34: My favor - Part 1

The next day at work, things started off relatively normal. Liam arrived early as usual, parking his bike in its magically disguised form. The store was quiet in the morning, giving him time to restock shelves and organize inventory.

But by mid-afternoon, the peaceful atmosphere was disrupted by the arrival of a strange customer.

The man who entered the store was unlike anyone Liam had ever seen. He was tall and lean, with piercing golden eyes that seemed to glow faintly. His long black coat trailed behind him as he walked, and a faint aura of magic clung to him like a second skin.

Liam instinctively tensed. This wasn't an ordinary customer.

The man approached the counter, his movements fluid and deliberate. 

"I'm looking for the one who stopped a group of thugs last night." 

He said, his voice smooth and commanding.

Liam's heart skipped a beat. How did this man know about the incident?

"Why do you ask?" 

Liam replied cautiously.

The man's golden eyes locked onto Liam's. 

"Woah, don't look so on guard, kid. I am not here to cause trouble. I am from the police department and I am here to ask some more questions."

The man reached into his coat and pulled out his badge that showed his licence number. It looked authentic, but something about this did not sit well with Liam.

Liam hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to be careful. This reeked of danger, but his curiosity was piqued.

Before he could respond, Aria appeared from the back room, carrying a box of inventory.

"Liam, who's this?" 

She asked, her tone casual. Then her eyes landed on the man, and her entire demeanor changed. Her carefree expression vanished, replaced by a rare look of seriousness.

"You….who are you?"

She said, her voice unusually sharp and uninterested at the same time.

The man's golden eyes shifted to Aria, and for a moment, an unreadable expression crossed his face.

"Miss, were you present at the time of the thug attack as well? That makes things easier. You are both required to come with me to the police station. We need additional reports from you both."

The police officer asked as he flashed his badge toward Aria. But the female just looked confused.

It was almost as if she had never heard of the police before.

"Ugh, I don't want to head to the police station. Liam, can't you take care of this? Or better yet, should I call my family to take care of this for me?"

Aria asked in a bored voice, and Liam noticed how the police officer stiffened at the mention of 'family.' If Liam hadn't been sure something was going on before, he sure as hell was now.

"Miss, there's no need to involve more people in this. I'm not asking you to do anything illegal. I just want you to come to the police station with me."

The man seemed to be almost begging, and Liam decided to agree.

"Alright, I'll come with you. Just let me inform my boss about this."

Liam sighed as he walked toward the back room where Lucas was. The older man was busy calculating things, and Liam quickly walked over to him before knocking on his desk.

"Boss, I need to step out for a second. There's an officer who wants my help with something. Can you take care of the shop and Aria on your own?"

Liam asked in a carefree voice. But because he mentioned the police, his boss looked alarmed as well.

"Police? Why is the police here? Is everything alright? Should I be concerned?"

Lucas asked in a tense voice, but Liam easily brushed him off.

"There's no need to worry. Just… call my emergency contact if I'm not back in a few hours. And don't believe anything if you get a call or message from my number."

Liam stressed these words, and unlike Aria, his boss had more than enough sense to fill in the blanks.

"I understand. Make sure to come back on time. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to handle her, so don't take too long."

Lucas waved Liam off, and Liam quickly followed the police officer toward the station. But about five minutes after they started walking, Liam realized they were going the wrong way.

The police station was on the other side of town, and this man was taking Liam to the lawless side, where no one would likely know what happened to him.

Most people would have started asking questions by now, but Liam wasn't stupid enough to do that.

If he showed any signs of being aware of the deception, then he'd be the first one to be "taken care of."

After about ten more minutes of walking, the man brought Liam to a secret building that looked nothing like a police station. It was fully built out of concrete and looked like an abandoned storage house.

"Hey, kid, by now you should have realized this place isn't the police station. I can't tell if you're fearless enough to walk with me here, or foolish enough not to even ask questions. Ah well, whatever the case, I don't care. It's not like I'll ever see you again."

With those final words, the man pushed Liam through the door and into the storehouse. Liam stumbled on his way inside and almost lost his balance twice. But he managed to catch himself and look around.

He didn't see anyone else inside, and the emptiness of the space made him feel deeply uncomfortable.

Liam hears the sound of slow, deliberate clapping behind him and turns, his heart sinking. The scammer from yesterday stands there, a smug grin plastered across his face, a fresh scar slashing across his cheek.

"Well, well, if it isn't the clever shop boy. You made a fool of me yesterday, and I don't take kindly to that" 

The man sneers. 

Liam clenches his fists, instinctively scanning the room for exits or weapons.

"You dragged me here just for revenge?" 

Liam asks, trying to keep his voice steady.