“Why does he work here if you don't trust him?” I asked. Kaylee chuckled at my words. There is a reason why she keeps him around, and she was about to show me. She typed some information down, and the upper-floor camera showed.“When he first started here, he was just a normal guy who loved technology. Somehow, my workers got skeptical as he would appear in the weirdest spots. He would be coming out of empty rooms or the darkest hallways. One day, a coworker spotted him coming out of an off-limits room. Suspicious, huh? Brad is on my suspect list after the rumors I heard about him. He will be monitored closely.”“Do the other workers know about this?? Are they aware of Brad's weirdness??” I said.She smiled with pride. When the company goes on lockdown, everyone is on watch. Nobody is out of the woods and is now a suspect. The workers are not slow and are trained for this situation. They know what to do and how everything works. There have been too many incidents happening for Kaylee
My phone was fried, and my hand went numb. I couldn't stop shaking it. Kevin noticed I was in pain and quickly called an ambulance. EMTs arrived on the scene and explained how the shock damaged my nerves. It temporarily caused my hand to be paralyzed. However, it will slowly come back to life. A burn spot magically appeared on my hand. Which was expected, they said. They gave me pain medication and wrapped it up. My brother joined after they left. "What happened to you?" he asked.“My phone shocked the crap out of me. I will be fine.” I said as I rubbed my injured hand.“Are you okay with this? We can g—”Kevin reminded Evan about a police escort. I am not allowed to be alone anywhere anymore. The suspect has his eyes on me and could be in plain sight. Evan was furious and wanted to be done with this whole thing until Brandon showed up to calm him down. They both left the room with no drama. “Really, Kevin?” I furiously said.“I’m serious, Ells. You can’t be alone anymore. When you ar
~ Ellie ~“Try to eat, Ells. You haven't touched anything since you got home. Do you love my cooking?” Aria complained.“Stop, Aria. Let me collect myself after what happened. You would also act like this if you were in my position.” I said as I sat up and stretched. “I’m upset about this situation, how women disappear randomly, how no traces are left behind. Who is this person??” I questioned myself. Somehow my whole body got up and went to the kitchen to eat.“That’s what Kevin wants to know as well. You can help solve this case because of your high IQ.” Aria stated. I only have hunches on this stuff, and half of the time, they are wrong or slightly right. But, honestly, I did find leads for them, as they should go to the bar for answers.THE BAR!! That's it!! They haven't checked out the bar since they interrogated the workers. That's their lead!! I jumped and grabbed Aria by the shoulders. She got scared and agreed to my excitement, then asked about what had happened. When I told
As we walked into the house, Evan sat at the kitchen table. “Hey, my other half. Are you okay?” I asked, knowing something was wrong.“No. Listen, I don’t have much time for lunch. Could you just make a sandwich or something?” He said as he sipped on water. Okay– something was off about my brother, and I couldn't put my tongue on it. What is going on?? He told me about the switch to a different floor because of the investigation. He was pissed about something. When I mentioned the officers and the surveillance, you should have seen his face. Evan’s face tensed up.“They are doing great. To have people actually do THEIR job is terrific.” He mumbled under his breath. The air got eerie as we stood there in shock. Where did that tone come from?? Why so much emphasis on them?? Was something bothering him??“You heard me. To have people do their job is lovely, instead of people who protect one person and play house with them.”That’s when I got the idea he knew about us. How did I know that
~ Aria ~While he was waiting for the food, I went to the store for extra snacks. I went straight towards the back for drinks. Mmmm, beer or soda?? Beer should be fine. Ellie could use one after all this mess. “Do you need an escort, miss??” He asked as he rang up my items.“I should be okay. My friend is just two steps away; if something happens, he will come. Thanks for the concern.”“Okay. After what’s been going on, I always worry about my customers. Anyways, have a goodnight, miss.” He said as he waved goodbye. What a sweet guy; I should come back more often. When I exited the store, I felt a force push me around."Oof- I'm sorry I didn't watch where... I... go..."My eyes magically met with this masked person. He was quite tall and covered with black clothing. What was strange to me, he didn't say a word. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny object. The thing flashed into my eyes, making me realize it was a knife. In shock, I stepped back and ran.~ Ellie ~F
“This is how he knew!! He had to slip it when we were at the job. Oh my god. If he has a camera here, then— SHIT!!” I yelled out. Evan came running into the room in a panic. Wheezing, he asked what had happened. Not wanting him in this any further, I replied with nothing.Staring at me strangely, he closed the door. I couldn’t believe it. How clever. He must know everything we have discussed since then. This is bad, this is bad. I have to warn Kevin before something else goes wrong. When picking up my phone, I dialed his number. A buzzing sound interrupted the call. I peeked at the screen to see an unknown number pop up.Unknown: I hope you were calling me Ellie.Ellie: Who is this?Unknown: Surprisingly, you can't keep this number on your phone. Tsk, tsk... I feel unwanted.Ellie: This is a new phone! How did you get this number?Unknown: In the same way, I knew where Aria was. You guys sure talked a lot last night. Not just in a friendly manner, either.Ellie: Go to hell!Unknown: I
