Hide And Seek

Spencer woke up to the rays of the sun blinding her eyes. She used her palm to shield her face and sat up. Looking around, she sighed. It had been five days since she left Cyakan after someone had tried to kill her. She knew it wasn't Conrad or Rocao; the assassin was too sloppy and probably a regular thief, but she knew she was in danger nonetheless. She also knew that if both her bosses knew she was alive, they won't rest until she was dead. She feared what their plans were with the experiment they had been working on. They had told her it was an experiment for rodents and she helped them - no questions asked until she caught Rocao injecting a man she suspected was homeless and captured on the street. She monitored them every day, taking notes of the patient's reactions every week. It started with coughing and sneezing, then he got pale and weeks later, they bagged his body. She held her hair up and frowned. How could she have been so stupid to think it was harmless? She was so desperate to prove to them she was one of the best and at what cost? The price of another man's life.

Nanny Willow walked into the room with breakfast on a tray and set it on the wooden table by the window facing the beach.

"Morning nanny Willow," Spencer greeted and walked to the table. Willow kissed her forehead and began mixing the coffee while Spencer buttered the bread, placed the ham inside and covered it with another slice. She bit on it and moaned.

"This is so good nanny. I miss your cooking," her eyes fell on the tray, "I miss how life was so simple when mom and dad were still alive and I didn't have to grow up."

"I know where that magic can happen," Nanny Willow sat down, "have you heard of Never Never Land where a young boy Peter Pan lived with all the lost boys?"

Spencer smiled and hugged her. "You're playing coy with me."

"I remember when you were born. Your mother thought she'd lose you the way she lost your brother Tim. You were so little and fragile. When you were two years old, you fell from the stairs and broke your ribs - doctors said you won't make it but you survived. My point is - you are strong and resilient, and that is why I need to know what mess you got yourself into this time. What happened?"

Spencer frowned and dropped her mug of coffee. "Everything is fine nanny. I needed rest and this is a comfortable place - quiet and alive. Besides, I've missed you and a little vacation is what I need right now."

Willow studied her for a while and finally gave up asking. "Make yourself comfortable. I trust that when I ask that question again, you'll tell me what's going on with you. Eat your breakfast," Willow kissed her forehead and left the room.

MYSTI POLICE CENTER

9:30AM

Oliver got the results of the fingerprints in Spencer's apartment from the forensics unit and showed them to Aditya.

"The fingerprints belong to Adam Kressler. Four years ago, he was charged with assault and battering of Meriall Will Lexon, his former girlfriend. He's been in jail for robbery and drug trafficking. He finished serving time two months ago.

"Take Xerxes with you Oliver and bring Avan in. Be careful, he could be dangerous."

"Yes, boss."

"Brandy!" he called.

"Yes boss," she got up.

"Run a list of people Spencer contacted between Sunday and Monday of her disappearance. There might be a clue somewhere."

CREEK AVES

Xerxes pulled the car in front of a bungalow and killed the engine. He got out and Oliver did the same, wearing his bulletproof vest and strapping it together. They walked to the door and knocked. There was no response. They knocked again, this time Oliver walked to the window to peep but there was no one. He signalled Xerxes to break in and he did; guns out and walking into the small-spaced sitting room. Xerxes entered the kitchen and shouted "clear". Oliver walked into the room and saw Avan sitting down, facing the window.

"Mr Kressler," Oliver called out and walked slowly towards him. "Don't move," he added and closed in on Avan, then shouted to Xerxes.

"Call 1-6-1 immediately. Avan is down."

Back at the office, Aditya looked at the result of Avan's autopsy.

"Avan injected him with tetrodotoxin or TTX; it paralyzed him, his diaphragm stopped, lungs could no longer inhale or exhale; which led to his death. Forensics found a note in his mouth. He read it aloud.

"Catch me if you can..."

"It's funny because we did catch him," Brandy joked and grew quiet when Aditya gave her a stern look. "I'm sorry, not a good time."

"Do you think the murder is connected to Spencer's disappearance? Why would Avan kill himself; or maybe whoever he was working for knew we'd try to contact him," Nicole speculated.

"My guess is to cover his tracks. He's playing us, the sick bastard! Did you check his contacts and trace the numbers to the owners?"

"I did boss," Brandy replied, "turns out the numbers don't exist anymore. I'll give credit to the genius working for this anonymous. He was able to clear their information and bank transactions before or immediately after Avan died."

"Or maybe they were deleted after each call and transaction. I checked Avan's bank details and I discovered a transaction of One billion decies had been transferred two days before he died. Traced the depositor to a dead end," Nicole added.

Aditya rubbed his head, trying to avoid his frustration. He had barely rested like a human being since Spencer's disappearance - a week and two days and now their prime suspect was dead, poisoned himself with no traces of anybody involved in their illegal business.

"We're back to square one. Damn!" he cursed and the others looked at him. "It'll take a miracle to get this case working again and that miracle is missing or doesn't want to be found. What about her contact lists? Did you find any clues that could lead us to her?"

"I checked it," Oliver said, "and one number matched for Sunday and Monday night of her disappearance. The call was traced to a woman named Willow. I believe if we find willow, we'll find a clue leading to Spencer."

"Good. Find out where this Willow lives and let's get to work again. Good job everyone."

PLAVINE BAY

WILLOW

Spencer twisted and turned on the mattress, sweat dripping from her forehead and into the sideburns of her hair, staining the pillow as she tossed her head about.

....she had sneaked out to a party with her boyfriend Riley. She knew she'd get in trouble but she went anyways. Her parents found out, drove to Riley's and picked her up. It was raining heavily. She had been embarrassed and furiously, she got into the car.

