The little Spy

Old wounds and old friends

Autumn was back in the room. The same room she had been visiting for five years. She stared at the man in front of her. He lay there motionless. She had long since blocked out the sound of the machines that kept him alive.

Autumn was a broken woman. Physically and mentally. The day she lost everything had haunted her ever since.

She placed her hand on the man's. She still hoped that he would wake up again. But she knew that this would not happen.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "My love, let's go home," Winter spoke softly. He was the only thing keeping her alive.

Winter gripped the handles of the wheelchair tightly and began to push Autumn out of the room.

They had shattered her spine. The men who had attacked her then. Autumn didn't have too many memories of the attack. She could only remember opening the door and then something hitting her hard in the face. Everything else after that was just a blur of chaos.

Winter had found her then.

Lying in a pool of blood. He thought she was dead. But miraculously she had survived.

She had not been able to walk since. She was paralysed from the waist down.

And when Autumn woke up after her weeks-long fight for survival, she learnt what else had happened that day.

Her brother had a serious road accident, for some unknown reason he was travelling far too fast and drove through a red light. He then crashed into another car. Fortunately, the other driver survived. But Reece has been in a coma ever since. The doctors gave him no chance of ever waking up again.

Autumn had long wanted to end life support. But her father blocked this.

On the same day, Marjorie was also ripped from life. She suffered a sudden heart attack and was found dead by Sorscha in her office.

And Mia, she had been missing since that day. The police had already given up the search and declared her dead as well.

Autumn couldn't prove it, but she knew who was responsible for everything. Her father.

And he let Reece 'live' to remind her of what he was capable of.

Winter didn't know how often he had the conversation with Autumn. Today he had it with her again.

Winter was loading the wheelchair into the boot. He had already helped Autumn to get into the passenger seat.

When he got in and looked over at her, he immediately noticed the look on her face. She was staring into the distance, lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about, my love?" he asked.

"About what I would do if I wasn't tied to this goddamn wheelchair..." There was hatred in her voice.

Winter carefully placed his hand on her thigh. "Autumn..."

"No, Winter! That monster took everything from me and is still on the loose!" Tears formed in her eyes.

Winter's heart broke again. He couldn't take away her pain.

He was surprised at himself that he was still working at the Knight Nursery. But after what happened five years ago, he couldn't and wouldn't leave his colleagues.

Today his work didn't start until midday. He had barely started his shift when he was called into the office by the manager.

"You wanted to see me, Charlotte?"

Charlotte smiled warmly at him. "I have good news! Have a seat."

Winter took a seat in the empty chair in the office. This used to be the deputy manager's seat. Autumn's place.