CHAPTER 32
Golden High School - public park.
"IT'S BRITTANY!" exclaimed Luke, amidst the crowd of gathered students.
The commotion started a few minutes ago, after one of the students found Brittany hanging from the end of the second floor tile and she screamed hysterically afterwards. Other students and officials who heard the announcement of Brittany's disappearance immediately approached the location and formed a crowd to witness Brittany's fight for her life up there.
The noise made by these panicked people caught the attention of Ace and Luke who were looking for Brittany in the parking lot (which happened to be close to where Brittany was found). The girl was found clinging to the end of the second-floor roof tile, which led directly to the dormitory's public garden.
"Shit! Why is she up there?! Hurry up and save her!" exclaimed Ace, to everyone around him.
But their reactions only made Ace more confused and annoyed. How could those people not move from their places and instead watch Brittany like this was a fun spectacle for them. The overlapping sounds of whispering began to irritate Ace's sense of hearing. Some of them voiced suggestions to prepare a mattress, others called for the police to be called and so on. But strangely, none of them did any of that, instead they took out their cell phones and started recording Brittany's suffering without any shame.
"What's going on?" asked Nicholas as he broke through the crowd and stood near Ace and Luke. His head snapped up to follow what the other students were doing. "Asshole! Hurry up and help me!"
Luke hurriedly left the crowd and ran to the gymnasium to grab a gym mat that he might be able to use to hold Brittany's body when she fell. For some reason, it was the only idea he had at the time.
Meanwhile, Nicholas told Ace to stay down there watching Brittany, while he would run to help her from up there.
Ace of course immediately agreed and Nicholas immediately rushed through the stairs to the floor where Brittany was. He thought, Paul Scoots' daughter was on the second floor. And the man who worked as a detective felt he just needed to find out which room he could save Brittany from.
Nicholas moved through the rooms in front of him as soon as his feet reached and set foot on hallway 002 (or the second floor) of New York City's finest dormitory. It took a few minutes before he finally reached and found a room that was close enough to Brittany.
Nicholas immediately moved the large window in the room and extended his hand towards Brittany. "Britt, I'm going to save you!" he shouted.
The blonde-haired girl immediately realized where Nicholas was. She shook her head in fear as she said, "Nic, I'm scared. Help me, Nic! Help!" in a hoarse voice. It was clear that his voice was exhausted from all the crying he had been doing.
"Give me your hand!" ordered Nicholas. After trying, he never managed to reach the brown-eyed girl's body, as they were quite far away. It would be very dangerous if Nic forced herself out of the window. Because both Nicholas and Brittany could fall and neither of them would survive.
"I can't! I'm scared, Nic!" cried Brittany desperately, there were also sobs in between her words.
"Come on, give me your hand!" Nicholas coaxed her once more. "I'll catch you, you have nothing to fear!"
Brittany looked at Nicholas, then glanced down at the crowd below. She considered for a moment all the possibilities that would befall her at that moment. She also thought that her being on the second floor would probably only cause her to break a few bones if she fell, instilling some courage in herself. Brittany then looked at Nicholas once more. "Nic, save me," she said softly.
Nicholas immediately nodded. "Yes, of course. Let's give me your hand!"
Slowly, Brittany began to release one of her holds from the edge of the tile and reached out to take Nicholas' hand in front of her. Nicholas leaned in to reach Brittany, but it was futile. They were still far enough apart to reach each other. Almost impossible. Brittany seemed to be losing her balance with only one hand.
"Nic, I'm... I'm scared," she squeaked frantically.
The man named Nicholas Gray was trying to find another way to help the girl, but apparently, they had no other choice.
But suddenly, like a god appearing in the middle of an emergency, Luke managed to carry the large mattress there by himself. From down there he called out, "Britt, drop your body!" Brittany turned to the source of the voice. "Me and Ace will make sure you fall on this mat. Right, Ace?"
Ace shouted back, "Yes. I'll make sure you're safe!"
