Broken Wings - Chapter Five
Despite the advice to the contrary, Aralyn got to her feet and followed the sound of the voices that echoed up the stairway. The lower floor was plain, the color scheme mostly shades of gray, and was clearly arranged to accommodate many people. Behind the counter, a young woman with straight black hair wiped down plates and arranged them neatly in a nearby cabinet, occasionally adding a comment to the ongoing conversation. Seated at one of the tables was a man with spiked blonde hair, Marlene on his lap and an auburn haired boy next to him.
"You're supposed to be in bed!" Marlene squealed, folding her arms and pouting as soon as she caught sight of her. "Cloud said so."
"She seems all right enough to me," the black haired woman offered. She turned to Aralyn, smiling. "Nice to see you up. Come on in! Have a seat."
Aralyn stepped shyly off the stairs, and took a seat on the table where the others sat.
"Are you hungry?" the woman asked again.
"I could use a little something, thank you."
She nodded and went into the back room, calling out as she left, "Cloud, will you get her something from the refrigerator?"
The blonde man stood, placing Marlene on her feet before he walked to fulfill the request. A bottle of soda was slid toward her, and she partook gratefully.
"Thirsty?" he asked when she downed the whole can in seconds.
"It's just so good after all that water…"
The phone rang in the adjacent room. Tifa came out, wiping flour from her hands with a dishtowel as she headed to get it. Her greeting was cheerful, but all her replies after that were hesitant. "Of course we can. Now? Uh, give us twenty minutes or so. All right."
Tifa reentered. "Another order. A big one."
"Let me take it," Cloud offered quickly. "You've been working all day."
"That's really sweet, Cloud, but everyone will be arriving soon and you're the one they need to see."
"I could skip that," he said sheepishly.
"You'd be all too happy to, wouldn't you?"
Aralyn caught the hint and sprang on her opportunity. "Let me go! I know the city, and it's the least I can do."
Tifa and Cloud exchanged looks. "You sure you're all right?" Tifa asked.
"It was just hypothermia and I was out for what, twelve hours?"
"And we'll go with her!" Marlene chirped as she grabbed the young boy's hand. "Denzel and I. We'll keep her safe!"
Cloud grimaced, clearly not liking the idea. Tifa looked at him, holding up flour-dusted hands in defeat. "That would be a great help, Aralyn, if you're certain it wouldn't be a strain on you."
"It won't," she promised.
"I'll load the bike up, then." Cloud rose from his seat, heading toward the backroom. Tifa motioned them back, giving her a grateful smile as she passed by.
Before she hopped on, she asked Cloud, "What is it that you'd love to miss, but can't?"
Cloud gave her a half smile. "Tifa's idea. She invites everyone over about once a week. This one happens to be in honor of my birthday."
"Well, happy birthday, then!" Aralyn said, strapping on a plain black helmet. "I'd let you go as your present, but Tifa wouldn't like that." She turned behind her, making sure that the cardboard box was safely strapped into place.
It was decided that Marlene would ride first, while Denzel and Aralyn walked beside her. The trip wasn't far, and it would only take about an hour to ride there, deliver the package, and return. Tifa assured them that there would be a party waiting for them when they returned.
"Just be careful!" Tifa shouted as they continued to their destination.
"We will!" Marlene replied. "It's just around town anyway!"
The clock hit six just as Tifa and Cloud reentered. "One hour," she muttered to herself, unable to shake a foreboding feeling. "Just an hour…"
…And now it was midnight.
Tifa sat at a table with her head in her hands, unable to believe that neither the kids nor Aralyn had returned yet. The party continued, but it was forced, the news taking away any fun that might have been had. The air was thick, and everyone was noticeably conversing with her only to distract her. Cloud, Barret and Cid had gone to search at about eight, but the one call she received from Cloud told her that they had scoured every possible route they might have taken. There was nothing. Nothing that could be attributed to Marlene, Denzel, or Aralyn was within miles of the site.
And what disturbed her most was the fact that the delivery had not been made. The woman who had called had screamed at Tifa. "You said it would be here by now! What kind of a business are you running?"
It was with extreme difficulty that she had explained that the delivery (made by a young woman and two children) had been intercepted. It was all she could do to keep from screaming at the woman.
Yuffie perched herself on the seat next to Tifa, casually putting her feet, shoes and all, on the table. "Maybe they just got lost," she said.
"And miss their target by more than a mile?" The voice was dark and deep, coming from the figure of a man who stood in the corner.
"It's a possibility!" Yuffie insisted. When Tifa wasn't looking, she turned to the figure. "Thanks a lot, Vincent," she mouthed.
Vincent didn't respond to this. It was clear what he thought happened, though he didn't voice it in consideration of Tifa. No one did, though it loomed over their thoughts like a stormy cloud.
"I shouldn't have let them go," Tifa said quietly.
"It's not your fault, and…"
A high, whining and mechanical melody rang out through the room, making everyone jump in surprise. Vincent casually reached into his cloak, pulling out a cell phone and flipping it open. Tifa held her breath, knowing it was dark news; if it were otherwise, Cloud would have called her directly.
"They found the bike," he said after his short, muted conversation.
"And?"
"Destroyed. Ripped to pieces. There was blood on the handlebars."
Tifa opened her mouth to reply, but Yuffie voiced the words. "And the kids? Aralyn?"
Vincent shook his head. "Nothing. He says they'll keep looking."
Before anyone could say anything more a tiny tap sounded on the door. Leaping to her feet, Tifa flew to the door. Vincent and Yuffie heard a cry of relief before they reached the door, and they found Denzel and Marlene, both encircled in Tifa's arms. There was a nasty cut on Denzel's cheek, and Marlene's dress was torn to near rage and she was a sickly pale color, but both were here, very much alive.
"Aralyn?" Tifa asked. "What happened? Where is she?"
Marlene shrank back, only kept from retreating further by Denzel's grip on her wrist. Denzel swayed a little, lowering his head. "Kadaj," he whispered. "They took her."
A/N: A little late, I apologize, but thank you for your patience. I hated this chapter. It sucks. The next one, however, will be better, I promise. It won't...can't...be long, or a certain someone will have my head. I won't leave you hanging for long. And the rating may go up. Not for inappropriate material, but because, as you might be able to tell, this is going to get really dark really fast. Consider yourselves warned.