THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

CHAPTER 1

The policeman's grip on his shoulders was rough.

Liam looked to the left as the officer steered him down a narrow path. They passed several windows made of security glass. Through the windows, Liam could see police officers seated in a car. Heads turned as he passed, and eyes followed his movement down the gateway. Even when he looked away, he could still feel eyes on his back. As the sirens grew louder, the police light flashed on his face.

The way ended as he was placed into the police car, his head pressed down roughly so he could get in while still handcuffed.

Despite the bitter January cold outside, the car was stuffy and hot, smelling of chemicals.

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3 HOURS BEFORE

Liam’s POV

I got off work late and still had a lot to do when I got home, so I decided to take an alley. It was the shortest route to my house; it didn’t take more than five minutes to get home that way.

I passed by what looked like the only working streetlight in the alley and walked into darkness. The distant sounds of the city seemed to fade away, replaced by a chilling silence. The cold January air prickled against my skin, and my footsteps echoed against the narrow walls. Then, out of nowhere, someone bumped into me, jolting me as both our bags fell to the ground.

The stranger didn’t look back, didn’t apologize—he just grabbed one of the bags and hurried away. I was about to stop him when my phone rang.

I took it out of my suit pocket.

I was shocked when I saw the name on the screen. I hesitated, wondering whether to ignore it or pick up, but then I decided to answer.

“Hello, Jack. Long time.”

“Hi, Liam. How’ve you been?”

“I’ve been better. Why are you calling, Jack? We haven’t spoken in…forever.”

Jack suddenly went quiet. I heard muffled whispers on the other end, then a loud voice saying, “Do it.”

“Uh, Jack, you still there? And…what was that?”

“Yeah…yeah, uhhh, it was nothing.” His tone was off, shaky.

I could tell he was lying, but I decided to ignore it.

Then I heard a loud bang, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

“Liam, what was that?” Jack’s voice rose, sounding tense.

“I don’t know. I’ll call you later.”

The call ended, leaving me with the usual end beep.

It was strange for him to call after so long without a clear reason. The entire phone call was weird, but I decided not to dwell on it.

Finally arriving home, I dropped my bag on the couch and headed straight to my room. After taking a warm bath, I decided to go online to check what was going on around the world. It had become a habit by now.

I saw an article stating that the black emerald was missing.

I couldn’t believe someone had the guts to break through that level of security.

“Some people and their nerves,” I thought.

The emerald must be worth a lot.

Suddenly, the sound of an unfamiliar phone ringing interrupted my thoughts. It was coming from downstairs. I closed my laptop and headed down, wondering whose phone it was with each step.

The sound was coming from the couch.

I turned to face it and realized it was coming from my bag—or at least, what I thought was my bag. Then it hit me. The bag wasn’t mine. My bag, which I’d had for months, was worn with little tears. This one looked nearly new.

My stomach dropped as I stared at the bag in my hands, a gnawing sense of dread crawling up my spine. This wasn’t my bag. But if I didn’t have mine, then what had that man taken?

I placed my hand into the bag, then suddenly...

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