Brittany turned to Nic. "Nic..."
"You'll be safe, Britt," he tried to soothe her. "Drop your body and you'll be safe."
"But... I..."
Nic shook his head slowly. "I'll make sure you're safe. If you're not, I'll punish those two boys," he said, punctuated by an amused snort.
And having had enough, Brittany nodded quickly. Signaling that she would obey and jump down there immediately. But just before she did, her eyes and Nic's met. "Nic, Alicia is in danger," she said softly. "Someone is trying to attack her up there."
"Up there?"
"Save her, Nic, save her..." and Brittany ended their conversation by jumping onto the mat that Luke and Ace were holding tightly on both sides.
After making sure that Brittany really fell on the mat and was safe, Nicholas immediately ran towards hallway 003 (or the third floor) and did the same thing as before; breaking into one room after another to find Alicia.
Until he came to a room labeled Selena and Shena's room. He broke into it and called Alicia's name as loud as he could so that she could hear him. But to no avail. There was no sign that Alicia was there, except...
"ALICIA!"
CHAPTER 33Golden Hospital, 19:00After finding Alicia's body lying unconscious on the floor, Nicholas immediately called an ambulance and took her to the emergency center at Golden Hospital. Fresh blood flowed from the seventeen-year-old girl's head on the way and several wounds--as if they were cuts--were visible on several parts of Alicia's arms.The white-dominated room was a silent witness to the existence of Nicholas who had been sitting waiting for the girl for the past few hours. The doctor had indeed confirmed that she would be fine after the attack. But just in case, Nicholas decided to wait for her until she woke up."Nic," Brittany called.The girl was sitting in a wheelchair with Luke pushing her from behind. Brittany was said to have suffered minor injuries and slight trauma from the incident. Of course her presence there made Nicholas gasp instantly. Meanwhile, Ace was seen trailing behind the two people."How are you, Britt?" asked Nicholas.And the chubby-cheeked girl
CHAPTE 34Golden High School, 09:50.The sound of the bathroom door knob being turned softly made Brittany, who had been sitting worriedly on her bed, turn around. She was waiting for Alicia, who had left a few moments ago to take a shower, but had not come out after an hour had passed."Alicia," Brittany murmured.The blonde-haired girl opened her mouth wide and didn't seem to blink for a while. That was until Alicia's finger snapped out of her reverie.Brittany let out a brief squeal before patting herself on both cheeks. "Oh my God, am I dreaming? Who is this girl in front of me?! Woohoo! Amazing! You look, you... Oh, my gosh, I almost stopped breathing," she said quickly.The excitement in the room was caused by Alicia's physical transformation. The Brooklyn-born girl had dyed her hair jet black and straightened it--with Brittany's straightening iron--so her face looked very defined now. Plus, she wears short bangs now.Her eyes had turned gray with soft lenses, while her eyebrows
CHAPTER 35"But why a date?"Brittany pushed her blond hair back, so Alicia could clearly see the diamond earrings in her ears swaying gently as they walked hand in hand towards the hall that morning.Alicia gave a quick shrug and replied, "I think the victims have something to do with Ace." Brittany immediately turned her head and gave her forehead a deep bend-- trying to recall the victims in order to agree with Alicia. "Or maybe the perpetrator is trying to frame him too," she continued."What do you mean?"Alicia leaned toward Brittany and looked seriously into her hazel eyes. "Do you remember, before someone tried to push you out the window, you told me that you heard someone calling in Ace's room?" Brittany nodded her head. "That means he was doing something in Ace's room. It could be a girl or a boy, let's call him or her what we think he or she is."The two of them then sat next to each other once they reached the hall. It happened to be history class that morning, where all t
CHAPTER 36New York City Police Department (NYPD) Headquarters, 1:00 pmThe young detective named Nicholas Gray looked up quickly when his coworker Hendrick Mckenzie--or Hendrick as he was more commonly known--tapped him on the shoulder. The hazel-eyed detective sat down in his chair--which was next to Nicholas' desk--and immediately handed Nicholas a dark brown folder. They had been in the same division (serious crimes division) for the past five years and their relationship had been very good. So it was natural for Nicholas to think of Hendrick as his own brother.Nicholas then enthusiastically accepted the folder Hendrick had given him. He had obviously been waiting for a lot of information from his colleague. "How is it?" and began to examine the sheets of paper inside carefully.Hendrick closed his mouth briefly. His eyes scanned the situation as he searched for the most appropriate words to explain everything to Nic at that moment. "This is very strange, Nic," he murmured hesita
