ENDLESS FROST (GIRL X GIRL)

Chapter 20 Search

The first rays of the sun appear in the sky as I hear loud knocks on the door and I hear a muffled voice calling me. "Boss, it's time, we are ready to leave and the cars are ready too."

I sigh to myself while I keep cleaning my pistol and inspect it to make sure it's ready for action. I reassemble it quickly and load it before putting it in my weapon holster with the safety on. We don't a stupid accident to happen. This gun has been with me for many years, this was the first actual weapon I had when entering the army and it was by far my favourite. Quick, easy to use, precise and more important deadly especially between the hands of an expert shooter like me, I can't say I never miss my targets but let's say I'm trained and prepared for every kind of fight even under heavy pressure. This mission I organised to find out the truth about those disappearances should be a formality.

I stand up and finish to gear up with my heavy white coat and my gloves, amazing to protect against the frost and really handy for camouflage since now the world's main colour is this sharpening white. Everywhere, even in town , on the cars, buildings everything is just plain white. Some people still think that there is a heaven and when we go there, everything is white. Well, those people are completely wrong about that and I associate this colour to hell because of what's happening on earth and I'm sure a lot of people would agree with me right now.

As I'm finally ready, I open my door and follow Lloyd as we go through large corridors and go downstairs but I stop in my tracks in front of Topaz door where there are two guards standing there with their heads up. I give them a death stare before talking in a authoritative tone.

"You have one job, it's to keep her in that room ! If when I get back she's not there anymore, trust me your heads will roll in the snow understood ?"

The men's eyes widen for a moment before they reply at the same time. "Yes boss ! Understood!"

I smirk and get closer to them. "And if you lay a single hand on her, a single hand, trust me you will beg me to kill you once I'm done with both of you!"

They gulp at the same time as I can see sweat appearing on their forehead and they nod at me quickly but I furrow my brows waiting for an answer. "Yes boss, of course, we won't fail our duty."

I shake my head as Lloyd sighs and start to walk back outside opening the big wooden doors of the building. In front of the building are two cars waiting for us with a few of my men leaning on them and ready to go. Sure using cars right now in this moment could sound expansive regarding the fact that fuel is getting rare but I ordered a lot of my men to siphon off the petrol from abandoned cars. It was a task they hated the most doing but it was more than necessary to have the upper hand and be able to fight back if outnumbered. Although we also have horses that we use for more traditional tasks such as to explore new places not too far around here. This was the last mission Aida asked me to do, and she never came back. I'm still wondering what could have happened to her but I have a feeling that I might find out soon. I'm prepared to everything right now.

I step in the car in the shotgun place as my other men do the same and are prepared, I have a map with me and we're finally driving. We have two cars and our best men on this, it should go smoothly hopefully. Lloyd then snaps me out of my thoughts.

"So boss, where are we heading exactly ?"

I look at the map closely and see that there is a dirt road leading up north in a great forest, Aida and the other men must have obviously taken that road so that's a good head start. We leave the town at a slow pace because of the amount of snow still there. Thankfully, today was a great and sunny day so the visibility while driving is really good.

After a few minutes of driving, we left the town and we are now heading into a big forest composed of many white tall firs. After what seems like an eternity where I can feel Lloyd is getting annoyed because he then drives quickly I urge him to go slower for me to observe any hints in the nature which might help. Suddenly, on a tree near the road I think I spot something interesting.

"Stop the car Lloyd right now!"

Lloyd press on the brake pedal quickly as we come to a halt. The car following us do the same and I get out of the car in a hurry with my hand on my holster just in case.

"Boss, what's wrong ?! Did you see something ?" I don't even reply to him as I go smoothly to the tree I was eyeing earlier. I get closer to it watching my steps while walking in the thick snow. Finally, I get to the spot I wanted and I'm in shock as I realise that there is like a red trail of blood on the tree, as if someone was attacked close by. The blood was frozen on the tree bark.

I whistle and make a sign with my hands as several men included Lloyd come close to me.

I point my finger to the tree and Lloyd realise what he sees.

"Damn, it's really what I think this is ?"

"Yes, something happened here and I want to understand it, go around and see for other hints in the snow anything ! There must be something close by, most likely a corpse!"

Lloyd nods and indicates to the other men to search in the snow while I go around the tree searching, when my foot gets suck on something in the deep snow and I almost fall on the ground.

I furrow my brows at that and decide to use my feet and hands to uncover what's in the snow, after a few moments my eyes widen as I can see a face literally frozen with a big wound to his neck, the face of one of my men...