Guardian: Returns

8

Jiang Feng was sitting on one of the pillows in the secret hideout and clutching his lunchbox. He was supposed to eat something, but the moment he opened the container, the smell of food almost made him gag. The boy quickly sealed the box and closed his eyes. He felt pressure slowly growing. As if there was a band that was slowly tightening around his head. He focused on the so much desired silence around him. He knew that he would be able to postpone the pain but only by a couple of minutes. Watching the half-opened window through which Luo Fei squeezed out to have a smoke, the boy felt a pang of sadness. He didn't really understand that feeling, yet every time he lost Luo from his view, there would be that strange sting of pain in his heart. There was a shuffling noise, and a leg appeared in the window frame, and the pain subsided.

Luo was half through the window when the boys heard voices, and a second later, the door of the old gym was opened, and Zhao Yunlan walked in, accompanied by his two co-workers. He frowned, looking at Luo with one foot still outside.

"What are you doing, boy?" The detective asked. Luo Fei laughed nervously and jumped down, a packet of his cigarettes clearly visible in his hand. He moved it behind his back.

"I, um..."

"Are you kidding me?" Da Qing sniffed and approached the kid. "You're smoking again? Do you know how hard it'll be for you to quit? And you'll be edgy and fussy for months! You want to join the S.I.D.? Then you have to give it up. We have the non-smoking rule. You smoke? We kick you out!"

"Ok, fine. I'll quit before joining. I'm guessing the tunnels weren't what you were looking for?" He looked at Zhao expectantly.

"No," the detective shook his head regarding the small window. Even skinny Luo had problems squeezing in through it, so there was little to no possibility that a kidnapper would use it as a way to escape. "Do you know of any other places that could lead outside from this level?" he asked anyway. Luo Fei bit his fingernail, thinking.

"Well, this place used to have an exit to a running track about fifty years ago. I'm guessing it's behind that wardrobe?" He indicated a large, solid, wooden wardrobe in one corner. It looked heavy and sturdy, and when Chu Shuzhi tried to move it, it didn't even budge. Luo patted the wood. "Yeah. That beast is... huh?" he suddenly lowered his head and looked at the keyhole. "Somebody opened it recently." The kid pulled the handle and the door opened with a loud creak of the rusty hinges. He looked inside, and his jaw fell open. "The hell..."

Zhao pushed him away. Not only was the wardrobe completely empty inside, but it also didn't have the rear wall, and it gave immediate access to the old door. Zhao jumped inside, reaching out for the handle. The door opened silently, revealing a narrow, dark corridor.

Luo Fei swore lavishly, earning a smack on the head from Da Qing.

"Ow! Dang, I'm just pissed that I've been climbing through that stupid window for so long when I could've simply walked through the door, pretending I'm leaving for Narnia!"

Zhao Yunlan's head popped out of the wardrobe. "Kid, you stay here. You guys with me." He turned his flashlight and disappeared into the passage, Da Qing and Old Chu at his heels. Grinning, Luo turned to where Jiang Feng was sitting. The grin instantly faded when he saw the other boy in obvious distress. Feng was sitting on the carpet, holding his hands to his eyes as if he was trying to block any light abusing his senses. Lou was kneeling at his side in a flash.

"Is it the head? I'll call your brother." he reached for the phone. A shaking hand caught his sleeve. Jiang Feng pressed his head unconsciously to Luo's chest.

" No," the boy whispered. "Just take me to him."

"Ok," Luo whispered back. He took off his hoodie and tossed it over Feng's head. "Keep your eyes shut, and trust me. We'll walk slowly and carefully."