Storm Chaser // JJ Maybank

45

When I wake up in the morning, I realize I need a plan. One that hopefully doesn't involve Rafe. After all that he's done I can't trust him. He's still asleep on the floor.

I walk over towards the window. One of the guards is standing there.

"Hey! Hey. I need to talk to Mr. Singh." I knock on the window. "Hey, go get Mr. Singh."

"What are you doing?" Rafe asks.

I keep knocking on the window. "Hey, you! I need to talk to Mr. Singh."

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up," Rafe tells me. He rushes towards me. "Hey. What are you doing?"

"Like I owe you an explanation," I tell him.

"Think for a second," Rafe tells me. I ignore him and walk towards the door. "Storm, what are you doing?"

I bang on the door. "Hello?"

"Hey! What're you doing?" Rafe asks.

I turn to face him. "Don't talk to me!" I bang on the door.

"You're lying about this diary thing," Rafe insists. "You know where it is."

"No, I don't," I tell him.

"You don't?" Rafe asks. "Okay."

"You wish," I tell him as I walk back towards the window.

"Okay, listen, I wouldn't tell me either," Rafe admits. "But he's never gonna believe we don't know something, all right? Singh killed that..."

Rafe tries to touch me, and I push him away. "Hey!"

"Look around, Storm," Rafe says. "I'm the only friend you got."

The door unlocks and a guard walks in. I walk towards him.

"Hey," Rafe says.

"I need to talk to Mr. Singh," I tell the guard. "I have something to tell him. It's urgent."

"Yes," the guard tells me.

He grabs my arm and leads me out of the room. Singh is sitting at a table eating breakfast.

I take a breath. "I lied. I know about the diary. I don't have the original. But I can get you a copy."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that, you know," Singh tells me. "May I offer you something to eat?"

I shake my head. "I'm not hungry."

"Relax. Nothing's gonna happen to you now," Singh assures. "You're cooperating, and I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, you know."

"I just want to get you what you want, and then I want to leave," I tell him. "Look, I know where it is. But I have to go by myself. Alone."

Singh chuckles. "But how would I know that you'd come back? You know, I need some collateral."

"Rafe's here," I tell him. Singh scoffs. "Keep him."

"Rafe." Singh stands up and walks towards me. "How did someone so young get into so much trouble?"

"Look, I know where the diary is, and if you let me go, I promise you I can get it to you," I assure him.

"You know, I built this fortune myself, you know, from nothing. From absolutely nothing," Singh tells me. "Do you know how that happened, Miss McKay? Hmm? I can assure you it was not by being a fool. Don't waste my time. The diary holds the key to the ultimate conquest, and that, my young friend, Miss McKay, is my destiny. So you need to tell me where it is, or I'm gonna..."

Singh stops talking as he looks at his phone. He laughs as he reads it.

"Amazing. A text from our friend Jimmy Portis. From beyond the grave, apparently," Singh tells me. "It seems Mr. Portis has captured your friends." He laughs. "Ryan!"