Midnight Angel H.S COMPLETED

02

PRESENT-DAY

HAZEL WOODS

Smile.

You can do that.

When you're young, you don't know things. Anything, really. You don't know what a job is; you don't know boundaries. You don't even know what's going on.

I mean, back then, I didn't know how to hide behind a wall! Let alone doing anything after I'm hidden!

I thought I was a little butterfly ready to spread its wings.

I may just be the opposite.

"Hazey!" My mother takes me out of my head. "Hazel, please get your head out of the clouds," She explains to me, rubbing my wrist. She looks at me with eye contact. "Five more minutes? Please?" She asks.

I stay silent as she continues, looking down at the sheet of paper. "You know what you need to do?" She asks me, writing something down.

"Get information about Landon Harris, preferably video record it depending on my situation, get back safe."

"Time?"

"11:56" I answer, without hesitation.

"Awww, I'm so proud of you," She swoons, doing the proud face that all mums can do so effortlessly.

No matter how old I'll get, I'll always be open to mum's hugs and affection. It never gets old.

Although it sounds as if she's sending me to war.

"I love you," She pouts, her eyes welling up.

I feel my insides shrivel up out of embarrassment even though no one is here as she pinches my face. "I love you too," I answer, feeling my left cheek go red and numb.

I feel the burn on my cheek whilst I get up from the plastic chair and open the door. "Bye sweetheart," She smiles. I may be an adult but her smile always cheers me up.

*

A cool breeze brushes through my hair, the air evoking my lungs as I gaze at the London Eye and the stars twinkling in the sky. I draw my attention to my hands.

I know I'll never get to go on the London Eye. I've always kinda had to accept that. My life is kept secret. It's always been that way.

And I'm not sure if I want it to be that way anymore.

I mean, how amazing would it be if I could go to big places like London and explore the world within it?

What if I could walk into the bakery and see it as a bakery, not where a load of people work for an associate?

Imagine if I could just take the world for the world?

I check my watch and my heart almost stops.

I have seven minutes to get there.

Rule 135: Never be late.

Without hesitations, I sprint to the exit door and press my hand against the scanner built into the left brick, and chuck myself down the stairs.

Let's try not to overthink things.

Get information and go.

The feeling of my stomach churning doesnt make anything any better!

I press my hand against another scanning installation. It can be time-consuming, I know.

I open the door, knowing the Roselands bakery is very much closed, meaning I can't make any loud noises. And there's probably a better way out.

I look at all the possible outlets, my eyes darting around the room.

And there's only one.

The one that only five people have ever used within the time the bakery has been in business.

The secret door.

It's in the wall around the back of the bakery, so if anyone happens to be following any of us working here, we can disappear as if we were never there to begin with.

No one's meant to use it just in case one of the people that don't work here finds out.

I flick my wrist to see my watch again. Four minutes left.

A pit appears in my stomach, and my mind goes blank so I head to the secret door, knowing that I'm not meant to be using it.

The cool breeze, once again, hits my face, giving me this sense of relief.

Letting myself have no time to relax, I cross the silent road and run to Union Street, which is four blocks down from us.

They should be arriving in five minutes, giving me enough time to hide. Earlier today, I explored the hiding spots and there's one amazing one.

In the bins.

I know this is the safest option. The rubbish man came today, so I don't need to worry about rubbish being in there. Although, I'd fit the theme.

I walk over swiftly to the bin to reach to pull myself over-

I almost forgot my gloves.

I put on my leather gloves and hop over and into the bin, which, fair enough, smells but this is the best bet.

Now, it's the boring part.

Waiting.

As the minutes go by, I feel myself becoming jittery. My hands begin to sweat under my gloves.

Any minute now.

I hear my heartbeat in my chest, the adrenaline the only thing keeping me quiet.

Thump.

Thump.

I shut my eyes, wanting the noise to evaporate for existence.

Thump.

"I have two minutes, make it quick."

My eyes click open as I peek through the crack and see Landon and his presumable alliance there with him.

My hands shaking, I grab my camera out of my open bag and hit the record button.

Smoke wafts from their cigarettes as they continue talking. "Who is she?" he croaks. Landon looks confused as he taps his cigarette, letting ashes fall to the concrete. "The girl back at your Paris chatau?" He asks him, sounding more annoyed than before.

"What do you have for it?" Landon asks, suspicious of the blond man in front of him. Meaning they can't be alliances.

So who's the blond man?

The blond man reaches for his pockets and grabs a bag of white substance in it. Positive it's cocaine. Landon accepts his offer which I think was rather unfair for him as he's sharing all his plans. "She'll probably just work here a little while. I'll drop her soon enough."

"What about for the-"

"Too much information." Landon walks towards him "Miller." He slightly waves.

He chucks his cigar and walks away snickering to himself.

Rule number 129: Always hideout for at least twenty minutes just in case.