The Red Doves

Chapter IX

The phone of Alan rang around 18h that night. Her mom was out, eating supper with Alan's stepfather. Suziky and him took the time they needed to talk about what happened at the gas station. They got back home with her car and lucky her, Alan didn't see his present at the back of the car.
When they entered home, the mother was already getting prepared since her date was at 17h and it was already 16:48 when they both went inside. They acted like nothing weird was going on and Carolina didn't even ask them why Alan didn't come back with his car – which, surprisingly, was in the parking of the house when they came back.
When she left, Suziky and Alan argued a little about the fact that she wanted to come with him. He didn't have a choice and had to accept it. Suziky cared about Alan, but justice wanted him to be reported to jail by doing something like this. So, if he refused, she would have called the police, risking her life by being killed by Alan. Knowing him well, he would never do such a thing.
They agreed on going together tonight when his cellphone rang. He took the call.

- Yes? answered Alan, looking at Suziky.

- You have your next mission, man. Come to the bus station as fast as possible. Be careful on the way there.

- Alright, I'll be on my way, he continued, hanging off the call. We're going to the bus station.

- Now? asked Suziky, kinda surprised. Didn't you work this morning?

- Yes but sometimes, they call at night and, without you noticing, I go out through the window of my room.

- That's why you were so silent that time... said Suziky, thinking out loud.

- Yea, yea, well we have no time to lose. Come on, change into black and let's go.

. . .

Finding black clothes was harder than she thought. She had nothing but colorful shirts and jeans. At the end of her research – without finding anything to wear that was black, she went to Alan to borrow some of his clothes since he had plenty of black outfits. At 18:05, they were on their way to the bus station. They didn't talk that much. For once in her life, Suziky was being serious about the situation. She got in this without thinking of the consequences. She could die.
Alan wouldn't let them. He wouldn't. But Suziky kept thinking of multiple things that could happen. As for Alan, he was driving silently to the station with a serious look on his face, just like the person beside him. Suziky never saw him like this before. It's like nothing was going to change his mind. It was his job, to do bad to stay alive.
Suziky never thought this would happen to them. But after the death of her mother, the meeting with the mysterious killer and the heart in the box, she was waiting for something else to come. But she never thought of that.

- You're thinking so loud that I can hear your thoughts, said Alan all of the sudden.

- I'm sorry, I'm just...

- Stressed? Scared maybe? No joke. We're going to see a psycho killer, it is totally normal for adults like us.

- Stop messing around, this isn't funny, commented Suziky, a glare at Alan.

- It was your idea to come, not mine, so I hope that you have a plan at least. This was crazy of you.

- Alan, I know you're mad but please, don't restart again. We're going to do this together.

Alan didn't answer back. He kept looking at the road, like doing this could help him escape his faith.

- Seeing you in this situation hurts me, continued Suziky. I knew you were suffering. It's not everyday that we get kidnapped.

- But it's life, that's what everyone would say. But answer me on this one... Why our lives, Suzy? he asked with a tremble in his voice. Why did your mother die? Why did my biological dad leave? Why did we have to get into all this?

- Hey, hey, calm down and concentrate on the road, said Suziky. Look, I know all of this may seem impossible to be happening but somehow we got our names on some kind of list and it guided us there.

Alan stayed silent once again but started calming himself down by taking a deep breath and looked back at the road. He made the silence last for a while and, after some minutes, started tearing up. Suziky took his free hand and started holding it tight, releasing some pressure in Alan.

- I never asked for this. All I wanted was to become an animator, said Alan with a stuttering voice.

- I never did either, Al, said Suziky. But we have to live with it. Life is not a piece of cake.

- It was when we were kids.

- Alan, do you really think that you would fly away with a unicorn to go to the magical land, with fairies and flying popcorn everywhere?

- Flying popcorn? he repeated with a slight chuckle.

- I know, it just came in my mind like that.

- I don't think it can happen, all this magical things, said Alan to come back on the main subject.

- Exactly, concluded Suziky.

They kept holding hands as Alan was driving. Suziky opened the radio to find some interesting music but none of the station had a good song. She stopped on one that caught her attention.

« [...] stabbed in the back and dead in their living room. The killer is still unknown since the mysterious killer of Sidney is still under control in our most secured jail. Police officers are still searching some more information. We had the chance to have the officer Ulician with us lately but he had to leave once again to stop another crime on the sixth street. We hope [...]».

- I can't keep imagining his face when he'll find out that some murders are from my hands, said Alan, cutting the lady speaking the news through the radio.

- Ulician... Isn't he the officer that we talked to a month ago?

- Yea, it's him.

- Then I understand the pain that you must feel. He was nice with us and now, you are one of his future enemy.

- That's not really helping, interrupted Alan with a low voice.

- I'm sorry, I should have shut myself up.

- You should, yes, confirmed Alan, cause we are here.