Retrograde

Chapter 6 • The Phantom

• Chapter Six •
The Phantom

The drive was closer to an hour and some change because of a bit of traffic. In that span of time, Cael asked questions about Sabin that went unanswered, with the exception of the words, We will be there soon enough. Courtesy of Reena. So, Cael sat back and resolved to look over the briefcase that he took, wondering what was in it. He thought about how Clarice threatened him and retrieved it—his stomach still dropped when he recalled that moment. He couldn't open the case because of it's thumbprint padlock. He never knew any of this was going on, and now he had a corpse on his hands and on his mind.

"We're almost here," Reena said, pulling Cael out of his reverie. But when he looked outside of the car window, he saw them passing neighbourhoods. Mundane neighbourhoods. He furrowed his brows, confused. He was more confused when she pulled into one of the two driveways of what looked like a colonial house with a nice expanse of land. It wasn't in any of the neighbourhoods they passed, so it seemed to have quite a bit of privacy.

Cael laughed, but it was more out of disbelief than humour. "We drove a little over an hour to pull up to a colonial?" Garver spit out a laugh in a failed attempt to maintain himself.

Cael didn't think it was that funny—neither did Reena.

"I guess you conveniently forgot the part where I said we hide in plain sight," Reena retorted, looking at him through the rear-view mirror. The driveway wrapped around to the back of the house, where there was the other black car from Cael's house. There was also another car, out of which an older woman and man was getting groceries.

Reena parked next to the black car, and they started to get out. "Who's the man and woman?" Cael questioned.

Garver slammed his door shut. "Mr. and Mrs. Phelps. You should get familiar with them—they're our front. They support us and alert us when suspicious characters pass the land, so...it works." When Mr. and Mrs. Phelps saw them, they gave a struggling wave, given the bags in their hands. However, they opted to go inside to set their baggage down. 

"You will get to talk with them later," Reena said. Cael turned to Reena, who was beginning to walk to the furthermost of the three lined-up sheds. "Follow me." Reena took a key out from her pocket and went to unlock the shed's door. "Now, the results may live up to your expectations." She opens the door and switches on the light.

Cael was thrown off by the metal flooring that was mostly hidden by a rug with a wooden work table in the center. But there was the regular expected stuff in the shed, lined against the walls. Garver came in after him to close the shed doors and lock them. "I'll unlock..." 

Cael didn't know what Garver meant at first until he saw the young man walk over to the table and reach his hand under it. Cael heard a click! and from under the table slid a built-in keypad and eye-scanner. Garver put in a number and leaned over to scan his eye.

"Step back," Reena said, taking Cael by the wrist and moving backwards a few steps. Garver did the same when he finished. The console slid back into its hidden spot before the floor began to...raise? 

Cael's eyes widened a little as the table and the flooring just under it rose and slid further to the back wall, revealing stairs that descended into darkness.

"This is always my favourite part." Garver grinned and began to walk down the steps without hesitation. Cael was trying to gear up to take the first step, though it didn't help that Reena still gripped his wrist. They both looked at the connection of skin, and then Reena let him go. She didn't bring it up.