Nikki Shore - Ghost Beneath The Ashes

Prologue

7:25 PM

It's always been hot in Bellvue, especially in March. This night in my flat was no exception.

Rather than sweating buckets in my poorly ventilated apartment looking over case files, I decided to go take a stroll in the petrichor-smelling streets after the rain, reminding me of how big this city was. My feet hurt from all the walking and the myriad colors of the bustling city's cars and signs clouded my tired eyes as I walked by Gainsborough Street.

Gainsborough, despite the fancy name, can almost be described as the "wrong side of town", the busy streets full of various cars stuck traffic between its various buildings lined with dodgy sidewalk vendors-selling snacks on the cheap-and panhandlers-begging to anyone who walks past them.

I'm in my usual getup, my trusty blue long sleeved denim bolero jacket with my favorite blue t-shirt tucked underneath kept me from getting cold despite wearing my beige pleated shorts, and my custom tracked flat short boots had the grip that prevents me from slipping while treading through the narrow walkways lined with pungent black gutters.

The roaring engines of jeepneys and honking cars was the music in these streets, to which the people chattering and walking to and fro dance to.

A typical rush hour scene to put it shortly.

I stopped by one of those mom and pop shops that cornered the block near Mantana South, in front of those wood furniture stores. They sell home cooked meals for the cheap and I bought some dine in. Looking at their old CRT television with the news on, I quietly waited for the meal to arrive in their cheap white monobloc chairs and tables draped with plastic.

"Meanwhile, a new development on the kidnapping of young Suzy Alberts, the police have gotten an anonymous tip regarding her whereabouts. According to senior inspector Clyde Ward, investigation is on the way ..."

Yeah, they obviously wouldn't want people to know.

As I pondered about that, my meal arrives: beef noodle soup. It was freshly cooked and still piping hot, which made me subconsciously breathe in its savory beef aroma. It didn't look much with just a chunk of meat floating on a pond of noodle broth, and was a bit saltier than I expected, but still had that homemade touch that I love. The news continued on and then ...

This average everyday scene was disrupted by a loud explosion, it made my ears numb. Everyone jumped up their seats and ran away in a wild frenzy, I looked outside and saw smoke and fire just a few blocks from where I'm at.

The moist cold night just went hot. Panic ensued. Cars stopped in their tracks, and the crowd didn't help either as people started running towards my direction.

***

A few moments later the fire trucks arrived and hurriedly put out the flames.

The fire raged on and the mild urban sound of the bustling streets filled with people and cars was silenced and replaced with chaotic cries of panic and wailing sirens accompanied by the booming roar of the ensuing inferno.

I didn't approach it yet as I didn't want to burn myself. It was also quite odd that there was an explosion in the middle of the city during one of its busiest hours. This can't be just some accident.

About an hour has passed, people started to pile up and traffic enforcers started swarming the place. I was there with the crowd looking at the carnage.

The place stunk of burnt plastic. What was once a clean and neat shopping haven is now burned down in ruins.

The possibility of something devious was still nagging in my head. The only way that this is going to stop is figuring out what's going on.

It's like running straight in the fray of a shootout, packing lead and coming in hot.

This time, I'm going to jump head on.