Chapter 006:
Escapists

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ZANE

“Leave her alone!” Zephyros’ voice wavered, barely masking his fear. He shifted his position, ready to walk towards what seemed to be the leader, but froze as another man pressed the cold barrel of a gun closer to him.

Raine was in danger, and in that moment, I felt a strange energy stirring within me—something I had long kept hidden, now pushing to break free.

“I told you, I don't know what you are saying!” Raine shouted, but her words were cut short by a sharp slap to her face.

“Two!”

My eyes widened, and I could feel the anger building behind my clenched fists. I closed my eyes, drawing in the cool, air-conditioned air of the house, trying to steady myself.

I wanted to control myself, but I knew my friend needed my help. After a slow, steady breath, I turned to face Raine. Though she tried to mask her fear, I could see through her facade, knowing she was barely holding it together.

Our eyes met, and she gave me a subtle nod. “Zane,” she whispered, “isosceles.” That single word triggered a flood of memories, stirring something deep within me.

“We need a code word for when we face dangerous situations,” I recalled Raine saying to me back in the school’s computer lab.

“I’ll probably just forget it,” I had replied.

“What about ‘Isosceles,’ then?” she suggested, pulling out the book she’d borrowed for me from the library, its title matching her words exactly.

I unleashed a right punch where I poured my surging emotions, connecting solidly with the jaw of the man choking me. Finally free from his grip, I felt a rush of relief. But in his shock, a dart fired from the gun aimed at my friend.

Raine quickly ducked, narrowly avoiding the dart tranquilizer that struck near the chest of one of the men aiming his gun to Zephyros. With swift agility, she lunged for the fallen man's gun, gripping it tightly as she pointed it at the man I had just punched.

Zephyros took a hasty step and seized the opportunity to take the third man who had a gun aimed at Raine, wrapping his hands tightly around the man's throat.

The man who had been choking me raised his gun again, but I delivered a blazing kick to his gut that sent him crashing to the floor. His head collided with the hard wall of the living room, and he immediately lost consciousness.

At that moment, I charged at the third man standing, throwing another punch, but he suddenly vanished from my sight. “What the—” Zephyros exclaimed, dodging the man he was holding, who nearly tripped me down. “Bro, don’t be reckless!”

If he doesn’t bother to ask, once my temper flares, it’s nearly impossible to rein it in.

“Dammit!” I shouted as I regained my balance. Everyone turned to look at me, and I met their gazes with my piercing eyes, especially locking onto Zephyros.

“Zane,” Raine called, but I didn’t turn to look at her.

“Do you want this man to shoot us?” Without warning, I punched the man in black, causing him to lose consciousness and his gun clattered to the ground.

“What’s wrong with you?” Zephyros scolded. Before they could say anything more, I stepped out and moved to another room, leaning against the wall. I tried to calm myself down, but I still listened intently, unsure if the men would wake up quickly.

“What are you planning, Elizalde? What exactly are you up to?” I heard Raine ask.

“Listen, I know those guys are listening to our conversation earlier, and that is why I…” he answered.

It was as if I had come to my senses upon seeing the damage I had caused earlier. I stumbled back, overwhelmed by shame and regret, until I fell into a wooden chair I had bumped into. Forgotten memories resurfaced in my mind, knocking insistently, challenging the calm I thought I had regained.

“Is… Are they dead?” Zephyros asked, his voice shaky.

“No, they'll regain consciousness later,” Raine replied, her concern evident. “You know, you seem very calm. You were a little shaky earlier, but it's odd that you easily moved on as if nothing happened.”

“Overlooked the dots?” I heard Zephyros asked.

“What are you—” I heard Raine spoke, which made my eyes widen. “Stay away from me.”

My body froze as my conscience consumed me. I wanted to move, to see what was happening, but it felt as though invisible chains held me in place, keeping me still.

“Promise me,” Zephyros said.

“Promise you what?” Raine asked, her confusion evident.

“You know what it is,” he replied, his tone serious.

“If you’re referring to that, I can’t promise you,” Raine added.

“Oh, come on. I know you’ll keep your promise,” Zephyros insisted.

“Don’t be so sure,” Raine replied. “Now, just go away.”

I regained control and broke free of the invisible hold. I dashed into the other room and saw Zephyros standing close to Raine, leaning against the wall. "I just need your confirmation," he said, his gaze shifting to meet mine.

“Suit yourself,” Raine replied, and finally, the man walked away with her, leaving me wondering why she hadn’t pushed him away.

"What just happened?" I asked, my voice now steady and calm.

"I just told Charlotte here that I'm capable of protecting myself," Zephyros said. "No need to worry about me," he added, opening the window leading to the backyard.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my brow furrowing in confusion.

"Like I said, I know those guys. Honestly, I hate them. Thank you for getting rid of them for me," he said, placing one foot on the window sill.

“What is going on?” I thought.

“Shall I tell him?” he asked with a swift gaze towards Raine.

“Tell what? Is this about your therapy session?” I asked.

