The Drug Run

Chapter 9 - Absences

It had been almost three weeks now since Noah had disappeared, and the situation at the warehouse had by no means improved. Elias avoided Ally as much as was humanly possible, staying safely locked away in his lab. Several times Ally had tried to get in, but the door was always locked.

Sometimes, if she listened carefully, she could hear him screaming, which left her with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She did her best not to think about what he was doing in there, but she was certain it wasn't good. She had spent most of her time sleeping, or pacing up and down the warehouse floor. There was very little to do on a good day, but they hadn't had one of those in a very long time.

During the second week of Noah's disappearance, Ally had snuck out to get food. She wasn't sure why she had been so secretive; if she wasn't there, maybe Elias would leave the lab for a bit, and maybe he would finally eat what little food they had left.

The group had a long history of shoplifting, but with no money, it was the only way they could get food. They couldn't grow anything outside because it would draw attention to what was supposed to be an abandoned warehouse, and they couldn't grow anything on concrete floors.

The shops they targeted were large chain stores mostly, although, on occasion, they went for the market stalls on the outskirt of the town, if they were really desperate.

Their shopping list was small, and Ally remembered it by heart. Simplicity was the key. After all, they were running an illegal drug cartel; lavish foods were not of any use. Food was simply about surviving.

She had become quite good at taking the food too. Her favourite trick was to target wealthy customers of the Wheellure chain stores, by helping them pack their cars. As much as the team needed food, they weren't going to take from people who were struggling.

After successfully obtaining two loaves of bread, a small packet of ham, some tomatoes, cheese and a bottle of milk, she headed back to the warehouse.

After staring at the stark naked, ugly grey wall in front of her, Ally decided something. She was fed up.

Three weeks without Noah, and she and Elias had become practically non-functioning. She knew there was no way they would be able to get things on track again unless he was back, and she was tired of sitting around doing nothing. If Noah was still out there somewhere, then it was up to them to find him.

She marched over to the lab and knocked softly on the door. When there was no response, she began pounding on it, harder, before giving up and pushing the door open. Elias couldn't see her, but his body tensed as she entered, as if he could feel her presence.

"What are you doing here?" he muttered coldly.

"We're going to find Noah," Ally stated plainly. Elias flinched as she said his name, dropping a bottle he was holding. He turned to Ally slowly, and stared at her.

"I know it's a longshot, but it's better than sitting here doing nothing," she told him. He sighed finally, and gave her a small nod in agreement.

"How?" he asked, his voice soft with doubt, "how do we find him? He could be anywhere. They have at least fifty centres in town, and there's probably more. And what if they've taken him somewhere else? We're criminals Ally. We are working against the government. They'll have him locked up so he can't get back to us."

Ally bit her lip, and thought for a while.

"We need to find a way to get inside. I mean those places are all connected right? If we get into one, we have full access," she continued thinking, "we need a map, too. That place is a maze. The last thing we need is to get lost down there; it could be days before someone finds you, weeks even." Elias raised his eyebrow, in confusion.

"What do you mean, 'it's a maze'?" he asked.

"I mean that this place makes Pan's Labyrinth look like one of those crappy kids treasure maps. When I was five, dad took us there once, I don't know, to scare us or something, and I got lost. It took them two days to find me. I don't even think he realised I was gone," she said it, Elias noticed, like it was a fact that she was reciting a story she had heard, rather than a memory. It was icey as it rolled off her tongue, full of the bitter hate for her father, and suddenly he understood her complete and utter loathing for him. Anyone who would do that to their child didn't deserve trust.

"I um," Elias was lost for words. Sorry wasn't the right word, but it was also the only word that made sense.

"Don't say sorry. I'm not asking for pity. But we need a map," Ally insisted, "and I think I know where we can get one." She began walking out the door. Elias reached his hand out to grab her arm.

"What then?" he asked, "once we have a map?"

"We break into Pharmite."

Elias stared up at the polished mansion in front of him.

"It's huge," he thought, outloud. Ally nodded beside him.

"Yeah, it is."

"So, you think there might be a map in there?" he asked, turning to Ally. She nodded again.

"I know there's a map in there," she told him, taking a deep breath. He furrowed his eyebrows, a small frown forming on his face.

"What makes you so sure?" he asked, looking back up at the building.

"Dad takes pride in his work," she said, her voice bitter, and an octave higher than normal. Her eyes prickled with angry tears, and she ran a hand through her hair.

"Come on," she said, "I'll show you how to get in."

Elias Edged his was along the smooth, ivory walls of the building. He and Ally had made their way through a small gap in the fenceline and were headed for the back entrance.

"Remember," Ally told him quietly, "once we're inside, we've got five, maybe six minutes to get the map before the alarm goes off. If we aren't out by then, we might as well hand ourselves over."

The back door was just as sterile as the rest of the house, like a model that was to be looked at but not touched. Four large, glass panels were the only thing deprecating them from a luxurious-looking interior, but more importantly, it was the only thing separating them from the map.

Ally pulled out two pairs of gloves and handed one to Elias.

"Put these on," she instructed, pulling a pair over her short fingers, "they already have my DNA, we don't want them to link us to the break-in as well." He quickly followed her instructions. Getting in and out without leaving a trace meant keeping Noah safe, and that was all that mattered to Elias right now.

Taking a deep breath, Ally wrapped her hand around a golden doorknob.

"Ready?" Elias nodded, and she turned the handle.