CHAPTER 37The office of Golden High's CEO."You haven't answered my question, Alicia," Nicholas said urgently. His voice was low but affirmative. Their eyes met, even though they were now separated by a glass table in the room belonging to the CEO of Golden High, Mr. Wilson Blake.Alicia and Nicholas sat on different sofas facing each other in the room. Meanwhile, Ace chose to be alone by sitting on his father's seat of honor in the corner of the room so that he could freely watch the two of them from there.Instead of making a scene in the main hallway and being witnessed by many people (who didn't really understand their point), Nicholas decided to take the two of them to talk about all this in private, in the CEO's office - who happened to be away at the time attending an important meeting downtown. Mr. Wilson Blake also graciously lent Nicholas his office for the duration of the investigation with the agreement that Nicholas would catch the culprit as soon as possible."She went
CHAPTER 38"I don't think there's anything strange.Alicia and Brittany walked hand in hand with the other students to the sports stadium--which was in another building--at the Golden High dormitory that morning. Mr. Louis was the Golden High official who would be leading the fifty students in the gym that day. And let's just say that luck was on Alicia's side, because Brittany was also in the same class as her.Alicia and Brittany sat down in one of the stadium seats as soon as they arrived. "Are you sure? Why do you think James had to take that cocaine?" Alicia asked curiously.Mr. Louis seemed to have arrived late that morning. So Alicia and Brittany had more time to talk before class started.Brittany frowned. "To be honest, I didn't know he did drugs either. James has never done anything stupid in his life, other than putting an orange in his cereal bowl.""I see." Alicia nodded in understanding. Brittany seemed distracted by the question, so Alicia took her best friend's hand an
CHAPTER 39Golden High Sports Stadium, in gym class.The sound of the ball being purposefully dribbled during gym time made Nicholas even more convinced that Ace was telling the truth yesterday. That young detective walked slowly, taking in every inch of the indoor stadium built under Wilson Blake's rule with great interest. The interior looked luxurious and classy. Nicholas thought that the old man Blake did not want to be too conspicuous so he chose to apply a light blue color to the stadium walls.For the duration of the investigation, Nicholas or the team of investigators sent directly by Paul Scoots had full rights to the facilities in the dormitory. And all of that has been an agreement between the chief and Wilson Blake to find the serial killer who is still on the loose in the dormitory. They were so sure the killer was hiding in the school, that security was tightened, but as much as possible students were made to feel comfortable.Nicholas then sat in one of the stadium seat
CHAPTER 40Golden High School sports stadium building."PRIITTTTTTTT!!!!!"The whistle blown by Mr. Louis immediately echoed throughout the stadium. Making the basketball game being played by the girls' team stop instantly. The official who devoted himself to teaching this sports class immediately informed that the sports class was over and the students could return to the main building to rest.Some of them immediately left the stadium, especially the boys who had been competing since earlier. While the group of girls decided to first pull over from the basketball court before returning to the main building."ATTENTION, ATTENTION!" someone exclaimed.The voice that called out loudly in the middle of the stadium suddenly made the girls stop their activities and turn towards the source of the sound. And the voice came from Selena. The shoulder-length haired girl suddenly stood on one of the stadium seats and called all the students there to come closer to her."As a member of the popul
