Timeline: March 2022

"Nick, there's a lot of trouble here," Dane said, his voice moving with fear.

Nick was swiftly on his toes. "What happened? Are you all okay? What about Paige?"

His pulse hammered in his chest as he considered the numerous possibilities of what had gone wrong.

Dane spoke quickly with nervous pauses as he detailed the scenario. Nick couldn't comprehend the amount of troubles this could bring about and attempted to come up with an idea immediately.

"Shoot," Nick blurted, "This is bad. Don't worry dad, I know someone who can help."

Nick paced around his room trying to think of the possible solutions.

Paige was always smart, even in his limited interactions with him over the years, he always knew he had a great potential. Who could possibly be behind this and why are they targeting their dad?

He knew he had to do something soon. For all he knew, he could be Paige's last hope.

Nick's fingers danced frantically across the laptop's keyboard, each keystroke echoing in the quiet room like rapid-fire gunshots. His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the screen for any scrap of information that could help them solve the looming problem.

The blue light from the monitor bathed his face in a ghostly pallor, accentuating the furrowed brow and clenched jaw. He tapped his feet in an erratic rhythm on the floor, humming his favorite song cold rhythm to help him soothe his nerves

A name came across his screen: Miguel Locke. Nick looked into his profile, reading the details thoroughly before finally deciding to go forth with his plan.

He scribbled some notes on his notepad and decided to make the call.

-x-x-x-

Miguel Locke was chilling on his couch while watching Cinema Paradiso when his phone buzzed loudly, echoing through his silent home.

The contact said Unknown but there was no contact IP. Intriguing.

Who could it possibly be? He thought and picked up the call.

"If it isn't the famous detective of Mainland town. Good day, detective. I hope I am not troubling you in the midst of something important."

Miguel looked at his paused movie on the laptop screen then shook his head.

"Who is this?" Miguel asked in an alert tone.

"Call me Mr. Bingo. I have a case for you, if you are down for it."

"Listen, I have a lot on my plate already. I don't want to deal with another case now."

"Ah, the troubles of being a high profile. Knew this was coming."

"I hope this isn't some kind of prank." Miguel said, his lips zipped into a thin line.

"No, its not detective. Why would I play around when I didn't have anything on my hand."

"Fair enough. What's your case?"

Mr. Bingo detailed out the disappearance, leads and suspects regarding Paige. He was hoping he'd agree. Throwing another curveball his way wasn't going to be his strategy this time. At least not without thorough details.

He enjoyed playing with the human mind but wondered if he was taking it too far at times. The greatest technique, he discovered, to get someone to perform the task he wanted was to put something personal of theirs on the line.

Mr. Bingo could hear scribbling at the other end. His face etched into a satisfying smile.

-x-x-x-

'I can't believe I let a random stranger who calls himself an absurd name like Mr. Bingo into solving a kidnapping case. Miguel muttered to himself.'

He looked at his notes and tried to connect the dots.

He ran his pen through the notes - Lena Mayer, Dane Wade, Paige, Mr. Thompson. His pen stopped at the name.

Mr. Thompson name sounds familiar. Could it be...

He set his writing pad down and proceeded to his desk where paperwork were carefully organized into divisions. The view from the window provided him a sight of the cherry blossom tree that bloomed during this time of year. He always found it relaxing to work meticulously at his desk whilst a pleasant wind blew over his face.

He pulled out the files from section C and flipped through them. He found the smell of old paper comforting but for now, he did his best to concentrate and stay attentive.

He found it. He circled the name, pulled out a few other profiles and made a mental note of the details he needed to consider.

Mandela street - 9th lane, Merwyn.

He packed his stuff to go down to the location. Hopefully this wasn't as complicated as it looked on the surface.

Miguel arrived at the marked location, his senses on high alert as he stepped out of his car.

The street was eerily quiet, with only the distant hum of traffic breaking the silence. He approached the designated spot cautiously, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.

A shadow loomed behind him and before he could react, he was struck from behind. The blow sent him staggering forward, but years of training kicked in as he swiftly turned to face his attacker.

What ensued was a chaotic flurry of fists and kicks as Miguel found himself outnumbered by a group of assailants.

He fought back with ferocity, his muscles moving with practiced precision as he incapacitated each opponent with calculated strikes.

Amidst the chaos, Miguel caught a glimpse of a familiar symbol etched on one of the assailant's hands, sending a chill down his spine. He made a mental note to investigate it later but for now his priority was to find Paige and ensure his safety.

Miguel finally located Paige, who appeared visibly weakened from his ordeal.

He freed him from his restraints and led him to a nearby restaurant, where they could rest and have something.

As they sat down to eat, Miguel listened intently as Paige recounted the events that led to his kidnapping. He absorbed every detail, his brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to piece together the puzzle of what had transpired.

When Paige mentioned the mysterious symbol, Miguel's curiosity was piqued once again.

However, he had no further information to offer and the discussion was marked as closed for the time being.

"And here's the card." Miguel offered his credit card to the receptionist.

She proceeded to enter the details when a familiar yet dreaded beep cut through the whirlwind of thoughts running in his head.

He looked at the receptionist in fear and it was confirmed.

Card Declined. The given card is past its expiry date.

Panic surged through him as he saw the notification on the device's screen. He quickly composed himself and searched his car for his wallet.

After a frantic search, Miguel breathed a sigh of relief as he found his wallet tucked away in the car compartment. With just enough cash to cover the bill, he paid quickly and ushered Paige out of the restaurant.