“So, he randomly took a vacation after discovering what had happened. That is strange.” I said with a blank face.“What is weird is that he doesn’t take vacations out of nowhere. He is always here and on time for his shifts. The last time he took a vacation was the day he got sick, which was two years ago, I think.”When I heard that, my face lit up like stars. That little information got me thinking. I told Ryan to go up without me. I needed something from the cafe. Waving bye, I headed to the cafe for a bagel and iced coffee. While waiting for the order, someone tapped me on my shoulder. "Hey, Ells," Eunha said with a smile."What the?? Eunha, what are you doing here?"“Came to visit someone. My cousin works here. He is a cartoonist on the floor level. I was going to wait in the lobby when I saw you. Why are you here?” she asked.“I am a personal maintenance and coding tech for the upper level. I work with the CEO herself.”“You are so lucky to get a job like this. Especially workin
~ Ellie ~We headed back to Kaylee’s office. “We need to do something. I think it's time to spice up the investigation, don't you think??” I recommend it.“My men and I are trying our hardest to solve this case. It's not that easy.” Kevin said.“You have all the clues and evidence in your hands. What is so hard about this?? All you need to do is change it up.”He was about to say something, but Kaylee interrupted by stating her concerns. She could have done this by herself and solved it before anyone else got hurt. She fears for her workers as we sit here with our tails between our legs. This needs to be shut down.I was all in since the first incident. We need to find something that would lock him in. Kevin didn't like the idea as it brought me more into danger. That wouldn't happen if the police did their job. But, if it weren't for us, they would have given up. Waiting around isn’t going to help.“Take this case into your own private accord. Adding more officers can lead to chaos. P
~ A year later ~The sound of an alarm woke me up. I sat up, stretched my sore body, and looked around the room. I saw Kevin clinging to me. "Don't go, babe, please," he pouted and whined."I have to work, Kev. I wish I could stay and give you the attention you need, but I must go.""Why do I always have days off when you work? Not fair." He pouted. With his cute reaction, I kissed him on the forehead and got up for work. While I was in the bathroom, there was something in the mirror. "Something bothering you, my dear sister?" Evan's voice rang out. I spit my water out and stared at my brother's reflection in the glass."Yeah. I'm alright."He walked forward and gave me a "Are you sure" look as he placed his hand on my shoulders. I nodded my head. I wiped extra toothpaste from my mouth and explained it had been a year, and things still felt uneasy. With his warming smile, he ensured everything would be alright. There was nothing to worry about as Brad is dead. I don't need to be afraid
~ Ellie ~We heard a loud snap from above us. The wire splits in half, sending Evan to his demise. I saw my brother’s body flying straight up with the object. The impact is going to be deadly; I know it.“EVAN!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. Aria told me not to move as this rope could end like that. Controlling my movements, tears rolled down my face. I shut my eyes.The elevator smashed into pieces. How did I know? Brawling my eyes out, my body went limp. My only sibling is gone. “Oops, wrong rope,” Brad chuckles. My hands balled into a fist as I started to shake. The laugh needs to shut the fuck up!!!Rapid footsteps were heard, and Minho’s body went flying next to Brad. Where did this officer come from, Brad thought to himself. With his cameras around, he can pinpoint where everyone is at. Good.“Drop your weapon now!!” he yelled.Even though I could see a little, Brad placed his rifle down; then his hands went up in the air. While doing so, he lifts a lever which releases Ari
~ Evan ~I coughed up a black mucus as I got back to my feet. “You girls okay?” I asked. They nodded and dusted themselves off. When everything cleared enough, we saw the stairs engulfed in flames. Panic mode began to corrupt me as I tried to devise a plan.Jennie told me about a back door as he took Ellie and Aria through. She needs to lead the way then. Our lungs were filled with smoke; if we didn’t leave soon, we would die from inhalation. We moved objects out of our way. Once we found light, we rushed out.The black smoke entered the skies, making them cloudy. Another explosion occurred, causing us to lose our balance. Metal and car parts went flying in the air. I covered the girls as they came down. I hope the others made it out in time.“EVAN!!” Brandon ran to me with a hug. He cried in my arms as I hugged him back. John and Kaylee went to help the injured.“Is everyone okay?” Kaylee asked.We all shook our heads at the question. Kaylee searches around to see Ellie, and Aria is
