Fragmentary Facts
The car stopped at an eerie area.
A desolate stretch of cracked asphalt swallowed by absolute darkness, pierced by only the flickering streetlight; the long, twisted shadows stretched across the pavement as light fades forward.
The air inside the vehicle suddenly felt heavy, turning the breath of both the person into some conscious talk.
Opel stopped the engine of the car and pulled out the car key.
Then he looked at Zakai and asked, “Zakai!
Can you wait inside the car?
I’ve to meet someone out there.
I’m afraid I can’t take you with me.
Will that be ok?”
Zakai at first kept on staring at Opel with uncertainty.
The creepy road, dead silence, no human around and apart from that it was an unknown eerie environment; Zakai was no way staying away.
Opel realized the dubiousness behind Zakai’s poker face.
He asked him again, “Can you stay here?
Don’t worry!
Lock the car before I leave.”
Zakai was still unsure although he nodded his head to defend his ego.
Though being a gang leader, anyone needs to be ferocious and fearless but regardless Opel knew that Zakai was after all a kid who still fears such places.
Opel placed his left hand on Zakai’s both hands that were clutched nervously and said, “It won’t take long.
Just stay here for a minimum ten minutes.
Ok?”
This time Zakai nodded curling up the corner of his lips slightly.
Opel smiled back at him and pressed his hand on both of Zakai’s tensed hands, which were not tensed now, and looked at his face.
Then he grabbed the car key and placed it on Zakai’s hands.
Then he looked at Zakai for a moment and closed the door.
He waited until he heard the lock sound of the car.
Pressing the lock of the car, Zakai waved his hand gesturing Opel to move.
Opel nodded.
He looked at the dark street and started to move.
After he moved a certain distance from the car, Opel ones again peeked at Zakai through the front windshield.
That time Opel realized that Zakai was gazing at him already.
Opel smiled.
Zakai nodded his head.
Finally Opel moved far away from his car and reached a block.
He kept on moving forward towards the unknown neighbourhood until he saw a tall figure standing far away.
He walked towards the figure with only shadow on the person’s body; Opel couldn’t find out about the person from afar.
Opel stood near the tall figure and finally looked at the person.
It was a masked man with a cap on his head.
He wore a black hoodie and a black pant; a real mysterious man indeed.
The moment Opel stood infront of him, the person looked at him and spoke, “Sir!
With the information you gave me, I dug every corner of this area and I think I found out something.”
Opel nodded his head and looked at the man with curiosity.
“With the name and age that you sent me, there’s only one person I could think of.
I went searching for her but the day I went to meet her, I found out that she vanished somewhere.
Locals told me that she ran off the previous night due to some financial crisis at her place.
I have checked the CCTV of the neighbourhood.
She didn’t come back yet.”
“What about the house she lived in?”
“She was a tenant there.
But sir, it’s been hard for me to find out and verify since the person doesn’t even remember any of her relatives.
All we know is that she calls Dadda to Mr.
Tsunami and that there’s a star shaped birthmark on the back of her neck.
That’s all I can verify with the girl, right?” The man asked for Opel’s confirmation.
Opel simply nodded his head and blinked his eyes once.
“Sir!
Is there any other way through which we can verify that the person I’m stalking is the actual person you’re talking about?
Because you said that she got away from Mr.
Tsunami 14 years ago and I know 14 years is a very, very long term, how will she remember Mr.
Tsunami?” The man asked with a concerning tone.
“Don’t worry about that.
Boss knows how to find out the truth.
Your work is to find her and take her to Boss.” Opel spoke with an ordering tone.
“Sir!
I could have told you this information over the phone.
Why did you come all the way here?”
“I don’t want any leakage.
Phone calls can be tapped.
This way is better.
Message me and I’ll meet you in your selected place.
Make sure you don’t get busted over by our rivals.” Opel advised the masked man.
“I’m sorry that I promised you to get her today but I failed.” The man lowered his head.
“Hmmm…” Opel nodded his head.
“But at least we know that she is alive.
This news itself is a very big thing for us.
Now that we know that she’s alive, we can get her very soon.”
“Of course sir!”
Opel took out a picture from his pocket and gave it to the masked man.
“Here!
Take this picture.”
“Don’t worry!
I’ll find Miss Pailey as soon as I can.” The man bowed his head infront of Opel and turned around.
Walking away from Opel, he soon vanished into the dark environment.
Opel returned back to his car where Zakai was waiting for him.
At first he looked for Zakai the moment he saw his car.
Zakai calmly rested his body on the seat with closed eyes.
When Opel came closer to the car, he at first took a moment to admire the peacefully sleeping person inside the car.
An automatic smile appeared onto his face.
Then he knocked at the window.
Zakai drowsily opened his eyes and looked at the window from where the sound came.
Seeing Opel, his eyes got enlarged and he hurriedly looked for the car keys.
After he unlocked the car, Opel sat inside with the same smile which didn’t disappear yet.
Zakai looked at Opel confusingly.
“Is…is there a good news or something sir?”
“Of course!
Having a night out with me in this luxurious car is indeed a good thing, right?” Opel asked Zakai with a perfect smile on his face.
“—–”
Zakai rolled his eyes and looked at his front.