CHAPTER 275 Nicholas drove the car as fast as he could. He cut through the streets knowing that Alicia was in danger and needed to be rescued immediately. At this moment, Nicholas deliberately did not turn on the siren in his car to avoid things that threatened Alicia. Arriving at Alicia's house, Nicholas could see a suspicious car near Rick and his mother's house. Nicholas' eyebrows furrowed and he slowed down the car. While looking around, Nicholas tried to think of a plan. Until finally, Nicholas stopped his car right behind the suspicious car. Nicholas got out of the car, but his gaze remained wary. He took out his gun and pointed it downwards as he walked into Alicia's yard. He realized that Alicia's door was unlocked even though the lights were off. Just as Nicholas entered Alicia's house, a punch landed from behind. But Nicholas was strong enough to withstand it, so the man immediately turned around and pointed the gun at Ace. But Ace was also ready to shoot Nicholas in the
CHAPTER 274Nicholas observed the change in Selena's expression from a different room. She stood up and hugged herself while frowning."She keeps bringing up Glen. It's starting to worry me," Nicholas muttered.While on the other side, Noel began to open the folder given by Nicholas. There were several sheets of paper inside. They were reports done by Peter and that surprised Noel. He peered into the folder."I didn't know Nicholas would give me this much work." Noel's complaint was heard by Nicholas in a different room, but Nicholas ignored it and chose to focus on Selena. Noel looked at Selena then smiled and put the papers on the table. "I don't want to read all the writing on this paper. So, what can you give me to get me to get you out of prison?""I... I didn't kill anyone."Noel waved her hands in the air, she seemed to look down on the opponent. "That's a very standard thing. Do you have any evidence? Everyone in that base camp is dead, none of them can give you testimony. So
CHAPTER 273Glen looked up, he hadn't finished his fries yet. "Are you leaving now, Uncle? Are you going to see my mom?"Nicholas mumbled for a while, before finally nodding his head. "I'm going to take care of some work and meet with your mother. Is there anything you want to say to her?"Glen's face grew more enthusiastic as he finished the fries in his mouth and looked thoughtful. He looked around before finally seeing Nicholas again. Raising his index finger in the air, Glen said, "I want you to tell my mom that I miss her a lot. I want some chocolate candy from Uncle Chuck's shop! They have the best chocolate in town and I want to try it."Now, it was Nicholas' turn to raise his eyebrows enthusiastically. "Do you know Uncle Chuck's?""My friends in class talk about it, but I don't know. I just heard about it and wanted to try the chocolate candies they have."Nicholas nodded his head. He smiled widely and rubbed the top of Glen's head in relief. At least, the boy still had some e
CHAPTER 272Nicholas dropped Alicia off in front of Alpha Company's office, while he continued on his way to the daycare. He got out of his car, with a bag of fries from Mcd. Nicholas walked in and was met by Lim Sara.Lim Sara, who was working, greeted Nicholas politely. "Good morning, Detective. Have you come to pick up Glen?"A small mumble was heard from Nicholas. He finally explained the situation to Sara. "Um, well, the police still have to check a few things from Mrs. Selena. It may take some time, can Glen stay here a little longer?"Lim Sara looked worried. The woman with her beautiful hair coils mumbled, before nodding and replying, "Of course, Detective. But it seems like Glen is worried about his mother, he's asked about her several times and I can only say that she's at work." Sara turned around, then showed Glen who was sitting alone in the corner of the study room. "Because he stays here alone, without the other children, he thinks that his mother is angry.""Has Glen e
CHAPTER 271Alicia leaned on Nicholas' shoulder, she let the blanket cover their bodies on the sofa. After a night of sleeping together, Alicia woke up first. She took a deep breath and woke Nicholas up."Nick?"While shaking Nicholas' hand, Alicia tried to get her lover to wake up. And after a while, Nicholas did wake up."Um, good morning, Alicia." Nicholas adjusted his sitting position, he then blinked his eyes and began to speak. "How did you sleep last night?"Alicia mumbled. Letting go of the blanket covering her body, she hugged herself. "I got a good sleep because of you. But can't you just relax like this? You said you were going to check on Selena again today?""Yes, there will be a cross-examination. Noel will try to provoke her with psychological techniques," Nicholas said. He looked ahead, then moistened his dry lips. "I wonder to what extent Selena knows information about Ace. If Selena can tell the police about the steps Ace is taking, it would be great for all of us."