~ Evan ~“What are we looking for?” Kaylee said as he hid behind a wall.“Anything suspicious? If this is not the place, we are screwed, honestly.”We slowly enter the area, looking around to see if anyone is there. The junkyard did have that rust smell like Aria described. My boss paused her movements and ducked down; she pointed to a lit area and a person.“The hell? Where did he come from?” I said.Kaylee quickly moved my mouth to shut me up. I gave her a dirty look, and she removed her hand. We didn’t see him stroll in– so how did he appear like that?? A second later, he is talking to someone, but who?? We wanted to get close, but we kept our distance for now. Brad began to walk towards this large metal container. You wouldn’t notice it at first until you see it from a different angle. “It’s probably where they keep old parts; let’s wait until he returns,” Kaylee mentioned.Brad exited the container and came out empty-handed. We should take a look because that is where they are hi
~ Kevin ~~ After Ellie’s Capture ~My vision was blurry as I opened my eyes. I viewed the area. I didn’t know where I was, so I began to move around. A rattling sound was heard, and my movement felt constricted. “You’re awake! I thought you would never open your eyes. Hello,” a strange voice said.“You.”“Ding ding, you are right! Now come on down and get a prize.” The guy said as he walked up to me. He started playing in my hair. “So nice and soft,” he stated while sniffing it. The person backed up and stared at me. The room was tense as he kept his eyes still. The guy introduced himself as Minho.“What happened to me?? Where am I?!?!” I squirmed around to get the chains loose, but it was useless. Minho chuckled; he thought I was cute for trying. He got a chair and sat in front of me. My body shakes in fear as he tells me about this place.“This is my area to relax. I monitor things here while Brad is away. Like my own little office, nice, isn’t it.” He licked his lips and smiled. W
~ Ellie ~The moon sets, and the sun rises. I woke up in an uncomfortable bed. I wanted to cry as I glanced around my cell. It felt like a dream yesterday. When I looked down, I noticed I was only in my undergarments. When did this happen? Screams were heard from outside my door.“NOO, LET ME GO!”Aria!! That was Aria!! I hopped out of bed but fell straight to the ground. My ankles were chained up. I dragged myself to the door and peeked out. Aria was lying on a metal bed in the middle of the room, with Brad sitting beside her with tools.“Stay still; this will be over in a minute.”I couldn’t see clearly. But I knew I had to do something. “DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!!” I yelled out. My words caught his attention. My eyes blinked once, and he was standing at my cell door. His look had changed; his eyes were cloudy. It had a hint of red in them. He pushed the bars to shut me up.“Surprised that you are awake. Not sore, Ells? I see why Kevin stays with you— your body feels so good. Being
~ Kevin ~~ The Night Before Ellie’s Captured ~As I was getting my shoes on, my coworker walked in. “Are you sure that you should be working? You need to rest after what happened. That wound is not going to heal overnight.” He said.“I will be fine.”“Go home and comfort your girl. Ellie needs you right now.” He gave me a look I couldn’t refuse. I sighed and told him okay. A loud noise scared us as my partner came in like a cheetah explaining he found the first victim’s identity. In disbelief, I followed him to a picture of a nurse. Ellie??“Doesn’t she look like the first victim?” He said, out of breath. I studied the picture closely until it finally came to me. Without a doubt, that is the first victim. I asked if anyone knew her personally and if we could get an interview with them.My coworkers went to find a staff member or a nurse who was close to her. As I waited for their arrival, I stared at the photo again. What a coincidence that they look alike. The nurse popped out of no
The mattress was cold, and the sheets were wet. I still couldn’t believe I was in his gasp after all I did to prevent it. Silence roamed the room until chains filled it. “Ellie.” a soft voice next to me called out.I only knew who spoke once they repeated something. “Jennie? Is that you??”“Oh, Ells. It’s good to hear from you again.” She excitedly said. You could tell she was in pain and could feel the tears running down her cheeks. Was everything okay? She wasn’t hurt too much, was she?? Another voice chimed in; however, they were making sounds. Bailey. Another voice joined, and my heart dropped to the ground.“Eunha!” I shouted. When did she go missing? She wasn’t here for too long, like a day before I arrived. Panic mode set in when I asked about my best friend. Nobody knew anything except she was taken. Disappointed, I crawled back from the cell door. I brought my knees up to my body and placed my head in between. A sharp pain stabbed me out of nowhere. What the hell did he do??
It was pitch black. All you could hear was water drops from the ceiling and the shuffling of feet. I flickered my eyes open to find my vision blurry as I wiggled around, a burning sensation developed on my wrist. Rope, I was restricted from my movements. The ropes held me down to a wooden chair. I began to squirm to loosen them, but no use. My focus shifted upwards to see Brad and his companion.“Whe-where am I?”“Great move that you pulled. But it didn’t get you anywhere but in this chair.” Brad stated. My vision cleared up to see them two smiling. My facial expression froze as Minho walked towards me and bent down to my level.“Nice to meet you again. Sorry about the arm.”My eyes gazed into his soul, my face boiled with anger, and my breathing went silent. I made Minho jump a bit when I scooted forward, coward.“We knew you were here; it was only a matter of time. For a second, I didn’t think I would get you. It seems like luck was on my side.”“What are you going to do to me? Wher