The Search

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Toby had a permanent scowl on his face for the rest of the day. Even when his friends all came around and gave him presents he still had the look as if he had just eaten a sour lemon on his face. I stayed for the day and helped with the party but I knew sooner or later I would have to step outside and face whatever was coming for me.

After I helped clear up after all the guests had gone home I announced,

“I think I’ve outstayed my welcome and I should definitely get going, but Helen,”

I took Helen’s hands in mine,

“You have no idea how much I needed this so thank you so much.”

“You were a pleasure.”

I walked over to Toby who looked away with a scowl.

“So you’re leaving me on my birthday too?”

“Don’t worry Toby, I’ll come visit sometime,” I lied.

“Promise?”

I crossed my fingers behind my back.

“Promise. You’re an amazing boy and enjoy being ten!”

He threw his arms around my neck and I fell back in shock, leaving us both lying in a heap on the ground laughing.

Helen walked me to the door and shoved €50 into my pocket.

“Helen..”

“Just take it, don’t worry, goodbye.”

I smiled and walked down the hallway to the stairs and I slowly made my way down them trying to think of a plan once I reached the street. This was it. This was the end. I reached the door and slowly pushed it open, unaware of what lay ahead.

The sunny Parisian street was busy with many people strolling along, without a care. I glanced around me and decided the best thing to do was to act naturally and not draw attention to myself. I started to make my way along the street, heading towards the street where I had followed Peter to. I couldn’t believe I had been so close to him on that bus and not realised it was him.

“He must have seen me get onto that bus.” I thought.

“He must have wanted for me to see him.”

All these thoughts plagued my mind when suddenly I felt someone grab my hand very tightly. I couldn’t see who the man was because he was walking ahead of me but he told me in a hushed voice,

“Just don’t make a noise, I’m not here to hurt you, just follow.”

I nodded and tried to act as naturally as I could when all I wanted to do was scream for help. He had told me he didn’t want to hurt me, but isn’t that what all villains say before they kill their victoms.

The man held my hand so tightly it felt like there was no circulation in my hand.

To the Parisians we looked like a couple walking through the streets of Paris, holding hands. Oh if only I could have walked down Champs Elysees holding Peter’s hand, in another world.

The man quickly yanked me into an alley way and pulled me through a large metal door which led into an abandoned building. The room was filled with cobwebs and had a neglected sofa sitting the middle which had turned grey as well as the rest of the room which once seemed like it had been a beautiful lounge. A lounge with bright wallpaper and happy memories and a warm, blazing fire.

“Sit.”

I took my seat and looked intently at the man. I had never seen him in my life. He was handsome, well-built and had had a strong jaw.

“I’m Isaac.”

Memories came flooding back of Derek being torn from the room but shouting for me to find Isaac. The icy eyes also haunted my mind.

“I was told to find you.”

“Yea but I found you first, and just in time, they almost got you.”

“Would they not follow us here?”

“They’re too slow.”

I wondered what he meant.

“I want answers,” I demanded.

Isaac laughed and gave me a look up and down.

“I can see how Pete fell for you, I suppose.” He smirked.

“You know Peter?”

Isaac laughed again.

“Indeed I do, all too well, in fact. Peter is my brother.”

This hit me like a tonne of bricks. My list was getting longer and longer of things I didn’t know about Peter.

“Where is he?”

“He’s safe, he just has to lay low, and he can’t see if you, if that’s what you’re going to ask next.”

“Why do they want to kill me?”

“You sure ask a lot of questions.”

“You’re observant.”

Isaac chuckled to himself.

“They think you know something, something only Peter knows, something that could ruin them. Well ruin him, more like.”

“Ruin who?”

“Ryan Carthy.”

“As in running-for-President Ryan Carthy?”

“The one and only.”

I tried to get this all round my head, I didn’t quite understand.

“How would it ruin him?”

“If I knew, they’d want to kill me too. But I can tell you some of the background. I suppose you deserve to know that seeing as you’re so involved now.”

He handed me a sweet from his pocket and I politely refused.

“When Pete came to your town, he was originally on a case to track down an offender, and Derek was sent to protect, as back up. Pete was hunting him down, when he saw something, something he shouldn’t have seen and now they’re all after him, that’s the jist.”

I thought back to when Peter used to be away on business and how he had probably actually been working on his case. I recollected a week before Peter’s disappearance when he told me he was away to Boston on business and he would return in two days but he didn’t return for four. That must have been the time he saw the thing he wasn’t meant to see.

“Thanks Isaac for helping me piece things together, but I need to find him.”

Isaac’s eyes had the same deep brown sparkly look as Peter’s did and it made me yearn for Peter to look into my eyes again.

“I’m sorry miss, but he needs to stay out of sight.”

“I seen him!”

“You what?”

Isaac’s eyes widened and he began to figit.

“On the bus, I followed him.”

“And did he speak to you, try and communication.”

The worry and anger in Isaac’s voice scared me and I whispered,

“No he ran away.”

Isaac sighed with relief.

“Look, you cant see him or speak to him, okay? It doesn’t just affect you, it affects a lot of different people. A lot of people could be hurt if they find him.”

A tear escaped and rolled down my cheek.

“Understood.”