Miss Hawkridge

twelve

"I know what happened to Omaira. Meet me at the film studio hangar." Olivia's phone flowed under the nightlight with the message. She took a deep breath before shaking Anna awake and gesturing her to follow, leaving the two boys snoring under their quilts.

"What's wrong? Where are we going?" Anna asked immediately after they blaster the heater inside Alaric's car. Olivia showed her the text. "Do you think it's a good idea?"

"Only one way to find out," Olivia replied, as she drove the car out of the garage and on towards the studio hangar.

Outside the large building, in the middle of an empty parking lot, the two girls waited.

"I'm having second thoughts, Liv," Anna told her.

"Anna, you know how important this is for me," Olivia pleaded.

"Yes, but what if we're getting ourselves into trouble." Anna wrung her hands.

"We have no other choice. At least, I don't." Olivia sighed. "Please Anna." Anna took a deep breath before obliging her friend. They shivered in their parka as they crossed the parking lot.

"Quick question," Anna whispered, walking close to Olivia, "how are we going to evade the guard?" Olivia marched on.

"Chill, I got it covered," she assured her friend, walking up to the security guard and announcing her name. To Anna's shock, the guard waved them in, but not without a scowl.

"See, I told you I got it covered." Olivia smirked.

"How did you do that?" Anna whispered a little fiercely.

"With Jo Beckett's help of course." She smiled.

"You think she'll help us?" Anna asked as they began scouring the empty hallways.

"Of course. I still don't know why you're so wary of her, you and Ric. She's a perfectly nice human, and such a down-to-earth actress, I thought out of all people at least Ric would appreciate, but nope. Trust me, I trust her."

"Do you think it's a good idea to leave the boys in the dark about this?"

"If we didn't, they wouldn't have allowed us to. I know Eli wouldn't. He's got his girlfriend back, he doesn't have to concern himself anymore does he?"

"Are you sad that Amelia came back?"

"No, why would I?" Olivia furrowed her eyebrows.

"Because you like Eli," Anna shrugged.

"No I don't."

"That's odd," Anna cocked her head. "The tarot lady was sure you liked someone."

"And you think it's Eli? Honestly, Anna, you've got to stop believing that lady. She's running a scam. Why aren't there any labels on the doors? Where will we find the main office?"

"Why the main office? The text doesn't mention any specific place."

"Yes, but think of all the people we suspect. Mr. Vaughn must definitely have an office. And there's got to be a director's room, and rooms for editors and writers and all that. This is a broadcasting network headquarters."

"First we break into HBS (Hawkridge Broadcast Station) and now we're going to break into a top executive's office? What's next, we break into the pageant set?"

"You're right, we should break into the pageant set."

"I was just kidding you idiot."

"And you, my friend, are a genius. Think, the pageant's where all this mess started in the first place. Where else would this person from the text be?"

"I can't believe I agreed to come with you." Anna rolled her eyes.

"Aww, I love you too."

"Just walk." Anna marched ahead, the corners of her mouth lifted.

The cold air swept the empty parking lot, as the girls hugged themselves, running from the main building to the studio hangar at the back. They fondled the locks, Olivia picking at them, before they heaved the doors open, making sure to make as less noise as they could while opening century-old hangar doors.

Anna pried the walls before lighting up the entire studio in corners, the set pieces casting large shadows, as the cold air followed them.

"What now?" Anna asked. Olivia shrugged and they began wandering amongst the set pieces, the huge camera equipment and miles long wires in all directions lay still like snakes before an attack.

Olivia touched the pieces, reminiscing her sister once amongst them, the stage, a visibly dim place, with diminished sparkles and bereft of life. She walked on it, standing right in the middle, imaging her sister looking down, when the spotlight switched on top her.

"Do you think you'll walk in your sister's shoes?" A voice, sultry, decidedly feminine, and honey-dripping sweet, asked her. It was familiar, but where from, she didn't know. Olivia looked around, and cursed under her breath.

"Anna, get down from there," she yelled. "I should've known it's you." The voice laughed.

"Just like your sister. Always distrustful of your friends."

Another light flicked on and followed two figures as the approached the stage from below, Olivia shivered.

A tear-stained Anna was held tightly by Alaric.

"I'm sorry," he mouthed.

"What is the meaning of this?" Olivia demanded.

"I'll tell you the meaning," the voice answered. "Your boyfriend over here betrayed you, that's what happened. Just like your dear, darling, sister, Omaira. She just couldn't have any friends who trusted her." The voice laughed.

"Shut up!"

"Let's be completely honest here, Olivia, it's not like you liked your sister very much. You don't really care about her, you just want to keep up with the facade of a heart-broken sister."

"I loved her."

"Yes, yes, the same thing your sister told me, before she stabbed you in the back." The voice paused. "You might know this darling, but don't you wonder why it was Amelia? I mean, if your sister did have something to hide, some secret, why didn't she share it with you? Aren't you her sister? Why did she seek the help of a stranger?"

"She didn't, Amelia just found out."

"I see, is that what Amelia told you? She only wanted to spare your feelings." Olivia glanced at Anna and then at Alaric.

"You'll never get away with this," Olivia yelled.

"I was with her, you know, in the last moment of her life. She told me the same thing." The spotlight on Olivia dimmed, and a light from above shone. The control desk was occupied by a lone figure. "It's a shame she's dead." Johanna Beckett crackled, as smoke started coming in from the corners.

Olivia and Anna froze. Alaric quickly shook them from their trance.

"Quick, we need to get out of here." Anna managed to writhe free from his grasp.

"Why should we listen to you? You're with her." Anna spat.

"I'm not," his jaws hardened. "You have to believe me," his eyes softened as he made eye-contact with Olivia.

"Do you have a way out?" He nodded and beckoned them to follow him, as Johanna Beckett slipped out, from the control deck, running up to the rooftop of the hangar.

The ran about until a terrifying thought struck them.

"There's no way out of here."