From Foes to Flames

From Foes to Flames-part 12

Chapter 12

Matao

I have a gut feeling that something is wrong. I walk upstairs to check on her again and push the door open slowly. A wave of panic fills me when I see my bed empty, the window is open, I open my closet and her belongings are gone. How did she even get out? She would have hurt herself badly from the fall. I poke my head out the window and see a ladder. Did I lock the door? I rush downstairs and the door is unlocked. I run outside and her car doors are open. Her bags are inside but there is a big dent in the side. She couldn't have done this, not with her strength. Someone stronger would have done this, Jayden. He is fairly strong and after what happened today, I'm sure it was him. I get into her car and see a small silver knife. It had a logo engraved that consisted of swirling lines around a double rimmed circle. It seemed so similar. It's dad's knife. I got one when I was ten. I go inside to his office and go through his letters. All of them looked normal apart from one with the logo from the knife. I tore it open and pulled the letter out slowly as a picture fell onto the floor. It was Adeline, she was sitting in front of a cake with the big letter 16 on it, there were people sitting around laughing and smiling. The picture looked as if it had been taken through the hedge on her back lawn. I put the picture into my pocket and opened the letter.

To David Brown

258 North Street New York

In this letter is a picture of Nathanial Whitlock's daughter Adeline, we plan to take her into our possession in order to blackmail Nathanial. We will carry out this order on the 8th of November unless we are personally ordered by you to not proceed. If he does not want his daughter, we will have her killed. With this plan we will be in possession of the item you need very soon.

85 Barton Street New York

My jaw dropped in shock; my body was trembling. I got in my car and drove to the address on the letter, I was scared but I have so much adrenaline that I could have run there. There was an old warehouse with rusted tin fences surrounding it. I turned off my headlights and slowed the car as I drove up onto the grass outside and turned off the car. I got out and opened the boot. I kept a machine gun and the gun my dad gave me hidden in a box under the boot. I had cut out a spot for it to fit in under the mat. I installed it after dad left to protect my family, without him I was the man in charge. I pulled it out and hooked the strap over my shoulder. I walked cautiously up to the warehouse and looked for and entrance. There was a door on the left wall of the building. There was no handle, so I just pushed it open slowly.

I held my gun up cautiously as I walked in. There were lightbulbs hanging from the room that barely lip the room, I could see a figure sitting on a chair in the middle of the warehouse. I walked over slowly while checking my surroundings. The warehouse was completely empty but the person on the chair. As I approached, I could make out a bag over the persons head with their legs and hands tie to the chair. I pulled the bag off their head and found it was Adeline, she had a large cut from the bottom of her cheek that went across her lips to the ear. She had a dark purple black eye, and her hair was all messed up and stuck to her face from sweat. I dashed and moved the hair from her face. Her eyes popped as she screamed "MATAO" I spun around and saw two men dressed in casual black suits running towards me. I raised my gun and shot at them, they both dropped to the ground yelling as three more ran through the door. I fired more bullets at them as they reached for their guns. I sighed when no more came through the door. I heard another door open behind me and I shot continuously at it. My gun ran out of bullets, and I grabbed my knife from my face pocket, I threw my gun at the next person who walked through the door and hit him square in the head. Another walked in with their gun raised, I froze as he walked over to question me. I looked back at Adeline who had long ago fainted. The man walked over to me with his gun dropped low. He looked at my knife which was still in my hand.

"Where did you ge- "I stabbed the side of his neck as he questioned me. He shouldn't have let down his guard. I wait for a moment before turning around to Adeline. I cut the rope off her hands and ankles. Her head hung from her neck while I tried to wake her up, it took a few minutes, but she was ok. Her wrists and ankles had red marks around them and there was a long cut across the top of her arm that was the same as her original scar.

Once we are back in the car, I begin driving her back to my house. I'm squeezing the steering wheel so hard my knuckles are turning white. I look over at Adeline who is curled into a ball, she's leaned against the door, head in her knees, asleep. She jolts awake when we go over a speed bump "it's ok, you're ok." Her breathing is fast, but she takes a minute of deep breaths to calm herself down.