CRYPTIC | completed

02

Chapter 02 - TWO BIRDS, ONE STONE

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"Your room is up here," a woman said, "this door. Daxton wished for me to inform you that the door will be locked at night. He doesn't want Luca getting in."

"Thank you."

"Marcie. Call me Marcie, miss." I looked at her with a little smile. She seemed young. Her face was caked with makeup. She wore a black dress against her pale skin, brown hair hanging in annoyingly perfect ringlets. She kept a neutral face, but her brown eyes showed pity or sorrow. I always mixed up the two emotions.

"Good to meet you, Marcie." She smiled back and walked off, heels leaving a little click against the hardwood flooring.

I examined the room. It was fairly large with one window and a closed door leading to what I assumed was the restroom. The actual bedroom had a chest with a blanket partway draping from it and a bed, all directly opposite to the unknown door. I looked out the window. There's a wide ledge with decorative railing. The actual view overlooked a green area. A concrete path followed all the way around both the fountain and the green area.

I opened the remaining door and found my assumption was correct. A simple sink, shower, and tub sat in the bathroom. A closet held multiple weeks worth of clothing and many more pairs of shoes I'd never touch, much less wear.

It looked like I wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Marcie's voice said to "clean up" and meet the others (whomever that may include) downstairs. I frowned and reluctantly discarded my hoodie and leggings to shower, missing their comforting warmth. Once dried off, I braided my hair and attempted to find something comfortable to slip on. Jeans and an oversized grey shirt were my choice. I found a pair of black flats to slip on when Marcie shouted at someone from downstairs.

I headed downstairs and found Marcie waiting for me. I followed her down a narrow hall which led into a large room with a mouth-watering aroma.

"Ah! Ash, so glad you came." Daxton sat at the head of the table, three others on each of the long sides of the table, and the only empty seat being at the opposite end of Daxton. Myself being so trusting of others, I sat and waited to see what the others ate. Someone scooped some corn, so I scooped a little. Someone grabbed a slice of ham, so did I.

Voices murmured and chattered amongst themselves. I tried to pick up bits and pieces of conversation. But what little I heard made little to no sense. Mostly politics and the occasional opinion on the newest tech at some facility.

"So, Ash," Daxton started. He held up my sketchbook and my eyes widened. "I've shown the others your work."

I felt my face grow warm as six other heads turned to face me. How the hell did he get that? Daxton appeared to sit higher at my clear discomfort. "There was one...the one with the old man and the kids? He was in the park tonight with the very same flask you drew."

One of the quiet men in the middle section of the table spoke up, "you profile people?"

"I guess what people hide," I clarified. "Some are harder than others."

"Which is why I brought you here to help us find someone."

"This is where I come in," I murmured.

He downed the rest of the red liquid in his glass and nodded to the woman on his left. She had dark skin and dark hair, perhaps only a bit older than myself. She passed a small laptop down to me.

"There are files saved on this that contain what we know of him," she said. "We've managed to get a witness as well. He is under tripled guard protection and he has photographic memory. Luca reportedly tried to kill him, but the police arrived and Luca fled the scene. We'll have you two meet tomorrow so you can sketch him."