The Dark

Liam, 2007

 April 18, 2007. Calico California

I walked down the street and headed to the hotel room that I rented. I finally made it to California. Now all you have to do is wait for her to get here. I made sure that I was in town before she was. I couldn't wait to see her again. I missed Maisey so much, it had already been almost ten months since I saw her last. I needed to make sure she knew that I was sorry for what I did, I would change everything if I could. While I was back at home we had gotten word that there was a new assassin on the lose working for the Dark. They've already killed ten people, who knows what The Dark wants. I hope that Maisey is okay and that she's safe.

I knew that I screwed up but I wasn't the only one. In the time that Maisey has been gone we've worked on rebuilding the gates. I put all my focus into building and I was able to help finish a new security system. Now we only have a weak defense on the south side behind the newer rows of houses. I made new patrols and time schedules so that no matter what, no one is alone at the border at one time. I didn't want what happened to Maisey to happen to anyone again. I'm trying to fix my mistakes so she won't be so upset anymore.

I made my way into the room and sat my bags down on the bed. I would need a plan to make sure that nothing went wrong. I have a feeling that Maisey no longer trusts me, I don't blame her. If I was in her position I wouldn't trust me either. I've caused her a lot of pain and I want to make things right, I want her to come home. Even if we're only friends, she'd still be with me. I would get to see her.

I don't know why Maisey would want to come to this town but it's almost time for her plane to reach the ground. I would follow her from the airport and wait until I have the right moment to talk to her. Now that everything is set, how about we do some looking around? I was on my own for this mission, Taylor and Cal both decided that it would be best for me to come alone. Conor tried to reason with them that he should come as backup but they turned him down.

I made sure to lock the door behind me as I stepped out into the open hallway. It wasn't the ideal place to stay but I had a budget for this. I decided to not take the car, it would be more entertaining to walk. I have an hour to look through stores and places of interest. The old dirt road left a cloud of dust hanging in the air when a car drove by but I didn't mind much. It was the same back home, in the summer we have to be careful not to inhale too much dust. I walked along the cracked sidewalk staying close to the edge. I didn't want to get in the way of anybody, especially with the reputation that this town's 'mafia' has.

It's not exactly a 'mafia' so I'll use that term loosely. They mostly control all of the trade in and out of the town. They have a lot of money and resources so people fear them. I don't see why they should. So far I haven't been bothered by anyone and I hope to keep it that way. I could immediately tell which house they owned as soon as I got into town. The white marble looked bright against the brown dirt all around the town. The long fences stretched for what looked like a mile. It was the only house in Calico that was this big and extravagant. They even had a massive fountain behind the main gate. I don't know where they got the water for the fountain though, there wasn't a lot of it around out here.

I moved to the other side of the street so I could watch the house better. It turned out that it was a good idea because who I saw walking down the street changed my entire plan. Maisey? What was she doing here early? Where is she going? Doesn't she know who they are? I hid behind a dumpster and watched as she waited outside the gate. Seriously, what is she doing? Right before I moved to grab her a man in dark clothing walked out to meet her. I could tell that he didn't sound happy but he joined her on this side of the fence. They crossed the street and headed into the building that was behind me.

I wanted to get a better look at what was happening between them. I moved from the dumpster to the broken window in the alley. They were on the ground floor, once they reached the middle of the room Maisey stopped the guy in the dark clothing. From the window I could hear their conversations,