"Why can't I just be like every other normal child? You don't let me go anywhere," she stomped her feet.

"You are grounded young lady," her mother retorted. Then facing the road, she kept talking, "have you seen the way they dress? Do you want to be like that?"

"They are cool. Thanks to both of you, nobody invites me to parties because I'm a party crasher. I can't wait to be an adult. I'm sick of this."

Her mother sighed. Her father looked at the front mirror, "one day, you'll understand why we do this. It's for your safety Spencer and I hope you will see that..."

Tears dropped down the corner of her eyes as she stopped turning, her body melting at the horror of what she'd relieved - her parent's accident.

....due to the rain, the road was slippery. Her father had been distracted trying to talk to her and the last thing she remembered was the car swaying off the road and tumbling down into the woods. When she opened her eyes, her mother and father were dangling from the seat, still strapped to their seatbelt.

"mother... mother.... please wake up." she tried to turn her head but all she felt was a pain moving from her neck. "mother...father," she called faintly. She perceived fuel and struggled as she crawled out of the car. She hadn't moved too far from the car when it caught fire.

Startled, she woke up, panting hard as the sunlight kissed her sweaty face. The seagulls were perched by the bank of the sea and a cool breeze blew past, unable to make her hair fly from the sweat. She cleaned her forehead with the back of her palm and fell back on her pillow. She blamed herself for her parent's death; figuring they'd still be alive if she'd been at home that night. She still needed to sleep; her night had made her guilty all over again and she hoped that the new day will breathe fresh sleep and peace.

Nanny Willow walked in and dropped her breakfast on the table; bread scrambled eggs and fried fish. A pot of coffee was brewing from the coffee maker in the kitchen, close to Spencer's room. Willow walked to the curtain and pulled it wide open, allowing the rays of the mid-morning sun to dance into the room. Next, she tapped Spencer on her thighs softly.

"What time is it?" she stretched, trying to block the sun's rays from her face.

"It's past bedtime missy, after 10:00am to be precise. Think you can do a little room service in here today - the place looks like a living wreck. Breakfast is on the table, coffee's brewing and I will be busy in the yard, so tidy up and come join me," she walked out, grunting at the mess she'd seen in the room. Spencer got up and walked to the kitchen; the smell of Willow's coffee filling the air - she loved the smell and didn't hesitate to pour herself a mug with milk and sugar. She walked back to the room, sat by the table and ate her food. Nanny Willow had been accommodating and she feared for when she'll be found - Willow's safety and the secret she was keeping.

I've stayed this far without being caught.. tomorrow's another day - best enjoy it she muttered to herself.

"Your garden's beautiful," Spencer said when she joined Willow in the garden at the back. She commented on the freshly cleaned small garden of rhododendrons, forget-me-not with blue petals, roses and camellia in every place around the garden, clematis growing its tentacles on the woods serving as a garden house. The beautiful colours of white, red, and blue decorated the yard and the sun added a tint of bright yellow to the petals. Willow loved her garden so much, she'd spend hours in it and time will sneak past without her budging.

"Thank you," she smiled. "When I used to care for you and Demetrius, I rarely had time to come back here and sit in my garden with a hot cup of coffee and a book. This place is my haven and I feel peace and comfort here - the smell of roses and lilies and how the petals of each flower made it look beautiful. My neighbour Fabienne - may she rest in peace would tend to it, pull out weeds, chop the overgrown edges of the shrubs and keep the place tidy," she blushed and looked at Spencer. "I was jealous; she had the garden to herself while I was babysitting both of you. How you've grown," she brushed Spencer's cheek with her forearm.

"Did my mother ever come here?" Spencer asked.

Willow sighed. The subject of Zephyr and Damara's death always brought heartache to her. Damara had cancer but she was getting better, thanks to chemotherapy and just when everything was normalizing, Spencer had to watch her parents die and then blame herself over the years. She shut everyone out, including her brother, got into drugs and was slowly losing her mind. It took a lot to get her back and Willow could sense something was bugging her mind, making her uneasy.

"You and your brother were your mother's peace. She was happy that you didn't die at the age of two and that she didn't lose your brother during childbirth. Now stop worrying your little head of the past and come sit. I want to know what's going on?"

Spencer narrated everything to Willow; the virus, the tests and the person sent to kill her on the night of her disappearance.

"You should tell the police about this dear child. Human lives are at stake as long as that virus is in existence. You have to tell them."

"I can't nanny. They'll come for me or Demetrius or you. Anyone around me who knows is in danger. This is the only place I know they won't find me or think to check. You must keep this and my whereabouts a secret, please nans."

Willow sighed. "Okay child. I'm in danger anyways now that I know. Sooner or later, the police will trace you here. What will you do then?"

Spencer wrecked her brunette hair, trying to untangle the ends. She'd finally washed, dried and oiled it; sitting in the sun, it glistened and glowed.

"For now, we're safe. I won't let anything happen to you nans," she pulled Willow into a hug and fought hard to blink the tears from dropping. From her calculation, if the virus was contracted by any human, no place would be safe in Caxain or even the world.

MYSTI POLICE CENTER

Oliver walked into Aditya's office with a file. He knocked and walked in as Aditya hung up the call.

"What's new?

"We found Willow. From the database, she lives in Plavine Bay at Willow. She babysat Spencer and her brother before their parents died.

"Plavine Bay might be small but they are secretive people, from what I know - hearsay and whatnot. Bring her brother in. I believe he knows where his sister is. Take Nicole with you and backup."

"Yes, boss."