpet on the floor, big windows, and on the left wall a hideous abstract painting. I couldn't see whether it was a very fat lady, a mountain landscape, a dog, or just some scribbly lines. Probably the last one.
There wasn't much furniture in the office, only a few grey filing cabinets on the right, and a big, shiny black desk in the middle. A frail man in a grey suit was sitting behind it, on an expensive looking leather office chair.
"You're Mr. Hämäläinen, I assume?" He said with a smooth voice, just as smooth as his (probably with a lot of gel) backwards combed black hair.
I nodded.
"I'm Floris Berger, the head of the staff department." He shook my hand.
"Please sit down." He motioned to the simple black chair in front of him.
I sat down. The chair was lower than his, and when he looked down on me from behind his metal- framed glasses, I felt my courage level drop to a new low. How on earth am I going to extricate myself from this?
"So… let's get started… I assume you've brought the papers you've received?"
Which papers… Oh fuck fuck fuck, Lok think up something!
"I have to go to the toilet!" I said, louder than I meant to.
Mr. Berger frowned. "This conversation is only going to take about fifteen minutes, can't you wait?"
"No."
He sighted. "Very well then, the toilet is at the left end of the hall."
I quickly stood up and walked towards the door.
"But please hurry up, I've got a busy schedule!"
I closed the door behind me, and with a heavily pounding hearth I walked through the hall. Of course I wasn't going to the toilet at all, so instead of going left I went to the right, and opened the door at the end of the hall, that was the one we'd gone through on our way up. At least, I thought so.
the door lead to another hall, with again many doors. I hastily walked through it, searching for the elevator.
'That Rick- guy was right… this building really is a labyrinth…'
I cursed myself, why hadn't I paid more attention on the way up?
I walked for another five minutes, opening numerous doors and entering new halls, but none of them led to the elevators. And to make it even worse, the hall I was in now was dead ended, if you didn't count the big window.
Frustrated I looked on my watch, ten minutes had passed since I left Mr. Berger's office. It wouldn't take long before he would realize I was gone. If he hadn't realized that already.
"Hey you, stop!"
I turned around and saw two big gorilla's in suits, probably security guards, walking towards me. Panic ran through my head. 'Danmmit! He has realized I've taken off.'
I was trapped, there was nowhere to go except for… the windows. A crazy plan occurred to me. It really was insane but it was my only chance.
"Darkfog!" I yelled, and the narrow hall smothered in smoke. I turned around and ran blindly through the big window at the end of the hall.
Outside
Sophie
I looked nervously on my watch, it was 08.30.
"Michael, Lok has been inside there for 30 minutes now, what if something's wrong?"
"Don't worry, Lok can take care of himself, he probably just can't find the right suit."
Suddenly we both startled of the sound of breaking glass. I turned my head just in time to see a little spot jumping out of a window on the 40th floor.
"Lok!" I screamed.
"It's time to get the car…" Michael said dryly.
Lok
"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"
God I hadn't realized exactly how high 40 flours are!
I had to time the spell that was going to save my life right, or I would crash down on the roof of the building next to the headquarter.
"Featherdrop!"
Magically my speed reduced, and I gently landed on my hands and knees on the roof.
My head beat like crazy my head spun, but I had escaped, and I was still alive.
"Yes!" I yelled relieved, and I stood up.
Suddenly I remembered the two security guards. I looked up and saw to my great relieve they didn't dared to follow me. 'Ha! Cowards!'
I triumphantly jumped of the roof. It was a cinch compared to my previous one. I walked across the street, but didn't saw Sophie and Michael anywhere.
"There he is!" A suit yelled.
Of course my escape hadn't gone unnoticed. I quickly started running, followed by a dozen of suits. Panic ran through my head again. 'Where are Michael and Sophie?'
Suddenly I heard the sound of a car approaching. I looked to the right and saw Michaels red BMW 335 Cabrio.
"Lok, jump!" Michael yelled, and I quickly jumped in the back, next to Sophie.
