ALEX #13
"Wait, do you know who these people are? One of them said they’re going to warehouse C34."
Another short pause.
"I’ll take care of it," Ennio replies in the exact same tone.
And he hangs up.
For fuck’s sake!
He could at least tell me something.
What a guy.
I’m still sitting on the curb, having no idea what to do next.
With a little hesitation, I try calling Bay again, but he still doesn’t answer. Finally I think to check his Instagram, and only then do I realize what’s going on.
Bay is live streaming from his studio. He’s sitting with his band, playing some kind of jam session or rehearsal.
No wonder he didn’t answer. But as I watch the livestream, I see Eric approach him, lean down, and whisper something into his ear.
Bay listens for a moment, then suddenly says toward the camera:
"Guys, I’m really sorry, we need to take a break from the live. Something came up that I need to take care of. Sorry, loves, we’ll see each other next time!"
He waves at the camera with a smile, and the stream cuts off.
Immediately I try calling him again, tapping my foot nervously on the curb, but the line is busy now.
Is it possible Ennio did something smarter than I did, which is call Eric, who then cut the session short, and now they’re talking on the phone? Maybe. It’s just a guess, but I can’t sit here doing nothing.
I pull up the coastal map and type in warehouse 34.
Bad luck. There are several in the city, still, only one of them is near the shoreline. It turns out that I’m relatively close to the port district where a warehouse with that exact number is located. That’s also the direction those people were driving.
Yes, there are more warehouses with that number elsewhere in the city, but I decide to check the closest one first.
Of course I know I shouldn’t be walking into a place like this, but I at least want to make sure this is where that car stopped. I order an Uber, and it drops me off pretty quickly, it turns out to be a five-minute ride. The Uber driver lets me out at the edge of the port district.
It’s a pretty damn bad idea, but I simply cannot help myself.
Moving carefully between the warehouses and following the map on my phone, I head toward the one I think is number 34.
The area is a maze of warehouses in all shapes and sizes, scattered in a loose, chaotic grid across a wide stretch of land.
My stomach twists from stress because this place is obviously not safe, especially if part of it belongs to the mafia.
If someone catches me here, I could get in serious trouble. Even if I could defend myself with my special… ability, it would not be pleasant and it could definitely jeopardize Lake’s rescue.
Eventually I reach the warehouse I am aiming for. I know I need to find a vantage point.
About seventy yards away there is another long warehouse with a big stack of wooden pallets leaning against one of its walls, in a deep shadow. I manage to hide behind it, shifting a few pallets so I am covered from the side and the back. Then I crouch there and watch the entrance.
This has to be it, because the car I saw before the railroad crossing is parked right next to it. I am almost sure I found the right place. Lake must be kept inside, if… it really is him. After all, he is not the only person in the world with a long platinum braid.
I settle on one of the pallets and prepare myself to wait. I am hoping Ennio will show up and something will finally happen.
But half an hour passes, then an hour. I bite my fingers nervously, still… nothing happens.
Am I crazy? Why not just call the police?
As I am preparing myself to call, I see two men come out of the warehouse, pushing something that looks like a cart, but I cannot tell what is on it because it is covered with a dark tarp. A horrifying thought flashes through my mind that it might be a body.
Fuck…
The two men head toward another smaller warehouse, marked C35, about forty yards from C34. They enter it together with the cart.
My nerves are stretched to the breaking point. I try to take pictures of everything, but the distance is too big and my phone cannot zoom in enough to catch anything clearly.
I sit and bite my fingers, and finally make the decision to call the police. Obviously Ennio has been ignoring this situation.
The moment my finger hangs over the call button, I hear a car approaching behind me.
I press myself against the pallets, trying to stay invisible. The car stops behind the long warehouse I am hiding next to, a good place from which you can watch both warehouses from afar, 34 and 35.
A new wave of stress hits me, because from that spot someone could see me too, if they looked closely at the pallets.
From the front it is not safe either. Some alpha guards are now standing in front of the first warehouse.
Just when I decide to retreat somehow, the door of the new car opens and, to my huge relief, Ennio gets out.
The first thing he does is head in my direction. I guess my hiding spot was not as good as I thought, duh.
I bite my lip and climb out from behind the pallets.
Ennio’s face looks tight and sour.