He sat in his car and looked at the fuel tank.

'Shoot. I had planned to refill it today.'

He looked at Paige, who was deep in contemplation in the back seat. He hoped the gasoline would last long enough till he dropped Paige, else he'd have to look for secure parking spots and risk having his car towed.

He collected his thoughts together and started the car. The engine revved with life as they pulled out of the parking lot and started driving towards their location as shown on HashMaps.

"Alright, it shows street two, this should be the one." Miguel said to himself.

As they veered around the corner Miguel realized it was the same street they started from.

'Not again.'

He peered at the computerized map on his front panel and then at the road. It took him a couple of moments to see the difference in the tiny bend.

Paige couldn't help but sympathize with Miguel as he negotiated the strange challenges that appeared to put him off track all at once. He couldn't connect to his situation but hoped that Miguel didn't think it was a bother to drop him off at his house. He didn't mind walking if that was the case.

Miguel mentally face palmed himself before following through the bend and making it to the right street.

"Hope you're okay back there, Paige" Miguel called out from his seat.

"I think I am okay." Paige responded as he huddled himself closer to the window at the sight of the familiar street.

"I am usually not so clumsy, ah," Miguel said as he managed to see the road bumper a little too late, shaking the car up slightly, "I just... I just think I am having a bad day."

"Its alright, Miguel. We all have our bad days. Sometimes all we can do is put on our best smile and get through it" Paige said as he managed to smile warmly even as his cheeks hurt due to scars.

Miguel tried his best smile, collected his thoughts and put back his hands on the steering wheels.

-x-x-x-

"Oh, Paige!" Dane said as he wrapped his hands around Paige in a hug.

Paige sighed in comfort as he smelled his father's familiar cologne. He missed his father and everything else. He made a mental note to be more careful going forward.

"Thank you, officer. It really means a lot" Dane said through happy tears.

"You are welcome. I'm not sure who contacted me about this but he called himself Mr. Bingo. Do you have any clue who it may be?

"Oh," Paige responded, chuckling. Dane and Miguel glanced at him with intrigue, "It's Nick. He has an affinity for being enigmatic. I hope he didn't cause you too much troubles, Miguel."

Miguel linked the dots and giggled as he realized how smart Nicole had been in convincing him.

"Not at all kid," Miguel said as he ruffled Paige's hair, "You two make quite the duo."

Miguel remarked with a playful wink and the three of them laughed.

"Oh there you are Paige, I am so glad you're okay!" Mr. Thompson cleaned his hands on the kitchen towel as he got out with his apron still intact. There were a few oil splashes on the apron and the scent of warm delicious meals wafted through the kitchen.

"Let's have some food together." He suggested.

Miguel initially declined but agreed to go with the plan.

Mr. Thompson had prepared fish curry, rice and beans. Everyone sat around the dining table and chatted away about various things. Time flew by and Miguel had other important matters to attend, so he took his leave.

When he left their home and got behind the wheel, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling of unease that lingered in the back of his mind. Despite the ordeal they had just faced, he knew that their journey was far from over and they still had many challenges ahead of them.

-x-x-x-

Gary and Aron cautiously stepped through the doorway, their senses instantly assaulted by the scene of chaos and destruction that greeted them. The air was thick with the acrid scent of smoke and the metallic tang of blood mingling with the lingering stench of fear.

Their men lay strewn across the linoleum floor, some injured and groaning in pain while others unconscious and still. The room was a battleground, the remnants of a violent struggle etched into every surface.

Aron's mind raced as he surveyed the scene before him, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and apprehension. "Who could've possibly done this?" he thought aloud, his voice heavy with disbelief.

Gary's jaw clenched with barely contained fury as he took in the devastation surrounding them. His hands curled into fists at his sides, the muscles in his arms tensing with pent-up aggression. "Whoever it is," he muttered, "is calling big trouble onto themselves."

As Aron moved closer to the hidden compartment in their house, his heart pounded in his chest, the adrenaline coursing through his veins like wildfire. "Wait, where's Paige?" he called out, his voice laced with concern and urgency.

But there was no sign of their intended target, only the eerie silence of the empty room echoing back at them. Panic surged through Aron's veins as he realized the gravity of their situation.

"We are in big trouble, Aron," Gary's voice was tight with tension as he spoke, his eyes darting around the room warily. "We have to hide before they find us too."

With a shared sense of urgency, they quickly formulated a plan of escape, their movements swift and decisive as they prepared to flee the scene of carnage. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes watched their every move from the shadowy corner of the room, a silent observer in the midst of the chaos.

Word Count: 2041

I outdid myself on writing such a lengthy chapter, witwew! But, this might as well be my next most favorite chapter aa- xD my favorite part was writing those obstacles Miguel had when trying to resolve through card decline, navigating the curves, and roadblock. all the trouble in being the knight in shining armor and at the end of the day, adulting hits harder than any of those troubles 😂

there'll probably be one or two more chapters and we'll have a circle of events winding up and the prompt coming into clear picture, i can't wait to write that part :P

as for the word count, i am practically just 3k words away from the goal, and there's a few more things to resolve but.. hopefully i am able to do it, even if i have to use 1k more words, i want to do absolute justice to the story, characters and everything else!!

hope you're doing well and hope your onc/any other book writings/reading is going well too xD

catch y'll on the other side!

CHEERS,
Sara <3