CHAPTER 270Nicholas put on an apron, before grabbing a cutting board and knife. He took out the onions, garlic and chili peppers. Skillfully, Nicholas began to chop the ingredients into small pieces, and then he heated the oil in the wok. He prepared to put in all the ingredients, and after the smell of onions was there, Nicholas put in the minced meat that he took from the refrigerator. His big hands started moving here and there quickly. He was like a professional chef. Sautéing, putting in spices and making everything better.Besides cooking the meat, Nicholas also prepared two loaves of bread on a plate. He placed the meat onto the bread, then garnished it with lettuce, tomato and some sauce on top.Nicholas patted his palms when he was done. He took off the apron, put it back on the table and started to prepare the two plates of food for the dining table. It was raining outside, and Alicia was still covering herself with a blanket on the sofa.It looked like Alicia was completel
CHAPTER 269Knock! Knock! Knock!Alicia opened her eyes after hearing a knock on the door. She tried to blink her eyes, then got up from her bed. She walked with her weak body to the door. The transparent door showed Nicholas outside, so Alicia didn't have to worry about opening the door.The girl opened the door and Nicholas greeted her enthusiastically. "Hey, Alicia. Why... what's wrong with you? Your face looks pale."Nicholas pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, checking Alicia's body temperature manually. He felt an unusual heat. There was something strange and Nicholas looked at Alicia worriedly."You have a fever, Alicia." Nicholas put his arm around Alicia and carried her into the house. Nicholas closed the door behind him and gently pushed Alicia into the living room. Nicholas helped Alicia to sit down. "Have you had a fever since morning?"Alicia nodded her head. "I... went to see Anna at her house.""Did you manage to meet Anna?""She... was close to my mother, Nic
CHAPTER 268"I may be ignorant of thethe law, I've run afoul of the constitution and statutes, but I know you'll remain a fugitive as long as you live in this world.a fugitive as long as you live in this world."Ace furrowed his browdeeply. "I'll have to think about it."The Fixer picked up the bagwith the money and held it in his lap like the baby he loved. While picking upseveral stacks of money and smelling the odor, The Fixer continued, "If you'dagree to my game, you can come the day before you're due to leave forEngland. Oh, and take Alicia with you. She has to 'die' with you too,right?"They exchanged glances fora few moments, before Ace finally turned around and left The Fixer's hiddenThe Fixer's hidden warehouse. He handed over the one million dollars he gotfrom stealing Amanda, Jill and Jason's money in order to escape farther than New York.than New York. But faking death? Ace hasn't thought of thatbefore.Meanwhile, insidehis base camp, The Fixer was feeling go
CHAPTER 267CHAPTER 267Ace put on his black gloves before he got into the car. His brown eyes looked ahead, while both hands held the steering wheel. The engine hadn't been turned on yet, so the road ahead was very dark. Ace managed to hide the car in a narrow alley that only fit Ace's car. Even then, Ace had to work hard to get it out carefully.After the chase that almost got him caught by Nicholas, Ace felt even more threatened. The streets of New York City were lined with his face. He was the most wanted fugitive in New York City. Even billboards that used to display commercial advertisements or important notices were now replaced with his face. Everyone was looking for Ace Blake."Damn. Where am I going to go now? I can't go without Alicia, but taking her without a plan won't do me any favors either."After thinking for a while, Ace finally started the engine of his car. He positioned the car so that it could exit the narrow alley. The car blended into the crowded street, but Ac