“I know about the possible scandal that could happen, and I don’t care,” he said. “Someday, you two will see me as a genius. Until we meet again, Raine and Zane.”

“All this time you knew? Raine, are you aware of this?” I asked after taking a deep breath.

“He's an idiot,” she replied, crossing her arms.

Zephyros was about to jump down but paused for a moment. “By the way, I’ll let you handle the case of whoever summoned you. I know we’ll meet again, Charlotte. I’m sure of that.” With a wink, he disappeared. Moments later, the sound of screeching tires echoed, leaving us alone inside the house.

“This case is harder than I thought. Are you sure your sister isn’t leading us into a trap?” I asked, shaking my head in frustration.

“Alright, let’s go,” Raine said, her piercing eyes shifting towards the living room where we left the unconscious men.

“Where are we going now?” I asked.

“There might be more of their crew on the way,” Raine added.

We slipped through the back gate, spotting Raine’s sister’s car parked under the dim light. As the engine growled to life, I pulled my phone from my pocket. Raine’s eyes flicked toward me, her brows knitting together. “What are you up to?” she asked.

“I’m calling the police to get those men arrested,” I replied, my fingers already tapping the screen.

Dave’s car sped through the streets, the country scenes blurring past until we pulled up in front of 221B, Liberty Street, Luna Residences. The moment I stepped inside, the familiar aura of the apartment wrapped around me like a warm blanket. Weariness tugged at my limbs as I shuffled into the kitchen, my hands instinctively reaching for the cupboards, searching for food. The quiet hiss of the kettle soon followed with the rich scent of brewing coffee filling the air.

I lifted the mug to my lips, ready for that first sip, when Raine’s blurry figure caught my eye. She stood a few paces away in the living room, framed by the deep red walls. My gaze shifted to her. "Yes?" I asked, lowering the mug back onto the table.

“About earlier, thank you for saving me from being knocked unconscious... again,” she said, prompting a radiant smile to break across my face. But it wasn’t long before her unease morphed into a serious expression, the familiar Raine who kept her emotions under wraps. “Don’t say a word about it now. I don’t want to recall what happened. I’m going to sleep. Bye,” she added, turning away and heading back to her room.

“Uh, wait,” I said, my voice rising slightly. “I want to talk to you about the case’s progress. I’m utterly baffled, and I need your assistance to—” I was interrupted as she reappeared in the same spot.

“Sit in your chair,” she said, her tone serious. Then she moved to her favourite chair, positioning herself to face me.

I grabbed my coffee and a handful of chocolate chips from the refrigerator, then made my way to my favourite sofa, which faced her. The analouge clock on the wall ticked steadily, the hands reflecting the time: 11:20.

I raised my eyebrows, silently urging her to spill the tea.

“You’re my client now, so tell me what happened back there,” she said. “That was a serious lack of control over your temper.”

My eyes widened, suddenly aware of what she was referring to.

“If that gun was real, it could have led to disaster,” she added, her tone grave.

“Raine, it’s just my natural self—” I began, but she cut me off.

She clasped her hands together, raising her pointer fingers as if making a point. “If you have something to tell me, say it now before I deduce it myself. You know who I am, right?”

My heart began to race as unwelcome memories surged back, flooding my mind. I recalled the darkness of my past, the times I had bullied others after my mother died, wasting my life in a haze of anger and regret.

“What happened back there, Zane?” Raine reiterated, her unbreakable gaze focused on mine.

“I...” I began, struggling to find the right words. “It was... It was my past. All I can say is it’s related to what happened when my mother died.” I paused, reluctant to reveal too much, fearing that I might break her trust if she learned about the person I used to be.

“And what exactly did you do?” she pressed.

“What depressed people normally do?” I retorted, taking a large sip of my hot coffee. “What did you do when your parents... uh, you know what happened.”

“Don’t throw the question back at me. You’re just raising suspicions,” she warned, her expression serious.

At that moment, I finally grasped how uncomfortable it was to be under her scrutiny. I understood why most people were terrified when speaking to her. It became more baffling why Zephyros had remained so calm; he seemed to have a way of silencing Raine.

“Can we please just talk about the case now?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation back. “Zephyros—”

“Uh-uh-uh!” she shushed, shaking her head. “Refer to him by another name. Maybe ‘the conceited bloke’ or something. We don’t need to invite bad luck by using that name.”

“Fine. Do you think ‘the conceited bloke’ is the one sending the blackmail to your anonymous client?” I asked. “He seems awfully suspicious. What did he even do to you back at that house? You could have just punched his face when he pinned you against the wall.”

“I think he’s leading me to something else. He’s not as readable as the others,” she replied, her gaze drifting towards the door. “He even saw through our disguise and knew about the people eavesdropping on our conversation, even though I didn’t notice them.”

“What shall we do now?” I asked, taking another sip of my coffee.

"Those Chinese... or perhaps the other two aren’t the real villains," she said, her words sinking into me like stones. The memory of my earlier actions weighed heavily on my conscience. "I sense that someone is framing us to appear as the culprits. But... why? Who?"