TouchNode | Complete

18 | The Red Herring

Underestimation is the biggest downfall a predator can risk.

It's so cold.

The temperature had dropped well below 10 degrees Celsius before I even made it out of the water. Soaking wet, dressed in a pair of sweatpants, a thin t-shirt with my backpack on my back, I trudged down the waterfront pier of the warehouse district. Night had fallen for sure, and the stars and moon brought little light to the abandoned area.

Hours chased by as I walked. First, through the warehouse district, then into the industrial area and finally up a hill into downtown. The city was still alive and pulsing under my feet like the hooves of a sprinting horse.

Street sign after street sign flashed by as I continued down the Echo Avenue. Men and women passed me as I walked, less than half spent any time turning their head to better analyze my appearance. My stomach cramped at the smell of fresh pizza wafting through the air, temporarily killing the cloud of exhaust fumes and mildew. Without stopping, my journey bent to head into Emiliano's Pizzaria.

"Devani!" Turning to glance back at the street, my eyes caught the darkened rear of a limo parked close to the curb. "We've been looking all over for you."

The staff of the pizzeria stopped moving to stare between myself and the limo. Sending them a smile, I stepped back out onto the curb and made my way to the vehicle. The door was pushed open, and Carter was stationed just inside of it.

A smile was on his lips as he took me in. Dressed in a dark Armani suit matched with a white dress shirt, and his hair combed to the side, Carter looked every bit the powerful businessman. Slowly the smile drained away from his face when I neared him, slightly alarmed, he reached out and gripped my arm in his hand to pull me inside.

Ballarina sat the other end of the limo, a drink clasped tightly between her thumb and index finger. She raised her eyes as she saw my form, but quickly dropped her cheeky grin and assessed me with widened orbs. No words came between her lips at first, and she had to clear her throat three times before speaking.

"What the fuck happened to you?"

Angry, dirty, cold and still wet, I centered my gaze on her face and sneered. "Your bitch: Liam O'Donnell."

Carter sank into the seat next to me, letting the door shut behind him. He pressed a button and spoke rapidly, "take us back to headquarters, Percy." Reaching forward, he opened the bar and handed me a cold bottle of water. "Now, tell us exactly what happened."

I took a deep drink of the water and started to speak:

"You're more crafty than I thought."

Liam's voice was tinted in amusement and the only sound in the halted sea vessel. He was tied up with black zip ties and leaning unsteadily against the dining table on the lower deck. His hair covered part of his face, disturbed when I dragged his body down the stairs to rest beneath the glass-topped table.

A gun was clasped in my hands, pointed in his direction. He barely glanced at it, opting to stare past me into the wisping sea waters. I sat on the edge of a bar chair, shaking in the cool wind.

"Underestimation." I sighed. "It'll be your death."

He shrugged and ignored my comment. "So what do you want? Your freedom? Money? All the information to write a tell-all book?"

"No." My shoulders automatically squared and I say up higher in my seat. "I want a guarantee that you'll never try this again and--"

"Done." He waited expectantly.