"You must be out of your mind for coming here, Alex. You are seconds away from getting yourself killed," he mutters through clenched teeth.
"I could not just leave this alone," I protest. "Lake Nolan is Bay’s dad, I do not understand why these people would kidnap him. I am not going to just go away and pretend nothing is happening," I mumble stubbornly. "Or should I call the police after all?"
Ennio huffs. "I told you I would take care of it." His black eyes narrow in a cold stare.
"And how exactly do you plan to take care of it?"
"This is not your business. I said I would handle it. You need to get out of here right now."
I lift my chin.
"No. I cannot leave Bay’s dad. That would break Bay’s heart. Lake is—"
Ennio leans over me, grabs my shirt at the chest, and says sharply, "I said I would handle it. Get out."
I wince and free myself from his grasp.
"Fine, fine, you handle it. But I’m going to sit here and watch how you do it," I say through clenched teeth.
Ennio does not answer for a moment.
He looks at me for a few seconds, then finally says,
"Whatever happens or whoever shows up, you stay behind these pallets. Don’t move, no matter what. Understood?"
"I will try," I force out, teeth still clamped tight.
He turns and walks back to his car. A moment later he drives a little closer and positions himself at the corner of the building, probably to keep an eye on the entrances to both warehouses.
I stack the pallets around myself more tightly and curl up on one of them, keeping my eyes fixed on the warehouse doors. I am not going anywhere. Who the hell knows what is about to happen, I need to be here.
I sit and sit.
Wait and wait…
I have no idea how much time passes. Long enough that I start getting hungry and my whole body feels exhausted from the tension, but I ignore it and keep my eyes on the entrance.
I just hope Bay’s dad isn’t being hurt in there.
I don’t think I could bear that. My stomach twists painfully with nerves.
At some point two figures appear from behind C34, and I recognize both of them.
To my shock, one of them is definitely Snow, Bay’s brother.
Why Snow? Out of all people? And the other is a big alpha who looks like a purple. It has to be Luca Ferro, though I am not sure. I have only seen him in photos.
What the fuck is going on here?
Both men approach the three alphas guarding the entrance to C34.
I see them talk for a bit. How strange… Snow is just casually standing next to soldati?
Right then I hear wheels behind me again.
I turn and see another car pull up next to Ennio’s.
I recognize it instantly.
It is… Bay’s car.
My heart jumps and starts pounding hard. I want to run out from behind the pallets and go to him, but I do not. I promised Ennio I would stay put. But should I keep that promise?
My heart aches…
Then I see Ennio get out of his car and walk toward him.
Bay straightens as he steps out of his car, and they start talking. They are about thirty yards away from me, so I can hear only fragments of their hushed conversation.
"Four, at least…"
"About twenty minutes…"
"…Summer is in C34…"
"They might be late…"
"No, in C35…"
Summer? I know that name. Is that not Snow’s Twin Soul?
Why would he be here and why would the mafia kidnap him?
Then I remember what Bay once told me, that Summer has powers, and might be some kind of threat. A cold shiver runs down my spine.
Fuck it, I decide to break the promise I gave Ennio.
I run out from behind the pallets and rush toward Bay and Ennio.
Bay’s eyes widen the moment he sees me, and Ennio curses under his breath.
"I told you to stay put—"
"Alex, what are you doing here?"
Bay looks extremely agitated and worried seeing me here. He runs both hands through his hair in a nervous gesture and lets out a loud, disapproving huff.
"It was me, I saw your dad in that car by the road. I tried contacting you, then I called Ennio…"
"For fuckin’ crying out loud, it is a horrible idea for you to be here!" Bay growls, rubbing his temples. "Fuck, Fuck. You are not safe here, Alex. You need to leave. Anything could happen here…" He clenches his teeth.
"What can happen? Bay, I do not want anything to happen to you," I beg, pulling on his jacket, my eyes filling up with tears.
"Baby… you do not understand. I have certain obligations, I have to do… stuff."
Ennio puts a hand on his shoulder.
"Bay, there is no time for this. You can explain everything to him later. You need to go. Do you understand?"
His eyes lock with Bay’s and Bay nods.
"I do not understand anything," I mutter, but Ennio ignores it.
"You do exactly what I told you. There is no room for mistakes," Ennio growls, and Bay nods again.