Getting back to "Normal" | Rhekker

Chapter 55- Looking Glass

Ava opened her eyes, lifting her head stiffly as the pain became clear in the back of her neck. Ava woke to find she was still in the chair she'd been tied to last night. Despite her best tries not to not fall alseep she appeared to have dosed off, along with her guard who was slumped down on an old stained sofa next to the door.

Ava sat there in silence, unsure about how much time had passed, thinking about Connor and Jay, if they were looking for her, or Johnny, would her connections start a drug war?
Ava's train of thought was cut short when the door slammed open, her guard jumping awake.
"You were asleep!" A man barked down at him, "she could have escaped, how long as she been awake?"
"Uh, I, I don't know boss, not long"
The boss rolled his eyes and approached Ava, who kept her expression blank.
"Ready to talk?"
Ava kept his eye until he glanced away, a ghost of a smirk came over Ava because he glanced away first.
"Should we feed her?" The sofa man suggested.
"What, no. She's not going to starve to death in only a few hours. Besides we'll be getting rid of her in a few hours"
"I haven't eaten in two days" Ava voices, "you can only go so many days without food"
The man turned to face her again, "so now she's got a voice"
"Is it true, you can only go a few days without food?" The guard asked.
"I'll google it"

The man in front of her backs up and leaves the shed with a slam. Her guard still texting hurriedly. Ava takes to studying the muddied floor or the cracks in the newspaper covered windows to see anything familiar.
The shed door slams open and the man approaches again.
"It's true what she said, boss, only a few days without food and water"
"Here" he tosses hand a sandwich at her.
"You only get half, Johnny can feed you when he gets you back" he turned to leave again before stopping in the doorway with a smirk.
"If he gets you back"

The door closed and Ava felt a chill run down her spine.
"Hey, why she getting half of my sandwich!" The guard stormed out the door.
"Because as of now she's more important then you!"
Her guard slammed the door shut, returning to his position with a scowl on his face.
"What, you're not even gonna eat it?" He gestured to the sandwich, one arm still cross over himself.

Ava raised her wrists the bets she could, turning into more of a shoulder shrug.
"Oh right, yeah" he whispered, getting up he moved over to the chair and Ava felt the cool sting of a blade at her wrist.
The binding around her left wrist popped free and she could pull it in front of her.
"You only need one hand to eat, I'm tying you back up once you're done"
Ava hurried peeled back the tinfoil and brought the sandwich to her mouth. The bread was soggy and the ingredients dry but she didn't care. She took slow bites, knowing this could be the last meal for a while.

*

"Look, Connor we're got loads of missing people popping up this week, happens a lot in the weeks after Valentines, people go on dates, drinking and don't come back. We're snowed under but we're doing our best, she's our top priority" Jay told him.
"Well can I at lest talk to Haliey? I know her and Ava were close"
"Halieys on another case, she's pretty, involved" he stressed the last word.
"What case is more important the finding Ava"
"You know I can't tell you what case it is" Jay shook his head.
"Yeah, okey" Connor exhaled shortly, running his hand through his hair.
"Connor, we'll find here, she's one of us" Jay patted his arm.
"Go home, get some rest"
"Actually I'm on my way into work" Connor told him.
"Okey well, break a leg? I don't know what the appropriate work is" Jay laughs it off.
"It's alright, I'll get out of your hair" Connor said his goodbyes and buttoned up his jacket before stepping out into the cold.

He got into his car and shut out the cold, turning on the heating as soon as he started the engine. He reached over and opened the glove box with a click. Groping around he pulled out his leather gloves as an object came sliding out onto the seat.
Connor stared at the Midnights album for a moment before hastily returning it to the glovebox, closing it with a snap.

Connor arrived early for his afternoon shift, making his way to the caffatria for an early lunch before starting his day. He bought a few simple meal items and sat by the window in the corner out of habit, where he and Ava would have lunch.
He bounced his foot, staring at his ham sandwich, apple and bottle in front of him. His head was throbbing and he couldn't manage to start his meal. He took out his phone and clicked into his emails, hitting play on the video again.

Connor turned off his volume, watching the video over and over again, studying Ava's face and emotions as she read out the words. He read her lips as the message continued.
"Seventy-two hours"
Seventy-two hours

Connor jumped as a plastic meal tray cake down next to him.
"Someone's jumpy" Natalie teased, sitting across from him.
"Sorry Nat, I just wasn't paying attention" he rubbed his eyes, slipping his phone into his pocket.
"Is everything alright? You seem kind of stressed lately" she took a more serious tone.
"I'm fine, Nat, really" he ran a hand through his hair.
"Not hungry?" She gestured to his untouched meal.
"Eh, no, not really"
"Here" she handed him a chocolate mousse from her plate.
"No, Nat I'm fine, really"
"No please, take it. Owens going through a chocolate phase at the minute, I'm sick of the stuff" she confessed.
"Thanks" he piped open the lid of the container, taking the plastic spoon from her tray.

Natalie ate her lunch, watching Connors sad eyes gaze out onto the city.
"No Ava today? You know I've tried texting her a few times" Natalie says carefully.
"She's probably just busy, or she has no connection or something. South Africa, you know?" Connor tried to pay it off with a smile.
Natalie reached over and placed her hand on his wrist.
"We used to have lunch here, well she did. She liked looking over the city, said this table had the best view" Connors lips turned into a fleeting smile.
"She'll come back to you, you know? She's only gone wherever she is"
Connor nodded, "yeah, yeah you're right. I should probably get a bit of perspective anyway, I mean I meet with dying people everyday and I'm missing her because she's in South Africa" Connor shook his head, wiping under his eye.
"It's okey to miss her Connor" Natalie said before pulling her hand back, letting them finished their lunch in silence.

*

Connor rubbed his bloodshot eyes as he pulled into his apartment carpark. He kept his gaze to the ground and let himself into the apartment. He dropped his bag next to the door and took off his jacket and shoes. Connor made is way over to the fridge and went through what few items he had in the fridge. He pulled a beer from the fridge and placed an order with a local takeaway.

Connor lay down on the soft and stared up at the ceiling.
Andreas Myers
Seventy-two hours
There was hard knock on the door and Connor sat up suddenly to open the door.
"Hey, how much do I own you?" He asked, scratching his head.
"9.50$"
"Here, keep the change" he handed the man a few bills and closed the door, opening his bag of tacos and nachos. Connor sat down at the breakfast bar with his dinner, eating in silence. Connor pulled out his IPad and opened up his emails, taking a sip of beer.
Connor played the video footage over, and over, and over again just to see Ava's face. He knew it was her, even if she didn't have her accent, it was her. Connor let the video play again, getting up to put his empty beer bottle in the sink.

"My name is Andreas Myers" My name is Andreas Myers
"I have been taken, and will not be realised until the snakes back off of the bulls territory. And the bulls receive a million in compensation, to be paid in drugs or cash"
I have been taken, and will not be realised until the snakes back off of the bulls territory. And the bulls receive a million in compensation, to be paid in drugs or cash.

Connor waited for the rest of the video to play, looking up to find the screen of his tablet frozen. He moved to fix it before noticing something in the reflection of her whiskey glass. Connor scrambled to grab his phone, dialling Jays number.
"I've got something"