I am the storm

Chapter 20 | The clues

Fear filled my body, at the moment of seeing that the message was from 'unknown'. The thought filled me with dread. It was all because of one name: Piggy Piggy.

But I didn't want to let the fear of a simple name rule my life. So confidently I opened the message...the message read as follows 'Hello Alexis, this is Shadow if you still need help with deciphering the clues then I want you to come to my base of operations at 6:00p.m.'

My fears had been put at ease after the realisation that this was Shadow responding to my previous message, rather than Piggy Piggy taunting or threatening me.

Reassured I immediately replied to the message with 'Yes I'll try to be there by six or ten minutes later.'

After sending the message I got undressed from my work clothes and then put on a pair of blue jeans and a plain dark blue shirt. I grabbed my phone, the PTD, pocket knife and my taser.

Next, I walked out my home not telling my father where I going so I would most have to lie to him. I caught a bus and got as close as I could to The Bunker (which was my nickname for Shadow's base) and walked the rest of the way, when I arrived at Shadow's base it was now six fourteen p.m. and the sky was growing dark with a red hue.

I walked inside the large warehouse where The Bunker was located, then I walked past Shadow's black van that he used for commuting. I opened the trap door that led to a small set of stairs leading to the heavy door to The Bunker.

Cautiously, I proceeded to knock hard on the door causing my knuckles to become slightly reddened. But thankfully within a short time the heavy door swung open to reveal Shadow in his classical suit.

"Hi shads!" I joked to Shadow, abbreviating his name.

"Come on Alexis" Shadow replied in a serious tone as he beckoned me inside.

We then walked inside The Bunker to see the usual medial tables and weapons rack and computer against one of the walls and large matt in the middle for sparring matches but upon one wall was sat a white desk against a wall with a board on it. Shadow led me over to the table with the board.

"So what are the clues for the location of the deactivation button?" Shadow questioned almost impatiently.

I then got out my PTD to remind myself of the clues and spoke "Alright the first clue was the number nineteen severity eight, and I think it's a date."

"Okay" Shadow replied as he wrote the number on a piece of paper and pinning it to the board on the wall. He then continued to speak "what was the next clue?"

"The second clue was nineteen seventy six and I think this one is definitely a date" I responded confidently.

"Okay" Shadow responded as he again wrote the number on a piece of paper and attached it to the board.

"That's all the clues I have but the second clue led me to a picture" I explained bringing up the pictures of the photo on my phone and handing it to Shadow.

Shadow grabbed my phone and stared at it intently then he walked over to his computer and using a cable, plugged my phone into the computer and clicked a few buttons and two pictures started to print out.

The first picture was a cropped version of the front of the photo showing the town sign a whole five years before the town was founded, the second picture was of the back photo showing the date the picture was taken.

Shadow walked back over to the board where I was still stood and pinned the two print outs to the board.

"Is that all you have found Alexis?" Shadow asked.