Spells flew us to ears, one of them shattered a wing mirror, but we were soon out of their reach. I looked back and smiled when I saw the shrinking suits returning to the headquarter, frustrated.
Sophie hugged me. "God Lok, are you all right? You're bleeding."
I stroked her cheek and smiled.
"I'm fine, it are just a few scratches from the glass."
"And?"
"And what?"
"You know where Dante is?"
"Well… not exactly, I'll explain it when we're out of the city."
Michael drove out of Prague (far above maximum speed), while Sophie and me checked if we weren't followed. Fortunately it seemed that the suits had decided or lead was too big.
After 40 minutes driving Michael stopped at a little roadhouse.
"Ah man!" He said while assessing the damage to his car. "Those assholes have not only crushed the wing mirror, but also a taillight… and look at the varnish!"
Sophie sighted. "Michael we've got far more important things to worry about!"
Grumbling he followed me and Sophie inside the roadhouse. It was quite empty, the only other customers were a family with two crying kids, and an old man who was sitting behind the bar. We chose the least dirty- looking plastic table and sat down.
A waitress approached us almost immediately. She was heavily drawn up, and her lank blond (obviously dyed) hair was put up in a sloppy pigtail.
"What will it be?" She asked with a bored tone in her voice.
"Ehm just three coffee." Sophie said friendly.
"Coming." She said, and shuffled back to the bar.
"So, Lok, where are they holding Dante?" Michael asked expectantly.
"Well, they aren't." I answered.
"So what… He just disappeared in thin air?"
"No, of course not, and Defoe and his suits really were in Venice to kidnap Dante, but somebody... I don't know, was faster than them."
"….. Ok so you're saying someone else than the organization is holding Dante hostage? Who? And why?"
"Yes, an ex- organization spy named Zhalia Moon, but I don't know why."
"Wait a minute." Sophie said. "One woman has kidnapped Dante? I don't believe it, how did she do that?"
I shrugged. "I know it sounds weird but that's what that suit told me."
The waitress returned and put three cups of black coffee on the table. When she'd left Michael took his laptop out of his bag.
"What are you going to do?" I asked.
"I'm going to hack the Organizations personnel files again…. Dammit the file about her is secret."
"So you can't open it?" Sophie asked.
"No of course I can, it's just going to take a little longer…" His fingers tapped virulent on the keyboard.
"There, I've got it!"
Quickly Sophie and I moved next to him.
"Seems this Zhalia was a top organization spy, until she quit three weeks ago… since then she's on their most- wanted list… looks like they weren't very happy with her departure."
He looked at her picture. "Wow she's hot, I wouldn't mind being kidnapped by her- Au!"
Sophie had smacked him.
"You're talking about the kidnapper of your brother, you pig!"
Michael sniggered. "Hey I'm just being honest…"
I stopped listening to their bickering, and stared out the window. Where on earth is Dante? Is he alright? And what is crazy woman planning to do with him?
I took a sip of my coffee, and shivered. It was cold.
Zhalia's house
Zhalia
I checked the light switch, but there was still no electricity. They'd probably shut down electricity because I hadn't paid the bill. It was not that I didn't had the money, I just didn't wanted to use my bank account, because the Organization than maybe would find where I am.
"Well, no toast for Dante today." I muttered.
Dante… No stop. Don't think of him…
But it was already too late, my thought s drifted away to last night and butterflies tickled in my belly.
I shook my head, as I was trying to shake of these unwanted thoughts and feelings. It was probably the best if I didn't go down to the basement, to Dante, any more… but I had to bring him food, and maybe a candle, it was probably completely dark down there.
A part of me didn't mind going back to him at all….
-
Teachers are trying to throw me to death with homework (damn them) but god bless the sick teachers, thanks to who I had some free hours to write this new chap ^^ Hope you liked it!
So what are L, S and M going to do with this new information? Will they ever find Dante before it's too late? Because Klaus is waiting in the shadows….