“Believe me… I really had nothing to do with this. I only came in to prepare an order when I found this young man laying on the floor unconscious. I moved closer and soon found out that he isn’t breathing, that’s why I raised an alarm to alert the security,” The old woman’s voice sounded raspy as she tried frantically to prove her innocence.
Ryan moved closer as the others already stopped a safe distance away from the crime scene. Mia was having an unusual reaction to the scene cause she’d already covered her mouth like she was trying to stop herself from throwing up.
When Ryan got close enough to the team of security guards surrounding the dead body, he frowned angrily. Have you ever heard someone frown angrily?
His eyes… Crimson coloured now, shook with anger as he looked at the bartender they’d questioned just a few minutes ago laying on the floor motionless.
He immediately scrutinized the body as much as his position could allow. He immediately noted the noticeable points. No scratch marks or bleeding signs, not a single injury.
Only his eyes looked completely white and his skin colour turned into an odd colour. He looked like… His soul had been sucked out of him.
Ryan clenched his fists angrily and walked back to the others. “Looks like they made their move first. We can’t be getting any info from a dead man so let’s leave now before those stupid cops arrive,” he mouthed to them.
Mia’s eyes widened for the nth time today. She glanced at the cook and asked, “What about the poor, old woman? She is innocent.”
“They know she is. The cops will find out about that. Let’s leave. I noticed a hallway earlier… I’ve rumours about this club having a secret brothel so let’s check that out,” Ryan informed them and led them out.
***
They would never have expected to see the long roll of rooms as they walked into the hallway. Ryan’s blood boiled with anger as his nose perked up again.
He looked down the hallway, “I can smell the bastards.” Since others could smell anything, they simply followed his lead.
They soon stopped in front of a door and Ryan sniffed it even more. When he was certain that the room is where the offensive odour was coming out from, he wasted no time in breaking down the door.
But when they barged in, the room was empty. “Scott was here!” Mia cried out. She could smell Scott’s scent strongly.
Ryan nodded, “But he isn’t here… Those bastards were also here. How in hell’s name did Scott get tangled with those creatures?”
“The scent is still fresh. They mustn’t have gone far away. We have to chase after them,” Mia gripped his hand.
But just then, Chris’s phone rang loudly. He was planning to ignore it but the ringtone… He’d set a ringtone for everyone so he would be able to know who was calling without checking the caller ID.
“Huh? Why is aunty calling?” He mumbled and Mia gasped. “Did she figure something out? What if she requests Scott? What do we tell her? How are we…,” Sam had to hold her from panicking too much.
He rubbed the back of her palm slightly and instructed her softly to be quiet as Chris answered the call just before it disconnected.
“Hello, au…,” His words were rudely interrupted by his aunt’s cries. “Aunt… What’s wrong? Please… Tell me what’s wrong.”
His words gained everyone’s attention. He suddenly stretched the phone to Ryan who refused to accept. What if this is one of her pranks to get him to go back to the pack? How would he do that when Scott is missing?
“She specifically requested for you,” Chris told him but he still refused. The former had to put the phone on loudspeaker mode so everyone could hear her.
“Mom… What’s wrong?” Ryan asked when he heard his mom sob quietly on the phone. But all he got in response was loud sobs. Jeez! They would miss those bastards if his mom keeps up like this
“Mom… Would you please stop crying and tell me what’s wrong? I’m in the middle of something important,” He urged, trying not to raise his voice at her.
“Ryan, the matrix has been infiltrated… You have to come back!” Her words caused a resounding silence in the room as everyone exchanged stunned gazes.
They didn’t even realize that the call had already disconnected as soon as she said that. Ryan was the first person to react. “Scott!!!!!,” He roared angrily. He was so going to kill that bastard when he gets to him.
They’d been worried sick about him being missing while the bastard had only been plotting his plans with those devilish creatures to take over the throne like he said he would.
Paws shot out in place of his fingers, almost making others terrified as his crimson eyes glowed angrily. He rushed out of the room at an alarming rate. He would rip off that bastard piece by piece with those minion demons he’d gotten to do his job.
Sam, Chris and Mia hurriedly rushed after him. A troubled silence ensued.
*****
Emily sat by the window side and called Ryan’s number but he still didn’t answer her call. She was growing worried as she tried calling him over and over again yet still no response.
She couldn’t stop wondering what might be wrong with him cause he has never missed any of her calls before. He would even be the one disturbing her with corny messages but she didn’t even receive a single message from him today.
She sighed again and called his number. When the call disconnected without a response, she dropped her phone dejectedly. But just then, her phone vibrated with an indication of an incoming message.
She rushed forward and picked up the phone hoping it would be Ryan but her phone screen displayed an unknown number. ‘Who could it be?’, she wondered as she clicked on the message.
The next thing she saw made her jaws drop.
.
.
.
……