She's The Winning Piece

Chapter 4: "Sugar, you there?"

I moved into a safehouse two nights after the whole incident and it's been quite settling and new cause there's security 24/7.

They even got me a new phone just in case of any tracking device on my previous one.

I'm still not over my dad and brothers death. I still think about them but what's gone is gone. I miss my mum a lot, I hope she's good.

Inspector Francis has been coming to see how I've been doing.

I miss school.

I miss my friends.

I miss him.

I miss Ian.

I've not spoken to him since the incident, I miss him. Why hasn't he called?

Ring! Ring! My phone starts ringing. An officer gets a cord to plug my phone to a machine.

I checked the caller ID but it was unknown cause my contacts cleared too. On the officer's count, I picked the call.

"Hello?" I asked. "Hey. It's Ian" my face lit up with smiles on hearing his sweet voice.

I whisper to the officer to remove the cord so as to stop recording or tracking the call.

"Sugar, you there?" he sounds worried. "Yes yes Ian. I'm right here" I smile in my voice.

"Okay cool. Uh.. sorry... about your loss. I just heard about it, I've not been around this past days"

"I'm not good at apologizing. Accept my condolences sugar" he tries to apologize.

It was cute so I just had to laugh. "Thank you Ian. I'm good for now" I told him.

"Uh.. this is a bit awkward. But when are you coming back to school? We all.. miss you" he said.

"We?" I asked confused.

"Yeah.. me, Sierra, Kat, me again"

"I miss you Jas" he says.

"Oh really, aw. I won't be returning till they solve this case. I miss you too. I mean you guys" I blurt.
***
"We have a lead, it's a warehouse downtown in an abandoned factory. We need to go now!" Inspector Francis told some group of officers.

"Uh can I come? Just in case you find my mum? And Antonio too" I ask.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. It'll be too dangerous and we can't risk your life" he pleaded.

"No I'm not going to take this with you guys! This is my mum we're talking about here. I have every reason to be there and no one is going to stop me" I yell and there was silence.

Then, the waterworks begin, I really didn't want to cry but thinking of my mum just brought them out.

"Okay okay Jasmine. You'll go but you must always be by my side or at least any officer. Okay?" Inspector Francis assured me.

***

"Everyone in position?" Inspector Francis spoke into a walkie-talkie. "Yes boss" voices respond.

"This place seems too quiet. Are you sure we aren't doing something wrong? Or it's a fake lead?" I asked out of concern.

"Our intel is from a good source so this has to be it" he sounded so sure.

"Okay, you're the boss. Lead on" I told him.

While entering, we heard sounds from a ringing phone. Inspector brought out a glove, wore it and picked up the phone to answer the call.

"Hello inspector. I'm sure you officers expected a huge bust today but surprise... that sure isn't happening today is it?"

"As some wise people say, 'there's a mole in every group' and this applies to y'all today. Well to cut this story short"

"I, being a good host that I am. I won't let you come down here without returning with a gift so, I left a little prize. Bye"

"Oh before I forget, tell little Jasmine that her time is fast approaching and we'll soon come for her, it's just a matter of time" and with that, the call ended.

"I recognise that voice, it's from that night in my house" I tell him. "Oh wow. Has anyo.." he was cut short by someone at a distance.

"I found something" a voice shouted.

We ran into that direction but some officers tried to restrain me from moving forward. I managed to shove them but I wish I didn't.

I was staring at what I never expected to see. It was my dead hanging mum with bullets in different parts of her body and her poster on her chest which reads, 'SURPRISE!' and a laughing emoji.

I drop to the floor, on my knees and I cry out in pain, screaming with so much anger and sadness, "Nooooooooo!!!!"